Chef Tal at Candle 79

Who: VEGdaily Co-founder and Ecorazzi Senior Editor Michael Parrish DuDell

What: Four-course meal prepared by The Conscious Cook author Tal Ronnen.
Where: Candle 79, New York, NY
When: January 7, 2009
Why: Because the combination of Tal Ronnen’s food and Candle 79’s atmosphere are what dreams are made of!

The Scoop: It’s official: no one is ever allowed to call vegetarian food “boring” again! Last night I had the honor of spending the evening at Candle 79—an upscale vegan restaurant on the Upper East Side of Manhattan—and sampling the many culinary talents of celebrated chef Tal Ronnen.

Ronnen's expertly planned menu

For those who aren’t familiar with Ronnen’s work, he is the man responsible for helping Oprah go vegan for 21 days and the mastermind behind VegNews' 2009 "Book of the Year" and New York Times bestseller, The Conscious Cook. In his book, Ronnen says that after becoming vegetarian, he “became obsessed with the idea of creating vegan food that was just as mouth-watering and delicious as anything I’d ever had as a meat-eater.”

A sneak peek into the Candle 79 kitchen

Well, all of that obsession certainly paid off! The meal was out of control with such offerings as celery root soup, quinoa with Belgium endive and oranges, and a mouth-watering banana cheesecake.

Quinoa with Belgium endive and oranges—absolutely delicious!

However, the star of the evening was the third course: a scaloppini dish made with scrumptious Gardein chick’n. As my dinner guests and I took a bite of this perfectly prepared entrée, we all agreed that Gardein is going to forever change the vegetarian culinary world. All in all, this inspired meal proved just how dynamic and artful plant-based cuisine really can be and left each of us assured that, without a doubt, vegan food will take over the world. (Insert evil laughter here.)

Speaking Up for Animals

Who: Editorial Assistant Lyndsay Orwig + Farm Sanctuary’s Gene Baur
What: Radar Reading Series featuring the best emerging and underground writers reading and performing new work
Where: San Francisco Public Libary, main branch
When: October 14, 2008
Why: To support VN readers’ Favorite Animal Sanctuary

The Scoop: The VN offices are always busy, but with the much-anticipated Veggie Awards 2008 issue hitting stands as we speak, the long-awaited launch of the brand new VegNews website finally happening, and the upcoming election and the Yes! on Prop. 2 excitement, we're on hyperdrive. Yes, it is definitely an exhilarating time for animal lovers right now, and we've had the pleasure of sharing the excitement of these special times with vegan dignitary Gene Baur of Farm Sanctuary.

Since opening its doors in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has been fully dedicated to the cause of rescuing factory-farm animals, educating the public about how the vegan diet is central to compassionate living, and advocating for the humane treatment of animals. Gene, who co-founded FS along with Lorri Bauston, is the author of a new book about the sanctuary and his experiences called Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food. 

On his book tour, Gene has visited Michigan, California, Oregon,  Washington, DC, and VN's hometown, San Francisco.  Gene joined us for lunch before his book reading at the San Francisco Library for the Radar Reading Series, and lucky for me, I got to attend the event in support of Farm Sanctuary and its humane cause.

Gene was the third speaker of the reading series that featured three other unique authors and artists, including Deez, a young, up-and-coming writer; Nancy Pearson, who read several of her beautiful poems; and Margaret Tedesco, a performance artist. When it was Gene's turn to speak,  he delivered a passionate talk focused on the plight of animals and the environmental consequences of the livestock industry, including its direct link to global warming. He also discussed his own experiences rescuing animals and his fight to prosecute specific factory farms on animal-cruelty charges, some ending with losses, others in victory. He wrapped things up by first expressing his support for Prop. 2 and explaining the proposition in detail, then talking about the vegan lifestyle and how it just makes sense—both ethically, and for the planet.

Before we knew it, the event drew to a close and it was off to Portland, Ore., for Gene, but not before signing books for the audience members. The event had a great turnout—a benefit for all in the fight against animal cruelty. It was wonderful to hear from one of the leaders in this fight, giving me even more motivation to continue forging ahead in the struggle for animals.

Gene Baur and a friend

Magical Madeleine Bistro

Who: VN Senior Editor Elizabeth Castoria + Editorial Assistant Lisa Mickleborough
What: Pre-flight dinner
Where: Madeleine Bistro, Tarzana, Calif.
When: May 10, 2008
Why: How could we be in LA and not go?

The Scoop: As you've already read, Lisa and I enjoyed quite the event at WorldFest. After a day full of talking with people, checking out other exhibitors, and, of course, playing with puppies, we were famished. Was it fate that WorldFest was held in Encino—mere minutes away from Madeleine Bistro? Whether our dinner there was pre-destined or not, we knew there was nowhere else we'd rather go.

Since we had to keep an eye on the clock—missing our late-night flight back to SF was not an option—we decided we'd order just one entrée each and forgo all the incredibly tempting appetizers, first courses, and desserts. When we walked in and met Molly Anderson—who owns the restaurant with her husband and executive chef, David (whom you may remember from a little something called the 2007 Veggie Awards)—our plans took a turn for the delicious. Molly graciously did a bit of extra ordering for us. The first thing to arrive at the table? Doughnuts!

With such an auspicious beginning, it was hard to imagine what would come next. To our utter delight, plates arrived bearing the creamiest mac 'n' cheese either of us had ever tasted. Next? Very yummy mushroom potstickers, and Madeleine Bistro's signature appetizer, the beet tartare, which comes served on a disc of homemade vegan cheese (see above!). Are you sitting down, already? Because there's more: While we were still revelling in the appetizers, Molly came to the table with a burger and said, "You have to try the Bigger Maque." It was, literally, a vegan Big Mac. We died. Then, the entrées arrived. We died again, but rallied enough to thoroughly enjoy chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and rich, delicious gravy, and tofu scallops atop a bed of green beans and shiitake mushrooms. So that was it, right? Well, no, actually. But what kind of dessert could follow a meal like that? Oh, I think the chocolate soufflé that came next did a fine job. No joke: vegan chocolate soufflé. It was like eating a little cloud of heavenly chocolate cake batter. See its majesty below, in a photo that in no way does it justice. And, as though we hadn't been spoiled enough, there was also cannoli. You read that right. Cannoli.

It was absolutely worth it to run from the security checkpoint all the way to the farthest possible gate at LAX to have the opportunity to spend time with Molly and enjoy what was, without exaggeration, the best meal either of us had ever ever eaten.