A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of finally dining at Edmund's Oast. I know, I'm probably the last person in town to try it. While all of the dishes our table tasted were excellent, one was particularly exciting to me on a philosophical level. "Gotta be their heritage chicken and Carolina Gold rice porridge?" you may be saying to yourself. "Or the lamb meatballs? Definitely the lamb meatballs." Nope.

The dish I tried, which incidentally was also the best thing I have tasted all year and this is counting all of my meals in New York City and elsewhere was the Oast's heirloom radishes and turnips. Served raw, the root veggies were split into gorgeously seductive cross-sections with their greens still attached and accompanied by an decadently smooth and sweet roasted carrot butter and a tiny finger-bowl of coarse salt. I know, I can hear you already "Radishes? Raw radishes? Are you kidding me?"

I am not.

A vegetable dish this sophisticated and subtle suddenly called to mind other innovative and artistic vegetable dishes that I have tasted in other cities in recent months. Amanda Cohen's smoked-and-fried cauliflower and waffles at her New York City all-vegetable restaurant Dirt Candy, where the menu boldly announces "anyone can cook a hamburger, leave the vegetables to the professionals." NYC East Village dynamo Narcissa's Carrots Wellington, which swaddles salt-cured, then cocoa-and-coffee-roasted heirloom carrots in a mole sauce and flaky puff pastry (and don't even get me started on their spit-roasted crispy beets in horseradish creme). And a riotously savory wild mushroom and sherry bisque at Geronimo in Santa Fe, N.M., which achieved new heights of tongue-coating richness without resorting to the admittedly effective crutch of animal lipids.

That I could get a vegetable dish equally minimalist, focused, and creative in Charleston made me think. With the growing vegetarian trend and the move of diners to follow author Michael Pollan's advice: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants," the more it seems to me that Charleston's next big food thing has to be an updated approach to high-end vegetarian and vegan fare.

For the discriminating omnivore, Charleston is a paradise of flesh. The chefs and restaurateurs of this city have built a well-deserved reputation on spinning even the humblest animals parts into transcendent mouthfuls of pure, fatty pleasure. But afloat upon this unctuous ocean of shrimp, ham hocks, and marbled beefsteak is an increasingly crowded raft of those who eschew meat and animal products. They are Charleston's vegetarians and vegans, and they are hungry.

What is it like to dine as a vegan in Charleston? There is, of course, no shortage of casual breakfast and lunch locales providing creative options for the meat-free, with Butcher and Bee, Dell'z Uptown, Sprout Caf, and numerous others standing out among them. Dinner time is another story. While most fine-dining establishments will make concessions to those who have eliminated animal products from their diets, the options available are often much more limited than for those who delight in more carnivorous exploits.

In many cases, the go-to option for vegetarians and vegans is what I will summarily dub the seasonal vegetable plate (SVP). It is almost always manifested as an assemblage of all of the restaurant's vegetarian sides and garnishes, arranged, like a kaleidoscope on a large circular dish. Sometimes the dish is square this does not matter. Even the plated concept of the SVP itself is tricky for the subconscious. When poorly executed it can feel like vegetable enthusiasts are made to eat from a grab bag into which can be conveniently dumped anything that passes for "vegetarian" on a given night some barley risotto here, a few spears of asparagus, and sure, throw in some of that steamed broccoli. While the voluntary accommodation on the part of the restaurant is surely appreciated, it's a little frustrating to those who eschew meat but still appreciate the artistry and sophistication of a composed, balanced, and thoughtful entre.

However, there are standouts amongst the crowd. And talking to some of Charleston's culinary leaders seemed to be the best way to shed light onto the varied methodologies of the SVP. While a few chefs positively bristled at the mention of this dish, most were not only willing but eager to discuss their approach to cooking for Charleston's cruelty-free denizens.

Indaco's Chef de Cuisine Andy McLeod, for instance, says that offering the seasonal vegetable plate is a decision based on emphasizing locality, seasonality, and freshness. "Sourcing is our primary focus," McLeod says. "Having a seasonal vegetable plate has been our approach to rotating through the best and freshest vegetables as they become available."

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Vegetarian fare takes center stage, but you have to ask for it

Wednesday, January 7, 2015 - 3:52pm

CNN (CNN) -- Atlanta Chef Linton Hopkins wanted to eat healthier and lose weight.

As a cancer survivor, he tried all kinds of diets, but the calorie-counting and portion-control did not work for his busy lifestyle, he said.

By comparison, giving up all animal products was easy to understand: "There's no gray area."

Nudged on by his wife, he began experimenting with veganism in June 2014.

Diets can be hard, especially if eating is your livelihood. Surprisingly, perhaps, some in the food world have found the path of least resistance through cutting out meat and, in some cases, dairy and fish.

But, as their experience shows, changing up your regimen does not have to be all or nothing.

Vegetable cookery was familiar terrain to Hopkins, a James Beard award-winning Southern chef. Despite the region's reputation for BBQ and fried chicken, Southern food leans heavily on vegetables, even if they are often cooked in fatback or butter. The vegetable plate at his fine-dining eatery, Restaurant Eugene, consistently receives praise from vegetarians and was named one of the best in the South by Southern Living. It also can be prepared vegan upon request.

To eat vegan at home, the challenge was to create vegetable dishes free of animal fat or flavoring that were as "crave-able as BBQ," Hopkins said. As a chef, he was absolutely willing to take matters into his hands.

Instead of butter, he mastered vegetable stocks and glazes for roasting vegetables. He experimented with essential oils of nuts to bring out flavor in sauted vegetables.

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From omnivore to vegetarian: 'No gray area'

Published January 07, 2015

The annual Consumer Electronics Show is one of the biggest high-tech events in of the year. And while many flock to see the high-flying drones and 3D gaming, there are some futuristic food-related gadgets that will take your cooking to the next level.

From an organic food sensor to a belt that self-adjusts after a heavy meal, these innovations are definitely giving consumers some food for thought-- literally.

If you're in Las Vegas, head down to the Strip by Jan. 9 to take in the action.

Smart Diet Scale unveiled a prototype for this revolutionary device at last year's CES but now the newly patented version is making its debut. Portion control can be difficult for dieters and this scale promises to take the guesswork out of calorie counting and nutrition guidelines for good. Simply place an item on the scale and the smart sensors do the work-- sending a full nutritional profile to your smartphone within seconds. The scale currently recognizes over 300,000 food items and 80,000 restaurant dishes.

After any holiday meal, many people know all too well the feeling of gut-busting fullness. But it turns out that manually loosening a pants button or letting that fly down a little is actually way too much work. French technology company Emiota has devised Bel-T, a wearable device that actually adjusts to your size automatically as you get fuller. Is this the epitome of laziness or the future of smart clothing?

Is that apple really pesticide free? Or has that fish been treated with potentially harmful antibiotics? Now pure food enthusiasts will no longer have to rely on confusing labels to pick their produce or meats. The Penguin food sensor from Korean company BioSensor Laboratories measures various traces of chemicals, including pesticides and acid, as well as antibiotics commonly used to treat meat, poultry and fish.The high-tech sensors just need a small bit of food to read and results are ready within minutes. This handy device could really revolutionize the organic food game if it works.

Could this mean the end of water cooler talk in the office? Water cooler manufacturer Little Luxury has patented the worlds first Mini Water Cooler that filters and cools faucet water using a more energy-efficient cooling system-- and a brand newVitality filter that purportedly removes more toxic metals then your everyday filter.Unlike traditional water coolers, this freestanding device can be transported anywhere and kept on a kitchen counter or even one's desk at work.

From the company that brought us the first smartphone-compatible breathalyzer, comes what may be the world's first official bad breath detector. Breathometer is unleashing MINT, a tiny whistle-like device that detects your body's hydration levels as well as sensing bad odors in your mouth. The device works by sensing sulfuric compounds present in your mouth and provides a reading within seconds.No longer will we have to rely on our friends after chugging that cup of coffee or chomping down on garlic to confirm we need a mint.

This machine isn't your average preset coffee maker. It actually talks back to you. The coffee machine made by Smarter can grind fresh beans and adjust water levels to customize your cup every morning. Remotely check on water levels and check in when you're on the go to see if you need to pick up more beans. The machine will be available in the U.K. in March and retails for $150.

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Food gadgets of the future

HIGH DEMAND.DA 7 Director Angel Enriquez says there is a high demand for organic food.(SUN.STAR FILE)

WITH a growing health-conscious market in Cebu, officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) 7 encouraged farmers to venture into organic farming.

DA 7 Director Angel Enriquez and regional crop protection center chief Wilberto Castillo said the high value placed on organic products in supermarkets should encourage farmers to consider organic farming.

There is a high demand for organic food. There is money in natural farming (because the products) command a premium price. We need to maximize this opportunity, Enriquez said. He said medical professionals, particularly doctors, are the major markets for organic goods. Some doctors she knows have started growing their food organically, and even others, turned them into businesses.

Organic goods are yields from farming practices that are not dependent on synthetic agro-chemicals. Advocates believe that crops grown organically are healthier and safer to eat, unlike products of conventional farming that make use of chemicals to grow and protect crops.

Funds

In a previous interview with Castillo, the official said DA 7 allotted P19 million for organic farming last year. The funds were available for grants to organic growers and a portion of which was used for organic farming seminars.

Castillo noted a minimal presence of organic farms in Cebu. In the next few years, he said the region is targeting at least five percent of the regions produce to be organic.

Philippine Organic Agricultural Act of 2010 or RA 10068 promotes organic agriculture.

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DA 7 tells farmers to go organic