#309: Ellen Kanner - This Miami Vegan Brings Color, Culture, and Compassion to Your Table

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We are turning up the heat and diving fork-first into a true celebration of the tropics—a culinary carnival of color, culture, and compassion!

Rip welcomes Ellen Kanner—a Miami native, award-winning writer, and the powerhouse behind the new cookbook, Miami Vegan.

This book is more than just a collection of recipes—it's a flavorful journey through the heart of Miami, infused with bold Latin and Caribbean influences, and reimagined through the vibrant lens of plant-based living.

Ellen shows us that we don’t have to give up the flavors we love to eat food that loves us back. With over 80 sun-soaked, sizzling recipes, this is the kind of book that makes you want to crank up some salsa music and dance in the kitchen!

You’ll hear:

The Soul of Miami Cuisine: Ellen shares how the unique cultural fusion of Latin and Caribbean traditions inspired her plant-based recreations.
Why Plants Belong in the Tropics: Discover why Miami's native ingredients—from mangoes to avocados are perfectly suited for vibrant vegan dishes.
Reimagining Tradition: Learn how to honor cultural heritage while making healthy, sustainable choices in the kitchen.
Flavor Without Sacrifice: Get inspired by Ellen’s philosophy that you can eat food you love—and that loves you back.

Episode Resources

Watch the Episode on YouTube

Purchase a Copy of Miami Vegan

Follow Ellen on Instagram @ellenkanner

Subscribe to Ellen’s Substack newsletter

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Full Episode Transcription via AI Transcription Service

[0:00]I'm Rip Esselstyn, and you're listening to the PLANTSTRONG Podcast. Are you ready to spice things up in the kitchen? This week, we're heading into the sizzling streets of Miami with Ellen Kanner, award-winning author and native Miamian who is dishing up festive flavor in her new book, Miami Vegan. We'll have this colorful conversation right after these words from PLANTSTRONG. If you're looking for the ultimate simple summer meal, look no further than our PLANTSTRONG simmer sauce. Whether you're cooking for one or feeding the whole crew, this is an easy, oil-free peanut curry sauce that turns a handful of veggies and a block of tofu into a crave-worthy dinner. Just pour it over your stir-fry, simmer, and boom, you've got dinner handled in 15 minutes flat. It's bold, rich, and packed with the flavors of curry, aromatic spices, and peanut, all without added oils, sugar, or junk. Stock up now at plantstrong.com and make it your summer go-to. That's plantstrong.com. Today, we are turning up the heat and diving fork first into a culinary carnival of color, culture, and compassion.

[1:24]How about all those alliterations? I am thrilled to welcome Miami native, Ellen Kanner. She is the author behind the gorgeous new cookbook, Miami Vegan, Plant-Based Recipes from the Tropics to Your Table. This book is more than just a collection of recipes. It is a flavorful journey through the heart of Miami infused with bold Latin and Caribbean influences and reimagined through the vibrant lens of plant-based living. Ellen shows us that we don't have to give up the flavors that we love to eat food that loves us back. With over 80 sun-soaked, sizzling recipes, this is the kind of book that makes you want to dance into the kitchen and maybe even crank up some salsa music while you're at it. So grab your forks, your curiosity, and maybe a ripe mango or two, because today we are going to feast on Miami plant-based style.

[2:32]Ellen Kanner, it is so wonderful to see you and have you be on the PLANTSTRONG podcast today. How are you doing today? I'm doing great today, Rip, because I'm talking to you. How bad can that be? Well, I'm really happy to have you here. And if I'm not mistaken, I'm probably talking to you in Miami, Florida. Is that right? That is right. Yeah. And you love Miami, don't you? Miami is kind of like my bad boyfriend. I do love it. I mean, there's traffic. There's all kinds of crazy reasons not to. But yeah, I love Miami and I want you to love it too. Yeah. Yeah.

[3:22]Now, so do you have a boyfriend and you're also married, right? Okay. I don't want to get in trouble too soon. And yes, I'm happily married, and I dedicate my new book to him. Yeah. Yeah. Well, we'll be talking about your new book. In fact, just to give people a sneak peek, this is what she looks like, Miami Vegan. Look at that gorgeous cover. Plant-based recipes from the tropics to your table. Mmm, delicious. Can't wait to dive into that with you. But we're not going to dive in quite yet because I need to get to know you a little bit better. So you're a fifth-generation Miamian. Is that correct, Miamian or not? That is totally correct. Both are correct. I'm fifth-generation and a Miamian. Wow.

[4:16]So fifth-generation, where did the first person in your family, male or female, come from? In Eastern Europe, it was called Bohemia at the time, but before it meant like wild and crazy, it was part of the Czech Republic. And it got kind of carved up in the First World War, which is how we wound up here. Wow. All right. And I'd love to know more about some of the reasons why you love Miami. In your opening, in your book, you do a wonderful job talking about all the things that Miami is and isn't. But share with a little bit more color what you love about Miami. Well, Miami is color.

[5:12]It's very vibrant. It is multicultural. You can come here and hear half a dozen languages just walking down the street. And, you know, Miami has a sort of glitzy, crazy reputation. But what's really glamorous about Miami is just the tropical nature of it. Being so near the water, we have a beautiful quality of light here that I've never seen anywhere else. Palm trees everywhere you look. And now we're getting into our tropical fruit season. So there's ripe mango hanging off the trees. There's avocados so plentiful. My neighbors are like giving them to me. How great is that?

[5:58]That is great. I love mangoes. I love avocados. I love papaya. All those fruits. You talk about how Miami is sexy, but it's also naughty. So how is Miami naughty? Well, I think a lot of people come to Miami to be wild for a couple weeks and go away. So I want to create a sense of Miami being home, being a place you're vested in. So if I can't get you to move to Miami, I want Miami to come to your table. Well, and you've done quite the job with that. You also, you say that Miami is where people have come to outrun the misdeeds that they've committed elsewhere, which I love. So it seems like Miami is very inviting. We don't care who you are. We're going to welcome you, you know, into our city. That's true. I hope that's true. But yeah, I mean, Al Capone hung out here. There's a whole bunch of bad guys who floated through. We, um...

[7:12]Miami is a very passionate, vibrant place. I kind of love that about us. Yeah. Yeah.

[7:19]You talk about authentic Miami and you say Miami is not about the meh or is that how you pronounce it? Meh, meh. Meh is good. You got it. Meh. So, and it's about, you say it's all about the technicolor, right? Right. Bright orange mango, like deep green colors. I know Ireland's supposed to have 50 shades of green. Miami has another 50. It's a very deep, floral, warm environment. We've got a Latin culture. We've got a Caribbean culture. It's not just even Latin Caribbean. There are so many different cultures and communities here. It makes us very colorful in every way. Well, you mentioned how Miami is the gateway to all these different cultures, whether it's, you know, the Caribbean, Latin America, and how all of them can show up on the same plate in Miami. Yeah, I like that. The Latin rice and beans influence, the chilies from the Caribbean, the curries, all of it. So have you always been enamored with food?

[8:43]I find food is a great way to talk to people. I started out as a journalist and a fiction writer, and I still love that. But I think food is a very important story. It's a great way to connect us.

[9:00]And you've been, I guess, vegan for about 25 years. What prompted you in 2000, 1999, to go vegan? I had actually been vegetarian for many years before that. But as a food writer, I became more aware of what was going on in the American food system. And as someone who loves animals, I just couldn't support that. I didn't want it for myself, and I wanted to find a way to convince people that it wasn't good for them or the planet, and certainly not for our animal friends. Right. And did you get much pushback from your family, friends, the whole Miami culture? Miami has changed a lot since, I guess, the whole world has changed since we have embraced veganism or have tried to. But yeah, there were many, many dinners at friends' houses where I was the afterthought. We're like, oh, we may have some lettuce. Okay, right.

[10:15]Which is why, to me, learning to cook is really important. When I go to a friend's house now, I make sure and bring enough food for everybody. And I make sure it's good whether you're vegan or not. People gonna wolf it down um and you refer to yourself as a soulful vegan what does that mean to you.

[10:41]There are so many reasons to go vegan. You know this. But I find it's, to me, it's easier to connect with that, not just on a, let me give you the statistics, but let me appeal to you in a way that's going to reach you. And that's what the soulfulness is about.

[11:02]You say how one of your superpowers is intensity, right? Yeah. Can you give me an example of how you're intense? I like intense. Well, yeah, you come from an intense family, so you understand. For one thing, my husband said, you know, you're really good talking with people. You might try smiling. I want to get so much information to you. I want you to, you know, I just like, when I'm doing a cooking video, it's like, no, I want you to taste this. You know, I need to bring it down sometimes.

[11:42]So why Miami Vegan, meaning your new book, and why now? What was the impetus for you to put your fingers to the keys and slave away in the kitchen to create this masterpiece? Oh, well, thank you for calling it a masterpiece. Right after the pandemic, Miami was the most desired travel destination. I thought, well, that's cool. And, you know, sometimes you forget where you live sometimes. It is such an interesting place for people who don't live here. I remember when that came out and I was just tootling around somewhere. I thought, wow, I was on my way, I don't know, to a meeting or to a something. And just like, it took me a minute to say, wow, this is where people want to be. How lucky am I to live here when I'm right close to the water? So I thought, if people want to go here, and I want them to be a little more mindful and plant forward, I've got an idea. I'll just sort of make Miami the lure here and give them a whole bunch of recipes that may make them want to embrace this a little bit. Yeah.

[13:06]So when did you decide to write it and how long did it take you to write the book? Oh, mercy. Some of the recipes, like the Caribbean pigeon peas and rice, which is one of my favorites, I've had. It's like on rotation any time. I've had it for a while. But as I don't know, I guess I really did start putting it together in earnest after the pandemic.

[13:34]And is this something that you self-published, or did you go through publishing a publisher? There is a small indie publisher that got going about the time this manuscript was ready, so I was very fortunate. Yeah, yeah. Well, nicely done. You know, you talked about being close to the water. You talk about how Miami is ground zero for rising tides, and that is something that really, really concerns you. How nervous are you that by 2,200, let me think where we are right now, no, 2,100, that Miami could potentially be underwater? It worries me a lot.

[14:19]As you know, there are so many reasons to go vegan, but being underwater really bothers me. Yeah. Yeah, you know, there are some days here when the sky is sunny and everything just looks beautiful, but we're having king tides and they're washing over the streets now. So, while I like being close to the water, I don't want to be covered by it. I've never heard of that term. What's a king tide? It is, I guess, a geological and lunar phenomenon when the moon is full and just draws water. So the tides are particularly high. And so they go substantially higher than normal. Yeah. And over the seawall. Hmm. Hmm.

[15:14]What's the area code for Miami? 305. All right. Well, we want to do everything we can to prevent 305, area code 305 from being underwater. So let's go plant-based, vegan, PLANTSTRONG, whatever you want to say, whatever vernacular you like.

[15:33]Give us, before we show people some of these incredible recipes from your book, share with us the tale of Atlantis. Oh, my gosh. Thank you for reading the intro so thoroughly. You're so good. When I was a kid, I just loved ancient mythology and all the stuff about different, civilizations and different worlds. One of them was the tale of Atlantis, which was supposed to be like the best place to live anywhere. You wanted to live there. It was a beautiful place, and people developed gorgeous architecture, and they all loved each other for a while. And then, you know, it got kind of competitive and blingy, and people were in it for themselves. And so, the gods were looking down and said, you know, this started out as a good thing, but I'm not happy with it anymore. Can we fix it? Nah, let's just drown them. So, that is the story of Atlantis, and I don't want it happening to us.

[16:51]Well, it certainly seems like we're heading in that direction. So, we need to do a serious about-face. Right. We really do. But we're not going to be too morbid here. So let's move on and talk about wonderful tasty dishes in your book. First, though, I want to tiptoe in by saying, what is your favorite media noche? Oh, wow. And you might have to let everybody know what a media noche is. Media noche is a midnight sandwich. But in Miami, since we don't really have fixed mealtimes, we're kind of a grazy eat when you want to go people. The idea behind media noche is, okay, here's a sandwich you can eat after you've been partying. But you can also have it for lunch. You can have it for breakfast. I love a good avo toast. Are you also a big partier? Not anymore.

[17:58]So when did the partying start to subside? Oh, I don't know. I would have to say it's sort of been a gradual dimming down. But rather than wild, I guess I go more intense, more deeply, that I really treasure the friends and connections I have. Yeah. Do you dance? Is that something that you used to do? That is something that I still do. Oh, okay. It keeps me limber. And when you dance, do you go dancing with Benjamin? Benjamin is not a dancer. He made that clear to me pretty early on. Okay. But he likes to watch me and he totally cheers me on. Great, great. So, like, are we talking salsa dancing or what? The last time I salsa danced, which was at a party, someone else salsa danced right into my shin, and I had a bruise for about a week. It's a very lively dance. Yeah. Yeah, I do that. I do ballet just to keep all the bits moving the way they ought to be moving. Wow. I like that. Are you a fan of coffee?

[19:15]Was that all over the book? Because, yeah, I sure am. Well, your first recipe is a coffee recipe. And you talk about how Miamians have four to maybe five small cups of coffee a day. And so what exactly is a Cuban coffee? Because that's the first recipe in the book. And it's how many people here start their day. It's not just like a big brand cup of coffee. In fact, it's teeny tiny, but it is concentrated. It is basically coffee and sugar cooked down to their essence. So, yeah, it's turbo.

[19:54]So it's a little rocket fuel of coffee. Got it. And it's good in the morning. And a lot of times, a lot of offices will serve it in the afternoon. So you don't get that afternoon slump. All right. So what I'm going to do now, just so you're aware, and for anyone that's listening, we're going to try and describe these because I'm going to hold up the photo of the recipe so those of you that are watching on YouTube can get a really good idea of how delicious these recipes are. So we're going to start. I'm probably going to show everybody, Ellen, maybe 11 or 12 recipes. Wow. And I'd love for you to talk about them and their history. And I love, you know, I love headers, recipe headers that explain the recipe and give it a little bit of background. So let's start with this. You say this is one of Miami's favorites. It's a tofu scramble or almost aki. And look at how delicious that is right there. Mm-mm-mm.

[21:00]I love a tofu scramble. And there's also a tropical fruit called the ackee. And they look very much like eggs. They're golden. They have wonderful little tender curds. And it grows. It's a Caribbean tree. It grows all over the place. But ackee, if you do not know how to prepare it, is toxic, which is not what I want for anybody. And tofu is a terrific substitute. And it's a wonderful substitute for eggs. And if there's anyone listening who isn't vegan and is, like, shocked at the price of eggs, have we got a deal for you.

[21:41]Tofu is incredibly versatile. And I think of it as a blank slate the way you would think of pasta. You can do anything with it. And here it's seasoned up with onion and garlic and a bunch of fresh vegetables. It's super easy, and it's really, really good. That is something I could eat any time of the day. Yeah, and in this particular recipe, you also have some zucchini or yellow squash. You've got all kinds of wonderful spices in there. And one of the things I want to just ask you up front as we're going through some of these recipes, and for those that are thinking about buying the book, you have olive oil. and you know we're not a huge fan of any kind of added oils. Would you consider like all these recipes, can you make them without the olive oil? I think so. And there are some that definitely are oil-free, like the fireworks, black bean and mango salad and the ceviches. Yeah, yeah. All right, wonderful. All right, let me... So this kind of caught my attention because I've got three kids and we love...

[22:53]Pancakes, but these look particularly interesting. They're called hoe cakes, right? Hoe cakes. Give me the history on these, and do you like these? I do, and they're really best right out of the pan. They're thin, they're crispy, and they're super simple. I think they're cornmeal and water. Yeah. The hot water and the cornmeal combine, you got to give it a couple minutes, and they were basically food for growers when you were out in the field and you needed something fast and filling, this'll do it. Well, and I love the way you talk about how these, you know, as humble as they are, they inspire passion. And I love passion and I also love humble. It's two great qualities.

[23:44]You don't need to talk about these, but just look at that cornbread. I mean, that looks like it's just going to melt in my mouth. It's so moist. And it does. That was a recipe that took some developing as I went from vegetarian to vegan. Yeah. And I make it, if it's just a weeknight, my husband and me, that's the basis for my big Thanksgiving cornmeal dressing where I have to feed 30 people with it. It's very adaptable. It's very good.

[24:19]So, speaking of good, tell everybody about your magic dust, because this sounds like something that many of us would love to sprinkle on lots of different dishes. And it is good for that. Thank you, Rip. There's a spice in Mexico, and I think it's popular out in California, too, called tajin spice, and it hits all the flavor notes. It's a little salty. It's got chili. It's got a little spank of citrus. It's got a little sweetness to it. Well, I can show you how to do the same thing with a lot less salt in it. It's four spices, really.

[25:00]And it's magic dust. It is good, mixed in so many things, and it's brilliant if you dip fruit in it. It just sort of adds a whole other dimension. Well, so the ingredients are half a teaspoon of cumin, a quarter teaspoon of chili powder, a half a teaspoon of amchur or sumac. Okay, that's the citrusy spice. And if you don't have amchur, which is Indian, or sumac, which is Middle Eastern, just give whatever you're making a good squeeze of lime juice. And then a little pinch of sea salt. Let me show, let me, this is a recipe, or I should say a fruit plate that I would love to.

[25:49]Sprinkle magic dust on. Just look at that.

[25:58]

The Heart of Miami

[25:55]Now, were you able to eat that fruit plate after you assembled it? Yes, and quickly because, you know, in the tropics, things get kind of sticky kind of fast.

[26:09]Would you say you have a mango just about every day? I would love to say that. We are getting near the season where my neighbors, like, thrust them on me. And that is not a bad thing, believe me. I do get to a point where I cannot eat a mango every day. And here's the brilliant thing. And this is good for almost any fruit. You can peel it and slice it and freeze it. So when summer is over, you can enjoy them in winter.

[26:42]Yes, yes. If you looked at our freezer, Ellen, in our house, you wouldn't believe how many frozen different types of fruit we have in there. Yeah, we don't like to waste it. So you have several different sections in this cookbook. I'm kind of going into more of the main dishes, I believe, now, if I'm not getting ahead of myself. One of my favorite things in the whole wide world, Ellen, is a good pot of beans. Oh, you and me both. Thank you so much. Beans are it, man. They are one of the most sustainable foods to grow. They feed so many people. They're so super versatile. They're affordable. But you know all this. So affordable and so satiating. But let's talk about Cuban black beans. How about that right there? Oh, my friend is making that recipe tomorrow. So I'm very excited. Yeah, what, I mean.

[27:45]Anything that you want to tell me about this recipe? I mean, I'm looking at the ingredients here. Do you have a copy of your book there near you? I do. I mean, so why don't you, so we're both on the exact same page, right? I'm on page 88, just so you know. Thank you. You think I'd know. No, no. I mean, that's hard. This is a, there's a lot of recipes. So we're looking at the Cuban black beans recipe. Got it. And I think one of the things, when I looked at this, I was amazed how this recipe calls for a half a pound of kale or Swiss chard, which I love that you're sneaking that in there. Well, I try not to think of sneaking vegetables into dishes because it does sound naughty, doesn't it? Like you're doing something. Well, it sounds like Miami, right? I guess it does. But I sort of think of greens or adding vegetables as enhancing a dish, making it more of a thing. And as you know, when greens hit heat, they just wilt right down. So it's not like they're going to offend anyone. They want to be friends with beans. Yeah, yeah.

[29:00]

Exploring Miami's Culinary Culture

[29:01]Okay, so I'm going to move on to, let's, you know what, before, so if you just go to page 90, I was enamored with this taku-taku and the way it looked, because it looks like it resembles to me, does it have a little bit of the pot cake quality that you were talking about in the opening of the book? Oh, yes. You have also hit on something that.

[29:26]Means a lot to me. Pot cake is, there are words for it in almost every culture and cuisine. I think it's saccarat in Spain. Someone told me an Asian version of it. It's when you're cooking rice and beans, sometimes you get stuff that's stuck to the bottom of the pot, but it's not a bad thing. In fact, that's where all the best bits wind up. And so you want that kind of good cooked in taste. Yeah, this absolutely has that. It's just basically rice and beans cooked into a patty. And the first time someone made it for me, again, humble, but fabulous. Just like, wow, how can you do this? Super easy. Well, but this to me looks like it's more than rice and beans. Is that some sort of like a farro or a barley or a grain? No, that's rice. That's beans. Really? So what kind of beans is that? I think those were black beans. But I've done them with red beans. I've done them with other kinds of beans. This is meant to be like leftovers. That is a black bean? That doesn't look like a black bean?

[30:41]I think it is. Look at that. It looks like a big grain of brown rice or something, doesn't it? Well, there is brown rice in there. Sort of that holds it together. Well, there you go. That's what I'm looking at then. All right. I was getting a little too hung up on that.

[31:02]So speaking of pot cakes... Am I correct? Is your rescue dog named Potcake? Potcake was our great, great rescue dog who passed away right after the pandemic. He was an older dog. He was a great dog. We now have Phoebe, who is also a rescue and is a puppy and has, as we all do, very different personality from Potcake. Phoebe? Now, how did Phoebe get her name? Was it from Friends? Yeah, actually. I had gotten Potcake from a small local rescue, and he had had a different name. He was Bongo. He did not look or act like a Bongo, so I renamed him. But we got Phoebe from the same rescue, and she is a pretty ladylike dog, although she does not act like a lady.

[31:57]Well, all the names of those dogs are so wonderful. Pot cake, Phoebe, and then you said bongo? Yeah, bongo. Bongo, wow. But pot cake is actually a Bahamian term of affection for mutts. Are all the best bits stuck together? The best bits stuck together. I like that. So speaking of best bits stuck together, can you go with me to page 92? Because you mentioned this earlier on. The Caribbean pigeon peas and rice and how you said this is a dish you have like once a week. I love this dish. I have never had this and I want to have it. Oh, you've got to come to Miami or I will come up and make it for you. Well, I mean, because at our house, we always have rice and beans at least once a week. But this looks like a great rice and beans type dish. It is. And almost all these rice and beanie recipes, they just call for what is known as a sofrito. It's a sauté of vegetables and spices. That's what gives it flavor. You don't need the animal. You get very rich taste from that. I like to let plants do what plants do best.

[33:18]Which is what? Sing. They sing. They can really carry flavor. As you know, rice and beans will really carry the flavor of anything they're cooked with. So, yeah, this is easy. And I did make it a couple weeks ago, and my husband said, this is really good. Have we had this before? Okay, you don't remember? That's okay. But, yes, you have, and I like it too. I'm glad you do.

[33:47]How would you describe a pigeon pea? Does it have a certain flavor or texture? It's just a field pea like cow peas and black-eyed peas. And it grows very easily in hot weather. It's pretty resistant to pests and stuff. But you could use red beans. You could use pinto beans. You could use black beans. I like pigeon peas because they're local, and I like to shop local when I can. But any field pea that you like is good. Yeah. Listen, I would love to stop at every recipe, but we're not going to do that today. Instead, what I want to—so I am a huge fan of curry dishes. And you've got a Caribbean curry on page 112. With a wonderful photo on page 114 right there.

[34:49]And I got to say, who did your photography? Actually, one of my editors did it. I would start with an image and he would say, okay, I see where you're going with this. Let me see what I can do. So he got to try a lot of the recipes too. Wow. Well, did he use his iPhone 16? No, he used a lot of gear. Okay. A lot of gear. That sounds like that was also a bit of a headache. But hey, the end product is fabulous. What can you tell me about this Caribbean curry dish? It does have more. I like the recipes to be fairly simple. This has more ingredients, but they're really just all vegetables. And it's got some chili heat to it, but it's mellowed with coconut. And it's got a crunch of cashews at the end. So you get a really full, satisfying experience. And you also have a, it calls for two cups of calabaza or green plantain, which is two ingredients I don't use very often.

[35:57]

The Art of Cooking

[35:58]Well, I love to bring the tropics into it.

[36:02]Calabaza, any winter squash, calabaza is a native squash here. It's super hearty and heat tolerant. You could use pumpkin. You could use potato. It would work because it would absolutely soak up the flavor of the curry. And then I look at this photo and what are those big chunks on top? Is that potato? Am I correct? Are those potato? What are those? That is calabaza. Oh, that's the calabaza. Yeah. That's the green plantains. Got it. And then you have... Four or five cashews on the top. I think I probably ate some of the others. Yeah. I think I would have crushed those up just to get a little bit more per bite. All right. Let's go on.

[36:56]You know, you hit on something, though, that matters. Yeah. I want these recipes to be very doable, but you should think of them like when you do Google Maps or Waze. They'll give you the route to get there. But if you know the area,

[37:15]

Recipes from Miami Vegan

[37:12]you'll think, you know, I know a more direct route. So if you look at the recipe or try it once and you want it spicier or you want to add more nuts, do that because I want this to feed and please you.

[37:29]All right. I skipped over a very, very important recipe that I want to highlight with you and with the audience, and that is on page 105. And that is our collard tacos with chili chard, onion, and sweet potato. A, I absolutely love tacos. We have them at least once a week. And I love the fact that you're using collards, right, as the tacos. I mean, what a fantastic, healthy way and a fun way to get your collard greens in. I think so, too. And I know collards are... They can be a kind of pushy green. They are also a great summer green, but the sweet potato mellows them. So they're very good together. I've never heard collars described that way as a kind of a pushy green, but it's so true. They are. They're a little full of themselves.

[38:31]Okay. Now I want you to go to page 129. And you know what? We're not doing a great job describing these for those that are just listening. So let's do a little bit better job going forward. That's my fault. So 129, what we are looking at is Mama's Greens, Sukuma Weeki. And this is just a plate with a pile of greens. And there looks like there's some corn and tomatoes in there. And, you know, we at PLANTSTRONG are such a fan of green leafies every day. And so I'd love for you to talk about this dish and why we should try it. This is a great way to get greens into you every day. And I am with you, Rip. I think they are one of the best things for you. And I'm always trying to get greens into people. This is a Caribbean way of greens with its origins in Africa. Apparently, there are versions of it everywhere. It's got a little ginger. It's got a little chili. It's got some onion. So it totally transforms greens from being pushy to being your friend. Wow. We like greens that are our friend.

[39:50]Next. So –, This just kind of caught my attention. It's on page 130, and I don't know how to pronounce it, so you'll have to help me. Mak-choy?

[40:00]Very close. Mak-choo. Mak-choo. And it's actually better known in New Orleans, but all the things, all the components of it, sweet corn, tomatoes, basil, they grow here. So do the basic foods that make up a Cajun recipe, onion, chili, and celery. So I thought, why not claim it here? It's a quick stir fry of summer corn and other vegetables. It's a real change from corn on the cob because you get more dimension this way. And you could tumble in all kinds of things, like I have a recipe for house-smoked tempeh in there if you want to add some smokiness to it. It's really fun. Yeah, yeah. You mentioned how, yes, this features the Creole Holy Trinity, the onion, the pepper, and the celery in that dish. All right. So this is a dish, page 137, that this sang to me because living now in Austin, Texas, for over 40 years, I have been introduced to cowboy caviar, but I haven't had it in a long time. And so this inspired me to want to make this. Tell people what cowboy caviar is.

[41:27]It's not – there are no cows. There's no fish. It's supposed to be a landlocked, somewhere between, I'd say, a relish and a salad. And it's beans and corn. And it usually has like a little smack of vinegar. I wanted to add some citrus to that as well to give it more of a local feel. Yeah. No, this to me, I...

[41:55]Yeah, this is a great side dish, and I'm amazed how all the flavors complement each other so well and make it so tasty. All right, you now, I'm going to move on, because you had to have a azucar section all about how Miami celebrates sweetness, and I do have a sweet tooth. I did not know that, and you know what? I really don't, but I knew this had to have good dessert recipes. Oh, my gosh. And so let's start with on page 148. This is your iced cafecito. Am I pronouncing that correctly? Nailed it, Rip. Okay. Everybody, look at that. I mean, has Ellen gone out of her way or what? Well, if you can't have a Cuban coffee in the morning, you can have it at night.

[42:54]I would be just bouncing off the walls. I know it. And this also has chocolate, and it has the magic of aquafaba, which I just love. You know, the liquid in a can of chickpeas, it absolutely mimics what you can do with eggs. It's a great binder. In this case, it adds tons of volume, so you get a wonderful mousse-like effect. And as someone who's been cooking for a long time, this was stuff we were told to throw out for years. and I hate food waste. So now I have a great way to use several recipes in here call for it, and I still have chickpeas to make hummus or whatever I want. Well, and for those that are not quite sure what aquafaba is, and you just mentioned the chickpeas, will you let everybody know what it is? It is the liquid in a can of chickpeas. Aqua, water, faba, bean, bean water. You can actually use almost any kind of cooking liquid from any kind of bean. But the thing is, the stuff you get in a can of chickpeas is standardized. So I don't want you to have to say, oh, I think this is too thick. Is this too thin? If you use what's in a can of chickpeas, that liquid will get you where you want to go here.

[44:16]Let's turn just to the next page. You have the magic mango mousse. Again, And one of my favorite things is a mousse. And then I also love the mango. There you go. And that also calls for aquafaba to get that lift. Yeah.

[44:35]Anything in particular we need to know about that recipe? Because it does call for a teaspoon of rum. Well, you could use vanilla if you want, but we have such, why not a little rum? Right, right. Hey, we're in Miami. We're being naughty. Right. So speaking of being naughty, this whole section to me is naughty. And this should be for birthdays and special occasions, especially since a lot of this calls for, full-fat coconut milk and stuff like that that, you know, we're not huge fans of at PLANTSTRONG. But we understand there's a time and a place for some of these special occasions, like this triple gingerbread.

[45:17]Wow. That gingerbread is really good. That is also a recipe I've had and made many times. And I think many times when people think of gingerbread, they think Hansel and Gretel. They think cold weather and Christmas, but ginger grows in the tropics, and I have it in there three ways. I have crystallized ginger on top and maybe in the batter. I have dried ginger. I have fresh ginger. So it is a really warming, exciting experience. Yeah, well, it's an experience that I would love to enjoy, maybe one day.

[45:55]

Sweet Treats and Desserts

[45:56]I agree. Desserts should be a treat, not an everyday thing.

[46:02]The last recipe that I want to share with everybody, because I am such a chocolate-holic, and that is on page 167, Ellen. This is your chocolate orange and almond olive oil cake. Look at the photo. That's really, the photo says it all. Well, if I'm not mistaken, Fran Costigan, who is the vegan dessert queen... Oh my, yes. Didn't she make your wedding cake, or am I making that up? No, no, she did. She did. So, this is based on one of her recipes with her blessing, so you know it's going to be excellent. It is... You know, when someone says, wow, I had no idea this was vegan, that vegan could be so good. Yeah, that's how good that cake is. Tell me, Ellen, what did you have for breakfast this morning besides Cuban coffee? Okay, I am naughty. That is my breakfast. Okay.

[47:03]What did I have for lunch? Oh, I had some beautiful greens. And I did have like a tofu scramble. So, like, I can totally eat this every day, and I used what vegetables I had on hand, which is zucchini, you know, onion, all the spring into summer vegetables. You can make something so bright and so easy that way. And it was nice to actually have lunch. I have been running around lately. I'm sure you have, too. So, just like giving yourself the grace of 20 minutes to enjoy your food, that's super important. Tell me, where can people find you if they want to follow you on social media channels, and where can we pick up a copy of your book?

[47:55]

Connecting with Ellen Kanner

[47:56]Miami Vegan just landed. It is wending its way to your favorite indie bookstores and Amazon. You can also order it through my website, soulfulvegan.com, or through my publisher, LCIX. You can find me on Instagram at Ellen Kanner. You can find me on my website at ellen at soulfulvegan.com. and you can find me on my Substack newsletter, Broccoli Rising.

[48:27]Tell me about Substack because I've just heard about that in the last couple months. What is Substack? And you say your Substack newsletter, how often does that come out? That comes out every Monday. It is...

[48:42]It's a very friendly format. There are some wonderful writers and chefs on there. And you subscribe to who you want to subscribe to. And you get, I just find it fantastic. I've gotten to connect with a whole lot of people that way. Yeah.

[49:00]Well, Ellen, it's been really wonderful chatting with you, getting to know you a little bit better, talking about your new book, going through some of the amazing recipes. And, you know, one of the ways that you end your opening of Miami Vegan is a way that I would like to say goodbye to you today. And that is come visit Miami, wear sunscreen, and eat plants. Ellen, keep it PLANTSTRONG. Give me a fist bump. Thank you, my love. Absolutely. Bye. Bye-bye.

[49:40] Thank you, Ellen, for sharing your heart and your heritage with the PLANTSTRONG audience. Miami Vegan is available now wherever books are sold, and I'll be sure to put a link in today's show notes to make it super easy for you. Until next week, keep it sun-soaked and always, always keep it PLANTSTRONG. The PLANTSTRONG podcast team includes Carrie Barrett, Laurie Kortowich, and Ami Mackey. If you like what you hear, do us a favor and share the show with your friends and loved ones. You can always leave a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And while you're there, make sure to hit that follow button so that you never miss an episode. As always, this and every episode is dedicated to my parents, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. And Anne Crile Esselstyn. Thanks so much for listening.

2025Ami MackeyJuly 10, 2025plantstrong, engine2, ripesselstyn, plant-based, vegan