Guest Post #2!

"Serve Me Anything That Didn't Have a Mom"

- Carol Schneider (MY Mom)

What is the most common query of non-vegans? “Isn’t it hard to eat as a vegan in a restaurant?” The answer is, unequivocally, “No!"

Picture this: We are led to our restaurant table and left with a menu. Here’s how the menu looks: plants, plants and more plants - with regular inclusion of animal flesh. But plants always win! That’s right! There are far more plant products on a menu than animals; animal flesh is expensive, and plants tend to be cheaper. You might even think the toughest restaurant would be a steak house, but it’s not! And the more ethnic you get, the easier dining is. And, if you are a good communicator in a restaurant with a cooperative server, you can create gourmet delights!

Let me offer one disclaimer before I offer dining ideas. I am what I call Virtually Vegan; that means I’m 99% pure vegan, but I’m not perfect. If I were pure, it means I would have to give up all leather, feathers in pillows, animal testing in products, among other things. I’m working on improving as a total plant-based human consumer, but I’m not there yet.

As a Virtual Vegan, I don’t feel the need to review the grand total of each and every ingredient that goes into every menu option. On occasion, I’ll ask what kind of broth is used in a soup to avoid chicken stock; or I’ll say I don’t eat dairy to avoid a creamy dish. But mostly, navigating mainstream restaurants is as easy as saying, “Hold the cheese!”

Here are some guidelines to help you become a vegan voyager! 

- Tell the reservationist you’re vegan when you make the reservation and a good restaurant will always comply.

- Tell the server you’d like to request the Chef prepare a vegan plate using any plant/legume/rice offerings that aren’t cooked in animal products. What will happen? Mostly you’ll have the most beautiful and colorful entree of all of your party, as Chef piles on the vegetables.

-  Greens, Beautiful Greens and Salads - your closest friend, and only require that you request no butter nor cheese, nor turkey, bacon or the assorted other animal toppings. I also try to get value for my dining dollar by requesting that they add extra vegetables to replace the products you’re leaving out. They usually comply.

-  Bread is your friend. Dine and enjoy it, and don’t think of “carbs” as killers. “Carbs” aren’t killers, but eating animals will kill. 

-  “Hot” restaurants, these days, often offer bean purees, tapenades (careful the anchovies, though some don’t use them), tomato and bean purees to enjoy with bread - much more exciting than simply fat. 

-  Olive oil is always available instead of butter (personally, I enjoy a teaspoon of butter occasionally on my last couple of bites of bread before the entree arrives). 

-  Avocado is always a great substitute for cheese in salads and in veggie burgers. 

-  Baked Potatoes are available from steak house to drive-thru fast food restaurants. However, even if I didn’t mind a shred of cheese on occasion, I couldn’t accept gratin and mashed potatoes because they’re heaped and piled with empty fat calories 

-  Rice of any kind can stand in as your entree. I’ve even discovered Italian restaurants whose risotto recipes don’t include cheese. 

-  Beans are also entree stand-ins, in Southwestern, as well as Italian restaurants (take a Bean-o pill before you dine if you’re worried about gas) 

-  Pasta is a natural. Is there egg in it? You choose; but it’s a minute amount anyway. 

-  Hold the Parmesan. The dairy lobby has saturated the world with cheese, cheese, everywhere. Make pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, soy sauce, etc your stand-in for cheese. 

-  Lemon Juice is nirvana! It can become your major flavor booster - as well as a hand sanitizer pre-dinner! 

-  Salsa is not only all vegetable; it’s raw! Top everything with it and feast!  

Final reminder: enjoy moderate alcohol. That’s right, cocktails or wine with dinner are natural vegan treats and meal enhancer s(although there are a few cases where animal products are used in production of liquor).  

If you find you’re still hungry, after dining vegan style, don’t despair because you “need protein”. Keep hemp seed in your bag or frig. Hemp seed has more protein - including all of the amino acids - than any other food - plant or animal - on earth - and it’s tasty by itself or sprinkled on sweet or savory dishes!


I gave my carnivore husband a challenge when my daughter and I first started eating a vegan food-style. I ask him this: if you were forced to choose between two restaurants, which would you choose - all plant or all animal? He chose the all plant restaurant; because he knew he could still enjoy fine wine or cocktails, salads, terrific bread and gourmet, unprocessed vegetable/carbs/legumes with olive oil and amazing herbal and juice seasonings.

Go out and challenge ANY mainstream restaurant with your vegan requests. I can guarantee: they’ll be ready for you!

Things I Don't Understand

Warning: this is a bit of a vegan rant. If you don't like or are intimidated by an angry vegan, then you should probably stop reading. But if you want to explore a different perspective, read on.

So. We had some family over for dinner last night. They're all loud, funny, opinionated Jewish New Yorkers. My kind of people. Normally.

My mom and I had a good time in the kitchen during yesterday's rainy afternoon. We made jambalaya, roasted zucchini and eggplant, baked spaghetti squash with olive oil and spices, cornbread, and chocolate peanut butter brownie cake. We took a lot of time and money planning the feast, trying extra hard to blow our carnivorous guests out of the water with some decadent plant-based eats.

Our guest arrived and we started off with some drinks and snacky things. Delicious aromas wafted out of the kitchen. A cousin walked in and proceeded to ask my mom what we were eating tonight. The conversation went a little something like this:
Cousin: Wait, so what's in the jambalaya? Did you find some good andouille sausage?
Mom: Nope, just some vegan chorizo.
Cousin: You know what we call what's in your sausage? Salad! Hahahahahaha!!


Ok, so maybe it was a little funny. I can take a joke. But clearly no one was even curious about a new kind of food. They just wrote it off, no questions asked.

Dinner was served with more sniggers. Another cousin exclaimed, "Ew! I don't even want to know what's in vegan sausage! Gross!"

That's what really set me off. I wanted to shake her and scream DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?! Because the nastiest thing in vegan sausage is probably a little fake food coloring, and that's only if you're using a cheap brand.

Plant-based sausage is made out of vital wheat gluten or soy, some fat, and plenty of herbs and spices. Animal-based sausage is made out of a corpse. It is decaying flesh, a dead thing. PLUS oodles of antibiotics, arsenic, feces, cholesterol, bacteria, steroids, pesticides, and parasites. YUM!

I do understand that it's hard to think about food as what it was before it was on your plate. I'm not so brain-washed to think that people will immediately associate a steak with a cow, or a hot dog with a pig. Hell, I used to be carnivore myself. I knew what I was eating, but some part of my brain chose not to consider the idea that I was eating a dead creature. Ignorance is bliss, right?

Some people don't want to hear a different view. They just aren't open to it. They like their way of life and don't want to consider alternatives. I'm not going to preach to anyone who doesn't want to listen. But next time I'd hope that they could be better dinner guests and at least save the rude comments for after they leave. Any cook, meat-eating or not, wants to be appreciated for the food that they lovingly put on the table. I don't think some common-sense manners are too much to ask for.

Also, thinking before you open your mouth is generally a good idea.

By the way, Bill Clinton is officially vegan. If that doesn't say something for my so-called "alternative" lifestyle, then I don't know what does.

Love and jambalaya for breakfast,
Suzannah

Easy Summer Dinner

It's hot out. No matter where you're reading this you're likely sweaty. You don't want to cook anything. You don't want to think. You just want some food, but nothing too fattening for swimsuit season. And it has to be tasty.

Solution? Raw noodles and almond alfredo sauce.


Ingredients
- 1 zucchini (or summer squash)
- Water
- 1/3 cups raw almonds
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 1/2 tsp oregano
- Salt n peppa
- Olive oil and tomato to garnish

How To
1: peel the zucchini. Discard the skin and use the somewhat starchy inside as noodles. Peel off ribbons until you reach the seeds
2: in a blender combine the almonds, garlic, thyme, oregano, and water. Add about 1/2 cup water, more if necessary, until the sauce has the consistency of hummus. I like it thick
3: put noodles and sauce in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
4: drizzle olive oil and add diced tomatoes
5: enjoy!

Yep, it's that simple. Play around with the sauce and see what you like. It's hard to go wrong.

Guest Post!

Hello!

I’m Samantha, the “Sam” from Suzie’s “It Tastes Like Real Food!” post, and you can attribute the title of that post to my father, Scott. :P

I should probably tell you a bit about me.  I’m a junior psychology major at Barnard College, the women’s college at Columbia University, in New York City.  I’d say that the majority of my monthly budget goes to travel expenses with the MTA and food.  I’m so lucky that my friends appreciate and enjoy food as much as I do.  Last summer, we’d have Food Fridays every week and cook up elaborate dinner parties for 10 to 20 people, or spend our evenings making peach and goat cheese galettes, or cook roasted herb potatoes and spinach and smoked Gouda omelets for brunch.  And that was just when we cooked for ourselves.  Not exactly the menu for a typical college student.  My favorite day in New York City was when I got a free ticket for a food tour of the West Village.  The tour was several hours long a 30-degree windy winter day, but I really couldn’t have been happier.

The Awkward Camp Phase

Suzie and I met at sleep-away camp when we were in middle school, only to learn we actually lived in the same town, and we became close friends once high school started.  As an open-minded, meat-eating (well, until about three weeks ago), will-try-almost-anything, self-declared foodie, I’ve been traveling along the vegan journey with Suzie for the last couple of years.  Mostly, I just taste the delicious meals and baked goods she makes, join her for meals at vegan restaurants to which her parents (my second family) so generously treat me, and occasionally help with the cooking. 

When Suzie returned from Florida during winter break of our senior year of high school, I did read Skinny Bitch, but I didn’t have the same reaction to it as she did.  To be honest, I met it primarily with skepticism.  To me, it seemed to air on the side of propaganda, or perhaps exaggerated the truth a bit, and while I didn’t think that everything in the book was false, I just wanted to get more information and make sure I was seeing the whole picture.  Since then, I’ve come around to respect, and even admire, the vegan lifestyle, even though I have admittedly rolled my eyes a few times over the last few years at some of the things Suzie has said.  But our dear blogger admits to writing the occasional snarky rant, so that reaction is to be expected, right? ;) 

Second Family

As you read Suzie’s blog posts, I’m sure you notice how passionate she is about being vegan, because of both the health benefits and the benefits to the environment and animals.  As her friend, I am thrilled that she has found something she loves and to which she wants to dedicate herself.  I also want to be able to participate in that with her, even if our opinions on the subject may vary.  So, when she came to stay at my house for a long 4^th of July weekend, during which we had not one, but two, barbeques, I wanted to not only learn from her, but I also wanted her to feel comfortable and her values and the habits of my family to be mutually respected.

Suzie has already written about the mouth-watering, satisfying, filling, and healthy dishes we made, and I am telling you that if you haven’t already cooked them for yourself, go do so!  Just, seriously, watch out for the spiciness.  Later that night, as I was in bed trying to fall asleep, I noticed my fingers burning… sort of like the burning nose Suzie talked about.

I decided that for the weekend while Suzie was at my house, I would eat as at least a vegetarian.  She arrived on Thursday evening, and my mom had made a delicious pot of lentil soup (one of my favorite things that my mom makes).  We’re a blended Italian and Jewish family, so many of my most loved dishes contain dairy products and meat.  I needed my grated Pecorino Romano cheese (if any readers do consume dairy products, this is wayyy better than Parmesan—supposedly a little-known secret about Italian cheeses) on my lentil soup, so I happily sprinkled it on my soup, but otherwise, this would’ve been completely vegan.  On Friday evening for our first barbeque of the weekend, I did slip up, and while Suzie wasn’t looking (she doesn’t know this yet), I snuck into the kitchen and had half a hot dog.  But she will be happy to know that it really wasn’t as satisfying as I had wanted it to be, and after a day of eating a vegetarian diet, I felt like I had just violated my body in some way.  I didn’t like that the taste lingered for hours, and worse, I didn’t like picturing the food clogging my arteries and adding fat to my Jewish hips.

As the weekend progressed, I ignored the heaping tray of burgers in favor of channa masala from Whole Foods, veggie burgers (which I believe had just five or six ingredients in it), and our leftover spicy sweet potatoes.  I realized what I love most about food: the flavors, the sauces, the savory warmth that spreads over my tongue and puts a grin on my face.  It was the way chicken or burgers were seasoned and prepared that I liked, while the actual meat was my least favorite part of a dish. 

So I decided that I would give myself a challenge: eating a vegetarian and/or vegan diet for 30 days.  I thought a few things: one, that there was no harm in trying; two, that I owed it to my friend to participate in something about which she truly cares; and three, that my body deserved to be well-fed and treated with respect.  Now it’s two and a half weeks later, and I’m doing fantastically well! 

I was never that big of a dairy eater; I don’t like milk, yogurt, and most cheeses, except for my Italian cheeses (mozzarella, ricotta, and Pecorino Romano).  I don’t believe in depriving myself of things that give me joy, and I’m never going to give up cheese on my pasta, but I’m okay with that.  I do love frozen yogurt, and I don’t see much harm in eating it on occasion.  To be honest, I haven’t yet looked into dairy-free ice creams, but it’s on my list of things to do.  One thing I did not anticipate was how much fish I would be eating, so I guess technically I can’t say I’m a vegetarian… yet.  But, baby steps, right?  When Rosh Hashanah comes around, I’ll figure out what to do about my mom’s mind-blowing brisket…

In the last few weeks, I’ve noticed that my body feels better, and I feel better about myself, which motivates me to keep going and not revert back to my meat-eating days!  And, I’m not sure how many of you have seen Suzie in person, but if you have, there’s no denying that she does have a rockin’ bod… so I am hopeful that I will achieve that too.

Ode to the Green Drank

I never thought I would be one of those disgustingly healthy people who started their day with a salad in a beverage. Those people were too extreme, too dedicated. They also believed in colonics and loathed cupcakes.

Well, I’ve turned into one of those people. Granted I don’t want my insides purged with a hose and I still adore fluffy sugary things, but I’ve had a smoothie for breakfast almost every day since I’ve been on the farm.

It started with my housemates, who showed me that the taste of leafy greens can magically be disguised with enough fruit and other tasty things. Then I read Kris Carr’s book, Crazy Sexy Diet and decided to give it a shot. If a weird concoction can give me ridiculous amounts of energy, prevent cancer, and make me look fabulous, I might as well try it. When in Rome, right?

I’ve been hooked ever since. There’s something about starting your day with a good serving or three of vegetables. You feel empowered. You want to wear a gold star on your shirt like “look at me! I ate veggies for breakfast and liked it!” Plus it’s perfect for summer. On a bright sunny day you don’t want to be bogged down first thing by white floury things and too much sugar. You want to feel light and airy and drink something icy cold.

If you want more scientific reasons to try green dranks, here ya go: leafy greens (spinach, kale, collard greens, romaine, swiss chard, mixed salad greens) are loaded with antioxidants and vitamins. They are a great source of non-dairy calcium, magnesium and Vitamin C.  And they contain carotenoids that may help protect against macular degeneration and folate to guard against heart disease and cancer. Popeye was onto something.

But if you just skipped the nutritional jargon, just know that these shakes just make you feel awesome. It’s as simple as that.

So…how do you make a green smoothie without grimacing with every sip?

Start with something green. I like spinach best because it has a really mild taste. But if you want to be adventurous, kale is an even healthier choice.

Next I like cucumber, about ½ . Peel it, it’ll taste better. Maybe throw in some celery or romaine.

Next for the fun part. Fruit! Bananas are really sweet so they’re great if you’re just starting out with this whole green drank thing. Berries are great too. Go with the frozen kind.

Want to stay full until lunch? Make sure to add protein. Nut butters are great, so are non-dairy milks, especially soy milk.

Finally, make it sweet! I love adding raw cacao powder, cinnamon, and agave or stevia. It tastes much more like a milkshake this way.

My go-to recipe for delicious green gooddness:

- 2 handfuls of kale or spinach

- ½ peeled cucumber

- Non-dairy milk

- Almond butter

- Agave

- Cinnamon

- Ice

- Banana

- Raw cacao powder

Give it a shot. You may be pleasantly surprised.

"It Tastes Like Real Food!"

Last weekend I ventured to my hometown in Westport, CT to see a close friend from high school. It was so nice to be treated to some home cooking from a loving Jewish/Italian mother, and I was even able experiment with exciting flavors in a new kitchen. I was wined and dined by my second family, and I managed to stay vegan the whole time. Gold star for me!

My first night I was fed delicious lentil soup over ditalini, which was quite welcome after a ten-hour travel day. I spent Friday in New York City, wandering where I pleased on my own schedule. My first destination was The Union Square GreenMarket. I arrived there on a gloriously sunny day around nine o’clock. Foodies browsed the tents as I hunted for breakfast: gluten free AND vegan orange-chocolate muffin. Plus blueberries and coffee from the Whole Foods across the street. I felt very city-gourmet-chic.

Next, I set off for the Chelsea Market and bought some goodies from One Lucky Duck. I’m falling in love with this great company called Sprout. They create all-natural, simple, local skincare products that are so pure you could easily make them in your kitchen. They also have a consultation service to figure out what products and dietary choices can help you feel and look your best. I’m giving this a try to figure out why I still have the skin of a pubescent thirteen-year-old.

I digress…

 

I had a light lunch on The High Line, an old railroad that has been turned into a gorgeous public park. It was a perfect city afternoon.

On Saturday I settled into the comforts of my hometown. My friend Sam and I went to The Sherwood Diner (where else?) for breakfast. I had about ¼ cup brown sugar with oatmeal J, plus homefries and too much coffee.  We spent the day shopping and prepping for dinner. I wanted to cook for her family to thank them for graciously hosting me for the weekend.

On the menu:

- Quick Vegetarian Gumbo

- Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Red Pepper Vinaigrette

- Biscuits

It was a relatively easy meal to prepare, especially with two cooks. However, I managed to casually rub my nose after chopping a hot pepper. The effects were disastrous. My sinuses were burning and I turned into sniveling weepy mess. My fingers stung into the next day!

Kitchen tip: use plastic gloves when chopping peppers.

While the gumbo simmered the ladies of the house enjoyed FoodPornDaily. I don’t recommend looking at this site at work or at family functions. You will moan and scream. People may assume you’re having a bit too much fun.

Dinner was a success! The non-veg family ate it up, along with some antacids to cut the spice. And, according to Sam’s dad, “it even tastes like real food!” Well duh, sir.

I’ll admit that I was a little anxious about leaving my little vegan bubble and entering the home of a carnivorous family. I knew that I couldn’t stray from my values, but I still had to respectfully live in someone else’s home. Luckily I didn’t encounter a single issue. Sam’s mom graciously bought soymilk and Tofutti Cuties for me, and I was even able to enjoy a veggie burger at a big family barbeque. Surprisingly, I wasn’t too grossed out when it came time to prepare and cook turkey burgers, hamburgers, and hot dogs. I figured that after a month on a farm where the animals are so distinctively not food I would be extremely sensitive, but for whatever reason I brushed it off. It was amusing, however, when Sam’s sister squealed in disgust when forming the burgers. I wonder if she ever considered why she was so innately revolted…

But now I’m back in the veg cocoon, cooking up a veggie stiry fry with tempeh for dinner and eating dates for dessert. It feels good to be home.

The New York Public Library

Emergency Post on Roasted Vegetables

Ever since my lil blog was featured on in Tulane's New Wave yesterday (!!!) I've been dreaming up all sorts of things to write about. I have lots of exciting features coming your way, BUT FIRST:

I just made roasted vegetables for the first time.

SO DELICIOUS.

And so simple. And maybe not as nutritious as straight-up raw veggies, but still better for you than french fries.

Here's what to do.
1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°
2. Put a little olive oil on a big pan with sides so that the vegetables don't stick
3. Cut up some veggies. I used half a red pepper and a head of broccoli, but you can use whatever you fancy
4. Toss the veggies with some olive oil in a big bowl
5. Sprinkle on some sea salt and fresh-ground pepper. You can use any kind of seasoning you want, however
6. Place the veggies evenly on the baking sheet. The more room between the veggies, the better
7. Pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
8. Eat ridiculous amounts of freshly-cooked vegetables, and try not to moan too much while doing so

Behold! Vegetable heaven

I'm eating my veggies right now with some brown rice. They're a little crispy and are perfectly satisfying for my current salty food craving. The red peppers are incredible. I don't think I've ever had freshly roasted red peppers before! They're sweet and flavorful and soft.

Hits the spot.

Debbie Downer Post.

I was given the opportunity to visit a stockyard today. It wasn't as terrible as I was expecting, mostly because it was more of a "ma n pop" kind of place where they didn't use electric cattle prods. What I saw, however, was still very jolting.

We watched the calf auction for low-grade veal. The babies were less than a week old, most with their umbilical cords still attached and their legs buckling beneath them. In the auction ring they were slapped around by a man who looked like he was out of a horror film - bulging eyes, twig-like limbs, the ability to willingly cause pain. People were at the auction like it was the movies. It was the local hangout, something to do on a boring Thursday afternoon.

Once the calves were sold they were shoved into larger pens to contain them all. They were significantly calmer, and bystanders were able to get as close to them as the fencing allowed. I bent down to pet the ones that were to weak and scared to stand. The calves were so warm and had the softest fur. They were downright cute. Their eyes bulged in terror. Some moved around anxiously, others accepted their fate and lay slumped together.

I also saw pigs, who I realized have the most human-like eyes. Most slept as close as physically possible, in what seemed like a giant spooning line. Two sheep seemed relatively calm, while one baby goat bleated incessently.

It wasn't easy to stomach, and yet it could be worse. I couldn't imagine visiting the animals' next destination.

A lot of sadness goes on in this world, y'all...


BUT. In some perkier news, I've discovered the beauty that is The Kumquat.

 

Kumquats are nature's Sour Patch Kids. These cherry tomato-sized fruits have sour, bitter rinds and sweet juice on the inside. At first you'll make a nasty face when eating them, then you'll delight in how sweet they end. If you can find some, BUY THEM!

And here's a recipe for some fantastic curry if you're into Indian food. I promise I'll be writing more about food soon, but right now I just want to share all that I'm learning and experiencing about the animal rights side of a vegan diet. 

Pork = Pig

I received a relatively normal text message today. My boyfriend was at a friend's house cooking dinner with his family. They were making pork for dinner.

Normally, I would have brushed this off and thought nothing of it. I've always tried to respect people's views on food and I don't want to shove anything down anyone's throat. But I've been interning at Farm Sanctuary for a week so far, and every day on my walk to the office I'm greeted by grazing animals on rolling hills. I hear roosters crowing in the morning and geese honking at dusk. I've affectionately rubbed a cow's forehead and my face has been nuzzled by a baby goat. I've been curiously investigated by sheep and generally ignored by prim chickens.

And I've rubbed a pig's belly. Pigs like to roll over on their side, like dogs, indicating that they demand a belly rub. In doing so, their mouths seem to curve up into a smile. They are in bliss. Pigs are also extremely social. The pig barn here is unofficially sectioned off by pig posse. When they sleep, they're always touching - either face to face or spooning. During the winter they sleep in a line to stay warm. Pigs can pick up tricks faster than dogs and rank #4 in animal intelligence. Also, pigs can run a 7 minute mile, which is way faster than anything I could attempt.

Interestingly, pigs need sunscreen just like we do. Pigs are bred to have lighter than normal skin in order to produce desirable meat - pork. Without sunscreen or a proper mud bath, they burn easily. They need us, but we don't need them.

For the past few days I keep thinking about the difference between a grilled chicken salad and Dino, my favorite one-winged chicken. Or a big juicy burger and Lawrence, the sweetest little cow I met on Sunday. How does a peaceful, loving creature end up as a meal? 

Would you be able to cut up your dog or cat and feel okay about it? Would this seem immoral and wrong? Would it tear you up to kill your best furry friend, maybe fry or grille him, throw on some seasoning, and call him dinner?

It's hard to explain exactly what I'm feeling about all this. I think it's something like reverence with a bit of shock. To imagine these creatures I'm starting to know, each with a name, as a commodity like an apple or rice. And how we've altered the names of the animals so that we cover up what we're truly eating. Beef is cow, no matter what sort of fancy name you call it - steak, sirloin, veal, t-bone, hamburger. Bacon and pork are pig. Poultry is bird - chicken, goose, duck, pheasant, turkey. Venison is deer. Foie grois is liver. Pâté is pureed seasoned meat. And more exotically, cervelle de veau, is calf brain.

So before you chow down on your next meal, think about what exactly you're eating. The animal, the being, the personality. Call it what you want, but you're eating something that was once alive. It had thoughts and emotions. Would you be willing to kill a pig yourself, butcher it, and serve it? Consider that before you sit down for a hearty meal of pork.

Food For Thought

SO I'm on my way to Watkins Glen, NY to begin my internship at Farm Sanctuary! To get myself psyched up I decided to start The Face On Your Plate by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson. Despite running on only three or so hours of sleep, I found myself riveted and antsy on the plane as I read. I am getting so excited to delve into a month of work towards something I care deeply about.

Some interesting facts I came across, which you may or may not find interesting/disturbing/enraging:

- In the US, the amount of animal waste is 130 times greater than that of human waste
- The EPA takes the view that factory farm runoff is a greater source of pollution of our rivers and lakes than all other industrial sources combined
- Nearly 40% of world grain is being fed to livestock rather than being consumed directly by humans
- Going vegan saves on average 2,000 animals over a person's lifetime
- Geese are more monogamous than humans and as faithful as dogs

"The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?" - Jeremy Bentham

Just some things to think about...

Daniel, who is alive because of Farm Sanctuary

P.S. I GET TO PLAY WITH BABY ANIMALS FOR A MONTH!

Absurdly Healthy But Delicious.

Quick post.

Just made dinner.

Nearly cried it was so delicious and flavorful. Yes, I am that good in the kitchen, y'all.

(Might be a bit of an exaggeration).

We had:
Grilled veggie kabobs
AND
Spinach-Bulgur Patties with Skordalia on Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Burger Buns

Ok, I know it sounds really crunchy granola. You're probably thinking that it's rabbit food. But let me tell you - the burgers were rich and flavorful, made crispy by frying the patties in a bit in olive oil. They were dense and chewy. Filling.

The skordalia was a delicious concontion I could have eaten by the spoonful. Nutty with a kick of cayenne! And the buns were warm and made a nice little cocoon for the burgers.

The best about all this though was how obscenely healthy the dinner was, even though I probably ate way too much. I substituted kale for spinach, loading the burgers with all sorts of nutrients. Kale can greatly reduce the risk of cancer, detoxify the body, and reduce inflammation. It is rich in antioxidants. Bulgur is high in fiber and is a low glycemic index food. Low glycemic index foods are better for you because they produce only small fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels compared with high glycemic index foods like rice and potatoes. The almonds in the skordalia provided protein and prevent heart problems and diabetes. Finally, Ezekiel bread is the best sort of bread you could possibly eat. It's sprouted, meaning that the important enzymes are released from the germ of the grain. The enzymatic action enables the body to assimilate the vitamins and minerals more efficiently. Plus, the sprouting process naturally increases the protein content and decreases the calories and carbohydrates found in the original grain.

Basically, my body is wildly infatuated with my dinner. And my taste buds were even pleased in the process.

Honduran Eats

Last week I helped save the world. I went with nine of the most wonderful people I have ever met to help build a school in Honduras with Global Brigades. We kicked some ass by hauling 900 40-pound cement blocks from one place to another, mixing and pouring concrete, and laying brick to make walls. It was an intense four days of building and a few days of play, accompanied appropriately with intense meals.

For one thing, there was always strong hot coffee at the dining hall of our compound. Always. Three cups in the morning did the trick to get us ready for a long day of work, and a sweaty cup or two was perfect in the late afternoon.

Meals were hearty and filling, perhaps a little too dense, but nevertheless delicious. Unfortunately I forgot to take a lot of pictures, so you'll have to bear with my descriptions.

It's easy to eat vegan in Honduras, for the most part. I could always get starch and protein. We had rice, rolls, or handmade corn tortillas with every meal. Sometimes there were refried beans at breakfast, sometimes we had beans and plantains in tortilla sandwiches for lunch. Often meals included eggs or cheese, which I simply chose not to eat.

Luckily, there were always steamed vegetables at dinner. Granted they were steeped in a little too much oil, perhaps butter, but what can you do? They hit the spot and provided some much-needed nutrients. And there was always fresh fruit with lunch and dinner. Pineapple, melon, bananas, mango, papaya, watermelon...Juicy and delicious, we savored fruit as our dessert.

And if all else failed, PB&J never got old. Hondurans are convinced that Americans constantly eat peanut butter and jelly, so there was always a station set up with every meal. I discovered that peanut butter tortilla rollups are especially delightful.

On our last day we were able to tour a bit. We went to a national park where some bought ice cream and I bought water in a plastic bag. It was sort of fun to drink.

Later we headed to Valle de Angeles, a colonial tourist town. We enjoyed freshly-cooked pupusas, which is a Salvadorian dish made of tortillas stuffed with cheese or sausage. It reminded me of a slightly fried pancake - a little crispy, very gooey, and floury. It was delightfully messy and was even better with pickled onions, cole slaw, and hot sauce as condiments. I strayed and ate a bit of cheese, but was I supposed to pass up the meal that the town is famous for? I don't think so. I washed it down with a Fanta made with real sugar and left the restaurant rubbing my stomach but content.

My Honduran meals were far from gourmet, but they were deeply satisfying and made with the loving attention of some motherly-looking Honduran ladies. One day we got to thinking about industrial food. Our compound cranked out some good, fresh food every single day for a couple hundred ravenous college students. True, real food takes a little extra time and effort, but if such good meals can be prepared for so many people in a kitchen the size of a dorm room, why does Tulane food have to be so repulsive and barely defrosted? Why does all industrial food have to be so, well, industrial? We need to make a shift to simple, well-prepared food, not a daily cafeteria smorgasbord of fake food.

And with that, I'll leave you with what I made for last night's dinner:

- Easiest Bean or Grain Salad on the Planet
I made this with red kidney beans and chickpeas, but there are about a million different variations. I'm thinking this will be a summer staple. It is so fresh and light but loaded with protein! Next I want to try it with black beans, cilantro, and tomato...

- Avocado Pesto Pasta
This is heaven. Making it with lime juice works just as well, if not better.

- Peach Clafoutis Without Dough
I substituted 8 peaches for 12 plums, and used about a tablespoon of Earth Balance. I cooked the peaches until they were gooey and deceivingly rich. SO GOOD.


Love and noms from Boca Raton...

Mooching Off Tha Rents

There are few things better in life than when parents come to town. They give you love, affection, compliments, and free meals. Free meals that would otherwise be wildly expensive on your own. But because they are your parents and one of them is Jewish, they must show how much they love you by feeding you with nothing but gourmet fare.

And so, when Don and Carol came to town, we mostly did nothing but eat. True, we walked around a bit and moved me out of my dorm and into my house for the fall, but we organized our days around meals.

Caribbean Sandwich with chips!

Tofu Breakfast Platter

My mom and I started at Surrey's Café & Juice Bar for some brunch on Thursday. She ordered the Tofu Breakfast Platter, which we agreed was a bit too salty but tasty nonetheless. It consisted of soy and ginger marinated tofu, sauteed with bell peppers, mushrooms and onions served over brown rice. I had an exotic Caribbean sandwich served on delicious focaccia with sprouts, lettuce, tomato, plantain chips, and tofu. And because we're Voracious, we also ordered a vegetable juice and a sundried tomato bagel with guacamole. Surrey's is a good deal because it's very vegan friendly, and it marks vegan and vegetarian items on the menu with asterisks! Also great because it has that casual feeling of Sunday brunch regardless of when you're dining.

Carol and Don eating well and looking cute

After attending Commencement at the New Orleans Convention Center we were ravenous. My dad landed from Florida and we met up at The Green Goddess. The self-proclaimed 'quarter rat' hostess was a little snippy and could've used a razor, but we put our name down anyway because the food is rumored to be divine. We had to wait an hour, but it was a beautiful steamy night so we wandered around the quarter until our table was finally ready. I ordered a Covington Stawberry Ale. Pure heaven. It's wheaty and thick, not as fluffy as Abita Strawberry. It was cold and perfect. The swarthy, sweaty, but jovial chef even brought me another one for free because "I'm so pretty."

The menu is seasonal and whimsical, loaded with exotic ingredients and lengthy descriptions. We started with the Nigata Bruschetta, consisting of a spicy mint and edamame tapenade on toasty bread. I had the Muhammara for dinner, which is a dip with roasted red peppers, walnuts, and pomegranate molasses. It was served with raw and roasted veggies. I could've eaten the dip by the spoonful. My mom had the South Indian Savory Ivory Lentil Pancake. It was topped with tamarind and reminded me of my favorite Tamarind Eggplant from my hometown's Indian restaurant.

Muhammara

Dessert was weird, and later orgasmic. The waitress suggested their vegan dessert, Saturn Calling. It sounded delicious in theory - "sticky coconut black rice pudding with 'rings and stardust.' " It was actually just a pool of unsweetened coconut milk and bland sticky rice. Eh.

The real treat was my mom's french toast, which was not vegan, but oh so worth it. She likes to call us "virtual vegans," meaning that sometimes we stray from our animal-free path. I would never eat fish or meat, but when a heavenly restaurant item presents itself I don't reject it, especially if I know the ingredients are local. In certain cases, it's just cruel to deny yourself the pleasure of a good meal because there's a trace of egg or dairy. Therefore, we gorged ourselves on Chocolate Norweigan-French Toast. It was gooey and warm, stuffed with chocolate and goat cheese that was admittedly damn good. We scarfed it down without words, just moans.

Lunch the next day was at Surrey's Uptown and hit the spot after a day of packing and moving in the rain. Dinner was at my favorite restaurant in all of New Orleans, Dante's Kitchen. It's perfect for any occasion - birthday brunches, dinner with parents, meals with certain manfriends...you cannot go wrong.

After you order drinks they bring you spoonbread and you eat dessert first. It comes in a mini skillet and is topped with melting butter. My dad was introduced to Pimm's Cup, my mom ordered rosé, and I had some sort of champagne and citrus vodka cocktail. Then my rich shiitake mushroom and carmelized onion soup came. Life was swell. Next was dinner - my mom had the Local Farm Vegetable Plate, which is served with the most delectable goat cheese and carmelized onion croquette. I had three sides. My favorite was the crispy sauteed broccoli served in a peanut satay sauce. I also had some smokey curried cauliflower and carmelized onion mashed potatoes.

The spread at Dante's Kitchen

We had the chocolate mint cake for dessert, which was a bit like a giant Junior Mint. It was thick and dense, served with a deceiving chocolate lemon gelato, which was really lemon but looked like chocolate. My taste buds were baffled.

Our last meal was lunch at Gott Gourmet Café at my dad's request. He loves their fries, and I adore the sweet and spicy cucumber jicama salad. As a side note, I think jicama is my new favorite summer vegetable. I love how crunchy it is!

How pretty is that salad?!

I had the Gott Salad without brie. It had organic baby greens, candied pecans, seasonal berries, cherry tomatoes, and raspberry vinaigrette. Perfect after a morning of pilates and moving a bed and box spring down a spiral staircase.

All in all, it was a great few days. Gotta give a shout out to D&C for giving me the resources to be able to eat so well and pursue my growing interest in food. They've taught me how to appreciate food and culture.

And my mom's a MILF (Mom, it's a compliment, trust me), so I have to thank her for the good genes.

Whew! Sorry for such a long post. But hey! I ate a lot, so I had to write a lot.

I'm off to Honduras tomorrow for a service trip. It'll be a lot of rice and beans, but I can't wait.