MG EXPERIENCE LUXURY
MG EXPERIENCE LUXURY
Vegan Visionary
With his background as a compet- itive cyclist and passion for staying active, the chef often looks for simple yet tasty meals to keep him fueled between workouts. He cites this savory plant-based dish as one of his favorites to make for himself. “I like using a donabe because they take on heat very evenly for slow and consistent cooking, which is ideal for this recipe. The donabe pot is a beautiful vessel to cook with and one of our go-tos at Eleven Madison Park for our plant-based dishes,” he says. For his donabes, Humm has collaborated with Naoto Inaba, a fifth- generation potter from Iga, Japan, whose natural clay vessels “take on heat very evenly, allowing you to cook ingredients slowly, steadily, and consistently,” Humm says. Home chefs can bring these hand- crafted donabes into their kitchen by purchasing one through the Eleven Madison Home online shop. As with a growing number of plant-leaning epicureans, Humm finds great value in incorporating sea vegetables and gourmet mushrooms into his cooking. “Seaweed adds a beautiful umami to a dish, and morels typically have a subtle earthy, nutty flavor, even some smokiness that I love,” he says. “These beautiful flavors showcase the magic of cooking with plants and for those who are looking to incorporate more of a plant-based diet. The combination of ingredi- ents here—rice, mushrooms, and seaweed—makes it a satisfying, warming dish.”
A pioneer in meatless fine dining, culinary titan Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park shares tips on seasonal cooking and lays out his recipe for a warming plant-based dish
BY ERIC GROSSMAN
we evolved to this moment. I’m proud of my team for committing. I’m honored by our guests believing in us. We also just retained three Michelin stars in 2023 for the 12th year in a row, which is a testament to the hard work of each and every member at EMP who has contributed to our journey,” says Humm. Like most top chefs, Humm—who recently released his latest book, Eat More Plants —regularly finds himself drawing inspiration from seasonal ingredients, even during the darkest and most unforgiving times of the year.
When asked to suggest a warm- ing plant-based dish for the coldest months, Humm suggested morel mushrooms with seaweed baked rice, a recipe that was inspired by cuisines from around the world. “There are many places where people have been cooking delicious plant-based food for thousands of years, and we can learn a lot from their approaches to ingredients, preparation, and sourcing,” he says.
“We believe strongly in honoring the colder months through cooking and nourishing yourself with fresh, in-season produce. Using plant- based ingredients forces you to be in tune with the seasons,” Humm says. “For winter we suggest cooking with squash, collard greens, root vegeta- bles, cauliflower, beets, whatever is in season around you.” For wintertime inspiration, Humm, 47, looks to his homeland— he’s ventured to Arosa, Switzerland,
nearly every winter since he was a small child. “Nothing has changed. It’s very small and sophisticated. During the summer, maybe only a couple of thousand people live there. In the winter, it triples,” he says of the small Alpine resort town. “There’s not a lot in life that’s always the same, but it’s a special place for me for that reason. Some people talk about the ocean as their place to relax and get inspired, but for me it’s the mountains.”
F ew chefs are as globally born, New York–based chef shook the culinary world a couple of years back when he took his Big Apple temple of high gastronomy, Eleven Madison Park, in an entirely vegan direction. “Before launching the new menu, I would lay in bed at night wondering if anyone would come to a completely lauded—or adventurous—as Daniel Humm. The Swiss-
plant-based Eleven Madison Park,” Humm says. “But at the end of the day, the decision to change EMP was based on a greater sense of purpose and using our restaurant’s platform to redefine our industry. I expected there would be criti- cism, but with the criticism came a greater, immeasurable sense of purpose. This sense of purpose is what drives me and my team.”
His new approach was ultimately validated by winning plaudits from across the culinary world, most notably in 2022 when Eleven Madison Park—which celebrated its 25th anniversary late last year— became the first plant-based restau- rant in Michelin Guide history to garner three stars. “While it wasn’t an easy transition, I can look back and be proud of how
Daniel Humm, who recently released his latest book, Eat More Plants , has been lauded across the culinary world for his meatless approach to fine dining at the New York City restaurant Eleven Madison Park.
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