The first New York Food Book Fair is this weekend in, where else, Williamsburg. Come get your fill of panel discussions, lectures, and book and zine browsing celebrating a diversity of food writing and activism.

I suspect there will be a fair amount of "hip" discussions of raising backyard beasts and broiling their innards. The good news is it won't all be about that and you can purchase tickets for individual panel events for $15. I'm looking forward to the Food + Cooking + Change panel discussion because Bryant Terry will be included. In addition to being wickedly handsome and a food justice activist, Terry is author of Vegan Soul Kitchen and, most recently, The Inspired Vegan.

Also exciting: Dr. Marion Nestle, food politics writer and Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health and Professor of Sociology at NYU, will open the fair on Friday with a keynote lecture, Why Food? Why Now?.

Food Book Fair, May 4-6, Wythe Hotel, 80 Wythe Ave.(at North 11th St), Williamsburg, Brooklyn. More info: www.foodbookfair.com

It's warming up in New York City again, which means that the cherry blossoms are blooming, the cafes are opening up their outdoor seating, and vegan pirates are coming out of the woodwork. If you're going to a vegan venue in the city this week, chances are you'll see an Antarctic captain or a Cove Guardian or a vegan Australian sailor, and on May 4th, you'll get to see the entire menagerie at the same time, at Sea Shepherd's 35th anniversary party in Manhattan.



Just like when the Sea Shepherd vessel the Steve Irwin came to Chelsea Piers two years ago, Whale Warriors are now flooding the city's vegan joints. SSCS Captain Peter Hammarstedt visited this month's Vegan Drinks at Pine Box Rock Shop before continuing on his way to Sweden. The Bob Barker ship manager and former New Yorker Andrea Gordon returns to NYC this week to make sure all the good NYC vegan restaurants are still good. And this Friday night, in Manhattan, you'll get to see pretty much everyone in NYC who's ever worn an SSCS Crew jacket, including Paul Watson himself.

On Friday, May 4th, at DCTV from 7pm to 11pm, Sea Shepherd celebrates its 35 years of direct action ocean conservation in NYC. Incidentally, there are still tickets left!

Everyone who attends will get to meet Paul Watson as well as campaign veterans from Operations Waltzing Matilda, No Compromise, Divine Wind, Ferocious Isles, and Infinite Patience. Candle 79, Vegan Treats, Verite Catering, and Cinnamon Snail will be providing food for this event, and you will have the opportunity to win Sea Shepherd campaign memorabilia. Get your tickets here before they sell out!

Like a cute piece of jewelry or if you're a hipster, a fedora, but for your food and tasty!

I'm talking about a new and exciting product called Parmela. It is a glass bottle (yes, that's right, I said glass!) full of Vegan parmesan cheeese! It is good. So good that I've dumped it by the truckload on two meals in one day. I've tried it on pasta (YUM), I've tried it on garlic bread (YUM) and I've tried it on soup (YUM) and it was YUM to the third power.

It's also the mouth-child of a couple of lovely locals that I can't say enough nice things about, so I won't say any.
Made from almonds, cashews, nutritional yeast, fermented soybean, soy sauce and veg. lactic acid, this stuff is leaps and bounds above a dash of nutritional yeast on it's own or that stuff I used to use in the cardboard tube. It's got a depth of flavor that previous subs have lacked. When the bottle is empty, which, at this rate, might be as early as tomorrow, I will wash and refill it with my salty salty tears.

Try it and let me know what you think, K? I especially want to hear about some creative, non-obvious uses. Request it at your local Whole Foods, and in the meantime, here's a list of all the stores that carry Parmela. 

In Southern California:  
Figueroa Produce Market in Los Angeles                                    
Locali in Hollywood
Viva La Vegan in Rancho Cucamonga
Grassroots Natural Market in South Pasadena
Pacific Coast Greens in Malibu
Beach Health Tree Natural Foods in Long Beach
Irvine Ranch Market in Costa Mesa
Follow Your Heart in Canoga Park -coming soon

In Northern California:
Never Felt Better in Sacramento, CA

Nationally: 
New Frontiers Natural Marketplace in Prescott, AZ
Four Seasons Natural Foods in Saratoga, NY
Sidecar For Pigs Peace in Seattle, WA
Central Coop in Seattle, WA
Nooch Vegan Market Denver, CO
Eco-licious in Charlotte, NC - coming soon
Foodtown in Cedar Grove, NJ
Foodtown in North Haledon, NJ
Basil Bandwagon in Flemington, NJ
Food Fight! Grocery in Portland, OR
Vegan Freak in Denton, TX
VeganEssentials.com  online store

PS- According to The Flavor Bible, my new favorite book, here's a list of things that go with parmesan (meats excluded): basil, fava beans, dates, fennel, figs, stone fruits, garlic, grapes, melon, mushrooms, olive oil, pasta, pears, pizza, risottos, thyme, balsamic vinegar, and walnuts

Thank YOU for supporting "Our Planet. Theirs Too." with us at Vegan Drinks NYC on April 26th. We were expertly hosted by the fabulous Heather and Jeff at Pine Box Rock Shop in Brooklyn. Thank you, Pine Box!

And, special thanks to those organizations and individuals who made Shout Outs:

• "Our Planet. Theirs Too."
• Sea Shepherd
• GooseWatch NYC
• Vegan Outreach
• NYC Walk for Animals
• Veggie Prom - May 18th at Fontana's - benefits Mercy For Animals!
• OWS Animal Issues Working Group - May 13th conference - location TBA
• Darwin Animal Doctors
• Chicago Vegan Foods
• Dun-Well Doughnuts
• Andreas Turanski - join his vegan Rugged Maniac team
• Ross Minanti
• Jeff LaPadula
• Emily Graves
• Andrea
• And, the greatest DJ in all the land, DJ Grand Format

May 31st marks the next Vegan Drinks NYC. We'll be at Fontana's, 105 Eldridge Street in Manhattan. This will be our first time at Fontana's and we promise a fantastic evening as we celebrate Vegan Drinks NYC's fourth birthday! The DJ Grand Format will be back in the DJ booth!

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Join us THIS Thursday, April 26, from 7:00pm to 10:00pm for Vegan Drinks NYC! We'll be at our favorite bar ever, Pine Box Rock Shop, located at 12 Grattan Street in Bushwick, Brooklyn. It's just around the corner from the L train at Morgan Avenue. There are also bus stops nearby and plenty of space to park your bike. (And, yes, if you haven't heard, our home of nearly four years, Angels & Kings Bar, recently closed its doors. We'll miss you, old buddy!)

This month any money you throw in the donation jar will benefit the not-for-profit "Our Planet. Theirs Too.", sponsors of National Animal Rights Day and other projects dedicated to the vision in which human and non-human animals share this planet in peace and harmony.

Win a great raffle prize while supporting "Our Planet. Theirs Too." The Regal Vegan has donated a tote bag filled with its Faux Gras and Basillicotta. And, don't worry if your luck runs short and you don't win the raffle because there will be free samples of truffles courtesy of ChocAlive! to help you forget.

Happy hour ends at 8pm! Get to Pine Box Rock Shop EARLY! And, the earlier you get there, the better your chance to purchase from the bar a V-Spot Philly Cheesesteak empanada before I polish them off.

Have you read the new and improved Vegan Drinks FAQ? Please read it, even if you're a regular at our event. (Really, please read it. All of it.)

We'll turn down the music around 8:30pm and encourage people to promote themselves, their groups and/or causes for 30 seconds. If you represent a veg*n or animal rights group, come prepared with your (very short!) spiel and literature.

If you're not already following our every move, connect with Vegan Drinks on Facebook, follow us on Twitter (@vegandrinks), and join our e-mail list.

Vegan Drinks NYC is usually held the last Thursday of the month from 7:00pm to 10:00pm. We'll head back to Manhattan for the May Vegan Drinks. The exciting details will be shared soon!!!!