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While it’s obviouslyflatteringand lucrative tobe re-
cruited to cook for theEllens and theOprahs of theworld,
Ronnen is onamission tobringhis cooking to themasses.
Onewayof doing that is through cookbooks suchashis
TheConsciousCook
, which explainshow tomake tasty
vegandishes at home. If youwant to eat out, hehas that
coveredaswell. LYFE (LoveYour FoodEveryday)Kitch-
en, inPaloAlto, California, whereRonnen is a consulting
chef, bringshealthfulness to fast foodwith locallypro-
curedgrass-fedbeef burgers, oven-baked fries, lots of veg-
anofferings, andnodish containingmore than 600
calories. On thehigher end, Ronnen spearheadedapro-
gramat theWynnLasVegaswhich introduces gourmet-
restaurant patrons toflavor-packedvegan food that is
cookedwith care andmade from top-quality ingredients.
HotelierSteveWynn isaveryhands-onguy.Whenhegets
interested insomething—be itwineorgolf orFerraris—
he tries tobring thebest iterationof it tohisproperty.
AfterWynndecided toeatvegan, hepressedall ofhischefs
to take theplungeaswell—on theirmenus ifnot in their
lives—andbrought inRonnen to lead theway. “Ididawork-
shopandcooked for thechefsat theWynn,”saysRonnen,
whohelped the resort’sculinarysuperstarsdevelopdishes
thatfit theirmenus. “I showed that there is theory inwhat I
doand that Ihave respect for technique.”Standoutvegan
dishesat theWynn include“crab”cakesmade fromheartsof
palmatLakeside, veganmeatballsatSWSteakhouse, and
spaghettiwithmeatless raguatBartolottaRistorantede
Mare. “There isnotanotherplace in theworldwhereyoucan
get somuchexcellentplant-based food inoneplace.Every-
body is taking it seriously.”
That last lineappliesspecifically to theWynn, but it could
bemeant to reference thecultureasawhole. Increasingly,
peoplearebecoming interested ineatinghealthfullyathome
andwhile traveling,whetherornot that includeseschewing
animal products. Forveggie loverson the road,Ronnensug-
gestshitting four-star restaurantsandseeingwhat theycan
whipup; alternately, hepointsout thatChinese, Japanese,
and Indian restaurantsoftenhavegoodvegetarianoptionson
themenu. “Myadvice foranyonewhowants to try this life-
style is to lean into it,makedishes thatare familiar, anddo it
slowly,”saysRonnen, pointingout that everybodycancreate
theirown rules,whether it’seatingonevegetarianmeal per
dayorsimply looking forhealthieroptionswhenpossible.
“People like foods thatarecomfortingandcomfortable.And,
as I’veproven, youdon’tneed tosacrificeflavorandculture.
It’s theonlyway tostickwith thisstyleof eating.Thepoint is
tonotdepriveyourself.”
FOOD
The Greens Gourmet
Old Bay “crab” cakes from
Lakeside at theWynn Las Vegas
FALL 2012
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