On Sunday June 2 from 7:30pm – 10pm, Bunna Cafe and A+S Works are hosting The Farmraiser at Dun-Well Doughnuts in Brooklyn as part of Bushwick Open Studios. Tickets are $20 in advance ($25 at the door) and will get you dinner and live entertainment, as well as access to a supposedly cheap cash bar. All proceeds will benefit A+S Works on the Farm, a weekend dance workshop in rural New York put on by A+S Works, an organization that aims to “creates contemporary dance to investigate the intimacy of the human experience through the ceremony of live performance.”

Dinner will be provided by Bunna, the almost all vegan Ethiopian pop-up cafe in Brooklyn that I have yet to try (I actually tried to go there earlier this week, not realizing it was a pop-up), but have heard wonderful things about. Entertainment will consist of dancing and art, as well as live music. There will also presumably be sweet treats available, as the event is taking place in New York’s only all-vegan doughnut shop. If there are, I recommend a doughnut sundae!

The second Vegan Cook-Off, taking place Sunday, June 2 at 2pm at The Bell House in Brooklyn and presented by The Skint (a website run by a vegan who wishes to remain anonymous), has extended their deadline for competitor applications to Tuesday, May 28. The tasty theme this time around is Hors d’Oeuvres and the competition is open to everyday cooks brave enough to prepare vegan finger foods for 250+ attendees. To help decide whose tapas reign supreme, judges Terry Hope Romero, Blossom Restaurant Managing Partner Michael Parkin, and carnivore and BBQ master Dan Delaney will crown the top 3 dishes. Attendees will also help with the judging by selecting three People’s Choice winners. The event will be hosted by Brooklyn’s own vegan sideshow performer, Bobby Phobia.

Think you’ve got the chops to take home the $250 cash prize? Fill out an entry form. Are you better at eating than cooking? Tickets are still available, but are very close to selling out, so if you want to attend, don’t sleep on it.

In the interest of full disclosure, I will  say that I won first prize at The Skint’s Vegan Bake-Off back in February. I also took home a People’s Choice win. Additionally, I will be competing in this competition as well.

My experience at the first event was awesome. Hectic and crazy, but really wonderful (And not just because I won! Although that was really cool, too). I met several excellent vegan cooks, many of whom are involved in other AR and vegan organizations, and everyone was super friendly. The event ran smoothly and those who put it on did a fantastic job. It was also well worth the price of admission for the amount of food that was served.

This time around, I’m equally excited but don’t quite know how to feel about an omnivore judge. I understand it’s something that’s meant to mix things up, and I’m really interested in seeing Dan Delaney’s reaction to the food, but it’s a little too close to the idea of “passing” vegan food so that it’s palatable to omnivores (I don’t care if you like our food, omnivores). Still, I want to impress Terry Hope Romero like she’s my super hot prom date and I’m a pimply, 16-year-old nerd.

Buying a ticket to stuff your face? I look forward to feeding you. Joining me as a competitor? I’m gonna kick your butt! Since this isn’t my first rodeo, if you have any questions about the competition from a competitor’s perspective,  you can leave a comment here or shoot me an e-mail at elisa@supervegan.com.

NYC’s fourth annual Veggie Prom returns for another night of snazzy outfits, dancing, munchies and of course prom court. This year the event is being held at Fontana’s and starts at 8pm. Tickets are $15 in advance, or $20 at the door. DJ Lil Ray will provide jams for the evening and all proceeds from the event will go to HEART, an organization that provides humane education training to teachers.

But why would you want to relive prom, you ask? Well, because you’re an adult, first of all. One who probably has a fancy outfit in their closet that they never get to wear. And, if you can’t dance you can always sit in the corner and eat tons of the free food that will be available, including candy from Go Max Go Foods (yes, you read that correctly), cookies from Vegan O’Brien Baking Co., nut cheese from Treeline Cheese, treats from Gone Pie, cupcakes from Terri, and presumably a whole lot more. Bring your insulin.

Nominations for prom court are open until May 24. If you know an awesome vegan (or non-vegan, but clearly vegans are the most awesome) who deserves to win, e-mail nominations@veggieprom.com with the person’s full name in the subject line and a few sentences in the body of the e-mail about why that person should win. Winners get a whole lot of goodies, including a gift certificate to Terri, candy bars from Rescue Chocolate, and items from Vegan Bodega.

If you’re stumped on what to wear to Veggie Prom, there’s still time to buy this banana dress or this bass print dress. Or check out photos from the 2012 Veggie Prom for inspiration.

But seriously, if I see anyone wearing that bass dress I will buy you a drink.

A packed room attentively listening to Brendan Brazier

People seemed pretty thrilled to watch Brendan Brazier, triathlete and founder of Vega nutritional supplements, speak. To be honest, I had no idea who he was until I looked him up while writing this, but apparently he’s also written some books, which he signed after his talk. I didn’t see a ton of lines at the Seed this weekend, but there was definitely one to meet Brazier. I guess I don’t know who’s who when it comes to vegan athletes (with the exception of the WWE’s Daniel Bryan, but he’s no longer vegan, anyway), but he gave a pretty decent speech. Mostly about how being vegan is really good for your health, which I think I’ve heard somewhere  before.

John Joseph McGovan

I was looking forward to watching John Joseph McGovan’s talk. Mostly known as the singer of NYC hardcore band the Cro-Mags, he now spends his days participating in ironman competitions and writing and speaking about veganism and food politics. His speech was a little unorganized, but I wasn’t exactly expecting an eloquent delivery from John Joseph. He spoke a lot about the Farmer Assurance Provision, which we all know as the Monsanto Protection Act, and expressed his lack of trust in Big Pharma when it comes to personal health, while sharing how a vegan lifestyle addresses these issues.

Chef Juan Pablo Chavez prepared Escribano Areqipeno (a mashed potato dish) and Guacamole Kale Salad

Other worthwhile moments included Chef Juan Pablo Chavez‘s cooking demo and JL Fields‘s talk earlier in the day about expanding vegan activism from blogging to offline advocacy. Other than that, many of the same vendors were doling out samples and selling their goods, although by midafternoon it looked like several had run out of food and were packing up.

Overall, the Seed wasn’t bad this year, but it also wasn’t amazing. It may have been worthwhile for new vegans or those curious about the lifestyle, but as a longtime vegan, I wasn’t particularly impressed. Still, it’s nice to have options.

Cinnamon Snail parked out front

Sarah Gross of Rescue Chocolate

I arrived bright and early (hey, noon is pretty early on a Saturday) to the Seed‘s second annual “vegan experience” today, and what an experience it was. Many of the usual suspects were there, including Vitamix, Tasty Bite, Sea Shepherd, Mercy For Animals, and Rescue Chocolate. However, many of last year’s local vendors didn’t make an appearance this time around, such as Compassion Co., the Regal Vegan, Terri  and MooShoes (you were not missed, Yelp booth). You know who was at The Seed this year, though? Herstyler! That’s right, after stuffing your face with Dandies and Treeline Cheese, you could get your hair curled for free. Mostly, the Herstyler booth just annoyed me because they were clearly just trying to capitalize on the high concentration of women at the event. Regardless, day one of the Seed wasn’t all that bad.

After stuffing my face with the Cinnamon Snail, the lone food truck parked in front of the Seed (which surprisingly had a pretty short line), I headed upstairs for even more food, speakers and vegan product sampling. Unlike the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival or other similar vegan product expos around the country, the Seed is, well, merely a seed in comparison. If they want to hang with the big kids, they have a lot of growing to do.

The eye-roll inducing Herstyler station

There were two primary rooms with about 80 different vendors this year, and if you weren’t planning on listening to speakers or doing yoga, you could probably experience everything in about an hour. Probably not worth the $20 door price, or whatever you happened to pay for your ticket (there were numerous discounts available), especially considering the lack of free samples this year. I know, you actually had to buy food if you wanted something to eat.

But I did, and my favorite new vendor by far was NYC-based Alchemy Creamery, which sells push pops (aka “Magic Wands,” which makes me think of something else entirely) that put the Flintstones Push-Ups of my childhood to shame. They’re essentially ice cream treats with a cake layer. I tried the cherry pie flavor, which was a tart, sweet cherry ice cream with a crumbly topping that I had to throw back like a shot before eating the ice cream. I’ll admit the treat wasn’t very big for $5, but it was a nice splurge. Alchemy Creamery is a fairly new company with a few kinks to work out (they push up mechanism kind of fell apart in my hands), but offer an inventive product that’s very, very tasty. Definitely a company to keep an eye on.

Cherry pie “magic wand” from Alchemy Creamery

Other yummy foodstuffs included Vegan Bodega, which has now become a regular staple in the NYC vegan shop-up circuit, who were selling hard to find (in physical stores, at least) edibles such as Bee-Free Honee and the Vegg, and Balasia, an underground supper cub from Eastern PA, who were selling plates of wholesome looking raw eats.

Two non-food vendors that caught my interest were local companies Splice Photography, a vegan-owned business that employs vegan photographers and offers non-leather, eco-friendly photo albums, and Salon Champu, a vegan salon in the East Village that provided the hair styling for Vaute Couture’s NYFW debut.

Balasia serving up raw food

When it came to the speakers, nothing really jumped out at me today. I will say that most of the speakers seemed to be gearing their talks to omnivores, the veg-curious and vegetarians, rather than seasoned vegans.

Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan of Our Hen House offered an overzealous pep talk about their vegan journey and how going vegan really isn’t that hard. While they offered the crowd a heaping dose of positivity, I would have rather heard more about their organization and what they’re doing to further the animal rights movement.

I stopped by the demo area for chef Chloe Coscarelli‘s (the woman who made moms hip to veganism after she won Cupcake Wars on the Food Network) Q&A, but she was a no show. I wanted to stay and watch Micahel Weber, of FARM, discuss vegan advocacy, but after I overheard an attendee ask Cornelia Guest what the different between vegetarianism and veganism is, I decided it was time to call it a day.

Here’s hoping day two of The Seed is more inspiring, and has more free samples.

If you didn’t want to shell out $40 for a 2-day pass, individual tickets and weekend passes are currently discounted on The Seed’s website (add the promo code VEGAN20 for an extra 20% off). Amazon Local is also currently running a deal on tickets, as is Groupon. But apparently all the discounts are hurting more than they’re helping, because The Seed is asking for donations for this year’s event via their indiegogo campaign; they desperately need your money.

We hope to see you there, unless you plan on cutting in front of us in line for free samples.

This event is so important and having big turnout is key—for the first time in NYC history, animals are a part of the political conversation, as horse drawn carriages and animal shelter reform are big issues in the NYC Mayor’s race.

Confirmed candidates attending are Bill de Blasio, Bill Thompson, John Liu, Sal Albanese and John Catsimatides. (Shockingly, Christine Quinn declined)

Congrats to NYCLASS for pulling this off and we hop it will be a packed hall full of NYC’s best animal advocates (including you!)

Shame on the person who left this full beer behind.

Thank YOU for hanging out and supporting Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers (HEART) at Vegan Drinks NYC on April 25th. Kisses to Fontana’s Bar for hosting and to Chickpea & Olive for feeding us!

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

• Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers (HEART)
• Darwin Animal Doctors
• Sea Shepherd
• For Bud’s Benefit (May 3rd at the Yippie! Museum) – R.I.P, Bud.
• World Wide Vegan Bake Sale to benefit Food Not Bombs NYC (April 28th at Mooshoes)
• Ready 4 Rescue
• Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary
• VeganMentors.org
• Veg Strong
• forAnima.com
• Shaia’s Hot Sauce (10 percent of net profits goes to Mercy For Animals)
• The New Luv

Cute DJ Alert: Megan Rascal!

The NEXT Vegan Drinks NYC is happening on Thursday, May 30th at Fontana’s Bar (105 Eldridge Street, Manhattan) from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Join us as we benefit VINE Sanctuary and let the world know you’re going by RSVPing at Facebook.

Do you represent an animal rights group you think should be the beneficiary of an upcoming Vegan Drinks NYC? Visit vegandrinks.org/beneficiaries to learn more about how to make that happen.

Get on our mailing list!

Join us THIS Thursday, April 25, from 7:00pm to 10:00pm for Vegan Drinks NYC! Find us at Fontana’s Bar, located at 105 Eldridge Street on the Lower East Side. Chickpea & Olive will be feeding your faces!

This month, we’ll be benefiting Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers (HEART). The mission of HEART is to foster compassion and respect for all living beings and the environment by educating youth and teachers in Humane Education. Stuff your dollars in the donation jar, and buy raffle tickets from HEART to win one of these great prizes: gift certificates from Lula’s Sweet Apothecary, Candle 79, Vegan Essentials, and Terri; chocolates from Rescue Chocolate; candy bars from Go Max; an item from Vaute Couture; and a Lia Sophia necklace!

Music by DJ Grand Format, DJ Megan Rascal, and DJ Jason Das!

Wanna let all your Internet friends know you’re going? RSVP on Facebook if you’re of the mindset to do so.

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. Do you represent an animal rights group you think should be the beneficiary of an upcoming Vegan Drinks NYC? Visit vegandrinks.org/beneficiaries to learn more about how to make that happen.

There are quite a few bake sales scheduled in NYC that week, including one on April 28, hosted by the always wonderful folks at MooShoes. The sale will raise money for Food Not Bombs NYC, who recover and share free vegan food with the public without restriction every Sunday in Tompkins Square Park to protest war, poverty and the destruction of the environment.

Delicious goodies await

MooShoes will be full of all things yummy as well as information on how you can get involved with FNB.

Bakers and volunteers are still needed for this event, so please sign up!

And don’t forget to bring a bag or container to take your purchases home in (or a utensil to eat with there) to cut back on waste!

Thank YOU for hanging out and supporting Darwin Animal Doctors at Vegan Drinks NYC on March 28th. Kudos to Fontana’s Bar for hosting and to Monks Meats for feeding us!

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

• Darwin Animal Doctors
• Mercy For Animals
• Sea Shepherd
• Goosewatch NYC
• VeganMentors.org
• National Animal Rights Day
• Dr. Ostfeld’s Cardiac Wellness Program
• MooShoes
• Veg Strong
• Plant Based Solutions
• MyVeganCookies.blog.com
• Sarah, who is looking for a roommate!
• Anna, an NYU student conducting a study on soy!

The NEXT Vegan Drinks NYC is happening on Thursday, April 25th at Fontana’s Bar (105 Eldridge Street, Manhattan) from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Join us as we benefit HEART and let the world know you’re going by RSVPing at Facebook.

Do you represent an animal rights group you think should be the beneficiary of an upcoming Vegan Drinks NYC? Visit vegandrinks.org/beneficiaries to learn more about how to make that happen.

Get on our mailing list!

This month, we’ll be benefiting Darwin Animal Doctors (D.A.D.). The mission of Darwin Animal Doctors is to provide professional and comprehensive veterinary clinics for the animals of the Galapagos Islands, and to preserve the archipelago’s extraordinary biodiversity by humanely limiting the populations of domestic animals. Stuff your dollars in the donation jar, and buy raffle tickets from D.A.D. to win one of these great prizes: a LUSH gift set; handmade jewelry from the Galapagos; Darwin Animal Doctors t-shirts; and more!

Music by DJ Grand Format, DJ Megan Rascal, and DJ Jason Das!

Wanna let all your Internet friends know you’re going? RSVP on Facebook if you’re of the mindset to do so.

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. Do you represent an animal rights group you think should be the beneficiary of an upcoming Vegan Drinks NYC? Visit vegandrinks.org/beneficiaries to learn more about how to make that happen.

I’m eating something delicious!

A few years ago, after a series of mysterious and serious illnesses, a new doctor tested me for food allergies and discovered that I have many, including but not limited to: dairy, gluten, corn and sugar. Once I had eliminated the culprits from my diet, I felt much better, but was also exhausted by all the cooking I had to for myself. I had heard the legend of the Natural Products Expo West told to me for the last few years. A multi-day convention that is the Mecca for all things natural, including home-goods, beauty products, clothing and most importantly for this little alternative eater…food! After spending two full, exhausting days tasting, sampling, and feasting and two more days recovering and day dreaming about what I had devoured, I can say the Expo lived up to the hype. This expo proved that there are thoughtful, inspired food companies out there in America (and also Canada) who are attempting to make my limited diet easier and more delicious. Before I go for a run to burn off some convention calories I will share with you, in no particular order, my favorite gluten-free/ vegan eats.

1. The Gluten Free Bar:   Not just a product name that gets right to the heart of the matter, GFB is a snack bar that is all natural and low glycemic with 12 grams of protein, and it tastes great too. With a variety of flavors like Peanut Butter and Chocolate, Cranberry Toasted Almond and Oatmeal Raisin to name a few, the bars fit with your cravings and are not chalky and dry, but chewy and gooey instead. And it doesn’t hurt that the company’s founders are two very handsome gluten-free brothers. GFB also offers a money back guarantee if you don’t agree that theirs is the best gluten-free bar out there, so what do you have to lose?

Not my hand.

2. Hodo Soy: So many vegan meat products are made of wheat leaving a gluten-free vegan with very few delicious choices. Hodo Soy has risen to the challenge and is producing some of the best soy “meats” I tasted at the expo. I especially liked their curry nuggets (although I wish my sample had been hot) but even cold, this was some tasty tofu. Hodo Soy was recently tapped to team up with Chipotle so keep an eye out for that.

I don’t know why bee costumes were involved.

3. Carla Lee’s Nut Burgers: I tried these tasty falafel like patties on my first day at the expo and dreamed about them all night. The next day, I went back for more. With a crispy outside and a soft savory inside, these burgers are 100% vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO. The company’s founder, Carla Lee is “dedicating her life to educating and feeding hungry hearts and bellies across the planet.” She’s has had successful career in other industries and claims that 100% of the proceeds feed humanity through her non-profit, OneTeam Humanity.  If enjoying her delicious nutburgers will help her do that, then count me in.

Asherah’s Chipotle Burgers

4. Ashera Gourmet Vegan Burger: Sticking with the burger theme, Ashera Gourmet Vegan Burger was another delicious hit. I loved her hearty “garden style” patties in both the regular flavor and the spicy chipotle. An added bonus is that her burgers are also soy free.  Grab a gluten-free bun and go to town.

5. Lucy’s: Lucy’s has been one of my favorite gluten-free, vegan sweet makers for a while. In fact there is an open (almost empty) box of their Oatmeal cookies on my kitchen counter right now. I can’t say enough nice things about their cookies and brownie bites, which are all so delicious and addictive.  At the Expo this year they introduced two new flavors, Pumpkin Patch and Maple Crunch, that will be perfect with a nice cup of tea and a cold evening. Their cookies are small and crunchy with none of that gluten-free aftertaste. Dr. Lucy Gibney started making these allergy-free cookies for her grandson, and the rest of us get to reap the benefits.

6. Maggie’s Conscious Vegan Cuisine: Chef Maggie Radzwiller is a no-nonsense, eco-responsible food artist who has created a line of heat-to-eat meals that are ready after four minutes in the microwave. Full of veggies and beans and lots of spice and flavor, these jars can feed a small family quickly (did I mention they’re ready in four minutes?) or one very hungry vegan.  Her curried veggies would also make a great side dish. Maggie hails from North Carolina where she creates her product line and teaches. She even promises to answer my cooking questions over email, which I am definitely going to take advantage of.

7. The Elegant Vegan: My friends and “Partners in Dine” at the Expo, The Insufferable Vegan and Andrea Wachner and I found this company at the 11^th hour, and I only wish we’d found their booth earlier when I’d had more room in my stomach. Not only do they make delicious baked goods like brownies, cookies and cakes (I tried a gooey cake that they described as a cross between a cheesecake and a flan) but they also have a line of pickled veggies that were to die for. I tried two kinds of pickled beets and pickled kale that were more than a little tasty. This is a family-owned business that makes you wish that you were a part of their family.

8. Carmela’s Food Company: Speaking of family, Carmela’s is named after the founder, Daisy Romero‘s very own Nana who taught her to make delicious fresh pasta sauces. After learning that several members of her family were restricting their diets, she created a vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free marinara sauce that tastes just as good as Nana’s. When asked why it’s called Carmela’s Food Company instead of just Sauce Company she told us she has plans to expand beyond just pasta sauce. We have more delicious treats to look forward to.

The Displaiya

9. Daiya Foods: I claimed that my favorite Expo foods were in no particular order here, but I lied. I left the best for last. Daiya Foods has come out with some gluten-free pizzas that were so tasty I went back two days in a row. The crust is thin and crunchy (without being chewy) and the daiya cheese toppings are melty and stretchy. I loved the cheese lovers as well as the mushroom and roasted garlic. Daiya also has a line of “cream cheese” spreads that they were nice enough to serve on gluten-free bagels. So creamy and delicious in both the sweet strawberry and savory chive and onion flavors. Andrea informed me that Daiya essentially started a vegan cheese war that has prompted all the other vegan cheeses to step up their game. Well, they’ve done it again, and it will be exciting to see how their competitors retaliate.

I haven’t mentioned all of the ice cream, and soft serve I tried and enjoyed because Andrea Wachner talks all about them in her review so check it out. Now please leave me alone while I run off all of the calories I ate this weekend…or maybe I’ll just take a nap instead.

This Saturday, March 16, the very funny, tall, and compassionate KEVIN NEALON will host Fun For Farm Animals: Celebrity Poker Tournament & Cocktail Party to benefit the work of Farm Sanctuary, America’s largest and most effective farm animal rescue and protection organization. This amazing night will feature tasty treats, delicious drinks, and yours truly! Did I mention you don’t have to play poker? You and I can play that game where we stand by the door where the hors d’oeuvres come out from and eat them all. Once that game ends (read: we get full) we can join the carnival atmosphere with psychics (I’m going to ask how fat food blogging is going to make me), magicians (I have bad eyesight, so they always amaze me), caricature artists (like my Bat Mitzvah!), cocktails (like my Bat Mitzvah!) and an intimate acoustic performance by Grammy winning artist COLBIE CAILLAT (like my… nope. Nothing.) If you do want to ante, poker players will battle Farm Sanctuary members, celebrity players, and poker pros to make the final table and win amazing prizes!

Funny, tall, compassionate Kevin Nealon says, “REGISTER HERE.

And if you can’t make it, consider donating anyway!”*

WHAT: Fun For Farm Animals: Celebrity Poker Tournament & Cocktail Party

WHEN: Saturday, March 16, 2013 7:00 p.m. Doors Open / 7:30 p.m. Poker Tournament Begins

WHERE: Petersen Automotive Museum
Connor Penthouse (4th Floor)
6060 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036

COST: $200 per person for General Admission and $500 to enter the Celebrity Poker Tournament. Tickets are nonrefundable. Must be 21 or older to register.

PRIZES: Grand Prize: Choose one of three amazing experiences:
- A trip to the tropical paradise of Costa Rica
- An amazing Ski trip to Whistler BC and stay in one of the top hotels in the world
- A trip to the beautiful beaches of Bermuda

Additional prizes:
- 2 Tickets to see Grammy award-winning band FUN at their sold out Greek Theater show in September
- 2 Tickets to the Dancing With The Stars upcoming Season 16 Finale
- A LA Lakers ticket package and more! Read all the details here.

Farm Sanctuary’s three shelters in New York and California provide lifelong care for almost 1,000 rescued farm animals. These animals are ambassadors for the billions on factory farms who have no voice, and their stories help raise awareness about the harsh realities of factory farming.

*That was the Kevin Nealon in my head, not the real Kevin Nealon.

photo by Andrew Coate

I’m not so sure why I am bothering to write so many words in a row about what I ate/saw/heard/smelled at the Natural Products Expo West this year, seeing as it seemed to me that all of you were there, too. Snapping Instapix and live-blogging your way down aisles 100-6500 (there were that many aisles this year!) like my friend The Insufferable Vegan. But, for the seven to ten of you that were stuck at home cause of your baby/snow/flu I’m gonna break it down so it’ll feel like you were there, also too.

Imagine the airport the day before Thanksgiving. A big airport like JFK or O’Hare. Instead of gates there are booths and instead of travelers trying to make their way home so they can binge eat in private, there are vegans trying to grab free samples, take pictures of said samples, and Instagram that picture while eating and walking to the next booth. Now spend an entire day or two or three eating something sweet then something salty then something sweet then something spicy then something gross then a beverage that is probably tea/coconut/chia/chunky/vitamin’d. Surround yourself with chips or chip like things made out of everything from peas to potatoes, chocolate, ice cream, meatless technologies, robo-cheese (do you like that term for vegan cheese? I just coined it.) and a lot of a lot of a lot of things.

Here are my top however many things I learned tasted or took away from NPEW ’13 in iTunes shuffle-style order:

6. DF Mavens Ice Cream. Holy wow. The New Orleans Salted Praline and the Key Lime Creme were so creamy and so delicious it totally makes up for the fact that their name is Da Funk Mavens*

*a fact I totally made up.

17. Dennis Kucinich, who was not available to sample but was available for a photo op. He was this year’s Fabio, seeing as Fabio was devastatingly not in attendance, ruining my plan to get him to sign 8×10 glossies of US from the last two years, and then give them to him. At least Dennis didn’t dislocate my shoulder.

That’s Dennis’s wife Elizabeth who is very tall, vegan, works at Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and is checking out my vegan buns.

Fabio dislocates my right shoulder 2011

Fabio dislocates my left shoulder 2012.

32. Asherah’s Gourmet Vegan Burgers. These are gluten-free, soy free, flavor-full and one of the best “garden patch” style veggie burgers (as opposed to Meatless Technologies) you can get. Try the Chipotle flavor if you like a little kick.

21. Hodo Soy Beanery makes the best Tofu not in Japan and they have this guy!

I up’d the contrast so’s you can really see his shiner. Do you think he put cold tofu on it?

Prepare yourselves for their new Sofrito filling at Chipotle! And in the interim, try their yuba strips!

42. Califia Farms coffee drinks with almond milk are not only super tasty beverages, but their packaging belongs in the MoMA.

8½. LØV Organic Teas come from a land where the null sign is part of the alphabet and bright colors are not necessarily a sign of special needs.

1. The Elegant Vegan. PICKLED KALE people. Pickled Kale! The nicest family from Wisconsin you could ever meet at a vegan convention combines approximately eighty Portlandia jokes into one delicious food . They also have a B&B that serves vegan food called Ye Olde Manor House!

17. Did I do 17 already? Fine. 25. The people of Tofurky were so nice and handsome also and so were all the new Tofurky products like: three flavors of hot pockets (pepperoni pizza, turk’y broccoli & cheddar, BBQ chick’n), three new artisan sausages (chick’n & apple, spinach pesto, andouille), quiche, and pot pie, and a personal promise to me by Gregory Rekas, Research & Development Chef, that they will make a stuffing-less Tofurky.

3.14159. So Delicious’s new Coconut Milk Creamers will supposedly foam in coffee beverages the way “real” milk does! So, eff you Handsome Coffee Roasters who won’t serve freaky milk (read: non-dairy milk) because it’s “not good.”

35. Boca Original Chik’n Veggie Nuggets have such a different flavor than the 87 other brands of chik’n nuggs. I think maybe they taste like chicken! Use caution, not all Boca products are vegan.

Boca puts their meats on a pedestal.

11. Justin’s vegan peanut butter cups will now be sold in bags, Halloween style! I might actually be able to like that “holiday” now. Though one bag probably costs $8,000.

16. Follow Your Heart’s new Chipotle Gourmet Vegenaise and High Omega Bleu Cheese Dressing are the kind of good that if I ever decide to commit suicide, I think I will drown myself in this stuff.

99. Wayfare makes oat based ice cream! And they have a Vermont Maple flavor! It’s like being in a vegan ice cream parlor inside a sugar shack in Quebec.

3. Go Veggie! (GVEP [Go Veggie Exclamation Point])’s new products and top-secret new products in development (with a food scientist who happens to have the only PhD in Tofu in the world and created Silk) and partnership with the ever-adorable Spork Sisters who create recipes like Strawberry Cream Cheese Mousse With Graham Cracker Crumbles. I suggested they make a brie next. Wouldn’t that be great?

666. The Orange Owl. This was the best non-edible booth of the show. Akshata Nayak, the owner, was born and raised in Bangalore, India. She moved to the US, got a Masters in Biochemistry another Masters in Applied Clinical Nutrition (she’s a master master) and then started the best designed and most lovely body products company I know. Now where’s my vat of chipotle Vegenaise?

13. Haig’s Delicacies. Have you ever tried muhammara? You should. And their dolmas. And their hummus. Yum.

33.3333 Guacamame. This sounds disgusting, but sounds can be wrong. It was really good guac made from edamame!

59. Nutty Cow. These soft nut cheeses in a little tub were really good. If you want a soft spreadable substance, there are ricotta, a garlic herb and a maple pecan options that would work well I bet.

88². Maggie’s Conscious Vegan Cuisine makes ready-to-eat meals in a BPA-free container that can go right in the microwave. The Lentils with Curry and Lime flavor was really delicious and by far the best of the three I tried. As extra-credit for your mouth, they’re gluten-free, don’t have any saturated fats or added oils and are low in sodium!

48. The Real Deal Real! Veggie Chips Sriracha. These gluten-free all natural chips are made from peas! I don’t even like peas! AND, these have 80% less fat than potato chips AND AND one ounce of chip equals one and a half vegetable servings. Did I mention they taste like Sriracha and they’re super crunchy and I’m eating them with one hand as I type this with the other?

5. Mr. Dewie’s almond milk ice cream. Wanna know why it’s called that? Check-out this non-fictional fact. If that doesn’t make you want to eat their ice cream I just don’t know what will.

9. A gajillion new Gardein products! Including breakfast sandwiches, beefless jerky, GoGo Cuisines, wheat free chick’n strips, sizzlin’ szechuan beefless strips, and a lightly breaded turk’y cutlet! I think Gardein and Daiya are two-handedly keeping Canada in business.

The Gardein of Eatin… so tempting!

∞. Everything else. Like Daiya‘s new pizza (the garlic mushroom in particular, though I didn’t think their new cheese slices were very good), Maple Bacon Kettle Chips, and Objects With Purposes great smelling wearable candles made from organic coconut butter, Victoria Vegan arugula pesto Alfredo sauce, Earth Balance cheesy poufs and popcorn, Bolani Afghan dips, and a special SuperVegan Award For Sucking goes to Lightlife, for serving their vegan products on non-vegan buns.

Now visualize with your mind’s eye or some other new-agey part of you that the show is all over, your shoes are filled with blood, every part of your body hurts (especially your tum) and a S-M size piece of your soul was left in the basement of the Anaheim Convention Center,** But that is not the end of the journey! No! No trip to The OC is complete without the purchase of several boxes of Girl Scout Cookies, so it’s off to the nearest Food4Less to buy three boxes of cookies for twelve american dollars from a girl scout that looked older than me. And no, it does not make any sense that OC’s are vegan and LA’s are not.

**Dramatically enhanced for your enjoyment.

Did you go to the Expo? Do you know if Tums or AlkaSelzer are vegan? What were your favs/least favs? Stay tuned for a special report on all the gluten-free vegan products!

Which is all to ramblingly say, Terri‘s new location will be most welcome!

It will be at 100 Maiden Lane. They’re throwing a Grand Opening Party with free food on Saturday, March 23rd, from 1pm-4pm. It’s gonna be crowded.

Vendors include:

• Alchemy Creamery – Cool down with a sampling of gourmet ice creams like Dark Chocolate Chai, Coconut Green Tea, & Cranberry White Grape! (gluten free)

• Heirloom Eatery - Get snacky with homemade classics like Meatball Heroes, Steak Sandwiches, Kale Chips, and Sriracha Cupcakes!

• Treeline Cheese - These sell like hot cakes, so buy early! Outstanding aged Cashew Cheese Wheels in Smoke or Pepper, and silky Scallion Cream Cheese! (gluten & soy free)

• Lael Cakes – Find your sweet tooth through beautiful Coconut Rum Cake w/ Passion Fruit Icing, Lemon Poppy Cake w/ Lavender Rosemary Icing, and Mint Chocolate Chunk Cookies! (gluten, soy & nut free)

• Heat Sweets - Try the brand new sweet ‘n’ spicy Jalapeno Mango Carrot Fruit Leather! Plus pick up specially priced gift sets of mini hot jellies and relishes!

• Monks Meats – You won’t go hungry after Mushroom Pepper Steak Sandwiches, the ultimate Lasagna, and Stewed Pot Roast Hot Pockets! Not to mention all 4 flavors of seitan sold in half pound containers.

• Gone Pie – Get stocked up on the best of the best like Vanilla Macaroons, Chocolate Almond Tarts, Choc-Covered Tahini Cookies, Carrot Cake w/ Caramashew Cream Cheese Frosting, Brownies, and more! (gluten free)

• Vegan Bodega – Check out their new products like Jerky from Morels The Vegan Butcher and Coconut Bacon from Phoney Baloney’s!

• Green Pirate Juice Truck - Not only can you score the most amazing, healthful drinks around like Walk The Plank(a superfood green juice) and Monkey Vibes(banana berry coco choco smoothie), but you’re gifted 15% off any 3 or 5 day Juice Cleanse Package when you sign up this Saturday!! Not to be missed!

And that’s just a wink of the findings you’ll see this Saturday! Let’s not forget Donuts from Cinnamon Snail Food Truck, Fresh Juice Ice Pops from Monster Haus, Ethiopian Brunch by Bunna Cafe, and Raw Cookie Confections by Sweet.!

Then nap and fast on Friday (unless you were lucky enough to snag a ticket to Mr. Cinnamon Snail’s Decadent Vegan Breakfast class!),  so you’re ready for Saturday: Day one of the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival, then the Mercy-for-Animals-benefiting afterparty, and then 4-Course Vegan is back in town for one night only!

And then on Sunday, back to the Festival with you and your stomach!

All these events and many many more are listed on our NYC Vegan Events Calendar. (Are we missing anything? Let us know!)

This month, we’ll be benefiting FAUN NJ. FAUN (Friends of Animals United) is a nonprofit coalition of New Jersey/New York-based animal/earth liberation activists who are bound by the twin objectives of exposing and working against animal exploitation. They employ their energies/resources in tactile, visible ways such as public demonstrations, marches, educational outreach and leafleting, to elevate public consciousness about modern animal slavery. Stuff some dollars in their donation jar, stock up on their raffle tickets so you can walk away with some great prizes, and buy your mama a FAUN t-shirt, button, hat, and/or patch!

Music by DJ Grand Format, DJ Megan Rascal, DJ3dg, and DJ Jason Das!

Wanna let all your Internet friends know you’re going? RSVP on Facebook if you’re of the mindset to do so.

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. Do you represent an animal rights group you think should be the beneficiary of an upcoming Vegan Drinks NYC? Visit vegandrinks.org/beneficiaries to learn more about how to make that happen.

You can also bake for them! Lots and lots of details are on the Facebook page.

You can even ignore the baked goods and just buy some shoes or whatever from Moo Shoes; they’re donating 10% of the day’s sales to Sea Shepherd.

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

• NY Coalition for Healthy School Food
• Vegan Outreach
• Sea Shepherd
• Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary 
• Goosewatch NYC
• Citizen Radio
• De La Tierra and Chef Oscar
• The New Luv
• Vegan Long Island
• Bunna Café
• Ramona Cadogan
• Veg Strong
• Erik Walton Photography

Oh that bread!

The NEXT Vegan Drinks NYC is happening on Thursday, February 28th at Fontana’s Bar (105 Eldridge Street, Manhattan) from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Join us as we benefit FAUN NJ (Friends of Animals United) and let the world know you’re going by RSVPing at Facebook.

Do you represent an animal rights group you think should be the beneficiary of an upcoming Vegan Drinks NYC? Visit vegandrinks.org/beneficiaries to learn more about how to make that happen.

Get on our mailing list!

Vaute Couture, the premiere vegan high-end fashion line, will have a solo show at  New York Fashion Week next Wednesday, February 6. This is a very big deal. Vaute makes vegan ethics a big part of their brand, bringing the message to an industry that is not generally too concerned with such things. Even if you don’t care about fashion, I hope all friends of animals join me in congratulating Vaute’s Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart in landing such a prestigious show. And if you do care about fashion, well…

There’s a few ways you can get on the list to attend the show, including directly from Vaute Couture. (Even if you can’t make it to the show, you should click that link just to enjoy Leanne’s delightful sleep-deprived geeking out over Sailor Moon.) Here’s the details about the show itself:

I’ve had my outerwear & tee line for a few years now, but this past year I’ve been working on research & development of my first full RTW line, including tops, satin dresses, skirts, pants, and sweaters- made from the latest in vegan and eco fabrics some which have never been shown before or used before in production. This includes luxe organic cotton velvet that’s quilted with recycled Thinsulate for colorful whimsical coats with details of metallic vegan leather made of all recycled fibers, printed organic blouses, 100% recycled satin pants, waxed canvas skirts & pants, and more… Including some mens too!

My show is sponsored partially by the amazing Humane Society of the United States, because they work so hard to educate the fashion industry about the cruelties of fur and using animals in fashion. If you haven’t seen their video by Woody Harrelson yet, here it is. Also sponsored by our awesome makeup team doing all vegan makeup from DeVita, & amazing hair will be by Champu Salon in NYC, who uses all vegan products. Cutest sweets designed just for the show in my fav flavors (like matcha & strawberry) are being whipped up by noneother than the grossly talented Danielle Konya and her Vegan Treats team. I LOVE her (is an understatement)… plus music spun by DJ Diggy Lloyd, her cuteness will also stun you.

Oh & adoptable puppies dogs (might) be on site as a few of the models? We’ll see! Sh!

Puppies. C’mon.

-The faces of The Facebook mounted a campaign to save a ‘Gay Dog‘ from being put down by a Tennessee kill shelter. Gawker covered the story and the dog was rescued! Yay!

-Want to know your state’s animal-related laws and their penalties? The ASPCA has made it easy!

-The European Union is set to ban animal testing for cosmetics forever!

-Will 2013 be the year of ag-gag bills? Our old compatriot Susie Cagle thinks so.

-Arizona lawmaker seeks ban on awarding live animals as carnival prizes. And he’s a Republican!

-”Going Vegan in the NFL” has zero mention of ethics. Do any of these guys care about the leather they’re fumbling?

-Gross. Professional athletes are spraying deer antler velvet into their mouths to stimulate muscle growth. Ew, also.

-Dust off those passports and book your tickets: the biggest vegan festival in the world is coming to London this October! 

-Or, if you’re not up for international travels, here’s the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival lineup for 2013, and there’s more to come! How soon is March again?

Join us THIS Thursday, January 31, from 7:00pm to 10:00pm for Vegan Drinks NYC! Find us at Fontana’s Bar, located at 105 Eldridge Street on the Lower East Side. Harmony Kitchen NYC will be serving Southern BBQ Panini, Chick Melt Panini*, Grilled Chipotle Tofu Sandwich*, Spicy Hummus Avocado Wrap*, Chorizo Empanada, Spinach Empanada, Dill Potato Salad*, “Bacon” Caesar Salad, Chocolate Chocolate Brownie*, and White Chocolate Macadamia Cookie (*gluten free or gluten-free option available)!

This month, we’ll be benefiting the New York Coalition for Healthy School Food (NYCHSF). NYCHSF introduces plant-based foods and nutrition education in schools to educate the whole school community. The organization does this by working with school districts to develop recipes with a special focus on the entrée, and developing curriculum and other educational resources for use in the classroom. Stuff some dollars in their donation jar and stock up on their raffle tickets so you can walk away with the following great prizes:

• Candle 79 Gift Certificate
• Pure Food and Wine Gift Certificate
• Vaute Couture Item
• One Month Equinox Gym Membership
• Free Class or One Day Workshop at the Open Center
• + more to come!

Music by DJ Grand Format, DJ Megan Rascal, and DJ Jason Das!

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. Do you represent an animal rights group you think should be the beneficiary of an upcoming Vegan Drinks NYC? Visit vegandrinks.org/beneficiaries to learn more about how to make that happen.