Food is so many things: nourishment, culture, community. After checking out Echo Park’s raw vegan bakery, Solar Return, I’m convinced that food can also be art. Head chef Stephen McCarty literally turns vegan cheesecakes and ice cream pops into pieces of art that are almost too beautiful to bite into. Somehow still, they taste just as good as they look.
You’ve probably heard of vegan cheesecake before; soaked cashews are blended with some sweetener and a couple of other ingredients to create creamy, dense cakes that almost taste like a classic cheesecake. Since being diagnosed with lactose intolerance, I’ve tried many a vegan cheesecake. Solar Return’s are the best I’ve ever had. The mouth feel is SO velvety and decadent, it doesn’t seem possible, and the flavors are so creative.
After speaking with Stephen, and reading a bit more on his website, I’ve established that his main ingredients are soaked cashews, coconut milk, coconut nectar, yacon syrup, and dates–though I’m convinced there are some secret ingredients that make them so magical. To obtain the beautiful natural colorings, Stephen uses whole foods and herbs such as goji berries, blue majik, spirulina, and activated charcoal. He uses squeeze bottles to create his beautiful designs, and molds to form his mini cheesecake shapes. The result is food that resembles sculpture and paintings–beautiful if they were just art, but mind-blowing knowing they are edible.
While we were at the shop we couldn’t decide what to try, so we had a sampling of several of Stephen’s creations. First we tried the ice cream pops (appropriately decorated for Halloween). On the right is chocolate ginger and on the left is coconut charcoal with a cheesecake skull. Next we tried the “celestial kiss” cheesecake flavored chocolate and caramel. We also tried the asian pear and ginger mini heart cheesecake. After finishing those, we decided we needed one more, so we tried the strawberry rose ice cream pop. Some of the flavors I plan to try next time are lemon lavender passionfruit, and durian cacao.
One of the secrets to Solar Return’s superior taste is a focus on the quality of the ingredients used. As Stephen writes on his website, “Plants that are grown with respect for nature, (which restore the soil rather than depleting it) are the only ones that we can expect to function medicinally and restore balance to our hard working cells.” According to Stephen, “Intention is the most important element. The care that gets put into food during preparation is received and amplified as it is consumed. Food that is made with love and meditative attention can transform simply eating into a celebration of life.”
Stephen’s conscious ingredient choice and mindful energy really are experienced with every bite. A trip to Solar Return is a true experience, and I can’t wait for my Return.