Several years ago Chloe Coscarelli took home first place in the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, making her the first vegan ever to win on a Food Network competition. She is the author of three vegan cookbooks – Chloe’s Kitchen, Chloe’s Vegan Desserts, and her most recent release, Chloe’s Chloe’s Vegan Italian Kitchen. Her restaurant by Chloe. will be opening in New York City this summer.
Chic Vegan: What motivated you to become vegan? Was it an overnight switch or more gradual shift?
Chloe Coscarelli: When I was little girl I simply did not want to eat animals anymore. I loved my dogs and all my other pets and once I made the connection that they are one and the same I went vegetarian. But, it wasn’t until high school that I went vegan and started to discover all the amazing food choices available!
CV: Tell me a little bit about your newest cookbook Chloe’s Vegan Italian Kitchen and what inspired you to write it.
CC: My dad and his family are Italian so the inspiration came from the amazing dishes my grandma would make when we went to her home. It was so grand and she cooked with so many vegetables. I first tasted broccoli rabe at her dinner table – her recipe is in the book. I love Italian food and the challenge of “veganizing” all those traditional cheesy dishes.
CV: Do you have any favorite recipes in the book?
CC: I love the Italian Apple Cake (page 220) and Pasta alla Norma with Tofu Ricotta (page 126). Those two dishes make for a great dinner party!
CV: What inspires you to create a new recipe?
CC: I ask myself, “What do I want to eat?” If I go to dinner with friends and they are raving about a dish they are eating, I start brainstorming ways to make it vegan right then and there. After all, why should I miss out?
CV: Do you have any advice for aspiring vegan cookbook authors?
CC: I say go for it! Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. I will be honest – writing a cookbook is not easy. Each recipe goes through so many rounds of testing and revisions – it is extremely labor intensive. But! If in the end you have a book that you are proud of then it is all worth it.
CV: I was excited to hear that you’re opening a new restaurant this Spring/Summer in NYC! What type of food can we expect by Chloe. to serve?
CC: by CHLOE. will feature homemade burgers, pastas, salads, cold-pressed juices, desserts, weekend brunch, ice cream and more. Everything at by CHLOE. will me made fresh daily!
CV: What’s the best vegan meal you’ve ever eaten?
CC: When I was in Paris with my family, we ate at Gentle Gourmet so many times. It’s 100% vegan French cuisine. Take that, butter! It was lovely. The owners were warm and welcoming and the food was outstanding.
CV: What is your favorite vegan indulgence?
Why chocolate of course! Isn’t it everyone’s? Seriously, besides my beloved honey crisp apples, I love going into the fridge and breaking off pieces of dark chocolate. It is the perfect nighttime snack!
CV: What vegan product could you not live without?
I’m going to have to say avocados. This is the Earth’s golden child. I put it in everything. My mom and I used to stand over the sink, cut them in half and gobble them up. I’m from Southern California so we had access to the biggest, ripest avocados year round.
CV: In your wildest dreams what will your life look like in 5 years?
Oh wow. I hope that I will be staying the course – continuing to write cookbooks and build the by CHLOE. brand – bringing accessible and delicious vegan food to cities around the country!
