Beautiful Men, Food, and Bunnies

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly

What: Dr. Fuhrman Health Getaway 2010
Where: Rancho Bernado Inn, San Diego, Calif.
When: Thursday, July 15, 2010
Why: A picture-perfect day

The Scoop: Some like it hot, and I'm not talking about the nearly 100-degree weather in San Diego yesterday. The women were swooning over the handsome young chef here to help with their nutritarian needs... and the food was delicious, too.

And if one dark, handsome young vegan man isn't enough, at lunch I bumped into another alumni of the Taste of Health Cruise, Eduardo "Wayo" Longorio. Wayo is the photogenic son of the Casa de Luz restaurant family from Austin, Texas. The Casa is a gorgeous restaurant/health spa complex scouting out a second location in San Diego (he's doing so with his mom, ladies). See if you can pick out Wayo from some other dude in this photo:

Life just isn't fair: Eduardo "Wayo" Longorio and someone else

After lunch Chef Chad Sarno hit the stage and the Vita-Mix. Cool and collected, he calmly (and seemingly effortlessly) whipped up 10 recipes in 90 minutes all with Dr. Joel Fuhrman standing behind providing color commentary. Unlike when Dr. J gave his cooking demo on Wednesday, no one did a Pink impersonation and fell off the stage.

Chef Chad Sarno communes with his Vita-Mix

Sarno, vegan for 15 years, is most known for opening a handful of SAF ("simply authentic food") restaurants in Europe, including one in the London Whole Foods. He's now the coordinator of WF's Total Health Immersion Program, covered in yesterday's blog post. During the demo Sarno confessed that he's a recovering olive oil-aholic, and that the recipes he was demoing would be our Thursday night dinner. If you aren't salivating yet, the Kale Avocado Salad was nutrilicious, and the Tofu Ricotta-stuffed Manicotti (with No Oil Marinara) was even better than it looks (and it looks... well, see for yourself):

Finally, while walking the grounds of the resort I found several more beautiful vegans, two of whom were kind enough to pose for photos. I couldn't get close enough to be sure, but I'm guessing they are both male as well.

I Framed Roger Rabbit

A nighttime photo of a very patient nutritarian

Coming Monday: A conference recap plus a detailed description of the nutritarian diet. And maybe a Top Ten List of Dr. Joel Fuhrman's best one-liners of the week.

"Whole Foods" Day

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly
What: Dr. Fuhrman Health Getaway 2010
Where: Rancho Bernado Inn, San Diego, Calif.
When: Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Why: Whole Foods Market returns to its roots

The Scoop: Let's get right to the "kombucha kontroversy." Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey confirmed over dinner that the love-it-or-hate-it tasty tonic, or as I call it, "the fermented concoction that helps me hang on" (sorry Mr. Buffett), has been pulled from all of his groceries. Why? And just how much should we blame Lindsay Lohan?

An unnamed teetotaler close to Mackey mentioned the tipsy feeling felt after drinking the fermented tea (it wasn't me, I swear). Whole Foods had it tested, and, wouldn't you know, the alcohol content was far above the 0.5 percent listed on the label—ranging anywhere from 0.7–1.2 percent depending on brand. Pass me another. Staying one step ahead, WF pulls the bubbly bliss from its shelves, in order to save its pristine image... and possibly a few lawsuits somewhere down the road? Now we know why they installed "kombucha bars" that sold the liquid refreshment "on tap" in some of its markets.

Mr. and Ms. Whole Foods: John Mackey and Debra Morin

Last night's plenary was all Whole Foods, with Mackey explaining "The Whole Foods Market Healthy Eating Revolution," a uniquely forward-thinking plan that is already a resounding success. Citing that 82 percent of US adults have at least one heart disease risk factor, 81 percent are on weekly meds, and the 10 million obese kids "who will be the first generation in the country to have shorter life spans than their parents," it's time for a change. Enter ANDI.

Dr. Joel Fuhrman and Eat Right America have developed a score (think "report card") that ranks foods by their nutritional density. WF posted the ANDI scores (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index) in their produce sections beginning in January and wouldn't you know it produce sales shot up 25 percent in the last six months (leafy greens an amazing 1,000 percent). WF then added a seventh core value to the company mission, "promoting the health of our stakeholders through healthy eating education," and originated the Total Health Immersion Program for WF team members. Chef Chad Sarno (you'll meet him tomorrow) is the coordinator of the Immersion Program, a wide-ranging plan that includes higher company discounts depending upon how healthy one is, a Healthy Eating Dining Club in each market, and the availability of the program to the public in 2011.

The ANDI score card. Eat your greens.

Mackey summed it all up. "The original intent of Whole Foods was to sell healthy alternatives." He mentioned that in his first store 35 percent of sales were produce and another 20 percent bulk items. In the 30 years since those numbers have fallen to roughly 17.5 and 1.5 percent, respectively. "We're getting back to our roots." And nuts and seeds and greens.

Dr. Joel Fuhrman Health Getaway 2010

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly
What: Dr. Fuhrman Health Getaway 2010
Where: Rancho Bernardo Inn, San Diego, Calif.
When: July 12, 2010
Why: Learning to eat even better in an ideal setting

The Scoop: Monday set the table for the week-long Dr. Fuhrman Health Getaway, an adventure spilling over with activities and lectures so numerous it's not easy to find time to file these reports. Each morning begins with exercise, yoga, or fitness classes, then breakfast before the learnin' commences. Today Dr. F spoke first on the connection between osteoporosis and and diet (takeaway messages: lean muscle mass = bone strength, and vitamin D deficiency causes osteoarthritis) then a post-lunch lecture on "Eating for Health." There are also complimentary health screenings. The Nutritarian Diet will be covered later in the week; for now, I'll just tease you by saying that the meals are frequent and overflowing with fresh fruits, veggies, soups, smoothies, and ginormous salads bars with ample fixings.

I actually enjoyed some conversational Fudge with breakfast—I dined with Marilouise and David Fudge from Flagstaff, Ariz. David has recently been diagnosed with diabetes and has been brought here by his quite supportive wife to learn a new way of eating and to work on reversing his illness. We talked helpful books and websites, which David immediately looked up on his handy iGadget... even finding good ol' vegnews.com.

Breakfast buddies: Marilouise and David Fudge

As for me, let's just say that my room has a 42" flat screen (too bad I don't watch) TV, a deep soaking tub, and a private balcony overlooking the 18-hole championship golf course (too bad I don't do that, either). The manicured grounds are immaculate, the spa inviting (should I get a massage?), and the large pool offers plenty of opportunity to soak up the doctor-prescribed vitamin D. Rancho Bernardo also offers tennis, bike rentals, seven selectively located outdoor hot tubs... why am I indoors writing this? You get the picture. It's a tough job, but somebody has to report on these conferences.

The Boys of Rancho Bernardo

Tomorrow: More sinful adventures plus a review of the movie Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead and just maybe a photo of the famous vegan doctor who will be here. Plus, later this week I'll give you the inside scoop on why Whole Foods has pulled kombucha from all of its markets.

Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly, VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig
What: Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival
Where: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, Calif.
When: August 28–30, 2009
Why: Think Woodstock. Without the mud or nudity.

The Scoop: The East Coast might have its All Points West Music & Arts Festival, but, you know, it’s in New Jersey. Year Two of San Francisco’s Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, which I’m trade marking as All Points East™, might be 3,000 miles from the birthplace of the three-day, any-kind-of-band-goes fest. That’s OK. Since it is held in August—the same month Woodstock took place—and within shouting distance of the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, I think it only fair that we take back what rightfully should have been the City by the Bay’s all along. Forget Coachella, Bonnaroo, or any of those other posers. San Francisco now owns the multi-stage mega-concert. There’s no competition.

Where else can you enjoy a beautiful, outdoor, mild-weathered, perfectly organized production all within a major city’s limits? No desert storms, no off-the-beaten path drives, plenty of toilets, great food, social consciousness, seven stages, and no need to camp. Leave the park at night, come back the next day. And why not, as many of the bands play after-hours “night shows” at local venues?

The three day line-up had something for everyone, in no particular alphabetical order: Band of Horses, Black Eyed Peas, Incubus, M.I.A., Dave Matthews Band, The Mars Volta, Mastodon, Modest Mouse, Jason Mraz, Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band, Pearl Jam, Q-Tip, Silversun Pickups, TV on the Radio, Tenacious D, Ween, Lucinda Williams, even Tom Jones—yes, that Tom Jones, who rocked the house lawn like nobody’s business. At nearly 70, Tom not only still has it, he could teach a few of the younger kids a move or two. And thankfully, bless the gods, Tom’s pants aren’t as tight.

He's not unusual: Tom the Bomb.

We attended all three days of the festival, watched a combined 16 shows, got plenty of exercise and Vitamin D, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves to the point that we couldn’t believe this was “work.” Our dual mission: scope out the veg-friendly artists, which included Jason Mraz and Conor Oberst, and spy on the eco-efforts of the exhibits, to make sure they were as billed. “Whether it was Jack Black making love to the crowd, or the groovy beats of Jason Mraz, there was something for everyone at the Festival,” including free Heineken in the press tent, says a happy Lyndsay Orwig, VN’s office manager. “I was pleased to see many of my favorite bands, who played both old and new songs, and kept a smile on my face the entire weekend. I am hooked, and will be going back next year.”

"I'm Yours": VN's Lyndsay Orwig checks out Jason Mraz

Mraz and Oberst gave impassioned performances, while Lydia’s Organics, our friends from Sambazon, and Whole Foods Market were among the food vendors that catered to those on the lower end of the food chain. While there was plenty of dead stuff being sold, veg options were available— we could even get kombucha on tap.

Lydia's Serves up raw vegan chow...

...while Whole Foods offers Kombucha on tap.

The environmental efforts were stellar, with ample recycling and composting stations, solar power stations (one stage was powered by the sun), and a slew of fine exhibits, including Toyota’s Prius, Garden for the Environment, and the TRASHed Recycling Store. Life is good.

Now, if I could only get Tom Jones’ “Sex Bomb” out of my head...

So-Cal Chow

Who: VN Editorial Assistant Charlotte Gordon
What: A weekend getaway to Southern California
Where: The OC and Los Angeles, Calif.
When: July 25-26, 2009
Why: To get a healthy dose of vitamin D and search for the elusive Daiya cheese.

San Francisco has been laying on the fog thick. Especially in the Sunset District where the VNHQ is forever shrouded in Stephen King’s The Mist. What better time then now to brave the one-hour flight to Southern California for an overdose of vitamin D, outdoor entertainment, and Daiya vegan cheese?

That’s where I headed last weekend, and after greeting friends and family, it was time for Mission Objective Number One: Locate a pizza with a ridiculous amount of Daiya on it. Through intensive research (aka receiving the occasional Google Alert for “vegan cheese”), I discovered that Daiya has taken over LA. But has its stretchy, gooey goodness trickled down to the Irvine area? The Tustin Whole Foods answered me with a resounding “yes!”

It stretches!

Mission Objective Number Two: Stock up on vegan snackies for an outdoor nighttime picnic at the Hollywood Bowl, the largest natural outdoor amphitheater in the good ol’ US of A. The vegan pizza from Wholefoods was a pie to be reckoned with—we’re talking a vast stretch of dough and cheese. But the meal would not be complete without a Gardein Chick'n Salad with fresh bell pepper and green beans marinated in a raspberry dressing. My folks and I hauled all this grub up to Hollywood and feasted upon it in our box seats at the Bowl. The perfect accompaniment to this meal? Songstress Jewel performing her chart-topping hits with the Hollywood Bowl orchestra to back her up. This incredible night of song had a grand finale of fireworks to dazzle the senses.

The Bowl and its occupants remain intact while fireworks rage above.

What else was there to do but indulge in decadent raw food the next day at 118 Degrees? I ordered the Merry Monkey smoothie—it was a blend of nut milk, banana, almond butter, and other such tastiness—while my mom and grandma split the brunch special, which ended with an amazing cashew bar smothered in chocolate and raspberry sauce.

A tasty and stylish tidbit from the five-course raw brunch.

After packing away all this food, I did manage to waddle back to the airport to board a plane back to San Fran. Now, I sit in my swivel chair and diligently wait for sunshine and, more importantly, for Daiya cheese to takeover Northern California! In the meantime, I suppose I should get back to work!

Special Report: VegNews in NYC (Day 4)

Who: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly + VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland
What: Day four of a five-day business trip
Where: New York City
When: May 17, 2008
Why: Farm Sanctuary Gala + Veggie Pride Parade + meetings galore with colleagues, friends, and magazine partners

The Scoop: The sun was shining, and we were back in business. Today, Manhattanites were out in full-force, including 8,000 of them running a 10k race in Central Park. Our very own Joseph Connelly and Lantern Books’ Martin Rowe were also running today’s race and both performed exceptionally well (despite the humidity, according to California-based Joseph, and hilly terrain, said East Coaster Martin). To celebrate their achievement, we headed over to Whole Foods Columbus Circle for coffee and vegan scones (loved the oatmeal-cranberry) and spent the next several hours catching up. Martin, a very proper Englishman-turned-New Yorker, not only runs Lantern Books but also writes, edits, and works with wife Mia at her non-profit, Brighter Green. We decided to burn-off breakfast by meandering through the streets of NY back to our hotel. Before we knew it, it was time to primp and prep for the night’s big event: the annual Farm Sanctuary Gala.

If you have a chance to attend one of these glitzy fundraiser galas, do it. Not only does the money go to great organizations, you’re guaranteed a divine multi-course meal, celebrity sightings, engaging conversation with tablemates, and a fabulous goodie bag. In fact, we will state for the record that Farm Sanctuary galas have the best goodie bags of any event. But we digress …

Held at the unbelievably gorgeous Cipriani Wall Street (a former bank-turned-event-venue), we hit the cocktail reception at 5pm. Held on the mezzanine overlooking the grand ballroom, we sipped bellinis and nibbled on heirloom cherry tomatoes filled with pesto, faux chicken with spicy mango chutney, and sautéed mushrooms in crispy phyllo baskets. We had the opportunity to chat with David Life and Sharon Gannon of Jivamukti Yoga School, Russell Simmons, Dennis Kucinich, Shawn Colvin, Persia White, and many other wonderful individuals who are truly making a difference. We bumped into soy-candle entrepreneur Ari Solomon and green goddess Chloé Jo Berman—check out our sizzling July+August 2008 summer edition for features on both.

We sauntered down to the main dining room where 600 guests were being seated for dinner. Host Heather Mills (the former Mrs. Paul McCartney) had been working with the Cipriani culinary team to create an incredible three-course meal for the evening (rumor has it that she’s launching a line of vegan food products and has a cooking show in the works). We normally wouldn’t dwell on a dinner roll, but this was the best vegan dinner roll ever. It was warm, flaky, and buttery—we must learn how they did it. We begin with a “chicken”-minestrone soup, which was flavorful and delicious. We move on to a large arugula salad tossed in a light vinaigrette. For the entrée, Heather created a lasagna with béchamel sauce and tomato ragu—a unique take on the traditional Italian dish. Finally, slices of chocolate torte are served with fancy trays of hazelnut clusters and chocolate-dipped strawberries, and the evening’s festivities begin.

Television personality Melissa Rivers was the emcee of the night, and presenters included VN’s Rory Freedman, Emily Deschanel, Loretta Swit, and Persia White. A wonderful and moving speech by Farm Sanctuary’s Executive Director Jeff Lydon brought the crowd to its feet. We learned about this year’s victories, challenges, and, in two poignant videos produced by Joshua Katcher, met many of the animals rescued by the organization. The evening was truly inspiring.

Then, Susie Essman (funniest comedian ever) of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” hosted a live auction, where a Peter Max painting went for $15,000 and lunch in Los Angeles with Rory Freedman sold for $3,000 (see photo below with VN Publisher Joseph Connelly flanked by VN columnists, Rory and Dan Piraro). A special performance by Grammy Award-winning artist Shawn Colvin got people moving, and a mega-dessert buffet hosted by the famous VeganTreats carried us into the late night. On our way out, we picked up our goodie bags, bid farewell, and ended another perfect NY day.

Press Pass Giveaway! As we mentioned, the Farm Sanctuary galas have, hands-down, the best goodie bags of any event we attend. Swag includes cookies, soy candles, a cookbook, body wash, dog food, body crème, tea, chocolate, energy bars, and more, all packed into a Matt & Nat metallic tote bag. So just for you, we’re giving away one to a very special Press Pass reader. Just tell us why you deserve this bag by June 15 at noon, and we’ll choose one response. Good luck!

La La Land

Who: VN Managing Editor Aurelia d’Andrea + Senior Editor Jennifer Pickens
What: Restaurant soft opening for media
Where: The Veggie Grill, El Segundo, Calif.
When: January 18, 2008
Why: Business

The Scoop: Our fun- and food-filled weekend excursion to Los Angeles began at Veggie Grill which is not technically in LA, but in El Segundo, of all places. It’s a little tricky to find if you don’t know this area, but after accidentally driving into a local air force base, we finally discovered the restaurant tucked away in a mini-mall behind the largest Whole Foods either if us had ever seen. Gregarious owners Kevin and TK met us at the door and gave us the VIP treatment. Choosing which amazingly yummy dish to order off the all-vegan menu proved challenging. Jen opted for the Chop-Chop Chef salad, sprinkled with quinoa and served with a creamy, chipotle-infused dressing. Jen swears it’s the best salad she’s ever eaten. Ever. For reals. Aurelia’s Santa Fe Crispy Chickin’ Sandwich came with the crispiest, most heavenly sweet potato fries, and left her feeling full and happy for hours. After an afternoon of shopping for vintage clothes on Melrose, we drove to Venice to meet up with friends and dine at Real Food Daily in Santa Monica—where we immediately spoiled our appetites with the best starter in the world: vegan nachos. They were perfect, right down to the cheesy sauce drizzled all over them. We both wished that we’d ordered individual platters. Not that dinner wasn’t great, mind you. But come on. Vegan nachos?! Yes, please.

Here's a close-up on the awesome grub at Veggie Grill: