FAM Kitchen Dishes Up Vegan Eats From a Cute Rosemary District Trailer
FAM Kitchen, a food trailer that sets up in the Rosemary District, takes comfort food and flips it on its head with a 100 percent plant-based and health-friendly menu. The name of the truck is a double entendre, according to owner and chef Laetitia Kepecz.
“The name FAM stands for 'food as medicine,' but also for 'family,'" says Kepecz. "Whenever you put something into your body, you have a choice to make. You can choose something that’s going to benefit you or something that’s not. I want people to think, ‘What is this doing for my body?’ whenever they eat.”
The South Africa-born chef’s journey to embracing a plant-based diet began around five or six years ago.
“I began looking at how animals are treated these days,” says Kepecz. “It's like a production line. I worked as a director of dining at a senior living center for a few years. That experience definitely opened my eyes to how important food is for clarity of mind and how focusing on your diet can affect your overall health.”
Healthy eating can be exciting and colorful and make your tastebuds dance with joy. This aspect of Kepecz's cooking is one that she credits to her training in classic French cuisine. “When you train classically, they really focus on flavors—what you can put together to complement each other and what will pop when you cook it in a certain fashion," she says. "Those aspects of my training that are definitely helping me every day.”
If you find yourself having some difficulty deciding what to order from FAM's menu, consider going with the current fan favorite: the Forever Summer BLT made with tempeh bacon. Tempeh consists of whole, fermented soy beans that have been formed into a block. It has a richer flavor and more texture than tofu. Smoky tomato slices, red onion, an avocado spread and a vegan garlic-herb mayo are then piled on top of two slices of sprouted grain bread.
Not your style? Try choose the chef’s favorite, the portobella melt.
"It has mushrooms, spinach, smoky tofu and Swiss," says Kepecz. "All of this is piled onto sliced marble rye. It's a very good and simple little sandwich.” Other items on the menu include a breakfast bowl, a Buffalo ranch wrap and a grilled Reuben.
For those with busy schedules or who would rather spend their time elsewhere than in the kitchen, FAM also offers pre-made meals available for pickup or delivery.
FAM Kitchen sets up at 1331 10th St., Sarasota. For more info, call (941) 445-7125 or visit the trailer's website.
