Listen up! Natalie goes vegan!

As readers know, October was the third annual Vegan Month of Food. Started by celebrity chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz, vegan mofos everywhere posted daily blogs in celebration of our favorite subject — food! Vegan Month of Food kicked off with World Vegetarian Day and ends with a bang tomorrow at the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival. In addition to this sandwich of events, here is a completely subjective roundup of things that made October one mofo of a month!

In the Mainstream

Vegan for the Animals
Author Jonathan Safran Foer made a big splash with a taster from his new book Eating Animals, published as a feature article in the NY Times Magazine‘s Food issue. After reading Eating Animals, actress Natalie Portman went vegan and announced her reasons in her essay “Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals Turned Me Vegan” for the Huffington Post (that counts as a MoFo blog, right?). Blink 182 drummer (and rehabilitated puppy-juicer) Travis Barker has once again seen the light. He says he’s back to being vegetarian and “almost full blown vegan now.”

Vegan for the Environment
We’ve been saying it all along but it looks like we may finally be arriving at a tipping point. Even mainstream sources and enviro orgs are agreeing that eating meat causes global warming and going veg reduces your carbon footprint. Omnivore’s Dilemma author and foodie darling Michael Pollan stuck his foot in it by stating: “A vegan in a Hummer has a lighter carbon footprint than a beef eater in a Prius.” Then retracted the statement the next day. I thought it was fuzzy math to begin with (here’s an interview with one of the original researchers and number crunchers), but I hope his blunder doesn’t cloud the issue, which is that vegans have a substantially lighter overall effect on the environment than meat-eaters. Duh. Joining the bandwagon, the WorldWatch Institute’s latest magazine asks the question, “Carnivorism and climate change: Is it worse than we thought?”

Vegan for the Food
As readers know, Oprah featured vegan chef Tal Ronnen’s new book on her show, bumping Conscious Cook to the Amazon bestseller list and potentially turning millions on to yummy food, and actress Alicia Silverstone released her book The Kind Diet. But in the race to veganize the world, two important developments also occurred: Gardein released its line of tasty frozen vegan meaty treats on World Vegetarian Day, and Daiya dairy-free cheese exploded into restaurants and stores near you (without even being released in the retail market yet).

Vegan for Health
On Oprah’s website (I do not have a fixation — she’s a big deal), Ultimate Wellness author Kathy Freston asked the question “Can a Plant-Based Diet Cure Cancer?” in a discussion with China Study author T. Colin Campbell. The USDA released a tip sheet guide for a healthy vegetarian diet that is, drum roll please: 100% vegan. I kid not: see for yourself.

Vegan … just cuz
Ethicist and Animal Liberation author Peter Singer caused an uproar by proposing a tax on meat-eaters while the UK’s leading authority on climate change, Lord Stern of Brentford (who is not veg), ruffled feathers by suggesting that in the future, eating meat may become as socially unacceptable as drunk driving.

Awesome Activist Movies

“Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home”, the long-awaited documentary by Tribe of Heart, premiered earlier this month, winning Best Feature Documentary at the Moondance Film Festival in Boulder, CO. Check here for upcoming screenings. “Fowl Play: The Untold Story Behind Your Breakfast”, an award-winning short documentary by Mercy For Animals, was released this month on DVD. Activists are holding screenings across the country. Organize one in your community!

November: Look out! Next month will also be a MoFo!

Whew! As if October wasn’t jam-packed enough, more awesome vegan-full days are still coming. Check it out:

Isa and Terry’s new cookie book comes out on the 10th!

The sold out annual New York League of Humane Voters gala happens on the 12th.

Farm Sanctuary is throwing its annual Thanksgiving FOR the Turkeys at its two shelters on the 21st, and a Vegan Thanksgiving Brunch at NYC’s Tavern on the Green with guest speaker Jonathan Safran Foer on the 22nd!

Stay tuned folks, and keep blogging vegan mofos!

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

Not a NYC bagel.

People in this town are convinced they are bagel experts. They know the best shop, the appropriate hour to stop in and what combination of toppings rounds it all out. What makes a NYC bagel better than the ones in other cities? It’s not the water, it’s the attitude.

The gluten-tolerant SuperVegan staff members want to help you locate the best bagels in the bagel capital of the world:

Deborah Diamant insists that Bergen Bagels (473 Bergen St., Brooklyn) toasts her whole wheat everything bagel before applying a liberal layer of scallion tofu.

Jason Das can be found eating a whole wheat sesame bagel with scallion tofu, cucumber and tomato at Bagel Bob’s (51 University Pl., Manhattan).

Olivia Lane, who buys her bagels at Earthmatters (177 Ludlow St., Manhattan), thinks bagels are best nude, like all great things.

Patrick Kwan loves Bagels On the Square (7 Carmine St., Manhattan) where he orders a toasted sun-dried tomato bagel with sun-dried tomato tofu for an über tomato kick.

Tod Emko keeps it simple at Bagels & More (331 Lexington Ave., Manhattan) with plain tofu on a whole wheat bagel.

Our vegan accountant, Kim, is a fan of Terrace Bagels (224 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn) and thinks toasted plain bagels with sliced tomatoes is a tasty, economically sound meal.

What’s your favorite bagel, Dear Reader?

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

Preheat your Broiler. Cut heads of broccoli in half and blanch in boiling water for 4 minutes. Dry on Paper towels and place on a greased cookie sheet (Figure A.) Rub each floret with Veganaise and sprinkle with salt, pepper and nutritional yeast (Figure B). Place under Broiler for 10 minutes or until blackened.(Figure C) Serve as a delicious side dish to your meal (Figure D).

I didn’t invent this recipe, but I’d be hard pressed to tell you where it originated from. I know it was in a Men’s magazine; this is my veganized version of that recipe.

Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

Vegetable Coconut Korma waves goodbye

Today’s was, in all likelihood, my last — and I have to say, best — meal at Madras Café, the beloved East Village kosher vegetarian Indian restaurant (that beats the pants off the 6th Street cluster). Reviewer evelinemater tipped us off to the restaurant’s closing, which could happen any time, says owner Manny, and could be as soon as Saturday — eep! If you’re hankering for one of their dosas, a garlic paratha, or some channa saag, get thee to Madras immediately! This is your last chance!

Or maybe not. Manny says he plans to reopen Madras, with the same menu, at some unknown location on Long Island (please be in Farmingdale, please be in Farmingdale). He owns another, non-vegetarian restaurant in Flushing that will remain open.

So tonight I say a tearful Farewell, Madras. Farewell to your creamy coconut korma, your succulent soy chunks, your veggie-packed biryani, your vegan lassis, your spicy coconut chutney, and even your fluffy white rice. Goodnight, Madras. Goodnight sweet Madras!

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

UPDATE, 11/13: Madras is still open with no update on when they will close. Why do they play with us so?

After eating this I might have wept a little.

That’s Oh My Gosh Cupcakes, and yes, they will make you shout their namesake phrase. This afternoon I sat down with a couple of friends to enjoy the goodies Andie and her crew baked and delivered (on time and beautifully packaged in corn-based plastic cupcake holders). Let’s meet the edibles!

Carrot Cake
The first cupcake we tried, the carrot cake concoction, is my favorite, and I’ll tell you why: it is perfect. I know you can barely stand superlatives so I have to explain myself the only way I know how — with a list.
1. The carrot flavor is king to the raisin and vanilla peasantry.
2. It has a tight crumb without being too dense.
3. The sweet, decadent icing complements a cake that could knock a man down on its own.
4. Extra points for mini carrot decoration on top.
My only complaint is that it contains raisins, but I can’t criticize it for that since most people like raisins and wouldn’t call this carrot cake without them. If you like raisins, or even if you aren’t hot on them, take it from a woman who usually can’t stand ‘em: you will love this cake.

Maple Cinnamon
Oh, these are really very good. A little dry, yes, but they offer a powerful blend of maple and cinnamon that’s just right for fall. Again, a lovely, sweet frosting with a not-so-sweet cake. Hand me the almond milk, Sally.

Vanilla Agave
Oh, Vanilla Agave cupcake, you are so close to perfect. Your cake is aromatic, your crumb is just right, you have a round, sweet flavor. But alas, you are topped with a too-sugary frosting (especially for an agave cupcake). Without your topping, you’re a 10.

Red Velvet
This is not a cupcake; it is a work of art. Look at that adorable AND classy heart atop the frosting and the deep red coloring of the cake beneath. Just look at it! Eating it is a slightly different story, though. I thought it was a little bland, and the frosting didn’t taste like cream cheese to me, just vanilla.

Double Chocolate
I thought this one would be my favorite, but it was a bit dry and not chocolate-y enough. More wet ingredients, please.

Caliente Hot Chocolate
An adventurous take on an old staple, the Caliente Hot Chocolate cupcakes have a lovely spicy/sweet aftertaste. They’re a little crumbly because they’re so darn moist, but hey, hip, hip for moist cupcakes!

In conclusion, I think OMG Cupcakes saved my life. On my recently limited diet I didn’t think I’d make it another week without something bread-like. (Really, I was totally going to sneak a bagel at some point. No one would have known except my victimized body.) I would never have guessed that these flavorful, delicately decorated morsels are gluten-free. Thank you, Andie and company for these wonderful treats!

OMG offers vegan, gluten-free, and traditional cupcakes. They deliver throughout New York City, free of charge between 96th Street and Canal Street with a $24 order. These sweet sweets are available at Elm Health (1st Avenue and 88th Street) and Cafe One (Amsterdam and 139th Street). You can also order them online at omgcupcakesnyc.com.

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

Maybe they dropped Futura cause of that weird-looking question mark. Ikea’s Milk Chocolate and Hazelnut flavors have dairy, but Mörk’s ingredients are all vegan.

Ikea restaurants are pretty great places to eat. The views are killer (at least in Red Hook and South Philly, the only Ikeas I’ve eaten at recently) and the food is dirt cheap. While they’re not all that vegan-friendly, I’m quite happy with getting french fries, salad, coffee, and a veggie wrap, all for about $6.

I’d also become quite a fan of Ikea’s dark chocolate, Choklad Mörk, which boasts all-vegan ingredients and a respectable enough 60% cocoa content, and is a pretty good deal at 100g for 99¢. After a year or so of eating Mörk, I took a closer look at the nutrition info and was shocked to discover 4mg cholesterol per serving listed in the nutritional information panel.

I always thought dietary cholesterol only occurred in animal products. Yet all of the listed ingredients are vegan. Is there some animal ingredient in the chocolate that is not listed, or is the nutritional breakdown incorrect? (I am assuming that the “may contain traces of egg and milk protein” refers only to shared manufacturing equipment and would not account for such a significant amount of cholesterol being present.) A bit of internet researching reveals that plants do contain a small amount of cholesterol. But it’s a tiny amount.

The Curious Waveform blog cites a study in the Journal of Chemical Education which claims this is uncommon knowledge even amongst chemists, and points out that “the USDA does not state the existence of cholesterol when it is less than 2 mg/serving, which is the case with plant products.”

As Dina Aronson wrote as VegFamily.com “the ratio of plant cholesterol to plant fat in foods is one to 20,000. If we try to measure the ratio of plant cholesterol to the total weight of plants, it would be one in several million. That’s why we round the cholesterol number to ZERO when reporting the nutritional components of food.” (Though elsewhere in another of her undated columns she states “the only way to get dietary cholesterol is from animal products”.)

OK, so I learned some science. But how the hell could plant ingredients equal 4mg of cholesterol per 33⅓g serving?

I wrote to foodservices@memo.ikea.com and asked them about it. A few messages back and forth with Ikea Food representative Josefine Hallberg didn’t help clear things up much. Here’s the salient parts of her responses:

The dark chocolate contains a relatively high amount of saturated fat and thereof comes the small amount of cholesterol that is listed in the ingredients list. The total amount of cholesterol per 100g chocolate is 11mg.

We have been in contact with our supplier of the chocolate and they affirm that the saturated fat comes from cocoa butter, so this has to be seen as vegetarian. The supplier also affirm that they do not add something which is not on the ingredient list.

No, the nutritional analysis is correct. The supplier confirms that the saturated fat (from cocoa butter) contains a small amount of cholesterol (11mg/100g chocolate).

Does this make any sense? Are you (or do you know) a chemist or food scientist or nurtitionist who can help explain what’s going on here?

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

Pierre digs Chef Tal

I’ve got Peter Gabriel’s song “Big Time” stomping through my head. Here’s why: The all-vegan cookbook by Chef Tal Ronnen, Conscious Cook: Delicious Meatless Recipes to Change the Way You Eat (which was released on October 6), is now number three on Amazon’s bestseller list and number two on Barnes & Noble’s.

I’m on my way, I’m making it: Big Time!

Chef Tal is beloved by many, but perhaps the most influential in the Tal Fanclub is Oprah Winfrey. (I’m not one to really care about celebrities, but even I admit she’s pretty big-time.) Conscious Cook was featured on her show yesterday. For those not in the know, Tal Ronnen was Oprah’s personal chef for her 21-day vegan ‘cleanse’. Check out today’s headline on her home page under the Food section–there’s a picture of Chef Tal and the headline: “Go vegetarian with recipes from The Conscious Cook.”

Chef Tal is a vegan evangelist through food. Aside from being a creative chef who rubs elbows with the highest echelons of celebrity, Ronnen serves as an adviser to college and corporate cafeterias on veganizing their menus and has worked with major gourmet vegan restaurants (read his official bio). He also helped in the development of the new vegan meat-replacer Gardein (check out SuperVegan’s reviews of Gardein).

In the book’s introduction, Quantum Wellness author Kathy Freston gushes: “It’s chefs like Tal who are leading the revolution in conscious cuisine; his exquisite, seasonal, and plant-based fare is simply some of the best food in the world.”

My sister-in-law (who is a head librarian for the New Haven Free Public Library) just brought the book home for us to test out some of the recipes on our half-carnivorous household. I pawed through and was surprised to see that the word vegan is all over the place (as opposed to the supposedly ‘safer’ word vegetarian)–it even has an opening chapter all about “being vegan.”

Conscious Cook is a beautiful gourmet cookbook with color photos accompanying each recipe. It is geared toward meat-eaters (Ronnen’s introduction screams “Welcome Meat-eaters!” and closes with: “I PROMISE, YOU WON’T MISS THE MEAT”–yes, all in caps) and cooks who prefer French gourmet cuisine (entrees centered around a meat-like substance). What’s cool about the book is that it features guest chefs, like Madeleine Bistro‘s Dave Anderson, and their own original menu and recipes, and interviews with vegan entrepreneurs, such as Follow Your Heart‘s Bob “Mayo Man” Goldberg.

It’s kinda cool to think that just maybe this could be a big step in veganism becoming even more mainstream and having some staying power–if Conscious Cook is number three on the Amazon bestseller list, is it delusional to assume that at least some people will try at least one or two recipes and even like them (before shelving the book for show)? One can only hope.

I’ve been vegan for 20 years, so it is mind-blowing to have a vegan book be such a bestseller, pimped by one of the most influential Americans on earth. I’ve adjusted Peter Gabriel’s “Big Time” to:

Ve-gan: we’re on our way we’re making it. Vegan! We’re gonna watch it growing!

Forgive my goofiness. I think I’d better feed my brain. I’m gonna stroll over to the community garden, pick an armful of kale, and try making Chef Tal’s Braised Kale. (Here’s a taster of recipes from Chef Tal’s book.)

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

Being a touring Vegan musician is never easy; there’s a delicate balance between starving and knowing what, when and where you can grub. If you travel throughout a region enough, you get to know the standbys, the health food stores and the one-offs.

Sometimes it’s the potato chips that save you. Other times, it’s the grocery store hummus and pita. Every so often though, you get a treat and find a new veg*n place you never knew existed.

Enter Garden Grille Cafe in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. I was in the area recently playing a festival and happened upon this spot. It’s an unassuming joint located in what could best be described as a strip mall. The food is straight cafe fare; sandwiches, wraps, pizzas and salads.

I’d be hard pressed to write a proper review, because, well, I was hungry and the sweet taste of vegan nosh always skews one’s vision when all you’ve had is water and some nuts – to me it was all delicious. So, I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Gluten Free Vegan Mac & Cheese with Brocoli

Soy Chicken Strips & Homemade Vegan BLT with avocado

Garden Grille Cafe is located at 727 East Avenue, Pawtucket, RI 02860,

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

Andy amidst Catskill Mountain foliage. Photo: Roseann Marulli

Big tent. Friendly critters. Funny emcee. Yummy food. Cool music. No, it wasn’t the circus, it was the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary‘s annual ThanksLiving.

Over 250 people came for this sold out event Sunday to visit with rescued farm animals and enjoy a fabulous sit-down all-vegan meal. ThanksLiving rather than Thanksgiving is a celebration of turkeys and other farmed animals during a season traditionally centered on meals of dead animals. This is the third year I have volunteered for this event, and here’s my “take” on it:

The weather report promised a 100 percent chance of precipitation, but we were lucky. The cold schvitz of the morning gave way to light banks of clouds by the afternoon. The sanctuary is nestled between two Catskill mountains, which were resplendent in fall foliage. A giant heated tent was set up in the goat pasture, with elegant light fixtures, dozens of white-clothed tables, and a stage.

The Critters
First, of course, let’s visit with the animals. The welcoming committee of turkey boys greeted visitors, looking regal with their fans of white tail feathers. Folks marveled at their fuchsia (now pink, now blue!) snoods and wattles, while the curious boys ogled back, moving up close to check us out.

Turkey welcoming committee. Photo: Roseann Marulli

I touched base with familiar friends—Sophie the black and white pig, who grunted in greeting and sleepily pulled herself up from a nap when she heard my voice; Dylan, a former veal calf now van-size steer, offered me his snout for rubs; and Anne the cute-as-a-button Boer goat and young escape artist. Albie, the three-legged goat bopped around on his new fake leg as Louise the beautiful ewe hung out with her sheep posse, eyeing visitors from a distance.

Sophie takes a mud bath (2008). Photo: Cat Clyne

There was the spanking-new duck pond to admire and its new residents to meet: Teddi and Quincy. Teddi provided a lively commentary as he proudly showed me his new digs (occasionally nipping my jeans to accentuate a point), while Quincy gracefully bathed in the man-made pond, complete with a waterfall cascading down rocks.

There was a coop full of new black and white chickens to meet. They were recently rescued from a live-kill market in New York City. 110 chickens in all were brought to the farm, many sickly and injured. This is a reality most New Yorkers are unaware of: there are roughly 100 markets around the city where people can buy meat from animals freshly killed on the premises. Some animals escape and many are confiscated by authorities due to neglect and cruelty; these city critters end up at our local sanctuaries (one more reason why New Yorkers should support their work!).

A high point for me was meeting Ciyalana the 11 year-old African Spurred tortoise (they can live up to 80 years!). He’s got little buck teeth and a sweet ‘smile’. A few years ago, some kids tried to bash in his shell with a brick, so he has an alarming gash in his armor. But that doesn’t stop him from liking humans. We spent a little time checking each other out. Here’s a crazy-cute video of him eating dinosaur kale!!!

Ciyalana – tank with legs. Photo: Cat Clyne

The Food
I wouldn’t be a vegan if I didn’t talk about the food, right? I worked in the kitchen throughout the event, so I had an up-close perspective.

While guests milled about the merchandise, raffle and silent auction tables, platters of hors d’oeuvres were offered: spicy meatballs with carrot-ginger sauce, veggie dumplings, bbq seitan skewers, and stuffed mushrooms.

The dinner plates were filled to the rims with a festival of seasonal fare: Blue corn crusted seitan with chimichurri sauce (a hearty specialty of local restaurant New World Home Cooking), savory stuffing (whole cranberries made a nice touch), warm Tuscan farro salad with butternut squash, and roasted seasonal veggies. Sweet potato and walnut biscuits from all-vegan Karma Road Deli topped off the feast.

Dinner plate. Photo: Roseann Marulli

What’s a Thanksgiving meal without a rockin’ dessert?! Provided by the famous Bethlehem, PA-based bakery Vegan Treats, there was a selection of delectable cakes: spicy pumpkin cheesecake, death by chocolate, and peanut butter bomb. Bakery founder Danielle Konya was on hand to help cut and serve the cakes.

Cakes in the kitchen. Photo: Roseann Marulli

The Entertainment
Bizarro cartoonist, WFAS Board member, and all around funny guy Dan Piraro suavely emceed the evening, keeping things moving smoothly with jokes and witty commentary.

Nathan Runkle, founder of Ohio-based grassroots group Mercy For Animals, gave an empowering talk with enough facts about factory-farmed animals to bring the reality home, but staying positive by reminding people that they can help animals by choosing vegan food. John Phillips talked about his impressive work with the New York League of Humane Voters and local shelter director Brian Shapiro gave a shout-out to the Ulster County SPCA.

Then Jenny Brown took the stage – the illustrious co-founder and director of the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. She told stories about the animals at the sanctuary and featured some wonderful stills by photographer (and longtime volunteer) Bob Esposito. She gave an impassioned plea on behalf of farmed animals by outlining what many of them go through, particularly the suffering of dairy cows and egg laying hens. She brought the mood back up again with an outrageously cute video of Fern, a little blond goat and recent arrival at the farm. Too cute.

The evening was nicely topped off with live music by the NYC-based band Ida. They started with some mellow mood music as people gathered by the stage, then picked up the pace with folk-rock songs. They are a strong supporter of animal issues and a regular guest at WFAS events.

By the end of the event, the sun was peeking through the clouds as people picked up their bulging gift bags.

Big top in the goat pasture. Photo: Roseann Marulli

Some people commented that the food wasn’t as fabulous as years past (ok: it’s no easy feat topping the meals of the past two years featuring dishes handmade on site by celebrity vegan chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz—I am remembering her mouthwatering chickpea cutlets with mushroom gravy…). But in my view, this year’s ThanksLiving was a fine mixture of good food, uplifting (and brief) talks, fabulous raffle and silent auction prizes, and weather that was warm enough to allow for quality outdoor time with the animal residents of the sanctuary.

Hats off to the staff, board, and army of volunteers who made this a super-smooth event. To support the work of the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary and find out how to visit, see their website: woodstockfas.org.

Thanks to fellow SuperVegan Roseann Marulli for sharing her lovely photos. See more of them on her FaceBook page.

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

Didja hear? It rained in LA. Don’t worry! It’s right back to 92 and sunny, but for a few days there, it was a sure sign of the apocalypse. People were FREAKING OUT.

I, on the other hand, put on long pants and close-toed shoes for the first time in a long time, went to Trader Joe’s for provisions, followed the directives of my fauxtein (“Cook with me!”) and made stew with the beefless tips provided by the good people at Gardein. I loosely followed this recipe, adding way more veggies (peas, two kinds of green beans, mushrooms, tomatoes), some extra spices (salt, garlic, thyme, rosemary) and swapping out the onion soup mix for some “beef” broth.

Results, Day 1: (There will be many days worth of stew.) It looks better than it tastes. It’s disappointingly bland. The Beefless is also flavorless. Or, the flavor it has is not what I want in m’stew. I thought about marinating them beforehand, but I kinda wanted to see how it would turn out used as-is. Lesson learned: do not use as is. But even the veggies are bland. I’m not sure if this is due to crock pot cooking, which I have never done before, or the flash freezing process they surely endured. Save yourself appx. $25 on groceries, and just saute some $3 mushrooms, cause that’s all I taste.

Results, Day 2: No magical vegan elves came and fixed it overnight, but it’s improved slightly. “The flavors have gotten to know each other” as my mom says, but not nearly enough. I’m still not proud to have birthed it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still going to eat it. The texture’s good, it’s thickened up a bit, and well, it’s there.

Results, Day 3: I heard a some high pitched giggling, jingling, and pitter pattering in my kitchen during the night–I got up, sharpened my elbows, and went to check it out (I had been cat food burgled by a hungry raccoon last week, so I’m on high alert). I found the crock pot out of the fridge, a tiny pouch of Magic Yummy Dust on the counter, and one abandoned elfin slipper near the cat door. The stew is delicious! Robust and full of various tastes! I think there’s even more of it than there was before!

(Okay, I haven’t had any since day 2, but I wanted to end on a posi note.)

Next up: Chicken Scaloppini.

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

I flew into Portland on Friday to attend this year’s National Animal Law Conference at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, OR. I visited the “Brooklyn of the West” to make my jeans fit tighter and attend conference sessions on issues relating to the criminal prosecution of animal cruelty, the link between domestic violence and animal abuse, the intersectionality between animal rights and human rights, and so on and so forth.

But, in honor of Vegan MoFo III, you want to hear about the food, right? For the first time in a very long time, I received a vegan meal on the plane. I stopped requesting them long ago, but my Continental Airlines frequent flyer profile still lists me as a scary, radical vegan. Much to my surprise, about an hour into the flight, a box containing a vegan soy patty with cheese on a whole wheat English muffin appeared on my tray table. It was surprisingly good. A partially frozen fruit cocktail, a Sara Lee “bagel”, Smart Balance (the vegan kind) and a packet of Mrs. Dash, which I’m still not sure of its intended use, accompanied it. Continental gets thumbs up on the English muffin sandwich and for getting me to Portland on time.

My first stop in Portland was La Bonita for some of the tastiest black beans to pass through my digestive track. For only $6.95, I procured a large plate with two soft tacos, a heaping mound of rice, a liberal portion of beans and chunky guacamole. Good job, NE Portland.

A few of my friends then piled into a car and we headed off to Seattle for the night. Inappropriate dinner conversation was shared at Teapot in the East Capital Hill neighborhood. I am pretty much a pro at consuming vegan Pan-Asian food, but Teapot introduced me to the Mandarin Crispy Tofu, a thickly battered soy fillet fried to golden brown perfection. Where can I find this in NYC, East Coasters?

The food at the National Animal Law Conference never disappoints. Coffee flows freely. As do the pastries, breads, Tofutti and Earth Balance. (Mom, yes, they serve fruit, too.) During the conference sessions, the snack room provisions are replenished by a mighty team of caterers. Saturday’s lunch included a choice of sandwiches (gluten free option available!). I opted for the butternut squash and caramelized fennel on a baguette, a fitting combination of flavors as we move further into the best season ever.

Equally as important as my attendance at the conference was spending time with my family of Portland friends. On Saturday night, we filed into Portobello, which is currently my favorite Portland restaurant. Chef Aaron makes the kind of Italian food that reminds you that pasta need not be relegated to a lazy weeknight dinner. Take one bite of his lightly pan fried gnocchi or pumpkin cappellacci smothered in cashew cream sauce and hazelnuts and you will become a believer, too.

Saturday nights in Portland should include a trip to Whiffies and Potato Champion. After standing in the carts’ lot at SE 12th Avenue and SE Hawthorne for about an hour whining about how full we were from our Portobello feast, someone who will remain nameless said to herself, “screw it,” and ordered a cone of always-perfect fries with satay sauce and Vegenaise from Potato Champion. Quickly, all of her friends became “a little hungry” and helped her finish the fries. Then her friends carried her home and put her to bed.

After grazing on more pastries and a faux bánh mì mushroom sandwich during Sunday’s animal law conference sessions, I rode a bus to the vegan minimall and filled my bag with such revered vegan staples as Tartex, Dandies marshmallows, Go Max Go’s Jokerz candy bars and Leahy’s Mac and Cheese sauce at Food Fight Vegan Grocery. I snuck into the all-vegan Scapegoat Tattoo and chatted with the über talented Brian Wilson while he made permanent markings on some guy’s back. (You are a strong dude, Scapegoat customer.)

Following a pit stop at Voodoo Doughnut to procure a small selection of vegan yeast donuts for the trip back to Brooklyn, we worked our way through gigantic, thin crust slices topped with seasoned tempeh at Bella Faccia Pizzeria. We then arrived at the counter in Back to Eden, the Alberta Arts District’s newest vegan bakery boutique. I ordered a cup of Temptation soft serve with white chocolate chips and homemade caramel sauce. One of my nicer friends permitted me to try a bite of her cheesecake, which was delicately flavored with Chai tea and thoroughly refreshing.

With less than half a day of non-conference time to spend in Portland, I think I made a valiant effort to visit the best new eating experiences, as well as the perennial hits the city has to offer.

And so, the 17th National Animal Law Conference has come to a close. I’m a little wiser, a little heavier, and a whole lotta motivated to run the loop in Prospect Park this week.

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

Exhibit A: Amy’s and my chat that sparked the post

Look, I wish every piece that I did for SuperVegan was this perfect amalgam of deep thought and research; a post so fully fleshed out and full of wit that it set the comments a blaze with spirited debate. But, blogging my friends, is capricious and sometimes an MF like me has gotta write about sandwiches.

So. What did I do? I turned to my fellow SVers and posed the Question “What’s your favorite homemade sandwich?” – then the post just wrote itself. The results after the jump.

Mine:

Toasted Birdland Multi-Seed Bread, slathered in Veganaise and Tofu Cream Cheese. Topped with Tofurky peppered deli slices and crispy Tempeh Bacon; piled high with thinly sliced ripe roma tomatoes, spring mix, clover sprouts and avocado.

Cat Clyne:

On a whole wheat kaiser roll: sautee onion & garlic, slice one (or two!) Tofurkey Italian sausages into half- or quarter-inch rounds, add to onion & garlic and brown. Spoon ready-made marinara sauce onto browned sausage, enough to cover. When it reaches a simmer, spoon onto the bun and … yum!

With a simple spinach salad (crushed walnuts, sliced mushrooms & green apple), that’s quite a quick meal.

Tod Emko:

My vegetarian dogs prefer:

Organic peanut butter and jelly on sourdough rolls with a side of
lightly salted popcorn.

My vegan cats prefer:

Boca veggie burgers with vegannaise on whole wheat buns.

Deb Diamant:

Two Ingredients, Total Gluttony: Moshe’s Vegetarian Chicken Salad (it’s vegan!) on Bread Alone’s rosemary ciabatta!

Laura Leslie:

On homemade whole-wheat-flaxseed bread: slather Veganaise on one slice of the bread and Annie’s Organic Dijon Mustard on the other. Add a generous slice of fresh tomato sprinkled with garlic salt and freshly-ground black pepper, a thin slice of red onion, and the Hickory-Smoked flavor of Tofurkey Deli Slices. For extra decadence, throw in some slices of avocado.

Patrick Kwan
Patrick is such a baller he provided a link to a recipe for his favorite sandwich. (Scroll down to see his)

Jason Das:

Valencia Peanut Butter, Strawberry Jam, and Sliced Banana on Lightly Toasted Whole Grain Sandwich Bread. Slice diagonally, if you’re feeling fancy.

Samantha Cohen

Untuna sandwich

1 can of chickpeas, thoroughly smashed
1 tbsp of nori flakes
2 tbsp of vegan mayo
4 celery sticks, chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients. Serve on a roll with a slice of vegan cheese, lettuce, and tomato.

Be sure and add your favorites in the comments below!

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

Two to a pack, these cutlets are breaded balls with sauce and cheese in the middle. The package said, “Enjoy me” on it, so my mock meat was giving me orders. Now here’s what I did, and I’m not claiming to be a Top Chef or anything (Heeey, Jennifer! You don’t MESS in that kitchen.), but I will say that in my preparation for making this, my life has been altered forever. And because I love you, I’mma share:

Did you know that if your local Whole Foods uses Daiya Cheese in their prepared foods department like mine does, that you can saunter over to them with a smile and a soup container from the soup bar and they will fill it with the shredded cassava wonder and charge you for it by weight? A medium tub cost me $3.27, which by vegan standards is basically free.

So, I placed the cutlets on a baking sheet, surrounded by an army of broccoli so that they couldn’t flee, (broccoli sprayed with olive oil Pam and sprinkled with salt and pepper) and baked them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. then I took them out, covered the cutlets in some marinara sauce, covered the marinara sauce in Daiya cheese, and baked them for 5 minutes more.

Verdict: I enjoyed you. I burnt the broccoli; nay, my very very tardy dinner guest caused me to burn the broccoli. I preferred the sauce I put on top of the cutlet over the one already inside, but the chickenry was convincing and the breading was pretty perky for having just gotten off a plane, truck, and my freezer.

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

Saturday, I was thrilled to see actress Alicia Silverstone give culinary demonstrations followed by a discussion as part of the Food Network’s New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Food & Wine and Travel + Leisure magazines, Whole Foods Market and hosted by and benefiting the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength.

The veg star tied her hair back and walked us through how to prepare recipes from her new book, The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet, set for release this Tuesday, October 13.

In her book, Alicia discusses the powerful life-altering choice to become cruelty-free and the breakthroughs she experienced. She also addresses common nutritional concerns faced by those new to a plant-based. The book covers every nutritional base, from the standard protein and calcium issues and beyond.

Alicia was fun and very natural in her presentation. You could tell she was not scripted or rehearsed as she joked while adding and mixing ingredients. She’s a proponent of organic whenever possible, and Alicia is all for clean ingredients, natural sugars like brown rice syrup, “Grade B” maple syrup and Earth Balance, her go-to alternative to butter.

After demonstrating how she makes pecan-encrusted seitan (“Kids will love it and you don’t even have to tell them what it is,” she joked), Caesar Salad with croutons and a creamy tahini dressing, followed by a light cheesecake topped with fresh berries, Alicia answered questions. My mind went blank and I couldn’t think of anything to ask.

Then, I raised my hand and had the last question, “What’s your favorite snack on the go that you never get tired of?”

“Mmmmm, that’s a really hard question,” she replied, because she likes so many foods. The audience laughed. Brown rice crispy treats are her favorite; they last for days and she sometimes adds chocolate chips. “Oh, and I like a good sandwich, too.” Alicia thanked us and with a smile bid farewell.

I really enjoyed the event. I only wish the staff on hand could have provided samples to the audience, as there were many omnivores present. Then perhaps they could experience how good The Kind Diet is.

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

The Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin is touring Australia

Hello all. As you may know, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society sends a ship to Antarctica each year, to stop the Japanese whaling fleet from killing whales. What you may not know is that the entirely vegan Sea Shepherd ship must rely completely on donations from the public for its supply of food. And food is of course one of the only pleasures you’re going to get in Antarctica (so good food is prized more than gold there).

Well, Sea Shepherd has finally decided its ship’s food wish list for this year. Operation Waltzing Matilda, Sea Shepherd’s next Antarctic campaign to save the whales, takes off this December, so there’s still time to help stock the ship. The ship is currently in Australia, so it may be hard for NYC locals to donate to the ship of course, but if one reader has a friend who has a friend in Australia, or has a great deal on fedex and blenders, then who knows, concerned citizens from around the globe may all eventually pitch in to supply to the ship with all it needs. If you can, please help out! :)

Now, if you want to help but can’t get items to Australia affordably or fast, you can always donate money directly to Sea Shepherd so they can buy these items. Thank you!

Steve Irwin Current Wish List
Location: Circular Quay Sydney 10am till 5pm until Monday 12th October

Sea Shepherd Australia: australia@seashepherd.org

Need:
Sour dough starter
Industrial blender
Wooden Chopping boards
Tea towels
Scissors
Blender
Handwash
Hand blender
Food processor
Green power champion juicer
Black polar fleece balaclavas
Laptops

Food Needs:
Tempeh
Tofu
Soy milk
Olive oil
Brown rice
Icing sugar
Smoked paprika
Bragg’s bouillon/amino acids
Lemons
Limes
Soft drinks
Fruit juice
Fresh herbs (parsley, basil, cilantro, etc.)
Asian fake meat products
Tofutti products – cream cheese, sour cream, cheese slices)
Soy/veggie hot dogs/sausages
Nuts and seeds (cashews, almonds etc)
Dark vegan chocolate

Non-Food Related But Badly Needed:
AAA batteries.
Portable battery charger 6,12,24 volt.
Good quality hand held marine radios.

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

Real, authentic photograph taken when I was sleeping

To fall asleep, I count the leaves of kale in Bliss‘s Harvest Plate. The chocolate chips in Birdbath‘s vegan cookie. The dollops of vegan cream cheese on a bialy. The grains of salt in a basket of Mother’s sweet potato fries. I love me some very particular foods from all over this vegan-friendly city. Let’s face it—you can’t get everything you want from one source. There are far too many outstanding vegan dishes in New York to settle down at any one restaurant all day, so, to have the perfect day of vegan eating, you’re going to have to move around a little bit. This is my theoretical favorite foods day.

Brunch at home. There are two things that ruin the first and most important meal of the day for me everywhere else. And please, for the love of brunch, correct me if I’m wrong on either of these points. 1. All restaurants make tofu scramble with nutritional yeast, which I can’t stand, and 2. No restaurant serves Lady Grey tea, anywhere. (I am kind of a packaged tea aficionado, which I realize gives me absolutely no cache in the real world of people who don’t throw tea parties on Boxing Day.) There is not space or time here to describe the elaborate spread that would make the perfect brunch. But there was in this post, in which a few SuperVegans gathered to test recipes from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s latest cookbook for the potatoiest, scrambliest brunch in the land.

Mid-afternoon cookie at Birdbath (Build-a-Green-Bakery). I remember the day I fell in love with these, which I will now reminisce on. One tingly January night just before closing, the fellow who often works here in the evenings gave Matt a chocolate chip cookie when he ordered one of those sesame-agave diddies, saying that there was something wrong with the cookie and it had come out “too soft.” Too soft?! It turns out this is the perfect cookie, and from then on I’m just sneaking around Birdbath waiting for this guy to undercook his cookies. But as of a couple months ago, the cookies seem to be coming out consistently, wonderfully soft, which of course means I now have to pay for the perfect cookie. I like to eat this with soy milk, which they don’t serve by the glass at the bakery, so I have to bring my own in a canteen and eat the cookie at Tompkins Square Park, by the dog run.

Dinner at Candle Café. If you ask me, you cannot order anything less than the best meal you’ve ever had at Candle Café or Candle 79. Of all their spectacular offerings, my favorite is the cashew-crusted seitan with mixed greens, mashed potatoes, and oyster mushrooms. When I ate this in June, I couldn’t stop poking the mushrooms wondering if they’d served me white meat. Sadly, this wasn’t on the menu when I visited last weekend. Fooey. Maybe this gaping hole in my gustatory life will inspire me to learn to crust things like only Candle does.

I’m stopping here because I’d hate to dampen my palate with anything else after dinner at Candle, and because I refuse to get into the dynamics and subtleties of eating vegan ice cream that have sparked an unspoken war between Lula’s fanatics and Stogo zealots.

Finally, I’m free Saturday if anyone wants to make this dream a reality.

And now, your turn. Tell us about your favorite foods day!

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

A bike outside of Natural Blend on Washington Avenue does double-duty as an ice cream cone holder.

A recent announcement on the Brooklynian message boards that a Franklin Avenue “holistic and organic” coffee shop would soon open sans cow’s milk sent folks in a typing frenzy that the shop was destined to fail. Within two weeks, far in advance of the shop’s opening, the owners posted on Brooklynian that they would offer organic cow’s milk after all.

But, for a few days, I was able to bask in the thought of my corner coffee shop as a truly vegan-friendly establishment. I wasn’t surprised to learn that cow’s milk would be offered, and I’m still thrilled that such a wide variety of non-dairy milk and vegan pastries will be available. Franklin Avenue is experiencing a bit of a renaissance, so one more reoccupied storefront is a good thing. (I would be remiss not to acknowledge that gentrification is driving up prices in the few local grocery options, but there’s not enough room here to do that type of unpacking.)

Before I moved to Crown Heights, I did not expect much in the way of vegan eating beyond the options available in the neighborhood’s many fine West Indian restaurants. Since my arrival, I’ve amassed a diverse handful of go-to options when I need a quick vegan fix near my new home.

Bombay Masala on Franklin Avenue near Prospect Place makes, arguably, the best North Indian food I’ve consumed since moving to Brooklyn more than seven years ago. Get the chana saag and sit outside on the large back patio before it gets too cold!

When I’m too lazy to ride to Lula’s Sweet Apothecary, I walk around the corner to Natural Blend on Washington Avenue near St. John’s Place. Natural Blend serves $2 cones of Klein’s Kosher Non-Dairy Ice Cream, flaky vegan soy patties, fresh juices and smoothies, and a slew of prepared vegan stir fries, sandwiches and baked goods.

Chavella’s on Classon Avenue near Park Place proudly waves its “vegan options available” flag. Chavella’s has become a destination spot, so it’s often packed with both locals and those traveling by Metrocard (or bike!). They don’t stock vegan cheese or vegan sour cream, so the many vegetarian options are veganized by leaving the dairy ingredients off the plate. They serve a mean (always vegan) Tacos Verduras for only $3.

Bristen’s Eatery on Franklin Avenue at Sterling Place serves brunch, which includes a tofu scramble with vegan sausage platter, until 4pm! Bristen’s is BYOB, Wi-Fi free, and an all-around good neighborhood business that hosts a variety of special events. I hope it expands its vegan offerings soon!

Imhotep’s on Nostrand Avenue at Park Place is Brooklyn’s oldest vegetarian restaurant. In fact, it’s been 100% vegan since 1985. They serve the best vegan Caribbean food in the neighborhood. Do not leave without trying the fried “chicken,” which consists of the basic May Wah drumstick you can find throughout NYC but breaded and fried to perfection.

Franklin Avenue’s Nam’s Green Market (at St. John’s Place) keeps me in vegan product heaven in between trips to the Park Slope Food Coop. Nam’s was once a run-of-the-mill corner vegetable and fruit market. It now carries vegan specialty items like Sweet and Sara’s vegan marshmallows, Soy Whip, and Gardein. There’s even a small, but growing, gluten-free section.

Other restaurants of note: Rawstar on Washington Avenue at Prospect Place, The Islands on Washington Avenue at Eastern Parkway, and Ital Shak on Nostrand Avenue at Lincoln Place.

Breukelen Coffee House, Franklin Avenue’s “holistic and organic” coffee shop, is expected to open during October 2009.

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

My weekend consisted of Zombies (Zombieland!), Roller-Girls (Whip-It!), thoughts of Vegan Twinkies (Woody Harrelson kicks ass!), Vegan Sushi (Soy and Sake!) and plenty of Vegan Movie Candy!

In my humble opinion a movie should always be paired with some sort of snack; whether it be popcorn (most Movie Theater popcorn is vegan – sans buttersludge) or candy – even if you have to sneak it in.

Join me as I rattle through my top five favorite movie snacks!

#5 – Swedish Fish

It’s a pretty safe bet that any red-colored candy is gonna be good, and Swedish fish are! (in that chemically good kinda way). You can usually find these little guys at the movie theater in the candy counter. Really though, these are the only fish I eat.

#4 – Twizzlers

This is the only candy that I know that doubles as a drink straw, and a whip (to smack those pesky movie-talkers behind you!) And. The whole red colored candy thing. See #5.

#3 – Peanut Chews

Granted, I’ve never seen these at a movie theater, but these little bad boys are like the unofficial vegan candy bar; seriously. Sneak these lil guys in; they go good with #1.

#2 – Sour Patch Kids

First they’re Sour; then they’re sweet. (Effective advertisement if you ask me). That romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock might very well suck but Sour Patch Kids sure as hell don’t.

#1 – Popcorn!

Popcorn in Spanish is “Palomitas de Maiz” – translated: Little Doves of Corn. Seriously how could you not want to eat little doves of corn? There’s reason popcorn has stood the test of time as the world’s #1 movie snack – it’s perfect. The salty goes good with sweetness of your soda, you can eat it by the handful, it’s easy to eat in the dark and it’s perfect to share!

What’s Your Favorite Movie Snack?

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

No Hot Dog For You!

A couple of weeks ago The Village Voice pitted Baby Cakes against Doughnut Plant in a Doughnut throwdown (Babycakes won!) Yesterday they issued a veggie dog challenge in which LES’ Crif Dogs and Park Slope’s Bark went head to head.

We would care if either of these two options were actually vegan.

You see, while it’s nice that Bark uses Field Roast, they also happen to slather their dog in butter and mayo and serve it a non-vegan bun. Crif Dogs gets points for having both a vegan dog and toppings but falls a little short with their non-vegan bun* (And really, what’s a hotdog without a bun?)

According to our handy-dandy restaurant guide Foodswings is the only place serving up all-vegan hotdogs. (although, to be fair, Kate’s Joint should probably get a mention).

Any SV readers out there know of a good places to get an all-vegan hotdog? If you do, dump em’ in the comments section below!

*I’ve called Crif Dogs various times to confirm if their bun was vegan and have gotten mixed answers over various tries

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.

Glorious, abundant October is VeganMofo, or Vegan Month of Food, so grab your snazziest oven mitts and your computer for a month of daily blogging about anything related to vegan eats. You can sign up with Kittee, Cake Maker to the Stars, who is maintaining this year’s list of participants. If it isn’t enough to keep up with your own culinary blogging this month, just try to read every participant’s posts.

Wondering what to write? Share recipes, review vegan restaurants, host and describe a dinner party, veganize your favorite recipes, or describe that one vegan thing your mom makes for you when you visit. Whatever gets you salivating, share it!

Update: There’s an official Vegan Mofo Blog and an official Vegan Mofo Twitter account.

This is one of Supervegan’s posts for Vegan MoFo 2009.