San Francisco Vegetarian Society

Ackee - the national fruit of Jamaica

2012-01-25T17:56:00.000-08:00

Last week I ordered 12 cans of ackee for $99.99 from a site I discovered. Their contact information is at the end of this article. Shipping and handling is free, and it arrived in only 3 days via USPS. The company is based in Florida, so I suspected they might be growing ackee there. The tin clearly states it is the produce of Haiti. Because it is grown and packaged in earthquake ravaged Haiti, it makes me feel good that buying products like this from their country might help their economy out. One can only hope.

If you are not familiar with ackee, it is the national fruit of Jamaica. It was introduced to the Island by the British about 300 years ago. It is native to West Africa. The fruit is cooked as if it were a vegetable - in fact it is often cooked with another fruit - tomato. It is my favorite breakfast, second only to Scrambled Tofu. What does it taste like? Sorry, I can't help you there, it doesn't resemble the taste of anything I know of, so it is indescribable. It does look like scrambled eggs, but that's only because it is yellow. All I can say is that ackee is very delicious.

Typically, Jamaicans will eat ackee with saltfish. In fact, the national dish of Jamaica is, you got it, Ackee and Saltfish. But we vegetarians omit the fish and just eat the ackee. It is delicious on its own.

Here is my recipe on how to make ackee.

What you need:

1 tin of ackee

1 medium to large onion

2 tomato's (or tomato puree as substitute)

Thyme (preferably powdered)

some garlic (optional)
*black pepper

*salt to taste

(*about 1/2 teaspoon - you can add more later to suit your taste)

First open the tin of ackee and drain the water out. Chop up the onions and fry them until almost brown. Now throw in the chopped up tomatoes and stir, cover over medium heat and let them get soft (about 3 min). Put in the garlic (optional), half teaspoon of thyme, about half teaspoon black pepper and salt. Now toss in the ackee. Stir it up over medium heat and let simmer for about 3-5 minutes.

I eat ackee with bread, roti or I sometimes fry up potatoes to eat with it.

Where to get ackee

The place I discovered is:

SturdyMan Inc
8672 SW 55th ST
Cooper City FL 33328
UNITED STATES
866 329-5703
http://www.buyackee.com/

How is it different from the Jamaican ackee?

My mum sometimes treats me by sending ackee from Florida. I believe she gets it for $16 a tin. I live in California, and the closest place to buy Jamaican ackee is in Oakland, and I think the going price is $26/tin. So right off the bat this place is much more economical - $99.99 for 12 cans (with free shipping and handling) so it works out to be $8.33 per can.

But what about taste and texture? This can be subjective, but to me the taste is very similar to what I am accustomed to. Texture-wise there is a noticeable difference. This ackee is more firmer and thus I am inclined to think it might be more fresher. I'm no expert on ackee, but those are my final thoughts.

My cousin Mikey lives in Boca Raton and he is a bona fide expert on ackee. I will post his final judgement when he gets around to sampling this ackee.

Local Love Catering Presents:

2012-01-07T19:23:00.000-08:00

Nikita loves tofu scramble

2011-12-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

This weeks episode of Nikita featured Tofu Scramble. It was made for her by one of her comrades just before a raid. But who doesn't love tofu scramble?? Nikita is a rogue secret agent gone wild, and is vegan. The actress Maggie Q is vegan in real life too.

Economy hitting some veggie jonts

2011-10-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

The Pretenders' singer/guitarist and staunch animal rights supporter Chrissie Hynde has been forced to close her vegetarian restaurant. According to The Associated Press, Hynde had to close shop due to the economic downturn. The eatery was located in her Akron, Ohio hometown.

Hynde posted a note on the VegiTerranean restaurant website on Sunday, saying that she and the staff had tried to keep the restaurant open but that the economic climate made it impossible. The restaurant was open for four years.

What a bum out. I'm a vegetarian and I am sure that it was a terrific joint. Perhaps if the economy experiences an uptick, Hynde will reopen it! It sucks when a cool eatery such as this has to close its doors.

original story by Amy Sciarretto

And the Mahatma Gandhi peace prize goes to...

2011-10-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

Dalai Lama to receive Mahatma Gandhi peace prize in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG: The Dalai Lama will receive the Mahatma Gandhi peace prize, the legendary Indian leader's granddaughter Ela Gandhiannounced here today on Gandhi Jayanti and asked the South African government to grant a visa to the Tibetan spiritual leader to visit the country.
The Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Peace and Reconciliation will be conferred on the 76-year-old Dalai Lama at the annual Satyagraha Awards to be held at the Durban City Hall next Sunday...

read the full story

Yvonne the cow is happy now

2011-10-02T00:20:00.000-07:00

Today is the day after World Vegetarian Day, but its still just the beginning of vegetarian week.
It is also the birthday of Gandhi.

And it is also one month since Yvonne was recaptured. She's in a farm sanctuary now.

Yvonne the cow is caught after three months on the run

The Chinese animal liberation movement

2011-09-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Chinese bloggers caused the cancellation of Jinhua festival - where it is common practice to slaughter many thousands of dogs and eat their meat.

The dog meat festival, held in the Wucheng district of Jinhua in Zhejiang Province, is part of an annual three-day temple fair. The dog market has been part of the fair for centuries, according to the district government’s Web site. Local folklore says the tradition of feasting on dogs originated when Hu Dahai, a rebel battling Yuan Dynasty rulers in the 14th century, ordered all the dogs in Jinhua to be slaughtered because their barking had warned rebels in the city of his army’s approach. His soldiers were treated to dog meat, the story goes, and eating dog has been a custom at local temple fairs ever since.

After Online Campaign, Chinese Dog Meat Festival Is Canceled - NY Times

A movie worth seeing

2011-08-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

Want to see a summer block buster movie, but one which is smart, thought-provoking, and intelligently made? Then look no further than "The Rise of the Planet of the Apes". The preview doesn't make you think of these qualities, but the movie has it, and has it in spades.

I am bewildered as to why the animal rights community hasn't been buzzing about it. The film embodies our heart and soul in every frame of this picture.

youtube preview

I believe this film will touch impressionable young people, as the original 'apes' films had on me. In the 70's, the original films put me on the path of questioning animal experiments and our role in the big scheme of things. Ultimately, I became vegan because of them.

Veganism in Russia

2011-07-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

"Meat-Free No Longer Bourgeois" is the headline in a Moscow article today.

When Ekanga Davova decided to become a vegetarian in 1993 in an effort to cleanse her body, it made her the odd one out in her social circle.

Davova, an Uzbek native who was then 25, recalls her friends' extreme wonder and disbelief with her "new" lifestyle, which excluded meat, fish and poultry.

"It was hard to keep up with it then because there were no other vegetarians around me," she said. "I struggled to find inspiration."

Davova, now 42, works at Cafe Ganga, a vegan restaurant in Moscow, with a staff of about 30 other vegans and vegetarians, and she said the environment for those abstaining from meat is blooming.

Read full article on the Moscow Times

Gone over to the dark side!

2011-06-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

This article talks about Berlin Reed, a vegetarian from age 12, for ethical reasons, but one who has since changed and now not only eats meat but became a butcher by trade.

He still considers himself socially responsible for the treatment of animals... if more meat eaters could be like Reed, more socially aware of what meat is, and consume less of it, then things would be a lot better than things are today.

We all do not have to be vegetarian - that is the message of meatless monday's, but being vegetarian is ultimately the best choice for your health, the animals and the environment.

read the msnbc report

Carrie Underwood now Vegan

2011-06-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

Carrie Underwood has been a vegetarian since age 13 when she learned what happens to the animals on her family’s farm. “And living in Oklahoma it was almost impossible to be vegetarian, so when I moved away — I was about 21 — I became a vegetarian.” Now she has eliminated all animal products from her diet to become vegan.

Read the story here | Carrie's Homepage

Lab-grown meat - what do vegetarians think?

2011-06-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

Meat grown artificially in a laboratory could offer a viable solution for environmentalists who want to cut their carbon footprint but cannot face going vegetarian, research suggests.

Is this a good idea, what do you think?

Read about it from the Telegraph

Chef Bryan Au's New Recipe Book

2011-06-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

Join Eco Chef Bryan Au in his Raw Organic Vegan and Vegetarian Adventure by trying his new RAW STAR Recipe Book! More than 100 new raw organic recipes to delight you and they all only take 5 to 10 minutes to make, no bake tastes great!

Finally fresh, healthy, wholesome recipes that are perfect for the Summer time or any time since there is no cooking you get the most vibrant freshest taste, flavors and totally new recipes to enjoy.

Chef Bryan Au has appeared on TV Shows, magazines, newspapers and major events all around the world. He has made food food Hollywood Celebrities and anyone seeking true health and gourmet delicious foods. Please visit his main website http://www.RawInTenMinutes.com.

Chef Bryan Au also has new RAW STAR Ceramic Knives the World's only Eco Luxurious Bamboo handled ceramic knives that will actually protect your health and food from metal, metal ions and keeps your food fresher longer!

Nikita's vegetarian episode

2011-05-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

Actress Maggie Q is a well known PETA activist and vegan in real life, but a couple weeks ago, on episode 20 of 'Nikita' it was revealed her character also refrains from eating flesh.

a review of that episode is here:
http://nikita.maxupdates.tv/nikita-1-20-glass-houses-review/

Science blogger says factory farming danger to humanity

2011-01-31T23:43:00.000-08:00

A meat eating science blogger concludes that factory farming is a threat to humanity...

http://kingshuk.scienceblog.com/

E-coli to be used as future data storage?

2010-12-30T12:56:00.000-08:00

"Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have demonstrated the ability to store data that is encrypted using bacteria. The team used a colony of E.coli for the demonstration."

"The researchers were able to store enough data to put the Declaration of Independence inside 18 bacterial cells. When scaled up that would mean 1g of bacteria could store a whopping 90GB of data. The data can be encrypted by using site-specific genetic recombination."

full story

Soy and Cancer

2010-11-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

The more isoflavone-containing soy products a young woman eats, the lower her odds for developing invasive breast cancers, according to research presented at a meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research in Philadelphia...

...The study included 683 women with breast cancer and 611 women without the disease. It found that participants who consumed the most isoflavones had a 30% lower risk of developing an invasive tumor.

Examining the data more closely, researchers found that among premenopausal women, those who consumed the most isoflavones had a 30% decreased risk of early, stage I disease, a 70% decreased risk of having a tumor larger than 2 centimeters, and a 60% decreased risk of having stage 2 breast cancer. These connections were not seen among postmenopausal women, the researchers reported...

Soy chemicals may lower risk for invasive breast cancer

A Special Vegan Thanksgiving for you!!!!

2010-10-29T11:04:00.001-07:00

Here at Local Love, www.localloveservices.com, we have so much to be thankful for. Our newborn son, our vegan dogs, our life, a successful vegfest, happy customers and much, much more!!! We wanted to share our Thanksgiving with you....

Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner Delivered 2010 | November 22, 23, 24, 2010

Have a vegan Thanksgiving Meal delivered for your whole family. Save the Earth and have a delicious meal. The menu:

Each person has a choice of 1 entree:
a. Tofu Roulade stuffed with GF cranberry, walnut stuffing
b. Wild rice and Onion Stuffed Delicata Squash with Cranberry Chutney
c. Chili Rellenos with mushrooms, walnut and “cheese”

Each Family has a choice of 1 appetizer:
a. Potato skins with a cashew shiitake cream
b. Cranberry Gelee with pumpkin Flax Crackers
c. Balsamic Roasted Portabella cap stuffed with cauliflower and Zucchini

Each Family has a choice of 1 soup:
a. Roasted Acorn Squash Soup
b. Winter Root Vegetable Bisque
c. Potato Leek Soup

Each Family has a choice of 1 Salad:
a. Garden Salad mixed tossed with a Roasted Pear Vinaigrette with Dried Cranberries and spiced Candied Pecans
b. Romaine and Radicchio LEttuce tossed with Pomegranate seeds, persimmon & toasted Hazelnuts & tossed w Pomegranate Vinaigrette.
c. Salad Mix with Tangerines, Red Onion, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Tossed in a Toasted Pumpkin Seed Vinaigrette.

Each Family has a choice of 2 Sides:
a. Quinoa Pilaf
b. Roasted Yams
c. Swiss Chard with Raisins and Hazelnuts
d. Seasonal Steamed Vegetables
e. Garlic and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

Each Family has a choice of 1 Dessert:
a. Vanilla cupcakes with Strawberry “cream”
b. Carrot cupcakes with “Cream cheese” frosting
c. Mocchiata cupcakes w/ vanilla cream
d. Chocolate cupcakes with “Bourbon Irish Cream”
e. Organic Pumpkin Pie
f. Organic "Raw" apple Cobbler
g. Organic Apple Pie

Price:
First 2 people are $125.00.
Each additional person is Only: $25.00
Add $1.00 for each person to be donated to Farm Sanctuary's Adopt a turkey project.

Delivery to SF and the East Bay on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning.
Book now... we are taking a limited number.

6.00 Delivery Charge to SF and beyond 6 miles in the East Bay from North Oakland.
Tax 9.75%

Local Love | 510-917-0190 | localloveservices@gmail.com | www.localloveservices.com

World Veg Festival video online

2010-10-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

World Veg Festival 2010 was another great event. Now you can see the video footage for many of the speakers online from the comfort of your home pc.

http://tinyurl.com/WVD2010 (external site)

All videos work on my iPad, no flash required!

Honey: To Bee or not to Bee

2010-10-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

So... as a vegan we don't use honey or eat honey as it is an animal product. However, I have been thinking long and hard about honey... well actually the local bee farmer. The small bee keeper that is helping to support the bee populations. The small bee farmer that is helping to keep the farms organic and conventional producing. Bees are extremely important to our eco system. Without the bees cross pollenization we would be farm-less.
Now.... Bees die in the process... especially in the large coorporation bee harvesting. But as I interned on an organic farm... many bugs die in organic farming. To keep our potatoes, tomatoes and many others alive we had to squash bugs by hand and there are approved "organic" pesticides. So obviously, that would kill a bug or too. Now we would also purchase "good" bugs to eat the "bad" bugs, Ladybugs to eat the aphids- so one survives and one dies. And conventional farming.... well all bugs die there- the good with the bad- not to mention killing the soil along with it.
So as a vegan who believes in the importance of the bee population how to we support the small local bee keeper or do we..... Tell me what you think: to bee or not to bee.

Veganchefperiod

localloveservices@gmail.com

NBC comedy raises the meat issue

2010-10-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

The new NBC comedy Outsourced is hilarious, I just caught up with the first two episodes this morning at nbc.com/outsourced.

In episode two, the clash of cultures has the American missing his meat diet while managing the call centre in India. This was eluded to in the first episode, and I'm sure this issue will crop up time and again as the series progresses.

Nice to see vegetarianism discussed in prime time. Outsourced is aired on Thursdays on NBC.

nbc.com/outsourced

World Veg Festival, 2nd day

2010-10-03T10:19:00.001-07:00

I'm inside the main auditorium setting things up for today's events. The fashion show yesterday started 20 min late due to unforeseen technical difficulties but we pulled it off in the end. The surprise ending was brilliant. None other than Dixie Mahy came trotting out down the runway to thrill us all wearing a fabulous outfit.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Bill Clinton joining our ranks?

2010-09-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

Bill Clinton tries to go vegan
"I’m trying to be one of those experimenters,” said Clinton. “Since 1986, several hundred people who have tried essentially a plant-based diet, not ingesting any cholesterol from any source, has seen their bodies start to heal themselves — break up the arterial blockage, break up the calcium deposits around the heart. 82 percent of the people who have done this have had this result, so I want to see if I can be one of them."

See the video from CNN

Processed meat unfit for human consumption

2010-08-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

"The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has just completed a detailed review of more than 7,000 clinical studies covering links between diet and cancer. Its conclusion is rocking the health world with startling bluntness: Processed meats are too dangerous for human consumption. Consumers should stop buying and eating all processed meat products for the rest of their lives..."

link to story

A restaurant inspired Gandhi to the veg movement

2010-08-03T20:51:00.000-07:00

1891 - a London restaurant popular with prominent vegetarians of Victorian London such as George Bernard Shaw inspired Gandhi to be a totally committed vegetarian.

Now there is a movement to make the spot a historic site in light of this.

http://www.thehindu.com/

Vegan Fashion Show to hit SF on October 2nd!

2010-07-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

Get ready for SF's first Vegan Fashion Show on Oct 2nd!

Presented by:

The San Francisco Vegetarian Society & Karine Brighten Events

Emceed by:

Rory Freedman, author of “Skinny Bitch”

Details:

Saturday October 2nd, 2010

5:00pm

County Fair Building, Golden Gate Park

Tickets:

Free with $7 admission to the festival (free for students)

Check out these posts:

http://streetsiknow.blogspot.com/2010/07/help-wanted-vegan-fashion-show.html

http://animalfriendlyshopping.com/san-franciscos-first-vegan-fashion-show-hits-the-runway-this-october/

More info to come in the next couple of weeks - stay tuned!

Karine Brighten
Certified Event Planner & Certified Green Business
www.kbrightenevents.com
karine@kbrightenevents.com
Berkeley, California

Vegetarians are neurologically different

2010-06-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

A scientific study has discovered that, compared to Omnivores, Vegans and Vegetarians show higher activation of empathy related brain areas (e.g. Anterior Cingular Cortex and left Inferior Frontal Gyrus) when observing scenes of suffering; whether it be animal or human suffering.

Bottom line is, if you became veg*n for ethical reasons, it's because you were born that way. Choice had little or nothing to do with it.

Psychology today article

Mike Tyson goes vegetarian

2010-05-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

Reports say former heavy weight boxing champion Mike Tyson has gone vegetarian, and has reported positive changes about his body. He once bit off Evander Holyfield’s ear during a fight.

thaindian report

Huffington Post paints a different story, pondering if his recent plight with PETA has anything to do with it...

Huffington Post

San Francisco declares Mondays to be Meat Free

2010-04-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday on a resolution urging restaurants, grocery stores and schools to observe no meat on Mondays.

Supervisor Sophie Maxwell has been a vegetarian for 35 years and would like to see more people move toward a vegetarian diet.

With that in mind, she introduced a resolution to declare Mondays in San Francisco as "Vegetarian Day."

"I think San Francisco is a food town. There are a lot of vegetarian restaurants and a lot of things that people can think about," said Maxwell. "Not only bring attention to, but think about the alternatives to meat."

Dixie Mahy, the president of the San Francisco Vegetarian Society said she thinks it's a great idea.

"All the statistics are on our side. And we can show you that a lot of the degenerative diseases are associated with a high fat, high meat, high dairy diet," said Mahy.

At Maxwell's urging, the supervisors also took up a resolution that commends local businesses that use cage-free eggs.

read more

View the resolution (PDF)

Below: IDA Campaigns Director Hope Bohanec, Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, SFVS President Dixie Mahy

A useful iPhone app

2010-04-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

iPhone users can now scan the ingredients label on food items to find out if they are vegetarian or not.

http://www.vegetarianscanner.com/

Vegan Rights?

2010-03-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

"VEGANS are to be protected against discrimination – just like gays and lesbians" - The Sun

Vegetarians and vegans should be protected by the belief strand of the equality bill, according to a code of practice published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission...

Story from People Management

Taking fun of these things, a national newspaper in the UK has the top ten vegan jokes.

Dixie Mahy featured in magazine

2010-03-09T09:13:00.000-08:00

Common Ground has a webzine online, with a feature on SFVS's president Dixie Mahy.

commongroundmag.com

This is a Flash based magazine, and you'll have to click ten times to flip the pages to find the article entitled "Pioneering Vegetarianism".

SOUL FOOD-FOR-THOUGHT (Friday 12 Feb)

2010-02-03T13:19:00.000-08:00

Fri, February 12, 5:30pm – 10:00pm

Where
Herbst Theater, 401 Van Ness @ McAllister, San Francisco

Description
SOUL FOOD-FOR-THOUGHT the real roots of liberation Celebrating Black History Month Friday, February 12, 5:30 p.m. Reception; 8:00 p.m. Show Time Herbst Theater, 401 Van Ness @ McAllister, San Francisco Price: $10 Balcony/$15 Dress Circle/$20 Box & Orchestra/$40 Orchestra & Reception Featuring vegan food from Golden Era, Golden Lotus, Herbivore, Loving Hut, Souley Vegan and more. Tickets: City Box Office: www.CityBoxOffice.com or 415-392-4400 Sponsored by SF Vegetarian Society, In Defense of Animals, Go Vegan Radio A Benefit for International Fund for Africa with Silent Auction www.32auctions.com. Starring: Lenny Williams, John Salley, Traci Bingham, Kenneth Williams, Leo Flowers, Reggae, Fua Dia Congo Dancers, plus Dr. Anteneh Roba & Dr. Milton Mills with their message of Health Secrets of Ancient African Diet & Keys to a Healthier Diet Today. Listen to GoVeganRadio on GREEN AM 960 Saturdays 9 a.m. or call 310-804-8864 for more information.

China may ban dog and cat meat

2010-01-29T13:42:00.000-08:00

China is moving forward to ban all dog and cat meat throughout the whole country. In some regions of the south, the practice to eat dog and cats was done by a small amount of people. More recently pet lovers have complained and tried to stop the trucks from transporting the 'goods'.

China: Revolution at the dinner table, no more dog or cat meat on the menu

Gelatin is not vegetarian

2010-01-28T16:10:00.000-08:00

I found this old news article featuring Dixie Mahy, the President of SFVS. She points out the hazards of some foods that may contain non-vegetarian substances, such as gelatin.

Dixie Mahy, San Francisco Vegetarian Society: "Gelatin is made from animal hoofs."
"...A vegetarian is someone who does not eat any meat, fish or chicken."
She says that's why vegetarians don't eat anything with gelatin.
The woman who originally wrote us declined to speak on camera, but she did ask NutriSystem to remove the cocoa and shredded wheat cereal from its vegetarian program.
NutriSystem refused, saying a survey of its customers found some vegetarians eat gelatin, others don't.

The Bollywood Connection

2010-01-28T16:02:00.000-08:00

A recent news article tells of the SFVS running an event 'Bollywood night Friday'.

What is Vegan Bollywood Night? That’s one of our social nights. It’s at the Maharani restaurant and it starts at 6 o’clock for no-host cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, and then there’s a vegan buffet. At 8 o’clock, we’ll watch a Bollywood film called “Kal Ho Na Ho.”

Haitian Remorse

2010-01-16T15:43:00.001-08:00

I have found it debilitating to follow the coverage of Haiti's earthquake. How can we begin to comprehend the suffering and the sheer chaos of the situation? To raise funds for the recovery effort, I'm planning to compile an e-book of Haitian and/or Creole recipes, which are surprisingly few and far between -- at least in my cookbook collection. If you have any recipes, I'd love to see them. Don't worry if they contain meat; I'll find a way to veg-ize them.

Drugged up Cow, boys!

2010-01-08T17:26:00.000-08:00

I was reading an article that appeared on the Yahoo news page last week titled "Pressure rises to stop antibiotics in agriculture". Now to me this isn't a startling headline. Antibiotics are heavily used in today's factory farm system. Just think. When you have thousands of creatures, whether they are pigs, cows or chickens, crammed into the smallest possible situations, defecating on one another and standing in it all day, your bound to get a little sick. Germs and bacterias are in full strength and the animals are in the middle, getting sick and causing contamination to the environment and themselves. It is no wonder that farmers pump them full of medicine and antibiotics, usually even before they are sick or show signs of sickness.

Where do these antibiotics end up? Some pollution is the result, partly by feces and feedlot run-off. Which in turn, ends up in our water supply, contaminating it and then unknown, innocent victims consume this water. Or those that eat the meat from these animals directly ingest the poisons and later have undetermined health problems that may or may not have been a result of this. Then there is the unsuspecting farmer that unintentionally contracts a super virus from his/her livestock. A virus that has grown to withstand typical vaccinations and now are more lethal than ever before.

This is a problem. A big problem. Not only for those that eat the animals, but also those who raise them and those that live in the community. Check out the article and let me know how you feel. I think we cannot support such practices. Drugs are too easily available and are nearly always abused. By eating a conscience, whole food, vegan, organic diet we can stop such practices. Help us all.

Here is the article:

http://tinyurl.com/ydotmxh

Posted with permission from:

Vegan Local Love
100% Organic
100% Local
100% Gluten Free
100% Vegan

Catering and Meal Planning Services

Phone: 510-917-0190 x300
Website: www.localloveservices.com
Email: localloveservices@gmail.com
Blog: www.veganchefperiod.blogspot.com

When we heal the earth, we heal ourselves. ~David Orr

A person is a person no matter how small. ~Horton Hears a Who

A New Twist on the Old Waldorf Salad

2010-01-05T15:47:00.000-08:00

Though it's the dead of winter, my head is into salads. I won't even look at lettuce for a couple of months, but even without it, the options for a tasty first course abound. On my blog, Ms. Veggie's Review, I recently described a wonderful starter made with mandarin orange segments, avocado, and fennel. But right now, I want to share with you a delicious Waldorf salad.

The Waldorf salad is named for the New York hotel in which it was first created, the Waldorf (now the Waldorf Astoria). Over the years, I've had this done a million different ways, but when you get down to it, I think the Waldorf depends on apples, celery, walnuts, raisins, and mayonnaise.

In her book, Vegan Planet, Robin Robertson offers a very creative take on this ladies' luncheon dish. Rather than concocting another plate of cubed apples, diced celery, walnuts, and mayo, Robertson turns it into a pie of sorts. The 'crust' is a simple paste of walnuts and dates pressed into a pie plate and filled with a tangy slaw of shredded apple, celery, dried cranberries, soy mayonnaise, and more walnuts.

Getting your salad in during the cold winter months can require pushing aside any preconceived notions you have about what a salad contains. But once you open yourself up, the possibilities are limitless!

-- Cynthia Marshall Schuman
http://msveggiesreview.blogspot.com

Recipe: Tantalizing Tempeh Grilled Skewers

2010-01-01T08:21:00.000-08:00

The following Recipes were presented at WORLD VEG FESTIVAL Saturday, October 3, 2009 by Jesse Miner a Natural Chef trained at Bauman College in Oakland, interned at Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco, serves as a columnist for VegNews magazine, and presently works as a private chef. Contact information: website: 650-274- 8089 or www.chefjesseminer.com

Tantalizing Tempeh: Grilled Tempeh Skewers
Makes 10 skewers

Ingredients
10 bamboo skewers, soaked for 30 minutes in water
16 oz. tempeh, cubed
1 yellow onion, 3/4"diced
2 red bell peppers, 3/4" diced
2 peaches, 3/4"diced
1 1/2 cup Spicy Peanut Sauce

Steps
1. Steam tempeh for 20 minutes covered in a steamer basket over boiling water. Steaming removes tempeh’s bitter taste and partially cooks it, shortening time needed on the grill.
2. Heat up grill to medium-high heat.
3. On each bamboo skewer, alternate ingredients, leaving 1-2 inches free on both ends. Baste each completed skewer with a layer of peanut sauce on all sides.
4. Place skewers on grill for 7-8 minutes, until grill marks have formed. Turn over and grill other side for 7-8 minutes. Leave grill open throughout cooking to avoid higher heat that can quickly burn your skewers.
5. Spoon extra peanut sauce over cooked skewers

Spicy Peanut Sauce (Makes 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar‘
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2cup water
1 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce, or to taste

Steps
1. In a medium sized bowl, mix peanut butter through garlic together.
2. Slowly whisk in water until a sauce consistency has been reached (think bbq sauce thickness).
3. Add chili sauce to desired spiciness.

Gracias Madre: A Restaurant Review

2009-12-29T20:42:00.000-08:00

December 29, 2009, Tuesday: It is 7:30 pm and I just got off the phone with a friend who reminded me about Gracias Madre Restaurant in my neighborhood which opened a few days ago. I remembered this salutation from my Spanish class of years ago, meaning "Thank you, mom". It was a rainy evening where I live, about 3 blocks away from the restaurant in the vibrant Inner Mission. I don my coat, beret cap, muffler and umbrella to break away from the evening winter chill. I am on my way to the restaurant.

Upon entering the Gracias Madre restaurant at 2211 Mission St (between 18th and 19th Sts), I entered the dimly alfresco entrance and foyer with neatly arranged empty dining tables and chairs. Being a Tuesday night, I thought to myself that it did not look like it has a busy night. This should be a quick dinner, I said to myself, being by myself. The foyer reminded me of a warm rustic setting in a Mexican countryside. The smell of freshly cut dry wood greeted me as I opened the massive wooden door.

As I entered, I was greeted by the hostesses' big smile, twinkling eyes and a happy face. Her name is Aida, as I would recall. I looked around and saw that the restaurant was half filled, yet all the tables were occupied. The tables, of rustic and unstained wood, would seat 6 people at one time. I did not see any two people seating which would have been good for a "dating” environment. You will have to content yourself to share with someone else. This is a "no-date" seating restaurant. On the far end of the restaurant is a sofa dining that also sits 6 people. Definitely a "no-date" seating situation here. I was planning to bring my date here and was just checking the place ahead of time. Perhaps, I need to change my plans.

Since the tables are too large for one, I mentioned to Aida, my hostess, that I will be more comfortable seated at the bar. I chose the far end of the bar, yet close to everyone and my back away from the door. From my vantage point, I have a view of the kitchen, the bartenders, cashiers and everyone involved in preparing my food and serving me. My bartender, Marco, a young and cute Latin guy, poured water on my glass. The glass was clean yet I could smell some strong agent in my water. I requested for filtered water and I was informed that they serve filtered water and yet something was odd on my drink. Marco and my server finally figured out that the drinking glass had been washed with harsh cleaning solution, leaving an unpleasant after-wash smell. My graceful server was very apologetic and tried to find the perfect smelling glass as she went through every glass in the bar, sniffed it, and set is aside and sniffed it again and set it aside until she found the perfect drinking glass. I thought to myself, I wished she would not have done that as I do not want her nose in my drinking glass. Finally, she found the perfect one and I was somewhat happy and unhappy at the same time. The coarse table napkins and silverware reminded me of those used by Cafe Gratitude.

Now, for the food: I am familiar with Mexican food as I have lived in the Bay Area for 26 years and in my Mission neighborhood for 7 years. A few doors from my house, is a family-owned Mexican restaurant Pancho Villa. I would smell their Mexican food everyday, coming home in the evening. Perhaps, the food in Gracias Madre will provide a much better fare as I browsed through the menu printed on a crisp brown paper. It took me awhile to decide as I read the short description on the menu. I wanted the Chiles Rellenos and the Tamales, but I could only have one entree for the evening, as two is too much. Being a conservative as I am, I chose the Tamales as I had them at Cafe Gratitude. I'll have to order the Chiles Rellenos sometime, I said to myself. Now for my appetizer, I needed the help of my bartender, Marco. He suggested Colifor con queso fundido. Reading through the menu description, I see that it is smothered with vegan cashew cheese. As I feel deserving this evening, I needed to order wine, a white wine that goes well with what I ordered. The restaurant does not have a sommelier other than a wine buyer. The wine list showed a selection of whites, reds, non-alcoholic drinks and beverages. I said to myself, I never go wrong with a California wine, so I decided for a Patianna Sauvignon Blanc from Mendocino: crisp, light and not so dry. It had a refreshing taste.

Time went by quickly and before I knew it, my tamales arrived. Ooops, did I forget to mention I wanted black beans with my tamales ? I glanced quickly at the menu and it did not provide choices of pinto, black or refried beans, a precious luxury that I had at Pancho Villa Restaurant. Before I could grab my fork, my ever accomodating server apologized, took my plate as she goes back to the kitchen to accomodate my request for black beans. As quickly as she left, she came back with my plate, to tell me that the kitchen is already out of black beans. Ahem, I thought. Let me give myself the benefit of the doubt. She offered me to try their complimentary bowl of black beans which I was delighted to acknowledge her free offer. Why not ? The universe provides.

Staring at my tamales wrapped with corn husk, I wonder whether this shall be more special than the other tamales that I've had before. Shall this be an extraordinary experience worth the $10 price or ordinary so as not to try it again ? I gently unwrapped the tamales with my knife and fork, savored the fragrance of the corn masa, cut a slice and forked it into my waiting mouth. Hmmm, a little dry for me. I prefer them moist and would be incomparable to the tasty tamales being served at a little known "soup kitchen" in Inner Mission, Centro Latino de San Francisco, where I volunteer. They have the best tamales lovingly prepared by Tomasa Bonilla.

My black bean soup arrived, served in a contrasting white deep bowl on a saucer and round soup spoon. I wish this is better than the black bean soup I had at a restaurant on Grove St (I could not remember the name) several years ago. It was light and refreshing. I scooped a spoonful of my complimentary black bean soup and tasted it but I did not experience the same refreshing taste from years back. Something is missing in the soup which I could not figure out. Out of nowhere and in front of me, I was greeted by a smiling woman garbed in white and draped with black kitchen apron. She introduced herself as one of the chefs in the restaurant. She was gracious to hear my few comments about this, that and whatever.

At the end of my meal, my plates were all clean with no single morsel left. Being so, my brain is telling me that I have no more space for food in my stomach, yet I requested that the dessert menu be shown to me. I wanted something light, so I quickly glanced at the dessert portion of the menu, a coconut-lime cheesecake or a chocolate mousse ? Despite all the delightful dessert temptations, I did not yield to it. It took me awhile to decide but I was victorious not because of will-power but because I was really....really…really full.

Decision time: shall I bring my date here tomorrow or not ? Looking again through the room and checking for a private seating where I could see none, yet something tells me that I will need to try those Chiles Rellenos that I failed to order this evening. Definitely, I will come back tomorrow.

After paying my bill with a plastic card, a boon and a scourge to an American lifestyle, I donned my coat, my beret cap, and muffler and picked up my umbrella to head home.

Gracias Madre

2009-12-28T19:57:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like a new restaurant to perk up my day and I recently got treated to one of the best!

Gracias Madre is a brand, spanking-new vegan restaurant in the Mission District of San Francisco. Located on Mission St. near 18th, Gracias Madre is at the center of the Mission's hustle and bustle. But from the iron security grating to its spare but warm dining room, the place is an island of calm. At least, that's what we found when we arrived for an early lunch on the restaurant's second day.

The menu, which is the same at both lunch at dinner, offers Mexican food's greatest hits done up with the best ingredients and a vegan flair.

To start, we shared a plate of roasted cauliflower drizzled with a vegan nut-based cheeze and topped with crisp bread crumbs. Halfway through it, I was overcome by the desire to suck my thumb and curl up in a corner. Such comfort.

To go with it, we each had a mandarin orange aqua fresca. Gracias Madre's version was like drinking a ray of sunshine. Really. I was running very low blood sugar when we got there and this drink was exactly what I needed. Be forewarned: this kind of refreshment comes at a price, $7 dollars to be exact. If the world really, truly wants organic produce, then get used to things like a $7 dollar glass of juice. (Besides, it's no more expensive than a margarita -- something we definitely don't need in greater supply.)

My dish was a Mexican Christmastime favorite, a tamale. Gracias Madre's version was a handmade treat, filled with smooth butternut squash filling. Its mild flavor played well with the tasty pickled veggie salad, a Mexican restaurant staple that I usually avoid, but found irresistible here.

My husband, Mr. Veg, ordered his personal favorite, Chiles Rellenos. His take was two beautiful poblano peppers stuffed with a medley of fresh veggies and topped with a light-colored sauce. The mixture was delicious and mild in my mouth but left a spicy aftertaste.

I'd love to show you pictures of the meal, but -- nightmare of food bloggers' nightmares -- I was so caught up in the meal that I forgot to take pictures. 'Guess you just have to go there yourself to fully appreciate the attractive, unpretentious presentation (and the hand-pressed blue corn tortillas).

By the time we left, business had picked up considerably. Even when they're busy, Gracias Madre retains a sense of sanity -- something that's so often missing. The proprietors also own Cafe Gratitude, a terrific local raw-foods place with multiple Bay Area locations. Cafe Gratitude's positive vibe buzzes here, too, so on many levels, you'll be happy you came.

-- Cynthia Marshall Schuman
follow me on http://msveggiesreview.blogspot.com

Time for a makeover?

2009-12-21T16:15:00.000-08:00

I’ve just started reading Jonathan Safran Foer’s latest work, Eating Animals, and while I appreciate his diligent research and easy-to-understand writing style, I can’t read more than a few pages at a time and I dread picking it up again after a break.

I don’t disagree with his ideas and I like his writing so much that I’m sure I’ll read his other books. But I can only take so many sadistically, inhumanely slaughtered animals in one sitting. Mind you, these atrocities need to be revealed in order to be stopped, but I have to wonder if the vegetarian movement couldn’t use a little more feel-good patter.

Think about it: to non-vegetarians, a veg diet can appear to be a form of penance. Meat-eaters tend not to see what they can get from going veg, only what they have to give up. (Say, Catholics: remember no meat on Fridays? To many, a vegetarian diet is like permanent Lent. What a downer!)

I’m not saying that we should whitewash the catastrophic consequences of society’s reliance on animal agriculture. But we need to show the up side, too. Vegetarian food is wonderful, with lots of options, boatloads of taste, and none of the health consequences of an animal-based diet.

Perhaps, like me, you are surrounded by non-vegetarians at your job, your place of worship, or your leisure-time activities. For me, food is almost always part of these gatherings. I’ve opened more than a few minds by bringing ooey-gooey cupcakes and passing around my copy of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. How can you not love a book with a title like that?

Instead of saying that the cupcakes are vegan (the V word), I emphasize that they don’t have any dairy products, including eggs. This wins points with the cholesterol-counters and the allergy-prone. Sure, this approach amounts to backing into vegetarianism by other means, but it gets you in and that’s what’s important.

My friends who pass the cupcake phase then graduate to something like veggie chili and vegan cornbread. Believe it or not, I had the wife of a retired butcher asking me about Yves Ground Round after I served her tamale pie made with the product (which I didn’t announce until I was asked). I’ve also been pulled aside at gatherings and asked my opinion on the best brand of soy milk, the difference between silken and regular tofu, and where to buy psyllium husks. Instead of being that weird – and perhaps angry -- vegetarian, I’ve become a community resource.

I applaud stunts like the people who were giving away Tofurkys the day before Thanksgiving. I thoroughly enjoyed The Goode Family, a short-lived, prime-time cartoon that chronicled the antics of a left-leaning, vegetarian family. We need to be able to laugh at ourselves, to share what’s important to us with others without being preachy, patronizing, or punishing. It’s easier to surround yourself with people who already share your point of view but, in the long run, what does that really accomplish?

Remember, too, that it’s not a zero-sum game. If your words and actions cause someone to eat even one fewer meat-based meal each week, that’s something to celebrate. Lasting change is composed of many small, heart-felt actions. It’s not an all-or-nothing.

So fire up the barbie, throw on some tofu pups and reach out to your meat-eating friends in 2010.

-- Cynthia Marshall Schuman

http://msveggiesreview.blogspot.com

Lab grown meat

2009-12-12T04:47:00.000-08:00

The Guardian asks the question:

Would you eat lab-grown meat?

This will naturally cause plenty of debate. Already PETA have said they can find no ethical objection as long as 'dead animals' aren't involved. The Vegetarian Society, characteristically, is more concerned with labelling. For me though, it raises some interesting ethical questions. If there's going to be a choice, what sort of meat eater am I?

Amuse Bouche!

2009-12-12T00:43:00.000-08:00

My favorite way to start a meal is with an amuse bouche. An amuse bouche is a small bite-sized appetizer or hors d'œuvre. It is French, bouche meaning "mouth" and amuse meaning "to amuse" or "to please". With proper flavor and texture, an amuse should really set up your next course. For that matter, every course should help lead into the next. However, the amuse is there to awaken the mouth and excite the taste buds, leaving them wanting more, yet not so overpowering that it makes for a rough transition to the next course.

An amuse can be chosen from a variety of spreads, pates or terrines. As well as numerous vessels to serve them with, such as a crostini, puff pastry, crackers and vegetables of any kind. Really, when creating an amuse bouche the possibilities are endless. The most important thing is to compliment the following course.

Here is a really simple spread that is sure to be a winner!

Pecan Mousse

2 cups pecans

1 yellow onion, small dice

3 T maple syrup

1/4 cup water

salt

Preheat oven to 350˚
In a saute pan, heat 1 T olive oil and cook onions on medium heat until caramelized (golden brown), about 8-10 minutes.
Place pecans on a baking sheet and bake in oven for 8 minutes until toasted.
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth, stopping and stir frequently.
Season with salt

I use a blender made by Vita-mix. I highly recommend buying one if you do not already own one. Most of my recipes incorporate it in some way. I use mine daily for smoothies, sauces, soups and just about anything that I need to have with a smooth consistency. They range from about $300 to $450. This may sound like a lot, but I assure you it is money well spent. When I was working in the restaurant we used it sometimes 8-12 times a day, never with a problem. We were rough with it at times and it really performed exceptional day-in and day-out. Be sure to put a Vita-mix of your holiday wish list this year. You won't be disappointed, promise.

Enjoy.

Vegan Chef Period.

"reproduced from veganchefperiod by permission" www.veganchefperiod.blogspot.com

www.localloveservices.com (Vegan Catering, Meal Planning, and Supper Clubs)

Shocking UK Government advisory report

2009-12-11T23:50:00.000-08:00

The first official recommendations for a diet that is both healthy and good for the environment are published today, and they are likely to be seen as an assault on the UK's current food system...

The report – which will dismay many in the livestock and processed food industries – will feed into all government departments and procurement agencies. Well-placed sources say it has created tension between Whitehall departments and advisers over its potential impact.

Eat less meat and dairy: official recipe to help health of consumers – and the planet

'Fake meat': watch the sodium content!

2009-11-26T08:37:00.000-08:00

Just in time for Thanksgiving, the American Dietetic Association has some advice on turkey alternatives for vegetarians.

The bottom line is, watch the salt content and read the label, because some varieties may contain animal products such as milk or eggs...

This is pretty much true with any of the fake meats on the market (and generally true of any processed foods). Watch the sodium content - it usually tends to be high. Eating it once in a while in small portions should be fine.

Dietitian group analyzes vegetarian turkey options

Simple Cranberry Sauce: VegNews Recipe Guide

2009-11-26T00:11:00.000-08:00

Serves 8

What You Need:

1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries, trimmed
1 cup cranberry juice cocktail
1/2 cup sugar

What You Do:

1. In a large, heavy, non-aluminum saucepan, combine the ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium and cook about 10 minutes, or until the cranberries have popped open. Skim off any foam.

2. Cool and place in a serving dish. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Obama needed a vegetarian chef

2009-11-25T10:03:00.000-08:00

Obama's first State Banquet served no meat

The President needed an expert on vegetarian food, so he called in a Scandinavian chef from New York City.

President Obama and First Lady Michelle hosted their first state dinner Tuesday night in honor of India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Normally, the White House staff would dish up any dinner with no problem. But Singh is a vegetarian, and the Obamas needed a pro to put together a proper menu. That's where the Swiss chef Marcus Samuelsson comes in...

Obamas Call On New York Chef's Expertise

CNN gives veggie alternatives

2009-11-24T17:19:00.000-08:00

Bravo for CNN's coverage of veggie Thanksgiving alternatives.

CNN Health News

SF Board of Supervisors Commendation

2009-09-26T15:57:00.000-07:00

On Sept 22, 2009, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors gave SFVS a special Recognition of Commendation.

Watch the video of the event here:

http://www.sfvs.org/wvd/proclamation.php

Which is better: Raw or cooked broccoli ?

2009-08-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

I received this article regarding broccoli and it seems that eating broccoli raw is better than cooked.

We all know to eat our veggies — but what does cooking do in the nutrients?

Broccoli frequently earns a top spot on "superfoods" lists. This is partly because it delivers a healthy dose of sulforaphane, a compound thought to thwart cancer by helping to stimulate the body's detoxifying enzymes.

According to recent research in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, raw broccoli provides significantly more of this beneficial nutrient than cooked. (Cooking locks sulforaphane in, making it unavailable to your body.) In the small study, men were given about 1 cup of broccoli, raw or cooked. Those who ate the raw broccoli absorbed sulforaphane faster and in higher amounts compared to those who ate it cooked. The findings add to growing evidence that links diets rich in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, kale and cauliflower, to lower rates of cancer.

Bottom line: If you like broccoli, eat it raw: it's more nutritious. Or, if you prefer it cooked, Martijn Vermeulen, Ph.D., the study's lead researcher, suggests steaming it until it's cooked but still crunchy. Some research suggests this method may keep sulforaphane available.

Aug 23, 2009: SFVS Mad Hatters Tea Party

2009-08-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

Seats still available.
Call JC at telephone 415-552-8883 to make it to the reservation list before
sending in your check payment. Due date: August 19

See Auction and Raffle items at the bottom of this email.

MADHATTER TEA PARTY
Sunday, August 23, 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Secret Garden Tea House, Garden Room
721 Lincoln Way between 8th & 9th Avenue, San Francisco

Fund-raiser for WORLD VEG FESTIVAL (Oct 3 & 4) $30 per person in advance (mail
checks made out to SFVS to Joseph Cadiz, 73 Rondel Place, San Francisco CA 94103
by August 19TH

Wear your favorite hat.
If you have no hat, you are welcome too.

Prizes for the prettiest, funniest, and most unusual.
Raffles and Silent Auction.
For additional information, call 415-273-5841.
Enjoy a festive afternoon of bottomless teas, herbal teas and vegan delights

Menu:
Sandwiches: Marinated Cucumber with Baby Dill, Homemade Pesto & Tomatoes, Banana
& Walnut, and Mini Pita with Curry Quinoa Pilaf;

Savories: Garden Veggie Rice Roll with Basil, Mint & Lemon Maple Dressing and
Stuffed Mini Pepper with Sweet Chillie Lime Corn, Fire Roasted Bell Pepper with
Garlic & Balsamic Vinegar;

Sweets: Sour Cherry Pear Tart, Vegan Cranberry Scone, Vegan Blue Berry Scone. A
special donation of vegan cookies and cake from Violet Sweet Shoppe, a Vegan
Bakery www.violetsweetshoppe.com

AUCTION / RAFFLE LIST

1. $10 value, T-shirt organic cotton red color with silkscreen, Large
"Viva Las Vegan". Donated by Merry Vegan
2. $21 value, Lady's bracelet with "Vegan" rhinestones setting.
Donated by Snooty Jewelry
3. $50 gift certificate from Herbivore
4. $25 gift certificate from Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe for online purchase
5. $225 value One Cooking Class for two people at the Natural Gourmet
Institute, 48 West St, New York, NY
6. $75 Gift certificate from Candle Café, 154 E 79th St., New York,
NY, plus one cotton bag and one Large cotton T-shirt
7. $200 value, weekend for two at Todos Santos Resort at Baja,
Mexico, near Cabo http://www.todossantos.cc/floradelmar.html
(certificate not yet received)
8. $24 value, two Men's vegan wallet from The Vegan Collection
9.A set of 5 DVDs: On the Run. Real life ALF adventure stories by
Ingrid Newkirk. Donated by JC
10.$40 value, Black nylon shoulder bag with logo of the San Francisco
Vegetarian Society
11.$40 value, Cotton backpack, khaki color with logo of the San
Francisco Vegetarian Society

Autumn Harvest Stew

2009-07-24T22:11:00.001-07:00

This hearty comfort stew features fresh pumpkin, carrots, parsnips, bell peppers and other delicious vegetables that provide vitamins, minerals, fiber and key nutrients. Delivering great taste and abundant nutrition, it's a colorful, satisfying stew that's easy to throw together. Serve this autumn favorite over rice or couscous. Can't find pumpkin? Butternut squash works great too.

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, halved & sliced
1 carrot, halved lengthwise & sliced
1 parsnip, halved lengthwise & sliced
1 celery rib, halved lengthwise & sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1" cubes
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 Tbs. flour
2-3 tsp. curry powder
3 cups vegetable stock
2 Â½ cups fresh pumpkin, peeled & cut into 1" cubes
Â½ tsp dried sage
Â½ cup frozen peas
salt & pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat.
2. Add onion, carrot, parsnip, celery, bell pepper and garlic; cook until softened, 4-5 minutes.
3. Stir in flour and curry powder and mix until well combined; while stirring, slowly pour in vegetable stock; add pumpkin and sage and bring stew to a simmer.
4. Gently simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
5. Mix in peas and heat through; season with salt and pepper and serve.

Find this and more delicious recipes, visit www.GoDairyFree.org!

Creamy Broccoli Soup

2009-07-24T22:11:00.000-07:00

Meatout Mondays wrote: Meatout Mondays

Creamy Broccoli Soup
Winter is the perfect time to enjoy hearty soups and stews. This simple soup
is adapted from a recipe of vegan cookbook author, Nava Atlas (see book
section below). The vegetables, beans and soymilk team up for a satisfying dish
that’s loaded with vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients. It’s also a great
source of cholesterol-free protein and fiber. If you're feeling adventurous,
use this as a basic recipe and enhance its flavor with carrots or your
favorite veggies.
Ingredients:

1 ½ Tbs. vegetable oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2-3 broccoli crowns, coarsely chopped
1 vegetable bouillon cube (1 Tbs. powder)
1 15-oz. can white northern beans*, drained & rinsed
Soy or rice milk, as needed (about 2 cups)
1/2 tsp. dried dill
salt & pepper (to taste)
*Also works well with cannellini beans or 1 14-oz tub soft tofu.
Directions:

Heat oil in large pot and add onion; sauté over medium heat until golden,
about 5 minutes.
Add broccoli, bouillon cube, and 2 cups water; cover and simmer until
broccoli is tender but not overcooked, about 8-10 minutes.
Transfer mixture in saucepan to food processor and add beans (Note: be very
careful because heat from mixture will build up in the food processor; be
sure to hold the top on securely with two hands); puree until smooth, then
transfer back to saucepan.
Add enough soy or rice milk to give the soup a medium-thick consistency; stir
in dill and season with salt and pepper.
Cook over very low heat for 5 minutes, then serve.

Find this and other great recipes at www.VegKitchen.com!

Barley and Porcini Soup: VegNews Recipe Club

2009-07-24T22:10:00.000-07:00

Soup is on! It's cold, it's raining, and it's time for soup. This Eastern European inspired brew could be served alongside a thick slice of black bread, and washed down with a flask of vodka for authenticity's sake, but it works just fine on its own, too. Break out your Dostoyevsky Kafka, and Bulgakov, and enjoy a homey night in with this savory soup.

Serves 6

What You Need:

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 cup barley
5 cups water or mushroom stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced

What You Do:

1. Remove the porcini mushrooms from the soaking liquid, reserving the water. Thinly slice the porcinis and return to the soaking liquid. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook until soft and lightly caramelized, about 7 minutes. Add the barley and water, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add the reserved mushrooms and soaking liquid plus half the dill. Cook until the barley is tender, about 10 minutes longer. Serve hot, garnished with the remaining dill.

Vegan Buttercream: VegNews Recipe Club

2009-07-24T22:09:00.001-07:00

As far as we're concerned, the holidays are essentially two months of non-stop baking. For all the cookies, cakes, and whoopie pies that come tumbling out of your oven this season, a top-notch topping is definitely in order. This rich, decadent buttercream, courtesy of our Dairy-Free Desserts maven Beverly Lynn Bennett, is literally the icing on the cake for holiday baking. Not sure which sweets to whip up? We might just have a suggestion or two in our fancy new Holiday Cookie Collection!

Frosts two 8-inch layer cakes

What You Need:

2/3 cup non-hydrogenated margarine
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup almond milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

What You Do:

In a large bowl, beat margarine with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. With beaters moving, slowly add powdered sugar, almond milk, and vanilla and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat an additional 30 seconds.

Vegan Key Lime Cheesecake: VegNews Recipe Club

2009-07-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

Serves 8

What You Need:

1 package silken tofu
8 ounces non-dairy cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons lime zest, divided
Juice of 3 limes
2 teaspoons agar agar flakes
1 prepared pie crust
1-1/2 cups non-dairy whipped cream

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, combine tofu, cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla, 3 teaspoons lime zest, and lime juice until smooth. Add agar agar and blend for about 1 minute.

2. Add tofu mixture to pie crust and bake about 30 minutes. Turn off the oven, and allow to sit in the oven for another 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool, then top with non-dairy whipped cream. Sprinkle remaining lime zest and serve.

More Food News!
What's Cooking on VegNews.com: Sweet Potato Cake
Café VegNews: Happy 500th Post + Crazy Giveaway!
This Week's Must-Have: Maple Leaf Cookies
This Just In: Tasty Chocolate Truffles
Press Pass: The Conscious Cook Launch Party!
Featurette: Veg-Friendly Fast Food
VegNews TV: Key Lime Cheesecake How-To!
BONUS: Get an advanced copy of our Veggie Awards Issue!

Spinach Stuffed Acorn Squash

2009-07-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a festive dish that's sure to make an impression. Acorn squash is oven poached then stuffed with savory spinach and pecans. It makes a beautiful centerpiece or savory side for a Gentle Thanksgiving meal. This simple dish provides vibrant color and great taste in addition to good nutrition and healthy fiber.

Ingredients:

3 small acorn squash
1 cup celery, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1 lb. fresh spinach, chopped
6 Tbs. dry breadcrumbs
2 Tbs. pecans, chopped
salt & pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. Cut squash in half and discard seeds.
2. Place squash, cut side down, in 15"x10"x1" baking pan; fill with hot water to a depth of ½".
3. Bake, uncovered, at 350° F for 40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute celery and onions in water until tender; add spinach and season with salt and pepper to taste; cook and stir until spinach is wilted.
5. In a bowl, combine bread crumbs and pecans.
6. Drain water from baking pan; turn squash cut side up.
7. Stuff with spinach mixture; sprinkle crumb mixture over top.
8. Bake 15 minutes longer or until squash is tender.

Find this recipe here and for more great Thanksgiving recipes, visit www.VegWeb.com!

Great Green Bean Casserole

2009-07-24T22:06:00.001-07:00

Great Green Bean Casserole

Here's an animal-friendly spin on a classic American side dish. This casserole is made with soymilk, rather than heavy cream, which allows for the same rich taste minus the cholesterol. It's really simple and really delicious. Keep this recipe in mind when planning your Thanksgiving menu!

Ingredients:

1 can French cut green beans, drained
1½ canisters vegan French fried onions
1½ cups plain unsweetened soymilk
1 cube vegetable bouillon
2-3 Tbs. cornstarch mixed with 2-3 Tbs. cold water
½ medium onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
¾ cup chopped mushrooms (button, crimini, or portabella)
½ Tbs. vegetable oil
½ tsp. each of garlic, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, sage, marjoram, thyme (to taste)

Directions:

1. Heat soymilk and veggie bouillon in a saucepan, stirring until bouillon cube disintegrates (be sure not to boil or scald the soymilk; just heat it).
2. In a skillet, saute onions, carrots, & mushrooms in oil; add salt, pepper, herbs and spices.
3. Thoroughly mix cornstarch and water together and pour into the soymilk/bouillon; stir well, because this will coagulate pretty quickly.
4. Add green beans, sautÃ©ed veggies, and about half of the French fried onions; stir well.
5. Pour that mixture into a casserole dish or pan and top with remaining French fried onions.
6. Bake in oven at 350° for 10-15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown.
7. Remove from oven; serve warm.

For this and more animal-friendly Thanksgiving recipes, visit www.MercyforAnimals.org!

Apple Harvest Oatmeal

2009-07-24T22:06:00.000-07:00

Autumn brings a colorful change of season and colder weather. Start your day with a warm, hearty breakfast made with fresh, seasonable apples. In addition to tasting great, apples are rich in health-promoting antioxidants. They are also an excellent source of fiber, potassium, and vitamins A and C. So take advantage of plentiful apples... use them in pies, breads, salads, sliced and dipped in sauces, or eat them whole. They're a healthy choice anytime of year.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup soy, grain, or nut milk
1 ½ cup water
1 ½ cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup chopped apple (approximately 1/4" cubes)
2 Tbs. raisins
2 Tbs. pecans, chopped (optional)
2 Tbs. brown sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring (soy, grain, or nut) milk and water to a boil.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook until thick.
3. Cover, let stand a few minutes, and enjoy. Serves 2-3.

For this and other fun vegan recipes, visit www.VegWeb.com!

Eating lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans and whole grains is an effective way to ward off kidney stones, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

Researchers collected information from people enrolled in three clinical studies: the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (45,821 men followed for 18 years), the Nurses' Health Study I (94,108 older women followed for 18 years) and the Nurses' Health Study II (101,837 younger women followed for 14 years). Each participant was scored based on eight components of a DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) style diet: high intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, and whole grains and low intake of salt, sweetened beverages, and red and processed meats. People with higher DASH scores consumed more calcium, potassium, magnesium, oxalate, and vitamin C and less sodium.

In each study, those with the highest DASH scores were between 40% and 45% less likely to develop kidney stones than those with the lowest DASH scores; reduction of kidney stone risk was independent of age, body size, fluid intake, and other factors.

Since many medications used to treat kidney stones have unpleasant side effects, adopting a plant-based diet to prevent them is a better alternative.

Sweet Veggies & Brown Rice

2009-07-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

Sweet Veggies & Brown Rice

Here's a recipe that is sure to help you fight disease and stay healthy. Its ingredients are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, as well as fiber and omega 3. Everything from the brown rice to the sunflower seeds offers health-promoting benefits. Try this recipe using organic ingredients. You can also add fresh sweet corn when available - the kids will love it!

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice, uncooked (2 cups, cooked)
1 sweet onion, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 avocado, peeled & cubed
1-2 shiitake mushrooms, diced
¼ cup sunflower seeds (toasted or raw)
1-2 Tbs. virgin coconut oil
Seasonings of your choice (salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder; any combination of herbs & spices)

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package instructions (about 45 minutes).
2. Keep all vegetables raw and serve on rice, or saute the veggies gently as follows:
3. Heat up about a tablespoonful of coconut oil in a large skillet.
4. Saute onions for a couple of minutes, then add mushrooms, zucchini, peppers & tomatoes.
5. Sprinkle with seasoning and saute a few more minutes until vegetables are a little softer (keep them in the pan until rice is ready).
6. When rice is ready, add to the skillet with the vegetables and mix thoroughly.
7. Serve desired portions of the mixture on a plate and top with avocado and sunflower seeds.

For this and other great vegan recipes, visit www.EvolvingWellness.com!

A new study out of Georgetown University has found that a vegan diet not only controls diabetes, but reverses it! Diabetes is a disease that interferes with the body's ability to produce and use insulin. Almost 8% of Americans have diabetes.

Researchers examined differences in diets, comparing a high-fiber, low-fat, vegan diet and the more commonly used American Dietetic Association (ADA) Diet. Results confirmed that a low-fat vegan diet can have a positive impact. The vegan group saw a 59% greater decrease in their fasting blood sugar levels and needed less medication to control their blood sugars while the ADA group needed as much medicine as before. Vegans also lost twice as much weight on average as the ADA group. Finally, cholesterol levels were lower in the vegan group.

Similar results were reported by Neal D. Barnard, M.D. and his colleagues which concluded that a low-fat vegan diet improves glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Likewise, in a 2006 study published in the journal Diabetes Care, 43% of people with type 2 diabetes who ate a low-fat vegan diet reduced a need for diabetes medications.

To read the full article, visit www.Examiner.com!

Perfect Pumpkin Muffins: VegNews Recipe Club

2009-07-24T22:04:00.000-07:00

Makes 12 muffins

What You Need:

1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup firm tofu, mashed
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup dried cranberries

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin, or line with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, mix pumpkin purée, maple syrup, olive oil, vanilla, and tofu. In a separate bowl, sift all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, sea salt, and cloves. Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in dried cranberries.

3. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin tin. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Baked Beans: VegNews Recipe Club

2009-07-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

Hearty, homey, and totally delicious, these beans are a perfect answer to the over-asked question of how vegetarians get our protein. Serve up a bowl of the beans that gave Boston its nickname with a traditional side of brown bread, or get creative and use them to top your next baked potato. No matter how you serve them, these beans will warm you from the inside out.

Serves 4

What You Need:

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 onion, chopped
1/3 cup molasses
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
1/3 cup tomato purée
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
2 (15-ounce) cans navy beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

What You Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet over medium heat, heat the canola oil and add the onion. Cover, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. In a large baking dish, combine the molasses, brown sugar, tomato purée, mustard, salt, and water. Add the cooked onions, beans, and liquid smoke, stirring to combine.

3. Cover dish and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.

VegNews - Launch Party - June 26

2008-06-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

Join VegNews Magazine for its first-ever Issue Launch Party in celebration of their special July+August Music edition. Guests will revel in delicious vegan nibbles, fabulous live music (featuring Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers), organic cocktails, a sumptuous dessert buffet, tour-bus treats from roaming Candy Girls, and the company of a couple hundred fun-loving vegetarians. Silent auction items include a lunch date with Vice Presidential-candidate Matt Gonzalez, sassy leatherette handbags, Whole Foods shopping sprees, cruelty-free makeup gift bags, vegan cookie baskets, signed vegetarian cookbooks, and more. All proceeds will benefit the Humane California campaign.

Get your tickets today at http://vegnews.com/party

San Francisco Vegetarian Society (SFVS) Discount Program

2008-03-07T16:25:00.000-08:00

Discount page is now at this location:

http://www.sfvs.org/discounts.php

Major Study: Meat is very Dangerous

2007-10-31T14:59:00.000-07:00

After combing through 7,000 studies that date back 40 years, a five year long scientific panel has reached some conclusions...

* Limit body fat. Your body mass index should be between 18.5 to 24.9. Weight around the waist is most dangerous.

* Limit red meat to 2.5 ounces a day. An additional 1.7 ounces a day increases cancer risk by 15 percent. That means an 8 ounce steak or a quarter-pound hamburger would be the limit for a week.

* Limit alcohol to two drinks a day for men, one drink a day for women.

* Limit salt intake to 2 grams a day. That's about a teaspoon a day, instead of the teaspoon and a half that most people eat. To give you an idea of how much salt is in food — just one cup of cottage cheese has half the salt you should eat in a day: half a teaspoon. Processed foods are almost always higher in salt.

If meat is now considered that dangerous, why would anyone want to eat something so poisonous?

More Info:
Telegraph - Red meat and alcohol are major cancer causes

ABC News - New Cancer Recommendations

VEGAN CHOCOLATE Discount from CHOCOLATE DECADENCE

2007-07-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Decadence is offering a special 20% discount to SFVS Members through September 30, 2007. Click on their website at www.chocolatedecadence.com and place an order (no minimum required) for any of their dairy-free-chocolates, including bars, packages, gift boxes, and special children's chocolates. E-mail chocolate@chocolatedecadence.com or use their toll free line: 1-800-324-5018. To get the 20% discount, fill in the name San Francisco Vegetarian Society in the “Comments” section or mention it in the telephone conversation. Indulge yourselves and have fun!

Front Street Chiropractic offers SFVS Discount

2007-06-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Serving San Francisco’s Financial District for 15 years, vegan Dr. Eben C. Davis, D.C. of Front Street Chiropractic (www.SFbackpaindoctor.com) on 222 Front St., Suite 200, is offering 15% discount to SFVS members on all chiropractic, physical therapy and massage services. Tel: 415-392-2225.

Penang Garden offers SFVS Discount

2007-06-08T23:41:00.000-07:00

Penang Garden Restaurant (www.penanggarden.com), located at 728 Washington St. in SF Chinatown, is offering 10% discount on vegetarian menu items to SFVS members. Family-owned and operated, Penang Garden serves authentic Southeast Asian cuisine from Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Its menu lists more than 40 vegetarian appetizers, soups, entrees, rice and noodle dishes.

Poleng Lounge receives kudos

2007-04-04T00:55:00.000-07:00

April 1, 2007 San Francisco Chronicle Magazine named Poleng Lounge (SFVS discount provider) as one of the "Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants" (link): "Several Asian-inspired restaurants have recently opened in the Bay Area, but few places do it as well as this nightclub-restaurant that feels like it could be on the coast of Bali. Fortunately the dance club is located down a long hall, so the restaurant doesn't suffer. Tea is also a specialty and works its way into many cocktails and in savory dishes such as the richly flavored curries. Chef Tim Luym (a Rising Star chef), who is Chinese and Spanish, grew up in Manila and has a real feel for various cuisines that comprise the interesting menu." The SF Chronicle previously named Poleng Lounge as one of the "Top 10 Restaurants of 2006" (link) and honored Poleng Lounge Chef Tim Luym as Rising Star Chef 2007 (link).

The December 2006 issue of Common Ground Magazine (link) raved over Poleng Lounge’s many vegetarian options, such as The Buddha’s Treasures (“small vegetable-filled dumplings in matcha tea-dusted wrappers . . . delicate and exquisitely seasoned”) and Poleng Curry (“full of vegetables and rich with coconut milk and tea-infused curry”). As noted in the Winter Issue 2007 of Vegetarian News, Poleng Lounge offers Tofu Triangles with rice wine sambal sauce at 25 cents each during its Happy Hour (4PM-6PM). Poleng Lounge also offers SFVS members a 10% discount during 6PM-8PM.

Low Sperm Count Linked to Beef

2007-03-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

Consumption of beef by women during pregnancy may alter a male's in utero testicular development and compromise his future reproductive capacity, researchers here reported.

The reason could be residual anabolic steroids in the meat, Shanna Swan, Ph.D., of the University of Rochester (N.Y.), and colleagues, reported online in the March 28 issue of Human Reproduction.

In a study of 387 fertile partners of pregnant women, men whose mothers reported eating more than seven beef meals a week while pregnant, had a sperm concentration more than 24% lower than that of men whose mothers ate less beef, they found.

In addition, three times more sons of high-beef consumers had a sperm concentration that would be classified as subfertile according to World Health Organization standards, compared with men whose mothers ate less beef, said Dr. Swan and colleagues.

MedPage Today - Eating Beef in Pregnancy Linked to Reduced Sperm in Adult Sons

SFVS Members Discounts

2007-03-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

The SFVS Discount page is constantly being updated. If you would like to be included, please send a e-mail request to discounts@sfvs.org.

We welcome your comments below.

Vegetarians and veggie inclined have higher I.Q.

2006-12-15T13:09:00.000-08:00

Vegetarians (and the 'vegetarian inclined') have higher I.Q.
Mr Spock, being from the planet Vulcan might have stated these words: "Vegetarians are Logical". Now he can say 'Vegetarians are Smarter'.

A scientific study by a Southampton University team in the British Medical Journal reports that the average vegetarian tend to have five IQ points more than the average person.

However, the report seems to indicate it isn't the exclusion of meat that makes one smarter because "there was no difference in IQ score between strict vegetarians and those who said they were vegetarian but who reported eating fish or chicken."

In other words, there are really two groups here. The vegetarians, and the ones who perceive themselves to be vegetarian.

This may suggest that intelligent people tend to eat healthier and because of this they are more likely to gravitate towards a vegetarian diet. And because Brits tend to become vegetarian more out of ethics than for health reasons (the exact polar opposite to their American counterparts in my estimation), maybe there is a correlation between intelligence and empathy. I guess we'll have to wait for that study.

BBC - High IQ link to being vegetarian

Save the cow, save the world

2006-12-12T10:51:00.000-08:00

No superpowers required; just go Vegetarian
A United Nations report is now saying what I've been saying all along: meat eating hurts the planet more than anything else.

A United Nations report has identified the world's rapidly growing herds of cattle as the greatest threat to the climate, forests and wildlife. And they are blamed for a host of other environmental crimes, from acid rain to the introduction of alien species, from producing deserts to creating dead zones in the oceans, from poisoning rivers and drinking water to destroying coral reefs.

The 400-page report by the Food and Agricultural Organisation, entitled Livestock's Long Shadow, also surveys the damage done by sheep, chickens, pigs and goats. But in almost every case, the world's 1.5 billion cattle are most to blame. Livestock are responsible for 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, more than cars, planes and all other forms of transport put together...

The Independent - Cow 'emissions' more damaging to planet than CO2 from cars

Happy Heart Book Club

2006-09-25T14:17:00.000-07:00

This message is from Sam Halsey, for all San Francisco Bay Area residence and beyond:

Hello Happy Vegans:-)

I'm starting a new VEGAN book club “Happy Heart Book Club”.
Thinking we could start by reading John Robbins new book.

Please check out the link.
Please let me know what you think.
Please feel free to share this stuff with your friends.

Happy Heart Book Club

Peace,

sam

Free Video Night (Red Victorian Peace Café) Aug 25

2006-08-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

“New Research on Vegan Diet & Health” by Dr. Neal Barnard, MD

Date: Friday, August 25, 2006
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Red Victorian Peace Café
1665 Haight Street, near Ashbury, San Francisco

For more information, call 415-273-5481. Although the Peace Café is not a vegetarian cafe, Vegetarian or Vegan food is available prior to the lecture.

This is a video that was taped at a lecture presented at the World Vegetarian Day 2005. Dr. Barnard is a clinical researcher, author, and health advocate. He is the Founder and President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He is the author of Breaking the Food Seduction; The Best in the World; Eat Right, Live Longer; Food for Life; and The Power of Your Plate.

This is a good opportunity to bring a friend, socialize, and listen to some important vegan information from a scientific viewpoint.

"The World Peace Diet" by Will Tuttle, Ph.D. (July 21)

2006-07-14T21:31:00.000-07:00

The San Francisco Vegetarian Society is pleased to present “The World Peace Diet,” a lecture – presentation by Will Tuttle, Ph.D.

Date: Friday, July 21, 2006
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Institute on Aging (IOA)
3600 Geary Boulevard
San Francisco

Door: Donations Welcome.
Refreshments & Booksigning following the lecture.

For more information, call 415-273-5481 or www.sfvs.org.

Dr. Tuttle will be discussing his recently published book The World Peace Diet, the first book to make explicit the invisible connections between our meals and our broad range of problems-psychological, social, and spiritual, as well as health and environmental. He offers powerful ways we can all experience healing and peace and contribute to a positive transformation of human consciousness.

Dr. Tuttle has a doctorate degree from the University of California, Berkeley and has taught college courses in humanities, mythology, creativity, religion, and philosophy. He has a broad background in Eastern and Western meditation traditions and has created uplifting healing music on seven CD albums of original piano music. His personal web site is: www.willtuttle.com.

Yoga Weekend (July 14-16)

2006-07-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

The San Francisco Vegetarian Society and the Yoga Society of San Francisco invites the public to a Kemetic Yoga Weekend of Lectures and Classes on Yoga therapy, meditation, plant-based diet, and spirituality presented by Yirser Ra Hotep.

Dates: Friday evening Lecture – July 14th 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Saturday Evening Class I – July 15th 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Sunday Evening Class II – July 16th 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Place: Yoga Society
2872 Folsom Street, between 24th & 25th Street, San Francisco

$40 Lecture, $35 per Class (Discount for early phone registration and more discount for SFVS members and for weekend package.) Call 415-285-5537 for more information or to register.

Yirser Ra Hotep is recognized nationally and internationally as a master and innovator of Kemetic Yoga (ancient Egyptian system that included vegetarian diet that influenced Greek philosopher & mathematician, Pythagoras). He has taught Yoga for over 30 years and written extensively on the African origins of Yoga, stress management, diet, health and wellness. He is the author of Kemetic Yoga, a three-volume set of Instructional Yoga DVDs and Journey to Amenta, an audio meditation and music CD. His web site is:

www.yogaskills.com (order DVDs & CDs)

CELEBRATE THE SUMMER SOLSTICE (June 21)

2006-06-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

WORLD GO VEGAN DAY
Sponsored by Go Vegan Radio and
The San Francisco Vegetarian Society

CELEBRATE THE SUMMER SOLSTICE
at the MILLENNIUM Premiere Vegan Restaurant Voted No. 1
in the U.S. by Veg News Magazine

Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 6:00 p.m.
$35.00 includes
Three Course Gourmet Vegan Dinner
With an Herbal Seasonal Elixir
(Tips & other Beverages Extra)

Silent Auction to benefit Go Vegan Radio
Special Celebrity Appearance by Bob Linden
Go Vegan Radio On Air America
KQKE AM 960 Fridays between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m.
on The Progressive News Hour with John Scott
and 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. every Sunday
podcasting and archived on www.GoVeganRadio.com

Space is limited.
Send Check to SFVS, c/o Joseph Cadiz,
73 Rondel Place, San Francisco CA 94103
by June 17th or Pay Pal at www.sfvs.org
Call 415-273-5481 for more information. SOLD OUT!

4th of July Potluck (July 4)

2006-05-03T18:51:00.000-07:00

4th of July Potluck, Tuesday, July 4
Boating, Socializing, Appetizers:4:00 p.m., Dine:5:00 p.m., Dance:6:00 p.m.
633 Glenwood Isle, Alameda, hosted by Elizabeth Bechtold. Directions: See May 29th potluck.
$1 suggested donation with food, enough for 10 people per person. $10 per person without food. Attire: Western or Patriotic. (No children under 12 because of the canal.)
After the potluck there will be dancing in the studio. Contact Howard to volunteer setting up: howarddy2@att.net or Elizabeth for last minute directions, 510-864-1111.

Free Video Night at Red Victorian Peace Café (June 30)

2006-05-03T18:48:00.000-07:00

Free Video Night at the Red Victorian Peace Café on the Last Friday of the Month
1665 Haight Street, near Ashbury, San Francisco. Vegetarian & vegan food available before the show.
Featuring World Vegetarian Day 2005 videos. Now’s your chance to see the lectures you missed.
Friday, June 30 - Dr. John McDougall (MD), McDougall Wellness Center, “Marketing Milk and Disease”
Friday, July 28 - Ingrid Newkirk, Founder & President PETA “Making Kind Choices”
Friday, August 25 – Dr. Neal Barnard (MD), Founder & President Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, “New Research on Vegan Diet & Health”

Summer Picnic by the Bay (June 24)

2006-05-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

Summer Picnic by the Bay, Saturday, June 24 at 1:00 p.m.
Crissy Field near the Warming Hut at the end of Mason Street, Presidio, near the Golden Gate Bridge. Children of all ages very welcome.
Bus #29 or #45 to Lyon & Greenwich then take Presidio Shuttle to the Warming Hut or call MUNI, 415-673-6864. Let us know if you are coming as we need to make sure we have enough tables, 415-273-5481. Bring fresh or prepared picnic food for 10. (There is no way to heat food.) Wear layered clothing for unpredictable San Francisco weather mostly on the cool side. There is plenty of time after eating for walking, hiking, biking, or sitting and viewing the fabulous panoramic bay view.

Memorial Day Potluck (May 29)

2006-05-03T18:43:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day Potluck, Monday, May 29
Boating, Socializing, & Appetizers:4:00 p.m., Dine:5:00 p.m., Dance:6:00 p.m.
633 Glenwood Isle, Alameda, at the home of Elizabeth Bechtold
Co-sponsored with East Bay Veg*ns. Very Raw Friendly. Attire: Dressy Casual
Due to the closeness to the canal, Elizabeth has requested that no children under 12 come.
$1 suggested door donation with food, enough for 10 people, or $10 without food. No charge for those arriving two hours early to volunteer setting up and assisting preparing raw treats. Wear or bring soft-soled shoes for dancing in the special Dance Studio. Call Elizabeth to volunteer or for last minute directions 510-864-1111.
Directions: From 880, take High Street Alameda Exit. At stoplight, turn west onto High Street and proceed over bridge 1.5 miles. Turn right onto Otis Drive and right onto Glenwood. From Fruitvale BART Station, take Bus #50 to White Hall & Willow, then walk 2 blocks to Otis and 1 block to Glenwood. Call 415-273-5481 for more general information.

Free Video Night at Red Victorian Peace Café (May 26)

2006-05-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

Free Video Night at the Red Victorian Peace Café on the Last Friday of the Month
Friday, May 26 at 7:00 p.m. Vegetarian & Vegan food are available before the show.
1665 Haight Street, near Ashbury, San Francisco
“The Greatest Diet on Earth” by Joel Fuhrman, MD. This video features Dr. Fuhrman’s recommendations in his two excellent books, Eat to Live and Disease Proof Your Child.

Kentucky Fried Chicken leafletting (May 28)

2006-05-03T18:36:00.000-07:00

Kentucky Fried Chicken leafletting followed by lunch at Shangri La.
Sunday, May 28th, Leafleting at 12:00 p.m., Lunch at 1:15 p.m.
KFC is at 1900 Irving Street at the corner of 20th Ave in San Francisco. Shangri La is at 2026 Irving St. at 22nd Ave., 731-2548, walking distance from KFC. Come to one event or both. A group will walk from KFC to the restaurant together. Please RSVP, write to veggiejews@cyberonic.com . See newsletter for more info.

Cooking Demo with Jill Broadway (May 21)

2006-05-03T18:32:00.000-07:00

Cooking Demo with Jill Broadway, Sunday, May 21 at 1:00 p.m.
One Taste Café, in the Urban Retreat Center, 1074 Folsom Street, between 7th & 8th St, San Francisco
$10 donation includes Recipes and Samples. Reservations by May 18, call 415-273-5481.
The exciting “Global Vegan Gourmet” Menu will include: Fennel, Pear and Celery Root Soup with Lemongrass and Basil; Kelp Noodle Salad with Orange Miso Dressing; Sesame Spinach and Shitake Rolls; Coconut Cream Tarts with Vanilla and Cardamom, Chocolate Crust, Seasonal Fruit. Menu is vegan and wheat free, with no refined sugar or starches, and organic as much as possible. Jill is a professional chef with 9 years experience and a graduate of the Culinary Management Program of George Brown College, Toronto, Canada. She specializes in health conscious cuisine with extensive knowledge of vegan, Ayurvedic and yogic diets. A certified yoga instructor, she has traveled in India, cooked in yoga ashrams and worked as the chef at two Ayurvedic wellness spas. Besides teaching holistic cooking classes, she is currently working at Café Gratitude on Irving in San Francisco.

Potluck/Free Lecture by Don Moseman (May 13)

2006-05-03T18:12:00.000-07:00

May Potluck with Free Lecture by Don Moseman, aka “Walking Don”
Saturday, May 13th, Socializing & Appetizers:6:00 p.m., Dining:6:30 p.m., Lecture:7:30 p.m.
Location: IOA.
After the Potluck, Don will discuss “Healthy Diet and Walking” and show slides from his 2nd walk in 1998 from Boston to San Francisco/Mill Valley via the northern route. He showed his slides from his 3rd walk across the U.S. at our October 2005 Potluck. His remarkable walking feats were written up in the San Francisco Chronicle Nov. 19, 2004. Educational and inspiring, be sure to bring friends, old and young to meet Don. At the age of 66, he is now planning his 4th walk across the U.S. We will be planning a greeting party when he reaches San Francisco sometime during the summer.

Meet author/philosopher Peter Singer (May 12)

2006-05-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

Lecture with Book Tour – Peter Singer, Professor/Author “Why Our Food Choices Matter”
Friday, May 12 at 7:00 p.m. $5 suggested donation. Co-Sponsored with UUFETA
Unitarian Universalist Center, Franklin & Geary Streets, San Francisco
MUNI #38 with East Bay connection at TransBay Terminal and BART at Montgomery Exit
Peter Singer had been a professor at Princeton University since 1999. He was the founding President of the International Association of Bioethics and founding Co-Editor of the journal Bioethics with Helga Kuhse. Singer first became internationally known after the publication of Animal Liberation in 1975. His other books include Practical Ethics, How Are We to Live?; Rethinking Life and Death; One World; The President of Good and Evil and his present book, The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter. Book signing will follow the lecture.

Meet the author of “Pleasurable Kingdom” (May 11)

2006-05-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

Lecture with Book Tour – Jonathan Balcombe, author “Pleasurable Kingdom”
Thursday, May 11 at 7:00 p.m. Free Lecture
Co-Sponsored with Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Location: IOA.
Johathan Balcombe is an animal behavior research consultant for the Washington, D.C. based PCRM and the author of The Use of Animals in Higher Education: Problems, Alternatives and Recommendations. His most recent book is Pleasurable Kingdom, Animals and the Nature of Feeling Good and is the first of its kind formally recognizing animals’ ability to feel pleasure. Book signing will follow the lecture.

NEW LIVING EXPO (April 28-30)

2006-02-27T19:40:00.000-08:00

NEW LIVING EXPO 2006 at Concourse, 8th & Branan – April 28 to 30
Connecting Mind, Body, and Spirit
The Concourse Exhibition Center
8th Street at Brannan Street, San Francisco
#19 Polk Bus
415-382-8300

April 28 – 3:00 to 10:00 p.m. $10
29 - 10 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. $15
30 – 10 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. $15

Seniors & Students with ID $10/Children under 10 Free
General Admission on all categories includes Exhibits, Lectures, Panels, and most Workshops. 300 + Exhibits, 100 + Lectures, Free Workshops, Panel Discussions, Natural Food, Green Business, Bookstore, Business Opportunities, Body Work

The San Francisco Vegetarian Society will have a Booth at this exciting event. Be sure to check us out, #825 on left mezzanine. Howard Lyman will be at our booth signing books Saturday, except when he is speaking (at 5:00 p.m. in Room 4) and all day Sunday. Drop by and say “hello” to this wonderful vegan “mover & shaker”. Attend his workshop if you can and bring friends to hear his message: “Inventory of Planet Earth: Do We Have a Future?”

Another favorite of ours is Dr. John McDougall. He will be speaking on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in Room 2 “Aging in Style: Maybe to 100 with Sensible Care”.

- this post updated 4/24/06 -

FARM ANIMAL FORUM (March 25)

2006-02-27T19:39:00.000-08:00

FARM ANIMAL FORUM
at Grand Hyatt, Union Square – March 25
$60 includes lectures, vegan lunch, and a “Cowtail Party” (Student price available.) Featured speakers include Gene Bauston, Bruce Friedrich, Howard Lyman, Karen Dawn, and Joyce D’Silva. There will be leafleting at various restaurants on Friday, March 24 and a “Veggie Day in the Park on Sunday, March 26. Contact Michelle Waffner at 607-583-4512 ext. 269 or www.farmsanctuary.org.

Garden & Flower Show (March 16-19)

2006-02-27T19:38:00.000-08:00

Garden & Flower Show at Cow Palace – March 16 to 19
SFVS will have a booth as part of its outreach program. Volunteers will be needed to staff the booth. If you can help, contact Nancy Loewen, Volunteer Coordinator: 415-750-0614 or nloewen@ioaging.org.

Leafleting at KFC

2006-02-27T19:37:00.000-08:00

LEAFLETING AT KFC
SFVS is co-sponsoring an educational leafleting event with Veggie Jews one Sunday a month at the Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food restaurant on 20th and Irving in San Francisco. If you would like to be more active in promoting a humane healthy vegan diet, join Pete Cohon and Bonnie Knight. Coordinators of this event. They will have the literature to pass out to people. Afterward, everyone will adjourn to the vegetarian restaurant, Shangri-La, 2026 Irving Street (at 21st) nearby for refreshments and letter writing. Sunday, March 5 will be meeting at 5:00 p.m. with dinner following. Contact 415-665-1583 or veggiejews@cyberonic.com to sign up or for more information for April.

GO VEGAN RADIO

2006-02-27T19:36:00.000-08:00

GO VEGAN RADIO
KQKE – AM – 960, an Air America Affiliate
Every Sunday, 9:00 – 10:00 p.m.
or on line anytime www.GoVeganRadio.com. Now podcasting.
Bob Linden hopes to make a valuable and necessary contribution to “progressive talk radio”. Tune in every week for the latest vegan and animal rights news. SFVS is a sponsor and a supporter of this exciting outreach program. Your support is needed to keep this “voice for the animals” on the air. Donations and/advertisements very welcome.

Dixie Mahy on Go Vegan Radio
On Sunday 26 Feb, Go Vegan Radio interviewed Dixie Mahy, President of the SF Vegetarian Society. Catch the podcast!

Free Video Night (April 28)

2006-02-27T19:35:00.000-08:00

Free Video Night at the Red Victorian Peace Café on the Last Friday of the month.
Friday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m. Vegetarian & Vegan food are available before the show.
“Truth or Dairy,” a vintage yet humorous & educational look at the vegan lifestyle – 22 minutes.
This video was produced by the Vegan Society UK and features a star-studded vegan cast including the B52s, Consolidated, Uri Geller, Casey Kasem, k.d. lang, Moby, Martin Shaw, Heather Small (M-people), Spice Williams, Daisy the pantomime cow, and poet, Benjamin Zephaniah.

Dining Out (April 22)

2006-02-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

Dining Out – Saturday, April 22, 6:00 p.m.
Medicine New-Shojin Eatstation
161 Sutter Street (between Montgomery & Kearney), near Union Square, San Francisco
This unique Japanese style food is based on Zen monks of Japan featuring a seasonal cuisine called New-Shojin incorporating western nutritional ideas with traditional menus with exotic names and ingredients developed over half a millennium ago. Appetizers range from $4.50 to $6.50 and feature intriguing items like: Jade Nuggets, tempura of natto-filled shiso leaves with lemon & sea salt $5; Mountain Monk Te-Maki, two hand-rolls: Chrysanthemum leaf, pickled gourd/natto, 9-grain rice, flax seeds $5.50; Inari & Napa Cabbage Roll, napa cabbage roll with pickled melon, avocado, shichimi/sweet inari with 9-grain rice $6.50. The Salads are just as interesting ranging in price from $6.50 to $7.50 featuring common veggies in an uncommon way: Warm Spinach-Persimmon, baby spinach tossed in warm ponzu dressing, fuyu persimmons, shitake, toasted cashews $7.50; Sesame Lotus-Shitake, simmered woodear & shitake, crisp shaved lotus root, fuji apples, creamy sesame dressing $8. In addition to Soups & Noodles from $6 to $8, there are unique Entrée choices ranging from $15 to $18 like: Broiled Ikomi Dengaku, whole oven-roasted red bell pepper filled with yomogi-fu, eggplant, brussel sprouts tofu, shiro miso glaze $15; Raw Nigiri Sushi, 8-piece nigiri plate accompanied by silken tofu and winter miso soup $16.50; Fried Tempura, deluxe basket of seasonal vegetables and mushrooms in light batter tendashi, dipping broth, & meyer lemon $16. They also offer Tasting Menus (with 6 or 9 course Samplers). Their dessert menu from $3 to $6 offers: Chilled Coconut Cup, creamy coconut milk with maple syrup, kanten cubes, silverear mushroom & toasted buckwheat $4; Green-Tea Tofu, mildly sweet soy custard, infused with bitter matcha green tea powder $4; or slightly decadent Chocolate Mousse, exquisite valrhona chocolate blended with silken tofu & toasted pistachio shavings $6. They have a variety of Drinks, Housemade Juices, Teas, Coffee, Beer, Organic Wine and a variety of exotic Premium Sakes with delightful names: Ohyama “big mountain,” Sogen “pride of samurai,” Kikuhime “chrysanthemum princess,” or Tamanohikari “brilliant jade”.
RSVP: 415-273-5481 by April 19th. Maximum 10 people. Call the restaurant for other information 415 824-4652. Their hours are M-F 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Sat 5-9 p.m.; closed Sundays.

Potluck with Free Lecture (April 8)

2006-02-27T19:33:00.000-08:00

April Potluck with Free Lecture by Dr. Steve Blake “Defensive Medicine”
Doctor of Holistic Health and Author Healing Medicine
Saturday, April 8.
6:00 p.m. Socializing & Appetizers; 6:30 p.m. Dining; 8:00 p.m. Free Lecture.
Institute on Aging, 3600 Geary Boulevard (see March 11 for address details).
$1 suggested donation for members, their guests, and students bringing food, $2 for non-members bringing food (add $8 to each category without food).

Following the potluck, Dr. Blake will speak on how to stay so healthy that you don’t get sick. He will give tips on how to be disease resistant. The news these days is full of many new problems posed by prescription drugs, their ineffectiveness, their side-affects, and their high cost. Dr. Blake will help us learn how to improve our health so that we do not need these drugs. He will show us how our health and our planet’s health can be improved naturally. Dr. Blake has two doctorates in natural health and a master herbalist degree. He has been a vegetarian for 35 years. His book will be available at the meeting or on his web site: www.naturalhealthwizards.com or by mail: 355 Honopou Road, Haiku, Hi 96708 for $22.95 plus $5 shipping. Telephone: 80857208371.

SFVS Board Meeting (April 2)

2006-02-27T19:31:00.000-08:00

Board Meeting, Sunday, April 2, 5:00 p.m.
Location: IOA., 3600 Geary Boulevard (between Palm & Arguello), San Francisco. MUNI #38 Geary with East Bay connection at Trans Bay Terminal or BART at Montgomery Exit.

Members welcome. RSVP 415-273-5481

Free Video Night (March 31)

2006-02-27T19:29:00.000-08:00

Free Video Night at the Red Victorian Peace Café on the Last Friday of the month.
Friday, March 31 at 7:00 p.m. Vegetarian & Vegan food are available before the show.
1665 Haight Street, near Ashbury, San Francisco
“A Cow at My Table,” a Feature Documentary about Animals, Meat & Culture” - 81 Minutes.
This Documentary has received 12 International Awards and Nominations, including the Gold Special Jury Award and the Media Commendation Award, and features Gene Bauston, Howard Lyman, Jim Mason, Tom Regan, Peter Singer, and other animal activists. The video weaves together interviews with animal rights activists, agribusiness representatives and animal welfare experts with archival and documentary footage. Check our veggie hot line: 415-273-5481 or our website: www.sfvs.org for updates.