http://www.latimes.com/theguide/restaurants/la-gd-restfive17-2008jul17,0,117450.story

From the Los Angeles Times
The Five This Week: Cool Greens
These health-conscious cooks want you to eat right.
By -- Lucinda Michele Knapp

July 17, 2008

They're young DIYers transforming brown rice and tofu into haute cuisine. And whether they're cooking with Chimay or making pink lemonade cupcakes, they bring fresh ideas to the table.

HOT KNIVES

Alex Brown -- cheesemonger by day -- and Evan George, a cook at Elf Cafe, unite slow food with blogging immediacy. Recipes and informative videos can be found on their website; contact them for veggie/vegan catering that's elegant and down-to-earth (for example, Chimay adds robust flavor to a crispy French-onion and Gruyere sandwich -- in lieu of meat). www.urbanhonking.com/hotknives; hotknivez

SPORK FOODS

Sisters Heather and Jenny Goldberg blended culinary chops and activist spirit into Spork Foods, transforming beloved standards into more seductive vegan versions of themselves. Take a class and become a convert: Imagine pear, fig and sage tarts with garlic aioli; chocolate-cinnamon Kahlua-baked doughnuts; homemade pupusas and pink lemonade cupcakes. www.sporkfoods.com; (323) 284-8733

CROPS & RAWBERS

Catering art opening and parties -- even a three-course meal for 35 in a "pop-up restaurant" at a punk rock show -- Crops & Rawbers (a.k.a. Diva Dompé and Amanda Brown) craft raw-food, conceptual-art concoctions that wow even the most jaded scenesters. Truffles, ice cream, heart-shaped tartlets -- all raw, affordable (they work within your budget) and guiltless. www.myspace.com/cropsandrawbers; cropsand

BISMARK OF THE BEAST

With her no-holds-barred vegan baking, Sally Watts' Bismark of the Beast bakery conjures elegant desserts that prove vegan, low-sugar or wheat-free cooking can be decadent and sophisticated. With her tattoos, Black Forest cake and pistachio-rosewater genoise, Watts delivers fine art to the table. www.myspace.com/getdownbakelove;getdownbakelove@aim.com

BEN LING AT PURE LUCK

A committed volunteer at the Bike Kitchen, vegan Ben Ling set his sights on the disused Korean restaurant across the street. Now his crew of committed vegan foodies 'n' friends offer mouthwatering bistro fare and microbrews till midnight. Their jackfruit tacos -- rich with meaty texture (really!) -- draw lines out the door. Stop in for a nosh, or inquire about catering. 707 N. Heliotrope Drive, L.A.; (323) 660-5993