Golden Globes goes vegan proving creative menus can be plant-based

Did you hear that the Golden Globes are going vegan? This three course meal proves that chefs can and should highlight more plant based menus.

The Golden Globes resolved to make a smart menu choice for 2020. In a recent menu change, the attendees at this weekend’s award ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel will nosh on a three course vegan meal. With this change, can more people understand that plant based menus offer tremendous creativity?

In a recent announcement, the Golden Globes shared that the three course vegan menu features a chilled golden beet soup, king oyster mushroom “scallops” and a vegan opera dome. Even if a person wasn’t vegan, these menu choices are quite enticing.

According to reports, the decision to change to a vegan menu was to raise awareness about food consumption and food waste. While this commitment is important, vegan foods are more than just this statement or these causes.

As seen in the past year, vegan is more than just a food trend or plant-based meats. Vegan and plant based menus can push a chef’s creativity in a new direction. Without relying on butter or cream for flavor, the chef looks to the ingredients themselves to layer flavors.

Chefs have proven that desserts can be decadent without cream. Pastry can be flakey without butter, Entrees do not have to have a meat based protein in the center of the plate.

These changes make chefs think outside of the box and move away from all those culinary techniques that have filled culinary classrooms. In many ways, a vegan menu allows each of the ingredients shine.

Looking at this Golden Globes menu, the dishes focus on bold flavors and vibrant colors. The golden beet soup is perfect example. The enticing color is balanced with the touch of citrus oil and pistachios. No one cares or wants a dollop of crème fraiche in the bowl.

The main entrée of the oyster mushroom “scallops” is a chef trick. When an entrée appears similar to a traditional entrée, guests’ eyes make them remember that traditional dish. Combining that idea with the right texture and layers of flavors, no one will even consider that there isn’t a traditional protein.

Lastly, desserts offer chefs abundant creativity. With so many options to modify desserts, the copious amounts of butter become unnecessary. Again, the flavors and ingredients get their moment to shine.

Hopefully, the Golden Globes vegan menu sparks a conversation beyond the event. While the conscious decision to highlight food consumption and food waste is vital, the discussion goes beyond those two factors. When people start to change their perception of what “vegan” is, the way of eating is no longer a food trend, rather it is just a way of life.

What do you think of the Golden Globes decision to serve a vegan menu? Has vegan moved beyond a food trend status?