Well, can I blame the new issue… again?

Speaking of, I’m hoping this weekend will see the issue seven put to bed, and then, after the authors and advertisers review it, I’ll be posting it online for all you fine people to read. You’ve waited an incredibly long time for this issue, and I do apologize for it, but hopefully it will be worth it.

Until then, feel free to check out my answers to some technical questions the VVC ladies sent my way before their first tech seminar.

And so, I kept my eyes and ears open to see who was doing what in the vegan scene. Little did I know, the first sign had been placed in front of me years ago. And, given the success of that one cookbook, I suspect it’s been in front of many of you as well. Of course, it wasn’t until some major events happened that all of these signs came together to make up my mind that the next T.O.F.U. grant recipient would be Sarah Kramer.

Building a Community

Long before everyone and their blog had a publishing deal, let alone a single vegan cookbook in Barnes & Noble, Sarah Kramer was spreading the vegan message through great plant-based recipes and her charm. Although the start of her publishing career rings a little close to the T.O.F.U. home, Sarah’s first zine eventually became the original vegan bible that is How it All Vegan. With over a quarter of a million copies sold worldwide since it was published over ten years ago, that book, like Sarah, laid the foundation for so much of what has happened in the vegan community.

But Sarah didn’t stop there. With two other books (Garden of Vegan and La Dolce Vegan), a travel-friendly compilation of recipes (Vegan A Go-Go), and an iPhone/iPad app (Go Vegan! with Sarah Kramer) under her belt, Sarah took an even bigger step and opened her own vegan boutique (Sarah’s Place) in Victoria, BC, Canada two years ago.

This time, it’s personal

If you’ve had the chance to talk with Sarah in some way, whether it was through a tweet, an email, a blog comment, or while looking through all the wonderful and curious things in her boutique, chances are you already know how nice she is. Of course, that’s always been a part of what made Sarah and her work so great: it was personal. From her near daily pics of her dog, Fergus, to the fact that her store is filled with hand-picked finds of curiosity and beauty, Sarah’s secret ingredient to her success seems to always be a simple dash of herself in everything she does.

So, when she broke the news that she had breast cancer, it was no surprise that the support was almost immediate. Even though those in the vegan community can certainly get wrapped up in a lot of drama, especially online, this time it wasn’t about who now ate what for what reasons. This time it was about Sarah, and, instead of tearing something or someone down, people were doing something positive: they were touching themselves.

Taking care of business

Over two months and a bunch of blog posts later, a lot has happened for the newest grant recipient. As can be expected, there have been some ups and downs, and there are more to come, but at least one constant has been the support of the vegan community. Of course, when you’re running your own business, flowers and get well cards can only go so far before the bills take over, especially when you’re faced with recovering from surgery and needing to work at the same time.

Although I can’t relate to recovering from serious surgery, especially a mastectomy, I do understand the toll a small business can take on a person, even when they’re healthy. So, for this and many other reasons, the best way I could think of to help Sarah and thank her for everything she has done for more than a decade was the T.O.F.U. grant.

If you’d like to show your support or tell Sarah thanks, here are some of the ways you can reach her:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

I’ve been lucky enough to have so many great folks offer to write for the magazine over the years, and it’s always been inspiring to read about the things that they’re doing within (and outside of) the vegan community. Of course, what makes me even happier is to see what they do after writing for the magazine.

One such person is Glauce Ferrari. She wrote a great piece on being vegan in Brazil in the last issue and she has since gone on to start an international vegan package swap, which everyone should check out and sign-up for!

And then, while you’re waiting for your package to arrive in the mail, maybe you can check out the answers I had for her in the interview?

Since it started, the magazine has grown a tremendous amount, and I owe so much thanks to all of you for that. So, it should go without saying that I’m excited to get the new issue out to see just how much further it can go!

Before that happens though, I still need to lay it all out, pass it along to a lovely designer friend of mine, and find companies to get onboard with a little financial support.

Although I’ve approached plenty of great businesses so far (thanks to many suggestions by folks on the Facebook page), I figured it wouldn’t hurt to mention it here as well. With the deadline a little under a week away, I’d hate to see some great folks miss out on a chance to advertise what they’re doing.

Not only that, but the more companies I get onboard to advertise, the more I can show support through the T.O.F.U. grant program. If you have not heard about it already, I give half of the advertising income for each issue to a recipient who continues to work on improving the vegan movement in one way or another. Thus, advertising with the magazine supports more than just T.O.F.U., it directly supports a member of the community as well.

So, do you know of any great companies that I should approach? For that matter, are you doing something vegan-friendly that you would like to tell folks about? If so, please feel free to let me know, and, if you’re interested yourself, you can check out the prices and specifications for more info.

thanks,
Ryan

In my current line of work, that might seem like a bad idea. There are plenty of marketing notions out there that suggest pulling back the curtain to show what really happens behind the scenes is a good way to kill a brand.

Of course, most of those same marketing notions are focused on how to profit from the work you do, and T.O.F.U. has never really been good at that. Hell, T.O.F.U. may not even be good at being a brand per say, but I like to think the magazine has come to be known for something in at least a few circles. I also like to think those thoughts are positive.

So, where’s the honesty come in you ask?

The Inner Workings

With six issues out, and another one still in the works, T.O.F.U. has gone further than imagined when the idea first came into being. So many things have changed, some for the better, but some for the worse.

One of the negative changes is the fact that Team T.O.F.U. is currently one person. Sure, the magazine couldn’t get anywhere without all of the contributions from so many over the years, but, as it currently stands, the behind the scenes work is done by me. When it started, the magazine was driven by two people, and for every issue but one, that was always the case.

So, there is no team of editors, public relations, financial advisors, etc… There’s just me.

No, This Isn’t a Vegan Dating Ad

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not writing this as some sort of elaborate singles ad. In fact, I’m happily involved with someone at the moment, and I don’t see that changing. What I am writing this for is to hopefully help you understand a little better why the magazine is far from a constant publication and why some emails may go unanswered for some time.

As it stands, all the moving and changes my life has thrown at me over the past few years have pushed T.O.F.U. to the back burner. Sure, I’ve debated stopping the magazine, and I feel I made that clear before the last issue was released over a year ago, but I still think T.O.F.U. can do some good in the vegan community. Plus, with the great contributors and supporters who have approached me still onboard, and folks continuing to read the magazine, I can’t walk away.

That’s fine and all, but where’s my new issue?!?!

And that leads us to here: the end of January with no issue #7 on the digital shelf.

All I can tell you is that it’s being worked on. Folks have contributed some great work, and a few other pieces are still in the pipeline. Mainly, the delay is my fault. I’m sorry, but I’m only one person.

Sure, I could throw something together right now and put it out there, but all of you deserve, and should expect, much better. I’m hoping I can deliver that. I just don’t know when yet.

Patience is a virtue, right?

thanks for reading this and supporting the magazine,
Ryan

Of course, another issue wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for people being interested in the last six, and that’s why I’m happy to hear from folks like Megan at The Vegan Cookbook Aficionado. She was looking for some help on her vegan MOFO posts by interviewing vegans she found interesting, and I’m flattered to be among that crowd.

So, jump over to her site and check out what I had to say about how T.O.F.U. came to be and a few other things. Of course, while you’re there you should be sure to check out her recent posts on Nanaimo Bars, and her drool-inducing vegan poutine.

Did I mention, she’s a fellow Canadian? Not only that, but she’s a Newfoundlander at heart too.

Getting started

The cookbook starts with three chapters with health advice, basic dietary tips, and some gentle do’s and don’ts of a healthy life. I’m a skeptic when it comes to food combining and focusing on alkalinity, but I think it’s great that she mentions eating consciously and locally whenever possible. Encouraging a healthy curiosity about what people eat is always a good idea.

Take with a pinch of salt

The non-recipe part of her book is an easy to follow guide for a beginner. It is written in friendly and mindful language and feels a lot like talking with a friend over tea. In the introduction, Caroline mentions a list of changes in the new edition of her book, some were for the better, such as replacing agave with maple syrup, but she has also reduced the salt content of all her recipes and it was a noticeable omission. I found myself reaching for the saltshaker quite often once I got to the dinner table, and generally, I’d prefer to add salt while cooking so it permeates the meal better.

I did not like the organization of the table of contents, since it didn’t actually have a list of recipes under each category/chapter (though each category page does list the recipes available within the chapter.) The index became my go to for ingredients and dishes, and luckily it’s very detailed and easy to use. I also appreciated the Appendices, since they were full of great advice on how to cook beans and grains, explanations of ingredients, kitchen planning and equipment, and meal plans (both for special occasions and weekly dinner ideas.)

The recipes

My partner and I looked through the book for recipes, and over the course of a month we tried the following:

Scrambled Tofu (pg 46)
Chunky Guacamole (pg 67)
Asian Miso Soup (pg 79)
Cashew Corn Chowder (pg 82)
Vegan Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli (pg 138)
Bean Enchiladas with Red Sauce (pg 142)
Rosemary Portobello Mushrooms (pg 159)
Root Fries (pg 160)
Classic Dahl (pg 164)
Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies (pg 178)

I thought the Rosemary Portobello Mushrooms were especially creative and tasty, along with the Cashew Corn Chowder, which was perfect for a cool grey fall day. It was also an easy to follow recipe, though I would halve the amount of parsley in future attempts (I don’t like parsley, but even so, it was very pleasant.)

Two of the best lazy meals we made were the Asian Miso Soup and the Vegan Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli. Miso soup is something we make around once a week, so it was interesting to follow someone else’s style for a meal. The addition of carrots, cabbage, and celery wasn’t something we would normally do, but it definitely made for a heartier soup.

The Vegan Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli was so simple, and Caroline’s Cheesy Sauce (pg 115) was great, despite using unsoaked cashews as recommended for the sauce, it still turned out smooth and creamy and flavourful (though I did add more salt after cooking.)

I baked up one dessert, though we had our eyes on several. The Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies ended up being delicious, but it took some time. My cookies spent an extra 10-15 minutes in the oven before they were fully baked, so it’s worth paying attention to appearance when making these (and of course, all ovens vary.) Oddly enough, these cookies weren’t delicious fresh out of the oven. Normally I can’t stop eating hot and chewy chocolate chip cookies, but in these the hempseed flavour and smell was initially overpowering. Several hours later the hempy taste was gone, and the seeds just provided a pleasant texture along with the oats. Now I can easily say they are some of my favourite chocolate containing cookies. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside wins every time.

Obtaining enlightenment

Ultimately this book had several recipes that I liked, and would make again. The recipes I tried were easy to follow, with simple and easy to find ingredients, and contained friendly helpful tips on every page. I’d recommend this book for someone just starting out and looking for healthy and straight-forward meals. It has good advice on transitioning to a healthier household, and acts as a great introduction to products that are available at a regular grocery, but not always part of a standard diet.

Reviewed and recommended by MeShell Gudz (@mdgee or Meshell.ca)
Photo: Oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies in progress

So, while I’m taking this holiday Monday here in Canada to keep the ball rolling for issue #7 submissions (you have sent in a pitch, right?), feel free to listen to what we had to say about YouTube cat videos, Canada, Newfoundland, Ontario, PETA (I’ll give you two guesses how this topic went), and so much more.

Red Radio Ep. 39: Shootin’ the T.O.F.U. with Ryan Patey

What we’re looking for

So, if you have something you want the world to know about, be it a product review, a great use for that old pasta sauce container, your two cents on how veganism relates to something else that is important to you or a simply perfect recipe for a fall soup that everyone should be carrying in their thermos, we’re interested!

What you need to do

Don’t hit the send button just yet though! In order to make this whole thing a little easier on everyone, there are a few things we would like to request from you:

• Read some of the past issues so you’ll know (almost) as well as we do what has been done, and you will also understand what it is we do.
• Send us a few ideas. If you’re truly committed to one, and you have some past experience with the topic, then pitch it by all means. However, if you just want to write about something related to veganism, then give us a range of interests.
• Quality and quantity. Although the word count is flexible, you should be comfortable with the idea of writing at least a couple of pages. We like to think our readers are looking for more than just a tweet or a blog entry about something, so stretch your legs and run with the idea. Unless it’s a recipe. Those shouldn’t be more than a page.
• Original content. If it’s an amazing piece that you don’t think received enough attention on your blog, you might sway us, but coming to us with a new idea will get a better reception for sure.
• Unpublished content. Since we started, there have been a bunch of great new vegan-specific publications popping up around the world, and we don’t want to step on any toes. There is room for all of us. However, if you’ve submitted something for one publication already, please don’t send it our way. It could get messy, and we can’t afford a lawyer or an apologetic fruit basket if another mag gets upset.
• Get excited. We don’t want to have to chase after you about the piece. Sure, we will send an email here or there, but if you’re not really into the idea or something comes up and life gets in the way, please let us know. This is supposed to be fun for everyone involved!

Good to go?

If so, then send us your pitch!

The Recipes

The first one I made was the Fiesta Quinoa Salad with Lime Dressing. I had a BBQ to go to and wanted to bring a side that everyone could enjoy. This salad was very easy to make; tasty, light, and just downright summery. I’m a big fan of quinoa. Its gluten free, light, healthy, and packs a good protein punch. This awesome pseudo-grain paired with the lime dressing and veggies was SUPER yummy. I LOVE sesame oil, so this dish had no hope of escape. My only complaint is the measurement style, but this could just be a personal preference. It was “½ cup cucumber”, “¼ cup red pepper”, etc… I don’t know what that is, and I don’t like to waste food. I like measurements such as “½ a medium sized cucumber”, “½ a red pepper”, “two garlic cloves”, you get the idea.

Next up I made the Dhal-icious. I really love Dhal. It’s an amazing spiced Indian dish that will nourish and warm your soul. I made a couple adjustments to the recipe though because I forgot to pick up some garam masala. So I added a few extra spices to it that garam masala contains like cardamom, cinnamon, and pepper. Then I threw in an extra ½ tsp of curry powder. The other adjustment was that I added an extra cup of water. I believe that Dhal shouldn’t be too thick. This dish was flavourful and fragrant. It tasted so vibrant and yummy. I used green lentils, but any lentils can be used. Red or yellow produces the most visually appealing dish, but they will all taste good. Lentils also provide a huge amount of protein, which I think makes them super filling. So although I ate mine without, they would go great with some brown or basmati rice.

The next two dishes I made together, and they were by far my favorite. I made the Portobello Mushroom Burgers with Chickpea Topping and Baked Yams with Lemon and Green Chili. I freaking LOVE Portobello mushrooms. They are nice and meaty, so they fill you up and they are super flavourful and versatile. This recipe was pretty awesome in fact. They tell you how to make the mushroom marinade, chickpea topping, and then give you some ideas on garnishes. You by no means HAVE to eat it inside a bun like a burger, which I did not. I just ate them stuffed, with some sautéed spinach and the baked yams. For the sautéed spinach, I used some garlic powder, lemon juice, cayenne, and a pinch of sea salt. The baked yams were super spicy and delish!!! Perfection in fact. I love it HOT!

Over all I liked the cookbook. The recipes are good, easy to make/follow, use well known ingredients, and are tasty. I will get a lot of use out of this book for sure!

Reviewed and recommended by Krystle Charlton
Photo: Portobello Mushroom Burgers with Chickpea Topping and Baked Yams with Lemon and Green Chili