Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Near my house in Los Angeles, there is this decadent vegetarian restaurant called Elf. The food they cook is vegetarian, but it is not executed with the mindset that they are limited because of the lack of meat. Instead, the food is enhanced by it's vegetarianism. They have a savory crepe of chevre and mushrooms, and a kale salad dressed in what seems like no more than lemon juice, that are outstanding. I am currently trying to cut back on my meat eating, and would love to learn to cook like the magicians at Elf.

Mark Bittman and Gusteau (the deceased gourmand from the brilliant film Ratatouille) have a lot in common. They both cook great food, they are both incredibly charming, and they both uphold the belief that 'anyone can cook'. Mark Bittman is not a claissically trained chef. Neither am I. But he believed that because he cares, he can cook well. It doesn't take a master chef to make good healthy, simple food. All it takes is the desire, the effort, and common sense. Use good ingredients, don't over do it, and be conscious of what you eat. I think I can handle it.