Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Cowspiracy and Compassionfest 2016 Hamden, CT
Summer is in full swing and I have been enjoying my veggie burgers, veg dogs and skewers of delicious onions, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli and pineapple all cooked on the grill. It so reminds me how little it seems I have to give up to stop eating meat, dairy and eggs.
I have also been experimenting with curries, buddha bowls, all kinds of fresh salads, lentils and a new recipe to marinate and bake tofu. This last one for tofu needs to be reviewed further. This one is called T's Tofu and is by Theresa Bizzell. It has a delicious marinade with so many wonderful ingredients, especially the sesame oil, and bakes for 45 minutes. Since I made a whole block, I had some left over and stored it in the refrigerator. After a day or so I used it in a salad and have to say it almost had the taste and texture of cold chicken. I do not miss eating chicken at all, but it was quite an amazing flavor that this recipe added to the tofu.
********* Best of all is that I get to eat delicious nutritious food that did not harm animals or the
environment and makes me healthy ************
On July 23, 2016 I attended this wonderful event in Hamden, CT called Compassionfest. This was the 2nd year that it was held. As the banner says it is about community, equality, kindness and compassion. There is no doubt that this wonderful festival successfully delivered on all of these ideas. There were wonderful speakers - my favorites being Jasmin Singer and the poetry readings - a standout being Sky Raven. Music, delicious vegan food, craft, product and causes booths, workshops and demos - something for everyone. The organizers and supporters did such a wonderful job to reach out to all people and their attendance reflected that.
The weather was beautifully sunny and it was impossible to be there and not realize how good it feels to be in an environment that can spread compassion to every area of our lives - how we treat each other as human beings and how we treat the other living beings that share the earth with us.
I can't wait until next year. Hope you can attend!
The other monumental happening was when I finally watched the documentary film "Cowspiracy".
This film is now available on Netflix and I would say that it is "an inconvenient truth" Part 2. (the following comes from IMDB) The film explores the impact of animal agriculture on the environment, and investigates the policies of environmental organizations on this issue. Environmental organizations investigated in the film include Greenpeace, Sierra Club, Surfrider Foundation, Rainforest Action Network, and many more.[1][2][3][4]
The film was crowdfunded on IndieGoGo, with 1,449 contributors giving $117,092. This funding was 217% of their goal, and it allowed them to dub the film into Spanish and German and subtitle it into more than 10 other languages, including Chinese and Russian.[5][6] Screenings are licensed through the distributor as well as on Tugg.[7]
A new cut of the documentary, executive-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, premiered globally on Netflix on September 15, 2015.[8]
The film was very well done and quite entertaining. I was riveted to the screen from beginning to end - no bathroom breaks!!! I knew some things about the environmental impact of animal agriculture and the ways that this industry tries to hide the truth of the consequences of their methods. I was not actually that surprised that the major environmental organizations did not push back since it seems to be clear that animal agriculture is the main cause of climate change and that cutting down on meat consumption would show benefits to the environment right away. Even China is asking their citizens to eat 50% less meat.
It is clear we are on a very destructive path and action needs to be taken to help sustain our beautiful planet. My takeaway was that I was so glad that I am already a vegan especially since this film educated me in so many ways regarding the environmental impacts of the current food system. It has inspired me to send letters to my congressional representatives about this issue and encourage everyone I know to watch it. Please check it out and spread the word.
*************Compassion-Love-Tolerance for humans and non-human animals*************
I have also been experimenting with curries, buddha bowls, all kinds of fresh salads, lentils and a new recipe to marinate and bake tofu. This last one for tofu needs to be reviewed further. This one is called T's Tofu and is by Theresa Bizzell. It has a delicious marinade with so many wonderful ingredients, especially the sesame oil, and bakes for 45 minutes. Since I made a whole block, I had some left over and stored it in the refrigerator. After a day or so I used it in a salad and have to say it almost had the taste and texture of cold chicken. I do not miss eating chicken at all, but it was quite an amazing flavor that this recipe added to the tofu.
********* Best of all is that I get to eat delicious nutritious food that did not harm animals or the
environment and makes me healthy ************
On July 23, 2016 I attended this wonderful event in Hamden, CT called Compassionfest. This was the 2nd year that it was held. As the banner says it is about community, equality, kindness and compassion. There is no doubt that this wonderful festival successfully delivered on all of these ideas. There were wonderful speakers - my favorites being Jasmin Singer and the poetry readings - a standout being Sky Raven. Music, delicious vegan food, craft, product and causes booths, workshops and demos - something for everyone. The organizers and supporters did such a wonderful job to reach out to all people and their attendance reflected that.
The weather was beautifully sunny and it was impossible to be there and not realize how good it feels to be in an environment that can spread compassion to every area of our lives - how we treat each other as human beings and how we treat the other living beings that share the earth with us.
I can't wait until next year. Hope you can attend!
This film is now available on Netflix and I would say that it is "an inconvenient truth" Part 2. (the following comes from IMDB) The film explores the impact of animal agriculture on the environment, and investigates the policies of environmental organizations on this issue. Environmental organizations investigated in the film include Greenpeace, Sierra Club, Surfrider Foundation, Rainforest Action Network, and many more.[1][2][3][4]
The film was crowdfunded on IndieGoGo, with 1,449 contributors giving $117,092. This funding was 217% of their goal, and it allowed them to dub the film into Spanish and German and subtitle it into more than 10 other languages, including Chinese and Russian.[5][6] Screenings are licensed through the distributor as well as on Tugg.[7]
A new cut of the documentary, executive-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, premiered globally on Netflix on September 15, 2015.[8]
The film was very well done and quite entertaining. I was riveted to the screen from beginning to end - no bathroom breaks!!! I knew some things about the environmental impact of animal agriculture and the ways that this industry tries to hide the truth of the consequences of their methods. I was not actually that surprised that the major environmental organizations did not push back since it seems to be clear that animal agriculture is the main cause of climate change and that cutting down on meat consumption would show benefits to the environment right away. Even China is asking their citizens to eat 50% less meat.
It is clear we are on a very destructive path and action needs to be taken to help sustain our beautiful planet. My takeaway was that I was so glad that I am already a vegan especially since this film educated me in so many ways regarding the environmental impacts of the current food system. It has inspired me to send letters to my congressional representatives about this issue and encourage everyone I know to watch it. Please check it out and spread the word.
*************Compassion-Love-Tolerance for humans and non-human animals*************
Friday, April 22, 2016
Vegan Treats and Ben & Jerry's
AGH!! GRR!!! I have been so behind in posting my tidbits about being vegan. I could make up an excuse (or several) but they would all be inexcusable and inadequate. There is simply no valid reason to take a break from sharing those vegan revelations, discoveries and anything having to do with food.
I have been doing lots of home cooking discovering ways to make comfort foods like macaroni and cheese, my own granola sweetened with maple syrup and all variations of tofu stir frys with all sorts of different veggies and greens. My favorite new addition/addiction to the stir fry mix is baby bok choy. My local grocery store, Wegmans, gives out samples to customers on a regular basis and one of those was a stir fried baby bok choy with garlic and peanut oil. One taste and one gander at the cute little bundles had me hooked. I bought a huge bag and have been buying them in those quantities ever since.
Why did it take me so long to find and adore them? I can see many of my friends rolling their eyes when the subject turns to food. "Whatever you do, don't ask her anything about bok choy. We'll never get another word in!" Hey, what is wrong with showing a little enthusiasm? I guess I'll just have to invite them all over for a tofu bok choy soup that I make - heavy on the sesame oil. This will definitely help them understand.
My next discovery topic is sweets and treats. Many of you may know that there was an appeal to Ben and Jerry's to develop a vegan ice cream flavor to add to their delicious collection. They accepted the challenge and developed 4 flavors that were recently made available in grocery stores. Luckily for me, Wegmans is carrying them. I have tried the one pictured here P.B. and Cookies and Coffee Caramel Fudge. The other 2 available are A Vegan Dessert Journey and Chunky Monkey. I am excited to report that the ones I tried were delicious. The texture was creamy and every bite was loaded with strong yummy flavors. I found that using an ice cream scoop warmed by hot water and adding some roasted nuts and whipped coconut topping sent me into dessert heaven. Thanks Ben & Jerry's for making this vegan very happy.
On our way back from my trip South in Feb/April 2016, I stopped at a legendary sweet treat bakery - Vegan Treats. Many of you may have visited their booth at a vegfest. VT is located at 1444 Linden Street in Bethlehem, PA right downtown. We had a little trouble finding it, but once we did - it was a sight to behold.
Beautiful creations of all kinds - pastries, cupcakes, cookies, candy even ice cream. It was so hard to make up my mind what to get. If any of you find yourselves near Allentown, PA, you must check it out.
Website - vegantreats.com
Stay compassionate, stay healthy, keep the faith - vegan forever!
I have been doing lots of home cooking discovering ways to make comfort foods like macaroni and cheese, my own granola sweetened with maple syrup and all variations of tofu stir frys with all sorts of different veggies and greens. My favorite new addition/addiction to the stir fry mix is baby bok choy. My local grocery store, Wegmans, gives out samples to customers on a regular basis and one of those was a stir fried baby bok choy with garlic and peanut oil. One taste and one gander at the cute little bundles had me hooked. I bought a huge bag and have been buying them in those quantities ever since.
Why did it take me so long to find and adore them? I can see many of my friends rolling their eyes when the subject turns to food. "Whatever you do, don't ask her anything about bok choy. We'll never get another word in!" Hey, what is wrong with showing a little enthusiasm? I guess I'll just have to invite them all over for a tofu bok choy soup that I make - heavy on the sesame oil. This will definitely help them understand.
Website - vegantreats.com
Stay compassionate, stay healthy, keep the faith - vegan forever!
Friday, January 29, 2016
Vegan Gifts for Christmas
Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season sharing ideas, catch-up conversations, fun and most of all good eats with family and friends. Being a vegan, I must admit I find the holiday eating part of this stressful at times. On the one hand, I see it as an opportunity to share some tasty vegan choices with others who don't really think of making changes to the menu especially during the holidays.
However, even though I offer various vegan delights, I find that most of them don't want to sample them because the more traditional foods are still available. The committed carnivores are more likely to try items like the stuffing I make with Earth Balance instead of butter and in addition to the bread bits, celery, onions, vegetable broth and seasoning my tasty small bits of apple or sometimes the vegan green bean casserole.
So even though there are vegan alternatives for me, it still feels like we are eating separate meals, not a true integration. Also, the sights and smells of the turkey prep and serving have become quite repugnant to me and there is occasional kidding about 'vegans' and it just makes me realize that my whole life and patterns of thinking about what I eat have changed in a way that separate me from the committed carnivores among my family and friends.
Despite all this, I make getting together with those close to me a priority and just continue to set an example of someone who practices what they believe regarding food and will share information with anyone who has sincere curiosity about my choices. And I keep smiling, confidently happy with the vegan path and its many positive impacts especially on animal abuse, human health, and the environment.
Having said all this, the best part is that I received 3 fantastic vegan cookbooks for Christmas. The first one is "Chloe's Kitchen" by Chloe Coscarelli. My last post told about my visit to Manhattan and her restaurant near Greenwich Village for a great lunch. Many of the recipes for items on her menu are in this book. I have tried some of them already like the Peanutty Perfection Noodles, Thyme for Creamy Scalloped Potatoes and Orange You Glad I Made Crispy Tofu. They are all delicious and very easy to make. Seeing Chloe's smile on the cover and her enthusiasm for vegan cooking represent such a great addition to the vegan food scene
The other 2 I received were both written by Miyoko Schinner and both such a welcome addition to my vegan collection. As a matter of fact, I also received a gift certificate from my daughter to order some nut cheeses from Miyoko's kitchen in California and I am expecting a delivery today. "The Homemade Vegan Pantry - the Art of Making Your Own Staples" is fantastic. I have been trying to eat more 'whole foods' rather than processed vegan foods and this book offers so many ways to create tasty recipes at home. Some of the chapters are 'condiments' like mayo, mustard, dressings; 'dairy-and egg-free goodness' like cashew cream, vegan 'cheeses'; 'the meat of the argument' like real tofu, tempeh and veggie dogs. Can't wait to dive into this.
The other Miyoko Schinner cookbook is, "Artisan Vegan Cheese from Every Day to Gourmet". I think one of the hardest foods to give up when I became a vegan was cheese - it's melty, sometimes tangy or smelly goodness a comfort food for sure. Miyoko worked to try to duplicate all this with vegan ingredients mostly nuts by understanding the importance of aging and culturing rather than additives. I am definitely motivated to try some of her techniques and interesting recipes. Some that look good to me are Risotto Fritters with roasted red bell pepper sauce, Easy Cheesy Sauce and the real cultured aged cheeses that use rejuvelac, a fermented beverage made from whole grains.
However, even though I offer various vegan delights, I find that most of them don't want to sample them because the more traditional foods are still available. The committed carnivores are more likely to try items like the stuffing I make with Earth Balance instead of butter and in addition to the bread bits, celery, onions, vegetable broth and seasoning my tasty small bits of apple or sometimes the vegan green bean casserole.
So even though there are vegan alternatives for me, it still feels like we are eating separate meals, not a true integration. Also, the sights and smells of the turkey prep and serving have become quite repugnant to me and there is occasional kidding about 'vegans' and it just makes me realize that my whole life and patterns of thinking about what I eat have changed in a way that separate me from the committed carnivores among my family and friends.
Despite all this, I make getting together with those close to me a priority and just continue to set an example of someone who practices what they believe regarding food and will share information with anyone who has sincere curiosity about my choices. And I keep smiling, confidently happy with the vegan path and its many positive impacts especially on animal abuse, human health, and the environment.
The other Miyoko Schinner cookbook is, "Artisan Vegan Cheese from Every Day to Gourmet". I think one of the hardest foods to give up when I became a vegan was cheese - it's melty, sometimes tangy or smelly goodness a comfort food for sure. Miyoko worked to try to duplicate all this with vegan ingredients mostly nuts by understanding the importance of aging and culturing rather than additives. I am definitely motivated to try some of her techniques and interesting recipes. Some that look good to me are Risotto Fritters with roasted red bell pepper sauce, Easy Cheesy Sauce and the real cultured aged cheeses that use rejuvelac, a fermented beverage made from whole grains.
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Meatless Monday Official In Onondaga County, NY
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Manhattan Vegan Discovery - by Chloe
"The question is not, "Can they reason? nor, "Can they talk?" but "Can they suffer?"Jeremy Bentham, The Principles of Morals and Legislation
Since this is a vegan blog, I would like to concentrate on
my experience with ‘by Chloe’. First of all, let me say that I am always
excited when a new vegan restaurant is born. Since this is in Manhattan, there
are already many to choose from, but exciting nonetheless. Can you ever have
too many?
‘by Chloe.’ is located near Washington Square Park in
Greenwich Village and all the details can be found at www.bychefchloe.com. It isn’t very large
and has room for about 30 diners inside and 8 or so at tables outside. The
website states that the food is 100% vegan, plant-based and kosher meaning no
meat, dairy nor eggs. It also means no saturated animal fats, cholesterol,
preservatives or artificial flavors. The menu has salads, ‘burgers’ and
sandwiches, fries and sides and pasta.
The day I and my companions were there at lunchtime it was
very crowded but the people who prepare and deliver the food were very
efficient and the line moved fast. It was so hard deciding which delicious
sounding item to order. Of course, we saved time by not having to second guess
the ingredients to find out which we could eat…….. we could eat them ALL!!!!
I decided to order the pesto meatball sub
(meatballs made of Portobello mushrooms and veggies) full of meatballs,
marinara, sweet peppers, basil pesto, cashew mozzarella, almond parm and a sub
roll. 
My fellow diners ordered other items so we could sample more than 1. One
ordered the guac burger made from black bean-quinoa-sweet potato patty, corn
salsa, onion, guac, tortilla strips, chipotle aioli and whole grain bun.
The
other ordered the mac N’cheese – sweet potato-cashew cheese sauce, shitake
bacon and almond parm and side dishes of sweet and white potato fries. I tried
everything and it was all so fresh and delicious. Everyone agreed.
So my final words would be that I recommend this eatery and
hope that this review inspires some of you to try vegan food even if it’s just one
day or one meal a week. Every time a vegan meal is eaten, you can feel good
about not eating the product of some form of animal abuse, preserving the environment and
improving your health. You just may find out that eating this way can be
delicious and not some sort of unpleasant sacrifice. J
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