Our fifth annual US VegWeek wrapped up on Sunday, and it was a resounding success!
The weeklong celebration highlighting the many benefits and flavors of vegetarian eating included more than 3,500 people from coast to coast taking our 7-Day VegPledge, 140 restaurant specials offered in 21 states, 150 events held in 33 states, and more media coverage than ever before.
Move over saturated fat and cholesterol; there are two new health culprits in town that are linked to raising heart disease risk. Last month, news circulated widely about one of these culprits when research revealed how consumption of l-carnitine, found abundantly in red meat as well as in dairy, fish and chicken, plays a significant role in the development of heart disease.
In addition, just last week, a new study revealed that through a similar process, lecithin, found in eggs, also raises heart disease risk.
Vegan baking is catching on — and vegan bakeries are winning awards, whipping up sweet victories for consumers and animals, alike.
We saw in the last election the fate of political candidates who for some reason felt compelled to talk repeatedly—and often ignorantly—about rape. Well, now Republican Tennessee state representative Andy Holt, the sponsor of the state’s ag-gag bill to criminalize whistleblowers at factory farms, is joining that club.
The jocular Brian Patton is a YouTube cooking sensation with an impressive resume: he’s currently the Executive Chef at food delivery service Vegin’ Out , author of The Sexy Vegan Cookbook: Extraordinary Food from an Ordinary Dude, and if that’s not enough, he’s also releasing a second cookbook—about happy hour.
While Happy Hour at Home: Small Plates, Big Flavors, & Potent Cocktails won’t be out until June, you can and should pre-order it now—with summer on the horizon, you’ll want to get the book as soon as it’s available to begin planning your post-work festivities. With menus entitled Holy Stromboli; Be Still, My Hearts of Palm; Papadilla, Don’t Preach; and Satay-day Night Fever, you know you’re in for a good time.
Today marks the 43rd anniversary of Earth Day, a day intended to encourage individuals to take meaningful actions in their everyday lives that, collectively, contribute to preserving the planet. But in the words of late Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson who founded Earth Day, “Our goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human beings and all other living creatures.”
It’s hard not to notice the increasing popularity of vegan eating. From Good Morning America to Saturday Night Live, everyone’s talking it. The topic of meatless meals has even graced the cover of one of the leading foodservice industry trade publications, Nation’s Restaurant News, which highlighted the increasing popularity and growing success of vegetarian and veg-friendly eateries across the U.S. Almost prophetically, when the question was posed in the article about whether America is ready for a national vegetarian restaurant chain, Aviv Schweitzer, the operations manager for Maoz USA, responded: “It think it’s a fact; it’s not really a question anymore.”
Animal agribusiness interests are working feverishly to pass state-level anti-whistleblower laws aimed at criminalizing undercover investigations. In 2012, such laws passed in Iowa and Utah, and so far this year, “ag-gag” bills have been introduced in nearly a dozen states. Why?
The Songkran Festival, also known as Thai New Year, is celebrated from April 13 – 16, and it’s the perfect opportunity to indulge in delicious Thai cuisine — 100% veganized, of course. While these recipes would traditionally include fish sauce, meat, or chicken stock, they can be easily made without an animal ingredients while maintaining the authentic flavors. For example, in Tom Kha, simply use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock. You’ll still get all the essential aromas and flavors because the key ingredients are lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime.