At Home with the Secret Vegan Supper Club Chef
How do you usually build a menu?
I usually start by seeing what’s at the market, what’s in season and I go from there. I love squash blossoms but I can barely get them. There were some at the farmers’ market one day but when I went back they were all gone. And then there’s asparagus and tons of cauliflower right now.
Who’s on the list tonight?
A lot of repeats and some old friends that used to serve for me in Vancouver. It’s usually a mix of half new and half old.
Have you always been vegan?
Since I was 16. I cooked with my mom a lot but when I turned vegan she was like, ‘Cool—we’re having this for dinner, what are you having?’ She was super mad. There would just be a pile of vegan cookbooks in my place setting at the table. And I was just like, ‘Pssh, whatever, I know how to cook.’ But the first meal I made was the most disgusting thing ever.
Do you remember what it was?
OH yeah. My brother was a chef and he gave me quinoa, which was like this new thing and I just cooked it plain in water and was like—you know what I love? Mini corn. So I put a thing of mini corn in it. And you know what else? Cauliflower. So I just threw all this stuff together and I try to sauté it. I don’t even think I knew to put salt in it. I really thought I knew how to cook, and it turned out so gross.
It seems like going vegetarian in a family that is totally not vegetarian is the best way to learn to cook. I once made a tofu casserole that tasted like feet. We had to throw it away.
Yeah, absolutely. The funny thing is that my mom is vegetarian now.
Do you have any advice for people who want to start their own supper club or proprietorship like this?
Start small. A lot of times when people want to start their own business they think they need a bunch of money and a huge start-up. But even with the fashion line, I started with just one store and sewing it all myself. And it grew small. Anybody could do whatever they want to do if they really want to do it. You just make do with what you have.
So, as far as the house goes, where did you get the furniture and stuff in here?
Everything that wasn’t built was found. Like all the plants were given to me by people moving out of the building. And that lamp is from someone moving out. Those flags I found on the street. Pretty much the only thing I brought from Canada was my instruments and my vitamix.
What’s with this Chinese checker board?
My roommate Brody, who has done a few of my tattoos, built it.
And did you make the necklace you’re wearing?
Yeah, this is one of my pieces. I still make these even though I am on hiatus from the rest of the fashion stuff.
Because you broke both your arms? I think I need to know about you breaking both your arms.
The first one was a bike accident. The next one was at this wedding on an island and I was out of my cast and I just had this sling. And somehow I got pushed by accident and I fell on the broken wrist, then I freaked out and landed really hard on my good wrist. So I ended up fracturing both wrists. And then you just can’t do anything—you know, I got home from the hospital and I was still wearing the dress from the wedding which I couldn’t even get off and sometimes the doors in my apartment would slam shut and my bedroom door slammed while my roommate was gone so I couldn’t even get out of my room. So I was forced to learn to relax by watching Aliens, Aliens 2 and Aliens 3 all in one day on VHS.