Let's be plant-curious together and dive into the vast world of plants, herbs and mushrooms! Gardening, foraging, cooking and connecting with nature.
08/04/2025
I’m super excited to share that I’ll be putting on my first LIVE cooking class of 2025 this coming Saturday, April 12th!
Ever wondered how Norwegians create those magical Easter gatherings that last for hours?
Join me, Chef Sunny for this very special virtual cooking class where I’ll show you how to create an authentic Norwegian påskefrokost (Easter breakfast) that’s completely plant-based!
Learn to make creamy «egg» salad and a trio of plant-based «herring» salads that will transport your guests to a mountain cabin in Norway.
Plus, a juicy orange cake that perfectly balances your savory spread!
Make sure to register now - link in bio or comment Easter below!
16/03/2025
Need ideas for delicious plant-based dishes for St. Patrick’s Day?
There are several options on my websites, including my Green Irish Soda bread (naturally colored by spinach!), and a creamy spiced carrot soup with a vibrant orange color.
If you’re looking for a cabbage dish that bridges both Irish and Norwegian flavor profiles, try out my stuffed cabbage rolls (or as we call them, kålruletter) where I’ve subbed the traditional ground pork stuffing with a mouthwatering combination of lentils, rice, shallots, walnuts and spices.
Complete the meal with boiled potatoes and white gravy and both Irish and Norwegians can feel super happy!
You can find the recipes on my websites sunnygandara.com and arcticgrub.com
🍷🥂pairing: I’d pick an unoaked Chablis, a Grüner Veltliner or a German off-dry Riesling for white, or a Beaujolais Cru, Zweigelt or an Oregon Pinot Noir for red options for these dishes.
What’s your favorite dish to eat on St. Patrick’s Day and which wines would you pair with it?
26/02/2025
Ever stared into your fridge wondering what to do with those random veggies? ✨ I've got you covered!
Did you know I have a free FB community called Plant-Empowered Bon Vivants where I share loads of tips and ideas for plant-based eating and cooking?
Join today and get INSTANT ACCESS to my complete mini cooking class video on creating the perfect "Empty-the-Fridge Winter Minestrone" - the ultimate comfort food for these chilly nights!
This is a great recipe for batch cooking as well so you always have a delicious, satisfying meal on hand on those busy weekdays!
Turn those forgotten veggies into a steaming bowl of deliciousness that'll warm you from the inside out. No waste, all taste!
Link to join in the comments if you're ready to transform your plant-based cooking game! It’s FREE!
24/02/2025
I can’t think of a better way to kick off a winter week than with a roasted potato galette with cashew cream paired with a glass of wine (Rioja sounds good right now).
What’s your favorite winter comfort food?
♥️
14/02/2025
🍝❤️ Cook with plants this Valentine’s Day!
Celebrate love with a romantic plant-based cooking adventure!
Transform your Valentine’s evening with my “Romantic Dinner for Two (or Yourself!)” online class taught by yours truly, bringing my passion for authentic Italian cuisine right to your kitchen.
Fall in love with this dreamy 3-course menu:
🇮🇹 🥑 Elegant Beet & Persimmon Tartare
🍝 Luxurious Linguine with Lentil Bolognese
☕️🍫 Heavenly Affogato with Chocolate Biscotti
Whether cooking for your special someone or treating yourself to a night of self-love, learn to create magic with plant-based ingredients that will make hearts (and taste buds) sing!
Complete with expert wine pairing suggestions for each course.
Skip the restaurant crowds and create something truly special at home.
Chef Sunny’s 20 years of culinary expertise, including her time in Rome, ensures an authentic Italian experience with a modern plant-based twist.
Ready to cook with amore?
Sign up now for instant access! 💚✨ link in comments!
Today we honor Norway’s indigenous Sámi people and their incredible 9,000-year heritage in the Arctic.
As a vegan food blogger deeply respectful of indigenous traditions, I’m excited to share my plant-based take on 𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐬, the beloved Sámi national dish.”
While reindeer herding is central to Sámi culture, I believe we can respectfully adapt traditional recipes while acknowledging their origins.
My version substitutes wild Arctic mushrooms for reindeer, incorporating traditional herbs like juniper, caraway, and Arctic thyme to capture the essence of the North.
The result?
A hearty stew that pays homage to Sámi culinary traditions while aligning with plant-based values. Topped with vegan sour cream and lingonberry jam, served alongside traditional 𝐠𝐚𝐡𝐤𝐤𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 - it’s proof that cultural appreciation and veganism can coexist beautifully.
In Norway, we celebrate Sámi culture beyond just food - through the Sámi Parliament, the distinct Sámi languages, the stunning gákti clothing, and the haunting beauty of joik singing.
Visit Tromsø’s Sámi Week to experience this rich heritage firsthand.
Link in comments to get my vegan recipe version! 🌱
Let me know if you try this vegan bidos adaptation. ❄️🍄
01/01/2025
In 2025 I think I’ll only drink champagne …🥂 🍾🤩 at least if it is as incredible as this ❤️
Happy New Year to all, may it be filled with delicious moments of food (plant-based preferably), friends, good wine and unforgettably amazing moments ✨
11/07/2024
It’s berry season both back home in Norway and here in the U.S. - let’s celebrate!
A berry not often seen on this side of the Atlantic, but one I grew up picking every summer back home is the blackcurrant. We had tons of bushes growing in our garden!
If you’ve never tasted blackcurrants, they’re quite bold and assertive with a tart taste but when ripe, have a lovely, sweet flavor underneath.
They’re not easy to find here in the U.S. but while strolling through my local farmer’s market this past weekend, I was fortunate enough to find two pints of them.
My dad used to make wine from blackcurrants and my mom would turn them into ‘saft’ - a Norwegian style of concentrated juice that we add water to and enjoy as a nice drink with dinner.
I opted to add my berries into a scrumptious, easy-to-make coffee cake.
I drizzled it with a homemade vanilla sauce that offers a rich sweetness and aromatic vanilla notes, and harmonizes beautifully with the vibrant tang of the blackcurrants. Yum!!
Get my recipe below and capture the taste of Norwegian summer! 🇳🇴🌼🌸🌞
Elderflowers are thought to have arrived in the Nordic countries already during the Viking Age.
Today they’re found everywhere in western Norway, often near old gardens and fields.
There are so many delicious ways to prepare and cook with elderflowers, which is why they are so popular in this part of the world.
They have a soft and fresh taste, reminiscent of pear, lychee, and some tropical fruits.
The most common way to use or cook with elderflowers in Norway is to make ‘saft’, or a cordial that is a concentrated juice sweetened with sugar and added citrus.
Since cordials can last for weeks and even months, they let you enjoy the elderflower flavor long after their season has ended.
Want the best-ever recipe for elderflower cordial? (Bonus: it’s a delightful addition to cocktails and mocktails!)
Wishing you a safe and relaxing holiday with lots of delicious plant-based food and drink!
17/06/2024
The rhubarb season in Norway lasts from June to September, and the classic way to use rhubarb in cooking and baking is to make cakes and other desserts, salads, soup, and juice with these tart stalks.
There is even rhubarb wine, which I believe my father attempted in our cellar where he also made wine from red currants and blackcurrants.
This Norwegian-inspired strawberry-rhubarb cake is juicy, light, and simple, just like the cakes I grew up enjoying in Norway. It’s only made more delicious by the caramelized almond topping poured over it which adds a welcome crunch to the soft cake.
Best of all - it’s not hard to make at all and in the blog post I give you tips for avoiding a soggy cake when adding all that fruit.
You can find the recipe on my blog arcticgrub.com
🍓🍓🍓🍓
14/06/2024
Happy ! 🍓🍓
05/06/2024
Radishes, a staple in the garden of my childhood home in northwestern Norway, were a sure sign that summer had arrived. Their vibrant red hue added a pop of color to our dishes.
We used them in a variety of ways. In thinly sliced in salads, braised whole in butter as a side dish, layered on open-face sandwiches with sliced cheese, or enjoyed on buttered toast. Their versatility is truly remarkable!
One of the most intriguing ways to enjoy radishes is by pickling them!T he process not only preserves their crunch but also infuses them with a tanginess that adds a new dimension to this summer salad.
In the blog post I’m sharing with you today, you’re getting one of my favorite salad recipes, a classic Norwegian cucumber and radish salad, drizzled with a dilled sour cream dressing.
I’ve, of course put my own spin on it :)
The radishes are crunchy and refreshing paired against the sweet butter lettuce, a welcome contrast to the spiciness of the radicchio, along with the cooling effect of the herbed sour cream dressing.
I also share a fantastic recipe for pickling liquid and offer some suggestions for topping hot dogs with it, a very classic Scandinavian tradition now that midsummer is approaching.
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Our Story
Menufacturers LLC is a food and wine education and consulting firm associated with Sunny Gandara. Passionate about wine and plant-based food, and through visiting and dining at countless restaurants, bars and cafes across the country and around the world, Sunny identified a big weak spot; the lack of exciting, well thought out vegan options for food, and practically no vegan wine selections anywhere. It didn’t matter if it is a huge hotel chain, a small hole-in-the-wall in a hip city, or a Michelin star restaurant; more often than not those who wish to eat plant based, are often served a boring salad or pasta with tomato sauce, and frankly - that just won’t cut it for foodies.
With Sunny being a trained chef and with 15 years of experience in the food and wine industry, she wanted to offer off-and online cooking and wine classes to both private and corporate groups, who want to learn how to eat and drink better, as well as consulting services to restaurants who are looking to take advantage of the the growing number of people in the U.S. and around the world who are going vegan and requesting plant-based options.
At Menufacturers we offer a highly customized experience for each client. Every restaurant is different, so no one-size-fits-all option is applied. What we do care about is to learn about your clientele, and how we can optimize their experience and your bottom line. Our mission for every establishment, is to create menus that inspire, wow and make people want to come back again and again. We do this through selecting unique, food friendly wines from small family wineries (always organic and sustainably produced), and our recipes are seasonally appropriate using whole, plant based ingredients that will pair perfectly with your wines.
For those who want to learn how to cook better with plants, as well as to dive deeper into the world of wine, Menufactures offers private classes to parties, both online and off-line (New York area only). Classes are typically 3 hours long and will always include information on how to pair wines with plant-based foods.
At Menufacturers, we seek to demystify both vegan food and wine. Food is food, and wine is meant to entice, to enhance the meal and to be enjoyed . Whether vegan or not, our mission is to educate and provide fun food and wine entertainment for people, and for restaurants, have our selections become the most asked-for items on your menu!
