peanut butter please!

January 6, 2006

January 4, 2006 Name: Meredith Fahn (unverified identity) Age: 42 Location: San Jose, CA peanut butter, please! Comment: Once again, I find myself inspired by Ben Davidow. What a great article! My cat Poppy and I read it together, and it made us smile. Ben is right-- it's not about deprivation, it's about enlightenment. I think I'll pass on the cheese today. This feedback came in response to the following story: Got Vegan?Posted Thu Dec 15 13:06:11 PST 2005By Ben Davidow of Verde Magazine My choice to leave animals and their bodily fluids off my plate has led to some memorable conversations: a fiery debate over the best brand of veg ice cream, an inquiry into the ethics of dismembering and boiling broccoli and good old rants on how messed up animal agriculture is.

Sadly, these moments are scarce in comparison with the same brief exchange I have with non-herbivores day after day. "You're a vegan! That's crazy. I could never do that – I love (insert desired animal flesh or fluid item) way too much." "Well, have you ever given it a shot?" "Yep, I tried for a few hours and it just didn't work out." The impossibility of veganism for my peers can only mean one thing: people don't become vegan, people are born vegan. That's right, veganism is like a chronic disease, characterized by the presence of an extra "V" chromosome (vegetarians have one). Perhaps, vegans aren't even human. They come from planet Vega in the un-Milky Way and are transported via UFOs labeled "veg-fed" and "humanely-raised" to the meat aisle of a grocery shop near you. Fortunately, this is not what happened to me.

I was not born with a preference for lima beans over lamb chops or Zen Palette over KFC. By kindergarten, I had seen half of the Kingdom Animalia on my dinner plate. Tokyo Subway was my favorite; I would down plate after plate of their chicken teriyaki. Bacon, Happy Meals, Roundtable, salmon, beef jerky; you name it, I ate it. That was all until a "Jerry Springer" hot dog moment and an accidental click on my computer mouse, as you will soon see. In this article, I will answer the "whats,whys" and "hows" of what I have found to be a radically sensible and ridiculously enlightening lifestyle. In short, I will tell you why I have decided to go with the plants, stay with the plants, and leave the animals alone. The other day I had a pleasant talk with Dictionary.com. She told me a vegan is "A vegetarian who eats plant products only – especially one who uses no products derived from animals, such as fur or leather." Which reminds me,

Mr. Thesaurus and I are having a BBQ tonight, come on over. Our veggie kabobs are beyond words. "I'll be there," I say, unable to find a synonym for my joy. But then I remember I can't go — it would be so hypocritical. I would have to walk on cement or travel by bike or car. Sound harmless? Think again; cement, car and bike tires all commonly contain animal products, like gelatin. It is simply impossible and potentially counterproductive to avoid 100% of animal products.There are many terrible reasons not to embrace veganism, but I think the worst is this: "I can only go 99% of the way so what's the point?" I think that it is more hypocritical to not pursue one's values at all than to only adhere to them 99% of the time. Ultimately, each vegan has to decide how far he or she wishes to go. That said, please don't call yourself a vegan if you just can't resist an occassional BLT. The perplexing question: if

people are not born vegan, why would they ever become vegan? A profound question like this deserves a meaty answer so I take you back to a family barbecue almost 10 years ago. My sister and I vie for the last hot dog, and I know I cannot win because I've had two, and she only one. So my ingenious solution: "I declare myself vegetarian!" Just like this I killed two birds with one stone (or to be veg-friendy, two stoners with one bird). I resolved the argument and forever eliminated a subtle discomfort with eating meat that had been building for some months. I just could not reconcile petting one animal (my dear cat Fluffy) while digesting another. Instead of selling my cat, I gave up meat. But I digress. For years I still looked at vegans as being pretty strange – after all, the earliest memory of a vegan I had was a scrawny camp counselor who wore bright orange overalls. Doing research for another Verde

article last year, I stumbled upon a Web site where I found out more than I wanted to. Twelve minutes of footage showed pigs in gestation crates, dairy cows with enlarged and infected udders and hens stacked in cages by the thousands, each crammed into a space smaller than this piece of paper. "These must be extreme cases," I assured myself. However, when I looked further into the issue, I discovered that what I saw are not the exceptions — they are the norm. Every sip of milk or bite into an omelet was a statement I was simply not willing to make — "This is O.K." In short, it was a vote for the continuation of the cruelty I witnessed on my laptop. Again, I gave up eggs and dairy, and kept my cat (my short-legged, but beloved Puddles). My research into animal agriculture has confirmed an inherent and disturbing pattern: the second the dollar becomes the focus and animals and their products become no more than

commodities, maltreatment is inevitable. Animals, more than any other oppressed group in our society, cannot speak up for themselves. When is the last time you saw an actual chicken demonstrating outside of KFC? You are the only voice the animals have. The meat and dairy industry do not merely strive on the ignorance of consumers; they depend upon it. Ten billion chickens, cows, pigs, and other individuals are being systematically abused in this nation because most consumers are either unaware about their situation or simply do not want to think about the matter. I never wanted to think about it. When I first thought about going vegan I toured the local herbivorous community by attending vegan potlucks and dinners. To my surprise, I found no one dressed in orange overalls. The real surprise, though, was how much these people talked about food. "You should try my banana spice pancakes," or "you ought to check

out The Uncheese Cookbook." How ironic, I thought; after all, hadn't vegans mutated their food pyramid into some deficiently shaped rhombus as a sacrifice for a greater good? Shouldn't they be reminiscing about the good old days of eating pork rinds and moldy cheese? Nope. The funny thing is that veganism (if it's done right) is not about deprivation, it's about expansion – exploring new foods, new flavors and new styles. When someone asks me what I eat, I say, "look around." We live in a world of abundance. Thousands of varieties of beans, lentils, vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and spices that can be combined, sautéed, wrapped, barbecued or blended into an infinite number of dishes. So why should we depend upon the same handful of species and their secretions day after day? The great thing is that you don't have to give up on the familiar tastes and textures of flesh. Nowadays you will find a variety of

animal-free meats at any grocer – everything from "buffalo wings" to "bacon." Some more good news: cow's milk is not the only kind of milk. Soy milk, almond milk and rice milk are all great by themselves or in recipes to get a creamy feel. Store-bought vegan cheese is risky, so I would suggest making cheese from scratch. Nutritional yeast is a versatile inactive form of yeast rich in B vitamins and protein that can be used to make great cheese substitutes. To replace eggs in baked goods you can use Enner-G egg replacer sold in cartons at most grocers, flaxseed meal, applesauce or bananas depending on the recipe. Want to make an omelet? Try scrambled tofu. What's on your mind, though, is protein. I am not telepathic, but I know where we are — America, the land where the meat and dairy industry practically force us into worship three times a day; that's right, morning, afternoon, and evening prayer services to

the almighty Protein. Tyson Foods does not tell you about the holiness of algae, nuts, beans, grains like amaranth and quinoa, sprouted seeds and soy products like soy milk, tofu, tempeh and miso. Going vegan is not hard. If you're smart, don't go "Cold Tofurky." Even worse, don't attempt the old "let's see who can avoid animal products" longer competition, (I already beat both of you). The good news is that I just thought up the Three Step Going Green approach that I wish I had followed. Step #1: Become aware, and meditate on why the heck you are going vegan. The best book I can recommend is Erik Marcus's Meat Market: Animals, Ethics, and Money. Written in 2004, this book investigates the suffering of farm animals and proposes a whole new approach to animal advocacy. If you're too lazy to read a book, check out http://www.vegan.com,

the site where Marcus posts his weekly podcast, "Erik's Diner," full of news, interviews, and cooking segments. Check out the movies The Witness, Peaceable Kingdom and A Cow at my Table which are all powerful films on these issues. When you can no longer look at cheese without thinking of veal (oh, you'll know what I mean), you're ready for step 2. With a strong ethical and emotional basis for going vegan, you will have the drive to explore new ways to eat deliciously. Step #2: Find the vegans and find the food. San Francisco Bay Area Vegetarians is a huge local group of people who hold vegan dinners, potlucks as well as demonstrations and lectures. You can find a calendar of their events at http://www.bayareaveg.org/events.htm. Attend several of these events and inquire into people's lifestyles while sampling new plant-based foods. Just don't tell anybody you're not

vegan if you want to come out in one piece. I'm kidding. At the same time pick up some vegan cookbooks from the library, and try a new thing each week. Check out the Bay Leaf Café and Garden Fresh, two exclusively vegan and exclusively delicious restaurants within just 10 minutes of Palo Alto High School. Step #3: Go with the plants and stay with the plants, and leave the animals alone. That said, be patient with yourself; veganism is quite a change, and everyone adjusts differently. Remember that it should not be about will power, but rather about exploring new foods and naturally crowding out the animal products with alternatives. It would be unfair of me to let you go onto the next page without informing you as to the best reason not to go vegan. Veganism is not considered "normal" — a few decades down the line I think it will be, but now it's 2006 and vegans are the minority. As

you all know, minorities are marginalized and stereotyped in different ways and to different degrees. "You animal lover, you plant killer, you plant lover, you animal killer." This is about as bad as it gets, and I can handle it. So right now I am munching on my homemade fried "chicken," and it's finger lickin' good, but doesn't taste like Colonel Sanders. Come join me – go with the slithy toves and leave the jubjub birds off the plate. Resources Films: The Witness; Peaceable Kingdom; A Cow at my Table Websites: http://www.vegan.com; http://www.bayareaveg.org Books: Meat Market: Animals, Ethics, and Money, Erik Marcus; Vegan Freak, Jenna and Bob

Torres; Becoming Vegan, Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina Recipes: Vegan Planet, Robin Robertson, http://www.theppk.com/recipes Peter H

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January 6, 2006

great..now i'm hungry.... peter hurd Jan 6, 2006 10:17 AM Re: peanut butter please!

Date:

January 4, 2006

Name:

Meredith Fahn (unverified identity)

Age:

42

Location:

San Jose, CA

Subject:

peanut butter, please!

Comment: Once again, I find myself inspired by Ben Davidow. What a great article! My cat Poppy and I read it together, and it made us smile. Ben is right-- it's not about deprivation, it's about enlightenment. I think I'll pass on the cheese today.

This feedback came in response to the following story:

Got Vegan?Posted Thu Dec 15 13:06:11 PST 2005By Ben Davidow of Verde Magazine My choice to leave animals and their bodily fluids off my plate has led to some memorable conversations: a fiery debate over the best brand of veg ice cream, an inquiry into the ethics of dismembering and boiling broccoli and good old rants on how messed up animal agriculture is.

Sadly, these moments are scarce in comparison with the same brief exchange I have with non-herbivores day after day.

"You're a vegan! That's crazy. I could never do that I love (insert desired animal flesh or fluid item) way too much."

"Well, have you ever given it a shot?"

"Yep, I tried for a few hours and it just didn't work out."

The impossibility of veganism for my peers can only mean one thing: people don't become vegan, people are born vegan. That's right, veganism is like a chronic disease, characterized by the presence of an extra "V" chromosome (vegetarians have one).

Perhaps, vegans aren't even human. They come from planet Vega in the un-Milky Way and are transported via UFOs labeled "veg-fed" and "humanely-raised" to the meat aisle of a grocery shop near you.

Fortunately, this is not what happened to me. I was not born with a preference for lima beans over lamb chops or Zen Palette over KFC. By kindergarten, I had seen half of the Kingdom Animalia on my dinner plate. Tokyo Subway was my favorite; I would down plate after plate of their chicken teriyaki. Bacon, Happy Meals, Roundtable, salmon, beef jerky; you name it, I ate it.

That was all until a "Jerry Springer" hot dog moment and an accidental click on my computer mouse, as you will soon see. In this article, I will answer the "whats,whys" and "hows" of what I have found to be a radically sensible and ridiculously enlightening lifestyle. In short, I will tell you why I have decided to go with the plants, stay with the plants, and leave the animals alone.

The other day I had a pleasant talk with Dictionary.com. She told me a vegan is "A vegetarian who eats plant products only especially one who uses no products derived from animals, such as fur or leather." Which reminds me, Mr. Thesaurus and I are having a BBQ tonight, come on over. Our veggie kabobs are beyond words.

"I'll be there," I say, unable to find a synonym for my joy. But then I remember I can't go it would be so hypocritical. I would have to walk on cement or travel by bike or car. Sound harmless? Think again; cement, car and bike tires all commonly contain animal products, like gelatin. It is simply impossible and potentially counterproductive to avoid 100% of animal products.There are many terrible reasons not to embrace veganism, but I think the worst is this: "I can only go 99% of the way so what's the point?" I think that it is more hypocritical to not pursue one's values at all than to only adhere to them 99% of the time. Ultimately, each vegan has to decide how far he or she wishes to go. That said, please don't call yourself a vegan if you just can't resist an occassional BLT.

The perplexing question: if people are not born vegan, why would they ever become vegan? A profound question like this deserves a meaty answer so I take you back to a family barbecue almost 10 years ago. My sister and I vie for the last hot dog, and I know I cannot win because I've had two, and she only one. So my ingenious solution: "I declare myself vegetarian!"

Just like this I killed two birds with one stone (or to be veg-friendy, two stoners with one bird). I resolved the argument and forever eliminated a subtle discomfort with eating meat that had been building for some months. I just could not reconcile petting one animal (my dear cat Fluffy) while digesting another. Instead of selling my cat, I gave up meat.

But I digress. For years I still looked at vegans as being pretty strange after all, the earliest memory of a vegan I had was a scrawny camp counselor who wore bright orange overalls. Doing research for another Verde article last year, I stumbled upon a Web site where I found out more than I wanted to. Twelve minutes of footage showed pigs in gestation crates, dairy cows with enlarged and infected udders and hens stacked in cages by the thousands, each crammed into a space smaller than this piece of paper. "These must be extreme cases," I assured myself.

However, when I looked further into the issue, I discovered that what I saw are not the exceptions they are the norm. Every sip of milk or bite into an omelet was a statement I was simply not willing to make "This is O.K." In short, it was a vote for the continuation of the cruelty I witnessed on my laptop. Again, I gave up eggs and dairy, and kept my cat (my short-legged, but beloved Puddles).

My research into animal agriculture has confirmed an inherent and disturbing pattern: the second the dollar becomes the focus and animals and their products become no more than commodities, maltreatment is inevitable.

Animals, more than any other oppressed group in our society, cannot speak up for themselves. When is the last time you saw an actual chicken demonstrating outside of KFC? You are the only voice the animals have.

The meat and dairy industry do not merely strive on the ignorance of consumers; they depend upon it. Ten billion chickens, cows, pigs, and other individuals are being systematically abused in this nation because most consumers are either unaware about their situation or simply do not want to think about the matter. I never wanted to think about it.

When I first thought about going vegan I toured the local herbivorous community by attending vegan potlucks and dinners. To my surprise, I found no one dressed in orange overalls. The real surprise, though, was how much these people talked about food. "You should try my banana spice pancakes," or "you ought to check out The Uncheese Cookbook." How ironic, I thought; after all, hadn't vegans mutated their food pyramid into some deficiently shaped rhombus as a sacrifice for a greater good? Shouldn't they be reminiscing about the good old days of eating pork rinds and moldy cheese?

Nope. The funny thing is that veganism (if it's done right) is not about deprivation, it's about expansion exploring new foods, new flavors and new styles. When someone asks me what I eat, I say, "look around." We live in a world of abundance. Thousands of varieties of beans, lentils, vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and spices that can be combined, sautéed, wrapped, barbecued or blended into an infinite number of dishes. So why should we depend upon the same handful of species and their secretions day after day?

The great thing is that you don't have to give up on the familiar tastes and textures of flesh. Nowadays you will find a variety of animal-free meats at any grocer everything from "buffalo wings" to "bacon." Some more good news: cow's milk is not the only kind of milk. Soy milk, almond milk and rice milk are all great by themselves or in recipes to get a creamy feel.

Store-bought vegan cheese is risky, so I would suggest making cheese from scratch. Nutritional yeast is a versatile inactive form of yeast rich in B vitamins and protein that can be used to make great cheese substitutes. To replace eggs in baked goods you can use Enner-G egg replacer sold in cartons at most grocers, flaxseed meal, applesauce or bananas depending on the recipe. Want to make an omelet? Try scrambled tofu.

What's on your mind, though, is protein. I am not telepathic, but I know where we are America, the land where the meat and dairy industry practically force us into worship three times a day; that's right, morning, afternoon, and evening prayer services to the almighty Protein. Tyson Foods does not tell you about the holiness of algae, nuts, beans, grains like amaranth and quinoa, sprouted seeds and soy products like soy milk, tofu, tempeh and miso.

Going vegan is not hard. If you're smart, don't go "Cold Tofurky." Even worse, don't attempt the old "let's see who can avoid animal products" longer competition, (I already beat both of you). The good news is that I just thought up the Three Step Going Green approach that I wish I had followed.

Step #1: Become aware, and meditate on why the heck you are going vegan. The best book I can recommend is Erik Marcus's Meat Market: Animals, Ethics, and Money. Written in 2004, this book investigates the suffering of farm animals and proposes a whole new approach to animal advocacy. If you're too lazy to read a book, check out http://www.vegan.com, the site where Marcus posts his weekly podcast, "Erik's Diner," full of news, interviews, and cooking segments. Check out the movies The Witness, Peaceable Kingdom and A Cow at my Table which are all powerful films on these issues.

When you can no longer look at cheese without thinking of veal (oh, you'll know what I mean), you're ready for step 2. With a strong ethical and emotional basis for going vegan, you will have the drive to explore new ways to eat deliciously.

Step #2: Find the vegans and find the food. San Francisco Bay Area Vegetarians is a huge local group of people who hold vegan dinners, potlucks as well as demonstrations and lectures. You can find a calendar of their events at http://www.bayareaveg.org/events.htm. Attend several of these events and inquire into people's lifestyles while sampling new plant-based foods. Just don't tell anybody you're not vegan if you want to come out in one piece. I'm kidding.

At the same time pick up some vegan cookbooks from the library, and try a new thing each week. Check out the Bay Leaf Café and Garden Fresh, two exclusively vegan and exclusively delicious restaurants within just 10 minutes of Palo Alto High School.

Step #3: Go with the plants and stay with the plants, and leave the animals alone. That said, be patient with yourself; veganism is quite a change, and everyone adjusts differently. Remember that it should not be about will power, but rather about exploring new foods and naturally crowding out the animal products with alternatives.

It would be unfair of me to let you go onto the next page without informing you as to the best reason not to go vegan. Veganism is not considered "normal" a few decades down the line I think it will be, but now it's 2006 and vegans are the minority. As you all know, minorities are marginalized and stereotyped in different ways and to different degrees. "You animal lover, you plant killer, you plant lover, you animal killer." This is about as bad as it gets, and I can handle it.

So right now I am munching on my homemade fried "chicken," and it's finger lickin' good, but doesn't taste like Colonel Sanders. Come join me go with the slithy toves and leave the jubjub birds off the plate.

Resources

Films: The Witness; Peaceable Kingdom; A Cow at my Table

Websites: http://www.vegan.com; http://www.bayareaveg.org

Books: Meat Market: Animals, Ethics, and Money, Erik Marcus; Vegan Freak, Jenna and Bob Torres; Becoming Vegan, Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina

Recipes: Vegan Planet, Robin Robertson, http://www.theppk.com/recipes

Peter H

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January 9, 2006

What a great article! My fav line was "2 Stoners with 1 Bird"! I think that's what I've been doing, crouding out bad choices with good. Slow changes and improvements. The meat products were easy to give up, I think, but it's also easy to be a veg*n who makes poor nutrition choices.peter hurd <swpgh01 wrote: January 4, 2006 Name: Meredith Fahn (unverified identity) Age: 42 Location: San Jose, CA peanut butter, please! Comment: Once again, I find myself inspired by Ben Davidow. What a great article! My cat Poppy and I read it together, and it made us smile. Ben is right-- it's not about deprivation, it's about enlightenment. I think I'll pass on the cheese today. This feedback came in response to the following story: Got Vegan?Posted Thu Dec 15 13:06:11 PST 2005By Ben Davidow of Verde Magazine My choice to leave animals and their bodily fluids off my plate has led to some memorable conversations: a fiery debate over the best brand of veg ice cream, an inquiry into the ethics of dismembering and boiling broccoli and good old rants on how messed up animal agriculture is. Sadly, these moments are scarce in comparison with the same brief exchange I have with non-herbivores day after day. "You're a vegan! That's crazy. I could never do that – I love (insert desired animal flesh or fluid item) way too much." "Well, have you ever given it a shot?" "Yep, I tried for a few hours and it just didn't work out." The impossibility of veganism for

my peers can only mean one thing: people don't become vegan, people are born vegan. That's right, veganism is like a chronic disease, characterized by the presence of an extra "V" chromosome (vegetarians have one). Perhaps, vegans aren't even human. They come from planet Vega in the un-Milky Way and are transported via UFOs labeled "veg-fed" and "humanely-raised" to the meat aisle of a grocery shop near you. Fortunately, this is not what happened to me. I was not born with a preference for lima beans over lamb chops or Zen Palette over KFC. By kindergarten, I had seen half of the Kingdom Animalia on my dinner plate. Tokyo Subway was my favorite; I would down plate after plate of their chicken teriyaki. Bacon, Happy Meals, Roundtable, salmon, beef jerky; you name it, I ate it. That was all until a "Jerry Springer" hot dog moment and an accidental click on my computer mouse, as you will soon see. In this

article, I will answer the "whats,whys" and "hows" of what I have found to be a radically sensible and ridiculously enlightening lifestyle. In short, I will tell you why I have decided to go with the plants, stay with the plants, and leave the animals alone. The other day I had a pleasant talk with Dictionary.com. She told me a vegan is "A vegetarian who eats plant products only – especially one who uses no products derived from animals, such as fur or leather." Which reminds me, Mr. Thesaurus and I are having a BBQ tonight, come on over. Our veggie kabobs are beyond words. "I'll be there," I say, unable to find a synonym for my joy. But then I remember I can't go — it would be so hypocritical. I would have to walk on cement or travel by bike or car. Sound harmless? Think again; cement, car and bike tires all commonly contain animal products, like gelatin. It is simply impossible and potentially counterproductive to avoid 100% of

animal products.There are many terrible reasons not to embrace veganism, but I think the worst is this: "I can only go 99% of the way so what's the point?" I think that it is more hypocritical to not pursue one's values at all than to only adhere to them 99% of the time. Ultimately, each vegan has to decide how far he or she wishes to go. That said, please don't call yourself a vegan if you just can't resist an occassional BLT. The perplexing question: if people are not born vegan, why would they ever become vegan? A profound question like this deserves a meaty answer so I take you back to a family barbecue almost 10 years ago. My sister and I vie for the last hot dog, and I know I cannot win because I've had two, and she only one. So my ingenious solution: "I declare myself vegetarian!" Just like this I killed two birds with one stone (or to be veg-friendy, two stoners with one bird). I resolved the argument

and forever eliminated a subtle discomfort with eating meat that had been building for some months. I just could not reconcile petting one animal (my dear cat Fluffy) while digesting another. Instead of selling my cat, I gave up meat. But I digress. For years I still looked at vegans as being pretty strange – after all, the earliest memory of a vegan I had was a scrawny camp counselor who wore bright orange overalls. Doing research for another Verde article last year, I stumbled upon a Web site where I found out more than I wanted to. Twelve minutes of footage showed pigs in gestation crates, dairy cows with enlarged and infected udders and hens stacked in cages by the thousands, each crammed into a space smaller than this piece of paper. "These must be extreme cases," I assured myself. However, when I looked further into the issue, I discovered that what I saw are not the exceptions

— they are the norm. Every sip of milk or bite into an omelet was a statement I was simply not willing to make — "This is O.K." In short, it was a vote for the continuation of the cruelty I witnessed on my laptop. Again, I gave up eggs and dairy, and kept my cat (my short-legged, but beloved Puddles). My research into animal agriculture has confirmed an inherent and disturbing pattern: the second the dollar becomes the focus and animals and their products become no more than commodities, maltreatment is inevitable. Animals, more than any other oppressed group in our society, cannot speak up for themselves. When is the last time you saw an actual chicken demonstrating outside of KFC? You are the only voice the animals have. The meat and dairy industry do not merely strive on the ignorance of consumers; they depend upon it. Ten billion chickens, cows, pigs, and other individuals are being systematically abused

in this nation because most consumers are either unaware about their situation or simply do not want to think about the matter. I never wanted to think about it. When I first thought about going vegan I toured the local herbivorous community by attending vegan potlucks and dinners. To my surprise, I found no one dressed in orange overalls. The real surprise, though, was how much these people talked about food. "You should try my banana spice pancakes," or "you ought to check out The Uncheese Cookbook." How ironic, I thought; after all, hadn't vegans mutated their food pyramid into some deficiently shaped rhombus as a sacrifice for a greater good? Shouldn't they be reminiscing about the good old days of eating pork rinds and moldy cheese? Nope. The funny thing is that veganism (if it's done right) is not about deprivation, it's about expansion – exploring new foods, new flavors and new styles. When someone

asks me what I eat, I say, "look around." We live in a world of abundance. Thousands of varieties of beans, lentils, vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and spices that can be combined, sautéed, wrapped, barbecued or blended into an infinite number of dishes. So why should we depend upon the same handful of species and their secretions day after day? The great thing is that you don't have to give up on the familiar tastes and textures of flesh. Nowadays you will find a variety of animal-free meats at any grocer – everything from "buffalo wings" to "bacon." Some more good news: cow's milk is not the only kind of milk. Soy milk, almond milk and rice milk are all great by themselves or in recipes to get a creamy feel. Store-bought vegan cheese is risky, so I would suggest making cheese from scratch. Nutritional yeast is a versatile inactive form of yeast rich in B vitamins and protein that can be used to make great

cheese substitutes. To replace eggs in baked goods you can use Enner-G egg replacer sold in cartons at most grocers, flaxseed meal, applesauce or bananas depending on the recipe. Want to make an omelet? Try scrambled tofu. What's on your mind, though, is protein. I am not telepathic, but I know where we are — America, the land where the meat and dairy industry practically force us into worship three times a day; that's right, morning, afternoon, and evening prayer services to the almighty Protein. Tyson Foods does not tell you about the holiness of algae, nuts, beans, grains like amaranth and quinoa, sprouted seeds and soy products like soy milk, tofu, tempeh and miso. Going vegan is not hard. If you're smart, don't go "Cold Tofurky." Even worse, don't attempt the old "let's see who can avoid animal products" longer competition, (I already beat both of you). The good news is that I just thought up the Three

Step Going Green approach that I wish I had followed. Step #1: Become aware, and meditate on why the heck you are going vegan. The best book I can recommend is Erik Marcus's Meat Market: Animals, Ethics, and Money. Written in 2004, this book investigates the suffering of farm animals and proposes a whole new approach to animal advocacy. If you're too lazy to read a book, check out http://www.vegan.com, the site where Marcus posts his weekly podcast, "Erik's Diner," full of news, interviews, and cooking segments. Check out the movies The Witness, Peaceable Kingdom and A Cow at my Table which are all powerful films on these issues. When you can no longer look at cheese without thinking of veal (oh, you'll know what I mean), you're ready for step 2. With a strong ethical and emotional basis for going vegan, you will have the drive to explore new ways to eat

deliciously. Step #2: Find the vegans and find the food. San Francisco Bay Area Vegetarians is a huge local group of people who hold vegan dinners, potlucks as well as demonstrations and lectures. You can find a calendar of their events at http://www.bayareaveg.org/events.htm. Attend several of these events and inquire into people's lifestyles while sampling new plant-based foods. Just don't tell anybody you're not vegan if you want to come out in one piece. I'm kidding. At the same time pick up some vegan cookbooks from the library, and try a new thing each week. Check out the Bay Leaf Café and Garden Fresh, two exclusively vegan and exclusively delicious restaurants within just 10 minutes of Palo Alto High School. Step #3: Go with the plants and stay with the plants, and leave the animals alone. That said, be patient

with yourself; veganism is quite a change, and everyone adjusts differently. Remember that it should not be about will power, but rather about exploring new foods and naturally crowding out the animal products with alternatives. It would be unfair of me to let you go onto the next page without informing you as to the best reason not to go vegan. Veganism is not considered "normal" — a few decades down the line I think it will be, but now it's 2006 and vegans are the minority. As you all know, minorities are marginalized and stereotyped in different ways and to different degrees. "You animal lover, you plant killer, you plant lover, you animal killer." This is about as bad as it gets, and I can handle it. So right now I am munching on my homemade fried "chicken," and it's finger lickin' good, but doesn't taste like Colonel Sanders. Come join me – go with the slithy toves and leave the jubjub birds off the plate. Resources Films: The Witness; Peaceable Kingdom; A Cow at my Table Websites: http://www.vegan.com; http://www.bayareaveg.org Books: Meat Market: Animals, Ethics, and Money, Erik Marcus; Vegan Freak, Jenna and Bob Torres; Becoming Vegan, Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina Recipes: Vegan Planet, Robin Robertson, http://www.theppk.com/recipes Peter H To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Security Centre.

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