Everything Else Is What
The short answer? Everything else. The entire plant kingdom is waiting to be explored, and it’s absolutely magnificent.
I’m not here to shame anyone about their food choices. I’m here because I’ve discovered that plant-forward cooking has opened up a world of flavors, textures, and possibilities that I never knew existed when I was cooking more conventionally.
A Chef’s Evolution
Let me share something with you: we humans are incredibly adaptable creatures. Throughout history, we’ve learned to find nourishment everywhere—from tropical canopies to arctic tundra. We’ve mastered fire, developed agriculture, and created cuisine. We’re the species that turned simple grasses like rice and wheat into the foundation of civilizations.
That adaptability? It’s our greatest culinary asset.
When I started exploring plant-based cooking seriously, I realized I’d been operating with unnecessary limitations. I was so focused on what I was *removing* from dishes that I wasn’t seeing what I could *add*. The plant world offers an incredible palette of flavors, textures, and nutrients that most of us barely scratch the surface of.
The Real Question
“If not meat, then what?” isn’t really about food—it’s about imagination and technique.
Can you create umami without meat? Absolutely. Mushrooms, aged cheeses, fermented vegetables, and sea vegetables all deliver that satisfying depth.
Can you build satisfying protein? Of course. Legumes, nuts, seeds, and grains have sustained cultures for millennia.
Can you create exciting textures? The plant kingdom offers everything from the silky richness of avocado to the meaty bite of king oyster mushrooms.
Local, Seasonal, Delicious
Here’s what I’ve learned: the best plant-forward cooking happens when you work with what’s local and seasonal. Visit a good farmers market or specialty produce shop. You’ll find vegetables you’ve never heard of, herbs that will change how you think about flavor, and fruits that taste nothing like their supermarket counterparts.
The key isn’t to replicate meat—it’s to celebrate what plants do best.
A Practical Philosophy
I’m not asking anyone to give up anything completely. I’m suggesting we expand our possibilities. Maybe start with one plant-forward meal a week. Explore a new vegetable. Try cooking with ingredients like miso, nutritional yeast, or berbere spice that add incredible depth to plant dishes.
When you source well—locally grown, minimally processed ingredients—you’re not just eating better, you’re supporting a food system that makes sense.
What This Means at Oliveira Kitchen
This philosophy drives much of what we do in our kitchen. We work with local farmers to source incredible produce. We’ve spent years perfecting techniques that bring out the best in plant ingredients. And yes, we still serve meat—but we’ve learned that the most exciting dishes often come from celebrating what grows from the ground.
Our plant-forward dishes aren’t substitutes or compromises—they’re celebrations. They’re what happens when you approach vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes with the same creativity and technique you’d apply to any premium ingredient.
The Invitation
So when someone asks me, “If not meat, then what?” I say: Come to the restaurant. Let me show you. Let’s explore together what happens when we expand our culinary imagination beyond the obvious choices.
Because the real question isn’t “What do we eat instead?”
It’s “What amazing things have we been missing?”
*Curious about plant-forward cooking? Join us for our monthly “Beyond the Obvious” tasting menu, where we showcase what happens when vegetables become the star of the show.*
