It's a rare day when I don't start it off with two bananas, three frozen strawberries, 1/2 cup of soymilk, a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds and a tablespoon of peanut butter. Smoothies are my vice.

It was hard not to be skeptical of the Vega Shake & Go Smoothie based on its packaging alone: "Just add water, shake & go!" Just add water? Hrmmm. But, I do have some positive history with Vega. I've been using the Vega Sport Performance Optimizer for a couple of months to give me some pep and keep me from getting excessively thirsty on my runs. It's easy to make: add a scoop to a cup of water and stir! Drink it down. Wait thirty or so minutes (or longer if your digestive tract requires) and go outside and run the crap out of the streets! The flavor isn't too sweet and not too earthy. It isn't difficult to drink, but it's not something I crave. I don't drink it for its taste.

The What: Tofu Xpress

The What’s Up: Guy creates plastic box fitted with a spring and plate to get the water out your tofu. I'm like, "why didn't I think of that?"

The Yes: The Tofu Xpress benefits from a simple design: it’s easy to use and does exactly what it promises. The coil pressure locking system allows the water from the tofu to be pressed out without ruining the consistency of the tofu. (In other words, there’s no “smashing or smooshing” of the tofu). There’s no mess, no waste of paper towels; it’s a great product.

The No: Simply put: It’s expensive. I can see the cost being a big deterrent from buying it. If tofu is a regular in your cooking arsenal then it just may be worth the chunk of change. It also takes (at least) an hour to drain your tofu properly, so there isn’t the benefit of quick use.

The Word: The Tofu Xpress is that rare product that is simple, effective and germane. It’s useful if you use Tofu on occasion but an absolute must-have if you use tofu regularly. I’ve seen (and used) similar products on the market - this one is the best.

The Info: Tofu Xpress is the website. It will set you back $39.99 (currently on sale) plus shipping. You can also scoop it from Amazon.

The What: Sweeties New York Pastry Co: Carrot and Banana Cupcakes
The What’s Up: Brooklyn (home) based bakery enters the vegan cupcake wars. I tried two current flavors: Carrot Cake with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting and Banana with Peanut Butter.
The Yes: How would I describe Sweeties cupcakes in one word? Delicious. Here’s the what’s what:
Banana Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting: The banana flavor was both subtle (and nutty) while being quite rich; the frosting was velvety and smooth. The two flavors played off each other well; the addition of banana chips (on top) was a winner. This was my favorite of the two.
Carrot Cupcake with “Cream Cheese” Frosting: While the cake part had just a hint of carrot and spice it managed to stay bright in its flavor; both moist and airy. I couldn’t tell if there was meant to be a salty undertone to the cupcake but I loved it nonetheless. The “cream cheese” frosting had more of a “buttercream” flavor than what I had hoped but it was still delectable.*
The No: See (the sorta "no") * above.
The Word: Sweeties NYC cupcakes are deliciously rich and moist. The two cupcakes I tried were both delicate and balanced. I’m a believer.
The Info: Sweeties New York Pastry Company can be found at the GreenPoint Food Market. More information can be found at their website.

At best, being a minority in the less-than-mainstream vegan/animal rights movement adds another layer to my feeling of otherness (I wear my quirkiness like a badge of honor), but sometimes it makes me feel a little lonely and worried for the state of health and social consciousness in my community. I wonder where all the other Black and Brown people are. Are they all "Lovin' it" at McDonald's or "Eatin' Good in the Neighborhood" Applebee's? Worse than having these questions myself is having White vegan people I barely know ask me, "How can we get more Black people in the movement?" Argh! I am tempted to give them Paul Mooney's phone number.

So when Sistah Vegan: Black Female Vegans Speak on Food, Identity, Health, and Society was finally released this Spring by Lantern Books I was ecstatic to own a copy and, thankfully, reading it was not a buzz kill.

This is usually where some snazzy succinct intro goes. Something to really get the reader y'know? Let them know. Hey! This is a review you wanna read. And, put it in italics. Got it?

Hey! Rudy! What Will You Be Reviewing This Week?

Wayfare Foods’ “We Can’t Say Its Cheese”.

Oh Yeah? What’s That?

It’s a tub’o fake oat-based cheeze. The packaging totally rips off Toffuti Cream Cheese. The name is kinda lame too.

Well, is it good?

Yes and No. It kinda’ reminds me of Lil Wayne’s music. At first you’re like “is that an alien? Why would anybody listen to this garbage?”. And, then seconds letter you go in for another scoop. Maybe more Yes than No though. So. Yeah. I guess.

What are the flavors?

Mex-Cheddar Style: It’s a little powdery and over-spiced but not in a good way. This is my least favorite of the four.

Cheddar Spread: It has a pleasant flavor with a subtle cheezy undertone. Pretty good dude; it’s got a nice “spread” to it.

Hickory Smoke: This does have a nice smoky flavor but the “bacony” aspect can be off-putting if you eat too much of it.

Cheddar Dip: Kinda like the Cheddar spread but softer.

What does it go best with?

Low Salt Crackers, because all of the flavors are guilty of crimes against salt; they’re all pretty salty – you’ll meet your daily requirement of salt in no time flat. (Did I mention that they’re salty?) Flavor-wise it’s not strong enough to stand on it’s own; you can’t really eat it right out tub and it doesn’t go good on just anything. (It’s not like Veganaise, where you can put it on an old shoe and it would taste good, y’know?)

Instead of a grade: What 80’s movie is it most like?

Weekend At Bernie’s. You wouldn’t shun it if it was on TV (ya might even “Netflix it”) but you’d probably wouldn’t go to Film Forum to catch a retrospective.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Can I go home now?

For the last in my long-overdue-to-be-finished series on the Gardein line of products (read my takes on Gardein Beefless Tips and Gardein Chick'n Good Stuff) I have saved the best and taken Chick'n Scallopini and made... Chicken Scallopini! Now, I am not the kind of Vegan who stopped eating meat because I thought it tasted bad. So an extra "you're welcome," animal friends. You are delicious and I abstain. Thus, my method of cooking (other than being really, really messy) is to find a "regular" recipe and veganize it. The goal is to get it as close to the real thing as possible. If a meat eater can't tell the difference: Success!

A quick google search led me to this recipe. Obviously, I had to defrost my Chick'n first. The pieces were already pretty thin, so there was no need to get aggro on them and beat 'em with a mallet or rolling pin or random blunt object within a 1/4 inch of it's "life." I substituted margarine and some faux stock but followed the rest as I was told. It's not hard to follow directions, people. Don't think you know better till you've tried it as-almost-is at least once.

To accompany my chicken, I mixed my ethnicities up and made these potatoes again, and some steamed green beans.

Wowsa this was tasty & delicious, even if I do say so m'self. I don't actually know if it had anything to do with Gardein and their light seasoning or not, but man that sauce was gooooood. If you have a different favorite non-meat meat-like substitute, I see no reason why this wouldn't work just as well as it did with Gardein (no offense, Gardein person who sent me free meats, please to continue, thanks). Thankfully these cutlets weren't sauced like the rest of their line, cause that's what saved this dish, methinks (lookin' at you Buffalo Wings). And why haven't I made these fancy French potatoes again (and again and again)? They are a lot of work but they taste like it, too. My dining companion, who is a life-long carnivore ate every bite and literally licked the plate clean, so I'd say: WIN!

PS- Anyone tasted the gardein blend at Chipotle? Howsit?

One of the rare things I’ve found missing from my life as vegan is “milk” chocolate. I run into a lot of “accidentally-vegan” dark chocolate that has certainly widened my scope of chocolate-eating, but not very many people are tackling a vegan chocolate for those of us who, well, aren’t that into dark chocolate to begin with. So, when I heard there was a box of vegan milk chocolate (or “light chocolate” as NO Whey! is calling it) to be reviewed, I got excited.  And when I saw it was a Valentines assortment, my heart sang and angels appeared.  One of my great past loves was those heart-shaped box Valentines Day assortments. The boxes almost made up for the dumb holiday.

The NO Whey! Candies Valentines assortment is a sampler of heart-shaped chocolate in a tasteful (non-heart shaped) brown-striped box with white, pink and red (recyclable!) paper ribbon, accompanied by a candy menu with ingredient listings in red print. The box sparked memories of chocolates of yore (my pre-vegan days) as visions of Chunkys and Cadbury crème eggs popped into my head. The light chocolate, used for most of the varieties in the box, is very sweet and creamy.

I’ll start with the varieties that aren’t normally my favorites:

The Cream-Filled Hearts stood out as surprisingly on-target for that type of candy. The Cherries & Cream reminded me of the cherry/raspberry confections you’d stumble upon in the assortment box, but better as they weren’t cloyingly sweet (I actually finished this one instead of casting it aside). The Coffee Cream's creamy coffee-flavored filling was a nicely sweet coffee-in-candy alternative compared to the ubiquitous dark chocolate covered espresso beans you find everywhere (that are more coffee than candy). Remarkably, the chocolate covered cherry, My Cherry Amour, didn’t leak goo all over as I bit into the nice mound of sweet milk chocolate to reveal a perfectly respectable maraschino nestled in its creamy interior.

Then I got down to business with the chocolates I was most looking forward to, and for which I had the highest expectations!

PETA's Vegan College Cookbook: 275 Easy, Cheap, and Delicious Recipes to Keep You Vegan at School is aimed at students living in dorms, an experience I am a decade removed from. Still, I remain a fan of tasty food made cheaply and easily so this book excites me. Yes, nearly all the recipes are carb heavy, many are of questionable nutritional value, and most involve very few fresh vegetables beyond onions, but that's how college is. Shit is real! You don't have time to be sprouting mung beans and basting turducken. You've got books to read and beer to drink!

Frankly, I'm amazed at all the things you can make in a microwave (including cake!). So far I've only made spaghetti and meat sauce. While the sauce—thick with Gimme Lean—was deliciously seasoned, the pasta was a mushy nightmare I am loath to revisit. Though preparing a meal in a microwave is more like a science experiment than cooking, there is fun to be had, and possibly even a tasty cake or two to be eaten. I can't wait to start nuking more things! I think every microwave should come with a copy of this animal-friendly book.

Try some of the recipes now on PETA2.com!

It happens every year — well, it could. Cast as little Clara or Marie in the Nutcracker, every night you have to take off one of your shoes and hurl it at the Mouse King to deter him from devouring your precious Nutcracker. But you're concerned about this stage direction, key plot point though it is. Is this violent action reconcilable with the vegan way?

At the very least, you can make sure the shoe you throw is a vegan shoe. Before choreographer and animal activist Cynthia King — an alumna of The Boston Conservatory, The Ailey School, and The Rod Rodgers Dance Company — opened her Brooklyn dance studio in 2002, a canvas shoe with a leather sole was the concerned dancer's only option. I confirmed this after purchasing a bizarre pink plastic pair of something that came to a point in the middle and molded to the arch with all the flexibility of a flip-flop. Whatever it was, it was not a dancing shoe.

The decision to betray my principles and buy real, foot-shaped ballet slippers was traumatic and confusing, and none of you will have to make it, thanks to Cynthia. In 2003 she worked with a local shoemaker to develop gorgeous, durable, and affordable ($24.95 per pair) split-sole canvas shoes, using vinyl instead of suede on the bottom (your feet won't know the difference!), that hug the foot like a sock and create a more flattering shape than any of the Capezios, Sanshas, or Blochs of the pre-vegan past. So even though I'm told that Capezio can now do a special-order vegan slipper with a six- to eight-week waiting period (if so, they keep it quiet on their website), I'm sticking with Cynthia's. They're available immediately from her website and from Karmavore in Canada, and are simply the best slippers you're going to find.

Heeeey, vegans! Looking for a tasty break from the holiday fair at Union Square? The Greenmarket has your back with these sweet and savory prepared vegan foods. Here's what I discovered on a Saturday visit:

Breezy Hill Orchard offers a spectacular carrot-raisin cookie for $2.75. Filled with carrots, roasted walnuts, raisins, and oats, this is one hearty, moist, and chewy cookie. (And may I add, huge.) Do yourself a favor and buy two because you'll undoubtedly be pining for another the next day. Generally I'm only a fan of super-sweet treats, but this cookie unexpectedly delivered taste in a big way. The addition of maple syrup packed a punch of sweetness that had me thinking I was eating some sort of waffle cookie. Breezy Hill also offers a vegan apple-cranberry tart. It looked good, but as I am not a fan of apples, I bypassed it in favor of another cookie.

Hawthorne Valley Farm offers a vast assortment of breads and baked goods. Right smack in the middle of said assortment are soft, vegan chocolate chip and walnut cookies for $1.50. Not only are the cookies delectable, but the vendors are very cheery, happily searching out the cookies with the most chips for you!

Body and Soul peddles their vegan turnovers, wraps, muffins, and cookies on Mondays and Fridays. Everything they offer is vegan. (But nothing is gluten-free.)

Keep in mind that the vendors and offerings vary by day and season. Don't expect neon signs blinking "Vegans Welcome" — you have to ask at each booth or scan the options for the magic word. A great big thank you to the vendors who consistently remember their vegan brethren!

The Union Square Greenmarket is open year-round on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.