So much for weekends being a time when I get a little R&R. The past two weekends have been chocked full of events. After spending the morning at a conference for food bloggers at a local beach hotel, I’ve gone to my office to write. I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful Southern California Sunday. When the writing fire heats up, I’ve got to stroke it. At least my office has lots of windows and I can see the sky and Pacific Ocean. I shared a panel with some pretty savvy women: Dr. Jean Layton who is living in northern Washington where she is busy supplying information about gluten intolerance and celiac disease and two home town gals, Cybele Pascal who has a great take on how to eliminate the top eight allergens responsible for 90% of food allergies and still cook with joy and Ashley Koff, who’s new book Mom Energy certainly resonated strongly with me. What brought us together was the title of our panel: Removing One Food and Finding Many Others. Need I say more?

Real Food Daily provided food at the opening cocktail reception and of course, our food made raving fans out of everyone. We served the Club Sandwich wrap, our veggie sushi, Nori Maki and old fashion Oatmeal Cookies. I took the cookies with me to a different venue on Saturday night to give to another RFD fan. Weird Al Yankovic who is committed to eating a plant based diet and a supporter of my restaurants ended his The Alpocalypse Tour in Hollywood at The Pantages Theater. It was wildly creative, outrageously loud and true to his style – provocative, cutting edge and an entertaining commentary on our pop culture.

On the previous Sunday which happened to be rainy and gray, I participated in the second annual Healthy Taste of LA by cooking a favorite RFD seasonal special, Vermont Harvest. It is in published in my cookbook, Vegan Family Meals on page 164 entitled Maple-Dijon Tempeh and Vegetable Stew or click here to download the recipe.