Dinner at Crossroads Kitchen: Alicia Silverstone & 'The Kind Mama'

Dinner at Crossroads Kitchen:
Alicia Silverstone & 'The Kind Mama'

Last night, Alex and I drove out to LA for a a 4-course tasting menu at Crossroads Kitchen in LA, celebrating the release of 'The Kind Diet' author Alicia Silverstone's new book, 'The Kind Mama'. Yup, Alicia Silverstone -queen of 90's girl movies- is a powerhouse mom blogger who fights for animal rights, healthy kids, and living an eco-friendly, low-impact lifestyle in an attainable, enjoyable way. She ROCKS. If you don't follow her blog over at The Kind Life, you're missing out. She offers info & blog posts for expectant or already-mommies, but she also posts recipes, beauty info, and DIY chemical-free home cleaners. Meeting her last night was a pleasure. She's as friendly in person as you could hope, and made a personal effort to chat with every single person that came to the event. She was even sweet enough to let Alex snap a quick picture and personally address a book to us, but also sign a SECOND copy that we'll be giving away right here! WOO! Told you she rocks. 

Sorry for the crappy yellow photography. It was lovely, low lighting for enjoying dinner but god awful for photos. Alas. On the plus side, the food was AMAZING. We were served a four course tasting menu as follows: 

1st Course:
Artichoke & Mushroom Crostini with Pesto, served with lightly dressed Watercress & Beet Salad.

2nd Course:
Garlicky Fat Fried Udon Noodles with Corn, Green Onion, and Cabbage.

3rd Course:
Pan Fried Tempeh slathered in Teriyaki Glaze over Bok Choy.

4th Course:
Peanut Butter Mousse Pie with Chocolate Crust & Chocolate Ganache.

All of the recipes, cooked up by legendary vegan Chef Tal Ronnen, are based on recipes in Alicia's book. And they were seriously delicious. The first course was light, a meal you could any time of day or night but was perfect on a hot fall evening. I loved the lightly dressed sunflower sprouts on top. This course was my favorite.
The 2nd course of Fat Fried Noodles was by far the most flavorful and a dish I think you could convince any meat eater to enjoy. It was full of garlic, Asian-inspired flavors, and was Alex's favorite course. 
The 3rd course (and by far the worst looking of the photographs- my apologies!) was a few large pieces of Teriyaki Tempeh served over steamed bok choy. I really loved the bok choy as a side, and thought it complimented the tempeh nicely. That being said, I'm not the BIGGEST tempeh fan, so I wouldn't normally order it, but I loved the plating & presentation.
The last and final course was rich, decadent, and a sweet surprise. We loved getting our own pieces, but could easily have shared. This tiny slice o' pie was one of the richest, sweetest (in a GOOD way!) PB/Chocolate combos I've ever eaten. I'll have to recreate in our own kitchen! (On second thought, THIS was Alex's favorite.)

After our final course, we finally got to meet & greet with the lovely Alicia, who was more than sweet and gracious about signing our books and taking photos- the kind of celebrity EVERY celebrity should be. We chatted about my blog (yep, THIS BLOG!!) and she was supportive and encouraging, even doling out hugs since we vegans all just love each other (I mean, we do kind of rock). As you probably saw in the first paragraph, she even offered to sign our 2nd copy so we could include YOU guys in all the fun! Yup, we're giving away one FREE, SIGNED copy of 'The Kind Mama'! This book is amazing. Filled with recipes, family photos, and notes from Alicia's diary the first few days after welcoming her son into the world, this book takes you from pre-pregnancy through raining a happy, healthy baby- and everything in between. From doulas to breastfeeding, potty training to creating meals your kids will love, Alicia's got you covered. And the best part? She's so sweet and down-to-earth, her stories and advice are relatable and never feel forced. Any mom- or dad, grandma, uncle, babysitter- would benefit from this amazing book.

So how do you enter? EASY! Just enter using the widget below. Enter as often as you want...until the 30th that is, when we're picking our winner! International entries welcome, but please note it may take a little longer to get to you. And don't forget to keep up with Alicia on The Kind Life and stay updated on Crossroads Kitchen's future events here. Good luck!

We picked a winner! Congratulations AMY BASHAM! We can't wait to send you your signed copy of The Kind Mama. We know you're gonna love it! Thanks to all who entered!!