Latest news with #Vallee
NZ Herald
16 hours ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Iconic French chef stakes reputation on vegan menu
'There's light in this cuisine,' he told AFP. 'There are taste sensations that I've never experienced anywhere else.' L'Arpege used to be known as one of the leading rotisseries in Paris. It earned three Michelin stars in 1996, and has held the distinction ever since. In 2001, Passard caused a stir in the rarefied world of French cuisine by dropping red meat from his menu and saying he would focus more on vegetables grown in his gardens. The shift made him one of the first ambassadors of plant-based cuisine. While Passard is motivated by environmental concerns in his new quest, it is above all a culinary challenge. The restaurant's updated menu includes mesclun praline with roasted almonds and melon carpaccio. Lunch costs €260 ($502). Passard has no plans to become a vegan militant himself. 'I still eat a little poultry and fish,' he said. 'But I'm more comfortable with plants. They allow me to learn.' French chef Claire Vallee knows from experience that Passard is up for a challenge. 'It requires a lot more preparation, knowledge and research,' Vallee said of plant-based dishes. 'It's quite a colossal task.' In 2021, her vegan restaurant in southwest France won a Michelin star, the first for an establishment serving only animal-free products in France. Vallee in 2016 launched ONA – which stands for Origine Non Animale ('Non-Animal Origin') – thanks to crowd-funding from supporters and a loan from a green bank. The establishment closed in 2022, and the 45-year-old chef went on to open several pop-up restaurants. Since then, no other French restaurant serving only animal-free products has been awarded a Michelin star. Internationally, vegan haute cuisine is rare. Eleven Madison Park in New York has kept its three stars after becoming exclusively vegan in 2021. In the Netherlands, De Nieuwe Winkel's plant-based menu has earned it two Michelin stars. Laurent Guez, a food critic for French newspaper Le Parisien and business daily Les Echos, said Passard's announcement was 'a major event'. But he also warned that not a lot of chefs could excel in the art of high-end plant-based gastronomy. 'It's exceptional cuisine that not everyone can allow themselves to launch into,' he said. Michelin guide international director Gwendal Poullennec said he was 'delighted' with the transition at L'Arpege, describing it as a 'positive approach'. 'We will continue to follow the evolution of L'Arpege, remaining faithful to our criteria,' he told AFP. Passard has given himself two years to take his kitchen skills to a new level. Is he worried about losing his three stars? 'I've never thought about that,' he said. 'We're going to have to deliver. If we can maintain this level of quality, then I'm extremely confident.' – Agence France-Presse
Local France
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Local France
Iconic French chef stakes reputation on vegan menu
Since July 21st, Passard has stopped serving meat, fish, dairy products and eggs at L'Arpege, his restaurant in the French capital's chic seventh district that he has run for nearly 40 years. The only exception is honey that comes from the restaurateur's own beehives. Passard said the switch had been in the pipeline for a year. "There's light in this cuisine," he told AFP. "There are taste sensations that I've never experienced anywhere else." Advertisement L'Arpege used to be known as one of the leading rotisseries in Paris. It earned three Michelin stars in 1996, and has held the distinction ever since. In 2001, Passard caused a stir in the rarefied world of French cuisine by dropping red meat from his menu and saying he would focus more on vegetables grown in his gardens. The shift made him one of the first ambassadors of plant-based cuisine. READ ALSO : 'Call the restaurant': Your tips for being vegetarian or vegan in France✎ While Passard is motivated by environmental concerns in his new quest, it is above all a culinary challenge. The restaurant's updated menu includes mesclun praline with roasted almonds and melon carpaccio. Lunch costs €260. Passard has no plans to become fully vegan himself. "I still eat a little poultry and fish," he said. "But I'm more comfortable with plants. They allow me to learn." French chef Claire Vallee knows from experience that Passard is up for a challenge. "It requires a lot more preparation, knowledge and research," Vallee said of plant-based dishes. "It's quite a colossal task." Advertisement In 2021, her vegan restaurant in southwest France won a Michelin star, the first for an establishment serving only animal-free products in France. Vallee in 2016 launched ONA - Origine Non Animale (Non-Animal Origin) - thanks to crowdfunding from supporters and a loan from a green bank. The establishment closed in 2022, and the 45-year-old chef went on to open several pop-up restaurants. Since then, no other French restaurant serving only animal-free products has been awarded a Michelin star. Internationally, vegan haute cuisine is rare. Eleven Madison Park in New York has kept its three stars after becoming exclusively vegan in 2021. In the Netherlands, De Nieuwe Winkel's plant-based menu has earned it two Michelin stars. Laurent Guez, a food critic for French newspaper Le Parisien and business daily Les Echos, said Passard's announcement was "a major event". But he also warned that not a lot of chefs could excel in the art of high-end plant-based gastronomy. "It's exceptional cuisine that not everyone can allow themselves to launch into," he said. Michelin guide international director Gwendal Poullennec said he was "delighted" with the transition at L'Arpege, describing it as a "positive approach". "We will continue to follow the evolution of L'Arpege, remaining faithful to our criteria," he told AFP. Passard has given himself two years to take his kitchen skills to a new level. Is he worried about losing his three stars? "I've never thought about that," he said. "We're going to have to deliver. If we can maintain this level of quality, then I'm extremely confident.
France 24
3 days ago
- Business
- France 24
Iconic French chef stakes reputation on vegan menu
The 68-year-old has become the first three Michelin star chef in France to switch to an entirely plant-based menu, opening a new chapter in the world of luxury dining. Since July 21, Passard has stopped serving meat, fish, dairy products and eggs at L'Arpege, his restaurant in the French capital's chic seventh district that he has run for nearly 40 years. The only exception is honey that comes from the restaurateur's own beehives. Passard said the switch had been in the pipeline for a year. "There's light in this cuisine," he told AFP. "There are taste sensations that I've never experienced anywhere else." L'Arpege used to be known as one of the leading rotisseries in Paris. It earned three Michelin stars in 1996, and has held the distinction ever since. In 2001, Passard caused a stir in the rarefied world of French cuisine by dropping red meat from his menu and saying he would focus more on vegetables grown in his gardens. The shift made him one of the first ambassadors of plant-based cuisine. While Passard is motivated by environmental concerns in his new quest, it is above all a culinary challenge. The restaurant's updated menu includes mesclun praline with roasted almonds and melon carpaccio. Lunch costs 260 euros. Passard has no plans to become a vegan militant himself. "I still eat a little poultry and fish," he said. "But I'm more comfortable with plants. They allow me to learn." - 'Colossal task' French chef Claire Vallee knows from experience that Passard is up for a challenge. "It requires a lot more preparation, knowledge and research," Vallee said of plant-based dishes. "It's quite a colossal task." In 2021, her vegan restaurant in southwest France won a Michelin star, the first for an establishment serving only animal-free products in France. Vallee in 2016 launched ONA –- which stands for Origine Non Animale ("Non-Animal Origin") –- thanks to crowdfunding from supporters and a loan from a green bank. The establishment closed in 2022, and the 45-year-old chef went on to open several pop-up restaurants. Since then, no other French restaurant serving only animal-free products has been awarded a Michelin star. Internationally, vegan haute cuisine is rare. Eleven Madison Park in New York has kept its three stars after becoming exclusively vegan in 2021. In the Netherlands, De Nieuwe Winkel's plant-based menu has earned it two Michelin stars. Laurent Guez, a food critic for French newspaper Le Parisien and business daily Les Echos, said Passard's announcement was "a major event". But he also warned that not a lot of chefs could excel in the art of high-end plant-based gastronomy. "It's exceptional cuisine that not everyone can allow themselves to launch into," he said. Michelin guide international director Gwendal Poullennec said he was "delighted" with the transition at L'Arpege, describing it as a "positive approach". "We will continue to follow the evolution of L'Arpege, remaining faithful to our criteria," he told AFP. Passard has given himself two years to take his kitchen skills to a new level. Is he worried about losing his three stars? "I've never thought about that," he said.
Chicago Tribune
02-07-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
BP refinery sets off flares Tuesday night
At about 10 p.m. Tuesday, Lisa Vallee noticed flares coming from BP's Whiting refinery. 'Obviously, we're used to seeing smokestacks with the flames on it,' the Whiting resident said, 'but this was a very, very large flame with huge plumes of black smoke coming from it.' 'The BP Whiting refinery is currently experiencing conditions that require materials to be burned in its flares,' the email said. 'We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our neighbors.' Nearby residents received an identical message through the Lake County alert system. Normal operations had resumed at the refinery Wednesday morning, according to a BP Facebook post at about 8:30 a.m. 'The Whiting Refinery has returned to normal operations following a short flaring event,' the Facebook post said. 'We apologize for any inconvenience.' Vallee lives close enough to the refinery that she was worried she might have to evacuate the area if it was dangerous. She and her partner prepared to evacuate but never did. Vallee said she lives about a mile away from the refinery. 'From where we live, we can't normally see the flames unless they're really high,' Vallee said. 'You could just see, looking out our apartment window, the whole sky was going orange from flames shooting at the facility.' Vallee listened to a police scanner to try to get more information, and she heard people from around Lake County calling about the flares. She also saw Whiting Fire Department trucks drive toward the BP facility, which Vallee said was concerning. 'We know that when they're burning off products, that's still going in the air, and they're having to burn it off because something is going wrong,' she added. 'I've not heard anything today about what might have been the actual issue; usually it's something that's discovered days later.' Residents can't ignore the flares when they're that large, Vallee said Wednesday. 'You get this sense of dread and doom,' she added. In mid-November, BP started and finished a planned flare at the Whiting refinery. Flares are a safety device used to help the refinery safely manage excess gases during maintenance or operational disruptions, BP previously said. In January 2024, the oil refinery was hit by a power outage that required the company to shut down the facility and evacuate workers, according to the Associated Press, which led BP to flare its stacks. A BP spokesperson did not comment on the reason behind Tuesday's flare or if employees had to evacuate. The Whiting refinery has more than 1,300 employees and 1,400 contractors, according to BP's website. The refinery provides gas to Midwestern states and can produce enough fuel each day to support the average daily travel of more than 7 million cars.
Chicago Tribune
13-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
BP postpones carbon pipeline project indefinitely
As a Whiting resident, Lisa Vallee is happy to no longer worry about BP's proposed carbon sequestration project. 'It seems, on the surface, like it's such a great idea,' said Vallee, who is also the organizing director for Just Transition Northwest Indiana. 'But it's been proven globally that these projects don't actually reduce carbon emissions, and then they're much more dangerous than they are worth.' BP has indefinitely paused its carbon sequestration project, which would have required a pipeline to run through hundreds of miles in six Indiana counties to store carbon emissions underground. 'BP is committed to remaining a critical driver of the economic engine that powers Northwest Indiana and the Midwest,' a company spokesperson said in a statement. 'While we are indefinitely pausing our low-carbon project in the region, our focus is on building a strong, economically competitive future for our Whiting Refinery.' The company said 'many factors' went into the decision, including uncertainty created by current economic conditions; focus on the company's core businesses; a slow-developing hydrogen market in the Midwest; lack of an identified carbon storage facility; and lack of certainty for long-term federal support for low carbon hydrogen. The decision only relates to BP's involvement in the Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen hub and no other low-carbon project the company might develop nationally or globally, according to the spokesperson. U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, said in a statement that 'it's not lost' on him that the company made the decision during House passage of legislation that would end the clean hydrogen production tax credit. The decision makes it clear that the Trump Administration's actions cause a 'real and devastating impact' on workers and manufacturing nationwide, Mrvan said. 'I will continue to actively seek opportunities to collaborate in a bipartisan manner, with all levels of government, and with organized labor and all stakeholders to reverse this trend and create new opportunities for transformational economic growth, work, and wealth in Northwest Indiana,' Mrvan said. The Biden Administration allocated up to $1 billion in funding for the planned hub, but shifting priorities have led the Department of Energy to reevaluate the awards for the Midwest hub and three others in the Pacific Northwest, California and the Mid-Atlantic, according to Reuters. Just Transition Northwest Indiana learned the project was paused following a statement from the Benton County Board of Commissioners. Benton County was one of the Indiana counties that would've been affected by the project. 'We have been advised that in February BP indefinitely suspended all carbon sequestration and hydrogen gas exploration,' said the letter from Benton County commissioners. 'They're focusing back on their roots of oil exploration. They felt this is not the time or place with the feedback they received from Benton County.' Vallee was surprised to learn about the project's pause from Benton County and not BP. Just Transition Northwest Indiana members knew there was a possibility that it would be paused because tax credits might be taken away by the federal government, Vallee said. 'This pipeline was supposed to be part of the Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen hub, and that has not gone away, at least yet,' Vallee said. 'So, we are accepting this victory and very excited, but also aware that there are a lot of other sneaky false solutions that are probably right around the corner.' Gary Advocates for Responsible Development was relieved to see BP put the pipeline project on pause, board member Carolyn McCrady said in a statement Thursday. 'However, pause does not mean gone, and we will remain vigilant about any future attempts to reinstate a pipeline,' McCrady said. 'And (we) will continue to insist that they initiate advanced and available technologies to reduce their heavily polluting tar sands emissions.'
