In today's episode, I am joined by the incredible Chef Adam Sobel, creator of Cinnamon Snail, the food truck phenomenon that took NY/NJ and the world by storm from 2010 to 2020. Before Adam knew it, Cinnamon Snail had received a cult-like status, with people anxiously awaiting the location update on Twitter then standing in lines around a New York City block to get a signature sandwich and of course, donuts! By 2014 The Cinnamon Snail was the #1 highest-rated place of any kind to eat in NYC and the #4 highest-ranked restaurant in the entire USA on yelp.com. After closing the food truck and restaurants in 2020, Adam began offering online classes and has expanded that to a membership (you can still get one off classes too), and has begun sharing recipes on his blog.
In this episode, Adam shares the sweet inspiration behind first going vegetarian and then the life-defining moment that led him to veganism, animal rescue and wildlife rehabilitation, (including some thoughts on caring for a wallaby named Doyle, who you can follow here on Instagram) as well as building Cinnamon Snail and why he closed this incredibly successful food truck and related restaurants in 2020. We also talk about creativity in the kitchen, how Adam's goal was always to make food that is yummy and approachable, not weird, and a bit on yoga and the spiritual piece of being vegan.
"You can't really come to very deep realizations about our relationships with other living entities when we treat other living entities as if they are disposable."
A few tips on life I learned from Chef Adam in this episode:
Get outside and do something fun with other people
Never stop learning - you never know where or from whom you'll find incredible inspiration
Make food people want to eat
Taking Adam's burger making online course in 2021 was so inspiring for me, I signed up for Rouxbe's online Plant-Based Pro cooking course (Adam didn't have his membership yet set up at that point). Life got in the way and I have yet to finish (though the goal is to finish my certification this year!) but what I have learned so far about food, cooking, and creativity in the kitchen between Chef Adam and the Rouxbe course has been life changing both personally and in how I serve my clients.
Here are links to some of the recipes of Chef Adam's that I've made, they were all phenomenal and I'm not just saying that because he's today's guest.
Lemon Poundcake with Elderflower Cream Cheese Frosting, check out my blog on this recipe for photos!
Visit yesterday's blog for photos of the Persian Baklava.
Vegan Biryani - I've made other biryani recipes before, nothing has even come close to how delicious and flavorful this one is! Click here to visit my blog which includes the biryani recipe and Chef Adam's North Indian Arhar Dal Tadka recipe.
I haven't tried this one yet but, this recipe here is for one of my readers, Paul. Get your torch ready! Vegan Creme Brûlée
To connect with Adam:
Visit his website: https://cinnamonsnail.com
Follow him on Instagram @cinnamonsnail and Evenbrite under Chef Adam Sobel
Check out Adam’s cookbook Street Vegan: Recipes and Dispatches from The Cinnamon Snail Food Truck: A Cookbook
Check out Chef Adam's episode then head back here and let me know what you learned or enjoyed most. If you try any of the recipes linked here or anything else on his website, share that in the comments too!!
Did You Bring the Hummus is available on your favorite podcast app and here on my website. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode and while you're there, why not leave a 5 star rating and review?!
Did you decide to go vegan for Earth Day or after hearing today's episode but are now wondering what the heck you're supposed to eat or wear or what it all really means?
Check out my Vegan Voyage 12 week one on one coaching program. We go deep. Each week builds upon the last so you're regularly implementing and taking actions where at the end of the 12 weeks you'll be confident in your choice to have adopted a vegan lifestyle, nourish yourself - body, mind, and soul, and address any comments or questions from those in your life who haven't yet made the switch. Get more info here and schedule a free call here to connect with me and see if this program is a good fit.
If you are looking for this kind of help but in a group program, I am pulling that together now to share soon, so book that free call linked above and put "group coaching" in the notes section.
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