Fwd: Compassionate Cooks Food for Thought Newsletter - September 9, 2008

[Guest guest]

Inspiring Change www.compassionatecooks.com September 9, 2008

 

 

Announcements

 

COLLEEN SPEAKING AT 9th ANNUAL WORLD VEG FESTIVAL IN SAN

FRANCISCO

 

For those of you within the San Francisco Bay Area (as well as

those beyond), I hope you will join me at the 9th annual San Francisco

World Veg Festival on October 4th and 5th. Hear great speakers, check

out fantastic cooking demos, and eat lots of delicious food.

 

 

I will be there both days tabling and signing books, and I will

be speaking on

Saturday from 12:00-1:00.

 

The topic of my talk is No Sacrifice: Upholding our Values and

Honoring Traditions at the Holidays and Everyday. Drawing on history

as well as common sense regarding our seemingly tenacious attachment

to tradition, I will demonstrate that we can indeed adhere to

traditions while honoring our values of compassion. We need not

sacrifice one for the other. Geared towards vegetarians and

non-vegetarians, I will also offer some survival tips and tricks for

the upcoming holidays.

 

 

 

Food Lore: Pecans

 

Is there anything better than toasted pecans? Caramelized pecans?

Prailines? (The answer is " no. " ) Though they tend to be

eaten year-round, the presence of pecans in my home usually marks the

turning of the seasons - from summer to autumn.

 

 

HISTORY: Pecans are the only tree nut indigenous to North America.

The first known cultivated pecan tree plantings are thought to have

taken place in the late 1600s or early 1700s in northern Mexico,

whereas the first U.S. plantings took place in Long Island, New York

in 1772.

NUTRITIONALLY SPEAKING: Pecans are a great source of antioxidants

such as vitamin E, fiber, protein, and other vitamins and minerals.

Contrary to the widely held, but mistaken belief that “nuts are

fattening,” several population studies found that as nut consumption

increased, body fat actually decreased. Clinical studies have

confirmed that conclusion, finding that eating nuts actually resulted

in lower weights.

DID YOU KNOW? There are over 1,000 varieties of pecans. Many are

named for Native American Indian tribes, including Cheyenne, Mohawk,

Sioux, Choctaw and Shawnee.

COOKING You will find many pecan recipes in my Joy of Vegan

Baking cookbook, such as Pecan Pie Crust and Pecan Balls, the

latter of which you can find in the Holiday Cooking

and Baking III recipe packet.

PECAN POETRY The poem, " Shelling the Pecans " won the

Pushcart Prize for Poetry in 2007. Read it here.

 

 

Recommendations

 

I get a lot of questions about what I recommend in terms of

everything from cookware and kitchen tools to books and films. I'm

thrilled to be a resource for people interested in cooking healthfully

and compassionately. My Amazon store

contains books, cookbooks, cookware, kitchen tools, and a huge variety

of food items. NOTE: To help Compassionate Cooks, everytime you shop

for anything at Amazon.com, just use this link.

 

 

To-Go Ware Bamboo Utensil Set Haven't you heard? Reducing waste

is the new recycling of waste! There are sooo many things we can do to

lessen our impact on this Earth, and now that we've all gotten away

from plastic water bottles (right?), let's tackle the wasteful plastic

utensils or disposable chopsticks we get when we're on the road, in

casual restaurants, or order food " to go. " I have the

pleasure of living a town away from the innovator of these fabulous utensils and tiffins (stainless steel food carriers), and I highly

recommend them. You can choose the original bamboo utensils with fabric or the newer ones made from recycled plastic. Both support women-owned

cooperatives.

 

Upcoming Cooking Class

 

SEPTEMBER: DEMYSTIFYING TOFU AND TEMPEH

 

Join us on

September 20th from 10:00 am-1:00 pm for five fantastic dishes

featuring these delicios, healthful, misunderstood foods. On the

menu:

 

 

>> Tofu Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce

>> Creamy Caesar Salad with Tempeh Bacon

>> Sweet and Sour Tempeh

>> Noodle Kugel

>> Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Sauce

REGISTER FOR

OUR SEPTEMBER CLASS

 

SIGN UP

FOR 3-CLASS PACKAGES AND RECEIVE A DISCOUNT!

 

 

 

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

 

Truly, there is nothing more gratifying than hearing from people

who have been affected by Compassionate Cooks - whether it be the

classes, cookbook, essays, or podcast. Here are some recent replies

from people all over the world. Feel free to drop us a

line.

 

 

PODCAST FAN " I've been listening to lots of other vegan

podcasts for the 2 years since I've been vegan. I think I came across

a link to yours once or twice but silly me, thought it was only about

cooking. I wish I had checked it out long ago. This is like hitting a

treasure trove! I'm a huge podcast fan in general and I must say that

yours is one of the very best, I think it's my new favorite overall

and would definitely be my 1st recommendation to any vegan or

non-vegan. "

 

 

NEWLY MINTED VEGAN " I really can't thank you enough for the

podcast and the great work you are doing. Some vegan groups give off a

vibe that borders on militant, making veganism seem difficult and even

unwelcoming. You make being vegan accessible and possible. I never

thought i could do it, but I am! Listening to the podcast and visiting

your website is inspirational. The community on the message board is

encouraging and welcoming because you are at the helm setting that

positive tone! Keep up the great work, and I can't wait for the new

cookbook!!! "

 

VEGETARIAN TURNED VEGAN " My friends turned me onto your

podcast in July 2008. I had been vegetarian for about 4-½ years and

I was trying to phase out dairy from my diet. Veganism was something I

agreed with and supported, but I was having trouble convincing myself

that I could do it. Your podcast was so encouraging and inspiring –

providing helpful tips to go vegan and gently reminding me to think of

the bigger picture – it’s not about me, but about the animals. Of

course, it was not long before I went vegan, and I haven’t looked

back since. "

 

Recipes!

 

 

 

BRAISED FIGS WITH ARUGULA » One of the sexiest fruits on the

planet, figs are delectable served fresh (available June through

October) with juicy pears and a little agave nectar or warmed and

sweetened with a little heat and sugar, like we have done here.

»Ingredients:

1 pint whole fresh figs (10-12 medium), halved lengthwise with

stem removed

1 bunch baby arugula, washed and stemmed

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon non-hydrogenated, nondairy butter (such as Earth

Balance)

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Juice from 1/2 lemon

4-5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 

 

In a large sauté pan, melt the butter with the sugar. Place the figs

face down in the pan, and cook for 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat.

The face of the fig will become sticky and slightly golden around the

edges. Remove from heat, and place figs on a plate, face up.

 

In the same skillet, heat up the balsamic vinegar until bubbly, then

reduce heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes until the vinegar is reduced by

half. Remove from heat.

 

Meanwhile, in a separate sauté pan over medium heat, melt the

nondairy butter. Sauté the onion until tender, approximately 5

minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer

for 10 minutes.

 

In a bowl, toss the arugula with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil to

coat. Squeeze the lemon over the top; toss again. Sprinkle with salt

and pepper to taste.

 

Heap the arugula on a plate and arrange the figs over the top. (You

may slice the figs, if you wish.) Drizzle with the balsamic reduction,

and sprinkle on some salt.

 

Serve warm or room temperature.

 

 

 

" Life-Changing " Podcast

 

CONVERSATIONS WITH STRANGERS (ON LAND AND IN THE AIR)

 

Though I love talking about all things vegetarian with

like-minded friends, my favorite people to engage with are strangers,

whether on land or in the air (on planes). The more time we invest in

conversations about vegetarianism and animal rights, the better

advocates we will be and the more seeds we will plant. Despite the

common assertion that " people don't want to talk about these

issues, " I actually experience quite the opposite. Join me today

as I talk about some recent encounters with strangers on planes (the

good and the bad) and how I responded to some frequently asked

questions about animal rights and vegetarianism, particularly those

that relate to religion. Listen to

this episode.

 

 

Essay - This I Know

 

FROM EXCUSE-ITARIAN TO VEGETARIAN

 

My name is Colleen, and I’m vegan. Before I was vegan, I ate

animals and their secretions, I wore wool and leather, and when I was

young, I even flushed my goldfish down the toilet - alive. My mother

tried to assure me that he survived the sewer system, but I don’t

think so.

 

Before I stopped eating animals and became an animal advocate, I

made some pretty lame excuses justifying my desire to eat them, to

wear them. I often say that before I was a vegetarian, I was an

excuse-itarian. You’ve heard them all: “it’s traditional to eat

animals,” it would be so hard to stop eating animals,” “at least

the cows and hens aren’t killed to get their milk and eggs.”

 

Well, the truth is not all traditions are necessarily worth

hanging onto, it turned out it wasn’t hard at all to change a few

old habits, and actually, cows and hens are killed when they’re no

longer “productive” and “profitable.”

 

So, when I realized that my behavior didn’t reflect my own

values of compassion, kindness, and nonviolence, I stopped eating

animals, and I stopped making excuses. What a relief that was.

 

When you become an animal advocate, you learn a lot about

animals, but you learn a lot more about people – people who try to

catch you at being imperfect or who accuse you of being hypocritical.

They say things like, “you step on insects, don’t you?” “You

drive a car that has animal products in the tires!” Unfortunately,

it’s not a perfect world, and I’m not a perfect person, but I

wonder: do people really believe that we should do nothing because we

can’t do everything?

 

So, I’m here to say that my name is Colleen, and I’m

imperfect. But being vegan is not about being perfect. It’s not an

end in itself but rather a means to an end. For me, being vegan is

about doing everything I can to avoid contributing to the suffering

and exploitation of others, and it turns out, there’s a lot I can

do.

 

Adopting a vegan lifestyle is the best choice I’ve ever made,

and I’ve never had to offer any excuses for it.

 

IN MEMORIAM Living only two hours from Farm Sanctuary's

California shelter, I get up there as much as possible, bringing

friends (and strangers) to meet the residents and connecting with my

animal friends. Inevitably, I have bonded with certain individuals

over the years, and it's always a loss when I learn they have died. I

talk about the different animals frequently in my podcast, and I

memorialize Studley (photo) in my most recent episode (called Drawing

the Line). Studley and Rumi arrived several years ago, having been

rescued from slaughter by a compassionate soul. They were " studs "

used to impregnate the females on a small organic goat dairy, and

since their sperm production had dropped, they were being sent to

slaughter, the fate of all animals used by humans. They were fabulous

creatures, and I've posted some photos of these gorgeous guys at my Flickr account. Though they are

gone, they will never be forgotten. Being at the farm this past

weekend, their absence was noticeable, though I am grateful to

have forged new friendships.

 

 

Compassionate Cooks is dedicated to empowering people to make

informed food choices and to debunking myths about vegetarianism

through cooking classes, podcasts, workshops, essays & articles,

farmed animal sanctuary tours, lectures, cooking DVDs, and

cookbooks