Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/175740
LOVE, PEACE AND PARSNIPS The vegetarian movement continues to evolve from grungy to glam. BY ALYSSA SHELASKY K ale is the new black, Kristen Bell has been crowned PETA's sexiest vegetarian celebrity and people are running in droves to New York City's hyper-veg Dirt Candy restaurant for "Cabbage!" and "Beans!" and "Onions!" (Yes, those are the punctuations used on the menu—can you feel the passion?) Toss in a handful of global influencers like Bill Clinton—who famously swapped Big Macs for beet burgers and has never felt/looked better—not to mention the bright, sexy, universal spotlight on the farm-to-table movement, and it's no surprise that David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl's blog, Green Kitchen Stories, led to a book, "Vegetarian Everyday," which is now a delectable smash hit. We spoke to the Stockholm-based couple, who were vacationing in Barcelona with their three-year-old daughter, Elsa, about the wild success of their cookbook, the smoothie-food-bike they plan to launch and the natural beauty of a Brussels sprout. Are you both 100 percent vegetarian? David: I'm fully vegetarian. Luise is 90 percent—and always one at home. For me, it started when I was 15. In Sweden, we had free school lunches. They were pretty bad: random, pre-heated forms of meat. But I found out that for 208 BAL HARBOUR Co-authors David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl and their daughter, Elsa. vegetarians, they would prepare the food on-site, done fresh. So I had my mom write a note to the school saying I was a vegetarian. And it kind of just stuck. Is it hard being world-travelers with a strict diet? David: In some countries, it's extremely easy. Most of Asia is vegetarian-friendly. India, Vietnam, all their spring rolls and noodles, most of these dishes have vegetables at the core. Mexico wasn't entirely easy for us. Thank goodness for guacamole. That was basically a guacamole holiday for us. Portugal was the worst. I had nothing to eat but this creamy vegetable soup. Every. Single. Day. Luise: We really love to travel in southern Europe, because their side dishes are all comprised of beautiful vegetables. We practically lived off side dishes. What are your favorite vegetables? David: I use a lot of eggplant. It's so interesting to cook with because it can be prepared from really raw or really soft to cut-thin, extra-crispy or something extremely hearty. Luise: I love mushrooms—there are so many different kinds, especially when you get to go foraging; it's so much fun. Vegetarian recipes have been around forever, so why do you think your