The Culinary Institute of America

Interview with Chef Emilio Cerra at Oxomoco

Emilio Cerra is chef de cuisine at Oxomoco, a plant-forward Mexican restaurant in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn. Oxomoco opened in 2018, and earned a Michelin star in 2019. In this interview, Chef Emilio talks about inspiration for their modern Mexican wood-fired menu, and how he opened the restaurant with his friends from middle school.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

Vegan Southern Fried Lasagna at Cadence

Shenarri Greens is executive chef at vegan soul food restaurant, Cadence, in New York City. Here she shows us how she makes vegan southern fried lasagna. Greens grew up eating traditional lasagna and wanted to serve lasagna with a southern twist on her menu. The lasagna is filled with pine nut ricotta, and a rich red wine Bolognese. She plates the lasagna with tomato basil sauce.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!
 

Vegan Palm Cake at Cadence

Shenarri Greens is executive chef at vegan soul food restaurant, Cadence, in New York City. Here she shows us a fun vegan dish inspired by a crab cake. She makes a palm cake with chickpeas, hearts of palm, seaweed, and aquafaba as a binder. Chef Shenarri plates the palm cake with spicy slaw and tops it with vegan chipotle aioli.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

Interview with Chef Shenarri Greens at Cadence

Shenarri Greens is at the vanguard of vegan cooking in America. Her vegan soul food menu at Cadence in New York City, where she is executive chef, combines the flavors of her Virginia upbringing with her passion for sustainable dining. Chef Greens has earned James Beard Award semifinalist nods for Emerging Chef in 2022 and Best Chef: New York State in 2023. In this interview, she talks about her career path, and how her vegan cooking is helping change the industry.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

Melitzanosalata at Shukette

Chef Madeleine Lais, Assistant Culinary Director at Shukette restaurant in New York, shows us how she makes a smoky eggplant dip called Melitzanosalata. She mixes grilled eggplant with roasted peppers, garlic, serrano chiles, red onion, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil. Chef Madeleine serves the dip as a shared appetizer with freshly baked breads and crudité.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

Shukette’s Signature Salad

Chef Madeleine Lais, assistant culinary director at Shukette restaurant in New York, shows us Shukette’s signature salad. The hearty salad features grilled radicchio, mixed greens, figs, toasted walnuts, and a date vinaigrette.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

Interview with Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja of Shukette

Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja is a James Beard Award Finalist and serves a Middle Eastern menu at Shukette restaurant in New York. Her plant-forward dishes draw on the rustic, vibrant flavors found throughout Morocco and Tunisia. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Ayesha is the daughter of an Indonesian father and Italian mother. She talks about her culinary influences, and her penchant for taking inspirations from classic dishes with unique flavorful ingredients.
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A’ash Reshteh at Sofreh

Chef Nasim Alikhani of Sofreh, in Brooklyn, shows us how she makes a’ash reshteh, a classic Iranian stew. This intensely aromatic and rich stew is made with beans, lentils, noodles, herbs, the liquid from strained yogurt, and liquid whey. The a’ash reshteh is topped with mint oil, more liquid whey and onion chips.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!