Community
Print
A vegan chef prepared a “special dinner” for VIPs from Leonardo DiCaprio’s Re:wild charity and Prince William’s Earthshot Foundation in Brazil this month.
Tati Lund is an award-winning chef and the owner of .Org Bistrô, a vegan restaurant in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro. Lund said that she and her team catered to people from the two nonprofits, as well as environmentally-focused politicians and other VIPs in the lead-up to the Earthshot Prize ceremony on November 5.
Read more: Chef Quits Over Vegan Menu At Prince William’s Earthshot Prize Ceremony
Lund told Plant Based News (PBN) that she and the .Org Bistrô team were hired to prepare a “special, intimate dinner” for people from DiCaprio’s Re:wild and Prince William’s Earthshot Foundation. She said the plant-based menu was “inspired by our forests and oceans,” and made with organic ingredients from small Rio producers.
The starters included: vegan tuna fish flavored with wasabi; dehydrated walnut crackers topped with fermented boursin-style cheese and pickled radishes; pumpkin arancini with leek, dried tomato, and wild herb dip; polenta served with jackfruit meat and smoked paprika mayonnaise; tapioca crisp with yerba maté, lime cream, and a watermelon and seaweed powder; and Brazilian roots velouté (traditionally a savory, French roux) served with mushroom bacon.
Lund prepared two mains. The first was Bobó, a type of Brazilian stew served with palm heart, bell pepper, coriander, coconut milk, banana, and Brazil nut farofa. The second was Thai tempeh BBQ served with grilled pineapple, mixed grains, “colorful vegetables,” tamarind, savory peanut granola, and lemongrass cream.
‘So happy to represent the movement’
For dessert, Lund and her team made chocolate fudge with chili, coffee, salted caramel, and hazelnut crumble, and a cashew nut ice cream flavored with tonka beans and Brazilian fruits, and served with seed granola and banana brûlée.
“Great honor to be with this sustainability week in Rio de Janeiro,” wrote Lund on Instagram. She described Earthshot and Re:wild as organizations that “value and support the vegan cause” and “believe that a plant-based diet is one of the most impactful ways to restore the planet.” She also thanked her .Org Bistrô team.
“So happy to represent the movement and show that it is possible to provide food with purpose and art,” wrote Lund. According to Lund, DiCaprio and Prince William were ultimately unable to attend the dinner themselves due to their busy schedules.
Read more: Animal Farming Is ‘World’s Biggest Cause Of Food Waste,’ Says Report
The Earthshot Prize ceremony’s vegan banquet
La Nación previously reported that Lund would be taking the place of another Brazilian chef who objected to being asked to prepare an all-vegan menu for the Earthshot Prize ceremony itself on November 5. However, Lund explained to PBN that she exclusively catered the VIP event, not the ceremony. She also said that the final menu at the official ceremony may not have been vegan after all.
Veja reported that the ceremony’s menu included pumpkin cream with seeds, friar bean salad, gnocchi with mushroom sauce, tapioca dadinho, mini cape cake with coconut and caramel, and a mini sandwich with tahini, chard, and sesame. According to Veja, desserts included a candy mousse and a chocolate brownie with Brazil nuts.
Overall, the menu appeared to prioritize plant-based ingredients. However, Veja noted that the mousse was made with milk and that the tapioca included honey. It is not clear whether these are animal-derived or plant-based alternatives, or whether the banquet was vegan. PBN reached out to the Earthshot Prize for more details.
Read more: This Vegan Microbial Protein Made From Air And Electricity Could Go To Space
