SuperVegan: Vegan Blog and New York City Restaurant Guide

Food Book Fair This Weekend

olivia@supervegan.com (Olivia Lane) — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:48:51 EDT

[Bryant Terry]

The first New York Food Book Fair is this weekend in, where else, Williamsburg. Come get your fill of panel discussions, lectures, and book and zine browsing celebrating a diversity of food writing and activism.

I suspect there will be a fair amount of "hip" discussions of raising backyard beasts and broiling their innards. The good news is it won't all be about that and you can purchase tickets for individual panel events for $15. I'm looking forward to the Food + Cooking + Change panel discussion because Bryant Terry will be included. In addition to being wickedly handsome and a food justice activist, Terry is author of Vegan Soul Kitchen and, most recently, The Inspired Vegan.

Also exciting: Dr. Marion Nestle, food politics writer and Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health and Professor of Sociology at NYU, will open the fair on Friday with a keynote lecture, Why Food? Why Now?.

Food Book Fair, May 4-6, Wythe Hotel, 80 Wythe Ave.(at North 11th St), Williamsburg, Brooklyn. More info: www.foodbookfair.com

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"Light Up the Night with Paul Watson": A Very Sea Shepherd-y Start to Summer in NYC

tod@supervegan.com (Tod Emko) — Tue, 01 May 2012 08:00:00 EDT

It's warming up in New York City again, which means that the cherry blossoms are blooming, the cafes are opening up their outdoor seating, and vegan pirates are coming out of the woodwork. If you're going to a vegan venue in the city this week, chances are you'll see an Antarctic captain or a Cove Guardian or a vegan Australian sailor, and on May 4th, you'll get to see the entire menagerie at the same time, at Sea Shepherd's 35th anniversary party in Manhattan.

Just like when the Sea Shepherd vessel the Steve Irwin came to Chelsea Piers two years ago, Whale Warriors are now flooding the city's vegan joints. SSCS Captain Peter Hammarstedt visited this month's Vegan Drinks at Pine Box Rock Shop before continuing on his way to Sweden. The Bob Barker ship manager and former New Yorker Andrea Gordon returns to NYC this week to make sure all the good NYC vegan restaurants are still good. And this Friday night, in Manhattan, you'll get to see pretty much everyone in NYC who's ever worn an SSCS Crew jacket, including Paul Watson himself.

On Friday, May 4th, at DCTV from 7pm to 11pm, Sea Shepherd celebrates its 35 years of direct action ocean conservation in NYC. Incidentally, there are still tickets left!

Everyone who attends will get to meet Paul Watson as well as campaign veterans from Operations Waltzing Matilda, No Compromise, Divine Wind, Ferocious Isles, and Infinite Patience. Candle 79, Vegan Treats, Verite Catering, and Cinnamon Snail will be providing food for this event, and you will have the opportunity to win Sea Shepherd campaign memorabilia. Get your tickets here before they sell out!

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Parmela, A Delicious Food Accessory

daniellekonyaismyhero@supervegan.com (Andrea Wachner) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:27:19 EDT

Like a cute piece of jewelry or if you're a hipster, a fedora, but for your food and tasty!

I'm talking about a new and exciting product called Parmela. It is a glass bottle (yes, that's right, I said glass!) full of Vegan parmesan cheeese! It is good. So good that I've dumped it by the truckload on two meals in one day. I've tried it on pasta (YUM), I've tried it on garlic bread (YUM) and I've tried it on soup (YUM) and it was YUM to the third power.

It's also the mouth-child of a couple of lovely locals that I can't say enough nice things about, so I won't say any.
Made from almonds, cashews, nutritional yeast, fermented soybean, soy sauce and veg. lactic acid, this stuff is leaps and bounds above a dash of nutritional yeast on it's own or that stuff I used to use in the cardboard tube. It's got a depth of flavor that previous subs have lacked. When the bottle is empty, which, at this rate, might be as early as tomorrow, I will wash and refill it with my salty salty tears.

Try it and let me know what you think, K? I especially want to hear about some creative, non-obvious uses. Request it at your local Whole Foods, and in the meantime, here's a list of all the stores that carry Parmela.�

In Southern California: �
Figueroa Produce Market�in Los Angeles� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ��
Locali�in�Hollywood
Viva La Vegan�in Rancho Cucamonga
Grassroots Natural Market�in South Pasadena
Pacific Coast Greens�in Malibu
Beach Health Tree Natural Foods�in�Long Beach
Irvine Ranch Market in Costa Mesa
Follow Your Heart�in Canoga Park -coming soon

In Northern California:
Never Felt Better in Sacramento, CA

Nationally:�
New Frontiers Natural Marketplace�in Prescott, AZ
Four Seasons Natural Foods�in Saratoga, NY
Sidecar For Pigs Peace in�Seattle, WA
Central Coop�in Seattle, WA
Nooch Vegan Market Denver, CO
Eco-licious�in Charlotte, NC - coming soon
Foodtown in Cedar Grove, NJ
Foodtown in North Haledon, NJ
Basil Bandwagon in Flemington, NJ
Food Fight! Grocery in Portland, OR
Vegan Freak in Denton, TX
VeganEssentials.com� online store

PS- According to The Flavor Bible, my new favorite book, here's a list of things that go with parmesan (meats excluded): basil, fava beans, dates, fennel, figs, stone fruits, garlic, grapes, melon, mushrooms, olive oil, pasta, pears, pizza, risottos, thyme, balsamic vinegar, and walnuts

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Vegan Drinks XLVIII, The Recap: Big Ups to Pine Box Rock Shop for Hosting and Thank You for Supporting "Our Planet. Theirs Too."

info@vegandrinks.org (Deborah Diamant) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:21:31 EDT

[1-2-3 Go!]

Thank YOU for supporting "Our Planet. Theirs Too." with us at Vegan Drinks NYC on April 26th. We were expertly hosted by the fabulous Heather and Jeff at Pine Box Rock Shop in Brooklyn. Thank you, Pine Box!

And, special thanks to those organizations and individuals who made Shout Outs:

"Our Planet. Theirs Too."
Sea Shepherd
GooseWatch NYC
Vegan Outreach
NYC Walk for Animals
Veggie Prom - May 18th at Fontana's - benefits Mercy For Animals!
OWS Animal Issues Working Group - May 13th conference - location TBA
Darwin Animal Doctors
Chicago Vegan Foods
Dun-Well Doughnuts
Andreas Turanski - join his vegan Rugged Maniac team
Ross Minanti
Jeff LaPadula
Emily Graves
Andrea
And, the greatest DJ in all the land, DJ Grand Format

May 31st marks the next Vegan Drinks NYC. We'll be at Fontana's, 105 Eldridge Street in Manhattan. This will be our first time at Fontana's and we promise a fantastic evening as we celebrate Vegan Drinks NYC's fourth birthday! The DJ Grand Format will be back in the DJ booth!

Get on our mailing list!

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Vegan Drinks XLVIII: NEW VENUE ALERT! We'll be in the Borough of Kings at Pine Box Rock Shop to Benefit "Our Planet. Theirs Too." on April 26!

info@vegandrinks.org (Deborah Diamant) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:40:33 EDT

Join us THIS Thursday, April 26, from 7:00pm to 10:00pm for Vegan Drinks NYC! We'll be at our favorite bar ever, Pine Box Rock Shop, located at 12 Grattan Street in Bushwick, Brooklyn. It's just around the corner from the L train at Morgan Avenue. There are also bus stops nearby and plenty of space to park your bike. (And, yes, if you haven't heard, our home of nearly four years, Angels & Kings Bar, recently closed its doors. We'll miss you, old buddy!)

This month any money you throw in the donation jar will benefit the not-for-profit "Our Planet. Theirs Too.", sponsors of National Animal Rights Day and other projects dedicated to the vision in which human and non-human animals share this planet in peace and harmony.

Win a great raffle prize while supporting "Our Planet. Theirs Too." The Regal Vegan has donated a tote bag filled with its Faux Gras and Basillicotta. And, don't worry if your luck runs short and you don't win the raffle because there will be free samples of truffles courtesy of ChocAlive! to help you forget.

Happy hour ends at 8pm! Get to Pine Box Rock Shop EARLY! And, the earlier you get there, the better your chance to purchase from the bar a V-Spot Philly Cheesesteak empanada before I polish them off.

Have you read the new and improved Vegan Drinks FAQ? Please read it, even if you're a regular at our event. (Really, please read it. All of it.)

We'll turn down the music around 8:30pm and encourage people to promote themselves, their groups and/or causes for 30 seconds. If you represent a veg*n or animal rights group, come prepared with your (very short!) spiel and literature.

If you're not already following our every move, connect with Vegan Drinks on Facebook, follow us on Twitter (@vegandrinks), and join our e-mail list.

Vegan Drinks NYC is usually held the last Thursday of the month from 7:00pm to 10:00pm. We'll head back to Manhattan for the May Vegan Drinks. The exciting details will be shared soon!!!!

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The Unfortunate Capriotti's Experience

daniellekonyaismyhero@supervegan.com (Andrea Wachner) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:11:14 EDT

I HAVE BEEN FLIED TO. (that's a food lie)

About a month ago, I was super excited to find out that Capriotti's, a sub sandwich chain, not only had vegetarian subs, but was opening a new location in my 'hood. I wrote to the PR contact pronto:

Hi-

My name is Andrea and I write for SuperVegan.com - I just read about your location that is opening tomorrow in LA and decided to check out your website to see what your Veggie options are and was delighted to find your faux turkey sandwiches! I would like to visit the restaurant and do a post about this. BUT, can you please tell me if your sandwiches are suitable for a Vegan (if the cheese is left off, of course)? It would be extra great if you could send me an ingredients list for these items, and the bread, too!

Thanks thanks
-Andrea

Here is what I heard back:

Hi Andrea,

Thanks so much for reaching out! The Veggie Turkey is suitable for vegans.

I will double check about getting the ingredients for the items. The bread might be difficult since it is a propriety recipe that has been used for 35 years.

I do know for a fact The Bobbie, which is the signature sandwich, is unfortunately not vegan, as the stuffing has chicken stock.

I would be happy to send some coupons- just let me know the best address.

How exciting, right? Here's my reply to her reply:

Thanks, [name redacted]-

Do you know what brand of Veggie Turkey it is? And it's okay if you can't share the bread ingredients, but would be great to know if it's vegan and whether or not it contains honey. And too bad about the stuffing, that's always the most delicious part. Tell someone over there to start using a faux chicken stock, pretty please?

Coupons! Lucky me!

Now you might think I'm making these e-mails up, after the fact, but that's just how I write, K? So then, I didn't hear anything for awhile. I eagerly checked the mailbox every day to no avail. Finally, I followed-up AGAIN.

I'd still love to review this-- any update for me? And I never received anything from you, just in case you sent me those coupons!

To which they responded:

I actually just got more coupons in on Friday so I will send those out to you today.

There is no honey in the bread!

I finally got the coupons and headed there at lunch time today. I had a pretty thorough conversation with a gentlemen behind the counter about what was and was not vegan. He told me the veggie burger was Morningstar Farms and not vegan. He told me the Veggie Cheesesteak was vegan, if you leave the cheese off, which we agreed was kindof lame. He knew I was a Vegan blogger and he knew I was ordering myself a Veggie Turkey Sub and he said nothing. Even when I asked him what brand the Veggie Turkey was, he said, "Worthington's." Now, I guess I should've known that most Worthington's products contain non-vegan things like egg whites, but you know what-- SO SHOULD THEY. Especially after asking and re-asking and then asking again.

After I demolished the sandwich, posted a picture of it on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter proclaiming its yumminess, I got curious and went on the good ol' internet to find out about Worthington's. I was concerned. Then some of you fine SuperVegans seconded my concern. I immediately wrote to that PR person again asking if it really was vegan after all and heard nothing right away. I tweeted some more. Capriotti's started following and then got in on it, apologizing and asking me to write them directly to "make it up to me." So I did.

Here's the reply I got to that e-mail:

As an owner of Capriotti's, I am very embarrassed for the miscommunication which led you to eat a non-Vegan product, promote it, and have it hurt your credibility. �As mentioned in our tweet to you our Veggie Chicken Cheesesteak is vegan, but the turkey is not. ��We have vegetarians and vegans that work here and very much appreciate our Vegetarian and Vegan customers that we have. �I feel awful and completely understand your anger over this. �I will personally make sure that our PR firm doesn't have incorrect info and misinform anyone about our products again. � Please let me know what I can do to make this right.

THEN, I heard back from PR Land:

I can not express how sincerely sorry I am. I do not think words can describe how terrible I feel for misleading you.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do in an attempt to make up for this.

I hope this will not negatively affect you feelings for Capriotti's as this was my fault. I clearly believed it was vegan. While I am not vegan myself I know how important this is.

Again, my sincerest apologies.

This is just so unfortunate, and not just because of the diarrhea.

Now, let's get some perspective. This is not the end of the world. I am not going to die. (They are lucky I am not deathly allergic to egg whites though, that's for sure.) I do believe that this was a colossal clusterfuck of fuck-ups on every level that was not intentional, but just -- I don't know what-- laziness? Ignorance? A lot of times people do the best they can, but a lot of other times people do the least work possible to get the job done. Now that they've been caught and called-out I think they genuinely feel terrible and want to make amends somehow and I do appreciate that as much as I can. And trust me, if this was just a regular ol' case of "accidents happen" I would not be making such a big stink. Accidents DO happen regularly, but never before have I experienced one with so many flies (food lies) involved in it's conception.

So SuperVegans, I want to hear from you. What CAN they do to "make this right"?? Keep in mind that now the only Vegan item on their menu is that Veggie Chicken Cheesesteak minus the cheese, and really, what's the point of that?

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This Recipe Probably Also Kills

daniellekonyaismyhero@supervegan.com (Andrea Wachner) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:42:27 EDT

So listen SuperVegans, I am torn about posting this post, angel on one shoulder, devil on the other style and here's why:

I want to share this recipe with you because it is so highly delicious, you should be able to enjoy it for yourself! Plus, it's so super simple to make there's only three easy steps once you've procured your four ingredients.

I should not share this recipe with you because it is so highly delicious and so full of sugary sweetness, that it is basically akin to Vegan Crack. If you like white chocolate and peanut butter you will not be able to stop shoving this crap in your mouth like a baseless animal who has been deprived of sustenance for some time. You'll steal it from your wife till she leaves you. You might lose your job. And OH, those sugar lows.

MMMmmmm, I just had another bite. See that picture over there in the upper right corner? That is all that remains of my batch, and that's all my mouth work.

So, fair warning-- if you are trying to lose weight, have diabetes, or are otherwise health conscious, DO NOT CLICK THROUGH.

VEGAN CRACK

1 package Vegan white chocolate chips like these

1/2 Cup of peanut butter (creamy/chunky, it's up to you)

3-4 Cups of the puffed rice cereal of your choice a la Rice Krispies

1 Cup of Vegan Marshmallows like these (cut up into mini size)

Un:
Melt the white chocolate chips and the peanut butter together. I did this in a pyrex bowl on top of a small saucepan of water on the stove over medium low heat. You could do it directly in a saucepan, or even in the microwave, but whatever you do, do it low and slow and make sure you stir frequently. You absolutely can not let this burn. You just want it to get melty smooth, no more! So take your time.

Deux:
Once you've got melty white chocolate peanut butter goop, remove it from heat and stir in the Rice Krispies (you could even get super crazy and use chocolate flavor krispies like me) and marshmallows.

Trois:
You can either pour this mixture into a very well greased/lined 8x8x2 pan or you can ice cream scoopfuls onto a well greased/lined pan, again, up to you. You could even put them into ice cube trays I bet. Whatever format you choose, get this stuff in there. Then let them chill until firm or for as long as your will power can possibly last.

N'joy! But please don't be mad at me when your pants don't fit.

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Vegan Shoe Explosion at Sustainable NYC

olivia@supervegan.com (Olivia Lane) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:24:09 EDT

[Rasta Nectar Sandals: I want these! ]

I'll start by disclosing that I've worked at Sustainable NYC for years, but that's all the more reason I'm glad the green boutique has stepped up its vegan shoe game. It was kind of a bummer to have a generous employee discount but only a few measly pairs to choose from.

Finally, entirely animal-friendly shoes outnumber those with leather soles or accents. I visited this morning and counted 20 pairs of vegan sneakers, sandals, flip flops, and dress shoes crammed in the small shops' shoe department. The new brands include Earth, Saucony, NeuAura, Novacas, Olsen Haus, Sanuk, and Feelz Goods priced from $25 to $156.

My favorite pair in stock is the olive green Sanuk Rasta Nectar flat sandals ($47). I love the coconut button accents! I also thought the flip flops made from recycled yoga mats (women, $32) and beer cozies (men, $38) were novel.

Psst! I scoped a few pairs of older sandals from Acorn and Simple tucked in a corner and discounted 25%. Sizes are very limited though.

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NYC Charity Clothing Swap and Vegan Bake Sale on April 21st

(Ali Berman) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:42:40 EDT

Last year I had the privilege of organizing what turned out to be a pretty amazing event to raise funds for HEART, a humane education organization that teaches kids about human rights, animal protection and environmental ethics. We raised over $700 by holding a large scale charity clothing swap and vegan bake sale. This year, I'm doing it again, and I'm writing this guest post here to invite all you super vegans to come and join in what should be another fantastic event!

On Saturday, April 21st at Trinity Lower East Side Lutheran Parish from 11am - 2pm, eco-conscious fashionistas from around the city will come together to get their swap on.

How does it work? It's easy. Go through your closets and grab all the stuff that no longer fits or that you just don't wear. Bring it to the swap. Give it to the volunteers who will be putting things out on racks and tables (according to size and style), and then go look through all the amazing items others have contributed. You get to take as many items home as you brought to swap. I think our record holder last year was a woman who brought in 67 items and left with 67 items.

My favorite part about having a clothing swap fundraiser is that, while raising funds is important, the event itself helps to better the world. It promotes reusing instead of buying new. It helps bring together a community of caring (and fashion loving) people. Also, all the leftover items go to the local homeless and in-need population. Then, with a vegan bake sale to promote animal-free delicious food, we've made an impact for everyone. People, animals and the planet. Just like HEART.

If you buy your ticket in advance, you'll save a few bucks and pay $12. Show up at the door and pay $15. If you're a student, you can get in for $10. We wanted to make it affordable so everyone can participate, but also make it a great fundraiser so our impact goes beyond what's accomplished at the swap.

And to further tempt you, at the vegan bake sale we'll have thin mints, cookie dough truffles, cupcakes and so much more.

Check out the flier for all the details. We had a great turn out from SV folks last year. I hope to see many of you (and new faces!) again. You know with sponsors like Ecorazzi, Girlie Girl Army and Vaute Couture that it's going to be a good time. The more people who come, the better it will be.

Still need convincing? Check out this one girl's experience at last years swap.

If you have any questions, leave a comment on the post and I'll get you an answer. Hope to see you there!

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LA Eating Roundup

daniellekonyaismyhero@supervegan.com (Andrea Wachner) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:47:50 EDT

Did you know that 7-Eleven sells Vegan cookies?! One of these and a slurpee is a breakfast of champions! Yay!

Seed Bistro is closing on Saturday, April 28th. Chef Eric says they are going to re-open in a new location with a wellness/healing center, but don't wait for that to happen. Go eat there ASAP. The soy blue cheese salad will blow your tongue away.

Have you tried Veggie Grill's slew of new menu items like the homestyle plates, crab cakes or all things Buffalo? Come late June you can do so at their newest spot in Long Beach! The location will be in the former Pick Up Stix at Long Beach Marketlace at 2nd and Pacific Coast Highway.

Tickets are on sale for the Third Annual Vegan Beer & Food Fest on May 12th at the Roxy Theatre.

Local 1205 on Abbot Kinney says they will be purveyors of Babycakes on Saturdays, if you're in Venice and need a sweet fix.

Have you had the new seasonal Vegan sando at Mendocino Farms for Spring? It's a Vegan BBQ Torta and it's also delicious. I had one yesterday at the Marina Del Rey location. Shaved seitan and pinto beans are slow braised in chipotle citrus BBQ sauce then placed on a toasted ciabatta roll with smashed avocado, vegenaise, pickled red onions, candied jalapenos, tomatoes and shredded romaine. YUM @ $9.50

Capriotti's, a sandwich shop chain recently opened a Culver City location and guess what? They have Vegan sandos! Check out their Vegetarian menu and be amazed at all the Veggie Turkey options! Review pending.

Atwater Village has the next in a succession of Sausage/Beer/Belges Frites shops with Vegan options! Link N Hops opened last week next to 55 Degree Wine, and is owned by the same Andy Hasroun. And even better, it's open till midnight!

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Sue Coe, Cinnamon Snail and Benefit for United Poulty Concerns at MooShoes on Thursday, April 19

info@vegandrinks.org (Deborah Diamant) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:15:56 EDT

[Cruel by Sue Coe]

The inimitable visual artist Sue Coe will be at MooShoes on Thursday, April 19, at 7:00 p.m. to celebrate the launch of her newest book of drawings, paintings and text, Cruel (expect a review on SuperVegan in the nearish future). Cruel revisits the slaughterhouses and factory farming Coe reported on in 1996's Dead Meat and addresses their continued impact on animals, workers and consumers some 15 years later.

Coe will sign copies of her books and 10 percent of all sales (books, shoes, bags, etc.!) will be donated to United Poultry Concerns. (Thanks, MooShoes!!!)

The fun spills out onto the street where everyone's favorite mobile restaurant, Cinnamon Snail, will be parked and feeding the masses with its gourmet savory and sweet eats.

Be sure to watch Our Hen House's superb interview with Sue Coe:

Sue Coe: Art of the Animal from Our Hen House on Vimeo.

MooShoes is located at 78 Orchard Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side. 212-254-6512

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5 Reasons to Put the Pleather to the Pavement this Week

olivia@supervegan.com (Olivia Lane) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:13:50 EDT

Did you know we have a NYC Vegan events calendar here on SuperVegan? Well, we do. Here's a list of some exciting happenings coming up this week.

See US Premier of "Cages of Shame", a film documenting Animals Asia's rescue of 10 bears from a bile farm in China. Q & A to follow. (Sat 4/14, 6-8pm. Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th Street, West Village.)

Stretch your compassion at Yoga for Bears, a yoga class, lunch, and fundraiser for Animals Asia. (Sun 4/14, 12-3:30. Jivamukti Yoga School NYC, 841 Broadway, 2nd Floor, Union Square.)

Visit Vegan Shop Up to buy ethical edibles and other goodies from local artisans. (Sun 4/15, 12-5pm. Pine Box Rock Shop, 12 Grattan St., Bushwick, Brooklyn.)

Drop in on Vegan Book Swap 3.0 to snatch up some vegan cookbooks or AR reads and support Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. (Mon 4/16, 6:30-8:30pm. Sustainable NYC, 139 Ave A, East Village)

Be heard at 2012 NYS Humane Lobby Day. Chartered buses and carpools make it easy for you to get your rear to Albany and encourage your elected representatives to put animals on the agenda. (Wed 4/18, 11am-4pm. Empire State Plaza Convention Center, Albany, NY)

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Vegan Drinks XLVII, The Recap: Thank You for Eating and Drinking for Lotus Elephant Sanctuary

info@vegandrinks.org (Deborah Diamant) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 21:59:20 EDT

[Our friend Justin by candlelight. (Congrats, Justin, on your impending graduation from Tufts vet school!)]

Thank YOU for supporting Lotus Elephant Sanctuary with us at Vegan Drinks NYC on March 29th.

Special thanks to those organizations and individuals who made Shout Outs:

Lotus Elephant Sanctuary
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) - April 18th is Lobby Day!
Sea Shepherd
GooseWatch NYC
Coalition to Ban Horse Drawn Carriages
Lobby Day to Ban Horse Drawn Carriages - May 1st!
Darwin Animal Doctors - April 22nd bakesale at Mooshoes!
Mooshoes - Book signing with Sue Coe on April 19th!

The next Vegan Drinks NYC at Angels & Kings Bar is Thursday, April 26, 2012! The great DJ Grand Format will be back!

Get on our mailing list!

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Vegan Drinks XLVII: Make New Friends and Raise Funds for Lotus Elephant Sanctuary at This Month's Vegan Drinks on Thursday, March 29

info@vegandrinks.org (Deborah Diamant) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 23:40:45 EDT

Join us THIS Thursday, March 29, from 7:00pm to 10:00pm for Vegan Drinks NYC!

This month, a portion of the bar proceeds and any money you throw in the donation jar will benefit the new not-for-profit Lotus Elephant Sanctuary, which is working to help elephants in Laos.

And, the raffle is back! Try your luck and buy a ticket or five to win great prizes from Vaute Couture, the Body Shop and NYC's own mod gal and professional make-up artist Rachel Kay. All money raised through the raffle goes to Lotus Elephant Sanctuary!

DJ Grand Format will be back with his great mix of punk rock, hip-hop, shoegaze and more!

Drink specials will include $1 off draft beers and well drinks all night!

The kitchen will be turning out good vegan snacks like a vegan burger deluxe platter (with or without vegan cheese + fries and coleslaw), crispy vegan chikkin’ tenders, Pittsburgh-style coleslaw, fries and good ol’ chips & salsa.

Have you read the new and improved Vegan Drinks FAQ? Please read it, even if you're a regular at our event. (Really, please read it. All of it.)

We'll turn down the music around 8:30pm and encourage people to promote themselves, their groups and/or causes for 30 seconds. If you represent a veg*n or animal rights group, come prepared with your (very short!) spiel and literature.

If you're not already following our every move, connect with Vegan Drinks on Facebook, follow us on Twitter (@vegandrinks), and join our e-mail list.

Vegan Drinks NYC is usually held the last Thursday of the month from 7:00pm to 10:00pm at Angels & Kings, 500 East 11th Street (btw Ave A & Ave B), New York, NY 10009.

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New Candle Café Opens the Week

cathy@supervegan.com (Cathy Resler) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 22:37:55 EDT

With all the sad news out there this week, here's something to perk up your day: there's a new Candle Café. Candle Café West opened yesterday with a similar menu to the Upper East Side original. Delivery won't start until mid-April. FYI, be sure to skip this Sunday 3/25 when they'll be closed.

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Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Gluten Intolerance But Were Too Ashamed to Ask, Part Two: Doctors

sam@supervegan.com (Samantha Cohen) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 06:44:02 EDT

This is the second post in a series about yours truly going gluten-free. Read the first post here.

Where we last left off, in July 2009, I had completed many weeks of elimination diets (no potential allergens for weeks!) that ended with the realization that avoiding wheat made my gastrointestinal issues lessen noticeably and my acne unexpectedly lighten. *Whew*

Once you figured out you were probably gluten-intolerant, what did you do?
Looking back at those way-frustrating weeks, it was so obvious that the consumption of wheat made me sick, and the avoidance of wheat made me (at least a little) better. So, what did I do? I went back to eating gluten. Obviously.

At the end of those first two gluten-free weeks, I had every intention of strictly keeping up my diet. But then my birthday rolled around (September 5 -- write it down, I like whole-leaf teas!), and my parents dropped by with cake among brownie atop cookie from Peacefood Cafe, and I figured a little brownie bite couldn't hurt, and hey, it would be just plain rude if I didn't eat a cookie, etcetera.

Over the following week I ate at least a cupcake a day, and, wouldn't you know it, my stomach went back to the way it was, and my acne returned full-force. I couldn't believe how quickly things snapped back, like I'd done nothing at all.

After eating through my store of birthday sweets, I got serious again and stuck with the diet through the rest of September, October, November, and December.

How did you replace the gluten in your diet?
I replaced my morning bagel with nothing, by which I mean I didn't eat breakfast. I ate rice-this and gluten-free-that bready, pasta-y, and pretzel-y substitutes at other mealtimes. I thought that I was already eating lots of fruits and veggies -- hey, I'm vegan! -- and wanted to replace carbs with carbs, entirely because I liked eating them and not because of health considerations. Though I doubt I'd have admitted that at the time. (Now I eat very differently.)

How'd you feel after three gluten-free months?
In January I felt somewhat better and the acne had lessened, but I wasn't 100% in any way, and I still had frequent yeast infections. I thought, "Maybe gluten isn't it after all and I am not eating my happy doughy sesame bagel for no reason." So I did the logical thing and ate said bagel, kicking off several weeks of eating less bread than I had in the olden days, but more than any (possibly) gluten-intolerant person should ever consume. A few days into that downward spiral, I did what I probably should have done before doing anything else: I went to the doctor and she tested me for celiac disease.

What is celiac disease, and how do you test for it?
Celiac disease, as defined by the Mayo Clinic:

Celiac (SEE-lee-ak) disease is a digestive condition triggered by consumption of the protein gluten, which is primarily found in bread, pasta, cookies, pizza crust and many other foods containing wheat, barley or rye. People with celiac disease who eat foods containing gluten experience an immune reaction in their small intestines, causing damage to the inner surface of the small intestine and an inability to absorb certain nutrients.

Celiac disease can cause abdominal pain and diarrhea. Eventually, the decreased absorption of nutrients (malabsorption) that occurs with celiac disease can cause vitamin deficiencies that deprive your brain, peripheral nervous system, bones, liver and other organs of vital nourishment.

The test my doctor administered is a simple blood analysis that checks for certain antibodies to see if the body is recognizing gluten as a foreign, offensive substance and attacking it. Three days after taking my blood, my doctor called to tell me my results were negative: no celiac disease. But, she said, I might not have been eating enough wheat for a long enough time to get a positive result, if I did indeed have celiac disease. So, she said, eat wheat for three weeks and let's test again. She also suggested eating more fiber--psyllium husk mixed in water, flax seeds -- to help food move through my system faster.

Her instruction gave me the excuse I needed to eat lots of bread. And oh, did I! I also downed lots of fibrous psyllium-water. I felt no less stuffed up, and a lot more bloated over the three weeks after my doctor's appointment. Then, I went back for the re-test. Negative again.

What could all these stomach issues mean, if they're not celiac disease?
Since I felt worse, if anything, my doctor sent me to a gastroenterologist, who evidently mistook me for a 50-year-old man at risk for colon cancer or polyps and recommended a colonoscopy. (So, to answer the question: something worse, possibly.) As it turns out, that test is not just for old dudes. It is also for 110-pound, 23-year-old women who have unexplained stomach issues. Who knew. Ready to do anything that might help, I scheduled the appointment for March and kept to my bagel-breakfast diet until the day before the procedure.

What's it like to prep for a colonscopy?
Let me tell you what this procedure is like, because one day you will need it and you will be so glad not to have been surprised, you'll be baking me gluten-free cupcakes the rest of your life. And because not everyone has, as I do, parents who are willing to share in gruesome detail their experience of having a bitty camera on a tube stuck up their ass.

As preparation for a colonoscopy, you can't eat the day preceding, and the night before, you have to drink a lot (maybe a gallon?) of a fluid that tastes like polluted sea water and that sucks all the liquid from your GI track. It tasted so bad that I gagged on it and couldn't swallow at first. After finally getting some down, it came right back up ten minutes later. I called my mom for a pep talk and then got back down to drinking. The point of this stuff is to clear you out, so be sure to have a bathroom to yourself the night you prep.

A gallon of stuff later and probably five pounds lighter, it was time for the next step, which is taking four doses of a laxative. I took only one, having been advised by my dad, who is literally two and a half times my size, that the suggested dosage made him cramp painfully and pointlessly. I'm not recommending going against the doctor's orders, though, because the other side of this is that if you're not fully cleaned out, they send you home and reschedule the procedure, and you do this all over again. Just sayin', ask your doctor if four pills is really necessary.

What happens during the colonoscopy?
The day of, I walked over to Long Island College Hospital in Cobble Hill, near where I lived at the time, and checked in before hitting the waiting room. They called me and brought me into the procedure room where I suited up in the all-embarrassing gown and laid back on a table on my side. An anesthesiologist popped in and introduced himself, as did the familiar gastroenterologist. They set me up with an IV of a sedative, propofol (you remember -- one of the drugs MJ took before he died), and I was out before I could count back from 100 to ninety-something.

I woke up once during the procedure to some discomfort and they upped the drugs quickly till I was out again. (They told me later, while their pants were on fire, that I had not woken up. Waking up during the procedure isn't supposed to happen, but I wasn't in any pain when it did.) When I woke for permanent, I was in another room with other sleeping and dazed patients coming out of anesthesia. My doctor soon came by and let me know that everything went fine and he was going to let my designated person come in to see me. (It's an out-patient procedure, but they require that someone sign you out and leave with you so they can feel like they didn't send you out into the world all alone, without someone to get you home safely.) Just half an hour later I was allowed to leave. I felt�empty. But otherwise, really, really, hungry. I ate lunch with my friend at Dao Palate and went home to sleep for several hours.

A few days later, the GI doc called with the lab's results. "Normal! Isn't that great!" Well, I guess, but that gave me no more information than I had had before. I went back to my regular doctor to get her interpretation. She suggested I might have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which, like any syndrome, seems to be a blanket term for a bunch of ailments that are mostly inexplicable. It's not curable and doesn't do any actual physiological damage. So I really didn't want to accept that all my problems could be lumped under this murky disorder.

And then she said the thing that capped off my pursuit of answers from the medical community: "But, you know your body best, and if you don't feel good when you eat gluten, don't eat it." Well, fuck! Thank you and may I please have my $2,000 back? Also my colon tissue?

So I went back to my diet for answers. More on that next time.

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Natural Expo West Part IV: Vegan Odds & Vegan Ends

daniellekonyaismyhero@supervegan.com (Andrea Wachner) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:26:51 EDT

Are your eyes as tired from reading all these posts as my body was from canvassing probably 50% of The Expo? Well, we're almost there. Just gotta tie up all the loose odds & ends, in this, the final chapter-- MISCELLANEOUS YUMS.

EDIBLE ACCESSORIES

Earth Balance Coconut Spread

I was not going to try this stuff, cause really, when you're in Candyland, who needs a piece of toast with butter? I also had it in my head, for unknown reasons, that it would be sweet, so it was just pure gluttony that landed this sample in my mouth. What a pleasant surprise! Perhaps it's because it had been out instead of in the fridge like I keep my marg, but it was super spready, extra extra salty, and not really coconutey at all. It was high on yums. I feel compelled to hunt down a tub as soon as the one I'm currently working my way through runs dry. It also says it's great for baking and cooking, and I like to eat baked and cooked foods, so, bonus!

Vegenaise

Vegenaise is not new, you balk! No, it's not, but their new line of flavored mayos and sauces are and holy wows were they good. New products include: Horseradish Sauce, Tartar Sauce, Roasted Garlic Vegenaise, Barbecue Vegenaise, Chipotle Vegenaise and Pesto Vegenaise. The chipotle and the pesto were particularly awesome and I love anything horseradish. Figure out something to make with these and get some immediately. Or, just put stop at your local Pommes Frite shoppe on your way home and slather 'em up.

Food For Lovers

So in Chapter One, I told you about the Quesos and hinted at more to come. Here is the more: Country Gravy (which they were not sampling) and Chipotle Mayo (which they were)! Last year the lovers had one product and this year they had four! They've been busy and I'd like to thank them for it. The mayo was great and I'm dying to try the gravy. I mean, it's white. Where I come from, gravy is brown, so I'm going to have to look into this. They say these two should be available soon, and most likely in all the same places the Queso is already in. I just looked at my calendar for "soon" and I didn't find it. Could it be tomorrow please?

Green Garbanzo Hummus

I'd like to apologize in advance for my lack of information about this product. All I can say is that I was in a food coma by the time I got to here-- where ever here was. I thought I grabbed some literature on it, but I guess I didn't. And my internet search results for 'Pure Nature Green Garbanzo Hummus' came up with squat. But I swear, this stuff was real, as witnessed by the photo I took of it. Granted that tub was empty, but I swear I had like three samples, It was that good. So if you see it, and you trust me even though I'm totally failing you right now, I'd say buy it. I mean, life is an adventure and we like green things.

Nordic Naturals

The first two rooms of the Expo are dedicated to supplements. I usually high-tail it through to the foods. But this year, someone pointed out to me while zooming past the Nordic Naturals booth, that they had a Vegan Omega-3. Apparently a few companies do, but I only paused at this one (long enough to get a free bottle). Everybody's always going on and on about Omega-3s and their Fish Oil. Blech. I'm not a fan of supplements, as I think they are too potent for your body to be able to absorb much of it, you pee most of it out, and your kidneys don't appreciate it. But if they're going out of their way to make a Vegan version AND they're handing me a free bottle (a $49.95 value!) -- what the heck (see above re: adventure). Unfortunately, I got the liquid form as they didn't have any of the soft gels, but freebies can't be choosers. Made from micro-algae, it claims it's supposed to support normal vision, heart health, positive mood, immunity, and the body's natural anti-inflammatory response but I only started taking it yesterday so, so far all I can report is this: the suggested dosage is 1.5ml, but the dropper only goes up to 1ml, so you have to do one full plunge and then figure out how to get a half of one. Annoying. Also, it doesn't taste like any lemon I've ever had.

And then they lived happily ever after. THE END.

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Natural Expo West Part III: The Sweets

daniellekonyaismyhero@supervegan.com (Andrea Wachner) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:28:14 EDT

This past weekend I was your mouth at the Natural Products Expo West. I've already told you about all the cheeeses. Then I told you about the meeats. Now it's time for the good stuff-- The SWEETS!

Sweet Somethings

Coolhaus
I have to start off with my biggest blunder so that I have time to recover. I've seen Coolhaus trucks. I've been at places where they were and made sad frowny faces cause there was nothing for me to buy and devour. I've read about them and their brick + mortar that opened super close by in November. So thank goodness I was on a path of confrontation on Friday (first was Morningstar Farms, then Lightlife, then Justin's Nut Butter), cause when I stepped up to the Coolhaus booth and asked when o' when will they make me a Vegan Sammie, I was schooled by none other than Natasha Case, CEO, "We DO have vegan sammies!" And then she gave me a Ginger Molasses cookie sandwich with Mango sorbet, right then and there. I don't know how it is that I entirely missed this. What a doof. I apologize, to myself and to you. Let me make it up to us now, by declaring for once and for all, that additionally available at Coolhauses are an awesome Vegan Carrot Cake and Vegan Chocolate Truffle Banana. Holy crap, right? We are the luckiest.

Eat Pastry

Eat Pastry is a conundrum. How is that dough supposed to make it to cookie form? I can assure you that if I had some at my discretion, it would stay in my fridge and be eaten by the heaping spoonful at a terrifying pace that would severely shorten it's 12 month shelf life. Perhaps this stuff should be called Eat Pastry Dough. A line of refrigerated vegan cookie doughs sold in a tub that's not big enough to stick your whole face directly into, flavors include; Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Chocoholic Chip and Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip. And for those gluten-free Vegans, lookin' at you Samantha, there's GF Snickerdoodle, GF Chocolate Chip, GF Sugar Momma. Here's a coupon for $1 off if you're curious.

Healthy Top

Have you tried Healthy Top Whipped Cream? From the MimiCreme people, this stuff will seriously change your mouth's life. I'm not fucking around with you, Vegan People. Go get some right now and put it on anything that will let you. My idea was to get some of this, then walk two booths down to the conveniently located Double Rainbow booth, get a scoop of their amazing soy ice cream and put the healthy top on top, but it didn't last the ten steps it took me to get there.

Choc&Nut

Craving some Nutella? Go forth from your nerd box and get yourself a jar of Choc&Nut! It comes all the way from France. Ooh la la! It's also organic and they claim it is rich in iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, protein and vitamin E. I claim it is delicious and I bet there are all sorts of cool uses for it. Let me know what you smart people come up with.

So Delicious

Almond milk is my favorite kind of "freaky milk", so it makes sense that I really liked So Delicious' ice cream made from the stuff. There are seven flavors (even I could not try them all!); Butter Pecan, Cherry Amaretto, Chocolate, Cookies 'N Cream, Mint Chip, Mocha Almond Fudge, and Vanilla. But, what I recommend, is the Mocha Almond Fudge BARS. These were gooooooood. The chocolate casing was perfect and had crunchy bits of almond in it and the Mocha Almond Fudge almond ice cream inside was, in fact, so delicious. PS- These are also gluten-free.

Hail Merry

I saved the best for last. Now here's my disclaimer: I am totally prejudice against raw food. I am also annoyed by the new trend of combining Vegan with Gluten Free. That said, Hail Merry's raw, gluten-free, Vegan desserts were my favorite new product at the Expo. Their lemon tart in particular was dessert heaven. Put a dollop of the aforementioned Healthy Top and I'm done. I've heard that they're currently on sale at Whole Foods for 2/$7, so you can stock up.

Have we forgiven me? Which ones have you already tried? And what will you try next?

The Expo saga ends with Chapter Four, Miscellaneous Yums, coming soon!

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Awesomeness! Vegan Doritos Locos Taco 'Recipe'!

brownbird@supervegan.com (Rudy Relic) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:00:00 EDT

[I'm up to this vegan challenge...]

The new Doritos Locos Tacos is a Frankenstein-like creation of stoner proportions; Bill and Ted's excellent fast food adventure set to the tune of Dr Dre's The Chronic. Basically, every 12 year old's Mountain dew'd dream come true. And. Frankly. My 12 year old self is one jealous Em n' Effer.

For a professional musician (on a budget) like myself who spends most of his time on the road - Taco Bell is a helluva drug.

I am not going to kid myself, to veganize Doritos Locos Tacos is less about cooking from scratch and more about corralling existing components (and recipes) to create the finished product. Besides 'cooking from scratch' would be a disservice to Taco Bell's commitment to creating neverfreshalmostfood.

First things first, let's work on that shell. To be honest, last time I had a Nacho Cheese Dorito, 50 Cent was still in da club - I don't quite remember the taste I'm aiming for; i just know what I want it to taste like. While there's quite a few Doritos seasoning recipes on the web (mostly not vegan) the clear winner for what I'm looking for is Jenn Shagrin's take on the pumpkin-tinged powdery-paste. I've ~~stolen~~ borrowed her recipe here:

(I've substituted the tortilla chips in her recipe with store bought, ready made taco shells)

RECIPE #1

Vegan Doritos (Shells)

* 1 package Taco Shells
* 1 10oz. block Follow Your Heart Cheddar Cheese
* 1 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
* 1 tsp Garlic Powder
* 1/2 tsp Yellow Mustard Powder
* 1/4 tsp Red Paprika
* 3/4 tsp Salt*
* Dash of Cayenne Pepper

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Grate the entire block of Follow Your Heart Cheddar Cheese as finely as possible, then spread out onto the parchment paper. Place the baking pan in the oven for 3-5 minutes, or until it's fully melted but not burned. Allow the cheese to cool for a few moments, then use a paper towel to blot as much excess moisture off of the top as possible. Repeat the blotting process again after ten minutes.

Scrape the cheese into a bowl, and use a paper towel gently squeeze as much moisture out as possible.

Allow the cheese to sit another 10-15 minutes.

Make your spice blend by mixing together the remainder of the ingredients in a small bowl.

Place the cheese into a food processor, and blend until the cheese is a creamy, dry paste.

And now, the crazy part:
Use your fingers to rub each chip with a VERY thin coat of the nacho cheese paste.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and bust out another large baking pan.

If you don't like a lot of spice, skip the next step and just sprinkle the seasoning blend on when the taco shells are on the baking pan.

If you like a lot of spice, place each cheese-covered taco shell in a large tupperware container or paper bag, and gently toss with the spice blend.

Lay the taco shells out on a baking pan, place in the oven for 2 minutes then turn and bake for another 2 minutes.

RECIPE #2

Part two of my quest involves Taco Bell's mostly-meat filling. A pasty concoction that I assume is their ol' college try at a picadillo.

There are a multitude of copycat recipes out there for the filling. Top Secret Recipe's version seems to be the most consistent (in texture and appearance) and evenly spiced. I've modified the recipe for one package of Yves SoynGround Beef and the absence of (meat) fat.

Vegan Taco Bell Meat Filling

1 tsp oil
1 Package Yves Ground Beef
1 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
3 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp dry minced onions
1/4 tsp vegetable bouillon

Preparation:

Mix together all ingredients except the taco meat. Stir the spice mixture well making sure that all spices have been blended well.

Crumble Yves soy ground beef and brown in 1 tsp of oil; stirring well. Add taco seasoning. Add 2/3 cup of water to ground 'beef' and taco seasoning and simmer on medium low temperature for 15 minutes. Simmer until most of the moisture has cooked away.

Remove from heat when moisture in soy meat has dissipated but soy meat is not dry. Salt to taste.

RECIPE #3

ASSEMBLAGE

There is no 'recipe' for success in this stage of the game; it all comes down to ingredient layering. I used chopped icerberg lettuce, seeded and diced plum tomatoes, tofu sour cream and shredded daiya cheeze.

Taco Train: Filling - Tofu Sour Cream - Lettuce - Tomato and Daiya Cheese.

THE FINISHED PRODUCT

Final Thoughts? 'Duuuuuuude it's sooooo goooooood!'

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Natural Expo West Part II: The Meeat

daniellekonyaismyhero@supervegan.com (Andrea Wachner) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 01:33:41 EDT

This weekend I travelled to Anaheim, California to avoid Disneyland at all costs and attend the Natural Products Expo 2012, a whole convention center full of vegan peddlers. In the first chapter of my epic journey I told you about all the cheeeses that turned my tum into one big fondue pot. Now for Chapter Two: Meatless Technologies!

Meet Your Meeats

Hodo Soy

I told you about Hodo and their most delicious tofu products last year. This year, they had a new item called the v-EGG-an Salad. It's a Vegan egg salad. For some dumb reason that's me being dumb I missed tasting it but VegNews Magazine gave it one of their Best Of Show Awards, so it must be super good. Learn from my mistake, if you see it, try it!

Sophie's Vegan Seafood

Sophie and her kitchen make faux fish products from a Japanese root called konjac. New this year are Vegan Crab Cakes and Breaded Vegan Scallops. I tasted both, but I never liked seafood, even a million years ago (appx), when I was zero to tween and not yet vegetarian. But my brother, a SuperCarnivore said the Crab Cakes were good and that is saying A LOT. Five or six years ago I had to pay him a dollar to taste one tiny sip of soy milk. So if you miss the fruits of the sea, give these a try!

Turtle Island Foods

From the makers of Tofurkey and those Sweet Italian with Tomato and Basil gourmet sausages I love so well, comes a ground beef product also available in chorizo style! They gave us whole tacos to try and they were tasty. If Soyrizo is too spicy for you (it's spicy!) then this stuff will be a better fit.

Manischewitz

From Matzo to meatless burgers! Years of indentured Hebrew schoolitude left me skeptical of these Veggie Grillers, but I was forced to admit that my people can cook. These were some good patties of the "garden patch" variety, but they were savory, not sweet, which is what always annoys me about them. Available in regular and mini sizes, they would be a nice frozen product to add to the rotation.

Field Roast

Field Roast is like the Ferrari of fake meats. Their products look good, cost a lot, and go down fast. New to their product range is a line of deli meats (Wild Mushroom, Lentil Sage and Smoked Tomato) and frankfurters. They were giving out half a frank to people like me and I enjoyed it. I didn't get to taste the deli slices, but the flavors sound interesting, don't they? Way more gourmand then a hot dog.

Upton's

I also finally got to try Upton's Naturals! CORRECTION: They were NOT at the Expo last year, so I've been intrigued by reports of their snazzy seitan products for awhile. This year, four flavors were available: Traditional, Ground Beef, Italian Sausage and Chorizo, I tasted the Italian. Now any SuperVegan knows it's not necessarily the meat but what you put on it, so while it's great that they've grown enough to be able to exhibit this year, they still have a ways to go-- just some ground beef in a cup is a tough sell, but that said, this was quite good. I want to try more like, IN stuff! Seitan, when done well, is my favorite form of protein, so it's nice to have a ground beef replacement made of it instead of soy. Next year can you show us how to take those crumbles and form them into a solid burger? Then I think your booth would be more popular than Fabio's (yes, Fabio.).

Gardein

Gardein is everywhere all of a sudden, aren't they? I think they own all the land surrounding Daiyaville. They had more new products than most other companies had in general. 9 new products! 5 new frozen ones: beefless sliders, zesty marinara crispy chick'n fillets, terriyaki chick'n strips, lightly breaded turk'y cutlet, and southern BBQ riblets.

4 new refrigerated ones: meatless ground, homestyle beefless burger, classic BBQ riblet, and all american sloppy joes.

I got to try a slider, which tasted just like their regular burger but smaller, and the terriyaki chick'n strips, which I was surprised to like. I normally don't care for the sauces Gardein marinates their meats in, but this one was fine, though I only had one bite. Future products include a breakfast pattie, and, let's hope, the retail release of their commercial chick'n breasts.

And, in Vegan Gossip, I gave a couple booths hell, just cause. I chatted with the Morningstar Farms "chef" about why they can't take those pesky egg whites out of their products. When? When will they do that? And even though he said he has been working hard to (he claims over 30 products are now secretly vegan like all the chicken ones), the company's lawyers won't take the egg off the ingredient list for fear of litigation. He said they have fights about it internally, all the time. But when I asked him about the bacon he said, "Oh no, those need egg whites for texture." Boo. Hiss. I also voiced my displeasure to Lightlife, whose new veggie burger is not vegan, and Justin's Nut Butter and their non-vegan candy bar.

That's a lot of non-meat meat! Which one are you most excited to try?

Check back for Chapter 3, Desserts!

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