Press Pass

VegNews Vegan Yoga Retreat to Mexico

2011-12-12T12:12:00.000-08:00

Who: VN Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria and Associate Publisher Colleen Holland
What: A week of yoga and vegan food on the stunning Pacific coast of Mexico
When: November 26 to December 3, 2011
Where: Haramara Retreat, Sayulita, Mexico
Why: Because I was invited!

The Scoop: When Colleen first told me about the idea of hosting the VegNews Vegan Yoga Retreat the week right after Thanksgiving, my first thought was, YES. Being warm is my lifelong project, I love yoga, and the food was guaranteed to be amazing, so I could totally not have been more thrilled to co-host (along with Colleen and the incredible co-creator of Laughing Lotus Yoga Centers, Jasmine Tarkeshi) this trip.

Me, Jasmine, and Colleen, aka the luckiest gals on the planet

Despite my initial excitement, nothing could have prepared me for just how phenomenal the trip would be. Haramara is situated on a hillside in the thick of the jungle that plummets to the beautiful Pacific Ocean. There isn't any electricity in the luxurious casitas, so everything is lit at night with highly atmospheric oil lamps. The pathways around the retreat are covered in natural arbors of vines and bouganvillea, and the sea sparkles constantly at the bottom of the hill. The scenery alone would have been enough to qualify the place as paradise, but there were a few other things that nearly killed me with ecstasy. The group of people who joined us on the trip could not have been more wonderful. From hard-core yogis to folks who just wanted a little getaway, everyone who came with us was a total delight—it was truly an honor to spend the week with each of them.

Oh, and then there was this little thing called the food. Holy heck! The entire kitchen at Haramara went vegan for the full week that we were there, and, under the direction of the highly talented Chef Hugo Gutiérrez, the staff created show-stopping meals three times a day. Were there three courses for each of those meals? Yes. Does the project of feeding myself now seem utterly hopeless because I can no longer just show up at the right time and be spoiled rotten with fresh, elegant cuisine? YES. If it were possible to clone Chef Hugo and have one of him cook for me in SF, let's just say I'd be largely unconcerned with the moral or ethical implications of cloning.

Hello, amazing vibrant veggie tacos and fresh salad

Jasmine led us in four hours of yoga every single day, and though I've practiced off and on for the last 10 years, I'd never connected the dots between the founding principles of yoga and veganism. It was a truly revelatory experience to learn from Jasmine not only how to attempt a crow pose, but how these two non-violent principles are interwoven. As someone who's only ever thought of yoga as a nice way to work up a sweat, I'm now so excited about deepening my understanding of the practice's more-spiritual side. The week at Haramara left me rejuvenated, relaxed, and really ready to go again next year! A huge thanks to everyone who made our first yoga retreat such an amazing experience. To check out many, many more photos, don't miss our Facebook gallery.

The retreat was a transformative experience, and it makes an appropriate final post for Press Pass. Yes, after four years of out-of-the-office adventures with the VN crew, we're moving away from the format of this blog. Keep an eye out for new ways to keep up-to-date with our after-hours escapades in early 2012. From all of us at VegNews, thank you for reading!

Thanksgiving Potluck

2011-12-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

Who: VN Editorial Assistant Joni Sweet
What: A vegan Thanksgiving potluck
When: Saturday, November 26, 2011
Where: My cozy apartment in San Francisco, CA
Why: To celebrate the best holiday of the year!

Mmm. Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings!

The Scoop: Thanksgiving for me is usually spent eating all of the traditional favorites alongside my brother, sister, and Dad in Upstate NY. While the bad news is that I couldn’t afford to fly across the country to indulge in our annual tradition, I did host a really fun Thanksgiving potluck at my apartment in San Francisco with my boyfriend Jeremy. Together, we spent the day whipping the apartment into shape and cooking up a storm for our party of 10—nine of whom turned out to be East Coasters, with my longtime friend Iyla and her two guests hailing from my home region. If I couldn’t be in NY for my favorite holiday, at least I could dine with other orphans from the East Coast.

Tofurky roast with cherries, carrots, and sweet potatoes.

When everyone brought their dishes, I couldn’t believe the colorful, decadent feast in front of me. I marinated and baked two Tofurkys (one with ginger-garlic, the other with Tofurky’s recipe for a Caramelized Onion & Cherry Roast). Jeremy and I also roasted pecan- and fig-stuffed Delicata squash, tossed a leafy green salad with homemade herbed vinaigrette, and mashed sweet and Yukon Gold potatoes. No one was disappointed, though, when my friend Sophia revealed that she had also made mashed red-skin potatoes—two giant bowls of smooth, buttery deliciousness at one party? Count me in. As if that wasn’t enough, Sophia wowed everyone with her vegan egg-salad sandwiches and stuffed baby mushrooms. Iyla cooked a gorgeous carrot-apple soup, spiced with nutmeg and ginger, with a side of Southern cornbread. And because nearly everyone else brought a bottle (or two) of wine, we kept toasty for the entirety of the evening. No one even seemed to mind that we had to eat our soup in shifts because I didn’t have enough spoons.

The best guests at the best Thanksgiving dinner!

Never would I have thought that Thanksgiving without my family would be so warm and welcoming. After we indulged in hot apple pie topped with vanilla bean soy ice cream and baklava for dessert, we headed out to burn some calories with a night of dancing. Next year, I do hope to make it back to NY and have Thanksgiving with my family, but this year’s event will go down as one of the most joyous and genuine celebrations of gratitude for years to come.

Vegan Fusion Immersion

2011-11-23T14:02:00.000-08:00

Who: VegNews staffer in Portland, Lara Bradley
What: Stopping by the 10-Day Cuisine Vegan Fusion Cuisine Cooking Immersion by Chef Mark Reinfeld
When: Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Where: Portland, OR
Why: A chance to meet a well-traveled and multi-talented chef

The Scoop: From romantic Paris to ancient and mysterious Machu Picchu to humble Portland, award-winning international chef and author Mark Reinfeld (founding chef of Blossoming Lotus Restaurant and winner of the VegNews Cookbook of the Year in 2005 for Vegan Fusion World Cuisine, co-authored with Bo Rinaldi), holds his Vegan Fusion 10-Day Cuisine Immersion course in alluring destinations the world over. When he opted for our rain-soaked city, I had the pleasure of finally meeting Mark when he invited me to come to one of his classes. As kind as he is talented, I watched in the background as he gently led his students through the culinary delights of the day, one of three days focused on raw food. When all was said and done, I dined like a queen indulging in sun-dried tomato herb flax crackers, raw un-stir fry with cauliflower rice, raw hot and sour soup, spicy cashews, and a jaw-dropping cashew cheese. Jamaican gingerade, the day's beverage, was a great accompaniment to the meal.

The amazing, totally raw meal!

Just when I thought it could not get any better, the students whipped up a decadent dessert of chocolate mousse (shh ... the secret ingredient is avocado!) topped with macadamia cream that put chocolate mousses I've enjoyed in the past to shame. Then there was the key lime ice cream with strawberry coulis topped with a walnut coconut date crumble. It took me to Nirvana and left me there.

As we were dining, the students spoke of why they took the course and their thoughts of the class that was ending the following day. All remarked how much they learned, how knowledgeable Mark is, and how this was some of the most delicious food experiences they had ever tasted. Some students were vegetarians and vegans, while others were totally new to this healthy and tasty world and excited about their new path. Students walked away not only with fond memories and world-class culinary skills, but also a personalized cookbook of everything prepared, a Vegan Fusion tote, apron, and a nice size professional portrait of Mark and all the students. They were sad their new little community was coming to an end, but excited about their future and looked forward to sharing their new dishes with friends and family.

Moi and Mark

I don’t know about you, but I am already packing my bags for Machu Pichu for the 2012 immersion course and am counting the days until I eat that chocolate mousse again, this time while perched atop a mountain in the Andes some 8,000 feet above sea level, bearing witness to times gone by.

Girlfriends' Getaway at The Stanford Inn

2011-11-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

Who: VN Associate Editor Jennifer Chen
What: A vacation with my girlfriends
When: November 11–13, 2011
Where: The Stanford Inn, Mendocino, CA
Why: To spend quality time with my best friends

The Scoop: Every year, my best friends, Alina Kwak and Diana Breen, and I get together for a mini-vacation. While boys are great, there is nothing like a girls' weekend away. My friend Diana has been vegan since she was 15, so I suggested we take a trip to the Stanford Inn, a beautiful and enchanting veg-friendly inn, located in the coastal town of Mendocino, CA.

We arrived on Friday and were greeted warmly by the staff. Plus, vegan chocolate chip cookies were waiting for us inside our room. (And yes, every room gets cookies every day that you stay. My kind of place!) We ate dinner at Mendocino Café, which had several vegan options. The Healing Bowl, with soba noodles, kale, and tofu in a miso broth, was my pick.

On Saturday, we started our day with a warm Vinyasa yoga class, followed by brunch. The Stanford Inn vegan breakfast, complimentary for inn guests, is not to be missed. Everything you could ever want veganized—frittatas, French toast, crêpes—is on this hard-to-pick-just-one-dish menu. I went for the mind-blowing Portobello Benedict. After that, we worked off our brunch with a two-hour canoe trip along the Big River. Then, we hit Frankie's for vegan pizza. You can build your own pie with vegan cheese and a choice of tomato sauce or pesto (all vegan). Believe it or not, the inn also hosts a daily vegan happy hour with free (!!!) dessert and tea or coffee so we hustled back to indulge.

Wild Mushroom Crêpe, filled with spinach, wild mushrooms,
shallots, served with roasted butternut squash
and puréed garden greens on top of poblano créme.

Saturday night, we were excited to try the special five-course wine and mushroom tasting menu at Ravens, Stanford Inn's restaurant, in celebration of Mendocino's annual Wine and Mushroom Festival. Ravens' Chef Sally Owens and Stanford Inn Co-owner Jeff Stanford took the time to explain Ravens' culinary philosophy to my friends and I. Nutritious food is key, as Jeff explained. While each dish was a standout, my hands-down favorite was the mushroom crêpe. It was light and fluffy and the mushrooms were packed with umami flavor. And don't even get me started on the puréed garden greens!

Ravens' Chef Sally Owens, the genius behind the dishes.

Sally and I discussed sharing some of Ravens' best recipes with VegNews Recipe Club subscribers. (If you're not signed up for our free weekly recipe newsletter, head to VegNews.com and sign up today!) I am so excited we will feature the Portobello Benedict recipe in December. It's so delicious that I might have to make it every weekend. Sally also told me that Ravens' will be releasing a brand new cookbook, so stay tuned.

If you've never been to The Stanford Inn, definitely add it to your bucket list. Companion animals are welcome, and you'll see quite a few four-legged guests in the dining room. Daily cookies, a bountiful garden, an indoor salt-water pool, and some of the best vegan eats await you.

San Francisco Walk for Farm Animals

2011-11-10T11:59:00.000-08:00

Who: VN Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria and Team VegNews
What: San Francsico's Walk For Farm Animals
When: November 6, 2011
Where: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA
Why: To support the awesome work of Farm Sanctuary, and get a little stroll

The Scoop: Our lovely and talented associate editor, Jennifer Chen, is magic. She is the kind of person who actually has her life together enough to organize fun events, which she does frequently. A potluck brunch based on an amazing vegan cookbook? Jenn teamed up with Assistant Editor Anna Peraino to make that dream come true. Dinner parties on the cheap that also happen to be hugely fun? Jenn's an expert. So it came as no surprise when she organized a team for us to participate in Farm Sanctuary's Walk for Farm Animals.

Anna, Jenn, Brendan, Sutton, and Chloe, ready to walk!

On a brisk Sunday morning, Associate Publisher Colleen Holland, Art Director Sutton Long (and her amazing wonder-pup, Chloe!), Anna, and I joined Jenn and her husband, Brendan Hay, in Golden Gate Park to walk. Farm Sanctuary has been holding walks since 1986 across the US. The events attract stars like this year's spokesperson, Emily Deschanel, and draw thousands of participants each year. All together, the walks have raised nearly $2 million for Farm Sanctuary since the beginning. In addition to getting a little exercise in, walkers get to hear speakers (including Farm Sanctuary Co-founder Gene Baur), enjoy snacks, and raise awareness. We basically couldn't have hoped for a better day, and it was a joy to chat about everything from iPhones (and how they are taking over our lives) to holiday plans (and how we can't wait for the carb-fest better known as Thanksgiving!). It was (another) fun, out-of-the-office event organized by Jenn, and as a team we even exceeded our fundraising goal! I'm already looking forward to next year, and to all the fun things that I'm sure Jenn will organize between now and then.

Team VegNews post-walk with Farm Sanctuary's Gene Baur

Texas State Veggie Fair, Take Two!

2011-10-31T14:53:00.000-07:00

Who: VN contributor Eddie Garza
What: 2nd Annual Texas State Veggie Fair
When: October 23, 2011
Where: Dallas, Texas
Why: To bask in vegan fried goodness deep in the heart of Texas

The Scoop: Jamey Scott of Dallas Vegan is obsessed with fried foods. He’s a native Texan. And like most Texans, Scott grew up anticipating each year’s state fair, where he would relish in deep fried comfort foods of Texas-sized proportions.

That is, until he went vegan.

At the State Fair of Texas, typical foods found are fried bacon, fried butter, fried bubblegum, I could go on. You’ll also find penned-up piglets waiting to be auctioned. Scott’s retort: parody the country’s largest state fair by hosting an all-vegan version just blocks away.

The Texas State Veggie Fair falls on the heels of its ugly step-cousin, the State Fair of Texas, but you won’t find any farmed animals here. Instead, they’ve corralled a host of animal-advocacy and rescue groups, renowned speakers in the animal rights movement and vegan chefs, mixed in with traditional state fair foods and entertainment. “The fair is an opportunity for people to enjoy a fun and festive experience without supporting animal agribusiness,” says Scott.

That fun includes a vegan fried foods competition, with a panel of judges comprised of some of Dallas’ top food journalists, and two winners taking home sizable cash prizes. Sabali Mpozi Earth of Vegan Comfort from Houston took this year’s “Best Tasting” award for fried spicy chicken-less strips, and Arlington home chef Meredith Whitley’s fried banana pudding snagged “Most Creative” nods.

The fried-food challenge winner: spicy strips!

Fairgrounds were lined with over a dozen vegan food vendors serving a lip-smacking spread of fair faves including caramel apples, Frito pie, fried pizza, fried pickles, corny dogs, and coconut ice cream sundaes. Clowns, jugglers, and alt-country rockers kept crowds entertained as they waited in hour-long lines for vegan fried foods.

“This fair is amazing,” raved Austin activist Jessica Buck, “It’s like a huge party and a protest all rolled into one!” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Bravo to the incredibly creative crew at Dallas Vegan for hosting another successful, inspiring and imaginative event!

Photos courtesy of Sylvia Elzafon

Vegucated Dessert After-Party Hosted by VegNews

2011-10-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

Who: VegNews Associate Publisher Colleen Holland

What: The Vegucated After-Party

When: October 25, 2011

Where: The VNHQ in San Francisco

Why: To toast the new film, Vegucated, following its San Francisco premiere

The Scoop: Here at VegNews, we love throwing parties. Delicious vegan nibbles, a little Champagne, some great music, and excellent guests always make for an unforgettable evening. And now that we've finished zhooshing up our rooftop deck and event space at our Mission District offices, we can hardly wait to play host to many a future vegan soirée.

After welcoming Vaute Couture and its vegan fashion pop-up show in September, the sisters behind Spork Foods and their brand-new vegan cookbook in October, we were beyond excited to host the dessert after-party for Vegucated's San Francisco premiere in November. It was a packed house at the nearby Victoria Theatre for the 7pm screening, followed by a Q & A with the film's Creator/Director Marisa Miller Wolfson, Producer Demetrius Bagley, and star Brian Flegel. If you haven't yet seen this movie, look for a local screening or order a copy on DVD. According to our editorial team in the current edition of VegNews, "Vegucated is a fast-paced, fact-filled, and often hilarious feature-length documentary that's equal parts Saturday Night Live skit and educational tool." In short, it's entertaining, enlightening, and an amazing force to promote a plant-based lifestyle. Check it out!

But let's get back to the after-party. It was a balmy evening in San Francisco and the rooftop deck was softly lit (candles) and perfectly toasty (heat lamps). The dessert spread from Obsessive Confection Disorder alone was worth the cost of admission (decadent brownies! German chocolate caramels! Apple cider candies!), but the 100+ guests also enjoyed Turtle Mountain's coconut ice cream, mint chocolate coconut milk, and the seasonal coconut soy nog. For two hours, people nibbled and mingled before listening to a lovely speech by Marisa about the film. It was an honor to support this groundbreaking documentary, and we look forward to watching it take over the country. For more details, check out the film's website, and the full screening schedule can be found here. Here's to getting Vegucated!

Vegucated's Director, Marisa Miller Wolfson and the film's Producer, Demetrius Bagley, show off their feature in the November+December issue of VegNews at the VNHQ.

Hearty Vegan Brunch and Burgers & Beers Benefit

2011-10-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Associate Editor Jennifer Chen
What: A Hearty Vegan Brunch with VN staff and a Burgers & Beers Benefit
Where: San Francisco and Berkeley, CA
When: Sunday, October 23, 2011
Why: A glorious day of eating awesome vegan food

The Scoop: When the cookbook Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites by Joni Marie Newman & Celine Steen arrived at the VNHQ for review, we were floored by the hunger-inducing food. Tater Tot Surprise, Cinnamon Swirl Bread, and Coconut Crème Brûlée Baked Oatmeal were just a few recipes we were drooling over. So VN Assistant Editor Anna Peraino and I organized a staff-wide potluck based on our favorite brunch dishes from the cookbook. We, after all, have monster appetites. Here is our hearty menu:

VN Hearty Vegan Brunch Menu

Banana Split Waffles

Tater Tot Surprise

Coconut Crème Brûlée Baked Oatmeal

Cappuccino Muffins

Atella Rolls

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches*

Morning Mimosas*

*not featured in the cookbook

My brunch plate from top:

Tater Tot Surprise, Grilled Cheese, Banana Split Waffles, Atella Roll,

Coconut Crème Brûlée Baked Oatmeal, Cappuccino Muffin (center).

It was a beautiful and sunny day in Noe Valley where Anna, our host, lives. We piled our plates high with all the goodies we had prepared. Associate Publisher Colleen Holland made the Banana Split Waffles fresh and piping hot from the waffle iron while my husband, Brendan Hay, made his signature Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, the only recipe not from the cookbook, but a VN staff favorite. I savored every bite and when my very full plate (see above) was empty, I was ready for a hearty nap on Anna's couch. We were impressed with every single dish, and even made a non-vegan a believer in the power of vegan grilled cheese sandwiches (score!).

Joni Sweet and Lyndsay Orwig enjoying brunch.

After the brunch, I squeezed in a dog date at the Presidio with Art Director Sutton Long and her pup, Chloe, and my pup, Buddy, to walk off the billions of calories I had consumed. Believe it or not, then I headed to Pyramid Brewery in Berkeley to partake of vegan burgers and beers. Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary hosted a fundraiser at the brewery and I love any event where I can eat and support animals in need. Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary cares for abused farm and domestic animals and assists local humane societies and rescue groups.

What's better than vegan burgers and beers? Nothing.

It was a great event, and Brendan and I shared a brew while chatting about all the amazing vegan food we ate.

12th Annual Brower Youth Awards

2011-10-20T14:01:00.000-07:00

Who: Publisher Joseph Connelly
What: Brower Youth Awards
Where: Herbst Theatre, San Francisco
When: Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Why: Skateboards and Girl Scout Cookies

The Scoop: At the podium, 2011 Brower Youth Award recipient Alex Epstein dedicated his words "to the young people in the room." Alex is 20.

It gets better.

Of the hundred or so fundraisers, awards, dinners, conferences, and other functions I attend each year, the Brower Youth Awards, named in memory of environmental pioneer David Brower, might just be the one I most look forward to. Each year, six BYAs are given to "the most visionary and strategic activists between the ages of 13 to 22." The public awards ceremony—which culminates a week of Bay Area speaking, networking, training, and bonding sessions for these overachieving leaders—is a delightful mix of youthful optimism and untarnished naivete.

The awards bring a tear to the eye and hope for the future. Nothing is more inspiring than young people who believe in themselves, are fearless, and won't take "no" for an answer.

The 2011 Brower Youth Award honorees: Vorva, Tomtishen, Epstein, Pulido, Davila, Walk, and Thiermann

At 14, Epstein co-founded New York 2 New Orleans Coalition, mobilizing 1,500 NYC high school students, via 43 trips, with 9th ward post-Katrina New Orleans' residents. Next was college, where he co-found The Philadelphia Urban Creators, a cadre of young community organizers building relationships with disadvantaged communities. Epstein's motto: "When you have positive energy, good things happen."

Kyle Thiermann isn't your typical Santa Cruz, CA surfer dude. His online video series, Surfing for Change, encourages the multi-billion dollar surfing community to make small adjustments that can add up, including divesting $340 million from coal-funding banks. "Changing the world can be as simple as changing a daily personal decision," advocates 21-year-old Thiermann.

Junior Walk, an anti-strip mining activist from West Virginia, fights big coal in Appalachia with Coal River Mountain Watch. Walk, 21, is an outspoken advocate in a fossil-fuel dependent community, and risks being ostracized, which doesn't deter him from his mission. "Eventually, this will get stopped," Junior says of the environmentally devastating practice of harvesting coal via mountain top removal. "We're gonna be there for the final nail in the coffin."

Tania Pulido, also 21, uses agriculture as a tool to reach out to people. She works with Urban Tilth, a community garden in the food desert of Richmond, CA, a Bay Area city plagued by high crime and environmental racism. Inspired by her fellow awardees to take her activism "to the next level," Tania's words of wisdom include "never give up on yourself," useful for someone also fighting the local Chevron refinery.

Victor Davila went veg two years ago because he wants to live longer. Davila is 17. He started EcoRyders, workshops that combine environmental and health education with skateboarding, in his native Bronx, NY. "I don't have to move out of my neighborhood to make it a better neighborhood; I can make my neighborhood better," one skateboard at a time.

As 11-year-olds, Girl Scouts Rhiannon Tomtishen and Madison Vorva created Project ORANG—Orangutans Really Appreciate and Need Girl Scouts, cutest acronym ever—when they learned that the cookies they sold contain palm oil from plantations destroying orangutan habitat. Project Orang has been featured in national media, and garnered the pair an audience with the leaders of the Scouts—and a promise by the org to use only sustainable palm oil in the future.

Tomtishen and Vorva, now at the ripe old ages of 15 and 16, respectively, best sum up the spirit and substance of the inspirational BYAs: "We can dream in a way that is not limited by an adult's perspective."

Congratulations to all 2011 BYA recipients on your amazing, encouraging activism.

Michael Pollan and the Food Movement

2011-10-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Who: VegNews Editorial Assistant Joni Sweet

What: Edible Education 101 class with Michael Pollan

Where: Wheeler Auditorium, UC Berkeley, California

When: October 4, 2011

Why: To hear how corporations are affecting the food movement

Author of The Omnivore's Dilemma Michael Pollan

The Scoop: The world is growing, Western diets are poorer than ever, and many people have become dependant on big box stores for their groceries. As part of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move program, national grocers like Wal-Mart agreed this past summer to open new stores or remodel existing ones to help bring more fresh food to food deserts—primarily low-income neighborhoods with little or no access to fresh, healthy food. I was interested in learning more about how corporations are affecting the food movement, so I decided to go a panel discussion on the issue as part of the Chez Panisse Foundation’s Edible Education 101 series of classes at UC Berkeley open to the public. While the classes are continuing every Tuesday throughout the fall semester, this particular panel was made of Jack Sinclair, the executive vice president of Wal-Mart’s food division in the US; Jib Ellison, founder of Blu Skye Strategy Consulting which transforms markets using principles of sustainability; and Michael Pollan, a noted author and professor.

Since Sinclair is responsible for developing Wal-Mart’s overall food and grocery strategy, he was able to tell the audience a lot about how Wal-Mart is working to improve the food crisis. He presented information that shows Wal-Mart’s effort to build relationships with small farmers, offer more organic produce at an affordable price, and how it's working towards its goal of nine percent of all produce sold to be sustainably sourced. Additionally, Sinclair said that Wal-Mart is working on revamping its food nutrition labels to make them more readable. I don’t think many people could argue with the hard numbers Sinclair presented to the audience that backed his claims.

However, what the audience did question was Wal-Mart’s controversial ethical practices regarding workers' compensation and salaries, sourcing standards for products, and extensive stocking of processed foods. Sinclair seemed to respond with stock public relations answers to tough questions, which included asking how Wal-Mart employees are supposed to afford organic food, whether Wal-Mart will put a limit on how profitable it will become, and how it could claim to be providing healthy food, while still stocking the shelves with processed junk food. Sinclair would often reference Wal-Mart’s ethical code and its dependence on its “valued” employees, rather than providing direct answers to such questions. Sinclair also reminded the audience of Wal-Mart’s policy of giving the customer freedom of choice, versus urging them to buy more healthful produce.

Overall, I found the talk quite interesting and engaging. As a big-business skeptic, I have to admit I was impressed with Wal-Mart’s current efforts in improving sustainability measures, healthful food options, and relationships with small, organic farmers. Sinclair said what many have known for some time—that people prefer local food because, in addition to not requiring lots of resources to transport it, the produce also tastes fresher and lasts longer—and that Wal-Mart has been improving relations with local farmers in communities across the US. On the other hand, I feel the audience brought up some very important points that still remain unanswered in a direct way. While Pollan didn’t actually speak much, he did suggest that perhaps labeling chemically laden food should be a requirement, versus the extensive, costly process organic farmers must go through to get the organic certification. Sinclair said the responsibility of that should lay with the government, and not with Wal-Mart.

If you’re interested in these issues, I would recommend watching a video of the lecture or going to one of the upcoming lectures if you’re in the Bay Area. Additionally, if you want to know more about how organizations across the US are working to increase food security, check out Combatting Food Insecurity in the US.

Tuesday Night Fine-Dining at Millennium

2011-10-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

Who: VegNews Editorial Assistant Hilary Pollack

What: A VIP dinner with vegan personal chef Rebecca Dienner

Where: Millennium in San Francisco, Calif.

When: October 4th, 2011

Why: To get the inside scoop on the delicious fall dishes at one of the city's best vegan restaurants.

The Scoop: The first autumn rains of San Francisco touched down this week, meaning that my comfort-seeking winter appetite will soon kick into full effect. I've already started longing for warm, hearty meals instead of the delicate salads that I subsist on for most of the summer in order to stay cool. Thankfully, one of the best vegan restaurants in the country is just a couple of neighborhoods away, and I'm also fortunate enough to have a couple of friends who work there, holding all of the secrets to the menu's top picks. On a nonchalant Tuesday evening, my dear friend Rebecca—a vegan chef herself—and I frolicked to Millennium for a taste of the finer things in life.

This is not hokey gnocchi.

We were daunted by the overwhelming appeal of nearly every single thing on the appetizer menu—oscillating between the heirloom tomato and melon salad, the black bean torte with caramelized plantains, and the coriander seed-crusted oyster mushrooms—but my friend Justin, who has worked at Millennium for several years, offered us some real talk by immediately recommending the gnocchi. Not just any gnocchi; this was the Seared Potato Gnocchi with vanilla-braised lobster mushrooms, grilled oyster mushrooms, saffron-lemon cashew cream, sweet pepperonata, and fried sage. It was love at first bite; this rich dish wowed us with its nuanced but harmonious reworking of the pillowy potato pasta. If only I could replicate it for holiday meals to come! Sadly, I am still a Tofurky-baking culinary amateur. We were also treated to the Roasted Fig Bruschetta, which perfectly balanced both sides of our palates with its synthesis of sweet smoked-onion marmalade, macadamia nut cheese, and radicchio-cherry tomato salad.

Choosing a cocktail also proved difficult, since Millennium's cocktail program is world-class and ridiculously inventive. Ever wet your whistle with a libation flavored by muddled tarragon, heirloom tomatoes, or basil vodka? I opted for the Happy Boy—a concoction of gin, lemon verbena, watermelon, beet purée, and lime juice—which proved refreshing, potent, and totally unique. I am a beet person, but initially even I was skeptical of the root vegetable's inclusion. But one sip, and I was sold. And tipsy.

My artichoke jungle shortly before being scarfed.

Now for the main event. As a mushroom freak—of the non-psychedelic variety—I immediately gravitated towards the Roasted Artichoke, stuffed with a portobello, pecan, and eggplant-piccadillo filling, all resting atop creamy porcini mushroom-toasted farro risotto. Come one, come all, my precious fungi. If I see the word "porcini" in a dish I barely care what else is in it; my destiny is clear. Rebecca was also charmed by her choice: the Heirloom Tomato Coconut Masala, with a butterball potato-chickpea cake, mint chutney, and pickled cabbage.

After about half an hour of recovery/digestion/sparkling wine time, we were ready for our sweet finale. Upon being presented with dessert menus, we were immediately sent us into a tailspin of indecision. Finally, we pulled our server closer. "What should we really get? We can handle it. Be honest with us," we implored her. The Molten Chocolate Rum Cake had caught our eye, but she caught us off guard with some restaurant philosophy. "Chocolate is always a good choice, but that's the thing—it's always a good choice. Some things, you can't get anywhere," she spoke to us cryptically before nudging towards the Vanilla-Pear Tart. We abided by her suggestion and were far from disappointed. The slightly salty walnut-pecan crust of this delectable dessert gorgeously complemented its syrupy medallions of perfectly in-season pear.

The tart that stole our hearts.

Bellies full, curiosity satiated, and many thank-yous distributed, we wandered back out into the evening's drizzle. Autumn's harvest flavors are as warm and rich as the colors of its leaves, and Millennium was the perfect place to immerse ourselves in them. With the guiding light of its knowledgeable staff, we had the chance to experience the best tastes of the season.

A Blessed Evening (No, really!)

2011-09-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Assistant Editor Anna Peraino
What: Dinner from Papalote and Bon Iver live in concert
Where: San Francisco and Berkeley, CA
When: September 22, 2011
Why: Burritos and Bon Iver are both alliterative and life-changing.

The Scoop: You know when you have those days where everything looks like it's going to go totally 100-percent uncontrollably wrong, and then somehow it turns into one of the best days of your life? The evening of September 22 was one of those days for me. Three friends and I bought tickets to Bon Iver at UC Berkeley's famed (and by "famed" I mean Jerry Garcia, Joan Baez, and Pink Floyd performed there) Hearst Greek Theater. Now, most of you probably don't know me (hi, Mom!), but Bon Iver is one of my absolute favorite, love-you-forever, own-all-your-albums-and-singles-on-vinyl bands. They make sweet, sweet love to my ears and I listen to them daily—but more on that later. First, the drama!

So crappy thing about this concert: it started at 7pm, and my friends and I are all SF residents, and two of us have to make the lovely (read: obnoxiously traffic-filled) commute up from the South Bay. I was to meet a friend at 6pm, grab burritos, and then meet the others at a designated SF intersection at 6:45 sharp. Sounds easy, right? Most definitely wrong! My first friend was late, and we didn't get out the door until 6:30. Luckily, however, a bus that could take us (quite literally) to the doorstep of Papalote was rolling by as we began our walk. We made it to Papalote just as our piping hot burritos came off the grill—filled with potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, black beans, rice, guacamole, and the best salsa in the universe (I mean it!), these rolled-up delights are one of my favorite meals in SF.

Imagine this exact burrito, minus the plate and plus my lap.

After getting the burritos, it was a quick two-block walk to the designated meet-up. Somehow, some way, all four of us arrived within minutes of each other, and so the quad was off! Unfortunately, the lovely (read again: obnoxiously traffic-filled) drive across the Bay Bridge to Berkeley ended up taking an hour, and we arrived at the Greek with 15-ish minutes until Bon Iver was to take the stage. Plenty of time, right? Again, no. All the parking lots were filled! As the clock ticked closer and closer to 8pm, we were almost resigned to driving a mile away (and down a really, really steep hill) to a second parking lot, but fate stepped in in the form of a coed talking on her phone. "Do you need a parking spot? I have one right around the corner." God bless us, every one.

Five minutes (and $25 later—we really couldn't thank her enough), we arrived at the venue, burritos in hand. The outdoor ampitheatre was filled to the brim with excited listeners, the four of us included. And magically, as if the universe was waiting for us to arrive (so nice of it!), Bon Iver came on right as we were taking our seats.

And let me tell you readers, the show was absolutely amazing. Eight musicians, two drum sets, a piccolo, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and a whole host of instruments collided in the musical glory that was that show.

Bon Iver and 8,500 of our closest friends!

As if we didn't already feel the good juju all around us as we left the concert, as we neared our car, we saw a family of deer grazing in the nearby woods, two little fawns included! Five feet away from us! No joke! It was a blessed evening, filled with the best food, friends, music, and nature around.

Rockin' at Rootstalk

2011-09-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

Who: VN West Coast Sales Manager Lara Bradley
What: Rootstalk Festival
Where: Salem, OR
When: September 22–25, 2011
Why: For a little local reporting!

The Scoop: As the sole Oregon staffer, it was just a hop, skip and jump to head to the Mountain Rose Herbs Annual Rootstalk conference, held just outside of Salem. A gorgeous lush setting where skyscraper size Douglas-fir trees the commanding authority, was once again the setting for this three-day and night gathering of teachers and masters speaking on everything botanical: including herbalism, aruyvedic medicine, wild mushrooms and edible plants. More than 700 nature-loving folks attended the event wherein all proceeds benefited Cascadia Wildlands, a non-profit whose mission is to combine personal connection with nature and community.

Me and CoreyJean, ready for fun

Shawn Donnille, longtime advocate of the veg lifestyle, enthusiastically put this event on every year to give back to the community. The mornings start off with yoga under the trees, followed by informative lectures with intermittent breaks for canoeing and hiking with Sierra Club members. I found myself hovering at the Viva! Vegetarian Grill food cart, and had my pick of an array of fast food from their all vegan menu. My dog, CoryJean, preferred their hotdogs, sans the onions, as I shamelessly devoured the steak sandwich dripping with cashew cheese. Folk music strummed the attendees’ spirits, while storytelling by campfires was the evening serenade. There was even a masquerade ball under the stars where mere humans were transformed into mystical faeries and frolicking forest creatures while drinking dandelion wine. A hoedown not to be missed, I am getting my fairy wings ready for next year.

The most important element for any festival: the food!

Portland VegFest 2011

2011-09-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig

What: Portland VegFest 2011

Where: Portland, OR

When: September 17 + 18, 2011

Why: To hang out with some cool vegans in the city known as vegan mecca.

The Scoop: I love Portland. I have visited the city a few times—most recently for the first-ever Vida Vegan Con—and every single time I enjoy myself immensely. What can I say, Portland relaxes me—the food is great, the people are nice, and maybe I just have a thing for rainy, cloudy skies.

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to visit this fabulous city in the Northwest in order to table at the Portland VegFest, which took place at the Oregon Convention Center, and was attended by 6,700 people. It's definitely one of the bigger festivals in the US, and there was a ton of free (and delicious) vegan food, as well as awesome speakers, including Wayne Pacelle of HSUS, Grant Butler of The Oregonian, and Dr. Neal Barnard of PCRM.

The crowded convention center.

I had the pleasure to work at the VegNews booth along with past VegNews employee Katie Paul, her husband, Dan Paul, who was also representing HSUS, and VegNews Street Teamer Bronwyn Ewers, who lives in nearby Tigard, OR. We were neighbors with Chicago Soydairy and ecoVegan, both of which have been featured in VegNews and have wonderful products—they were inundated with hungry attendees for the entirety of the show.

Bronwyn, myself, and Katie working the booth.

Though the booth was busy, I was able to break for quick snacks. On Saturday, I bought a plate of delicious Ethiopian food from Sengatera Ethiopian Restaurant, and then on Sunday I picked up some Yellow Tofu Curry and a few Spring Rolls from VegeThai. Both meals were tasty and satisfying, and helped to get me through the rest of the busy day.

My bountiful plate of Ethiopian food. So good!

This was my first time attending the Portland VegFest, and I hope it's not my last. It was truly a fun and successful event, in one of the best US cities. I'll stop gushing now.

Natural Selection at its Best

2011-09-17T05:47:00.000-07:00

Who: Former VN employee, Katie Paul and husband Dan
What: A dinner at Natural Selection
Where: Portland, OR
When: Sept. 17th
Why: To check out Portland’s latest fine dining venue

The Scoop: As a former VegNews employee, volunteering for VegNews during the Portland VegFest has become a much anticipated annual tradition for me. I live in Seattle, a vegan friendly city in its own right, but I am always thrilled to jaunt south to Portland for a change of scenery. This year, I was asked to take on another task: to review a new restaurant in Portland called Natural Selection. This weekend was beginning to sound more like an indulgent getaway, and nobody had to twist my arm to get me to participate. I looked forward to the weekend all week long, and now, a week after the excursion, I still can’t stop thinking and talking about it.

Our phenomenal main course: polenta with summer squash

My husband Dan and I drove down to Portland on Saturday morning, and spent the day at Portland VegFest enjoying the company of friendly Pacific North-westerners and sampling both new and familiar vegan foods. As we headed to the quaint neighborhood of Alberta for our dinner reservations at Natural Selection, we were regretting all of the pre-dinner munching damage that had already been done. But, as we walked into the restaurant, we instantly regained our appetites. I appreciate good interior design almost as much as I appreciate good food, and this restaurant has both. However, to say that its cuisine and design are ‘good’ would be entirely misleading because it was perhaps the most delicious and thoughtfully designed meals in one of the most inviting and thoughtfully designed spaces I have ever experienced. Yes, this is a superlative description for a superlative dinning experience. Natural Selection is an exquisite fine dining experience without the fussy pretense. The décor matches the cuisine: rustic and modern with a warm European influence. The food is plated with precision, but the silverware is unmatched. The open concept space conceals nothing; all 360 degrees of the space is aesthetically lovely, even the dishwashing is a part of this view. Every detail is inviting and unpretentious yet, at the same time luxurious and immaculate. This juxtaposition is balanced seamlessly, creating an authentic atmosphere.

The human element also contributes to the Natural Selection experience. Chris and Aida greeted and served us warmly, and explained the food intelligently. Natural Selection is the kind of high-end restaurant where you can ask what ‘flageolets’ and ‘cipollinis’ are without feeling like someone’s going to make you where an epicurean dunce cap. We watched head chef, Aaron Woo work passionately and efficiently with his kitchen staff as we devoured the fruits of their labor.

Me, slightly before devouring dessert

What distinguishes Natural Selection from other fine dining venues is that chef Aaron reinvents his menu weekly, featuring grains and seasonal fruit and vegetables. Needless to say, this constantly changing menu requires a great deal of creativity and dedication. The payoff is that Natural Selection loyalists can always count on a different culinary experience every time they frequent the restaurant. Two different four course meals are offered at a prefix price, and every dish is also offered a la carte. Dan and I ordered the two prefixed four course meals and ate off of each other’s plates. Such a fun way to share a meal with a loved one or a close friend! In between each course a palate cleanser was offered to help prepare our senses for the next course. Our favorite dishes included sweet white corn soup with basil, peppers, carrots, and citrus; and creamy polenta and piperade with summer squash, tomatoes, squash blossoms, and eggplant. Ending the meal with two desserts: peach crumble and orange and pecan cake, really hit the spot and left us with a sweet impression that would have our taste buds officially won over. Yes; we just might make Natural Selection the catalyst for another Portland getaway.

Next time we visit, we will be sure to try some drinks from Natural Selection’s drink menu, which is just as thoughtful and inventive as their food menu.

Alaska State Fair

2011-09-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly

What: The Alaska State Fair

Where: Palmer, Alaska

When: September 3, 2011

Why: To prove, once and for all time, that it's easy being vegan. Anywhere.

The Scoop: My first Alaska trek was to be quick and unscripted; then I spotted a story in the Anchorage Daily News about giant vegetables at the Alaska State Fair. Off went an email to the Fair's press contact, which I immediately forgot about it, too busy exploring the state's largest city. At 2pm my phone rings. By 3:30 I was on the fairgrounds in Palmer, 45 miles northeast of Anchorage and a few miles east of the hell-hole of (ug) Wasilla.

As state fairs go, this one was average size. Alaska's population, less than 700,000, is the only thing not large in the state. The massive veggies I saw equal the scope of this beautiful and vast paradise, with mountains and forests and rivers and wildlife all around. At all times. Breathtaking.

But back to the fair. An 11-pound zucchini? How about a 126-pound cabbage? Then there's the Alaska state record pumpkin, weighing in at 1,287 pounds. Yes, nearly 24 hours of summer sun has its rewards. For the record, the state record for a bunch of kale is 106 pounds. That's a lot of calcium.

Pumpkin Champ: 1,287 pounds

Whole lotta kimchi: 126 pounds of cabbage

Now, since I am here, in addition to the developmentally advanced produce, I have to stake out the vegan options, yes? Did I, walking the grounds in search of anything animal-free. To my pleasant surprise, there was an abundance.

My tastiest find was Rae's Gourmet Tamales, impossible to miss with large round signs reading "New Vegetarian Chile over Rice" and "Black Beans and Rice Bowl," both $6. Ms. Rae and her daughter Jennifer always make sure at least one tamale is veg, and today it was green and sweet yellow corn with a side of rice and beans ($11).

Chile and Black Beans over Rice

Rae and Jennifer, mother-daughter tamale queens

PB and Jesus? Patron saint of peanut Butter? Holy Madonna, at St. Michael's Parish for just $2 you can get every kid's fave sandwich and attend Saturday night Mass.

I said everything up here is big, yes? Check out J & L Granny's Alaska-sized order of potato chips (below), an order of which will set you back $9 and take, oh, several weeks to polish off. Also on the menu: onion rings, curly fries, and fried zucchini. Ah, fat.

Vagabond Blues had an entirely veg menu, featuring a vegan Boca burger (with sun-dried tomato hummus), a Garden burger (hold the optional cheese), as well as soups, veg wraps, garlic potato chips, and even a veggie corn dog, plus fresh squeezed apple and orange juice.

Cute honors to Hoop 'n' Hula Milk 'n' Cookies. Treats sold for $2.50, with a 50-cent "doughnation" from each purchase earmarked for the "local or global" charity of your choice. They even offer Silk Vanilla as one of their liquid options.

Oh, there was plenty more. On the savory side, how about deep fried "shroomies" and "sweeties" sweet potato fries; hot roasted corn on the cob at $4 per ear; more greese from Curly Bob's Deep Fried Vegetables ('shrooms, zucchini, onion blossoms); and The Pastie Shack—stuffed pocket pies—dishing up a veggie pocket?

For the sweet tooth, The Pastie Shack also offered cherry and apple pockets; what would a state fair be without Elephant Ears—fried dough in cinnamon and powered sugar varieties; and finally Becky's Original Kettle Korn, clean and vegan with a recipe of just popcorn, oil, sugar, and salt.

Ah yes, veganism abounded at the Fair. Even one of the non-food vendors proudly advertised her cruelty-freeness. Can you stand one more pic? Check out Su'z Alaska Natural Soy Products:

An unplanned visit where most would never imagine finding anything vegan felt like winning the lottery. Well, almost. Now, off to Mass with my PB&J. You reading this, Mom?

Vida Vegan Con, 2011

2011-09-01T15:01:00.000-07:00

Who: Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria and most of the VN crew
What: Vida Vegan Con, the world's first vegan blogging conference!

Where: Portland, Ore.

When: August 25 to 28, 2011

Why: Why would we miss a first-of-its-kind event that combines media, awesome people, and fantastic vegan food?

The Scoop: When there's a totally vegan blogging conference held in the vegan mecca that is Portland, Ore., you go. That's all there is to it. The VN team first heard about Vida Vegan Con last year, and we've been eagerly anticipating it ever since. Finally, this past weekend, our excitement reached a fever pitch as we left the office on Thursday afternoon and headed for the City of Roses. Once the wheels hit the tarmac, we were off and running.

Our first stop was Vendetta, a cute bar with a lovely outdoor patio where a group of VVCers were gathered. Let's just say that we wasted no time in mingling among the very awesome attendees.

Allison Rivers Samson and Terry Hope Romero, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Fran Costigan, Colleen Holland, and me! (Photo via Allison Rivers Samson)

Yes, that is an all-star lineup if I dare say so myself. In the background you can see The Oregonian's Grant Butler, Native Bowl's Julie Hasson, and the flaxen locks of VN contributor Dynise Balcavage. Not a bad way to kick off a conference, if you ask us! After chatting for a bit we rushed over to a sneak peek screening of Vegucated, hosted by the film's creator Marisa Miller Wolfson.

Friday we spent galavanting around Portland. Our first stop? Duh, the vegan mini-mall. We met up with Michelle from Herbivore Clothing Company at Sweetpea Baking Company for some morning grub. Bagels, scones, bars, and big, strong lattes were in order. After stuffing ourselves and chatting, we headed to Herbivore to peruse the goods. Hello, adorable animal-rights themed hoodies, buttons, stickers, and more! We could have easily walked away with one of everything from Herbivore, but the most popular purchase was actually this cool One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book, which three of us on staff picked up. Then, we stopped at Food Fight! Vegan Grocery. We were like kids in a literal candy store. I couldn't resist grabbing a handful of Crazy Rumors Lip Balm, a packet of JJ's Sweet's Cocomels in Fleur de Sel, and a couple of Halo Bars for Assistant Editor Anna Peraino, who wasn't with us on the trip and freaks out for them. Is there any greater joy in life than freaking out your coworkers with surprise treats? Heck no. Friday night we headed back to the hotel for a kick off Champagne and cupcake reception, which VN hosted. You know who likes cupcakes and Champagne? Everybody, that's who. After our aperitifs, we headed to Portobello for a special meal with VN contributors. Chef Aaron Adams blew us away with his inventive, locally sourced, phenomenally delicious cuisine. Check out a course-by-course recap by our Raw Done Right columnist, Gena Hamshaw at Choosing Raw. A stellar, four-hour meal shared with brilliant colleagues? Things really don't get better.

Colleen moderates the Travel Panel

Saturday and Sunday we got down to business. The days were jam packed with the bulk of the conference. The panels were fantastic, the speakers engaging, the food demonstrations delicious, and the Galarama a ton of fun. With so many fantastic vegan bloggers in attendance, there's no shortage of great coverage of the individual panels; check out Vida Vegan Con's Facebook page for a roundup of recaps. For the visually minded, check out our Facebook gallery.

The panel was a total success, not to mention a blast. Kudos are due to the organizers—Jess Scone, Michele Truty, and Janessa Philemon-Kerp—who saw a need for something in their community, and took it upon themselves to fill it. It's creative, dedicated activism like theirs that will power the next phase vegan living, in whatever form it takes.

San Francisco Street Food Fest

2011-08-25T02:00:00.000-07:00

Who: Editorial Assistant Joni Sweet

What: The San Francisco Street Food Festival

Where: The Mission District, San Francisco, Calif.

When: August 20, 2011

Why: To discover the best vegan food from street carts and food trucks from San Francisco and beyond!

The Scoop: A few weeks ago, I received an invitation to the media dinner for the San Francisco Street Food Festival. Free food, drinks, and swag bags? Count me in. I had the privilege of meeting chefs and dining in style with many interesting professionals working in the food and media industries. The cocktails? Creative and delicious. The presentation of all things edible? Detailed and beautiful. The service? Prompt and efficient. But the main draw of the dinner—the food? Lacking in veggie options, to say the least. Basically, all I ate during the 10-or-so course meal was some fresh, spicy salsa from Zepeda Foods and amazing roasted lemon and thyme hummus from Love & Hummus Co. atop crunchy cucumbers. That said, the dinner was still a ton of fun, but I knew that, coming from one of the most veg-friendly cities on the planet, San Francisco street vendors could do better for vegan foodies than just salsa and hummus, delicious as they were.

So on Saturday morning, I strutted into the third-annual San Francisco Street Food Festival bright and early. A woman on a mission, I was determined to check out every delicious veg option available from the more than 60 vendors feeding the hungry masses. And man, did I eat.

My date Jeremy and I started the sunny day off right by getting our drink on. A bartender carefully mixed my choice summer cocktail—the Poloma. Like a grapefruit version of the margarita, this refreshing, sweet'n'salty drink made with Espolón tequila (my favorite!) paired well with some gourmet, crunchy summer farmers’ market pickles, with just the right amount of sourness, from Il Cane Rosso.

Next, we hit up Azalina’s Malaysian for a fried peanut taco. Filled with a surprisingly spicy mix of peanuts and tofu, the deep-fried taco oozed with greasy deliciousness, and was easily the most memorable meal of the day. I was ever-thankful to have bought the ruby red sharbat, a refreshing blend of coconut, lime juice, and rosewater, as my mouth was practically on fire and waiting in Azalina's long line again was out of the question.

The samosas from the Bay Area’s first Indian street food truck, Curry Up Now, took me right back to India, where I spent the spring of 2010. While my classmates were worried about getting food poisoning, I openly embraced (and risked) chowing down on the hot, ready-to-eat samosa, pakora, and tikki, cooked up right on the streets of New Delhi. Curry Up Now’s giant, crispy samosa filled with seasoned potatoes and peas, was heavenly. A bottomless pit, I could’ve eaten at least five more, but I refrained, and my health thanks me for it.

For lunch, I tried Ethiopian food for the first time ever. As one of the few vendors offering an entirely vegan selection, Eji’s Kitchen served up Shinbra Butacha cakes, thyme tea, and spicy lentils and cabbage. I chose the lentil-cabbage combo, served in the traditional manner atop injera, a large, sourdough flatbread. Eji’s helpful chefs explained the utensil-less meal to those in line, letting everyone know that Ethiopian food is to be eaten with your hands by pinching the fillings with the bread.

While the sweet and sour cabbage was well-flavored, it still tasted like cabbage, a vegetable I find rather unappealing. As a major fan of lentils, I enjoyed those quite a bit. They tasted a lot like traditional Indian lentils, but with a smokier flavor. The injera was like a sour crêpe, which was good, but so filling that I struggled to consume all of it, even with Jeremy’s assistance. My mission was foiled; my seemingly bottomless pit of a stomach was betraying me—I was full.

So while I didn’t try everything, the San Francisco Street Food Festival fared well for me—Wallet empty, my belly full, and still plenty of veg-options (like the cauliflower kati roll and the Mexican spiced hot cocoa!) to dream about before I hit up the festival again next year. Mission accomplished.

Farmer’s Market and Studio Visit

2011-08-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

Who: VegNews Editorial Assistant Hilary Pollack

What: The farmers' market, a friend’s recording studio, and a fancy dinner

Where: Palo Alto and neighboring Menlo Park, CA

When: Sunday, August 14th, 2011

Why: To try as many of the vegan treats in my suburban hometown as possible!

The Scoop: Because San Francisco is so jam-packed with amazing eateries and adventures on the daily, I sometimes forget that a mere 40 minutes away, my hometown of Palo Alto has its own repertoire of suburban awesomeness waiting to be tapped into. This Sunday, I had to drop by my parents’ house to say hello and pick up my new Matt & Nat bag (!), and I decided to make a day of it by hitting a few pit stops around town for vegan goodies.

I started with some quick Singapore-style noodles at vegan Chinese restaurant Garden Fres h off of University Ave., and then headed to the Palo Alto Farmers' Market, where I was dying to find and try a RawDaddy's cone. I had read about these heavenly creations on Yelp and a couple of other websites, but had yet to see one in three dimensions. Take the handheld convenience of an ice cream cone and then remix it with unexpected savory flavors and a raw food twist, and you will find yourself greedily devouring a Moroccan Squash Cone or in my case, a Forest and Earth Mushroom Polenta Cone:

Jumping Jehoshaphat, I’m pretty sure that I could have single-handedly packed away about a dozen of these things, but I still had other plans for satisfying my ever-voracious appetite. The VNHQ is kale-obsessed, so I had to drop by this adorable mother-daughter kale operation for a few samples. Rachel Phelps, the founder of Krunchy Kale and Mighty Mouth Foods, and her daughter Sonnet were kind enough to let me try several flavors of their homemade kale snacks, all of which were heavily nosh-worthy while still light and airy.

I was also happy to see Oakland’s Scream Sorbet vending away their delicious non-dairy frozen goods, as well as a slew of other veg-friendly vendors.

After the farmers' market, I decided to pay a visit to Jack (of all trades) Shirley, a friend of mine who makes his own vegan ice cream at The Atomic Garden, the recording studio where he lives and works. Jack is a longtime fixture of the Bay Area music scene, and has done recording and sound engineering for dozens of bands like Rocky Votolato, Dominant Legs, and Broadway Calls. He has been vegetarian for umpteen years, but a couple of years ago, was having trouble going vegan due to his raging obsession with ice cream. Consequently, he started making his own cashew-based creations, and now he is a total expert at the operation and is happily living la vida dairy-free.

We threw together some coffee ice cream and he let me in on his top-secret list of upcoming flavor experiments, including root beer, piña colada, jelly doughnut, French toast, and candy cane. I nominate myself to taste-test.

To round off my day of suburban decadence, I dined with my sister at the Flea St. Café, an upscale restaurant in Menlo Park. Our server seemed well-versed in accommodating vegan diets, and at his recommendation I started with an heirloom tomato and Alberta peach salad with a pecan basil pesto. The fruit was perfectly ripe and succulent, and the simple but flavorful pesto really made the dish. For my main course, I went with the Summer Vegetarian Tasting (the parenthetical vegan version on their menu), a gorgeous medley of fresh vegetables including Chioggia beets, chanterelle mushrooms, tiny haricots verts, and marinated eggplant. Behold:

This awesome entrée was the perfect finale for my mini-tour. A day in the ‘burbs truly revived my faith that the city isn’t the only place where veg options abound.

Cinnaholic's First Birthday

2011-08-11T09:32:00.000-07:00

Who: Assistant Editor Anna Peraino
What: Cinnaholic’s one-year anniversary party
Where: Berkeley, Calif.
When: August 7, 2011
Why: Delicious cinnamon rolls for a dollar? More like why am I being asked why!

The Scoop: So maybe you’ve heard of this little place called Cinnaholic. No? Well, this Bay Area gem bakes up ginormous, decadent vegan cinnamon rolls with more toppings and frostings than you can imagine. I could go on, but for now, let’s just say there’s a reason why these bad boys are on our Vegan Bucket List. This past weekend, Cinnaholic celebrated its first birthday with a four-hour long party, filled with DJs, giveaways, and (as I mentioned before) dollar cinnamon rolls. Needless to say, it was enough to get me to jump the bay to Berkeley.

My roommate and I arrived 10 minutes before the party was slated to end in the hopes that we would avoid lines and get to the deliciousness more quickly, but even the best laid plans of mice and men (and by “mice and men” I mean “my roommate and I”) go awry. Walking towards Cinnaholic, we could smell it before we saw it—the cinnamon-y deliciousness was just that intoxicating. Excited for some face-stuffing, we turned the corner and BAM! A line out the door. We entered the queue, the once-delicious smell now laughing in our faces. (Not really. It was still amazing.)

So hot right now, Cinnaholic.

Half an hour later, it was time to order. The space itself is adorable—black and white tiled floors, Johnny Cash posters, and a chalkboard menu that will make anyone’s mouth water. My roommate decided to go with the Old Skool roll, but as it was my first time at the store itself (don’t worry, I’ve tasted these bad boys before), I went for a roll I'd only heard rumors of—the chocolate chip cookie dough roll. A freshly baked cinnamon bun topped with golf ball-sized gobs of cookie dough, chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, and the classic vanilla frosting? I mean, how can you not order that? So we put in our orders and waited for our fresh-from-the-oven buns.

Ten minutes later, our treats were ready to go. We headed across the street to the University of California, Berkeley campus to indulge on a grassy knoll. Within minutes our treats were devoured, followed by a prompt 20-minute nap in the grass, sort of like the Honey Badger after he’s been bitten by a cobra. After our naps, it was time to head back to the city. A very Happy Birthday to Cinnaholic! Maybe next year they’ll be giving two cinnamon rolls away for $1? One can only dream.

They’re so big! And yummy! And big!

Millennium Farmers' Market Cooking Class

2011-08-04T16:13:00.000-07:00

Who: Associate Editor Jennifer Chen
What: Millennium Restaurant's Farmers' Market Cooking Class
Where: San Francisco, Calif.

When: July 30 & 31, 2011
Why: To take a cooking class at one of my favorite restaurants

The Scoop: It may come as no surprise that I love food and cooking. Millennium is one of my favorite restaurants, so when I read that Executive Chef Eric Tucker would be teaching a cooking class using produce picked at the local farmers' market, I jumped at the opportunity.

Day One: Shopping Day!

We met at the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market in San Francisco to shop for ingredients for Sunday's class. Instead of a set list of items, Eric asked us to find produce we were interested in and we'd base the menu off of what we bought. One of my classmates pointed out fresh squash blossoms so we grabbed a bagful. Next, we stopped by Hodo Soy to pick up fresh soymilk and yuba (tofu) skins. Eric said we would be making a silken tofu custard using the soymilk, and I was thrilled. I grew up eating tofu custard, but never attempted to make my own. Then we went to Blossom Bluff Farm to pick up ripe peaches. Farm Co-owner Fran Loewen gave us each a rare breed of plum to try. Along the way, we snagged snap peas, rose geranium, and abalone mushrooms.

Day Two: Let's Cook!

At 10am, I felt like I was ready for the vegan version of Top Chef, armed with my favorite knives and measuring cups. Eric and his team had coffee and freshly made cinnamon beignets, along with aprons, chefs jackets, and kitchen towels ready for us before we broke up into two teams to make variations on the same menu. My team and I started making the olive oil rose geranium sorbet. I never thought of adding olive oil to ice cream but it gave the subtly sweet ice cream a rich flavor. Next, we moved on to making the tofu custard, combining agar agar and kuzu to our fresh soymilk. Thomas, the line cook assisting Eric, taught me a simple trick to prepare kuzu. Slowly add your liquid then crush up the kuzu, then add more liquid. This way the kuzu turns into a smooth paste rather than a clumpy mess. While the other members of our team prepared the other menu items, we used the restaurant's industrial Vitamix to blend the almond garlic sauce for the panisse.

Chef Eric Tucker overseeing the panisse and squash blossoms.

We took a break for lunch to taste the fruits of our labor. Ann Wheat, the co-owner of Millennium, joined us for our meals, relishing in our tasty dishes. It was back to the kitchen to make the sunchoke-corn risotto while the other team made a potato-corn risotto. Sunchokes look like knobby ginger root but taste like artichokes. Then we carefully opened up squash blossoms and stuffed them with a savory tofu cheese. Eric showed us how to properly batter them by dipping them in the dry cornmeal mixture, then the soymilk, and back into the cornmeal for a perfect coating. My teammates and I were chanting, "Dry, wet, dry," as we dropped the squash blossoms into the fryer.

What I really loved about the class was learning easy kitchen tips, how to make fresh produce into a stunning dish, and being able to say that I cooked at Millennium. Eric ran the class the way he runs his kitchen, having us taste along the way, creating recipes on the fly, and asking us to work together. When I walked out at 4:30pm, I was exhausted, happy, and full of delicious food.

Silken tofu custard in a ponzu sauce with

seared snap peas and yuba skins.

The complete menu is below. Check out our Facebook album for the complete visual tour of our class—from farmers' market to table.

Menu

Squash Blossoms, two ways, stuffed with tofu cheese,

deep fried in cornmeal batter with a cilantro pesto dipping sauce,

grilled served with a mushroom corn relish

Panisse (chickpea cakes) topped with

a sweet-and-sour eggplant and tomato,

served with an almond garlic sauce

Seared snap peas with yuba skins and silken tofu custard

Grilled romano beans with olives

Vanilla-glazed grilled abalone mushroom,

served with a potato-corn risotto and a sunchoke-corn risotto

Spelt zucchini rum cake, topped with grilled peaches,

served with lemon verbena sorbet and olive oil rose geranium sorbet

10 Reasons to Go to the Animal Rights Conference

2011-07-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

Who: Associate Publisher Colleen Holland

What: FARM's Animal Rights 2011 National Conference

Where: Los Angeles, Calif.

When: July 21–24, 2011

Why: To connect with fellow activists, get re-energized, and eat some amazing vegan food

The Scoop: The world's largest and oldest animal rights conference is still going strong, and, once again, VegNews was a sponsor. It's incredible to walk the aisles of the exhibit hall and see what all the various organizations are doing to help animals. It gives me hope, and I am forever grateful to anyone who dedicates their life to the plight of animal welfare.

So why do we go to this event year after year (my first AR conference was in 2000, and VN Publisher Joseph Connelly has been going since 1994)? Here are my top 10 reasons:

1. The speakers

The jam-packed schedule features more than 100 speakers from 60 organizations, with sessions on everything from how to engage the media and communicating effectively to the abuse of companion animals and understanding the meat mindset. Although the weekend whizzes by, I try to hit up as many talks as possible.

2. The personalities

Imagine 1,000 people in a Westin hotel for four days straight. There are a lot of great networking opportunities, and it's always amazing to learn about the incredible work everyone is doing. Under one roof are Gene Baur and Bruce Friedrich (Farm Sanctuary), Nathan Runkle (Mercy for Animals), Erica Meier (Compassion Over Killing), Jack Norris (Vegan Outreach), Nick Cooney (The Humane League), Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan (Our Hen House), and Julieanna Hever (VN columnist and vegan dietitian extraordinaire).

Here I am with Farm Sanctuary's Bruce Friedrich, Gene Baur, and VegNews' Joseph Connelly

3. The exhibits

More than 90 exhibitors displayed at this year's conference, and it was nearly impossible to talk to everyone. I allotted ample time to connect with people from Action for Animals, Animal Aid Unlimited, Kinship Circle, A Well-Fed World, HealthForce Nutritionals, In Defense of Animals, Lantern Books, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, V-dog food, and VegFund. Keep up the great work!

4. Film Premiers

Each year, there's a media room dedicated to showing a full schedule of videos–including Farm to Fridge and How I Became an Elephant. We arrived early Thursday to catch the COK-hosted film premier of Vegucated, the new documentary by Marisa Miller Wolfson. Look for a full review in the next issue of VegNews, but here's a sneak peek: it's smart, it's funny, it's heartfelt, and it's going to change lives. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire film, and I can't wait for the world to see it.

5. The Awards

Every year, FARM does a wonderful job of recognizing animal activists for the important work they're doing. This year, the Grassroot's Animal Activist Award went to long-time champions Bryan Pease and Kath Rodgers, both of Animal Protection and Rescue League (Bryan is also on the VegNews Advisory Board). And who won the coveted Animal Rights Hall of Fame Award? None other than the venerable Carol J. Adams, a preeminent speaker and author of The Sexual Politics of Meat. Congratulations to all.

6. The Food

OK, we're vegan, so what would any conference/event/vacation be without the food? Let's just say that FARM takes great care of you. Each morning, complimentary bagels, spreads, and coffee are available to conference attendees, and then a late-night buffet of snacks and sweets are offered after the evening plenary. They've also negotiated with the hotel to offer affordable, all-vegan breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets at the two on-site restaurants—which may include stuffed ravioli, an array of salads, and freshly baked cookies. Finally, two exhibitors, Samosa House and Southern Fried Vegan BBQ, offered up hot samosas and soul-food favorites like Po Boyz sandwiches, mac 'n' cheese, Fried Chikun sandwiches, and jambalaya.

A closer look at Southern Fried Vegan BBQ's Cajun Chikun sandwich and mac 'n' cheese

7. The Excursions

Once in a while, you want to step out of the hotel and do some exploring. And when Veggie Grill, VegNews 2008 Restaurant of the Year, is just minutes away, we knew it would be part of the weekend. Of course, immediately after our plane landed, the VegNews staff headed straight for the new 'Grill in Santa Monica and gorged ourselves on burgers, sweet potato fries, and desserts. And, since once is never enough, we returned the following evening with some friends (where the whole restaurant seemed as if it had been taken over by AR attendees).

Vegucated star Brian, Our Hen House's Mariann and Jasmine, Vegucated creator Marisa, VN columnist Julieanna Hever, and I head out to Veggie Grill for All-Hail Kale salads

8. The Reunions

When you've been a part of this community for a long time, it's so lovely to re-connect with people at these conferences. For me, it's always the best part of the experience. This year, we had a special reunion. Nine people from our first-ever VegNews Great Adventure to India were attending the conference, and we couldn't wait to see each other again and reminisce about our days abroad. One super-generous local, Frankie, invited us all over for the most amazing vegan spread—homemade lasagna (best I've ever had), Caesar salad, garlic bread, iced chai, and ice cream. It was so good to see everyone, and we can't wait to do it again!

9. The Bar

Like any good conference, the bar is where it's all happening every night. Whether you're a teetotaler or can put them back like nobody's business, about 100 people lounge late into the night talking life, activism, food, and, well, just about anything. It's always a good time, and a great opportunity to get to know people.

10. Support FARM

FARM, the conference organizer, has been working on behalf of the animals for 30 years. Led by the tireless Alex Hershaft, we want to support their great work any chance we get. In addition to organizing the annual Animal Rights Conferences, they also lead campaigns for World Farm Animals Day, the Great American Meatout, Meatout Mondays, and Vegan Earth Day. Happy Anniversary, FARM, and keep up the incredible work!

A Seasonal Celebration

2011-07-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Who: Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig

What: A celebration of The Blooming Platter by Betsy DiJulio

Where: Millennium Restaurant San Francisco, Calif.

When: July 14, 2011

Why: To recognize another great vegan cookbook on the market, and to eat delicious food.

The Scoop: As you may have seen from my previous posts, I'm a huge fan of all things Millennium. Although, even though I post about it frequently, I actually don't go there very often. I only live two blocks away from the place, but it is definitely a rare treat. And this occasion was a special treat, indeed—a wine and dinner reception dedicated to Betsy DiJulio, and her new cookbook, The Blooming Platter. It is Betsy's first cookbook, and one that started from her blog of the same name. I was very excited to meet the lady of the hour, check out her new book, drink some good wine, and eat some delicious food.

The spread of appetizers.

We dined in the exclusive wine room, where we started with some amazing appetizers, including house-made pickled vegetables, herb marinated olives, and the Crusted Oyster Mushrooms—my personal favorite. Betsy and I chatted about both being from Virginia Beach, VA. Before moving to California in 2008, I grew up in the Hampton Roads, where she currently lives, and she teaches high school art. We were amazed by the connection and spent almost half of the night talking about the city, which I greatly miss.

Me and the lady of the hour

After downing the appetizers and socializing a bit, we were asked by our hostess, a close friend of Betsy's, to sit down, and before we began the rest of our meal, she gave a formal introduction of Betsy, then turned the speaking over to her. We learned of how she landed her cookbook deal, which was from her blog. What is really fascinating is that she didn't even venture out to get the deal on her own, but was instead contacted by the publisher through her blog. It just goes to show what a blog can do for you these days. She talked about how she comes up with recipes, making us very hungry in the process, and then finished off with giving our hostess a beautiful painting, which Betsy made herself. It depicted symbols from both the Hampton Roads and San Francisco, and was quite powerful, especially since I've lived in both placed myself. The presentation came to an end and the feast began!

The Huitlacoche Tamale

The first course was a Grilled Lemon-Herb Salad, and then for the entrée, we were able to choose between three options: The Macadamia Nut Crusted Tofu, the Roasted Beet and Hazelnut Barley Cakes, or the Huitlacoche Tamale. It was a tough decision, but I finally went with the tofu. Luckily, my boyfriend, who was my guest, chose the tamale, so I was able to have a little taste of that delicious entrée as well. We finished the evening with one of the most popular desserts at Millennium—the Chocolate Almond Midnight. It was actually my first time trying this popular dessert, and I was absolutely blown away by how rich and decadent it was.

The amazing Chocolate Almond Midnight

It was a wonderful night, which I was so happy to be a part of. Betsy DiJulio is a lovely lady, and I see some other great cookbooks—and gorgeous artwork—in her future. Maybe another amazing night at Millennium as well? I'll be the first to RSVP.

Drinks and Dinner

2011-07-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

Who: VegNews Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria

What: A swell evening of drinks and dinner in the Mission

Where: San Francisco, Calif.

When: July 13, 2011

Why: My neighborhood is pretty stinking great.

The Scoop: Sometimes, especially during crazy work weeks, Wednesdays are their own reason to head for a watering hole, indulge in a couple drinks, and then let someone else do the cooking for dinner (not to mention the serving and dishes!). Here's the thing: In the Mission, there are roughly 14 bazillion places to get drinks and dinner. Bars and restaurants abound here, and the options are so numerous that I often skip them all and head for home, as actually taking the time to decide on a place could result in starving to death. Thankfully, my intrepid dinner partner made the call to grab drinks at Laszlo, and then head to Osha Thai for dinner.

Laszlo's chic exterior

I'd walked by Laszlo a hundred times, and always thought it was cute but never gone inside. The good news: it is cute, inside and out. The better news: the bartender made a mean Dark and Stormy. Having lived in Newport, RI, you might think that I'd already be a huge Dark and Stormy fan (that's ginger beer with rum, sometimes with lime), but it's just as of this summer that I'm completely obsessed with them. If it were unlikely to result in the loss of my job and liver, I'd drink them instead of water. So, after a couple highly delicious and refreshing rounds at Laszlo, it was time to find food.

Hello, delicious Thai food.

Oh, did I mention that the Mission has a ridiculous number of awesome restaurants? Because it does. Just minutes away from Laszlo is Osha Thai. Do I love Thai food? Yes. Do I love it even more after a couple Dark and Stormys? Indeed. Vegetarian Pad Khee Mao, yellow curry, and crispy spring rolls made the perfect apres-drinks meal. The Laszlo-and-Osha combination probably constitutes about a zillionth of the possible amazing drinks-and-dinner choices. I guess someone (Pick me! Pick me!) will just have to research and find them all.

Skywalker Ranch Weekend

2011-06-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

Who: VegNews Associate Editor Jennifer Chen

What: A blissful weekend in nature visiting my husband at Skywalker Ranch

Where: Marin County, Calif.

When: June 24-26, 2011

Why: Because I missed him

The Scoop: Everyone in the office knows that for the past two weeks my husband, Brendan Hay, has been away working at Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, north of San Francisco. He's a head writer for Lucasfilm and he and his team have been working non-stop. So I headed up north to spend some time with him and soak up some nature with vegan peanut butter cookies in tow, in the shape of Star Wars characters. Where did I get the cookie cutters? Using the force, of course (and William & Sonoma). The cookie recipe came from my favorite cookbook on the planet, 1,000 Vegan Recipes by VN Columnist Robin Robertson. The cookies were devoured before I could even put the plate down.

Eat one, young vegan Jedi.

Saturday afternoon, I joined the team for a tour of Hangar One, a vodka distillery, in Alameda, Calif. Housed in an old Army base, we got a tour of how the vodka is made and then we got to taste several of their best liquors—all vegan, by the way! The interesting fact I learned that with quality vodka is that you can smell the flavors by tilting your glass. The alcohol smell drifts to the bottom and the flavor rises to the top. So we tried a pear vodka and were told to hold our breath, sip, swallow, and then breathe out. Following that procedure allows you to fully taste all the distinct flavors. Our tour guide gave us a few flavors to sample then he combined them together to make creative cocktails. My favorite flavor? Chipotle pepper vodka. I also learned that quality vodka tastes smooth and our guide pointed out that if your vodka smells like rubbing alcohol then it will taste like it too.

Pear vodka from Hangar One: It's so smooth, it's criminal.

On Sunday, Brendan and I took a nice stroll along the grounds of the ranch. Let's just say it's beyond beautiful there. We saw plenty of lizards laying out on the stone walkways and even spotted a baby deer and mother deer nibbling on leaves. While I'm a city girl at heart, spending the weekend nestled in a beautiful forest, surrounded by animals in their natural grounds is a nice weekend retreat.

We took a ride off campus to the Marin Civic Center Farmers' Market to grab some bolani (amazing Afghani wraps) and fresh stone fruit before we stopped home in Berkeley to reunite Brendan and Buddy, our yellow Labrador. Let's just say I think Buddy wiggled his tail right off when he saw his dad after two weeks apart. Truly man's best friend. Thanks to the crew at Lucasfilm for a great weekend!

Vegan Pizza Party at Patxi's!

2011-06-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

Who: VegNews Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria

What: Vegan Pizza Fest at Patxi's Chicago Pizza

Where: San Francisco, Calif.

When: June 16, 2011

Why: Vegan deep-dish pizza and wine is an offer you shouldn't refuse.

The Scoop: It's no secret that the VN team is ever-so-slightly obsessed with Patxi's deep-dish pizza. Since long before I wised up and realized that the multi-location, SF-based pizzeria actually does offer vegan options, I'd run past one location fairly frequently, and always inhale deeply on my way by, dreaming of deep-dish. Well, suffice it to say that when I finally found out that there actually were dairy-free pies just waiting for me to demolish, demolish I did.

When Laiko Bahrs, Patxi's very astute PR gal, invited the VN team to be part of the shop's first dedicated vegan pizza event, we jumped. After work, I eagerly headed for the Fillmore St. location. The mezzanine level of the restaurant was reserved for the pizza fest. The first thing I noticed was the extremely long table of pizzas. Deep-dish, thin-crust, and whole-wheat crust versions lined the table, all topped with Daiya cheese and combinations of vegetable toppings galore.

Holy vegan pizza, Batman!

If there's one surefire way to make a group of hungry vegans happy, it's a table of fresh-from-the-oven, glorious pizzas. Patxi's had hosted a contest on Facebook where fans could create topping combos, and a few were featured at the event. Honestly, the flavors are a bit of a blur, as I pretty much inhaled a few pieces, and then fell promptly into a highly contented pizza coma. Oh, and I had the help of The Vegan Vine wine to completely relax.

The Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc

Even though I'm not typically a big wine drinker, both of these offerings were really lovely, and paired perfectly with the pizzas. On hand to document the evening was Vegan Kitchen TV, and you can catch the recording of the entire live broadcast here.

We came, we gorged, we rolled (slowly) back to the car. Yummy wine, great food, and warm, welcoming people? That's our kind of party. Thanks so much to Patxi's for organizing this event, and here's to vegan options in establishments of all stripes!

Cinnamon Buns Across the Bay

2011-06-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

Who: VegNews Associate Publisher Colleen Holland

What: A trip to to the East Bay for vegan cinnamon buns

Where: Berkeley, Calif.

When: June 10, 2011

Why: A visit to Cinnaholic was long overdue

The Scoop: It had been far too long since we ventured across the Bay for freshly baked cinnamon rolls at the all-vegan Cinnaholic bakery. So when some friends from England were in town recently, we knew their visit had to include a breakfast of these famous (for good reason) sticky buns.

As you walk into the adorable retro-style storefront, the sweet smell of cinnamon rolls lures you in. Batches of buns are baked all day long, so you know yours will always be fresh. Since Cinnaholic specializes in cinnamon rolls, choosing what you're going to eat is the easy part. It's the next step that presents a challenge, as now it's time to customize. On any given day, there could be 27 flavors of frosting, 30 options for toppings, a dozen specialty rolls, and even petite-sized baby buns—so the combinations are endless. For frostings, think butterscotch, caramel, cream soda, Irish cream, macadamia nut, pina colada, and root beer. For toppings, how about blackberries, brownie chunks, chocolate sauce, peanut butter, pomegranate seeds, shredded coconut, or walnuts. They even offer crushed candy canes and gingersnap cookies during the holidays.

After staring at the menu for about five minutes, I decided on vanilla frosting with chocolate chip cookie dough and sliced strawberries. It was amazing, I ate the whole thing, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since.

My customized creation at Cinnaholic—a fresh-from-the-oven bun topped with vanilla frosting, cookie dough, and strawberries

Let's say you want to leave it to the pros at Cinnaholic to design the perfect roll for you. What would that be? How about Mocha Almond (mocha frosting and toasted almonds), Oreo Explosion (vanilla frosting and Oreo cookies), or S'mores (vanilla frosting and graham crackers, chocolate chips, and marshmallows). There's always a specially priced bun-of-the-day, and UC Berkeley students get a generous discount. Coffee, tea, and hot cocoa are available, along with savory buns and the popular frosting shots. This unique vegan bakery is making believers out of the Berkeley community—one sumptuous bun at a time.

VegNews Publisher Joseph Connelly with his cinnamon bun (vanilla frosting and Oreo cookies) and our dear friend from England, Thomas Russell, who also went with the chocolate chip cookie dough/strawberry combo.

Bay Area Adventures

2011-06-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

Who: VegNews Editorial Assistant Anna Peraino

What: A food-and-booze-filled joyride around the Bay Area

Where: Sonoma, Petaluma, San Rafael, Oakland, Berkeley, and Moraga, Calif.

When: May 13 to 15, 2011

Why: The Perainos are foodies. Fact.

The Scoop: My parents, happy as clams now that their two children live within 30 miles of each other, recently left the still-snowy foothills outside Denver (read more about my visit with them here) to visit my brother and me in the Bay Area. As is the case with my family, there was quite a bit of drinking, hiking, and most importantly, eating. What is it they say? The family that eats together, stays together? Something like that.

We began the weekend in Sonoma County, visiting wineries. After we'd had our fill of zins and merlots, we headed down to Petaluma's Lagunitas Brewing Company, where we spent a few hours sipping delicious, heady brews and snacking on peanuts, freshly made salsa, and avocado. Oh, and the live music was pretty stellar, too.

My brother, excited upon arrival

After happy hour, we headed to San Rafael to the beautiful home of my father's college roommate. We spent hours catching up, hearing hilarious stories about my dad's crazier days, and eating a delicious shabbat dinner. The hostess of the evening even made me vegan-friendly fare to nosh on, for which I was supremely grateful. After spending the night at my brother's in Moraga, the family started the morning at the Berkeley Bowl grocery store. Associate Editor Jennifer Chen always gushes about its awesomeness, and I must say, it lived up to my expectations. Next, we headed to Crixa Cakes, my brother's favorite bakery, to sample its delights. My vegan carrot cake was sweet, soft, and delicious, and the rest of the fam said it was their favorite, too! After one more stop at Flacos for some vegan tacos, we headed back to my brother's place to bake. (Did I mention we like to eat? I just wanted to make sure you got that.) My brother and his girlfriend baked us a delicious loaf of pain ordinaire with rye flour that they served with homemade tomatillo salsa and hummus. Post-food coma we took a hike around my brother's neighborhood, which hosted spectacular views of rolling hills, lunch greenery, a few happy cows, and Mt. Diablo in the distance.

Photo courtesy of Estella Sanchez

Dinner Saturday night was at Oakland's Souley Vegan, where I noshed on barbecue tofu and mac 'n' cheese. I had my eye on some pie for dessert, but to be honest, none of us could hack it. After dinner, the family headed back to Moraga and promptly went to bed. Sunday was a day of little food and mostly NBA-playoff watching, and then the parents headed home. I, for one, headed straight toward a green juice.

Mercy for Animals' Honoring Hidden Heroes Party w/ Bob Barker

2011-06-07T06:43:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly
What: MFA's Honoring Hidden Heros Party
Where: The Hollywood Hills home of James Costa
When: Saturday, June 4, 2011
Why: Donations of various kinds

The Scoop: I've heard that it is better to give than receive, and given the opportunity to sponsor anything Mercy for Animals does is pretty much a no-brainer these days. When VegNews learned that Team MFA was throwing itself a party ... to honor their undercover factory farm investigators ... at James Costa's stunning home in the hills above (and overlooking) Hollywood ... and that 87-year-old game show legend Bob Barker was going to be the guest of honor, we just had to "come on down." Um, sorry.

Joseph Connelly, Bob Barker, and Nathan Runkle
(photo courtesy of David Sobel Photography)

We jumped on board because pound-for-pound no organization is doing as much as MFA, with seemingly endless undercover investigations generating press, exposing the horrors of factory farming, and often leading to charges against the morons who kick cattle, punch pigs, and choke chickens.

Founded less than 12 years ago by then-15-year-old Nathan Runkle, MFA has fast become a force to be reckoned with. The org does so much it's nearly impossible to keep up. In addition to the undercover investigations, there's its Farm to Fridge Tour, dishing up viewings of their DVD of the same name in public places; its use of both traditional and social media to reach millions with messages of compassion; and rapid expansion, from humble beginnings in an Ohio attic to offices in Chicago (the group's HQ), New York, Columbus, OH, and most recently Dallas.

Don't take my word for it. A who's-who of animal supporters made the trek, many from across the country, including author Victoria Moran, animal-rights attorney David Wolfson, and activist extraordinaire (and birthday gal) Ashley Lou Smith (all New Yorkers). Here's Ash spotted with Mr. Barker's right-hand man, the equally charming Henri Bollinger.

Ashley Lou Smith with Henri Bollinger

Since this was Hollywood, what would a party be without filmmakers? I counted four: The always beautiful (and 2008 VegNews wedding bride) Marisa Miller Wolfson (creator of the forthcoming Vegucated), the equally stunning Shannon Keith (Behind the Mask, Skin Trade), buff and tanned Shaun Monson (Earthlings), and NKOTB Brian Wendel, the force behind 2011's must-see Forks Over Knives.

Passed savory and sweet hors d'oeuvres from Veganics Catering included Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas, Nuttin' but Nut Cashew Cheeze Balls, Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge Delites, plus Snickerdoodle and Raspberry Shortbread Cookies. All were tasty and plentiful.

What do vegans eat? How about Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge Delites!

And finally there was the evening's program. Bob Barker spoke about the effectiveness of MFA's work, encouraged us all to break into laboratories, reminded us to spay and neuter our companion animals, and then presented MFA with a check for $250,000 to help fund its undercover work. VegNews wanted to match the donation, but we fell slightly short. A bit later, Nathan allowed me to briefly hold the check (you'd be amazed what it feels like to have a quarter-million dollars in your hands) before introducing me to his father, Mark Runkle. Standing next to me at that moment was Jenny Brown, co-founder and firebrand of the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. When Jenny learned of Mark's identity, she shouted "Thanks for the sperm!" A different kind of donation maybe, but given what Nathan and MFA have accomplished, without a doubt just as valuable.

San Francisco Staycation!

2011-06-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

Who: VegNews Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria

What: An evening's vacation in my hometown

Where: San Francisco, Calif.

When: Thursday, May 5, 2011

Why: Why not take an hours-long vacation at home?

The Scoop: So, some people would call going out for the evening just a regular old outing, not so much a "vacation." Well, I say vacay is all in how you think about it. On a recent Thursday night, I took a little time off (that just happened to fall between the close of business and bedtime), and toured San Francsico. Along with my adventuresome roommates, I headed for the Sutro Baths, which, insanely, I'd never really visited despite having lived in the Bay Area nearly my entire life. Really, you might as well play tourist when your city happens to house a number of places that are frequented by actual tourists.

The Sutro Baths ruins and flowers

We got to the Baths shortly before sunset, and the view was completely stunning. The ruins of the Baths are totally enchanting, as they are partially overtaken by the tide rushing in, and partially covered in a sandy beach. There are caves, swampy lagoons, jutting rocks, and basically everything you need to feel like you've happened upon the end of the world. (Just don't turn away from the ocean and face the parking lot—that kind of ruins the magical whimsy.)

A duck and her ducklings in the lagoon right after sunset

Our need for scenery sated, we turned to another necessary element of any good vacation: food! One of my favorite far-away vacation destinations is New Mexico, where my dad grew up. Our family used to drive out there every few years, and I could never get enough of the sun, the history, or the food. I'm 99-percent certain that as soon as I hit retirement age, I'm headed straight for a tiny house in the middle of nowhere (potentially Truth or Consequences, but we'll see if I'm feeling heady at age 70) to bake away the rest of my days in the sun, wearing my own shriveled weight in turquoise jewelry. Suffice it to say, The Land of Enchantment has a permanent spell cast on this gal. So, after our non-desert beach foray, I was eager to try Green Chile Kitchen, a newish New Mexican restaurant here in town.

Green Chile Kitchen, photo via SF Weekly

Any menu that includes sopapillas (little fried bread triangles ubiquitous in NM) is OK by me. While the restaurant is far from completely vegan, the sopapillas are, as well as the fantastic veggie chile stew. Packed with green chiles (which are the secret to a long, happy life, in case you didn't know), I could easily eat this stellar stew every single day.

With full bellies and a new collection of travel photos, we went home, just in time to go to sleep and be ready for work the next day.

A Bit of Southern Comfort

2011-05-26T14:32:00.000-07:00

Who: VegNews Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig, the rest of the VN Crew, plus a special guest

What: The annual Southern Comfort dinner

Where: Millennium Restaurant, San Francisco, Calif.

When: Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Why: We just can't get enough fried, comforting food.

The Scoop: For those who are familiar with Millennium, their annual Southern Comfort night is something to look forward to all year long. It's also the one time in the year when the restaurant may be a little more casual than usual—plaid and mullets are in abundance, as is the beer. So we at the VNHQ were very excited when VegNews Publishers Joseph Connelly and Colleen Holland invited all of us to this special dinner. We were also extremely thrilled to have a special guest join us—former VegNews Editorial Assistant and VN Contributor Melissa Feineman, who is now living in the SF Bay Area once again! Delicious food and friends—what more could you ask for?

Lyndsay and Elizabeth having a good time

Shortly after our arrival, we were served a big bucket of a variety of beer, including such classics as Pabst Blue Ribbon (my personal favorite), Schlitz, Olympia, and Miller High Life. Then came the bread—homemade biscuits, oat-molasses bread, and jalapeño-scallion cornbread to be exact—served with an amazing smoky pecan spread. And that was just the beginning of the appetizers! We were then served Becca's Chili Fries with papadzul, Danielle's Deep Fried Kosher Dill Pickles, and Black-eyed Pea Chow Chow. This was our idea of heaven, but then we were given the third part of the appetizers, which blew our minds—a shredded cabbage and watercress salad with strawberries, spiced almonds, tempeh bacon, and poppy-seed dressing.

The amazing appetizer—chili cheese fries, fried pickles, and black-eyed peas

Did I mention that those were just the appetizers? The choice of entrées was up next, and boy was it a hard decision to make! Here were our choices (see if you can decide): a Steamed Beer and Kraut Brat with your choice of toppings, including but not limited to cheese sauce, chili, and pickled mushrooms; Tammy Fae Gomez's Midwest Tamale Pie; Jersey Diner-Style Ketchup-Glazed Meatloaf, served with mushroom-bourbon gravy, and sour-cream-and-chive smashed potatoes; Alice's Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich, with cilanto-red cabbage slaw, mayonnaise, Yucatan Diablo Sauce, and a French bread roll. It was a very tough decision, to say the least, but the chicken sandwich was the big winner, and the meatloaf was a close second.

Two entrées in one—the meatloaf and the popular buttermilk fried chicken

Straight from the ice cream sandwich bar—delicious!

We were completely stuffed, but you can't attend Southern Comfort night without fitting in the dessert. And this was no ordinary dessert, but Anne's Ice Cream Sandwich Bar! First, we had a choice of Oatmeal Raisin or Chocolate cookies, but most of us picked one of each. Then we had to choose two fillings to be mixed with the vanilla ice cream, including chocolate-covered pretzels, sprinkles, chocolate chips, brownies, Newman O's, chocolate-peanut butter rice crispy treats, pralines, and rice mellow. Finally, we were able to go crazy with the toppings, which included maraschino cherries, fudge sauce, caramel sauce, strawberry-chipotle sauce, and vanilla bean cream. The decadence nearly killed us, and it took us a little while, but we were finally able to stand up and say our goodbyes. Our satisfaction had hit 100 percent—that is until this morning when the waiting began once again for this amazing dinner! To check out more photos, just go to our Facebook photo gallery.

Vegans in Vegas

2011-05-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly
What: Vegas in Vegas: Bachelor Party 2011
Where: Las Vegas, NV
When: May 19–22, 2011
Why: First-ever event for vegan men

The United Brotherhood of Vegans: Chef Jason Wyrick, Jack Norris,

Ryan Henn, Joseph Connelly, Dan Mims, and Lt. Col. Robert Lucius

The Scoop: Vegans in Vegas organizer Ryan Henn's brilliant idea was "the first event designed for vegan and veg-interested men." A vegan bachelor party! In Las Vegas! Bring vegan men together for some brotherhood and bonding, y'know, 'cause being a minority within a minority ain't easy. VegNews jumped on as the title sponsor, and the next thing you know there was a wild four-day orgy happening in sin city that was going to ruin (or improve!) vegans reps forever.

Not.

VinV might have strayed slightly from original concept (about half of the attendees were women) into unique conference, yet in the end was still a first for Vegas. How so? I've been to more vegan conferences then, well, probably anyone, and I've never attended a class by a professional poker player on how to win at Texas Hold-'em (though there is one summer conference that will remain unidentified in which there is an annual Hold-'em tournament). Ed Miller, Vegas' resident vegan poker pro and author of five poker books, attempted to teach attendees the basics, and graciously donated his book sales to Mercy for Animals.

What else did you miss? The conference was a blend of the expected lectures from stalwarts including myself, Mercy for Animals' Nathan Runkle, and Vegan Outreach's Jack Norris, plus new faces such as Jim Morris, the 75-year-old former Mr. USA/Mr. America/Mr. Universe who has not fathered a secret love-child with his former housekeeper (as far as we know) and Lt. Col. Bob Lucius, the marine-turned-vegan building humane communities around the globe through his Karios Coalition.

Bodybuilder Jim Morris lost his shirt while in Vegas. He turns 76 in August.

How many other veg gatherings offer dueling piano bars; Purple Reign, a Prince (he's vegan, you know) tribute; or Improv at Harrah's Casino? None. We also dined at one of newly vegan Steve Wynn's restaurants, Wazuzu, inside the Encore Hotel (all of the restaurants in Wynn's hotels have vegan menus) and learned to cook via demos by Chefs Stacey Dougan and Jason Wyrick, the latter of The Vegan Culinary Experience, another event sponsor. Yes, a bachelor party with break-out cooking lessons. I did say it was unique!

Chef Stacey Dougan gives cooking tips at a local Whole Foods Market

Vegans in Vegas was original, fun, and a welcomed event in a city not exactly known as a vegan destination. Ryan Henn is changing that, helping to put Vegas and VinV on the "Bucket List" of must-do's, a conference you shouldn't miss. Let's all hope he decides to roll the dice again next year.

Weekend in Denver

2011-05-19T07:33:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Editorial Assistant Anna Peraino

What: Visiting the two people who gave me life (or so they tell me)
Where: Denver, Colo.
When: April 22-24, 2011
Why: Because I love my parents (and vacations)
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The Scoop: My parents recently made the move to Denver, Colo. from Houston, Texas, and so I decided it was my duty as a loving and selfless daughter to take a free flight (thanks, Mom and Dad!) to The Mile-High City and visit them. After spending almost every Spring Break of my childhood skiing the Colorado Rockies, it was fun to explore a city I had driven through dozens of times, but never spent time in. After getting in late on Friday night, we awoke on Saturday morning to chilly weather and cloudy skies. We spent the morning hanging out at the Denver Botanic Gardens, where we saw a ridiculous amount of tulips (my fave), daffodils, and hundreds of other flowers. Before we left, we checked out the Tropical Conservatory, filled with orchids, elephant ears, and some really cool zebra-looking leaves.

Zebra stripes are so in right now.

After vegging out at the gardens, we headed to VN-recommended veg eatery City O' City, a really cool and off-beat bar and restaurant right down the street from the Capitol. Being Perainos (read: eaters), the parents and I shared The Sherman, a BBQ tofu sandwich, the Max Burger (sans cheese, of course), some house-made French fries, and the Animal Lover's Pizza with cashew cheese instead of mozzarella. It was all supremely delicious—my omni parents scarfed it down!

After coming out of our food comas, we headed to nearby Boulder to check out the town, and then went to one of the best dinners I've ever had (see, told you we were eaters). We went to Root Down, an omni eatery focused on sustainability and deliciousness. I'm serious, the food was amazing. While there is meat on the menu, Root Down is super veg-friendly, with markers on the menu for gluten-free and vegan items. I ordered the Organic Roasted Baby Beets to start, and then ate Organic Tofu Marsala with candied Brussels sprouts and a dried cherry-scallion risotto cake. Dessert was completely delectable—a seasonal fruit crumble stuffed with apples and topped with homemade coconut- and soy- milk ice cream.

Apple crumble and ice cream heaven at Root Down.

On Sunday morning the parents and I woke up early to get in a hike at nearby Roxborough State Park, where we enjoyed more chilly weather and spectacular rock formations. Before I knew it, it was time to head back to (also cloudy) San Francisco. I am pretty freaking stoked that my parents now live in Denver, and can't wait to go back again soon.

Who are those good-looking ladies?

Farm Sanctuary 25th Anniversary Gala

2011-05-16T11:46:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Contributor, Jasmin Singer

What: Farm Sanctuary’s 25th Anniversary Gala

Where: Cipriani Wall Street, NYC

When: May 14, 2011

Why: Because Farm Sanctuary is the best place on earth

The Scoop: Everyone was dressed to the nines last Saturday night at the über chic Cipriani Wall Street in New York City for the much-anticipated 25th Anniversary Farm Sanctuary Gala. Co-founder Gene Baur was greeted with cheers as he reported that the number of animals killed in the US for food is going down. This hopeful tidbit was just one of the many moments that garnered enthusiastic feedback from the audience of animal-loving celebrities and passionate supporters—all there to celebrate the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization.

Gene Baur presenting awards

Way back in 1986, one lucky little sheep, Hilda, was lifted off a “dead pile” and given a second chance. At that same moment, a sanctuary, and a movement, were born. Since then, slowly but surely, awareness has risen about the horrors of animal production, largely due to the work of Farm Sanctuary, whose most recent campaign, Plate to Planet, explores the major role that animal agribusiness plays in environmental destruction. Twenty-five years after Hilda’s rescue, Farm Sanctuary provides refuge for hundreds of rescued farm animals at two bustling shelters—one in Watkins Glen, NY, and the other in Orland, Calif.

Celebrity guests were quick to point to Farm Sanctuary’s central role in spreading awareness. According to bestselling author of Veganist, Kathy Freston, the sanctuary movement can change lives. “When you get close up and you see their personalities and their individual characteristics—and their really adorable, hilarious traits—you fall in love with them,” she told me. “And then the next inevitable step is that you don’t want to eat them.”

Me with the lovely Kathy Freston

Indeed, Emmy Award-winning comedienne, Carol Leifer, credited her lightbulb moment to a visit to an animal sanctuary. “I was in the dark,” she said. “I had no idea about the suffering of farm animals. So I took baby steps, but I’m proud to say that a year later, I became vegan.”

Me with funny lady Carol Leifer

Simone Reyes, Russell Simmons' right-hand gal, told me, “Farm Sanctuary is a pioneer in animal rescue. They started a trend of rescuing animals when nobody else was even thinking about it.” Actress Ally Sheedy agreed. “Their educational outreach has been outstanding. People now know what the phrase ‘factory farming’ means.”

Simone Reyes smiling for the camera

As guests dined on the gourmet vegan dinner provided in part by Field Roast, awards were presented to leaders in the movement, including attorney David Wolfson, who offered a touching speech looking back on the ever-changing role that law plays in farm animal reform. Other recipients included Field Roast’s David Lee (whose award was presented by Best Actor Oscar Nominee, Jesse Eisenberg), and Farm Sanctuary’s own shelter director, Susie Coston.

Jesse Eisenberg presenting David Lee's award

Danielle Konya, creator of Vegan Treats and soon-to-be star of her own reality show for Animal Planet, not only provided the outstanding and artistic desserts, but was followed by a camera crew filming her every move. “It’s always good to come back to the face of why I do this bakery,” Konya told me, her camera crew close at hand. “It gets me re-inspired and excited all over again.”

The drool-inducing Vegan Treats table!

Hosts Wendie Malick and Fred Willard kept the event moving with their humor and charm. As Willard told me, his compassion for animals has been a lifelong driving force. “I’ve always felt that animals should be treated kindly. Even when I was a little child, I thought it was important to take care of an animal who was suffering. And I could never understand some people’s cruelty to animals.”

Hosts Wendie Malick and Fred Willard

Most notable perhaps was the palpable sense of hope in the air. Jane Velez-Mitchell—host of HLN’s Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell—put it best, “We’re at a crucial turning point. Things are unbelievably different than they were even five years ago. There’s an acceptance of this as a legitimate movement all across the country. We’re not fringe anymore. We’re mainstream.”

Jane Velez-Mitchell and moi

When asked what’s next for Farm Sanctuary, Gene Baur didn’t flinch. “We’re going to continue rescuing and caring for animals, encouraging people to reshape their relationship with them towards compassion, and away from cruelty and disrespect,” he said, understanding that as far as the movement has come, there’s still a long road ahead when it comes to ending animal cruelty. “It’s an ongoing process.”

NYC Tour 2011

2011-05-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria

What: An East Coast Jaunt

Where: Brooklyn & Woodstock, NY

When: April 28–May 2, 2011

Why: Because New York is there!

The Scoop: I lived in NYC for two years during grad school, and after this little trip, I can't fathom why I left. New York (especially in the springtime), is phenomenal. With the excuse of a friend's wedding and a long weekend, I recently returned to my erstwhile home for a few days of friends, food, and farm animals.

Bekah officially thumbs up Lula's

My first stop this trip was Lula's Sweet Apothecary. Holy freaking crap. Not only is this LES institution just about as cute as can possibly be, but let's talk about the ice cream. My nearly vegan and highly awesome friend Bekah Brunstetter (who was kind enough to host me), said that the towering sundae we ordered of Rocky Road and strawberry ice cream topped with hot fudge, coconut whipped cream, roasted peanuts, and, of course, a cherry, was better than dairy ice cream. Take that, dairy!

After feasting on said sundae, we tooled around town, and that evening I saw Bekah's latest play, Be A Good Little Widow, which was fantastic. Even The New York Times thinks so! Flowers were in bloom all through the city, the weather was gently warm and not yet the sticky heat of summer (which I actually love), and there was more eating to do! After the play we headed back to Brooklyn, and dined with The Discerning Brute himself, Joshua Katcher, at Vinnie's Pizzeria. Um, again, holy crap. The pie was enormous, delicious, and covered in Daiya, vegan sausage and pepperoni, mushrooms, and broccoli. The four of us who ate it had our work cut out!

Pie a la Vinnie's

The next morning was serious business. Let's talk for a moment about Champs. All I can say is go-lly. I could have probably eaten every single meal here and been totally fine, and I think I made a total of six or so visits here during the weekend. Lemme just say: SCONES! Really, really, really good vegan scones. Pictured below are the strawberry cream cheese and chocolate chip walnut flavors. I love scones, and these were perfection. Champs also offers extremely wonderful black-and-white cookies, bear claws, and a variety of sandwiches. On weekends, you can also score Dun-Well Doughuts there, and score I did. Though I ate them too quickly to snap pictures, the coconut and chocolate with peanuts flavors were both delicious.

Champs' scone perfection

After Champs, it was off to Woodstock to visit Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. It had been an unacceptably long time since I was last at a sanctuary, and this place was fantastic. I fell head over heels for Dylan the cow, and loved the way these big, sleepy pigs nestled into their comfy straw beds.

Pig pile!

Altogether the trip was amazing, and I'll now begin working non-stop on establishing an east coast branch of VN, preferably one located in Champs and Lula's, simultaneously.

Vegas Goes Vegan

2011-05-10T14:16:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Las Vegas Correspondent, Blair Stirek
What: Viva Las Vegan! at Vegas Uncork'd
Where: The Encore hotel in Las Vegas, NV
When: May 7, 2011
Why: To experience an all-vegan culinary showcase with some of the nation's top mainstream chefs.

The Scoop: As a long-time resident of Las Vegas, I can say that it's not the most veg-friendly city. So when I first heard about the Viva Las Vegan! event to be held at the very-fancy Encore hotel, I was ecstatic. I’ve never attended a public event in Vegas where I don’t have to constantly ask “what’s in this?” So when VegNews asked me to cover the event, I couldn't say yes fast enough and enthusiastically awaited the big day.

For a bit of background, Viva Las Vegan! is part of the Bon Appétit magazine-sponsored Vegas Uncorked, a who's-who gathering of top chefs around the country who take over the city to cook, eat, and schmooze. Steve Wynn, a successful Vegas hotelier, is a passionate vegan and arranged to host a Saturday afternoon event to showcase meat-free cuisine. Joined by celebrity vegan chef Tal Ronnen and a handful of five-star chefs, the goal was to educate the industry on how delicious and cutting edge vegan cuisine is.

Hotelier Steve Wynn takes the stage at Viva Las Vegan!

As attendees entered the Beethoven Room at Wynn's Encore hotel, we were greeted with cosmopolitan cocktails and glasses of sangria. I immediately started chatting with Cupcake Wars' winner and owner of Sticky Fingers, Doron Petersan, and the Humane Society of the United States' Director of Online Communications, Grace Markarian. Both mentioned their love for VegNews, so I was even more proud to be representing the publication at this first-of-its-kind event.

HSUS' Grace Markarian and Sticky Fingers' Doron Petersan

Soon, Steve Wynn took the stage. I couldn't help thinking to myself, "This is Steve Wynn! Of the Wynn hotel! Oh, and he also owns the Encore. No big deal." But then my thoughts switched to how this man single-handedly has the ability to turn Vegas into a veg paradise. He shared how he went vegan (a friend gave him a copy of the film, Eating, while yachting in St. Tropez), how he's educating his 15,000 employees about veganism (by giving them all copies of the video), and how he is now offering completely vegan menus at all of his Vegas restaurants (including Botero, Lakeside, Society Café, Stratta, SW Steakhouse, and Wazuzu). His co-host, Ronnen—celebrity chef to Oprah Winfrey and author of the best-selling, The Conscious Cook—then took the stage. Ronnen has been hired by Encore to work with Wynn's restaurant chefs to help create the vegan menus. Then it was time to eat!

Six of Wynn's restaurants were in attendance, and each offered at least two dishes. I sampled pasta and clams (garganelle pasta in a kombu broth with broccoli rabe, sweet peppers, and oyster mushrooms) from Botero, roasted tomato bisque and a tomato salad with cashew cheese from Society Café, Crispy Gardein Milanese with arugula, fennel, and marinated tomatoes from Stratta, vegan clam chowder (a cashew cream base with smoked oyster mushrooms) from Lakeside, and veggie dim sum and sushi from Wazuzu. The dessert stations offered up "peaches and cream" with a crunchy peach cylinder, sangria-soaked peaches, and a citrus-soy rice cream, along with a classic carrot cake with pineapple marmalade and walnut tuile cookie. I finally found heaven in Vegas.

The incredible vegan clam chowder by Chef David Walzog of Lakeside

The beautiful (and delicious) chopped market salad by Chef Kim Canteenwalla of Society Café

And there's more! All of the chefs demonstrated how to make each of the dishes, and the guests received recipe cards for each dish to take home.

Vegas is quickly changing, and I encourage all VN readers to visit this budding vegan paradise. I'll be attending Vegans in Vegas in two weeks, and I hope to meet you there!

The perfect ending to a perfect day: a classic carrot cake by Chef Kimberly Valdez of SW Steakhouse

Four Events in Five Days

2011-05-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland
What: The Maggie Awards, a VegNews Vacation Reunion, a Restaurant Review, and a Film Screening
Where: Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Campbell, Calif.
When: April 29–May 3, 2011
Why: A week in the life of a magazine publisher!

The Scoop: Being the publisher of a vegan magazine definitely has its benefits. Although our pace never seems to slow down and the workload continues to grow (I thought this was supposed to get easier?), we have an opportunity to attend all kinds of events and constantly meet interesting and inspirational people. In the last week alone, I attended one of the largest magazine award shows in the country, lunched with one of our VegNews Vacations guests at LA's Veggie Grill, hit up a brand-new veg restaurant in San Francisco, and attended a film screening of a documentary that has huge potential to change the way people think about food and their health.

Last Friday, VN publisher Joseph Connelly and I made our annual trek to Los Angeles for one of the big industry award shows, The Maggies. We dined with the creative directors of Mother Jones and Yoga Journal (both based in San Francisco), ate some pretty decent vegan food (it's the Westin, but the meal was quite good this year!), met lots of people in the magazine world, and took part in a very entertaining awards program. Thankfully, Mother Jones, Yoga Journal, and VegNews all took home Maggie awards (including one for Best Magazine eNewsletter), so the spirits were high at our table of 10. Congratulations to all of our fellow publishers and award winners.

Tim of Mother Jones, Charli of Yoga Journal, Joseph of VegNews, and me at the Maggie Awards

Last year, we launched VegNews Vacations and have now been to India twice with VegNews readers. The trips are nothing short of fantastic, and one of the benefits is that we have made a lot of new friends from around the country. We've had several reunions from both journeys, and we met up with the lovely Brenda from Redondo Beach (VegNews Great Adventure to India 2010) this past Saturday for lunch at the newest Veggie Grill location in Torrance. We reminisced about the trip, talked about her new Etsy store, and ate a delicious array of food: buffalo wings with barbecue sauce and ranch dressing, the Santa Fe Crispy Chick'n sandwich, Papa's Portobello burger, the (best-ever) All Hail Kale salad, the mac 'n' cheese, and sweet potato fries. Yes, it was a good lunch, and, yes, we were full for the next 24 hours.

VegNews Vacation reunion at Veggie Grill! Me, Brenda, and Joseph

When our appetites finally returned, we were back in San Francisco and ready to try out the city's newest vegetarian restaurant. The Source, owned by former New Yorkers (and brothers) Andrew and Mitchell Fox. The restaurant bills itself as a "multi-dimensional dining experience," and we were impressed. The space is modern, the food is innovative, and the menu has something for everyone. We loved the Mushroom Onion Swiss Burger (served with cashew cheese and wrapped in a house-made flat bread) and the Almond Joy smoothie (freshly made cashew milk whirled with raw chocolate, coconut, and almonds). All of the pizzas and breads are made in the restaurant's brick oven, and a variety of juices, elixirs, lattes, and shakes are on offer to wash it all down. We are excited to welcome The Source to the San Francisco veg dining scene.

Overstuffed mushroom onion burger with cashew cheese and French fries, I love you

And to cap off the four events in five days, I headed down to Campbell on Tuesday night with Joseph for the Northern California premier of the the new film, Forks Over Knives. Joseph was on the post-film discussion panel along with The Engine 2 Diet author Rip Esselstyn and San Francisco Vegetarian Society President Dixie Mahy, and we hadn't seen the documentary since its latest round of editing. Whole Foods sponsored the event, the 200+ seat theater was packed, and the audience was very moved by the film. In essence, the documentary examines the relationship between what America eats (excessive animal products) and how sick we are (diabetes, cancer, and heart disease), and has enormous potential for reaching the masses. In fact, I predict that it will be nominated for an Academy Award. Forks Over Knives opens in theaters this weekend in New York and Los Angeles, and rolls out across the country throughout the month. Tell everyone you know!

The line formed early for the Forks Over Knives screening in Campbell

Berkeley Vegan Earth Day

2011-04-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Associate Editor Jennifer Chen
What: Berkeley Vegan Earth Day
Where: Berkeley, Calif.
When: April 22, 2011
Why: To celebrate Earth Day with fellow vegans.

The Scoop: Minutes after moving to Berkeley with my husband, yellow lab, and three-legged cat, I knew I had made the right decision. Not only are there vegan cinnamon buns (Cinnaholic, I heart you), there is a vegan charcuterie platter at Gather that will make you squeal. Even better, Berkeley just hosted its very first Vegan Earth Day at the University of California Berkeley, an event that combined environmentalism with veganism. Karine Brighten of Karine Brighten Events produced the evening with co-sponsors Berkeley Organization for Animal Advocacy, which included a screening of the documentary, Call of Life, a panel discussion, and a reception catered by Millennium and Local Love.

Moments before the screening. Photo: Whitney Lauritsen.

The film was eye-opening to say the least. The producers interviewed several university science professors from UC Berkeley, Stanford, Yale, Duke, and other schools about the growing threat to the Earth's life systems and how all species are interconnected. The film warns that factors such as over-consumption of meat, global warming, and deforestation are killing more species than ever before. A fascinating fact that I didn't realize is that when salmon travel back and forth from their breeding grounds, they carry important essential elements that helps the bears that eat them and the surrounding trees survive.

After the screening, four panelists—Hope Bohanec (In Defense of Animals), David Vlansey (Call of Life executive producer), Lauren Ornelas (Food Empowerment Project), and Alex Eaves (Stay Vocal)—spoke about veganism, the environment, food choices, and even how T-shirts can be an environmental hazard. Eaves shared a personal story of how he used to collect T-shirts at an alarming rate. He wore a different T-shirt every day from his collection and it took him more than a year before he went through all of them. After discovering how much waste is made just from making T-shirts (about 400 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to make just one brand new T-shirt), he launched the clothing company Stay Vocal that is 100-percent reused attire.

Sushi provided by Local Love. Photo: Whitney Lauritsen.

After the discussion and Q&A moderated by Rose Aguilar, host of local radio show Your Call, we were invited to a small reception and venue area to meet local vendors and organizations. My husband Brendan and I snacked on a new vegan nacho cheese from Nacheez and ate some tasty appetizers from Millennium while perusing the booths. The reception was jam-packed—you know how much vegans love food—and there were tons of happy vegan chatting it up and getting to know each other. Whitney Lauritsen, aka Eco-Vegan Gal, was the event photographer and documented the whole evening beautifully. After we left Brendan and I were still talking about the film and how we would re-think our consumer choices. We're both so happy that we moved to Berkeley, and I'm really looking forward to Berkeley Vegan Earth Day next year.

Date Night Dining

2011-04-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Editorial Assistant Alexandra Chang
What: Happy Hour at Dash Café and Dinner at Asqew Grill
Where: San Francisco, Calif.
When: April 19, 2011
Why: To go out and have a relaxing time with the boyfriend, while eating plenty of delicious vegan fare.

The Scoop: After moving in with my boyfriend we started spending the majority of our time at home, which is hardly a problem. But getting out is important too (at least this is what people tell me), so I decided to take advantage of our local café’s weekday happy hour. VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig also recently gave me two meal tickets to Asqew Grill, turning my evening into a complete date night extravaganza.

While parking myself on my couch in front of the TV is great respite from a day’s work, there is nothing quite as relaxing and refreshing as grabbing a drink and snacks for discounted dollars. We headed to Dash Café, which recently started carrying vegan cupcakes (pictured below), cookies, and coffee cake*. For happy hour, the appetizers go for $4 and the wine and beer is a dollar off. To top it all off, the staff is friendly, the décor is cute, and the vibe is just the right amount of casual. Granted there were UCSF medical students studying nearby as we chatted away, but they didn’t seem to mind. Or at least they didn’t glare. We ended up ordering a plate of deliciously seasoned fries, a beer, and a vegan chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting to share. Dessert before dinner is always OK in my book.

Vegan cupcakes and cookies at Dash Café

Enjoying some fries and beer

After filling up on all the necessities (sugar, salt, booze), we took a pleasant 20-minute walk to Asqew Grill in the Haight. I had never noticed, let alone been to, the restaurant tucked away between clothing shops. As soon as we stepped inside, however, I felt immediately comfortable. The whole place has a Western feel with a touch of SF quirk. A giant wooden menu is complemented with lopsidedly hanged photos and awards, all lit under vintage lighting fixtures. For dinner I ordered one seasonal vegetable skewer, which included slices of squash, zuchinni, tomato wedges, broccoli, and button mushrooms, and one portabello mushroom skewer. Every order also comes with a side or salad. The restaurant has three vegan options: citrus cous cous, coconut cilantro jasmine rice, and organic baby green salad. I went with the cous cous and ended up enjoying a very delicious meal!

The skewers over cous cous!

With a satisfied appetite, we took the walk back home. Either the food had gotten to us or we were just plain tired, but it took us nearly twice as much time. We meandered through UCSF, went up and down stairs around deserted medical buildings, admired views of city lights, until finally we reached the comfort of yes, our couch and TV. All in all, the night was a success, and we’ll be trying to go out more often than not.

*Dash Café says that they will only continue carrying vegan pastries if they sell well. So if you live in the area, get over to the Inner Sunset and show them how much vegans love sweets!

Adventures in the Inner Sunset

2011-04-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Office Manager and VN Editorial Assistant Alexandra Chang

What: The Bay Area Anarchist Book Fair and lunch at Loving Hut

Where: The Inner Sunset, San Francisco, Calif.

When: April 10, 2011

Why: To get a break from the bustling Tenderloin, and check out some cool books!

The Scoop: I have now been a resident of the historical Tenderloin neighborhood for more than a year, and let's just say that I have many stories from this eclectic part of San Francisco. I've also been spending a lot of time at home lately, if I'm not at work, and I personally haven't been to the Sunset in months. When I heard about the Anarchist Book Fair taking place in the Golden Gate Park, I decided it was a good time to venture out, and meet up with my friend and co-worker Alexandra to check it out.

Checking out AK Press' awesome selection.

It was a lovely day, so I decided to ride my bike, and although I made a few wrong turns, I made it to Alexandra's humble abode in good time. We then set out to the book fair, which took place at the same location as the World Veg Day Festival, which usually takes place at the beginning of October. There were plenty of books for fair prices, which always makes me happy, and Alexandra and I took our time scoping out each booth. Our favorites were the booths of PM Press, AK Press, and Food Not Bombs, but all the booths were great, and offered good selections.

Alexandra with her fun purchase.

Hunger eventually got the best of us, and unfortunately there was not food at the book fair, so we decided to head out into the Inner Sunset for a late lunch. After much deliberation, we finally decided upon Loving Hut, because neither of us had been to the one in the Sunset before, and they were voted the 2010 VegNews Readers' Favorite Restaurant, so why not give it a try? Everything was good, but our favorite was our appetizer, which was the Ocean Basket. It was a fried basket of yam shrimp, mushrooms, seaweed fillet, green beans, served with a dill and Vegenaise sauce. It definitely hit the spot!

Loving Hut's Ocean Basket.

However, we were not yet satisfied, and longed for dessert. I have been dying to try Holy Gelato! for some time now, which serves up to 12 flavors of vegan gelato on a daily basis. There was no stopping me, so we were off to this sweet spot, and once we stepped through the doors, I was in heaven. How have I not been here before? There were so many flavors, and I wanted to try them all, but I finally chose the Mint Cookie and Charlie Brown's Nightmare served in a waffle cone. It was so good that I gobbled it up before taking a photo—so sorry! Alexandra opted for a warmer dessert, and grabbed a vegan cupcake and a tea from a nearby café.

After a day's worth of adventure, we walked back to Alexandra's house, and we said our goodbyes. Luckily, much of my bike ride home was downhill, and I arrived back in the Tenderloin in record time, feeling refreshed. I love my crazy neighborhood, but sometimes it feels great to get out—even for a little while.

Sneak Preview of Animal Place Sanctuary

2011-04-06T21:42:00.001-07:00

Who: VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland

What: Sneak Preview of Animal Place sanctuary

Where: Grass Valley, Calif.

When: April 3, 2011

Why: To connect with animals while hanging with friends

The Scoop: A weekend away can do wonders for the soul. I love to escape to Santa Cruz, Mendocino, or anywhere where I can relax, eat great food, and connect with nature. My dear friend Allison Rivers Samson (the founder of Allison's Gourmet) invited me to her home in Nevada City, Calif., to spend the weekend with her family, and I jumped at the opportunity. Two days of balmy weather, strolls through the quaint Gold Rush town, long chats with Allison and her husband, and the company of their adorable four-year-old vegan daughter? I'm in. As if the weekend couldn't get any better, we spent Sunday afternoon getting a pre-season peek of one of the country's largest animal sanctuaries, Animal Place.

Rescued chickens and turkeys roam free at Animal Place.

Having moved to its new location just last year, the picturesque 600-acre farm is dotted with rolling hills, peaceful meadows, big red barns, and hundreds of rescued animals. We frolicked with rabbits, rubbed pigs' bellies, chatted with chickens, and waddled with turkeys. Their stories are heart-wrenching—whether victims of research labs, slaughterhouses, or hoarders—but the animals find life and hope again at Animal Place. They learn to trust, they bond to new animal friends, and they are free to walk, spread their wings, and live out their natural lives in peace.

Pigs are extremely affectionate and can't get enough belly rubs!

Animal Place Co-founder Kim Sturla and her team are working fast and furiously to prepare the sanctuary for visitors (of both the two-legged and four-legged variety). The property, a former cattle ranch, is being transformed into a beautiful haven for rescued animals which will also feature guest houses, an education center, and an extremely impressive four-acre veganic garden. Visitors will be able to tour the grounds, take a cooking class, volunteer, or stay the night. It's a true escape for everyone involved, and when the sanctuary opens again for visitors (most likely this summer), book a trip to this heavenly spot in the Sierra foothills. Nothing feeds the soul more than looking into the eyes of an animal who has a second chance at life.

Allison, Kim, and Colleen enjoy the lush surroundings at the sanctuary.

P.S. Grass Valley and Nevada City offer plenty of veg options, but our favorite is the family-run raw-food café, The Fix. We savored a portobello burger and raw sushi, along with coconut-ginger-lime milkshakes. Don't miss it!

Dining at Darbster

2011-03-31T11:40:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria

What: Refueling between tanning sessions in Florida

Where: Darbster, West Palm Beach, Fla.

When: February 27, 2011

Why: To try a restaurant I've read so much about!

The Scoop: I recently had the very good fortune of attending the engagement party of one Stephanie Katcher. Yes, she's of the Joshua and Joelle Katchers, which means that I not only got the chance to celebrate her engagement (congrats Stephanie and Brad!), but got to see two good friends and meet their phenomenal parents, Michael and Cindy. Oh, and did I mention that all this family fun took place in Florida, aka a place where they have warm sun and beaches and pools and lawns and other places to sun yourself like a lizard, which is my absolute favorite thing in the world?!

Two cute Katchers: Stephanie, the bride-to-be, and Joshua

The trip was spectacular, to say the least, and not least of it was our evening at Darbster. After Joelle's review (read it here), I'd been dying to try this East Coast gem, and we headed there with all possible haste. From the review, I knew I needed to try the Palm Cakes (faux crab cakes made with hearts of palm) and sliders, both of which were totally delicious. As can sometimes happen when I visit a new restaurant, I might have gotten a teeny bit over-excited, and ordered just about everything on the menu. All in all, the four people of our party tried the mac and cheese, sliders, palm cakes, miso soup, kale salad, tempeh Reuben, Chick'n Parmesan, chocolate mousse, and an insane s'mores cheesecake. Hey! It takes a lot of energy to soak up sun!

The signature palm cakes

The food was great, and we even got to meet the executive chef, Seth, and owners Allan and Ellen. All three were really lovely; we couldn't have asked for better hosts. We did learn from Seth that we'd missed brunch that morning, about which we were all pretty bummed. The bright side? Now we have one more reason to head back to sunny Florida!

"Vegan's Daily Companion" Premiere Party

2011-03-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly

What: Launching yet another book by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau!

Where: Millennium Restaurant, San Francisco, Calif.

When: Sunday, March 20, 2011

Why: To celebrate the Great American Meatout and Colleen's latest book

The Scoop: As if one needs a special reason or two to trek to San Francisco's Millennium Restaurant at the end of a long, rainy weekend! Last Sunday was, of course, the 26th celebration of The Great American Meatout, started by FARM way back in the decade of big hair and spandex when most of you were busy being born. VN columnist and author extraordinaire Colleen Patrick-Goudreau picked the quite appropriate day to debut her latest book, Vegan's Daily Companion: 365 Days of Inspiration for Cooking, Eating, and Living Compassionately. That's like a mini-Meatout, every day.

A full house packed into Millennium's stately wine room, enjoying passed hors d'oeurves that were over-the-top delicious and scooped up before you could stammer, "Pass the hors d'oeurves." And exactly what tiny tasty temptations were served? How about Yuba Spring Rolls? Can you say Black Eyed Pea Fritters? Maybe some Beet Tartar? And don't forget the Sea Vegetables with Avocado. Hey, don't take my word for it; taste for yourself...

From miso-glazed tempeh w/ coconut-peanut sauce skewers (top)
to a beet tartare (above), the appetizers were astoundingly good.

Next up was the woman of the hour. Colleen spoke about how Daily Companion came to be, read a few excerpts, and posed for many photos with her legion of fans. After three cookbooks in as many years, Daily Companion is a new direction for Goudreau, the first book to show her skills outside the kitchen, a side that followers of her Vegetarian Food for Thought podcast already know well. And up next is The 30-Day Vegan Challenge, which hits bookstore this August.

Author Colleen Patrick-Goudreau models her four books.

After Colleen's talk many of us stayed on chatting, catching up, and nibbling a few of the delicious desserts that somehow materialized right before our very eyes. Yours truly even plated up this array for CPG, fearing that by the time she got to the sweet table, only crumbs would remain. Yes, I'm that type of guy.

Four delicious desserts rounded out the night.

OK. Now go out and buy a copy of Vegan's Daily Companion. Where else can you find inspiring stories, photography, recipes, and much more every day of the year for $20. Well, two places. You can get a subscription to VegNews, and supplement it with a steady dose of VDC from CPG. We both encourage you to eat kale on Mondays.

Genesis Awards 2011

2011-03-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria and VN Associate Editor Jennifer Chen

What: The Humane Society of the United States' annual awards ceremony for the media and entertainment industry

Where: The Century Plaza, Los Angeles, Calif.

When: Saturday, March 19, 2011

Why: To celebrate reporters, entertainers, and animal advocates who keep animal issues in the media spotlight

The Scoop: Twenty-five years ago, former Broadway actress and animal-activist Gretchen Wyler founded the Genesis Awards. At the time, a few awards were given out. Now, the awards have grown to include feature films, reality TV, talk shows, and TV news. The Genesis Awards honors journalists, media, and entertainers who lend their creative skills, celebrity status, and hard work toward awareness of animal issues. It's hard to believe that this phenomenal evening of star power has already been around for a quarter century, and even harder to believe that there was ever a time when it didn't exist.

It was my first time attending, and I was so excited to meet some of my favorite animal advocates, particularly Genesis award-nominee Victoria Stilwell, star of Animal Planet's It's Me or the Dog. Stilwell is a staunch supporter of animal shelters and adopting rather than buying a companion animal, which is a cause close to my heart.

Davis, accepting her Wyler award

Top winners of the night include former Sex & the City star Kristin Davis, who was honored with the prestigious Wyler award (named after Genesis Awards founder, Gretchen Wyler) for bringing media attention to the plight of orphaned baby African elephants who are abandoned after their parents are poached for their ivory tusks. Davis graciously thanked the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for its work on behalf of elephants, including caring for a 250-pound baby elephant Davis and her friend rescued while on safari in South Africa. Other winners include HBO's True Blood for their dog-fighting storyline (dog star Dusty made a special guest appearance on stage), How to Train Your Dragon for feature film (to which supervising animator Gabe Hordos, credited his adopted cat for helping him create such a lovable dragon), and the The Oprah Winfrey Show for a show covering dolphin slaughter. Stephen Colbert gave a tongue-in-cheek virtual acceptance speech for winning the Sid Caesar Comedy Award for a segment on bull-fighting. He quipped, "I want to thank you for this honor and also congratulate you for honoring me."

While most of the animal segments covered upsetting issues like puppy mills, factory farms, horse slaughter, and other forms of inhumane treatment, I was thrilled to see wonderful advocates being honored from local news reporters to top stars like Davis. Presenters included the ever-lovely and vegan Emily Deschanel, Tricia Helfer, Betty White, James Cromwell, and Ed Asner. It was a treat to meet HSUS President Wayne Pacelle, hard-working HSUS directors, and fellow animal advocates.

The delicious main course we wish we were still eating.

Our vegan meal was prepared by vegan celebrity chef Tal Ronnen and our main entrée featured chantrelle-dusted Gardein chicken, broccolini, and chantrelle-stuffed ravioli topped in a beurre blanc sauce. We nearly died. A fantastic after-party featured a silent auction benefitting HSUS, and I was fortunate enough to win my bid on a gorgeous olive green Vaute Couture coat. A veritable vegan spread awaited us with cupcakes, quesadillas, even Tofutti cream cheese-stuffed jalapeño poppers. Elizabeth and I chatted with Brendan Brazier, Carolyn Scott-Hamilton, the gals at Compassion Over Killing, and Gardein's R&D chef, Jason Stefanko.

Animal Planet will air the awards ceremony on April 30 at 7pm EST/PST with an encore on May 1. Pacelle sums up the night the best when he said, "At the end of the day, I'm hopeful because ... there are millions of others who share our passion." I couldn't have said it better myself.

Don't miss our photo gallery from the glitzy evening, and you can see the official photos from HSUS on Flickr.

Kristin Davis photo courtesy of HSUS/Tim Long/Long Photography

A Jeffrey Masson book in the Making

2011-03-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly

What: A Gathering of Savvy People

Where: El Cerrito, Calif.

When: Thursday, March 17, 2011

Why: To brainstorm author Jeffrey Masson's future book project

The Scoop: If this Press Pass blog has an ideal entry, it would be to boldly go where few vegans have gone before, then take you inside. "Out & about with the VegNews editors," with a twist of exclusivity. Last Thursday, a dozen invited movers and shakers, including a neuroscientist, a lawyer, an award-winning writer, and a non-profit exec, gathered in author and eco-feminist Marti Kheel's living room, overlooking the stunning hills of El Cerrito, Calif. The purpose? To hash out ideas and direction for prolific author Jeffrey Masson's 27th book, to be published by Bloomsbury Press (same as the Harry Potter series) in February 2012.

For two hours Masson and his 12 apostles sat in a circle, sharing delectable raw finger foods provided by our host and Café Gratitude, while debating the direction of what Masson—who turns 70 next week—says might be his last book.

Skip dinner and go for the desserts. All raw, so they don't count, right?

"Be brutal. Tell me all kinds of things," the author instructed as we discussed such varied topics as intra-species murder among non-human predators (rare, with no known example of an orca ever killing a member of his own species); the psychology of empathy in animals and apathy in humans (the direction I'd like to see the book take); and why Michael Pollan and Alice Waters dislike vegetarians (I would tell you but I don't want VegNews to get sued, though you can read about it here).

The discussion ping-ponged around the room in a cordial yet spirited manner, with many opinions offered and seemingly no conclusions drawn. But have no worries, as Masson has a proven knack for solidifying disparate concepts into reader-friendly, often best-selling prose, and the feeling in the room as the night drew to a close was one of hope and excitement for the man of the hour's next best-seller. The best title suggestion? "Are You My Other?"

For those who can't wait to read a bit of Jeff, Masson currently has two other books in the pipeline. The Dog Who Couldn't Stop Loving debuted last October and will soon be out in paperback, while Dogs Make Us Human, a photography books of canines from around the world, will be published this coming October.

I'd participated in one previous discussion for what became Masson's The Face on Your Plate, his 2009 book about veganism. Being invited to work with an author in the early stages of a project is a unique experience, one that any writer would cherish. Thanks go out to Marti Kheel, author of the excellent Nature Ethics, for hosting these events.

Jeffrey Masson, Marti Kheel, and Joseph Connelly

Natural Products Expo West 2011

2011-03-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

Who: VN Editorial Assistant Anna Peraino and the entire VN team

What: Natural Products Expo West 2011

Where: Anaheim, Calif.

When: March 11-13, 2011

Why: To find out about this year's best new vegan products, of course!

The Scoop: I had heard what I thought were tall tales of the food, beverage, and natural product Mecca that is Expo West, but to be quite honest, I didn't believe it. Boy, was I wrong. Imagine a grocery store multiplied by 50, filled with hundreds of thousands of people, and throw in millions of skillets, slow cookers, and toothpicks, and you have Expo West. The booths were massive (So Delicious' booth was not only two stories tall but also had a Nintendio Wii), the food and drinks were never-ending (think vegan quesadillas, pizza, 10 kinds of peanut butter, and Gardein galore in just one section of one of the 50 football field-long aisles), and the people were everywhere (The Spork Girls! Jillian Michaels! Fabio!).

So Delicious' two-story booth: one of many behemoths

Most of the VegNews team flew down on Thursday afternoon, and the weekend only got crazier from there. The days were filled with taste testing new products (chocolate walnut brownie ice cream, pizza, and orange sugar-covered marshmallow Dandies were three of the thousands), picking our 2011 Best of Show winners (want to know who we picked? Make sure to check out our May+June issue!), and catching up with friends. The craziness didn't stop there: with dinners at Native Foods Café (my burger consisted of a heap of seitan, Daiya cheddar cheese, tempeh bacon, BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, and fried pickle chips) and The Veggie Grill, it seemed like we never stopped eating. Well, to be fair, we didn't.

Native Food Café's Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger. Be jealous.

I'd like to sign off saying it was all fun and tasting spoons, but I'd be lying. A blackout at our hotel (waking up to a room full of lights at 4am? Jarring) and a two and a half-hour delay on our way home were definitely both unexpected (and quite unwelcome), but all in all, it was an awesome and completely exhausting weekend. Want more Expo West dish? Check out our Facebook album for pics, stories, and finds!

Press Pass

VegNews Vegan Yoga Retreat to Mexico

Thanksgiving Potluck

Vegan Fusion Immersion

Girlfriends' Getaway at The Stanford Inn

San Francisco Walk for Farm Animals

Texas State Veggie Fair, Take Two!

Vegucated Dessert After-Party Hosted by VegNews

Hearty Vegan Brunch and Burgers & Beers Benefit

12th Annual Brower Youth Awards

Michael Pollan and the Food Movement

Tuesday Night Fine-Dining at Millennium

Who: VegNews Editorial Assistant Hilary Pollack

A Blessed Evening (No, really!)

Rockin' at Rootstalk

Portland VegFest 2011

Natural Selection at its Best

Alaska State Fair

Vida Vegan Con, 2011

San Francisco Street Food Fest

Farmer’s Market and Studio Visit

Cinnaholic's First Birthday

Millennium Farmers' Market Cooking Class

Who: Associate Editor Jennifer ChenWhat: Millennium Restaurant's Farmers' Market Cooking ClassWhere: San Francisco, Calif.When: July 30 & 31, 2011Why: To take a cooking class at one of my favorite restaurants

10 Reasons to Go to the Animal Rights Conference

A Seasonal Celebration

Drinks and Dinner

Skywalker Ranch Weekend

Vegan Pizza Party at Patxi's!

Cinnamon Buns Across the Bay

Bay Area Adventures

Mercy for Animals' Honoring Hidden Heroes Party w/ Bob Barker

San Francisco Staycation!

A Bit of Southern Comfort

Vegans in Vegas

Weekend in Denver

Farm Sanctuary 25th Anniversary Gala

NYC Tour 2011

Vegas Goes Vegan

Four Events in Five Days

Berkeley Vegan Earth Day

Date Night Dining

Adventures in the Inner Sunset

Sneak Preview of Animal Place Sanctuary

Dining at Darbster

"Vegan's Daily Companion" Premiere Party

Genesis Awards 2011

A Jeffrey Masson book in the Making

Natural Products Expo West 2011

Who: Associate Editor Jennifer Chen
What: Millennium Restaurant's Farmers' Market Cooking Class
Where: San Francisco, Calif.

When: July 30 & 31, 2011
Why: To take a cooking class at one of my favorite restaurants