tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7552505811914305712024-02-14T04:44:17.609-08:00Press PassVegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.comBlogger253125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-23294085910540905302011-12-12T12:12:00.000-08:002011-12-12T15:35:31.677-08:00VegNews Vegan Yoga Retreat to Mexico<b>Who:</b> VN Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria and Associate Publisher Colleen Holland<br />
<b>What:</b> A week of yoga and vegan food on the stunning Pacific coast of Mexico<br />
<b>When:</b> November 26 to December 3, 2011<br />
<b>Where:</b> <a href="http://www.haramararetreat.com/" target="_blank">Haramara Retreat</a>, Sayulita, Mexico<br />
<b>Why:</b> Because I was invited!<br />
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<b>The Scoop</b>: 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 <a href="http://sf.laughinglotus.com/index.html" target="_blank">Laughing Lotus Yoga Centers</a>, Jasmine Tarkeshi) this trip.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPX6GThtjhJGcBAbUjwxWsRvUYfpFtviorKWXUM85lN3EycPcxol8fhf-kRqeqt_VbqgJRB6ARuJvSl0VHml5UyesGkoL9aLGne9Vq8NAySM-6Sahl8vioEJRNjMYybepyVJf0E59QnTn/s1600/382667_10150449568496250_75511806249_8621817_1538757971_n-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPX6GThtjhJGcBAbUjwxWsRvUYfpFtviorKWXUM85lN3EycPcxol8fhf-kRqeqt_VbqgJRB6ARuJvSl0VHml5UyesGkoL9aLGne9Vq8NAySM-6Sahl8vioEJRNjMYybepyVJf0E59QnTn/s400/382667_10150449568496250_75511806249_8621817_1538757971_n-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"> <i>Me, Jasmine, and Colleen, aka the luckiest gals on the planet</i></b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div> 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 <i>casitas</i>, 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.<br />
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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 <b style="font-weight: normal;">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. </b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJy7HRs9E8d6t23jC8C7xzhNxEpe1_vuzXbkah84wydQRrXKUhzK61zxwJFFzZd0Tofv7jI9XyYXal0LCFi-Mhbkr4nJYemt5GesG_9Y2Oxea5leYEYbQ9X3-QUyHbSklWRsoWWo5WaGrY/s1600/388284_10150449576831250_75511806249_8621887_1555077219_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJy7HRs9E8d6t23jC8C7xzhNxEpe1_vuzXbkah84wydQRrXKUhzK61zxwJFFzZd0Tofv7jI9XyYXal0LCFi-Mhbkr4nJYemt5GesG_9Y2Oxea5leYEYbQ9X3-QUyHbSklWRsoWWo5WaGrY/s400/388284_10150449576831250_75511806249_8621887_1555077219_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"> <i>Hello, amazing vibrant veggie tacos and fresh salad</i></b></div><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;">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 <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150449549286250.385382.75511806249&type=3" target="_blank">Facebook gallery</a>.</b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;">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!</b>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-91547141917535770762011-12-01T02:00:00.000-08:002011-12-01T02:00:08.770-08:00Thanksgiving Potluck<b>Who:</b> VN Editorial Assistant Joni Sweet<br />
<b>What:</b> A vegan Thanksgiving potluck<br />
<b>When:</b> Saturday, November 26, 2011<br />
<b>Where:</b> My cozy apartment in San Francisco, CA<br />
<b>Why:</b> To celebrate the best holiday of the year!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguAL9GzI9XPCZtO0xDuFc7zQhPiYCo02UPv_QSU8Nsiinp_gSKqtVi7EmwXVnyfGHmOMMt-AjazUlTedo1QB7VzP9T4qY-qowAwuhzdHU2TEoQvTDvrJiBcUVYOpw7PF2zF-7qbPxWly9w/s1600/plate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguAL9GzI9XPCZtO0xDuFc7zQhPiYCo02UPv_QSU8Nsiinp_gSKqtVi7EmwXVnyfGHmOMMt-AjazUlTedo1QB7VzP9T4qY-qowAwuhzdHU2TEoQvTDvrJiBcUVYOpw7PF2zF-7qbPxWly9w/s400/plate.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmm. Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings! </td></tr>
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<b>The Scoop:</b> 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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8M2YpylS68SJH-W_Q-mbXJ8n86BPZlNzW77wgFfsSAvRFsvRj89HQCiRPLs7bkKJvDZ1ZHIzcRkLRylpZlV40aSASJlHMJ66SOd0LWpH6uOr0xft1sf1WzKqMu14R7GHclExVXiS7wr8P/s1600/tofurky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8M2YpylS68SJH-W_Q-mbXJ8n86BPZlNzW77wgFfsSAvRFsvRj89HQCiRPLs7bkKJvDZ1ZHIzcRkLRylpZlV40aSASJlHMJ66SOd0LWpH6uOr0xft1sf1WzKqMu14R7GHclExVXiS7wr8P/s400/tofurky.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tofurky roast with cherries, carrots, and sweet potatoes.</td></tr>
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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 <a href="http://tofurky.com/recipes/recipe_details.asp?RecipeDataID=23" target="_blank">Caramelized Onion & Cherry Roast</a>). 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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcF58clyXvc6OjK0u7JmfAlYN72z0fLO4xTsil5C59G7rrJPhv1Ni1aQlKEKegfdvoNH4TUCtSslvDHv3m0zkP-1l4qcYr-RN14rchmo0sSOXoZUMnPmS9_YAIE19uMwjXrcUGFBd_cmcr/s1600/groupshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcF58clyXvc6OjK0u7JmfAlYN72z0fLO4xTsil5C59G7rrJPhv1Ni1aQlKEKegfdvoNH4TUCtSslvDHv3m0zkP-1l4qcYr-RN14rchmo0sSOXoZUMnPmS9_YAIE19uMwjXrcUGFBd_cmcr/s400/groupshot.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best guests at the best Thanksgiving dinner!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>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.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-77367423628431845662011-11-23T14:02:00.000-08:002011-11-23T15:03:08.479-08:00Vegan Fusion Immersion<b>Who</b>: VegNews staffer in Portland, Lara Bradley<br />
<b>What</b>: Stopping by the 10-Day Cuisine <a href="http://www.veganfusion.com">Vegan Fusion</a> Cuisine Cooking Immersion by Chef Mark Reinfeld<br />
<b>When</b>: Wednesday, November 16, 2011<br />
<b>Where</b>: Portland, OR<br />
<b>Why</b>: A chance to meet a well-traveled and multi-talented chef<br />
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<b>The Scoop</b>: 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 <i>Vegan Fusion World Cuisine</i>, 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. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk46_4w4QLTzhYBg7CBcx3Ff5wR9fSd9TqeqBI07fQUhlFXkTD8Zap7O-m7newRkXf9GrEknbzFUMb-chnX-XAKk93jNHuNzYv1TGMkbrzi7KCHQ9pLe-FU4QZDNhJvt8xWx6vb5ZGxhRA/s1600/Raw-Meal-Chef-Reinfeld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk46_4w4QLTzhYBg7CBcx3Ff5wR9fSd9TqeqBI07fQUhlFXkTD8Zap7O-m7newRkXf9GrEknbzFUMb-chnX-XAKk93jNHuNzYv1TGMkbrzi7KCHQ9pLe-FU4QZDNhJvt8xWx6vb5ZGxhRA/s320/Raw-Meal-Chef-Reinfeld.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The amazing, totally raw meal!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>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.<br />
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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.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7uqYqYAsrTbe-FewMDkiWJvJEbuM2tRywfxhKyNFEK0JDbNfM0RBUuqgb3Yp6Jf3DoYolRmRA2QIZe85vJM0WK9YL6MvXkBWwcTik0Zym2HribL2pqLthH_xzS1NeHhs4r07ODtNyiNP/s1600/Chef-Mark-Reinfeld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7uqYqYAsrTbe-FewMDkiWJvJEbuM2tRywfxhKyNFEK0JDbNfM0RBUuqgb3Yp6Jf3DoYolRmRA2QIZe85vJM0WK9YL6MvXkBWwcTik0Zym2HribL2pqLthH_xzS1NeHhs4r07ODtNyiNP/s320/Chef-Mark-Reinfeld.jpg" width="151" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Moi and Mark</i></div><br />
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.VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-90792768229172521292011-11-17T09:53:00.000-08:002011-11-17T10:57:37.074-08:00Girlfriends' Getaway at The Stanford Inn<b>Who: </b>VN Associate Editor Jennifer Chen<br />
<b>What: </b>A vacation with my girlfriends<br />
<b>When: </b>November 11–13, 2011<br />
<b>Where: </b><a href="http://www.stanfordinn.com/">The Stanford Inn</a>, Mendocino, CA<br />
<b>Why: </b>To spend quality time with my best friends<br />
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<b>The Scoop: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">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.</span></b> <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">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 <a href="http://mendocinocafe.com/">Mendocino Café</a>, which had several vegan options. The Healing Bowl, with soba noodles, kale, and tofu in a miso broth, was my pick.<br />
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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 <a href="http://www.catchacanoe.com/">canoe trip</a> along the Big River. Then, we hit <a href="http://www.frankiesmendocino.com/">Frankie's</a> 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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7I0wDif9jjTJWOrvuFWjTRtYfrK5cWPb2hyyWSqeovLlPsz8RMXqH3sjYm0Cc0KIdv6PY81t0AXVYrekI-ASlkHg8eY411p28CWGVrABJqyjgkvBjcrgeGCVSUf-k_quUGS224Jj_rwqh/s1600/DSC_0252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7I0wDif9jjTJWOrvuFWjTRtYfrK5cWPb2hyyWSqeovLlPsz8RMXqH3sjYm0Cc0KIdv6PY81t0AXVYrekI-ASlkHg8eY411p28CWGVrABJqyjgkvBjcrgeGCVSUf-k_quUGS224Jj_rwqh/s320/DSC_0252.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i></i></div><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wild Mushroom Crêpe, filled with spinach, wild mushrooms, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">shallots, served with roasted butternut squash </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and puréed garden greens on top of poblano créme.</div></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: auto;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span> </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">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 <a href="http://www.mendocino.com/mendocino-wine-mushroom-festival.html">Wine and Mushroom Festival</a>. 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!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9VM8cwyEkOU_0FHykCgZ04_ReUWFlajXEro4IVlIjDpblwrik1UYQh_bRROllRo9eHuEZ4b_uLISAXLG4q1NwEQkmQz1s3mdO2FX4QXgwMOy1XqkNQFcDTJyauvq2ALrxtFBnSq0LqKV/s1600/DSC_0255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9VM8cwyEkOU_0FHykCgZ04_ReUWFlajXEro4IVlIjDpblwrik1UYQh_bRROllRo9eHuEZ4b_uLISAXLG4q1NwEQkmQz1s3mdO2FX4QXgwMOy1XqkNQFcDTJyauvq2ALrxtFBnSq0LqKV/s320/DSC_0255.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Ravens' Chef Sally Owens, the genius behind the dishes.</i></div><br />
Sally and I discussed sharing some of Ravens' best recipes with <a href="http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=2196&catId=7">VegNews Recipe Club</a> subscribers. (If you're not signed up for our free weekly recipe newsletter, head to <a href="http://VegNews.com/">VegNews.com</a> 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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</span></span>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-68951352651991872812011-11-10T11:59:00.000-08:002013-05-15T14:19:33.486-07:00San Francisco Walk for Farm Animals<b>Who</b>: VN Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria and <a href="http://events.walkforfarmanimals.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&eventID=528&teamID=5660">Team VegNews</a><br />
<b>What</b>: San Francsico's <a href="http://walkforfarmanimals.org/">Walk For Farm Animals</a><br />
<b>When</b>: November 6, 2011<br />
<b>Where</b>: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA<br />
<b>Why</b>: To support the awesome work of Farm Sanctuary, and get a little stroll<br />
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<b>The Scoop</b>: 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 href="http://vegnewspresspass.blogspot.com/2011/10/hearty-vegan-brunch-and-burgers-beers.html">A potluck brunch</a> based on an amazing vegan cookbook? Jenn teamed up with Editorial Assistant Anna Peraino to make that dream come true. <a href="http://vegnewssavvyvegan.blogspot.com/2011/08/5-tips-for-hosting-budget-friendly.html">Dinner parties on the cheap</a> 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. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyo3jiNtgtXXS13pUambZQW1ORGbi1GcW4YRfDE_-t-Df0QxGIq7Rz7w23kTW6hLpuGBh0xt8X2NJ_Ol_JbDOxboDVH3Y0M6FAxbrAtV2TesAx9ryGijEiiGVC0Svl1Ygww8lIOnHXDyrA/s1600/pp1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyo3jiNtgtXXS13pUambZQW1ORGbi1GcW4YRfDE_-t-Df0QxGIq7Rz7w23kTW6hLpuGBh0xt8X2NJ_Ol_JbDOxboDVH3Y0M6FAxbrAtV2TesAx9ryGijEiiGVC0Svl1Ygww8lIOnHXDyrA/s400/pp1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>Anna, Jenn, Brendan, Sutton, and Chloe, ready to walk!</i></div>
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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, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.472128216249.261102.75511806249&type=1">Brendan Hay</a>, 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 <a href="http://www.vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=3846&catId=7">Thanksgiving</a>!). 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.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0PFgA4abuDSSXTF2kVa9wAoIwqfavPpuxFVfGwm-CHHoz_3gSl39cGkFlcLKipXAj9aKSp6QfFzapuZJfvBNPBUgdmpi20_vUKKLMXUNuP_ogn_ZaVlmU4NePRWJsEXi2qdS6KfTOdPI/s1600/pp2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0PFgA4abuDSSXTF2kVa9wAoIwqfavPpuxFVfGwm-CHHoz_3gSl39cGkFlcLKipXAj9aKSp6QfFzapuZJfvBNPBUgdmpi20_vUKKLMXUNuP_ogn_ZaVlmU4NePRWJsEXi2qdS6KfTOdPI/s400/pp2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Team VegNews post-walk with Farm Sanctuary's Gene Baur</i></div>
VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-29199547434012674292011-10-31T14:53:00.000-07:002013-03-26T13:44:41.075-07:00Texas State Veggie Fair, Take Two!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9GAEOmWH4rBknTvL7hVyvc-UmJx1U-I3tlNuBO5ihf4mjpAVOTRT8IBERvlCCHqtXNebzOMYborRctt7_hCvnNcxZGP8dqbLGfvP4T-XMQ_ruyhg0HoYTRMlVdmOdZWiAzj3-BBRhw7L/s1600/TSVFSign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9GAEOmWH4rBknTvL7hVyvc-UmJx1U-I3tlNuBO5ihf4mjpAVOTRT8IBERvlCCHqtXNebzOMYborRctt7_hCvnNcxZGP8dqbLGfvP4T-XMQ_ruyhg0HoYTRMlVdmOdZWiAzj3-BBRhw7L/s400/TSVFSign.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>Who</b>: VN contributor <a href="http://www.mercyforanimals.org/bio-eddie-garza.aspx">Eddie Garza</a><br />
<b>What</b>: 2nd Annual <a href="http://dallasvegan.com/texas-state-veggie-fair">Texas State Veggie Fair</a><br />
<b>When</b>: October 23, 2011<br />
<b>Where</b>: Dallas, Texas<br />
<b>Why</b>: To bask in vegan fried goodness deep in the heart of Texas<br />
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<b>The Scoop</b>: Jamey Scott of <a href="http://dallasvegan.com/">Dallas Vegan</a> 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.<br />
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That is, until he went vegan.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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. <b style="font-weight: normal;">Sabali Mpozi Earth</b> of <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vegan-Comfort/191631154229185">Vegan Comfort</a> 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.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00DqhpswECFkyVoHzkifs4nFRxC7e_yNN5iVonH6NDy0b9UlTTA4PjEwKCJA33aA17S3N7aYAsh2FI4AGYS8RLz2sJ3i5c0J6chxkEwNnzRXMiKA6WSiFZDYi7_5KxLUvBG34Ku8cQ6Gs/s1600/FriedChickenlessStrips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00DqhpswECFkyVoHzkifs4nFRxC7e_yNN5iVonH6NDy0b9UlTTA4PjEwKCJA33aA17S3N7aYAsh2FI4AGYS8RLz2sJ3i5c0J6chxkEwNnzRXMiKA6WSiFZDYi7_5KxLUvBG34Ku8cQ6Gs/s400/FriedChickenlessStrips.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<i>The fried-food challenge winner: spicy strips!</i></div>
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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.<br />
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Bravo to the incredibly creative crew at Dallas Vegan for hosting another successful, inspiring and imaginative event!<br />
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<i>Photos courtesy of Sylvia Elzafon </i>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-37136246397666055732011-10-27T15:25:00.000-07:002011-12-08T16:10:26.423-08:00Vegucated Dessert After-Party Hosted by VegNews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Vz1iWWEzCPFG_nYCLcsMmHJeU-zTOU0yxk5JZkhFoun0sWEztcr10LzgEm9oB6KF7Gys_rBi5-HzY2BQlUqwtHP5_FSam3hu5lwHWnm9vkK2-SSmSPuDnh8zfS80xcIvUX6RYcEuxu54/s1600/DSC_0139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Vz1iWWEzCPFG_nYCLcsMmHJeU-zTOU0yxk5JZkhFoun0sWEztcr10LzgEm9oB6KF7Gys_rBi5-HzY2BQlUqwtHP5_FSam3hu5lwHWnm9vkK2-SSmSPuDnh8zfS80xcIvUX6RYcEuxu54/s400/DSC_0139.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="margin: 0px;"><b>Who</b>: VegNews Associate Publisher Colleen Holland</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>What</b>: The <i>Vegucated</i> After-Party</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>When</b>: October 25, 2011</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>Where</b>: The VNHQ in San Francisco</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>Why</b>: To toast the new film, <i><a href="http://www.getvegucated.com/">Vegucated</a></i>, following its San Francisco premiere</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>The Scoop</b>: 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.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;">After welcoming <a href="http://www.vautecouture.com/">Vaute Couture</a> and its vegan fashion pop-up <a href="http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=3580&catId=7">show</a> in September, the sisters behind <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150377517991250.375684.75511806249&type=3">Spork Foods</a> and their brand-new vegan cookbook in October, we were beyond excited to host the dessert after-party for <i>Vegucated</i>'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, "<i>Vegucated</i> is a fast-paced, fact-filled, and often hilarious feature-length documentary that's equal parts <i>Saturday Night</i> <i>Live</i> skit and educational tool." In short, it's entertaining, enlightening, and an amazing force to promote a plant-based lifestyle. Check it out!</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;">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 <a href="http://www.obsessiveconfectiondisorder.com/">Obsessive Confection Disorder</a> alone was worth the cost of admission (decadent brownies! German chocolate caramels! Apple cider candies!), but the 100+ guests also enjoyed <a href="http://turtlemountain.com/">Turtle Mountain</a>'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 <a href="http://www.getvegucated.com/">website</a>, and the full screening schedule can be found <a href="http://www.getvegucated.com/the-film/watch-the-film/find-a-screening/">here</a>. Here's to getting Vegucated!</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5W4MMgXBJC05-c9-TuhxeMOBiIn_e4UDkZXraxTdnaDpZkuhl3VhPPiHXqSzwac6FEvG-QeNzmZOa5rGrsu7nKqZ5n8AfrsS3KfPsp1ZIoRpvpKmaIv4hocS7tnWev5uSSo1K5vixe7dJ/s1600/DSC_0183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5W4MMgXBJC05-c9-TuhxeMOBiIn_e4UDkZXraxTdnaDpZkuhl3VhPPiHXqSzwac6FEvG-QeNzmZOa5rGrsu7nKqZ5n8AfrsS3KfPsp1ZIoRpvpKmaIv4hocS7tnWev5uSSo1K5vixe7dJ/s400/DSC_0183.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;">Vegucated<i>'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.</i></div>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-68058016146308506382011-10-27T09:00:00.000-07:002011-10-27T09:00:05.087-07:00Hearty Vegan Brunch and Burgers & Beers Benefit<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Who</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">: VN Associate Editor Jennifer Chen</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b>What</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">: A Hearty Vegan Brunch with VN staff and a Burgers & Beers Benefit</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Where</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">: San Francisco and Berkeley, CA</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b>When</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">: Sunday, October 23, 2011</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Why</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">: A glorious day of eating awesome vegan food</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b>The Scoop</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">: When the cookbook <i><a href="http://www.joninewman.com/books.html">Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites</a></i> 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:</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b>VN Hearty Vegan Brunch Menu</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">Banana Split Waffles</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">Tater Tot Surprise</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">Coconut Crème Brûlée Baked Oatmeal</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">Cappuccino Muffins</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">Atella Rolls</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">Grilled Cheese Sandwiches*</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">Morning Mimosas*</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">*not featured in the cookbook</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4eGC-qZ1BGPtK6KK-jojaafpGbZzws4ck-SAocr3ID6Qb61mMm3CTbTIqBoc2gY6HFdToyb-BPq1yC1MlUdj3rh9h2UVletNjwX_A6usenr0BpcfgHVYfZL_ztHExwkm34xQBzcV8WKNN/s1600/DSC_0185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4eGC-qZ1BGPtK6KK-jojaafpGbZzws4ck-SAocr3ID6Qb61mMm3CTbTIqBoc2gY6HFdToyb-BPq1yC1MlUdj3rh9h2UVletNjwX_A6usenr0BpcfgHVYfZL_ztHExwkm34xQBzcV8WKNN/s320/DSC_0185.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i>My brunch plate from top:</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i>Tater Tot Surprise, Grilled Cheese, Banana Split Waffles, Atella Roll,</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i>Coconut Crème Brûlée Baked Oatmeal, Cappuccino Muffin (center).</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">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!).</span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAB18otcuAAE8Ra9erUZ-gGh9EGpoL0ccPX8UuJFHXVt4N7POnZqlt4684HliK9o4fkfo5DNw79J0nLqVr0kCqmF87MeGRIs38ca9RMmkk6zISpQ2TdDACYEe__lsIcvYyV_LEI0pZIpA/s1600/DSC_0197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAB18otcuAAE8Ra9erUZ-gGh9EGpoL0ccPX8UuJFHXVt4N7POnZqlt4684HliK9o4fkfo5DNw79J0nLqVr0kCqmF87MeGRIs38ca9RMmkk6zISpQ2TdDACYEe__lsIcvYyV_LEI0pZIpA/s320/DSC_0197.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i>Joni Sweet and Lyndsay Orwig enjoying brunch.</i></span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">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. <a href="http://www.harvesthomeanimal.org/">Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary</a> hosted a fundraiser at the brewery and I love any event where I can eat <i>and</i> support animals in need. Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary cares for abused farm and domestic animals and assists local humane societies and rescue groups.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ta9nUigNjo9AFuVfFwjmVgitZFfUI5cMFSFfntwTyypl5pHQBZ6MV9CM9J6RnVCIjEwcITr37rZeusjN0yJIPjFiJSkux9Dv8E8hajnbKKcMgAjSfzixNSeNT18mApNGWwhW9vbKQLMR/s1600/DSC_0222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ta9nUigNjo9AFuVfFwjmVgitZFfUI5cMFSFfntwTyypl5pHQBZ6MV9CM9J6RnVCIjEwcITr37rZeusjN0yJIPjFiJSkux9Dv8E8hajnbKKcMgAjSfzixNSeNT18mApNGWwhW9vbKQLMR/s320/DSC_0222.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i>What's better than vegan burgers and beers? Nothing.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">It was a great event, and Brendan and I shared a brew while chatting about all the amazing vegan food we ate.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></div>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-34154827170227984172011-10-20T14:01:00.000-07:002011-10-20T14:01:24.232-07:0012th Annual Brower Youth Awards<b>Who:</b> Publisher Joseph Connelly<br />
<b>What:</b> <a href="http://www.broweryouthawards.org/">Brower Youth Awards</a><br />
<b>Where:</b> Herbst Theatre, San Francisco<br />
<b>When:</b> Tuesday, October 18, 2011<br />
<b>Why:</b> Skateboards and Girl Scout Cookies<br />
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<b>The Scoop:</b> At the podium, 2011 Brower Youth Award recipient Alex Epstein dedicated his words "to the young people in the room." Alex is 20.<br />
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It gets better.<br />
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Of the hundred or so fundraisers, awards, dinners, conferences, and other functions I attend each year, the Brower Youth Awards, named in memory of <a href="http://www.browercenter.org/node/179">environmental pioneer David Brower</a>, 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4fxqod8-0azKTI6Q5FfEMkB_LoxYtKLe248mQ0d2smBh_0tVdOiqCB0NpkDkUE5sOcHPpoAbFE0Xcw5OLlOfmMSRZMtH8mgcnYlP5wioZzG9zOXr5CIbEXWDRcD47O0D89S0240CelFp/s1600/BYAs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4fxqod8-0azKTI6Q5FfEMkB_LoxYtKLe248mQ0d2smBh_0tVdOiqCB0NpkDkUE5sOcHPpoAbFE0Xcw5OLlOfmMSRZMtH8mgcnYlP5wioZzG9zOXr5CIbEXWDRcD47O0D89S0240CelFp/s640/BYAs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The 2011 Brower Youth Award honorees: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Vorva, Tomtishen, Epstein, Pulido, Davila, Walk, and Thiermann</span></div><br />
At 14, Epstein co-founded <a href="http://ny2no.com/">New York 2 New Orleans Coalition</a>, 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 <a href="http://phillyurbancreators.org/">The Philadelphia Urban Creators</a>, a cadre of young community organizers building relationships with disadvantaged communities. Epstein's motto: "When you have positive energy, good things happen."<br />
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Kyle Thiermann isn't your typical Santa Cruz, CA surfer dude. His online video series, <a href="http://kylethiermann.com/">Surfing for Change</a>, 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.<br />
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Junior Walk, an anti-strip mining activist from West Virginia, fights big coal in Appalachia with <a href="http://www.crmw.net/crmw/index.php">Coal River Mountain Watch</a>. 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."<br />
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Tania Pulido, also 21, uses agriculture as a tool to reach out to people. She works with <a href="http://www.urbantilth.org/">Urban Tilth</a>, 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.<br />
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Victor Davila went veg two years ago because he wants to live longer. Davila is 17. He started <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Z8rONcNZQ">EcoRyders</a>, 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.<br />
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<i>As 11-year-olds</i>, 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 <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/24/earlyshow/main20065638.shtml">national media</a>, 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.<br />
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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."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtJt6Ku4QOUiEd-PRnT6M2wqTHDlZzoN2mZ0KFDC1aFJKFKUk9pUJ2AGKDPaqvJfnKGiFRngwrAwX65F_mZTYPcF1ko4RqgDDYwMIRvrXIL_zJdYdzfW64pnflG4VYCkLsI83Zpd6SOxC/s1600/DSC_0228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtJt6Ku4QOUiEd-PRnT6M2wqTHDlZzoN2mZ0KFDC1aFJKFKUk9pUJ2AGKDPaqvJfnKGiFRngwrAwX65F_mZTYPcF1ko4RqgDDYwMIRvrXIL_zJdYdzfW64pnflG4VYCkLsI83Zpd6SOxC/s320/DSC_0228.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />
Congratulations to all 2011 BYA recipients on your amazing, encouraging activism.VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-17084234523727775752011-10-13T10:00:00.000-07:002011-10-13T10:00:28.673-07:00Michael Pollan and the Food Movement<div style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><style>
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</style> <span style="font-size: small;"><b>Who: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">VegNews Editorial Assistant Joni Sweet<o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>What: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Edible Education 101 class with Michael Pollan<o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Where: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Wheeler Auditorium, UC Berkeley, California<o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>When: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">October 4, 2011<o:p></o:p></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Why: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">To hear how corporations are affecting the food movement<o:p></o:p></span></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0Akd3bNfUjc0G8cn7IWJ5-WFuvVxjyGjlDehgSu3PQMLGWnZOgs8fE_yx2PxfHQlQ__hZq13pkN4Y7G7K18AsSjcd9iCumHuXhs_X-WF_2AYalkCnmgyFmQmTHOir46tRey8VDdOeCve/s1600/VND.michaelpollan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0Akd3bNfUjc0G8cn7IWJ5-WFuvVxjyGjlDehgSu3PQMLGWnZOgs8fE_yx2PxfHQlQ__hZq13pkN4Y7G7K18AsSjcd9iCumHuXhs_X-WF_2AYalkCnmgyFmQmTHOir46tRey8VDdOeCve/s320/VND.michaelpollan.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Author of <i>The Omnivore's Dilemma</i> Michael Pollan</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Scoop: </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">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 <a href="http://www.letsmove.gov/">Let’s Move</a> 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 <a href="http://www.chezpanissefoundation.org/">Chez Panisse Foundation</a>’s <a href="http://www.ticketweb.com/snl/EventListings.action?pl=panisse&orgId=130613">Edible Education 101</a> 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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: small;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: small;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: small;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">If you’re interested in these issues, I would recommend watching a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/ucberkeley#p/search/0/r2V2XGaaHP0">video</a> of the lecture or going to one of the <a href="http://www.ticketweb.com/snl/EventListings.action?pl=panisse&orgId=130613">upcoming lectures</a> 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 <a href="http://www.vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=3663&catId=1">Combatting Food Insecurity in the US</a>.</span> </div>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-73943405363408644232011-10-06T14:01:00.000-07:002011-10-06T14:01:45.955-07:00Tuesday Night Fine-Dining at Millennium<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="color: #341473; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.25em; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Who</b>: VegNews Editorial Assistant Hilary Pollack</span></h3><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-8629167280027270799" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>What</b>: A VIP dinner with vegan personal chef Rebecca Dienner </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Where</b>: Millennium in San Francisco, Calif.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>When</b>: October 4th, 2011</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Why</b>: To get the inside scoop on the delicious fall dishes at one of the city's best vegan restaurants.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>The Scoop</b>: 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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfLQ-oh0DtxaZYFplb-wczNmhpkGet1iBs6L5GC7LVTBvtrFOFXpx4PbQ6HCHFUio6MKGQBvDGEdb0oTMNgLFzVJkwAqf9QT_nOQzDAUE8wVcZyGIngnyYCr1GNUd41wNqA4zDuHFf0Mz/s1600/gnocchi2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfLQ-oh0DtxaZYFplb-wczNmhpkGet1iBs6L5GC7LVTBvtrFOFXpx4PbQ6HCHFUio6MKGQBvDGEdb0oTMNgLFzVJkwAqf9QT_nOQzDAUE8wVcZyGIngnyYCr1GNUd41wNqA4zDuHFf0Mz/s400/gnocchi2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> This is not hokey gnocchi.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">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. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">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.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1AdUwKF4xkRcT87visWFqj1J-AH4stvmR1PN1tBNOOikXiFIupTCST5UFv2CKbf3Uk-k2D86FR6LA4NLDr6PkdQE87TFw3qPHR_VqK8Vq2OGyZodhIsjJonTCdYAbxrtzJyMMa893R3I/s1600/artichoke2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1AdUwKF4xkRcT87visWFqj1J-AH4stvmR1PN1tBNOOikXiFIupTCST5UFv2CKbf3Uk-k2D86FR6LA4NLDr6PkdQE87TFw3qPHR_VqK8Vq2OGyZodhIsjJonTCdYAbxrtzJyMMa893R3I/s400/artichoke2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>My artichoke jungle shortly before being scarfed.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">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. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">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 <i>really</i> 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 <i>alway</i>s 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. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwla0nbT3curretXdH0fcR5JL-zoH7jO7GhXDt83Q_FgBmDshCY49t9h8KDkaoeaelxHaz9y43zoqDSebpqvqw7X7Lb2LuxcXKdnRZ6bWYbQABh8luqfw72Hbq5uDl9oYdRNW-3ntridgG/s1600/peartart2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwla0nbT3curretXdH0fcR5JL-zoH7jO7GhXDt83Q_FgBmDshCY49t9h8KDkaoeaelxHaz9y43zoqDSebpqvqw7X7Lb2LuxcXKdnRZ6bWYbQABh8luqfw72Hbq5uDl9oYdRNW-3ntridgG/s400/peartart2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> The tart that stole our hearts.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 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. </div></div></div></div>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-32733348884028328582011-09-29T10:17:00.000-07:002011-09-29T10:17:55.326-07:00A Blessed Evening (No, really!)<b>Who</b>: VN Assistant Editor Anna Peraino<br />
<b>What</b>: Dinner from <a href="http://www.papalote-sf.com/">Papalote</a> and <a href="http://boniver.org/">Bon Iver</a> live in concert<br />
<b>Where</b>: San Francisco and Berkeley, CA<br />
<b>When</b>: September 22, 2011<br />
<b>Why</b>: Burritos and Bon Iver are both alliterative and life-changing.<br />
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<b>The Scoop</b>: 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) <a href="http://facilities.calperfs.berkeley.edu/greek/">Hearst Greek Theater</a>. 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!<br />
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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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRg-XyTBskByfHVRPVxxy_s_zAipFJ0IQPxG9f6UTXUU7RfW4dVMwHip6E9azl4yZtrZ2juIwTEAQ4DgpwodOurJzRuqTSvbAkYe6WTFdUMplYWTxSy1eyx4VHwD-UIuD63fqpNDnRXMh/s1600/CVN.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRg-XyTBskByfHVRPVxxy_s_zAipFJ0IQPxG9f6UTXUU7RfW4dVMwHip6E9azl4yZtrZ2juIwTEAQ4DgpwodOurJzRuqTSvbAkYe6WTFdUMplYWTxSy1eyx4VHwD-UIuD63fqpNDnRXMh/s320/CVN.38.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Imagine this exact burrito, minus the plate and plus my lap. </i></div><br />
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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYO0ndxXGGQy22OPpu1Axs88ygNnjZ2zEu-PJT56lPwMye342HXnwnnY7hoCpNBUMaO8uD5Jw1DGJ1i06XhOzHbb0ARthyphenhyphenuKN3_36ectX_a9_nI4K3_X0whIo8f0k5xYvanPTmw8T9KcK/s1600/PP.BonIverCrowd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYO0ndxXGGQy22OPpu1Axs88ygNnjZ2zEu-PJT56lPwMye342HXnwnnY7hoCpNBUMaO8uD5Jw1DGJ1i06XhOzHbb0ARthyphenhyphenuKN3_36ectX_a9_nI4K3_X0whIo8f0k5xYvanPTmw8T9KcK/s320/PP.BonIverCrowd.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Bon Iver and 8,500 of our closest friends! </i></div><br />
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.VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-5468880981716670072011-09-26T17:42:00.000-07:002011-10-26T10:13:39.448-07:00Rockin' at Rootstalk<b>Who:</b> VN West Coast Sales Manager Lara Bradley<br />
<b>What:</b> <a href="http://www.rootstalkfest.com/">Rootstalk Festival</a><br />
<b>Where:</b> Salem, OR<br />
<b>When:</b> September 22–25, 2011<br />
<b>Why:</b> For a little local reporting!<br />
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<b>The Scoop:</b> As the sole Oregon staffer, it was just a hop, skip and jump to head to the <a href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/">Mountain Rose Herbs</a> 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 <a href="http://www.cascwild.org/">Cascadia Wildlands</a>, a non-profit whose mission is to combine personal connection with nature and community.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTugfmKKGiee__OQa5I1YVze721KWqNNlgi9c0TJYtogxuxpVT4XProXB6F1MUyVG39fINShjAlVDloLV0eR8YK4_hCxGHyZg5Fwoh08_PlZ_r9qktmHtd-82kETyXkWfmoCaDvvT3BfF/s1600/IMG_0926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTugfmKKGiee__OQa5I1YVze721KWqNNlgi9c0TJYtogxuxpVT4XProXB6F1MUyVG39fINShjAlVDloLV0eR8YK4_hCxGHyZg5Fwoh08_PlZ_r9qktmHtd-82kETyXkWfmoCaDvvT3BfF/s400/IMG_0926.jpg" width="400" /></a></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> Me and CoreyJean, ready for fun</i></div><br />
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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAnnKr9WhkXB-ydC7EwBwtIH9-ta3mIgalnIx01PsljY3M4yBuGOUZ13o93gpbEGScD93W6Tsm-iINDhuffsQwKz2SQiH9wMoRwYfLwHAB1QAfqctnJlgHd3fLnztyAXzJp4reVSyQvro/s1600/Blog+Photo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAnnKr9WhkXB-ydC7EwBwtIH9-ta3mIgalnIx01PsljY3M4yBuGOUZ13o93gpbEGScD93W6Tsm-iINDhuffsQwKz2SQiH9wMoRwYfLwHAB1QAfqctnJlgHd3fLnztyAXzJp4reVSyQvro/s400/Blog+Photo+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>The most important element for any festival: the food!</i></div>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-10322723487344855282011-09-22T06:00:00.000-07:002011-09-22T06:00:06.996-07:00Portland VegFest 2011<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Who</b>: VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>What</b>: <a href="http://nwveg.org/vegfest">Portland VegFest 2011</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Where</b>: Portland, OR</span></div></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>When</b>: September 17 + 18, 2011</span></div></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Why</b>: To hang out with some cool vegans in the city known as vegan mecca.</span></div></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Scoop</b>: I love Portland. I have visited the city a few times—most recently for the first-ever <a href="http://vegnewspresspass.blogspot.com/2011/09/vida-vegan-con-2011.html">Vida Vegan Con</a>—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.</span><br />
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</span></div></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;">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 <a href="http://www.humanesociety.org/">HSUS</a>, Grant Butler of <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/"><i>The Oregonian</i></a>, and Dr. Neal Barnard of <a href="http://www.pcrm.org/">PCRM</a>.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqcjhti7eYuW4cIrNSAcUbilmLvvyomgqs2aYZ9fywmMmaAzsbwsYZpxCBIpi8rtseqUK-qJQ1LRAle2_9k3Z1_W6jjr25gv-DCLU-gukTjDghpbkZuE26M8kqVncPHVMn5QBgM8qI4qf/s1600/Press-Pass-View.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqcjhti7eYuW4cIrNSAcUbilmLvvyomgqs2aYZ9fywmMmaAzsbwsYZpxCBIpi8rtseqUK-qJQ1LRAle2_9k3Z1_W6jjr25gv-DCLU-gukTjDghpbkZuE26M8kqVncPHVMn5QBgM8qI4qf/s400/Press-Pass-View.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-style: italic;"><i>The crowded convention center.</i></span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">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 <a href="http://www.welovesoy.com/">Chicago Soydairy</a> and <a href="http://www.ecovegan.com/">ecoVegan</a>, both of which have been featured in VegNews and have wonderful products—they were inundated with hungry attendees for the entirety of the show.</span><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;"></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AMWYaAstahM0nTmu2Bf9RrCSsapcf8nul-J8IaRVq-nRGK0ctkQh1FKecy3ZHwtTpff4fEY9724bLbjHW_9p3ou046fp8AACHZFFuvYfhSGJzfy00NHgle3aBOSB5hI4RZ7BFZ0To6AI/s1600/Press-Pass-table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AMWYaAstahM0nTmu2Bf9RrCSsapcf8nul-J8IaRVq-nRGK0ctkQh1FKecy3ZHwtTpff4fEY9724bLbjHW_9p3ou046fp8AACHZFFuvYfhSGJzfy00NHgle3aBOSB5hI4RZ7BFZ0To6AI/s400/Press-Pass-table.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><i>Bronwyn, myself, and Katie working the booth.</i></span> </span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">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 <a href="http://www.vegethai.com/">VegeThai</a>. Both meals were tasty and satisfying, and helped to get me through the rest of the busy day.</span><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QaIUFKaupUEtiPiHZSlGndKRnChr9YEsmFQ8vC3ZLz6nTdpkahp0RNDBWiUnShQMruhDdUfiSCHeHJDs0bKu8Octj5KYq7wjvbluQ759mAiBWpPyrJK28FNxdNHZzYvSZCtbxfAIbjDx/s1600/Press-Pass-Food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QaIUFKaupUEtiPiHZSlGndKRnChr9YEsmFQ8vC3ZLz6nTdpkahp0RNDBWiUnShQMruhDdUfiSCHeHJDs0bKu8Octj5KYq7wjvbluQ759mAiBWpPyrJK28FNxdNHZzYvSZCtbxfAIbjDx/s400/Press-Pass-Food.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>My bountiful plate of Ethiopian food. So good!</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">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.</span></div>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-56785064661136681302011-09-17T05:47:00.000-07:002011-10-20T18:14:42.828-07:00Natural Selection at its Best<b>Who</b>: Former VN employee, Katie Paul and husband Dan<br />
<b>What</b>: A dinner at <a href="http://www.naturalselectionpdx.com/">Natural Selection</a> <br />
<b>Where</b>: Portland, OR<br />
<b>When</b>: Sept. 17th<br />
<b>Why</b>: To check out Portland’s latest fine dining venue<br />
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<b>The Scoop</b>: As a former VegNews employee, volunteering for VegNews during the <a href="http://nwveg.org/vegfest">Portland VegFest</a> 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. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFvY5yFBhN-RiQo0lLZcun3sGc-t5X15FiwPoWgi1YbCRjy2cIrYgE2HdlNTLOMdF86d9S0wcPCfS8g3ti_LiFLLEXGuC9r1ptP_jOt1mpbffGcpPJ5ZYHa7DG_48kUfu_m5PNrVFOqpK/s1600/NS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFvY5yFBhN-RiQo0lLZcun3sGc-t5X15FiwPoWgi1YbCRjy2cIrYgE2HdlNTLOMdF86d9S0wcPCfS8g3ti_LiFLLEXGuC9r1ptP_jOt1mpbffGcpPJ5ZYHa7DG_48kUfu_m5PNrVFOqpK/s400/NS.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Our phenomenal main course: polenta with summer squash</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>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. <br />
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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. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDNeVCMQjE8MiayBRcVdfLnEANb6Y2cos3JY0PaDr7iQe7R9FGnHEJ__J0gN_LNjpHl8lqRnwYspEI-iwWsv_Dyc6SdfWICWNWvKR5GKxFcF5k-Uv53IpOE89Qo2Islus6OGxlIuukUgV/s1600/NS1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDNeVCMQjE8MiayBRcVdfLnEANb6Y2cos3JY0PaDr7iQe7R9FGnHEJ__J0gN_LNjpHl8lqRnwYspEI-iwWsv_Dyc6SdfWICWNWvKR5GKxFcF5k-Uv53IpOE89Qo2Islus6OGxlIuukUgV/s400/NS1.jpg" width="235" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Me, slightly before devouring dessert</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>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. <br />
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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.VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-3999711427605764092011-09-08T11:42:00.000-07:002011-09-08T11:42:50.253-07:00Alaska State Fair<div style="margin: 0px;"><b>Who</b>: VN Publisher Joseph Connelly</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>What</b>: <a href="http://www.alaskastatefair.org/site/">The Alaska State Fair</a></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>Where</b>: Palmer, Alaska</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>When</b>: September 3, 2011</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>Why</b>: To prove, once and for all time, that it's easy being vegan. Anywhere.</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>The Scoop</b>: My first Alaska trek was to be quick and unscripted; then I spotted a story in the <i>Anchorage Daily News</i> about <a href="http://www.adn.com/2011/08/31/2042397/1723-pound-pumpkin-disqualified.html">giant vegetables at the Alaska State Fair</a>. 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) <a href="http://entertainmentweakly.com/blog/2008/09/what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-wasilla-ak.html">Wasilla</a>.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;">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.<br />
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<div style="margin: 0px;">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. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kDIVpXAQVPY55UIqlqY5XwM0-W7d8gSd70q0zFu0jrA0aVs9bICSM_LwE2XZtdbGuw_WwhlpQSJZ8qf6iybwnnEWIi5m4_BAOZ32FFeFWJ6yloteDGR6owqPh8rGAEClH4AQoeFuyiNg/s1600/DSC_0179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kDIVpXAQVPY55UIqlqY5XwM0-W7d8gSd70q0zFu0jrA0aVs9bICSM_LwE2XZtdbGuw_WwhlpQSJZ8qf6iybwnnEWIi5m4_BAOZ32FFeFWJ6yloteDGR6owqPh8rGAEClH4AQoeFuyiNg/s320/DSC_0179.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Pumpkin Champ: 1,287 pounds</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gVkfPVEfbP6mZFpBTsR8NJlTXa68Qa0jrX_FcJoIXUttiOL9w6tYApwlDJ314ncPrzQO08c1nFuTiNtj58jy5uKfS5Bbh7hW0LEYpBVwgkinOxpTAoWuCyprGtx5MLeRcj3TQEZc50U5/s1600/DSC_0181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gVkfPVEfbP6mZFpBTsR8NJlTXa68Qa0jrX_FcJoIXUttiOL9w6tYApwlDJ314ncPrzQO08c1nFuTiNtj58jy5uKfS5Bbh7hW0LEYpBVwgkinOxpTAoWuCyprGtx5MLeRcj3TQEZc50U5/s320/DSC_0181.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Whole lotta kimchi: 126 pounds of cabbage</i></div><br />
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.<br />
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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).</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRdITPqlR7FtgPkmjdHP7Vjv9aMGQ5JqM4wcoi1BTqLr2jb1pckfzvOQwZZxXAQbJYkJNNIvyFpweIm1V-3xVjUaWOZIdJCYRwEzwweE336DM5hIR6yIJjoY34Nb6iUq4xBh5pOlS7Szd/s1600/DSC_0121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRdITPqlR7FtgPkmjdHP7Vjv9aMGQ5JqM4wcoi1BTqLr2jb1pckfzvOQwZZxXAQbJYkJNNIvyFpweIm1V-3xVjUaWOZIdJCYRwEzwweE336DM5hIR6yIJjoY34Nb6iUq4xBh5pOlS7Szd/s320/DSC_0121.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Chile and Black Beans over Rice</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBRvJ1kqRujPlVOASR9AZbGnG0rHmKIpAErpP4uRLf4aAkxGd2tfNe4RY-zKJRWXyPuq_pZatf8ielMlycYe-vbqrpiIl6ban8MfTiacC4WkK6LwuYhzMyxpAt_tK0R1IEPNULDZH5L_-/s1600/DSC_0134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBRvJ1kqRujPlVOASR9AZbGnG0rHmKIpAErpP4uRLf4aAkxGd2tfNe4RY-zKJRWXyPuq_pZatf8ielMlycYe-vbqrpiIl6ban8MfTiacC4WkK6LwuYhzMyxpAt_tK0R1IEPNULDZH5L_-/s320/DSC_0134.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Rae and Jennifer, mother-daughter tamale queens</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin: 0px;">PB and Jesus? Patron saint of peanut Butter? Holy Madonna, at <a href="http://www.st-mikesparish.org/">St. Michael's Parish</a> for just $2 you can get every kid's fave sandwich <i>and</i> attend Saturday night Mass.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCMtLDeW6uditwDOHvDu1llMOd-x1NEoE57LQRalmO5YJXRdKdqfEFVQWpXihzDwx32ZPupkS7fnDLLPc6jGiv5Hau9NwSqG21ZYqHoZ7grZojtJcSMEsFVNClPz8a_3c5uaTnTiCSqTL/s1600/DSC_0138_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCMtLDeW6uditwDOHvDu1llMOd-x1NEoE57LQRalmO5YJXRdKdqfEFVQWpXihzDwx32ZPupkS7fnDLLPc6jGiv5Hau9NwSqG21ZYqHoZ7grZojtJcSMEsFVNClPz8a_3c5uaTnTiCSqTL/s320/DSC_0138_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">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.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpmUTxMSuW-ec-ZOSPQJ-2SU2eJGud3K7tFEulSmwoI2creEH7GFkesrLq3DSu1dCN6Y5T-aaIgRtaklnxHLYkkY8AOt7GnQHvb4FDTEWd1H1JNn4T6DN5ddjCOTtmPUSn7WS6QVq9vLr/s1600/DSC_0141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpmUTxMSuW-ec-ZOSPQJ-2SU2eJGud3K7tFEulSmwoI2creEH7GFkesrLq3DSu1dCN6Y5T-aaIgRtaklnxHLYkkY8AOt7GnQHvb4FDTEWd1H1JNn4T6DN5ddjCOTtmPUSn7WS6QVq9vLr/s320/DSC_0141.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.vagblues.com/">Vagabond Blues</a> 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.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9sIsUy_yyW5IkoqYnooGODP5v5Eap1PgWphpjGzBCtHd9qkGc7ZgrNxXfJ9ZF8V7H4rzmCmeIr1KOKbjMQv-mVSCcLSxKVaDaGuLEB5LhQDjDJZg76nCrqrRPgwl0woyZkMxOi311i_P8/s1600/DSC_0163_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9sIsUy_yyW5IkoqYnooGODP5v5Eap1PgWphpjGzBCtHd9qkGc7ZgrNxXfJ9ZF8V7H4rzmCmeIr1KOKbjMQv-mVSCcLSxKVaDaGuLEB5LhQDjDJZg76nCrqrRPgwl0woyZkMxOi311i_P8/s320/DSC_0163_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">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. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPr7h8UkDJNdhZCsuPAa13g-EDM3zF4aia86-Zypx7oo2DuZ2sZZjHXr29_2A2ZL7Q6MOkPvGXycG4wfLqY6ZdUNfPK9h1nOiIOhltIUzNYmt1FdukoJgN4b1hXK9GtwhLD8GqSzBdLl6j/s1600/DSC_0168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPr7h8UkDJNdhZCsuPAa13g-EDM3zF4aia86-Zypx7oo2DuZ2sZZjHXr29_2A2ZL7Q6MOkPvGXycG4wfLqY6ZdUNfPK9h1nOiIOhltIUzNYmt1FdukoJgN4b1hXK9GtwhLD8GqSzBdLl6j/s320/DSC_0168.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;">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?</div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;">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.</div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;">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 <a href="http://www.facebook.com/suzalaska?sk=info">Su'z Alaska Natural Soy Products</a>:</div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWg2_EtTvBKTHxvxW35VYEHi0hviTMLT7G8unYBTMjOXEqcB88_bL-FVUz6LxcOCV9R9KbVtY8Uaac9WHWJLWOyizqCUtQqSRgDZeV510bQQK9PQAAjVfbzsBwSSQYhXP4tD-Auf0zcsO/s1600/DSC_0084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWg2_EtTvBKTHxvxW35VYEHi0hviTMLT7G8unYBTMjOXEqcB88_bL-FVUz6LxcOCV9R9KbVtY8Uaac9WHWJLWOyizqCUtQqSRgDZeV510bQQK9PQAAjVfbzsBwSSQYhXP4tD-Auf0zcsO/s320/DSC_0084.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;">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?</div></div></div></div>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-20239111129043451482011-09-01T15:01:00.000-07:002011-09-02T16:37:37.669-07:00Vida Vegan Con, 2011<b>Who</b>: Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria and most of the VN crew<br />
<b>What</b>: <a href="http://vidavegancon.com/">Vida Vegan Con</a>, the world's first vegan blogging conference!<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;"><b>Where</b>: Portland, Ore.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>When</b>: August 25 to 28, 2011</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>Why</b>: Why would we miss a first-of-its-kind event that combines media, awesome people, and fantastic vegan food?</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><b>The Scoop</b>: 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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Our first stop was <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/vendetta-portland">Vendetta</a>, 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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_0AanwWKv9B0uaVjuL_RbWYSpyJOziyVgkyk-8vuVtDaCjiJfq5vRvCG472MXM34Vabd-ztrzr7WNvt-43Shdz2KKyKfZwDK7AtSoJ4bNHbNUkStBumAfc0UuKruM1bcbNvb8LatMTO-/s1600/321276_10150282274688725_44469138724_7974711_3718778_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_0AanwWKv9B0uaVjuL_RbWYSpyJOziyVgkyk-8vuVtDaCjiJfq5vRvCG472MXM34Vabd-ztrzr7WNvt-43Shdz2KKyKfZwDK7AtSoJ4bNHbNUkStBumAfc0UuKruM1bcbNvb8LatMTO-/s400/321276_10150282274688725_44469138724_7974711_3718778_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://allisonsgourmet.com/">Allison Rivers Samson</a> and <a href="http://veganlatina.com/">Terry Hope Romero</a>, <a href="http://www.theppk.com/blog/">Isa Chandra Moskowitz</a>, <a href="http://www.francostigan.com/">Fran Costigan</a>, Colleen Holland, and me! (Photo via Allison Rivers Samson)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Yes, that is an all-star lineup if I dare say so myself. In the background you can see <i>The Oregonian</i>'s <a href="http://topics.oregonlive.com/tag/grant%20butler/index.html">Grant Butler</a>, Native Bowl's <a href="http://www.juliehasson.com/">Julie Hasson</a>, and the flaxen locks of VN contributor <a href="http://urbanvegan.net/">Dynise Balcavage</a>. 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 <a href="http://www.kindgreenplanet.org/programs/glasswalls/"><i>Vegucated</i></a>, hosted by the film's creator Marisa Miller Wolfson. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Friday we spent galavanting around Portland. Our first stop? Duh, the <a href="http://www.vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=246&catId=1">vegan mini-mall</a>. We met up with Michelle from <a href="http://www.herbivoreclothing.com/">Herbivore Clothing Company</a> at <a href="http://sweetpeabaking.com/">Sweetpea Baking Company</a> 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 <a href="http://www.herbivoreclothing.com/products/One-Line-A-Day%2C-A-Five-Year-Planner.html">One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book</a>, which three of us on staff picked up. Then, we stopped at <a href="http://www.foodfightgrocery.com/">Food Fight! Vegan Grocery</a>. We were like kids in a literal candy store. I couldn't resist grabbing a handful of <a href="http://crazyrumors.com/">Crazy Rumors Lip Balm</a>, a packet of <a href="http://www.jjssweets.com/products/">JJ's Sweet's</a> Cocomels in Fleur de Sel, and a couple of <a href="http://theprobar.com/">Halo Bars</a> 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 <a href="http://portobellopdx.com/wordpress/">Portobello</a> 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 <a href="http://www.choosingraw.com/">Choosing Raw</a>. A stellar, four-hour meal shared with brilliant colleagues? Things really don't get better.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvogbUKTFIyLcCJtIY0Ve1BKaz7szAjyQ_Qn5VhscqR97-0x3cdynOHONh2dpU23kTzKo1s16oJ5tBh24wrY3BZLNFvDvcQ_gh7vOasWu7-IhsCkDa-O6WWnfNYvoLvpP9AAnu9E7qGmM/s1600/317762_10150300837086250_75511806249_7882131_2818945_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvogbUKTFIyLcCJtIY0Ve1BKaz7szAjyQ_Qn5VhscqR97-0x3cdynOHONh2dpU23kTzKo1s16oJ5tBh24wrY3BZLNFvDvcQ_gh7vOasWu7-IhsCkDa-O6WWnfNYvoLvpP9AAnu9E7qGmM/s400/317762_10150300837086250_75511806249_7882131_2818945_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> Colleen moderates the <a href="http://vidavegancon.com/conference-agenda/">Travel Panel </a></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">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 <a href="http://www.facebook.com/VidaVeganCon?ref=ts">Vida Vegan Con's Facebook</a> page for a roundup of recaps. For the visually minded, check out our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150300833396250.359206.75511806249">Facebook gallery</a>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The panel was a total success, not to mention a blast. Kudos are due to the organizers—<a href="http://getsconedpdx.com/">Jess Scone</a>, <a href="http://vegtasticvoyage.com/">Michele Truty</a>, and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_720481475">Janessa </a><b style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://epicuriousvegan.com/">Philemon-Kerp</a>—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. </b></div>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-64717189534866427532011-08-25T02:00:00.000-07:002011-08-25T02:00:02.511-07:00San Francisco Street Food Fest<b>Who</b>: Editorial Assistant Joni Sweet<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>What</b>: <a href="http://www.sfstreetfoodfest.com/">The San Francisco Street Food Festival</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Where</b>: The Mission District, San Francisco, Calif.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>When</b>: August 20, 2011</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Why</b>: To discover the best vegan food from street carts and food trucks from San Francisco and beyond!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>The Scoop</b>: 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 <a href="http://www.facebook.com/zepeda.foods">Zepeda Foods</a> and amazing roasted lemon and thyme hummus from <a href="http://www.loveandhummus.com/">Love & Hummus Co.</a> 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.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">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.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">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 <a href="http://canerossosf.com/">Il Cane Rosso</a>. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Next, we hit up <a href="http://www.azalinas.com/">Azalina’s Malaysian</a> 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. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The samosas from the Bay Area’s first Indian street food truck, <a href="http://www.curryupnow.com/">Curry Up Now</a>, 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. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">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. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacDES6XEK3muYl0Mn9ZuQrGxKk1oN5nCKRCfqR74aDjSdSUX6vkl4MTYR1duls_nbz0wBNONzbO8Yd-JDOQ4FDB6vsuMolryWF1BQ3WDNc4NetRbseaZPoYhCHaSP11dL2r9XU9YmoWOY/s1600/ethiopian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacDES6XEK3muYl0Mn9ZuQrGxKk1oN5nCKRCfqR74aDjSdSUX6vkl4MTYR1duls_nbz0wBNONzbO8Yd-JDOQ4FDB6vsuMolryWF1BQ3WDNc4NetRbseaZPoYhCHaSP11dL2r9XU9YmoWOY/s320/ethiopian.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">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.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">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. </div><div><br />
</div>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-85345263340828917882011-08-18T11:42:00.000-07:002011-08-18T11:42:34.309-07:00Farmer’s Market and Studio Visit<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Who:</span></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> VegNews Editorial Assistant Hilary Pollack<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What:</span></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> The farmers' market, a friend’s recording studio, and a fancy dinner<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Where:</span></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Palo Alto and neighboring Menlo Park, CA<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When:</span></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Sunday, August 14th, 2011<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Why:</span></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> To try as many of the vegan treats in my suburban hometown as possible!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Scoop:</span></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> 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 <a href="http://www.mattandnat.com/product/vania-black-2340/">Matt & Nat bag</a> (!), and I decided to make a day of it by hitting a few pit stops around town for vegan goodies. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I started with some quick Singapore-style noodles at vegan Chinese restaurant <a href="http://www.gardenfresh.us/">Garden Fres</a><a href="http://www.gardenfresh.us/">h</a> off of University Ave., and then headed to the <a href="http://www.urbanvillageonline.com/markets/california.php">Palo Alto Farmers' Market</a>, where I was dying to find and try a <a href="http://www.rawdaddyfoods.com/">RawDaddy's cone</a>. 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:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNINnBcMChQIgH-0kR0G3Rn7XeolNGyhAouFWp2T90RImy-m9DrspAIe5NOxYoAIxoeqLtA0my6anHuC9O77d75xXXyTpeIMeFgCKE4uiSE3Z5k1mmyzaZ5I3GUcwjNpUgPmPzxfqe_7u/s1600/DSC_0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNINnBcMChQIgH-0kR0G3Rn7XeolNGyhAouFWp2T90RImy-m9DrspAIe5NOxYoAIxoeqLtA0my6anHuC9O77d75xXXyTpeIMeFgCKE4uiSE3Z5k1mmyzaZ5I3GUcwjNpUgPmPzxfqe_7u/s400/DSC_0019.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eGpNEs-jDvgR7U4NgMuFab_6YDKG61chMsbrXcvAzKrBD9GmoLKjgP-MqKJU1lP5FD54aAO4N43largm5sul8zYTu91toaZFpybqGBRxH0286_JdcSboCdHx8E70N0eBHni97fXozlKp/s1600/DSC_0037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eGpNEs-jDvgR7U4NgMuFab_6YDKG61chMsbrXcvAzKrBD9GmoLKjgP-MqKJU1lP5FD54aAO4N43largm5sul8zYTu91toaZFpybqGBRxH0286_JdcSboCdHx8E70N0eBHni97fXozlKp/s400/DSC_0037.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I was also happy to see Oakland’s <a href="http://screamsorbet.com/">Scream Sorbet</a> vending away their delicious non-dairy frozen goods, as well as a slew of other veg-friendly vendors. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">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 <a href="http://theatomicgarden.com/">The Atomic Garden</a>, 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. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXRLTBGL9EgKh4N52gXlHpDzFV-x7tuQioYPdH15aml3M6vYo_IGE8f31xZhVraZNhamATYTzxwF-PVbmhIKeMwgatZch6G11rFxqSNAwChBUY0u640frbGezrtqOBmVteE-sMhQ2yaFt/s1600/DSC_0093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXRLTBGL9EgKh4N52gXlHpDzFV-x7tuQioYPdH15aml3M6vYo_IGE8f31xZhVraZNhamATYTzxwF-PVbmhIKeMwgatZch6G11rFxqSNAwChBUY0u640frbGezrtqOBmVteE-sMhQ2yaFt/s400/DSC_0093.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">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. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">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:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmzC6golLAwgumA89dP7vd8jBjZ0rY2WEqdQ6GNmlPL1Y_mxEFUTcjfGKLGrtd1pSbtlcTwM_KQARSOxj0nuEvVdadAAc9XNvmzo6kSSALA4BPLUGrvUmOqn7Ned1x27NvHPfYAx9cXCE/s1600/vegtastingFleaStB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmzC6golLAwgumA89dP7vd8jBjZ0rY2WEqdQ6GNmlPL1Y_mxEFUTcjfGKLGrtd1pSbtlcTwM_KQARSOxj0nuEvVdadAAc9XNvmzo6kSSALA4BPLUGrvUmOqn7Ned1x27NvHPfYAx9cXCE/s400/vegtastingFleaStB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: .1pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0in; mso-para-margin-right: 0in; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><br />
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</div>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-5160732925610682252011-08-11T09:32:00.000-07:002011-08-11T09:32:45.152-07:00Cinnaholic's First Birthday<b>Who</b>: Assistant Editor Anna Peraino<br />
<b>What</b>: <a href="http://www.cinnaholic-berkeley.com/">Cinnaholic</a>’s one-year anniversary party<br />
<b>Where</b>: Berkeley, Calif.<br />
<b>When</b>: August 7, 2011<br />
<b>Why</b>: Delicious cinnamon rolls for a dollar? More like <i>why</i> am I being asked why!<br />
<br />
<b>The Scoop</b>: 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 <a href="http://vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=3019&catId=6">Vegan Bucket List</a>. 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.<br />
<br />
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.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPP4BIqNaKcE3oWqDuYBqrTAm7xX9s3IVUIuu0GNuUyPFOkMoUD5KLYaosymy04rRR_e5EC4WJ2vmPKuwBUk8LdjVg03looN3jxuO6dovtPDsFKyOxZl-N5dfI2TbOzHDBDuTv60Ah7x7e/s1600/PP.Line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPP4BIqNaKcE3oWqDuYBqrTAm7xX9s3IVUIuu0GNuUyPFOkMoUD5KLYaosymy04rRR_e5EC4WJ2vmPKuwBUk8LdjVg03looN3jxuO6dovtPDsFKyOxZl-N5dfI2TbOzHDBDuTv60Ah7x7e/s320/PP.Line.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>So hot right now, Cinnaholic.</i></div><br />
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 <a href="http://thisjustinvegnews.blogspot.com/2010/12/sweet-cinnamon-rolls.html">before</a>), 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.<br />
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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 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg">Honey Badger</a> 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.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OUHIlqBTo9j6meKErQbLEWNItpFDelmHTW1KJYovU7epwXwvvSu-v-5_mRyEurm-lGYllwyfXDPUwKPrtiKx7u71eGj-inE5X4au2G4__wT-8XEhbcSV35Nlr6n67kzZNJTNFeOuFfCs/s1600/PP.Buns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-OUHIlqBTo9j6meKErQbLEWNItpFDelmHTW1KJYovU7epwXwvvSu-v-5_mRyEurm-lGYllwyfXDPUwKPrtiKx7u71eGj-inE5X4au2G4__wT-8XEhbcSV35Nlr6n67kzZNJTNFeOuFfCs/s320/PP.Buns.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>They’re so big! And yummy! And big!</i></div><div><br />
</div>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-78177978727196861732011-08-04T16:13:00.000-07:002011-08-04T18:15:32.868-07:00Millennium Farmers' Market Cooking Class<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="color: #341473; font-family: Georgia,Times,serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0.25em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 20px;"><b>Who</b>: Associate Editor Jennifer Chen<div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px;"><b>What</b>: Millennium Restaurant's Farmers' Market Cooking Class<br />
<div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px;"></div><b>Where</b>: San Francisco, Calif.<br />
<b></b><br />
<b><div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">: July 30 & 31, 2011</span></div><div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Why</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">: To take a cooking class at one of my favorite restaurants</span></div></span></span></h3><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2195662846667866346" style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia,Times,serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em;"><div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Scoop</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">: It may come as no surprise that I love food and cooking. <a href="http://www.millenniumrestaurant.com/">Millennium</a> 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. </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Day One: Shopping Day!</b></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We met at the </span><a href="http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/farmers_market.php"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> 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 <a href="http://hodosoy.com/">Hodo Soy</a> 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. T</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">hen w</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">e went to <a href="http://www.blossombluff.com/">Blossom Bluff Farm</a> to pick up ripe peaches. Farm Co-owner Fran Loewen gave us each a </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">rare breed of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">plum to try. Along the way, we snagged snap peas, rose geranium, and abalone mushrooms.</span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>Day Two: Let's Cook!</b></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">At 10am, I felt like I was ready for the vegan version of <i>Top Chef</i>, 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. </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2lMDVMY6FwVKdn9ab6FhyV8WwLk0OFtZjPTzM3vbHLvK-1D36uxEeDN9L6O_44VggsDfHzDHUuMLtYLL3hx5F47jBjusbPmKoK9S21gcszkEwnhjIGXOKAch34rzt9DuzW72XfKCfQ9m/s1600/DSC_0239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2lMDVMY6FwVKdn9ab6FhyV8WwLk0OFtZjPTzM3vbHLvK-1D36uxEeDN9L6O_44VggsDfHzDHUuMLtYLL3hx5F47jBjusbPmKoK9S21gcszkEwnhjIGXOKAch34rzt9DuzW72XfKCfQ9m/s320/DSC_0239.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Chef Eric Tucker overseeing the panisse and squash blossoms.</i></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">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.</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">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. </span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcZifXmuYUHtkjJ7E3_N4J-TBdL2kbBKMiPS71CRACZGQWu5L0zjJ0oXEOvQVyJuO7L11FNzIoLZBOIOUMz-13CzBo-sJ95BD3yGVNMCAcohbAAiE_N86yLa7huiX7wWyhqRePEmrQsH1/s1600/DSC_0291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmcZifXmuYUHtkjJ7E3_N4J-TBdL2kbBKMiPS71CRACZGQWu5L0zjJ0oXEOvQVyJuO7L11FNzIoLZBOIOUMz-13CzBo-sJ95BD3yGVNMCAcohbAAiE_N86yLa7huiX7wWyhqRePEmrQsH1/s320/DSC_0291.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Silken tofu custard in a ponzu sauce with </i></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>seared snap peas and yuba skins.</i></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The complete menu is below. Check out our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150278022891250.352216.75511806249">Facebook album</a> for the complete visual tour of our class—from farmers' market to table.</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Menu</span></b></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Squash Blossoms, two ways, stuffed with tofu cheese, </span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">deep fried in cornmeal batter with a cilantro pesto dipping sauce, </span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">grilled served with a mushroom corn relish</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Panisse (chickpea cakes) topped with </span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">a sweet-and-sour eggplant and tomato, </span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">served with an almond garlic sauce</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Seared snap peas with yuba skins and silken tofu custard</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Grilled romano beans with olives</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Vanilla-glazed grilled abalone mushroom, </span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">served with a potato-corn risotto and a sunchoke-corn risotto</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Spelt zucchini rum cake, topped with grilled peaches, </span></i></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">served with lemon verbena sorbet and olive oil rose geranium sorbet</span></i></span></div></div>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-21956628466678663462011-07-29T11:22:00.000-07:002013-04-27T11:43:32.688-07:0010 Reasons to Go to the Animal Rights Conference<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #400058; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Who</b>: Associate Publisher Colleen Holland</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>What</b>: <a href="http://www.farmusa.org/">FARM's</a> Animal Rights 2011 National Conference<a href="http://www.millenniumrestaurant.com/index.html"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Where</b>: Los Angeles, Calif.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>When</b>: July 21–24, 2011</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Why</b>: To connect with fellow activists, get re-energized, and eat some amazing vegan food</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">The Scoop</b><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">: 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.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">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:</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>1. The speakers</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">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.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>2. The personalities</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">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 (<a href="http://www.farmsanctuary.org/index.html">Farm Sanctuary</a>), Nathan Runkle (<a href="http://www.mercyforanimals.org/">Mercy for Animals</a>), Erica Meier (<a href="http://www.cok.net/">Compassion Over Killing</a>), Jack Norris (<a href="http://www.veganoutreach.org/">Vegan Outreach</a>), Nick Cooney (<a href="http://www.thehumaneleague.com/">The Humane League</a>), Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan (<a href="http://www.ourhenhouse.org/">Our Hen House</a>), and <a href="http://toyourhealthnutrition.blogspot.com/">Julieanna Hever</a> (VN columnist and vegan dietitian extraordinaire).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>3. The exhibits</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">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 <a href="http://www.afa-online.org/">Action for Animals</a>, <a href="http://www.animalaidunlimited.com/">Animal Aid Unlimited</a>, <a href="http://www.kinshipcircle.org/">Kinship Circle</a>, <a href="http://awellfedworld.org/">A Well-Fed World</a>, <a href="http://www.healthforce.com/">HealthForce Nutritionals</a>, <a href="http://www.idausa.org/">In Defense of Animals</a>, <a href="http://lanternbooks.com/">Lantern Books</a>, <a href="http://www.seashepherd.org/">Sea Shepherd Conservation Society</a>, <a href="http://www.v-dogfood.com/">V-dog food</a>, and <a href="http://vegfund.org/">VegFund</a>. Keep up the great work!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>4. Film Premiers</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Each year, there's a media room dedicated to showing a full schedule of videos–including <a href="http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DiBbYUdvGWk0"><i>Farm to Fridge</i></a> and <a href="http://www.howibecameanelephant.com/"><i>How I Became an Elephant</i></a>. We arrived early Thursday to catch the COK-hosted film premier of <a href="http://www.kindgreenplanet.org/programs/glasswalls/"><i>Vegucated</i></a>, 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.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>5. The Awards</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">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 <a href="http://aprl.org/">Animal Protection and Rescue League</a> (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 <a href="http://www.caroljadams.com/spom.html"><i>The Sexual Politics of Meat</i></a>. Congratulations to all.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>6. The Food</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">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. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">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, <a href="http://samosahouse.net/Samosa_House/Home.html">Samosa House</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/SouthernFriedVegan?sk=wall">Southern Fried Vegan BBQ</a>, offered up hot samosas and soul-food favorites like Po Boyz sandwiches, mac 'n' cheese, Fried Chikun sandwiches, and jambalaya. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nvdAIEQWk-7Y2r5DeghEjxtDVJtl7eN1r9u9G-WekH7Njk4Zg0_4nry_ZXi3bLZcCj1iXNhd0lAbXGPuvImAQFBUJathfm7zx5jSkrYSL9iyg_PqXXxh42UwNDWhU5rdJgBfKELPeAWK/s1600/VegNews.ColleenHolland.Food.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nvdAIEQWk-7Y2r5DeghEjxtDVJtl7eN1r9u9G-WekH7Njk4Zg0_4nry_ZXi3bLZcCj1iXNhd0lAbXGPuvImAQFBUJathfm7zx5jSkrYSL9iyg_PqXXxh42UwNDWhU5rdJgBfKELPeAWK/s400/VegNews.ColleenHolland.Food.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><i>A closer look at Southern Fried Vegan BBQ's Cajun Chikun sandwich and mac 'n' cheese</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>7. The Excursions</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Once in a while, you want to step out of the hotel and do some exploring. And when Veggie Grill, <a href="http://vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=143&catId=6">VegNews 2008 Restaurant of the Year</a>, 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 <a href="http://cafevegnews.blogspot.com/2011/07/on-road-veggie-grill.html">gorged ourselves</a> 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). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">Vegucated<i> star Brian, Our Hen House's <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i>Mariann</i></span> and Jasmine, </i>Vegucated<i> creator Marisa, VN columnist Julieanna Hever, and I head out to Veggie Grill for All-Hail Kale salads</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>8. The Reunions</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">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 <a href="http://vegnews.com/vacations">VegNews Great Adventure to India</a> 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!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>9. The Bar</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">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.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><b>10. Support FARM</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><a href="http://www.farmusa.org/">FARM</a>, 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!</span></div>
VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-26113195782752813892011-07-21T09:00:00.000-07:002011-07-21T09:00:03.550-07:00A Seasonal Celebration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Who</b>: Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>What</b>: A celebration of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blooming-Platter-Cookbook-Betsy-DiJulio/dp/0980013135"><i>The Blooming Platter</i></a> by Betsy DiJulio<a href="http://www.millenniumrestaurant.com/index.html"></a></span></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Where</b>: </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.millenniumrestaurant.com/index.html">Millennium Restaurant</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"> San Francisco, Calif.</span></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>When</b>: July 14, 2011</span></div></div><div style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Why</b>: To recognize another great vegan cookbook on the market, and to eat delicious food.</span></div></div><div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Scoop</b><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">: As you may have seen from my previous posts, I'm a huge fan of all things <a href="http://vegnewspresspass.blogspot.com/search?q=Millennium">Millennium</a>. 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, <i>The Blooming Platter</i>. It is Betsy's first cookbook, and one that started from her <a href="http://www.thebloomingplatter.com/">blog</a> 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.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcl1DFR8xbL0QoPodejJwvz95ZGqCvBPYNNEbb-MYjemI2yYIH15mE1VKvpB4OnneHLQCJtOS5kGgXpoRNRQmVSITsiNEBlksxUVlXHTngu3RR_ETsA60INOw2vfGGcpju9DVcvbhE1XY/s1600/press-pass-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcl1DFR8xbL0QoPodejJwvz95ZGqCvBPYNNEbb-MYjemI2yYIH15mE1VKvpB4OnneHLQCJtOS5kGgXpoRNRQmVSITsiNEBlksxUVlXHTngu3RR_ETsA60INOw2vfGGcpju9DVcvbhE1XY/s320/press-pass-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><i>The spread of appetizers.</i> </span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">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.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JygwCCe2ngj5TPf8uSt7UCJTkLvKjoF2Nz0Za4LxvFNfFecMjLy8Gz3koOU-WaINGsEYAJyi9dB8g_LuIvYw1hNtJiKELNnnMbLFPbZ56eqaogrLo62S82AyAoKAHOyoqwYX2QrNvVcK/s1600/Press-pass-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4JygwCCe2ngj5TPf8uSt7UCJTkLvKjoF2Nz0Za4LxvFNfFecMjLy8Gz3koOU-WaINGsEYAJyi9dB8g_LuIvYw1hNtJiKELNnnMbLFPbZ56eqaogrLo62S82AyAoKAHOyoqwYX2QrNvVcK/s320/Press-pass-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><i>Me and the lady of the hour</i> </span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">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!</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckrhjcaukN0QwSNFOL8wQkbUX6hi18Cn_5JetAQfn40W-ZxqRG7Qfeb5NMbOu_H681RRrZJmxGTfxNXBvSVJLFloOH1HSZeELTisgdBMkZJDNz_cMfCaD68DHKiJZYJbthDC562O8QbXE/s1600/press-pass-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckrhjcaukN0QwSNFOL8wQkbUX6hi18Cn_5JetAQfn40W-ZxqRG7Qfeb5NMbOu_H681RRrZJmxGTfxNXBvSVJLFloOH1HSZeELTisgdBMkZJDNz_cMfCaD68DHKiJZYJbthDC562O8QbXE/s320/press-pass-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;"><i>The Huitlacoche Tamale</i></span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif;">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, </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: small;">the Roasted Beet and Hazelnut Barley Cakes, or the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: small;">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.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOKfyBoZGLVK5qIjrE3FwmedpawJX9LoECAf_jKT1KZLP7TZhLl5h4rQYsh53kXeZ5BykzSsaboaxaYrcJdzIG3OOvmIF45Sh5SmLhqs2eB3HB0pvFfWYxG4dOj93ZLnAfcxONwKay4gq/s1600/press-pass-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIOKfyBoZGLVK5qIjrE3FwmedpawJX9LoECAf_jKT1KZLP7TZhLl5h4rQYsh53kXeZ5BykzSsaboaxaYrcJdzIG3OOvmIF45Sh5SmLhqs2eB3HB0pvFfWYxG4dOj93ZLnAfcxONwKay4gq/s320/press-pass-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: small;"><i>The amazing Chocolate Almond Midnight</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: small;">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.</span>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-81559438243692935912011-07-14T14:33:00.000-07:002011-07-15T18:52:26.844-07:00Drinks and Dinner<h3 class="post-title entry-title"></h3><div class="post-header"></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5602002533944552631"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #400058; font-family: Georgia,Times,serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><b>Who</b>: VegNews Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria</div><div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia,Times,serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>What</b>: A swell evening of drinks and dinner in the Mission</div></div><div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia,Times,serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>Where</b>: San Francisco, Calif.</div></div><div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia,Times,serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>When</b>: July 13, 2011</div></div><div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia,Times,serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>Why</b>: My neighborhood is pretty stinking great.</div></div><div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia,Times,serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia,Times,serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>The Scoop</b>: 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 <a href="http://www.laszlobar.com/">Laszlo</a>, and then head to Osha Thai for dinner.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPfHeeMBRw2Mcn5lJrO9V1zxpeegBKSCFIm5NIXqldxC2LMRpKEwencvPc1LXNIqD7Mpu-NTvF8F64SkjT7fzBgaLcMrjxQf1d9AQPf1DXzni1CcNv18XFpp_4TfPf74bNtGmEts_52md/s1600/laszlo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPfHeeMBRw2Mcn5lJrO9V1zxpeegBKSCFIm5NIXqldxC2LMRpKEwencvPc1LXNIqD7Mpu-NTvF8F64SkjT7fzBgaLcMrjxQf1d9AQPf1DXzni1CcNv18XFpp_4TfPf74bNtGmEts_52md/s400/laszlo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><i>Laszlo's chic exterior</i></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
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.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzJOIIsWmbvMqR_HfjT1wWIwZ_a4Q9KtX1imhot1_CqzoHP_5INysgTsSK4M1Ax23sJ0T3Xc0vYI9F4wrL_OwRVAeR9XWmhw6uiJWBs7BDFm7LjvDQFp633WrSRiq9QUjjcXslsaN2ttO/s1600/osha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzJOIIsWmbvMqR_HfjT1wWIwZ_a4Q9KtX1imhot1_CqzoHP_5INysgTsSK4M1Ax23sJ0T3Xc0vYI9F4wrL_OwRVAeR9XWmhw6uiJWBs7BDFm7LjvDQFp633WrSRiq9QUjjcXslsaN2ttO/s400/osha.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><i>Hello, delicious Thai food.</i></div><div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
Oh, did I mention that the Mission has a ridiculous number of awesome restaurants? Because it does. Just minutes away from Laszlo is <a href="http://www.oshathai.com/2/index.html">Osha Thai</a>. 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. </div></div></div>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-755250581191430571.post-56020025339445526312011-06-30T09:20:00.000-07:002011-06-30T10:25:50.874-07:00Skywalker Ranch Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><b>Who</b>: VegNews Associate Editor Jennifer Chen</div><div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>What</b>: A blissful weekend in nature visiting my husband at Skywalker Ranch</div></div><div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Where</b>: Marin County, Calif.</div></div><div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>When</b>: June 24-26, 2011</div></div><div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>Why</b>: Because I missed him</div></div><div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="color: #400058; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>The Scoop</b>: 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 <i>Star Wars</i> characters. Where did I get the cookie cutters? Using the force, of course (and <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/star-wars-cookie-cutter/">William & Sonoma</a>). The cookie recipe came from my favorite cookbook on the planet, <i>1,000 Vegan Recipes</i> by VN Columnist Robin Robertson. The cookies were devoured before I could even put the plate down.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixluPMzADfv9RYPfuU4zJ3OeewfENO9wVVc_IigVrMGHp3QlqlzCis5TZHRUUyD00aJJa4f3rJQ33XjDkwUps76VNfF-LwPriGQ4NqAFx4CduOIy8ZMhFVUT8Kp8ijFpYCBtWRTcxWunV0/s1600/cookies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixluPMzADfv9RYPfuU4zJ3OeewfENO9wVVc_IigVrMGHp3QlqlzCis5TZHRUUyD00aJJa4f3rJQ33XjDkwUps76VNfF-LwPriGQ4NqAFx4CduOIy8ZMhFVUT8Kp8ijFpYCBtWRTcxWunV0/s320/cookies.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><i>Eat one, young vegan Jedi.</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Saturday afternoon, I joined the team for a tour of <a href="http://www.hangarone.com/main.html">Hangar One</a>, 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.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMSPO7bPule4vWRA_MDuReQ-7dT7KBd1Lrhja5onemYtsrCG0QReD0Sw1Ox5uKKy6l77bZj-S77ly2rmCSMCpzxUYuRb7sBCUYND_DYan8VJO261iGvsMEGGWfJhjMOEBUT0MYqrO_uxI/s1600/hangarone.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMSPO7bPule4vWRA_MDuReQ-7dT7KBd1Lrhja5onemYtsrCG0QReD0Sw1Ox5uKKy6l77bZj-S77ly2rmCSMCpzxUYuRb7sBCUYND_DYan8VJO261iGvsMEGGWfJhjMOEBUT0MYqrO_uxI/s320/hangarone.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><i>Pear vodka from Hangar One: It's so smooth, it's criminal.</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">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.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We took a ride off campus to the <a href="http://www.agriculturalinstitute.org/index/getMarketDetails?type=Markets&id=20080805091943.active">Marin Civic Center Farmers' Market</a> to grab some <a href="http://www.bolaniandsauce.com/html/Where.html">bolani</a> (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!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div>VegNews Magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02974715417281684873noreply@blogger.com2