Read Ranch & Coast Virtually Anywhere
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a couple. He hasn't given up an ounce of his 'chefy-ness' but he also understands that for health and longevity, variety is key." e couple points out that even at Ember & Rye (which reopens this month after a kitchen fire), vegetable sides were very much on the menu. But the book makes plant foods the main part of the plate — meat is no longer at its center. "ere's real creativity to be found in vegetables, too," says Jazmin. Bottom line: e couple wanted to eat better and encourage others to do the same. "is isn't a health food book," they insist in the book's introduction. "is is a healthier cookbook," showcasing plant foods and limiting oils, gluten, refined sugars, and processed foods. e book also offers healthier substitutes, swapping out avocado oil mayonnaise for traditional mayo, for example, or Stevia for sugars. So, why not try tomato and watermelon poke, zucchini al pastor, jerk cauliflower "steaks," charred carrot hot dogs, or cauli-mac 'n cheese, among the 100 "bold recipes for a mostly health lifestyle" in the book? Shakshuka, a flavorful and versatile egg dish packed with onions, plum tomatoes, bell peppers, chickpeas, and spices, can be served at any meal. A colorful summer vegetable succotash, inspired by the produce at Rancho Santa Fe's famed Chino Farms, is loaded with fava or lima beans, shallots, red bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro. Richard (who had hoped there was a bit more Italian in his heritage) especially likes to make pasta at home, whether a good cacio e pepe, "cheese and pepper" in Italian, with grated pecorino Romano cheese and freshly ground black pepper, or spaghetti pomodoro with olives, capers, and anchovies. But make no "mis-steak" — Richard hasn't given up meat. He still loves firing up the backyard grill for a great piece of steak — and vegetables. What's next for this creative couple? Richard, known for Bravo's Top Chef and Top Chef All Stars, just wrapped the next season of Fox's Next Level Chef, a culinary reality competition which he co-hosts (and judges) with Gordon Ramsay and Nyesha Arrington. He also continues as culinary director for VIP dining at e Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. e couple is considering bringing back Starving for Attention, the podcast they hosted about the food industry, which ended during the pandemic. ere are also personal pursuits: international travel, their daughters' athletic competitions (basketball, field hockey, soccer, and more), and pickleball — for Jazmin, that is, not Richard. "Jazmin and I do a lot of life together," says Richard. "But she plays pickleball without me." Richard, an avid runner with six marathons (and counting) to his credit, only has "fast food" a few times a year. "Eat good and healthy food is a mantra for me in my life," he reflects in the book's introduction. "is doesn't mean that every once in a while, on a road trip, I'm not pulling off to get a Whopper, but it's incredibly rare and balanced by the healthy food I eat the other 95 percent of the time." e chef has come a long way since his first job: at McDonald's. << @ranchandcoast RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2024 61