Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Bad news about skull pudding

I need another teapot like I need another hole in my head, but every so often one is just too cool/cute/beautiful to pass up. So the other day a lovely white teapot decorated with goldfish (one of the blue-eyed fish was atop the lid, and his swirling tail formed the handle) and delicate water weeds caught my eye. It was half-price, too. It was going to be mine. Then the tea-shop proprietor mentioned that it was made of bone china.

Upon further inquiry, he explained that bone china really does contain animal bones. This was quite a surprise, since I always thought that “bone china” was a figurative term - referring to the hardness and whiteness of the china - not the literal inclusion of animal bones. (For the curious, this article explains how and why bone - bone ash, really - is included in bone china.)

I didn’t feel that I would enjoy the teapot, knowing that it contained bones. So back on the shelf it went. That’s a personal preference, though. Other vegans might make a different choice.

For example, some vegans avoid white sugar because some sugar is filtered through bone char - very similar to the stuff in bone china. But as Matt Ball of Vegan Outreach points out in his fascinating essay “Activism and Veganism,” “Bone char is also used as a source of activated carbon in some water filters and by some municipal water treatment plants. (These plants also use tests that involve animal products, and water itself has been tested on animals.) So should we say water isn’t ‘vegan’?”

The point, as I understand it, is that to take such an extreme position as to argue that water isn’t vegan will hurt the vegan movement and its goal of reducing the suffering of animals. A section of Ball’s article, “Busting the Vegan Police” is worth quoting in full:

    It is imperative for us to realize that if our veganism is a statement for animal liberation, veganism cannot be an exclusive, ego-boosting club. Rather, we must become the mainstream. Fostering the impression that “it’s so hard to be vegan–animal products are in everything,” and emphasizing animal products where the connection to animal suffering is tenuous, works against this by allowing most to ignore us and causing others to give up the whole process out of frustration.

  The way veganism is presented to a potential vegan is of major importance. The attractive idea behind being a ‘vegan’ is reducing one’s contribution to animal exploitation. Buying meat, eggs, and/or dairy creates animal suffering–animals will be raised and slaughtered specifically for these products. But if the by-products are not sold, they will be thrown out or given away. As more people stop eating animals, the by-products will naturally fade, so there is no real reason to force other people to worry about them in order to call themselves ‘vegan.’

  We want a vegan world, not a vegan club.

So although my feelings about animals led to my decision to avoid bone china, other vegans or vegetarians might make a different, but equally valid choice. Readers, how do you feel about such less clear-cut examples of “non-vegan” items?

P.S. - Thank you to friend Tim for the title of this post. After observing my surprise at learning the truth about bone china, he said, “I’ve got bad news about skull pudding….”

Monday, January 07, 2008

Vegetarian Cooking Classes

While browsing through the Forsyth Tech catalog last night, I was excited to see that it will offer a course on vegetarian cooking twice in the next few months. The first session will be held from from Jan. 12 to Feb. 9; a second session will run from March 1 to March 29. Classes will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturdays at the Hare Krishna Center in Stokes County. The cost is $50.

The course description is available online here (scroll to the second page of the PDF). If it piques your interest, information about registering for the course is here.

Friday, January 04, 2008

2008 wishes

I’m not making any New Year’s resolutions per se this year. So instead, I thought I’d share my “wish list” for things I’d like to see in 2008:

*A totally (or even mostly) vegetarian restaurant for Winston-Salem. Hey, a woman can dream, right?

*A Trader Joe’s for Winston-Salem. You know, that space in Thruway where Fresh Market used to be is still empty…. Though I do shudder to think about what this would do to the already heavy traffic at Thruway.

*I’m glad to see more vegetarian frozen meals cropping up in area supermarkets. Now, I’d just like to see them be cheaper!

*A national commitment to reducing our impact on the environment and an increased interest in environmental issues.

*More people bringing their own reusable bags to the grocery store.

*Logistically, I know this isn’t possible, but Whole Foods really needs a bigger parking lot. That place is a madhouse no matter what time of day you go, and the parking spaces simply aren’t big enough for the many SUVs that always seem to be there. Maybe they need to just move to a new location with more space inside the store and out. I think the demand has outgrown the store already.

Do you have any 2008 wishes for Winston-Salem or the vegetarian world in general?

Thursday, January 03, 2008

A Good Sign

It seems like a signal that 2008 is going to continue the “Vegan Chic” trend that DawnWatch identified in 2007. The New York Times‘s dining section yesterday featured a story on Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, a new cookbook from the authors of the best-selling vegan diet book Skinny Bitch.

Here’s hoping that the trend continues going strong!

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

New Year’s Resolutions

The best New Year’s Resolution I ever made to go to every party I was invited to that year. It was an easy resolution to keep, and it actually did improve my life. In fact, I’ve pretty much kept that resolution ever since. Other years, the resolutions don’t last past the first week. But it’s still worthwhile to think about the things that I want to change.

This year my main resolution is to finally go vegan by March 20, the date of the Great American Meat Out.

This is one of those resolutions I’ve made before and kept for a while before faltering. Perhaps this year will be different. I’ve gotten to the point where there is just one stumbling block - eating away from home. At home, it’s become easy to avoid dairy and eggs; but at restaurants, or when a friend or family member fixes a meal, it can be more difficult. That’s why I didn’t set Jan. 1 as the “start date” - I figure to use the next several weeks to develop strategies for avoiding eggs and dairy products when I eat away from home. Hopefully that will help me stick with it this time.

Readers, are you making any veg-resolutions for 2008?

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

New Products

One of the most enjoyable parts of vegetarian living is trying new products. I recently ordered Soy Curls from Food Fight!, a vegan grocery store that also does mail order. Soy Curls are a wonderful product – easy to use and delicious. They resemble TVP (texturized vegetable protein) chunks but iare made from “delicately textured” whole soybeans rather than being a refined product like TVP. They can be used anywhere you would use TVP chunks - in stews, soups, barbecue, pot pies, etc., to replace chunks of beef, pork or chicken.

That same order from Food Fight! brought a jar of Cavi*Art - vegan “caviar” made from seaweed. This also turned out to be very enjoyable. People who have had caviar say it tastes very much like “the real thing.” Even as a carnivore, I never had fish eggs - but I love the Cavi*Art! It’s tasty - nice and salty, a bit twangy - and has a fun texture.  It would be good at a New Year’s Eve party, with tiny potato cakes, topped with tofu “sour cream,” topped with vegan caviar, and served with a glass of champagne….

I’ll be placing another order soon to stock up on both these products.

Speaking of the coming New Year, vegetarians with an interest in animal rights will enjoy the year-end roundup from Dawnwatch, a Web site that tracks animal-related coverage in mainstream media worldwide. Among other things, the essay makes a case that “2007 was the year of Vegan Chic.” Here’s hoping that 2008 will continue that trend!

Friday, December 21, 2007

Agave nectar

One of my new favorite things is agave nectar. This liquid sweetener is made from the agave plant and has a low glycemic index, which means that it’s great for diabetics or anyone who is concerned about their blood-sugar levels. It isn’t processed with chemicals, and since it’s sweeter than sugar, you don’t need to use as much.

I’ve found that it tastes very similar to honey, although with a milder, more neutral flavor. I drink a lot of tea, and I usually use honey to sweeten it. However, with delicate green teas, I often find that the flavor of the honey overpowers the flavor of the tea. When I use light agave nectar instead, the flavor of the tea comes through more. Plus, it blends in easier, and since it’s made from a plant, it’s suitable for vegans who don’t use honey.

I haven’t used agave nectar in baking or cooking, but it’s supposed to be a fine substitute for sugar in that, too. You can read more about agave at AllAboutAgave.com.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Dining with HPL

When I found out that a new cookbook named Veganomicon was coming out, I wondered whether the name was a reference to the page about the new book: “Veganomicon will swallow your soul.” As any good “Evil Dead” fan knows, Deadites are prone to threaten to “swallow your soul.”

Readers can decide for themselves exactly what the Necronomicon has to do with vegan cooking, since, alas, Lovecraft was no vegetarian. You can read about some of his favorite foods here.  I can agree with him on many points, though, such as the goodness of chocolate, exceedingly sweet coffee and ice cream, and the wisdom of shunning Brussels sprouts.

And happily, through the magic of modern faux “meat” and “dairy” products, most of Lovecraft’s favorite foods can be enjoyed even by vegans. For example, a version of his “really favorite meal” – a turkey dinner – can be enjoyed by following the Big M’s recipe for Tofurky and Stuffing with Gravy. The recipe makes six servings. You’ll need:

Two packages Tofurky deli slices.
1 package Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing mix, prepared according to package directions. (Include onion and celery in the stuffing, if you like)

Although you can simply serve the Tofurky slices over the dressing, the Big M wraps the Tofurky slices around the dressing to make individual servings.  To do this, spray a baking sheet with vegetable-oil spray. Arrange two stacks of two slices each so that they slightly overlap. Form an elongated “ball” of dressing, and place on the slices. Carefully pull each end of the Tofurky around the dressing so that they overlap, and secure with a toothpick. Then spray the whole with a bit more oil. Repeat until all the Tofurky and dressing is used. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until hot.

Meanwhile, make the gravy. You’ll need:
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
Plenty of black pepper
3 cups water
3 Tbsp Vogue Vege Base
3 TBSP nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt

Whisk Vege Base, nutritional yeast and salt into the water to make a broth.
Melt margarine in a medium saucepan; then add lots of black pepper, stir in the flour and whisk for three minutes.
Slowly whisk in the broth; simmer over medium heat until thickened. This makes a lot, but it freezes well for future meals.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Veganomicon review

Isa Chandra Moskowitz burst onto my cookbook shelf in 2005 with Vegan With a Vengeance, a book filled with wildly tasty recipes and a refreshing Brooklyn attitude that quickly became a favorite both for idle browsing and serious cooking. In 2006 Moslowitz and co-author Terry Hope Romero followed up with Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Now, Moskowitz and Romero have have published the ambitious Veganomicon - which may just deserve its subtitle, The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook.

The Big M, a.k.a. my personal chef, and I have cooked and sampled our way through several of the recipes, and not a one has been a dud.

My favorite so far is the Vietnamese Seitan Baguette with Savory Broth Dip, which the authors describe as a “whimsical marriage of the traditional Vietnamese sandwich, banh mi, and the American classic ‘French Dip’ sandwich.” The lively dipping broth - a riot of garlic, ginger, pepper and lime flavors - is a great complement to the savory yet fresh flavors of seitan, red onion, cucumber and cilantro in the sandwich.

A section of color photographs of several recipes offers inspiration, and as usual the author’s comments make the book as much fun to read as to cook from. For example, I’m eager to try the broccoli polenta, because the authors promise, “Broccoli gives polenta a great texture. It just makes it, like, ‘RAR!’ That’s the only way we can describe it.”

You can get a taste of the book by sampling some of the recipes available at the Post Punk Kitchen here.

There’s another reason I like the book - its title. Are any Bruce Campbell or H.P. Lovecraft fans reading this? I’ll explain why I ask in my next post….

Friday, December 07, 2007

The spirit of giving without the “stuff”

If you’re looking for a way to make your holidays a little more environmentally friendly and a little less commercial, why not try giving some gifts this year that won’t create any clutter? Here are a few suggestions:

*Cooking lessons: Branches Holistic Health and Wellness Center offers lessons tailored for individuals and families, including vegetarian cooking. This would be great if you’re just getting started as a vegetarian and not sure about what to cook—or you’re a longtime vegetarian stuck in a rut. They also offer classes in which a nutritionist helps you learn to shop more healthily or stock a healthy pantry.

*Give a gift of charity: There are quite a few places where you can “buy” an item in honor of someone for charity, such as a cow or goat for a needy third-world family. A few of these are Oxfam America (a gift of $30 represents planting 50 trees), MercyCorps ($20 for a “Children’s Food Kit” to help poor children eat better) and Heifer International ($20 for a flock of chicks to provide eggs for a family).

It’s always wise to check out a charity’s reputation on a neutral site, such as CharityNavigator, which shows how much of the donations are actually used for the intended purpose, how much goes toward fundraising and salaries, the charity’s overall rating, etc.

*The gift of your time: Give your friend or family member a coupon booklet with coupons they can redeem for things like a night of babysitting, your uncomplaining company at a movie or concert of their choice (even if you know you’ll hate it!), a foot massage or fixing dinner for them. (It should be things you might not normally do!)

*Memberships: Buy them a membership in a group or organization they’re intererested in, such as The N.C. Zoological Society (you can adopt an animal, too!), Friends of Old Salem, SciWorks or a professional association they can’t afford to join. These usually come with such benefits as free admission, special offers or members-only times.

Do you have any other ideas for a clutter-free gift?