vegansaurus!

Hey! It’s the world’s first fully vegan LGBT focused cruise! And you’re going! WHAT!!!  »

Sean of Fat Gay Vegan is setting sail on the first fully vegan LGBT focused ~*~luxury~*~ cruise on the Mekong river and YOU SHOULD ALSO BE ONBOARD FOR THE CULINARY SENSATION OF A LIFETIME!!! Sean is the best and this cruise will definitely be the best and I am so jealous that you get to go on this!!! All the details here and please bring me back some bonbons please and thank you!!!

p.s. LOOK AT YOUR ROOM HOLY S!!!!!!!

SF: There’s a Party in Our Plants this Earth Day!  »

Hey Bay Area! What are you doing for the most important holiday of the year? No, not my birthday, silly! I mean Earth Day! Why not head on over to Cole Valley and try this beautiful vegan burger at Earthie’s Drive Thru’s “There’s a Party in Our Plants” popup! 

Info:

On April 22nd, we’re introducing San Francisco to the best burger on Earth, made out of one simple ingredient: plants. But don’t let that word fool you – this isn’t your typical veggie burger. We’ve created something so satisfying, you’ll have a hard time believing it’s better for you and for the planet. Plus, we’re planting a tree for every burger we make.

Sunday, April 22nd, 2018, 5pm-8pm
205 Frederick Street, SF 94117

You can order fries and homemade sodas with your burger too. There won’t be tickets or anything but I’m told they’ll likely sell out so try to get there early! If you sign up on their site, you’ll get an email with a $1 off coupon. HUZZAH!

Recipe: Vegan Crostini-a-Go-Go! The greatest party food of all time!  »

You may be asking yourself, wtf is Crostini-a-Go-Go? Well it’s a recipe I invented when I was a wee pre-vegan lass. It’s crostini that you eat like nachos! I used to make it with brie so when I went vegan, I never made it again…until now! I haven’t found the perfect vegan “brie” yet but you know I love Punk Rawk Labs cheese so I decided to use that. It obvi doesn’t melt like brie…which is part of the point of Crostini-a-Go-Go…but the flavor was perf so I was pleased with the results. The recipe sounds kind of involved but it’s really not that difficult; there are a few diff parts but each is super easy to do. Here’s what it consists of (though there’s plenty of room to make your own variations!):

Crostini
Apple Compote
Berry Compote
Soft Vegan Nut Cheese
Pecans

So, let’s get to cooking!

Ok so it all starts with crostini:

Crostini:

1 baguette
olive oil
salt+pepper

Heat an oven to 350. Slice your baguette into thin rounds. Arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet, brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 mins, turning the cookie sheet halfway through. 

Next! You make the apple compote (there’s a berry compote too but the apple takes longer to cook so do that first)!

Apple Compote:

3 or 4 apples (I like granny smith for this–not too sweet)
¼ cup sugar (roughly)
1 Tbs lemon juice (roughly)
pinch of cinnamon

Peel and chop your apples into 1 inch cubes. Or whatever it doesn’t much matter. Then put all your ingredients in a pot. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the apples are tender (looks like mush tbqh), about 30 mins. 

Next, you make a berry compote! I really prefer cranberries but I could not find any in this season! Not even frozen! So I did raspberries. They were yum. You can do whatever berry you like or heck, go crazy and make a mixed berry compote! It’s your world, squirrel! 

Raspberry Compote:

Bag of frozen raspberries (you can use fresh, just google any recipe)
½ cup sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice

Put all of the ingredients in a pot and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. It’ll be like a sauce or syrup p much, not as thick as the apple compote. 

While all this is cooking, you can chop your pecans (almond slivers would be nice too tbqh).

And like I said, I used Punk Rawk Labs cheese but any soft nut cheese should be good. If you know of a yummy melty vegan brie, do tell! Because that would really seal the deal here. 

Once you have all the crostini accessories ready, it’s time to put it all together! Break out a baking dish (I just use a square cake dish–you want something with sides) and layer your crostini. Then spoon your apple compote over it. Then drizzle the berry compote layer. Next you dollop the cheese on top. And finally, your pecans! 

The final step: turn on your broiler and broil your Crostini-a-Go-Go for about 5 minutes. Maybe more, but keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn! You want it a bit toasty but since the cheese won’t melt anyway, you don’t have to wait for that. 

TA DA! Vegan Crostini-a-Go-Go! Now, gather your friends and dig in! You will be the hit of the party!

A smarter, more inclusive approach to vegan education is coming–and they need your help!  »

When I saw the above post a friend shared from Better Eating International, I was like HOLD THE PHONE. In a sea of unethical “by any means necessary” animal rights advertising, THIS is a movement I can get behind! By using inclusivity along with modern digital capabilities, Better Eating International is ready to recharge the vegan movement. Here’s more info on the organization from guest poster Lee Blinder:

A lot of us in the vegan and animal rights community have become disillusioned after watching so many groups fail to provide information about speciesism that doesn’t engage in racism, body shaming, transphobia, homophobia, sexism, and ableism. Better Eating International was created to be the antithesis to those groups and their off-putting approach. It may feel strange to introduce a group’s work by what they are committed to avoid engaging in, but that does seem to be a reality for this time in our movement. Activists who do anti-speciesist work often find that introducing the concept to our audience also involves simultaneously placing specific intention towards countering the high profile actions of certain vegan groups that have served to solidify negative general public perception regarding veganism. 

With all that said, Better Eating International will be creating hundreds of specific personalized, emotional, and factual animated videos that do the work that many of us have been doing on our own, at work, at school, in our communities, and at home for years. They’ll be putting this content at people’s fingertips on technology within platforms that they already use on a daily basis to address the why’s and how’s of veganism. Combining the science behind long term behavior changes (education, access, and support) with social media enables this approach to reach millions of people, while constantly analyzing and improving their messages using a community review process. For those of us in the vegan community who have put our hearts and souls into this work in any capacity, it’s thrilling to see an organization formed that can take our message to so many more people, while using methods that are ethically aligned with the ways we already engage folks in our lives. Treating folks with respect and using a personalized approach. I do want to mention, I am not involved with this project, but it’s existence moved me to write this piece as I am among those who have been waiting for an organization like this for a long time. 

The Kickstarter is in it’s final hours, and the project is 90% funded, leaving only a few thousand dollars left to raise in order to guarantee the funds (and the matching funds) to make this project a reality. Please donate and share widely!

Better Eating International announced their board of directors today May 8th with 5 of the 7 seats filled. Applicants must be willing to commit to 1 to 4 hours of board activity per month. No prior board experience is required. If you are interested, please send a cover letter and resume to Info@BetterEating.com

Say bye to byCHLOE: the soulless meat-mongers are taking over  »

By now you’ve probably learned, via the WSJ, about the dissolution of partnership between Esquared Hospitality and venerable vegan Chef Chloe Coscarelli–the investor and talent, respectively, behind the powerhouse vegan chain endeavor, byCHLOE. This comes less than two years after they exploded onto the NY scene.

“ESquared Hospitality, the New York restaurant company that established the chain with vegan chef and cookbook author Chloe Coscarelli, said it has ‘terminated’ all ties with Ms. Coscarelli and will operate By Chloe without her.”

Good luck with that. This is a curiously bold statement given that the restaurant is named after her and showcases a fixed menu and revolving specials that she and her vegan team spent years creating.

“After the company’s success with its first location, Mr. Haber said he looked to bring in outside investors to help with an expansion. It was at that point that Ms. Coscarelli backed away, he said. A representative for Ms. Coscarelli countered that Mr. Haber didn’t let Ms. Coscarelli meet with a key potential investor, prompting concern about how her vision would be maintained going forward.”

It has been rumored that Chef Chloe did not back away, but instead stood up to a suggested “expansion” that included adding non-vegan items to the menu.

“As a result of the impasse, Mr. Haber [of Esquared Hospitality] said he funded the expansion on his own—the chain already had leases in place for yet-to-open locations—and has invested $10-plus million in By Chloe. ‘The alternative was to let the company go out of business,’ he said.”

ByCHLOE’s expansion was obviously funded by the success and future projected earnings of the popular spot. Anyone who has repeatedly braved the ubiquitous lines is well aware that it would not have gone under without prompting. For Mr. Haber to insinuate he invested solely out of the kindness of his heart would imply a very poor business acumen–particularly since the vegan chain is a labor of love for Chloe Coscarelli, not him.

While the restaurant has been a destination for vegans and non-vegans alike since the doors first opened on Bleecker Street in July of 2015, it’s not been without controversy within the vegan world. The dreamy and delicious fast-casual spot provides a significant menu of innovative, comfort vegan fare in a kitschy and comfortable (yet crowded) environment that quickly became somewhat of a vegan utopia–causing many vegans to complain about such interruptions as non-vegan diners wearing fur and Canada Goose jackets, the current uniform of urbanites with disposable income but no soul. This, of course, was something out of the hands of the restaurant, who is not in any position to dictate and enforce a dress code. Besides, would we rather these people wear fur AND eat animals? Eating vegan is the least these heartless fops can do.

Another complaint was that the partnership with Esquared Hospitality was like consorting with the enemy, since their other restaurants are not vegan. Do we not buy Miyoko’s vegan mozz from the grocery store because they sell meat (hint: no)? With small vegan companies being bought out by non-vegan conglomerates every day, it’s close to impossible to exclusively support 100% vegan endeavors. And, furthermore, it’s fair to say that support of vegan items by non-vegan companies serves to cement the demand for them.

This is not to say that there have not been any valid missteps along the way, but they seem to have been in the aspects of the business that staunch vegan Chloe Coscarelli was not involved in. Early on, there was a blogpost about upstate adventures in the Catskills that not only ceased to mention any animal sanctuaries, but actually went so far as to recommend a sporting goods spot for fishing supplies. An edited version remains published as of this posting.

This awkward interview with a non-vegan chef who did not develop byCHLOE’s recipes was quite the indicator that something was amiss; Chloe Coscarelli’s penchant for uncomplicated but revolutionary recipes is matched only by her charm and high wattage presentation. To not make use of that when promoting a business bearing her name is just silly and, likely, spiteful. It also leaves us with the question, if their namesake is out and their chef is not vegan, who on the byCHLOE team is vegan?

And then there’s the art student curation of their Instagram account which showcases mostly eyeroll inducing “#sourceunknown” and “#pinterest” images that not only have nothing to do with the restaurant and often include non-vegan food items, but also seems to expose a running penchant for building a brand on other people’s work.

All this is to say that if Esquared thinks they can continue byCHLOE without, you know, CHLOE, they may be in for a rude awakening. While there’s no question that the chain is popular among more diners than just vegans, a restaurant can’t survive in the long run on style alone. As for vegans, they know better than anyone that you should always eat your ethics, and that extends beyond what’s literally on your plate.

In the suit, filed in state Supreme Court in Manhattan, Ms. Coscarelli’s attorney claimed that ESquared and its executives were “improperly seizing control” of the company and “forcing out the very chef whose name, likeness and culinary techniques represent all of the company’s value.”

Ms. Coscarelli said in an email statement that if ESquared goes forward with By Chloe, she intends to stop the company from using her name, taking legal measures if necessary. “I will protect the integrity of my brand,” she said.

Chloe Coscarelli has proved time and time again that she is a vegan force to be reckoned with. I first heard of her when her vegan entry won a non-vegan panini contest; she followed up with a splashy win on Cupcake Wars, and then produced 3 best-selling cookbooks in succession: Chloe’s Kitchen, Chloe’s Vegan Desserts, and Chloe’s Vegan Italian Kitchen, all before revolutionizing fast-casual vegan dining on the East Coast with byCHLOE.

I’m sure there is so much more to come from this compassionate vegan; here’s hoping that ethics and integrity win out over greed and power.

5 Extremely Delicious Vegan Snacks I Ate Recently and Want to Share With You  »

The headline says it all. Let’s break down the recent deliciousness I’ve encountered!

1. World Peas. These ranch-flavored dried fava beans are the TITS. High in protein and very tasty!

2. Que Pasa nacho chips. OMG THESE ARE SO GOOD. They are like Doritos, if Doritos weren’t made of garbage and were even more addictive. They have a fiery ranch flavor that’s ridiculously good, too. I really really really love these, and you should find them NO MATTER WHAT. 

3. Date Lady caramel sauce. This is the shit and makes ice cream taste a million times better. Date Lady also has some other gorgeous date products, so if dates are your thing: GET IT.

4. Bare crunchy coconut chips. These are toasted coconut chips in a variety of flavors and they are AMAZING. 

5. Fruit Bliss dried fruit. HANDS DOWN THE BEST DRIED FRUIT ON EARTH. So juicy and flavorful and MWAH! I honestly don’t even like most fruit, and this stuff is like candy. I mean it! CANDY!! 

Some of these products were provided free of charge for editorial consideration, but I would never review or promote something I didn’t LOVE! I’m not a terrible person!

Vegan Outdoor Adventures’ Winter Subscription Box: A homebody’s review  »

If you’re unlike me, you love the outdoors! Swimming, biking, hiking–I’m exhausted just thinking about it. But the one thing that could possibly lure me into the wilderness (i.e. anyplace without paved sidewalks) is a box full of goodies such as can be found in Vegan Outdoor Adventures’ Winter Box.

Jessica Ryle started Vegan Outdoor Adventures as a subscription box for vegan outdoor enthusiasts. The associated website helps you “find everything to compliment your cruelty-free outdoor lifestyle,” including links to vegan outdoor equipment, interviews with nature-loving vegans, and her best tips and gear suggestions/gear reviews. To me, “outdoors” is what I call the walk from my car to my destination or, if I’m feeling adventurous, al fresco dining. But, what I can appreciate about this venture is that they’ve removed the hassle of always having to read labels upon labels to find a vegan version of what you’re looking for (kinda like Mooshoes has done for shoes and accessories) and for that I am grateful.

Onto the goods. They’ve just launched their Winter Box, which contains six items–all vegan–valued at over $50 and selling for $27.

What’s in this season’s box? Glad you asked.

1.)  Light My Fire - Full size combination firesteel & emergency whistle
I’m not what you would consider “outdoorsy,” so I can’t imagine my lifestyle requiring me to start a fire in a jiffy. But, I’m thinking that there are a ton of scenarios where the whistle would be hella useful–for instance, we could get some for the fine folks in the Wapiti, Wyoming school district and tell Betsy DeVos not to let the door hit her in ass on the way out.

2.)  GoMacro - Full size Thrive bar, various flavors, gluten-free
I’m no genius, but there’s no law that says you actually need to be hiking a trail in order to enjoy trail snacks. If you’re a hiker, these are probably the greatest. But, I’d venture to guess that they’d be just as good sitting on your couch binge-watching The OA.

3.)  Woodstock Herbal Products - Sample size of C&F Seasonal Support
I get it, you need to be in top form when you’re braving the elements. Sometimes too, you need all the help you can get after a hot yoga class.

4.)  Apothecary Muse - Full size Winter Warrior lip balm
Who doesn’t love lip balm? I, for one, have at least ten going at any given time: 1 on my nightstand, 2 in my medicine cabinet, 3 in my purse, 1 in the living room, 1 in my mom’s kitchen, and currently 4 at work. Point being: there’s always room for more and indoors/outdoors, who’s going to know?

5.)  Outdoor Herbivore - Savory Lentil Simmer - Full size, 4.5 oz package, gluten-free
I realize that this product was developed to make it easy to cook a tasty and nutritious meal in the wild, but who’s to say that your busy life doesn’t warrant the same convenience at home? No judgement.

6.)  Louisville Vegan Jerky - Full size, Pete’s Smoked Black Pepper, gluten-free
Ok, I’ll admit that I’m going to have to defer to The Bearded Vegans, lovers of all things jerky, for this gem as I was never a “snap in to a vegan jerky” type of gal. BUT, if I were to purchase this box for all of the other items that speak to my (sedentary) lifestyle, I wouldn’t hesitate to donate said jerky to my jerky-loving pals; it’s just good karma. [ed. note: Louisville Vegan Jerky is THE JAM tbh]

Ultimately, “the purpose of VOA’s subscription box is to allow customers to try a wide range of products without having to do research to find out if they are
vegan or not. The products enclosed are some of Jess’ personal favorites.
She has tried them out and loved them. The Seasonal Sample Box is a way to
get these must-haves into the hands of people who appreciate them the
most.”

So, whether you’re an outdoor adventurer or, like me, just someone who likes to try out new stuff, check out Vegan Outdoor Adventures.

  Facebook.com/veganoutdooradventures
  Instagram.com/veganoutdooradventures
  Twitter.com/veganoutdoor

12 Tips for Going Vegan!  »

Pre-tip tip: visiting sanctuaries like Woodstock Farm Sanctuary is great motivation on your vegan journey!

It’s that time of year again! The beginning of the year, when we welcome curious new vegans into the fold. Are you trying to make The Big Change but unsure of how to get started? I’m here to help! Here are 12 of my personal tips for new vegans. 

This is an update to a post I did in 2011; I’m revising it now based on criticism I’ve heard (thank you!) about how diff people have a diff understanding of what’s “easy.” I feel like some of my tips previously took for granted what’s “easy,” when in truth families and food cultures vary greatly!  Essentially, people have diff pressures! So I’ve tried to be more mindful of that. Plus my previous post was like SPEND ALL THAT MONEY! So tryna be more mindful of different people’s economics as well. 

Before we get this party started, I’ll just say I’m vegan because I want to do as little harm to animals as possible. The environment and health are great reasons to go vegan but I am vegan because of the animals and that’s what my opinions and ideas will reflect. If you want to learn more about which vegan foods are best for the environment or what’s the healthiest way to be vegan, there are lots of great resources. This probably isn’t one of them.

1. Take it one vegan day at a time!
When you first become vegan, it can be overwhelming to think of all the foods you’ll “never have again.” When the truth is, you can give up veganism tomorrow and have that hotdog or whatever. Like we won’t talk to you anymore but really you can. Plus, you don’t know what the future holds. Since I wrote this original post, you can now buy vegan eggs, vegan havarti, even vegan pork rinds ffs. You really never know what’s coming down the line. So forget about the rest of your life, just focus on today. How are you going to stay vegan today?

2. Find what works for you!
I mean, of course I want to you avoid any non-vegan food or activities but really, if the thing standing between you and veganness is Thanksgiving turkey, EFF IT! Be vegan all the time EXCEPT Thanksgiving turkey! Like of course I care about turkeys but eating vegan 364 days a year is better than never, yahimean? My family is pretty chill about what people want to eat but in other families and cultures, I know food is really important. If you feel like you can’t be vegan because you’ll break your grandmother’s heart at every family occasion, then you figure out what works for you. Maybe you’re only vegan when you cook for yourself. I mean we may pretend otherwise but there are actually no rules. 

3. Take a meal inventory!
We often joke about non-vegans saying they could NEVER eat vegan food. We’re like…brah, you never had an apple? In truth, many foods you already eat are vegan or could be easily made vegan. And I read once that people basically have 11 staple meals they rotate between. For me, it’s about three. I like avocado maki, PB and J english muffins, and burritos. So, to start yourself off, think of your staple meals and write down which ones are vegan or could easily be made vegan. You like spaghetti? Add some veggies or meatless meatballs and that’s 1/11 meals right there! Make a list of these things and keep writing them down as you think of them. Once you see all the stuff you CAN eat, instead of just what you can’t, you will feel capable of success!

4. Play the game!
You have to have a good attitude if you want to be a happy vegan like me. If you look at like a game, it’s fun to be vegan! It’s all about big problem-solving! When you’re an omnivore, you can eat anything–what kind of game is that? That’s like playing with blocks when we all know Tetris is more fun! When you’re vegan, you’ve got to figure stuff out and find the best way to win. Are you at a super un-vegan restaurant? Hack their menu to find vegan food! On a road trip? Hunt down the best vegan restaurant in the city! Love mac and cheese? Hold your own vegan mac and cheese recipe contest! When you’re vegan, a simple trip to get ice cream is a fun adventure.

5. Stock up!
Your best defense from “slip-ups” is to be prepared! That means taking your list from tip 2 and getting those ingredients. You need food for meals and food for snacks. People act bonkers when they are hungry. If you have vegan food around that you like, you won’t be so tempted to fall off the wagon when you are hangry. I know many people can’t go to the store and just throw down for a month’s worth of groceries, but planning ahead at all is actually a great way to save money. And if you need tips on shopping vegan on a budget, there are many great resources online (this article looks thorough and helpful). Generally, meat and cheese substitutes are usually pricey. If you’re on a budget, save them for a treat or skip them entirely. You don’t have to eat those to be vegan or healthy. 

6. Read ingredients!
While you’re shopping, make sure you read labels for non-vegan ingredients. Easy cheat: most products now have a bolded part at the bottom of the ingredients that lists any allergens–that includes dairy! If I see dairy in this bolded line, I throw the food back on the shelf; if I don’t see dairy in the allergens, I’ll scan the rest of the ingredients to double-check it’s vegan. You will get the hang of this! It’s not so hard! It’s also pretty exciting when you find something that is accidentally vegan. 

7. Don’t forget about fruit!
Fruit RULES. When we think of vegan food, sometimes we think about a bunch of veggies and grains–but don’t forget about fruit! I always have bananas, apples, grapes, and clementines around. Fruit brings back the simple joys of childhood! Fruit makes people happy! Plus, most fruit is good to go. No cooking, no fuss. Easy.

8. Get in the kitchen!
If you have the time to cook, any vegan dream can come true! The best way to learn to cook is just to try recipes. I happen to be a fantastical cook and it’s just because I used to hustle threw cookbook after cookbook as a kid. If you already know your way around the kitchen, you have a head start–now you can use new recipes to learn your way around the vegan kitchen! Vegweb has a ton of recipes and really, there are free recipes all over the internet! Even Vegansaurus has recipes! Besides that, there are SO MANY amazing cookbooks. And as soon as you become vegan, all your relatives will probably start giving you vegan cookbooks for every holiday. You’ll be set! 

9. Don’t be so center-centered!
Modern food in America often seems so focused on some giant, meaty center of the meal you’re supposed to have. Screw that! Sure, vegan lasagna is great when you can get it, but you don’t need some big main dish to have a meal. Eat some steamed broccoli with some couscous and bean pilaf. Hell, throw in some french fries for good measure! This is 2017, not 1950: you can do whatever you want! You don’t have to be square.

10. Remember why you’re vegan!
This is just in case of emergency! Anytime I feel down about being vegan, nothing snaps me out of it more than watching those super-awful undercover factory farm videos. Seriously. Really miss dairy cheese? Watch a baby calf at a dairy farm being held down and punched in the face and see if dairy cheese still seems important. 

11. Find some pals!
The internet is great for connecting with other vegans! I was reading Vegansaurus long before I was writing for it and it helped me out a lot when I first got to SF. Most cities have vegan groups to join or blogs where you can meet friends. If there are no vegans near you, you can still find an online community. Try just joining a Facebook group or commenting on vegan pages. There’s power in numbers, and they always have your back. Unless you’re in a fight about what’s the best vegan cheese and then shit can get really real, real fast. Don’t cut the omnis out of your life (besides who are the next vegans if not those same omnis?) but it’s always nice to be able to turn to other vegans when you need a hug. Except me, I’m not into touching strangers!

12. Spread the good word to the non-vegans…
…in the form of baked goods! It can be tempting when you first become vegan to tell all the non-vegans about the cruelties you’ve learned about. I’m not going to stop you but tbh that can leave you a bit isolated. My personal favorite form of vegan persuasion is yummy treats! If you can buy some donuts at the vegan bakery near you for your non-vegan friend’s party, not only will you have a treat but you’ll expose your friends to the yumminess of veganhood. If you can’t afford to splurge, baking at home is cheaper and just as yummy!

Seriously, being vegan is the raddest best. It feels so good to know that you’re not contributing to the torture of poor adorable animals. Now give yourself a hug! Hell, feel yourself up! Because you did it! And you will continue to do it! One vegan day at a time.