 Hi everyone and welcome to Lillian's Vegan World, the show where we explore the fascinating world of veganism and the plant-based diet. We're coming live to you from the downtown of ThinkTech Honolulu studio and we're here with someone that I am honored to have on my show, a fellow vegan chef, but I would say a very famous vegan chef here, Chef Paul Onishi. Welcome to the show. Nice to be here. Aloha. Aloha. I actually just met Paul through, I think you saw my article that was in Crave last week, so I'm so grateful that you got in touch with me and here we are. Here we are. Face to face, it's funny how things work out. Paul, you're a vegan chef here. Yes. And may I ask how long you've been a vegan chef? I would say about a year. Prior to that you have been a chef and just cooking regular, chef, regular food, including meat and fish, yes. So I have to ask the question, why are you now a vegan chef? Does that mean that you yourself are on a plant-based diet? Yes. Yes. Definitely. You might say I got scared into it. My health was a personal issue. And I really didn't care about where I was going. In fact, at one point in my career, I used to brag about my main mission in life was to find the best ossobuco and tiramisu in the world. Okay. And I was serious. Yeah. And now you make vegan versions, I'm sure, of both of those things. Well, it'll be a while till I find the ossobuco, but I think tiramisu is pretty close. Yes. Well, you know, I titled today's show from something that I stole in your article. You were Paul in the Island Vegetarian. I actually printed this out and it is written or it's affiliated with the Vegetarian Society of Hawaii. Yes. Is that correct? It's a newsletter. Yes. How often does this newsletter come out? Every month. Every month, okay. And Paul, that was titled Confessions of a Food Service Professional, Aka Food Abuser, the next chapter. So I did steal your title and I've called today's show, Veganize Your World, and the tagline is Confessions of a Food Addict, the next chapter. So you were a food addict, meaning you ate a lot and a lot of the wrong foods or unhealthy foods, in your opinion, is that correct? So when I have my cooking classes, I ask people to hold out their hands and they don't know what exactly they're doing and I said, imagine, as I explain, imagine two big macks of filet of fish, a large order of fries and a chocolate shake in your hand. And then they're thinking, well, what is he's talking about? I said, well, that's what I used to consume every time I went to the fast food restaurant. Okay. And there were local restaurants where I consumed just as much, if not more. And I thought that was a typical local meal. Right. And even when I moved to the mainland and went to fast food restaurants there, I consumed the same amount of food. Not realizing that even though on the outside, I looked a certain way, on the inside, I was damaging. I was a walking time bomb as my doctor. Yeah, of course, if you eat like that. And then everything in our culture is super sized, isn't it? And then you think, well, it's only a few extra pennies to get a larger version. And they kind of, these fast food chains kind of encourage you to eat more of that bad stuff. Well, they would encourage, but I was self-motivated, I guess growing up here, you know, it's kind of like local style, where I would always start off with a portion of rice like this and everything went on top of that to the point where it was very unstable. Oh, gosh. That's how you eat. Yeah. And if you don't eat that way, your auntie's always saying, boy, you didn't get enough. Yes, blame it on the relatives. I totally understand. I come from, my father was Serbian and my mother is Fijian, actually. Interesting. You know, when you get together at a family dinner, it's just all about the food. And the more you eat, the better, you know. The more people you make happy. Yes, yeah. But so now you're into your next chapter, and you've been vegan for about one year. And a half. Sorry, one year and a half. And what kind of support did you get? You belonged, you entered a program, I believe. Well, what started it was I signed up with a kahi ornish because it all started when I went to have a tooth extracted and the nurse told me that they weren't going to do the surgery because my blood pressure was too high. Of course, I asked what the blood pressure was high. She said 181 over 117. And I had the nerve and the ego to turn around and said, your machine is wrong. I know. Well, that would, you would be so shocked to, you know, to hear that that is the actual reading of your blood pressure. First of all, I never even paid attention to my blood pressure. So who am I to be, you know, criticizing that? And then I said, would you do it again? And of course it, you know, registered even higher. And then when I went home later after the surgery, I thought, I'm calm now, you know, should be going down. So I cuffed myself and I was still up there and it scared me to the point I call my doctor. He told me, you need to go on a vegetarian diet right away, which kind of surprised me because he was suggesting that I do this as an initial step. And he told me, at this point, you probably could have kidney and heart damage, so I'm not going to even put you on any medication until we do a full plant panel of blood work. And so it was during that time I was kind of in the gray area waiting for things to happen, tests to come back, that I saw the commercial on TV for this Ornish program. I didn't even know it related to me. However, it did cause me to think like maybe I'm worse off than I think I am. But you know, hopefully not. But when I went there and got accepted into the program, I didn't realize that it was going to involve so much of a commitment. For example, exercise. I can never, I can't ever imagine exercising to the extent I do now. I walked over here in order to do my five miles. I tried to do 10,000 plus steps a day. That's excellent, yeah. And it's become a mission and that tied into vegan lifestyle. You know, I was falling off the wagon here and there like a lot of graduates do because it is hard. Yes, yeah, especially once you graduate. So the Ornish program is, it's a nine week program. Is that correct? So three months, about, I don't know, so two months, just a little over two months. Yeah, we go two times a week and we document the amount of carbs, the amount of protein, the amount of... So it's very strict. Very strict and I even had to take the sheets that we used in class after I graduated just so I could monitor, you know. However, it doesn't excuse the discipline and the temptations that occur once you leave the program. And I think that's where a lot of people have challenges. Was it challenging for you? Not really, because I found it interesting and I wanted to veganize things. I got into this thing. Yeah, well, you're a chef so you obviously are familiar with food to start with. So I guess you were kind of ahead of everyone in that sense that you could sort of make your own food or make it work for you, make this plan based on your life. Well, that make your own food thing was only as successful as the products I was able to get in contact with. And I remember probably 10 years before that it was very difficult because technology has really taken us, all of us, vegans and vegetarians into a new society. And plus I think the one thing I see that's refreshing is the way vegans embrace more of a transitional way. I think vegans used to be so strict that, oh, why are you eating that fake hot dog or fake this and that? That's trying to tease yourself. However, they were ostracizing a lot of people that needed that bridge to get to at least a healthy lifestyle. So for me, the classes I teach now have a lot of transitional, what they call analog or plant based meat alternatives. And even now, if you go into major food places like down to earth and whole foods, you're going to find six different hot dogs. Yes. Not all of them are good though. And not everything that is put out there that is so-called vegan cheese, for example, tastes good. And I think that's where a lot of people are challenged because some people still feel that I'm putting out a product and that's the way it is. But they don't try to duplicate what we're used to. And I think especially in Hawaii, and I guess based on what I've seen on the mainland, local people are even more about texture. If you don't recreate texture, forget it. They'll turn away and I tried it. I don't like it. It's too mushy. And that's how it used to be. Now you have textures that replicate meat, sauces. Even I found a vegan cheese the other day that was off the shelf that actually made a grilled cheese sandwich. No different. Speaking of cheese, Paul, I do want to have a look at this first photo that I would like to show you. These are my vegan cheeses. And all of these are made with cashews. So I just love the cashew cheeses. Look at the colors. One of them is made with beetroot. The middle one, the darker one, is actually my chocolate cheese. Really? Yes. And there's roasted garlic and pepper. And the one that I call it a cashew brie, but maybe I shouldn't be using that term. But it looks very similar and tastes very similar to camembert or brie. And these are all made from cashews. And I'm looking forward to taking your class. Thank you. I can't wait to, yeah, for you to try them as well. So yeah, you are absolutely correct that the vegan food has just changed, hasn't it? Now there really is, I shouldn't say, no excuse to transition, but it certainly helps that you have all these really wonderful products that imitate or taste very similar to the real thing. And I actually read something. I don't want to quote where it was from. But I did see something on the net recently that said when it comes to the beyond burgers that are just going crazy all over the world, 40% of the people that consume them are, guess what, not vegan. Exactly. So that just goes to show that even people who are not on a plant-based diet are starting to opt for the healthier versions, which is really what it's all about. I mean, I mentioned to you earlier when we sat down before the show that I'm like you. We're not here to preach to people or try to change people or we're not some sort of cult that is trying to, yeah, everybody has their own journey. But one thing I think both you and I can agree on is that we're here to give you this information on how to lead a healthier life or a healthier lifestyle. And one way to do that is to certainly eat more plant-based foods. Exactly. Yes. So let's take a look at the next slide. Oh, Paul, this again is my cheese, the article about my cashew cheese, cheeses that was in Crave magazine last week on Wednesday, which is in the Star Advertiser. That's the article I answered and that's how I got into your classes. I know. So isn't it wonderful, like the people that you can meet along your journey, even my new journey here in Hawaii, meeting you is, again, just I'm so glad that we crossed paths. I do want to show you the article because I was actually lucky enough to get on the cover of Crave, which has always, I guess, been a dream of mine as a chef to be on the cover of a magazine. I want to read to you what the cover says. Cheese whiz. Isn't that fancy? A vegan chef produces cheesy dishes without dairy. And it's a four-page article, but yeah. It says, glancing through Lillian Cumix vegan cheese recipe is like taking a peek behind the wardrobe door into Narnia. Jolene Oshiro, son, from Crave did the article. She's the food editor and she just did this wonderful article. So if any of you have this from last week, do take a look at it and you'll learn a bit more about what I do. So that's all about cheeses. And you and I do have some upcoming events that I definitely want to talk about after the break. So let's take a little mini break and stay tuned to see you in a minute or so. Hello, I'm Dave Stevens, host of the Cyber Underground. This is where we discuss everything that relates to computers that just kind of scare you out of your mind. So come join us every week here on thinktechkawaii.com, 1 PM on Friday afternoons. And then you can go see all our episodes on YouTube. Just look up the Cyber Underground on YouTube. All our shows will show up. And please follow us. We're always giving you current, relevant information to protect you. Keepin' you safe. Aloha. Aloha, my name is Chip Fletcher. I'm at the University of Hawaii School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. I'm here to tell you about the four key things you can do to combat climate change. Have smaller families, eat a more plant-based diet, drive less, and fly airplanes less. Thank you very much for your time. Welcome back to Lillian's Vegan World, the show all about veganism and the awesome plant-based diet. Today I'm honored to have Chef Paul Anishi with me, who is a vegan chef, a renowned chef. It's so awesome to have you here. I love talking to you. Paul, I hope you don't mind. I would like to read just a little paragraph of your article that was in The Island Vegetarian that's put out by the Vegetarian Society of Hawaii. Just the last paragraph, I liked what you wrote. You said, quote, when your body gets renewed from the inside out as mine did, lifestyle transformation is inevitable. When I look back at my time bomb ready to explode life, I'm humbled by the fact that I was given a second chance not only to live but to overflow and make a difference. I used to say I was retired, but now I feel refired. I love that. I wrote that, huh? No, I really, I loved what you wrote. The whole article is awesome. And I think that you can find this article on the internet if you just type in Vegetarian Society of Hawaiian Newsletter. I think it's available. So for anyone who's interested, definitely do that. Yes, so how do you feel after 18 months of doing this? I feel great. Mm-hmm. It's interesting how your mind can be in a different place that you didn't realize. Your attitude towards a lot of things. Stress is stress. However, when you're healthier in a lot of different areas, you can deal with stress a lot better. Yes, yeah. It really is a lifestyle. Of course, it is food. It plays an important role in your health, absolutely, without a doubt, but definitely it's all of that. It's the lifestyle that you're leading at the same time. And I think, yeah, that based diet, it just changes your life, doesn't it? I wanted to, there is one of your recipes here, Chef Paul, and it's called Chef Paul's Vegan Curried Chicken Salad. And one of the ingredients is soy chicken. So I understand what that is, but for people, viewers out there who have no idea what that is, can you explain this particular ingredient? Well, soy chicken, and curiously enough, I just did a vegan fried chicken in the air fryer recently. Okay. And just so my students could have a contrast, I did a vegan fried chicken baked fried in oil. Okay. And also in the air fryer, so they could see three different versions of this, yeah. And I used a vegan egg batter to dip the chicken in. What is a vegan egg batter? It is a vegan egg, this kind of shows you where technology has come. When I dilute this powder in water and I have the students smell, they go, wow, it smells like a volcano and it's like sulfur. And I said, well, that's black salt, which is harvested near volcanic areas. They purposely put this in like a tofu egg salad to give you that feeling that it's really close to being an egg tank. That eggy dimension, I guess, yeah. And these are a lot of the ways that technology is enhancing vegetarian products so that you can come pretty close to hitting what you're used to. And I think that's the main goal of what's happening. Yes. And so for me, that makes me even more excited because you can enjoy the same things you used to. And I think it's only gonna get better. Yes. I saw recently the impossible burger people. Yes. They have so much success in this area that they actually have a vegan steak they're working in. Oh, really? And it kind of looks like a piece of meat. Of course, people are gonna jump on that one and say, well, why do you even wanna tease people like that? However, if you're one of those people that is used to a regular piece of meat and texturally and taste-wise, it comes pretty close and you know that maybe you're not doing it for health reasons. But what it costs to produce this piece of meat, so-called piece of meat, is in line with helping, you know, cessation of greenhouse gases. Exactly. Helping the environment. Yes. That's why on the East Coast, all the places where they tested impossible burger, it's going over the top. And it's not because of people who are vegetarian or vegan. They're jumping on because they see natural help you know, for the environment. You know, doing their part by consuming less of what causes these gases to be present. Exactly. It's overall a win-win situation when you talk about the plant-based diet. It's good for you. It's healthy. Great for the environment. And obviously the animals will thank you for it too. Paul, let's have a look at the slide. I think we've got some upcoming events that I would love to talk about. You've got a hands-on cooking classes. This is where I stole the title for my show today. I hope you don't mind. So Paul is also at Down to Earth on July the 2nd and July the 23rd. And it says that you're making soups, salads and sandwiches. Then you've got July 9th, Chef Paul's favorite party at the appetizers. That sounds nice. July 18th, local island favorites. They're winners. Passes are limited to 12 students, so do sign up. You can register with Chef Paul at 808-722-9782. That's great. You have all these events coming up. What, can you just give me a sneak peek into the party appetizers that you're planning to do? Well, when I used to have a catering business, one of our favorite appetizers was taking phyllo pastry. I love that stuff. Sautéing spinach, chopped onion, tarragon and feta cheese, mixing it all together as a filling and then rolling it in with butter so you get a nice binding. And there was a time period when I could not produce this because there was no vegan butter substitute like there is now. And no vegan feta cheese, like I just found at Down to Earth the other day. Oh, really? There was actually a vegan feta cheese. So there's a catering job. I have this Saturday. I'm going to put it right in that menu. Oh, my God, that sounds amazing. That is actually called Burek in Serbian. It's a very Eastern European dish, I believe. The layers of spinach, sometimes ricotta and feta mixed in together. They also do that with potatoes in Serbia. That sounds good. Yeah, potatoes and spinach. Basically, you can put cardboard in between filo pastry and it'll probably taste good. It's like spring rolls. Somehow, anything you put in a spring roll and fry it tastes amazing. Right, right. Good luck with those classes. And I do look forward to attending one someday soon. Let's have a look at another slide. Now, people are going to go, what the hell is this? And what are you thinking? Please do explain. If you want to call it a class opener, this is what I do. Most of the students have a recipe I pass out. So they check it out and look it over and they know what to expect for the class. But then I pull out a banana. I start taking out the skin. I put the actual banana aside. And then I take my fork and I scrape out the skin like you see in the left-hand side picture. Then I take my fork. And with the tines, I kind of shred it very liberally and put it in water. I'll put a little liquid smoke and Hawaiian rock salt in there. And I can make kalua pork out of banana peel. That is incredible. I believe that this stuff is becoming very popular as a substitute for the pulled pork. Well, the interesting thing about this was that when I actually saw it first, it was coming from some place in Spain. Really? And the lady that was demonstrating this, and then right after her was the lady from Japan that had a similar usage. And both of them said, in this country, in our country, this is very common for us to use banana peel. In your country, you just throw it away. So I said, I want to see if this stuff works because I was kind of toying with jackfruit at the time. And I thought, I want to see an alternative and see if this actually works. So I did that, and I was kind of surprised that I could actually take that same banana peel pulled pork and put it in my vegan la la. That is so inventive, isn't it, when you think about it? And as you just mentioned, a lot of people did use the jackfruit before this banana peel pulled pork came about. But jackfruit's one of those things that is not really available in a lot of places. Exactly. But bananas, I mean, yes, they're everywhere. So I actually haven't tried this, but I have to give it a try someday. Just make sure you scrub the outside of the banana peels to take away whatever. So probably organic would be better, I'm guessing, if they're available. Let's have a look at another one. That looks beautiful. Look at that scallop on the right-hand side, or scallop, as you pronounce them. I'm guessing is an oyster mushroom? Yes. Well, in my class now, I used a trumpet mushroom because the base is a lot wider, so I can come up with a bigger scallop. And I put it in a non-stick ceramic pan, and I just very, very light spray of cooking oil, almost nothing, and I brown both sides. It is gorgeous. I mean, look at it. You wouldn't know it wasn't from the sea. That's one I've actually fooled people when I said, can you try this? It's beautiful. And the actual composition of the mushroom is quite a bit like the scallop composition. Right. Yeah, that's awesome. You know what, Paul? It has been so wonderful talking to you. We are out of time. I told you we wouldn't get it all in because we just have too much to talk about. So I'm gonna have to get you on the show again, for sure. Good luck with your journey and, of course, with your classes. I too have quite a few events this month going on. You can go to Eventbrite and look up vegan cashew cheese making or go to my website, lilyandvegan.com. I'm also on Facebook with the same Lillian Vegan and YouTube channel, Lillian Vegan. So all the details are there. It has been a pleasure having you on the show. I'll see you in class and at your dinner. Thank you so much. And I'm sure you'll be seeing more of Paul and I somewhere. So thank you very much. Wishing you all an awesome, awesome weekend and see you in a couple of weeks again. Aloha.