5 Questions for Crossroads’ Tal Ronnen

Tal Ronnen is executive chef and founder of Crossroads, the new vegan restaurant on Melrose Avenue. He’s also the author of the New York Times bestseller “The Conscious Cook” and has a following of famous fans, including Oprah Winfrey. Ronnen graduated from the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York and has conducted master vegetarian workshops for students and staff at culinary schools across the country. He also is consulting chef of Lyfe Kitchen in Palo Alto, Calif., and at the Wynn and Encore hotels in Las Vegas. Crossroads is his first Los Angeles restaurant.

What’s coming up next on your menu?

Next on the menu at Crossroads will be spring! We will be rolling out new menu items featuring spring produce, including a fava bean and pea soup.

Latest ingredient obsession?

Stinging nettles. Chef Theo Schoenegger, executive chef at Sinatra in Las Vegas, told me how his mom used to use it as a pasta filling. So we have been playing with it for a new agnolotti dish.

The one piece of kitchen equipment you can’t live without, other than your knives?

The Vitamix blender – we utilize it in so many different ways at the restaurant and it’s a great, versatile essential.

What’s your favorite breakfast?

My favorite breakfast is avocado toast with salt and pepper, and a kale-banana smoothie from Lyfe Kitchen.

The last cookbook you read – and what inspired you to pick it up?

“Candle 79” by Joy Pierson, Angel Ramos and Jorge Pineda. I’ve been eating their food for years, and it was really great to see their recipes and the vision they have behind the dishes.

Crossroads, 8284 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 782-9245, www.crossroadskitchen.com.

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