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

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

A tale from the road

It was late and I was tired. I had just spent a lovely day gallivanting around Bethlehem- and Scranton, Pennsylvania in search of vegan noms. I checked into a hotel that night as I was preparing to fly out to Puerto Rico the next day to meet up with a friend for a two-day jaunt in Old San Juan, which meant getting up early to drive to NYC, where I was departing from. I was getting ready to take a shower and it hit me, I have a giant piece of chocolate cake from Vegan Treats in my bag! Late night indulgence, here I come! I quickly opened the box and without taking a second glance I shoved that cake into my mouth. I closed my eyes for a second as I began to savor the sweet flavor and as I opened my eyes to see what the damage from my initial bite was, there they were… dozens of little ants crawling on top of AND inside of the cake! GULP. I managed to get the first bite down but couldn’t bring myself to eat any more of it. I left the rest for the ants. That’s what happens when you leave something super sweet in a warm vehicle for hours at a time! Sigh.

The reason

Welcome to my project, Will Travel For Vegan Food! My name is Kristin and I’m currently on a yearlong, vegan food focused road trip across the country. The goal is to attempt to eat at all of the 100% vegan restaurants in the United States, while also visiting all 50 states, volunteering at farm animal sanctuaries, and interviewing vegan business owners. I’m about six months in, and have been living out of my van, Gerty. I’m having the time of my life and love sharing my travel experiences, even the icky ones!

The ups and downs

So far, the ant story is actually the grossest experience I’ve had. Haha! Aside from that this road trip has been pretty amazing. There was however, one week where things weren’t going according to plan. I was in DC and one day I lost my driver’s license, the next day I got a parking ticket, the following day I got kicked out of a parking lot for sleeping there, in my van, and the final day of the series of frustrating events, was the starter on the van went. So I had to have her towed to a shop to get her fixed. Oh yeah, a few days after that one of the brake lines went. There’s nothing like pushing your brake petal to the floor to only keep going. Scary stuff! Thankfully I was in a major city and was able to get everything sorted out within a few days, no problems. When you’re driving a 95 sports van with 160,000 miles on it, you expect things to go awry every so often. If anything, I’ve learned to take things as they come, not panic, and just find a way to get it all sorted out.

I’ll be finishing up the East Coast portion of my trip by the end of June and will then begin to head to the middle of the country as I make my way West. Stay tuned, as this adventure is sure to lead to even better, “gasp, omgawd that did NOT happen,” experiences along the way.

Who am I?

Kristin Lajeunesse is a full-time blogger, driver, and eater of vegan food. She’s also a part-time social media consultant and motivational speaker. Kristin founded the first, and currently only website dedicated to providing resources for couples looking to veganize their wedding day, Rose Pedals Vegan Weddings. She’s got a MA in Integrated Marketing Communications from Emerson College and a BPS in Business Management, with a Specialization in Equestrian Studies from Cazenovia College. Follow Kristin’s vegan food journey and road trip at wtfveganfood.com.

 

 

Reader discretion is advised

This book is bejeweled with countless awesome references to poop, balls, Star Trek, Canada (where he says most of his fans are from); and includes cuss words, sexual innuendos, and several recipes featuring Sailor Jerry (the best) rum. In many ways, I’m pretty dude-like, despite being what some refer to as a “lady”, so I love this style. He also offers li’l WTF bits, which are what other cookbook authors might call “quick tips” or ”what’s this?” And to be cutting edge as hell, SV has provided us with QR codes that bring up bonus youtube videos. He also includes old-fashioned web links for those of you who don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.

Many of Sexy Vegan’s recipes call for components that are already full-on recipes– which is pretty sweet when it comes to being creative with leftovers ,and for the cook that likes to be challenged. I try to keep things pretty quick and simple when I cook– but I must say the effort pays off. I attempted the ‘Quote Unquote Tuna Melt’ even though I just wanted to eat a bag of corn chips one night, and the process– however lengthy for a sandwich– was soothing (or perhaps that was the rum?) Just last night, I finally tried the Bourbon Tempeh Sliders (an excellent excuse to treat myself to a pricey bottle of my favourite drink). We served this with a side of Caesar Salad, whose Creamy Dressing will be the new condiment of choice around this house. IT WAS RIDICULOUS! I’ve been putting it on everything I’ve eaten for the last 24 hours and now have to make another batch. This morning’s “Pretend Canadian Bacon”– a tribute to his Canadian fans– even smelled like bacon (in all the good ways) when cooking. I kinda drank some of the marinade too. Oops.

Extra points for “goblin” usage

The Sexy Vegan calls himself an ordinary dude, but I think he’s understating what’s true: he’s fucking extraordinary! Any cookbook that uses the word “goblin” three times– once even employing the term “hobgobin”– will certainly win in my heart, and has. Brian Patton, thank you for paving the way for men to create awesome macho vegan cookbooks, just like Uhura and Captain Kirk did for the television inter-racial kiss. There, I’ve referenced Star Trek right backatcha!

Reviewed and recommended by Beany von Doom
photo: Bourbon Tempeh Sliders

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKAKc8GfDp8

A welcome addition to the cookbook shelf

Every time I scan the cookbook section of my local (kick-ass) bookshop these days, I’m delighted to discover yet another collection of vegan or vegetarian recipes. It seems there’s a new book added to the pile on a weekly basis, which is great for my kitchen (and terrible for my wallet). And though I’d never complain about having too many vegan-related books to choose from, it’s kinda tough to decide where to plunk your hard-earned Queen Liz (that’s $20 for you non-Canadians); I definitely have a few impulse buys whose pages have yet to be glued together with spilled flour and sauces. So, I was delighted when presented with Beth A. Barnett’s Rabbit Food Cookbook, a compact, spiral bound gem featuring vegan tips, food history and a solid portion of yummy recipes. The format is sensible and easy to digest, with hand-written text and whimsical sketches throughout, which (almost) makes up for the lack of colour pictures.

Between the pages

The first half of the book is full of advice and food for thought. The author offers tips on nutrition without being preachy, and suggests several respectable resources for further nutrition information. Her tidy section on the Industrialisation of Food in America (pp. 32-56) is necessarily oversimplified, but a good overview for readers who have little exposure to food history – and again, there are great resources listed for further self-education. Beth offers helpful ingredient tips, and crafts for making your own grocery & produce bags. She also touches upon the practical work of growing your own food, something more of us should be doing! One of the best things about this book is how helpful yet un-assuming it is. Beth doesn’t present her work as being the sole authority on vegan lifestyles, but merely one in a plethora of awesome books to have on hand.

The latter half of the book features 111 pages of recipes divided into breakfast, soups, mains, sweets and drinks. Many of the recipes are standards found in most vegan cookbooks – but they work! I’ve made the Fancy Brownies (p. 202) so often that the page is more cocoa-coloured than white anymore. Beth’s recipes vary from quick meals that amateurs can whip together with ease, to slightly more complex dishes that require a bit of planning. With regard to the compact page size, some recipes are written too concisely, leaving the reader to fill in a few gaps that might be obvious to a seasoned cook but will result in mistakes from people new to the kitchen. For instance, the Tofu Pot Pie (p. 139) is written over three pages and broken down into four main steps, but is missing important directions – like whether pots, pans, or bowls are best for any given step. Aside from such issues, the resulting food is generally amazing (my roommates devoured the pot pie in a flash!). There’s a nice variety of meals, too – sushi, tempeh, pastas, hearty salads, and a few seitan dishes to boot. And the peanut butter cookies are to die for…

The little things

For all the cookbooks I’ve perused and purchased lately, this one takes the cake for most helpful and easily accessible. I’m particularly fond of the coil spine (why is this not a regulation for all cookbooks?!) and the cute illustrations, though its useful information puts this book at the top of my gifting list for others. If a few recipes were written with more clarity, I’d dare say this is a perfect little book – especially for newer vegan cooks.

Vegans Are Cool is a collection of essays, articles, and interviews from vegans all around the world. It contains interviews with folks from all walks of life, including athletes, naturopaths, and business owners. In addition to the personal stories contained in Vegans Are Cool, there is a plethora of useful information about going vegan and quite a bit of myth debunking for the vegan-curious. One nice aspect of the book is that it is not crucial that you read it from front to back, it is extremely browse-friendly. Perusing an article or interview here or there is just as enjoyable as reading it all the way through. It is available for free download as an e-book at vegansarecool.com.

Covering the bases

The book starts off with a general overview of veganism in a chapter titled “What does ‘being vegan’ actually mean?”, which is very thorough and well sourced. Other topics covered include nutrition, vegan pregnancy, owning a vegan business, myths debunked, cruelty free fashion, and effects on the planet. Reading the interviews complied within Vegans Are Cool, I found it particularly fun and interesting to follow other people’s journeys to the vegan lifestyle and why they chose to stick with it. There is even a chapter for recipes that could be helpful for those who are just starting out, especially since one of the first questions any vegan faces is ‘what can i eat?’ The articles are motivating and interesting, due in large part to the diversity of the interviewees. After reading the book there is no doubt that going vegan can be healthy, easy, fun, and liberating!

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is considering switching to a vegan lifestyle or a vegan who simply wants to brush up on their knowledge. I will use this book as a reference and revisit articles as they become relevant in my life. That being said, as a out and proud vegan of two years, I did not necessarily learn a whole lot of new information, but it is always good to brush up and remind one’s self why being vegan is in fact so freaking cool!

Reviewed and recommended by Raquel Moreno

Pick up a copy here:

Free e-book | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

You know the one. The kind of feeling where you try to explain something to someone, but they turn a blind eye to it. Or, even worse, they tell you to stop making such a big deal out of it.

That feeling, the one that is probably lurking in the back of your throat right now due to recalling such incidents, is similar to the one so many people are feeling when the newest PETA campaign is laughed at or applauded.

Here at T.O.F.U., I drew the line in early February, and I’m standing behind it. I watched the ad and my immediate reaction was one of disgust. I’ve railed against PETA before, but this newest stunt upset me more than usual. It just seemed obvious why such a campaign was a bad idea. So, I waited to see what the reaction would be as other vegans tweeted, shared, and talked about it.

Sadly, most of the voices came from outside of the vegan camp.

Open Your Ears Before Your Mouth

Since our last issue attempted to push other areas of concern into the vegan discussion, I felt it appropriate to try and continue to promote this idea with this campaign in mind.

Fighting oppression shouldn’t stop at your kitchen table or down the street at the protest against the local factory farm. Deciding to fight against such a force should start within and follow in everything you do. The animals are not the only ones being oppressed, and any fight for them should be sensitive to this.

It’s one thing to choose to be the voice for those who are unable to represent themselves, but to choose to ignore or downplay the voice of those who can represent themselves is just placing you at the table of the oppressor. That table is full, trust me. They don’t need any more mouths.

Stepping Out of the Vegan Bubble

Vegans often joke about how great the world would be if everyone was vegan. We could eat wherever we please, and no one would critique anything on our plate. It seems like a dream.

However, in the real world, I don’t like the vegan bubble. The kind of mentality that puts the PETA campaigns up on a pedestal because they’re fighting for the animals is not something I can support. In many ways, it seems that you’re either with PETA or against them, and if you’re against them, then you’re against the animals.

I’m calling bullshit on that mentality, and I think it needs to change. In fact, I think a lot of things within the vegan bubble need to change.

Biting Off More than You can Chew

The sad truth is that being vegan is not the finish line. There is plenty more to fight for, but the good news is that there are plenty of people out there fighting. They believe in their cause(s) just as much as you do, and they’re willing to stand up for it against all odds. So, if you don’t understand why someone would be offended by the PETA campaign, or if you do but you don’t want to say anything against our big famous uncle, give those who are fighting it the attention you feel you deserve in regards to your own fight.

Step out of the vegan bubble, listen, and discuss:

Vegansaurus – PETA’s “Boyfriend Went Vegan” ad makes me want to hurl!

Stop Patriarchy – Making Sexual Violence Against Women “Cool” … This Time from PETA

Connect the Dots – One Plus Negative One Equals Zero: A Response to PETA’s Rapey Ad

Carol J. Adams – Sigh, the sexual politics of meat once again

Policymic – Why PETA Should Use Food Justice, Not Sexy Sexual Innuendo, to Attract More to Their Cause

Women 24 – Animals Deserve More Respect than Women

Women 24 – Respect ALL Women, nonhuman women too

Everyone has that family member (or maybe more than one). You know, the one who every now and then says or does something that shocks or embarrasses everyone else? Then, after the awkward silence, the conversation moves on and everyone just chalks it up to “oh, that’s just your uncle. He’s set in his ways and doesn’t quite understand why such things might offend us, but he means well.”

Drawing the line with uncle PETA

I’ve muttered on this site before about other PETA campaigns, and I’ve downplayed most of them as just another drop in the bucket for an organization that is so focused on one goal they don’t see the damage their doing to other movements. Unfortunately, the latest PETA campaign entitled “Living With BWVAKTBOOM: Boyfriend Went Vegan and Knocked the Bottom out of Me” is more than just another ignorant misstep. This one crosses far too many lines to just be pushed aside by a comment on how great Aunt Jane’s garlic mashed potatoes turned out.

So, I want to make this clear, just in case I’ve been vague in the past:

Although T.O.F.U. and PETA are promoting veganism, in no way does T.O.F.U. promote PETA. Their most recent campaign, along with so many in the past, relies heavily on damaging and irresponsible methods filled with stereotypes and ideologies that T.O.F.U. strives to eliminate rather than propagate through our own actions.

Sure, we may be in the same family, but that doesn’t mean we have to support everything our weird uncle does. What is it that offends us so you may ask? Well, let’s see:

1) Exploitation of women

Granted, the women in the campaigns may do it of their own free will, and the fact that they are able to do such things is a sign that we have come far in some ways. However, the use of oversexualized campaigns (see previous banned Super Bowl ads, including the most recent one) to promote veganism is weak marketing at best. With so many other possible avenues, such as the plain and simple truth about the cruelty involved in the meat and dairy industry, why must an organization that aims to stop the exploitation of so many species support the exploitation of another?

2) Violence towards women

Again, assuming that the overall purpose of PETA is to promote a more humane lifestyle, why should we accept a campaign entitled “Boyfriend Went Vegan and Knocked the Bottom out of Me” as acceptable when it so clearly plays on the idea of the dominant male and the women who continues to cater to his needs while ignoring the damage it is doing to her? Compare some of the “People’s Stories” clips with this domestic violence PSA and tell me the marketing team didn’t use it for inspiration.

3) Rape culture

This newest campaign seems to be built on the idea that vegan men have an overactive sex drive, and the women in their lives (admittedly, there is one homosexual couple referenced in a video, but the overall content is incredibly heteronormative and lacks any major ethnic or racial diversity as well) must cater and adapt to it. Why? Because deep down they want it as much as the newly virile man, and despite temporary blindness, displaced hips, concussions, repetitive stress injuries, and other dangerous consequences, they just can’t resist the allure of their “man of steel” and his newfound superpowers. Of course, these men turned sex machines are powerless in controlling their new desires, and trying to discourage it is portrayed as foolish. So, PETA is nice enough to suggest several ways to handle the repercussions of having a vegan boyfriend. Hmm, suggesting that it is up to the women to control a man’s sexual advances since he is incapable of controlling them seems familiar. Where else have we seen this myth promoted?

4) Virility and being a man

Not only does the newest campaign, as well as so many previous to this, promote a stereotypical view of women, it also promotes the common misconception that the true value of a man is found in his ability to please his partner sexually. The fact that these newly vegan men may have chosen their lifestyle based on compassion and love for other living creatures, a desire for better health, or a variety of other reasons is not promoted at all. No, the true reason to go vegan, which popular media already promotes as the reason to do anything, is because by being able to “knock the bottom” out of your partner you will obtain the title of a true man. Just check out the video of the guy bragging about the great sex he just had with the attractive girl behind him all because he went vegan. Of course, there is no real portrayal of vegan women being great in bed and their partners having to deal with that at all. Apparently, these specific benefits are bestowed upon the men only.

And the list could go on…

Working toward a well-balanced meal with the family

When we released issue six we hoped to give people a platform to discuss and consider so many of the things that intersect with veganism, and this campaign is a perfect example of why such a view is necessary to make true and beneficial change happen.

So, if anyone needs me, I’ll be sitting at the kiddie’s table. Sure, there may be food fights, but at least the jokes will be innocent and a lot more mature than what our uncle typically brings to the table.

Photo credit: PETA

So, although it’s not a lot, things like the T.O.F.U. grant have really helped to make us feel like we’re headed in the right direction issue after issue. Furthermore, over the past few months, and thanks partially to a grant from VegFund, we’ve also started to be a part of events around the world. It’s a little something we like to do to try and support the community that has always been so nice to us.

One of those events, the Vegan IronChef, happened recently in Portland, Oregon, and we’re happy to hear that things went incredibly well.

Top Portland chefs beat the heat with impressive cooking in second Vegan Iron Chef

Now, we just need to plan next year better so we can attend most of these things!

“Then it was ratcheted up to last night where I was threatened. I had a call from the Prime Minister’s Office directly and I was told unless I withdrew this motion that the Prime Minister himself said that he would look upon it ‘very dimly indeed’. Well I have a message for the whips and for the Prime Minister of our country – and I didn’t pick a fight with the Prime Minister – I may just be a little council house lad from a very poor background but that background gave me a backbone. It gives me a thick skin and I’m not going to be cowed by the whips of the Prime Minister on an issue I feel passionately about and have conviction about.”

- Mark Pritchard, Conservative backbencher

We’re obviously not experts on politics in the UK, but it seems like something rather good has happened across the Pond recently. Despite pressure from people within the government to back a licensing structure for wild animals in circuses, MPs from all parties voted unanimously against the notion and pushed instead for a complete ban on wild animals in the circus.

Although I’m not 100% sure if this means the government will make it a law, or if they could ignore the suggestion, the idea that a large political body would recommend the removal of wild animals in circuses is a great stride forward. So, kudos to organizations such as Animal Defenders International and the Royal SPCA, as well as Mark Pritchard, who have no doubt been fighting for such a thing for some time now.