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?

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

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

From the vegan duo The Pleasants, who were kind enough to travel across North America with me for issue three, to photographer Jo-Anne McArthur, who continues to challenge our view of animals within our world, the T.O.F.U. grant has been our way to give back to a community that has supported what we do since day one.

So, when work started on the sixth issue we knew we also had to keep our eyes open for the recipient of the third grant. Given the serious focus of the issue, it seemed logical that the recipient would be heavily involved in pushing the envelope on the topics we knew we would only be able to touch on. Thus, the decision came easy to choose A. Breeze Harper.

Truly Ethical Veganism

A PhD Candidate at the University of California, Harper’s work focuses on intersections of critical food studies, critical race theory, and black feminist thought. She is also the founder of The Sistah Vegan Project, which explores the lives of black female vegans. The project also looks at how geopolitical status, race, class, gender, and sexuality affect vegan philosophy. In 2010, Lantern Books published Harper’s edited volume Sistah Vegan: Black Female Vegans on Food, Identity, Health and Society, the first book of its kind to look at the experiences of American veganism through the lens of race and gender.

In an interview with the Creative Director for issue six, Harper goes into detail about the importance of critically thinking about veganism and its intersectionality with forms of oppression:

“…it’s not that I have a problem if a vegan still chooses to eat a vegan tomato product, but I have issues with the lack of transparency of how the vegan food actually got to your plate. Marking it as ‘cruelty-free’ elides the possibility that human beings may suffer in order to get that product to you. I actually feel that framing a vegan product as ‘cruelty-free’ creates a one-dimensional “it’s only about the animals not being exploited” approach to vegan consumerism.”

It is due to her continued efforts to put such problems on the table that we proudly support A. Breeze Harper and her work to make veganism, and the world, better.

Show Your Support

A. Breeze Harper is trying to finish her dissertation work, titled Situating Racialization, Racisms, and Anti-Racisms: Critical Race Feminist and Socio-spatial Epistemological Analysis of Vegan Philosophy in the USA. Due to California budget cuts, her dissertation fellowship for 2011-2012 was not renewed. If you would like to support her finishing her PhD and social activist scholarship for 2012 summer graduation, she is accepting donations through paypal: breezeharper@gmail.com

“Animal products cause more damage than [producing] construction minerals such as sand or cement, plastics or metals. Biomass and crops for animals are as damaging as [burning] fossil fuels.”
- Professor Edgar Hertwich, lead report author

UN urges global move to meat and dairy-free diet – guardian.co.uk

The fact that the UN would conclude that a meat-free diet would help curb our effects on the environment should not come as a surprise to many of you, but I do suggest looking into the research further. The UN reported similar findings previously in regards to greenhouse gas emissions from cattle, and their methods were disputed. So, if you have the chance, it never hurts to check the source to form your own opinion.

Although the link referenced in the Guardian piece appears to be broken currently, I believe these articles are connected:

Assessing the Environmental Impacts of Consumption and Production (report, PDF) – UNEP

Assessing the Environmental Impacts of Consumption and Production (flyer, PDF) – UNEP

Whether or not the report ends up being disputed, it is great to see more coverage on the harmful effects our food choices (as well as other areas of consumption) are causing on the world around us.