Houston Jennifer - Fresh: new vegetarian and vegan recipes from fresh restaurants

T o our publishers and editors for encouraging us and for being so excited about this cookbook from the very first day. Alison Maclean, Jennifer Smith, Lindsay Humphreys, Judy Phillips, and Ian Koo, thank you for your guidance, patience, and style.

To Edward Pond for your brilliant eye and lens. You captured the Fresh spirit, which is at the heart of everything we do.

To Barry Alperthere would be no Fresh without you. You are the unsung hero behind all of it.

To our strong head office team who keep it together for us all: Anita Brajkovic, Laura Duncan, and Nancy DeCaria. We are always at our best because of you.

To Gillyou are smart, funny, positive, perceptive, dedicated, and always calm. If we could clone you we could take over the world.

To Mogan, Vijay, and Joshyou are the backbone of Fresh. We genuinely appreciate everything you do. Thank you for the huge role you have played in our growth and success.

To our entire team of managers, both front and back of house, especially Meghan Pike, Gertrude Lung, Jessica Brousseau, Lynn Alexander, Megan Carriere, and Stephanie Weinz. Thanks for taking on the daily responsibilities and allowing us the freedom to do projects like this.

To Rasiah, Suganthan, Sri, Seelan, Ruben, and all of our dedicated dishwashers and cleaners. Thank you for keeping everything tidy and sparkling. Your hard work and positive attitudes are really appreciated.

To Henry Pak, for helping us to grow and thrive over the last 12 years. We wish you all the happiness in the world.

To Jeff Coussin, for doing everything that no one else can do. And for being hilarious in the process.

To Ilana at Sweets from the Earth, for providing us with the perfect complements to our menu. You are a groundbreaker and were so happy to have you as part of our world.

To Rich Donsky at Mr. Produce and Roger at Fiormartthank you for always going the extra mile for us. Youre the best.

To Lisa Kiss of Lisa Kiss Design, for branding us with great colours and our fresh look.

To some special friends of Fresh: Phyllis Levine, Daniel Cytrynbaum, Kelly Rosin, David Dundas, Kim Harkness, Harvey Kotler, Bruce Haar, Rebecca Liu, Uday Kulkarni, Jeff Brown, Alanna Gerwitz, Frank Quattrociocchi, Lawrence Malek, Michael Chesney, Nigel Churcher, and Ralph Giannone.

To our loyal family of customers: those who have been coming to Fresh since the beginning, the thousands of others who have walked through the doors, and those of you across the world who have never set foot in a Fresh location but have experienced Fresh through our cookbooks. Your support and patronage has allowed us to grow, give back, and make our dreams come true.

To all the Fresh staff who appear in this bookyou embody the fun, diverse, and colourful Fresh culture we are so proud of. You live in the pages of this book.

And to the entire family of front- and back-of-house staff at Fresh who keep us going, rain or shine. You fill the restaurants with your great style, warm service, hard work, and dedication. None of it would be possible without you.

RT+JH

RUTHS THANKS

To my exuberant Tal family, pets included, for your unwavering love and encouragement. You are with me wherever I go.

Iris Tal and Robyn Levy, your courage astounds me. Your achievements are inspirational.

To my eclectic group of friends around the world who inspire me to live deep, think fast, and feel it all. Thank you for sheltering me, feeding me, squeezing me, and loving me during the writing of this cookbook.

Thank goodness for Kim Donnelly, Lisa Kelner, Bonnie Beecher, Alessandra De Oliveira, and Angelina Fraser. You kept me steady through the shifting tides of the past two years.

Renee Videla, Catherine Moeller, Sofia, Harley, and Croker: thank you for loving and caring for Maya in my absence as if she were your own.

A massive thank you is reserved for my Mexican and Costa Rican family of friends whose inspiration and influence is evident in this book: Diego Arce, Gaia Momo Arce, Ricardo Morales, Marion Peri, Moises Sayd, Franka Rosas Cavina, Quiahuatl A Kiaa, Paola Herrera, Leo Utskot, Alexander Utskot, Karla Moles, Adrian Arce, Lidia Fernandez, Christianne Guerrero Cajiga, Dave Paco, and Heidi Carter. You opened your homes, hearts, and kitchens to me. Mil besos.

Guadua Restaurant, Osa Mariposa, Dans Deluxe Caf, and La Luna Restaurant.

Entrepreneurs, movers, and mentors I love to know: Stewart Brown of Genuine Health; Kim Donnelly of CYKL; Cosimo Mammoliti of Terroni; Max Stefanelli of Terroni LA; Ralph Giannone, architect; Peter Primiani of the Communal Mule; Manolo Salinas, architect; Alina Felix; Notaria 14; Debra Berman of Berman & Co.; Silvana Kane of Pacifika; Beth Poulter of Kiska Designs; Claudio Aprile of Origin; Robbie Kane of Medina; Jeff Stober at the Drake Hotel; Allison Black and Nathan Morlando of Euclid 431 Pictures; Amba Stapleton of Nosara Yoga Institute; Gonca Gul of Ulla Sport; Nickodemus NYC; Ronnie Tal of Future Bright Insurance; Vicky Tal of Harvey Kalles; Nigel Churcher, worldwide art director; Carlo Rota; Nazneen Contractor; Michael Henry of INK; Michel Francoeur; and Claudia Gonzalez.

Finally, to the dogs: Maya, my 13-year-old Great Dane, and Frodo and Jonas, her handsome Labrador brothers in Puerto Escondido. Thank you for the licks!

JENS THANKS

The best part about having a book is getting to see the names of the people you care about in print. I used to fantasize when I was little about who I would thank if I got the chance. I guess if youre a budding singer or actor you would practice your acceptance speech in front of a mirror, but I always hoped to be published (a cookbook never occurred to me, but you never know what form your dreams will take), so composing my thank yous in my head was a frequent daydream. Its nice when your fantasies come true!

So, special thanks to:

My friends Chris MacLachlan, Kim Thompson, Melissa Curcumelli-Rodostamo, Katie Luedecke, Fiona Paterson, Jojo Steele, Gabrielle Shaw, Mary-Lynn Turk, Sarah Attwell, Erin Best Les-Pierre, and Jason Maguire, for adding joy to my life in so many ways.

My occasional sidekick, Maureen Maguire, for always going along with my plans; Michelle Vinassac, for keeping me balanced; and Reni Walker, Erin Stump, and Gianni Sabatino, for being great neighbours.

My favourite non-human friends, Sam, Tex, and MacGregor, for making me laugh every day.

My favourite children, Abby, Grace, and Jack Walker-Mitchell, Callum Smith and my goddaughter Ava Luedecke, for reminding me what its like to be a kid.

And of course, my family: Barbara and Wayne Houston, Elizabeth Houston and Phyllis White, for everything.

F resh is now a 150-person operation. This cookbook is written by the two of us, but the Fresh community goes way beyond just us. We have a huge team of staff, suppliers, and customers who make Fresh and the Fresh cookbooks a success.