• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

HealthyHappyLife.com logo

  • about
  • RECIPES
  • LIFESTYLE
  • BLOGGING
  • VIDEO
  • SHOP
  • Cookbooks
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • My Books
  • Videos
  • About
  • holiday
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » This and That » Updated: Reactions to Natalie Portman on Top Chef.

    by Kathy Patalsky · updated: Sep 13, 2019 · published: Oct 28, 2009 · About 3 minutes to read this article. 5 Comments

    Updated: Reactions to Natalie Portman on Top Chef.

    UPDATE: Darn, so the chefs only had to cook vegetarian! Too easy! Natalie was vegetarian when the show taped…she supposedly went vegan a few months ago after reading Jonathan Safran Foer’s book “Eating Animals”. But still, glad to see a vegetarian show. It’s better than nothing! My live tweets and “the word on the internet” about the show are after the jump…

    Veg Consensus. So after reading all my @replies on twitter and perusing a few of the online comments, the veggie consensus seems to be that the episode was a big disappointment and even a little “offensive”. These cheftestants seriously need a yummy, creative vegan meal at a restaurant like Pure Food and Wine, GoBo, Candle 79, Sublime, Real Food Daily, Blossom, Dirt Candy or even a nice Babycakes cupcake! Geez, all veggies (practically?) Where’s the tempeh? Seitan? Grains? More beans? Nuts? Where’s the Protein? Very dismal. I’d walk away from those ‘entrees’ with a serious craving for some….food! Maybe a lovely raw vegan lasagna at Pure Food and Wine. Or some butternut squash risotto from GoBo. Or a beautiful seitan medallion from Blossom or tempeh from Candle. Or some amazing Asparagus Paella from Dirt Candy. Or maybe just a spelt crust pizza with some Daiya cheese….yum…

    @Lunchboxbunch. My live tweeted thoughts of Top Chef with Natalie (first tweet starts at bottom…just like twitter…):

    “West Coast, watch #TopChef tonight, but it’s indeed disappointing…I’d leave hungry! Where’s the tempeh? http://su.pr/2aKR38about 11 hours ago from web”

    “@LoCoallergylife I think it was a comment on the “banana polenta” dish…gotta love creativity!about 12 hours ago from web in reply to LoCoallergylife”

    “OK, Natalie Portman is hilarious, her comment on fave dish: “who is his dealer & does he want more clients!?” Funny. #topchefabout 12 hours ago from web “

    “My TopChef thoughts on what the cheftestants made….where’s the protein?!about 12 hours ago from web “

    “@bakeanddestroy Natalie went vegan (again) a few months ago, she was vegetarian when the TopChef episode was filmed.about 12 hours ago from web in reply to bakeanddestroy”

    “I really wish “cooking veg*n” didn’t simply mean chefs cook a plate of veggies! More beans, tempeh, grains, nuts….veg*ns like to EAT too!about 12 hours ago from web “

    “@gonepie gonepie RT “I think this was filmed before she was converted by the Foer book.” …my thoughts as well…about 12 hours ago from web in reply to gonepie”

    “Natalie says she is ‘vegetarian’…why not just say vegan? *shakes head* Well it’s better than nothing! r u watching TopChef East Coast??about 12 hours ago from web “

    And here was my original post about this highly anticipated episode:

    Now this is “must See TV”! Vegan actress Natalie Portman will create quite a challenge for the meat-obsessed chefs competing on BravoTV’s Top Chef, season 6 Las Vegas. On tonight’s episode, apparently the gang of contestants is brought to Tom Colicchio’s restaurant Craftsteak Vegas and shown piles of meat ingredients. They get excited *sigh*. The twist comes when the person they will be cooking for is none other than the actress Natalie Portman, a vegan. I can’t wait to see which chef’s pull off vegan dining like a true pro. And which chef’s whine themselves into being kicked off! (A la on Top Chef Master’s when a few chef’s whined and groaned at Zooey (not Emily.. :)..) Deschanel’s vegan/gluten-free diet) I posted about the “God only knows what vegan’s eat…” quote. Below is a video-clip preview of tonight’s ‘veg-themed’ Top Chef episode…

    www.bravotv.com

    images: bravotv.com and tecasan shoes image (Natalie Portman line)

    « Best of VGP: Top 35 Quotes, Trends and Faves.
    First Ever World Pneumonia Day – Nov 2nd. I’m in. R U? »

    About Kathy Patalsky

    Hey there! I'm Kathy, lover of kitty cats, weekend baking, 90's movies, travel, beach fog and foamy lattes. Since 2007, I have been sharing my vegan recipes and photos. My goal is to make your cooking life a little easier, delicious - and plant-loaded - while sharing some LIFE and conversation along the way.

    Super Fudgy Peanut Butter Brownies

    10 Tips for Flying with a Toddler

    Spicy Stovetop Beans

    JUST Egg Omelet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jennifer says

      October 30, 2009 at 2:29 pm

      I just assumed it was vegan, and they weren't saying it. No one used cheese or milk, right? I suppose there could've been butter or something that wasn't obvious, but . . . .

      I did think it was boring, and at least the chefs who did the least were punished for it.

      Reply
    2. Lara says

      October 30, 2009 at 12:53 am

      Strange that Natalie said she became vegan after reading that book… I met her briefly in Boston about 10 years ago (she was going to Harvard at the time I think)and she was vegan then!

      Maybe she flip flops?

      Reply
    3. Kathy says

      October 28, 2009 at 10:33 pm

      Ack! Fixed the Emily Deschanel error…ZOOEY Deschanel. 🙂

      …where did I get Emily?? weird.

      Thanks blog-readers! 🙂

      Reply
    4. hows yr edge says

      October 28, 2009 at 7:51 pm

      Emily? I think you mean Zooey. 😉

      will watch.

      Reply
    5. Christina says

      October 28, 2009 at 7:03 pm

      This is awesome! I'm glad to see more high cuisine vegan dishes, and more vegan dishes in general getting press.

      One thing, though, you say here that it was Emily Deschanel that was on Top Chef Masters, but it was her sister, Zooey. Emily is also a vegan, though.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    newsletter:

    Trending

    my cookbooks

    my cookbooks

    Disqus Latest Comments

    1. Mindy

      Mindy: Could you replace the coconut milk with almond? Thanks.

      Commented on: Coconut Curry Rice Bowl

    2. Adam Edell

      Adam Edell: Thank you so much for being nearly the only single source on…

      Commented on: How to Make Soy Milk

    3. Joe in Texas

      Joe in Texas: I am making this incredible sandwich again tonight--so wonderful!

      Commented on: Preview "Spicy Peanut Tofu Sandwich"

    about kathy

    kathy patalsky

    featured: peach coconut water smoothie

    browse recipes

    Breakfast  |  Entrees  |  Desserts  |  Smoothies  |  Sandwiches  |  Salads  |  Beverages  |  Soups |  Appetizers |  Snacks  |  Sauces  |  Sides   /  Cooking Videos  |  Round-Ups  |  Fan Favorites  |  Holiday  /  All the Recipes

    browse:

    • reviews
    • travel
    • vegan topics
    • people
    • videos
    • beauty
    • wellness
    • Mom Life

    my ttc + baby journey

    Footer

    BROWSE BY:

    Category:

    DATE:

    looking for something?

    contact   |   about   |   kathy’s cookbooks  |  press  |  findingvegan  |  meal plans  |  shop  |  vegan recipe index  |  privacy policy  | start a blog

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Services | Work with me