Gabe’s a pro baker in Lakeview
Get to know Gabe, and get his “Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tostadas” Monday (7/18) from 5-8PM!
Q: What’s your cooking background?
Gabe: I’m a former professional baker who’s returning to cooking after a stint in tech. I had the fortune of working at a small bakery that specialized in allergy-conscious cupcakes, so I learned a lot that’s translated to my home cooking life!
Q: What can you tell us about the dish you’re making and what inspired it?
Gabe: I’m starting out with one of my veggie-based favorites; Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tostadas with Chipotle Pepita Salsa Verde. This recipe is adapted from the classic Veganomicon and is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted!
Gabe’s Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tostadas. A crispy corn tortilla topped with savory smashed black beans, chipotle roasted sweet potato, and a lightly spicy pepita salsa verde (with or without cilantro!)Inspired by the black eyed pea & butternut squash tostadas in Veganomicon, this is one of my favorite and most satisfying meatless meals (that doesn’t leave you feeling heavy afterwards!)
Q: What does this dish remind you of?
Gabe: This dish reminds me of working at Sweet Katie Bee’s (my old bakery) since it’s so veg-forward and delicious. While I’m not solely a vegan cook, I do love to incorporate vegan recipes into my menus since they showcase all the best ways vegetables can be treated for insanely tasty dishes.
Gabe is a former professional baker.
Q: Where did you grow up and what kind of food did you grow up with?
Gabe: I grew up in St Louis, sharing a household with my grandparents who immigrated from Lithuania. This led to a really wide variety of food at home – Indian food honoring the cuisine of some of my cousins, Lithuanian meat and potatoes, and a huge interest in French cooking and baking. I spent a ton of time as a kid watching food television – Julia Child, Wolfgang Puck, Jacque Pepin, and Emeril Lagasse were major celebs in the house, so they grew my love of cooking.
Q: Anything else we should know about you and your cooking?
Gabe: I love the creativity of cooking! I’m always experimenting with new flavors, techniques, and twists on old favorites. You’ll frequently see a baked good alongside my meals since my professional cooking life started there and hasn’t slowed down yet!
Order Gabe’s “Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tostadas” now, and pick up from 5-8PM, only on Shmeal!
