Hello dear readers!

I've encountered a mini vegan crisis. I've been kindly invited to my cousin's house for a Passover seder on Monday evening. While they've been so generous to provide some vegan options for me, I was really hoping to contribute a vegan main course to the meal (partly in an effort to be a good guest, and partly so I don't go hungry).

Here's the problem: the majority of the staples I've relied on in my vegan cooking are not Kosher for Passover, particularly those that provide protein. According to my source of Jewish wisdom (my mother), the following are not Kosher for Passover:

all beans, including soy
rice
wheat
peanuts
corn
peas
lentils
mustard
sesame and poppy seeds

I'd appreciate any recipe recommendations you can provide!
By the way, does anyone know where I can find egg-free (ie. vegan) matzoh?
Thanks in advance,
Lauren

It's closer than you think and this little piggy will never go to market

When was the last time you ate something that you could say “sit” to, and it sat?
Even thinking about that scenario makes me think about eating someone’s Golden retriever. And you know you would never do that.
We, in this country, have some sort of ingrained aversion to the idea of eating something that was a pet.
It helps when the pet in question is furry and cuddly.
This, of course, is not the case worldwide, where some cultures have a wider view of what should end up on the dinner table.
But if we really took a few minutes to think about how smart and aware our dinner fare is, would we still slaughter and eat it?
I know I don’t and I would like to introduce you to an example of why not.
Meet Iris Magnolia.
She’s a Wild Russian Boar.
I met her last weekend at Locket’s Meadow Farm in Bethany. The farm is so full of creatures great and small that farm “mom” Kathleen Schurman cares for, that I would be hard-pressed to list them all here, let alone name them.
But Iris Magnolia somehow stood out among the hooved and webbed and winged and pawed family.
Frolicking in her pen, as she so obviously loves to do, on the day I met her, little Iris clearly mostly had eyes for Kathleen. The connection is wonderful to see.
But it was when Kathleen told Iris to “sit” that I woke up again to something I have known for years: pigs - in this case a boar - are a lot like dogs. Maybe not quite as cuddly, but definitely as smart or smarter. This little girl clearly wanted to do whatever it took to make her mom happy, so when Kathleen said “sit,” Iris sat.
Iris is clearly a social animal; she let me pet her and was friendly to the other people getting the tour of the farm.
Yet, I see from many Internet sites that folks hunt wild boar in many places. I understand that the animals have become pests in some area because they got loose. Wonder who left that barn door open?
But we don’t need to hunt.
And I would ask that, next time you reach for that pound of bacon, that package of pork chops, or any kid of meat, think about Iris and all the joy she brings to the world.

This is Iris and Kathleen, at play.

If someone had asked me four weeks ago whether I could ever be a vegan, I would have said probably not. But three weeks ago, I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad that I did.

As a vegetarian who's concerned about the welfare of animals and impact of my diet on the planet, I've long wanted to give up dairy but felt it would just be too difficult--impossible, really. So I was genuinely surprised at how painless the past three weeks of veganism have been.

As I've said several times before on this blog, it's all about preparation. I was armed with a great vegan cookbook, Fire and Spice by Robin Robertson, which made all the difference. I did my research, and spent hours reading Web sites and blogs about vegan cooking and lifestyle. This served not only to inform me, but to get me excited about what I was doing. I don't know any vegans personally, but the Web made me feel connected to a large network of like-minded folks. And of course having Helen around to talk to was a huge help as well.

One of my main concerns starting out was that I would be so limited in what I could eat that I'd quickly become bored with food. Just the opposite happened. My husband and I had been stuck in an eating rut, cooking the same rotation of simple vegetarian dishes each week. Being vegan forced me to branch out--well, to completely redesign our diet. I bought new groceries and cooked delicious new dishes. It was fun. The only time I really missed a "forbidden food" was when someone else was eating it right in front of me. Then it took willpower not to grab a piece of that cake or a slice of pizza.

So, in case it wasn't clear, I'm planning to stick with it. I feel really good about being a vegan and I don't want to go back. This is something I probably decided a week into the trial.

There are two sticking points. First is whether a vegan diet can sufficiently meet my nutritional needs. I've written on the blog about this before, and I still have concerns. I plan to discuss it with my doctor in the coming months. I'm hoping that a vitamin or two will solve any deficiencies that may exist, and that nutrition won't be an issue.

My bigger concern relates to my ability to lead a "normal" life as a vegan in a meat-eating world. How can I continue to socialize with friends and family without being a burden, always requiring special treatment? I made it through my dad's birthday party last week, but still don't feel confident about future gatherings. So, I've decided to allow myself to make very occasional exceptions to my vegan diet. I will eat only vegan at home, but if invited to someone else's home or out to a restaurant, I'll allow myself to eat dairy (never meat or fish) in order to not spoil everyone's good time. That said, I'll always try my hardest to find a vegan option at a restaurant, and avoid non-vegan foods at others' homes as long as I don't go hungry.

I still feel very conflicted about this decision, and I may decide in the future that it doesn't work for me and I should remain strictly vegan. The way I was able to justify it to myself is that I'm essentially casting votes with every dollar I spend on food. If 98 percent of those votes are going toward the right thing, then that's pretty good. But a question still remains in my mind if I can respect myself as a vegan if I cast that 2 percent of votes the wrong way. We'll see.

The official end to my 3-week trial is in about 5-1/2 hours, but I'll continue posting on this blog from time to time (or maybe all the time, depending on how the mood strikes!). Thanks to all the readers who've written supportive comments. They've really meant a lot to me.

And if anyone has been inspired reading about Helen's and my ventures into veganism and wants to give it a shot themselves, I say go for it. It's not nearly as painful as you think, and you might even like it. Three weeks is a great starting point. If you have any questions, you can always contact me at LHRubenstein@gmail.com.

Not on the Paleo diet you don't

Do you think there were ever any Paleolithic men who actually dragged their mates hither and yon by their hair?
I doubt it.
I think those scrappy Paleolithic ladies had plenty of sharpened mastodon tusks to prevent that from occurring.
But I have nothing with which to protect myself from the onslaught of diet advice I currently receive.
It, of course, began when I decided to launch a trial period of being a vegan.
Somehow being a vegetarian for years never elicited more than an occasional odd look or a comment from co-workers who had guilty looks on their faces because they know I am right when I talk (hardly ever) about the cruelty of factory farming animals.
But being a vegan, even in this trial period, punted me right over into a demographic profile that some people (ill informed as they might be) find quite odd.
When the dear baker on our staff rolled out an amazing birthday cake for me on Monday - think lathered in thick chocolate frosting - I smiled gratefully and said a sincere “thank you,” but I did not have any. It wasn’t easy. Several people suggested I suspend the vegan trial long enough to have a piece of cake.
I couldn’t do it. A vow is a vow and a month is month, even if it is the month I was born. Plus, Lauren (ever thoughtful) brought me in a little vegan cake and my husband brought home a big vegan cake. That bigger vegan cake was remarkably dense, by the way.
But beyond people not understanding what being a vegan means, I also am getting bits and pieces of dietary advice from lots of well-meaning directions.
One of the suggestions - and he really means it - is coming from my son, He thinks I should try the so-called “Paleo Diet” for a month or two.
For those not-in-the know yet, the Paleo Diet is basically: meat, fish, veggies, fruits, roots, and nuts; and does not allow grains, potatoes, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, or processed oils.
He knows I would not eat meat or fish, so that would leave me with only the others on the list.
This is a diet, according to some Internet sites, that is kind of in vogue, and it based on claims that humans have not really evolved in a dietary sense past the Stone Age. Or thereabouts, give or take a few hundred thousand years.
I don’t know if that is really what people - or pre-people - ate back in the day, and I am not sure if getting rid of all grains is the most healthful choice. The fad these days is to cry foul over grains and to condemn gluten as a dietary devil.
I am not so sure my brain gets all foggy every time I have a piece of toast, but I am willing to cut down on processed grains and add a lot more nuts to my diet. I already have upped the fruit and veggie quotient even from what is was before I started this vegan trial.
But am I ready to be Wilma Flintstone?
I don’t think so.
Neither Wilma nor Betty really had a lot of choices about what they put on their dinner slab. We, however, are lucky enough to be able to put a lot of thought into what we eat.

A friend of mine shared this chart over Google Reader today from Andrew Sullivan's The Daily Dish. I think it speaks for itself.

First things first: Happy Birthday, Helen!

This weekend, I encountered my first real social gathering as a vegan. My mom and I planned a surprise dinner party for my dad's birthday, to be held at the home of a family friend. As much as I was looking forward to celebrating my dad's big birthday in a big way, I had serious concerns about what I would eat. I didn't want to put any extra burden on our generous hosts, and didn't want to answer endless questions about why I wasn't indulging in the cheesecake.

We informed the hostess of my dietary restrictions a few weeks in advance, and it turned out she had planned to make a veggie side dish that would fit my needs. I decided to bring a peanut butter noodle side dish (in keeping with the meal's Asian theme) that would provide me with some protein. It turned out to be a big hit with all the omnivores in attendance as well. Someone else brought a fruit salad for dessert, so I had something to snack on while everyone else enjoyed the cake. I will admit that fruit doesn't really satisfy my serious sweet tooth, though, and I treated myself to a vegan-friendly dessert later at home.

As for the questions I was dreading, most people didn't much care what I was eating. I had only a few discussions about my vegan trial, and everyone I spoke to was respectful.

One major perk I hadn't anticipated was that not being able to eat everything that was served made it much easier to avoid overeating, a common peril at parties where everyone stands around delicious spreads of chips, dips, cheese and crackers. I ate only two baby carrots dipped in hummus before the meal, and never felt overfull.

One of my biggest concerns when I started out a few weeks ago was that I would be severely limited in my ability to enjoy a good meal with others. This weekend's festivities proved that it is possible to socialize as a vegan, but it does take some planning ahead.

In the coming months, I will be attending a bridal shower, a wedding, a week-long family trip to Maine, and several other birthday celebrations, including my own. I still don't feel confident about being able to enjoy all these while remaining vegan, and have no idea what I will do on the vacation. I guess I'll just take it one day at a time.

As I wrap up week 2 as a vegan, I feel ever more confident that I could do this on a permanent basis--and be happy. But while I feel certain that veganism is good for the planet and for other living creatures, I have reservations about how good it is for me.

Vegan diets have some clear health benefits: low in saturated fat, high in fiber. Lots of fruits and veggies. But last week, a friend of mine who is in medical school told me flat out that he doesn't know any doctors who would advocate veganism as a healthy diet.

In my post a week ago, I questioned the health effects of soy. From what I can tell, the research the still very mixed on whether soy is good or bad for you. This has me concerned, as I'm finding that soy has a way of sneaking into many of the things I eat now.

A family member also brought to my attention the concept of complete proteins--a phrase I'd never even heard before. Wikipedia tells us: "A complete protein is one that contains significant amounts of all the essential amino acids that must be provided to the human body because of the body's inability to synthesize them." Apparently, those who consume meat, eggs and dairy needn't worry about getting complete proteins, but vegans require different combinations of foods to achieve them.

According to the Savvy Vegetarian, food combinations such as legumes with grains, nuts or seeds provide complete proteins. Some sources say it's sufficient to simply eat a variety of these foods during the day, while others suggest strict food combining is necessary. Fortunately, many of these desirable food combinations are intuitive to begin with. Rice and beans, whole wheat pita and hummus.

The Vegan Society Web site says vegans must also be concerned about finding sources of Vitamin B12, Iodine, Vitamin D2 and Omega 3.

From what I can tell, it very well may be possible to eat a vegan diet that satisfies one's nutritional requirements. But it just seems like it takes a lot more work than I would prefer to dedicate to it.

Of course, nutrition isn't confusing only for vegans. The thinking on what constitutes a healthy diet seems to be constantly evolving (think low-fat vs. low-carb). I've always subscribed to the theory that you should eat a wide variety of foods to be healthy, and ignore the trend diets. But becoming a vegetarian, and now a vegan, has cut into that variety dramatically. I'm wondering if I should consult a professional to ensure a vegan diet can meet my needs.

An unrelated observation:
Helen and I both agree that after a few weeks of being a vegan, all of a sudden being vegetarian seems totally easy and mainstream. Like, people seriously still eat meat? And what on earth was I complaining about before? Nothing to eat at restaurants? That's silly!

By Paul Bass

Who’d have thought -- fresh macaroni and cheese, on the road, with a side of steak?
For a vegan?
I wandered, I looked to the north, and I found it.
Hitting the road as a vegan sure has changed.
I discovered this feast (under $10) at a vegan oasis in a hard-hit stretch of northwest Washington, D.C. I managed to take this picture before gobbling it down.
These discoveries have become a recurring experience. Since I started leaving New Haven once in a while.
I never used to travel much; North Haven’s a road trip for me. So I didn’t realize how out there on the hustings, it has become possible to find exquisite pure vegan dining -- not just vegetarian, but 100 percent dairy and egg-free -- in just about any major city.
Then I got a job that brought with it free trips to new-media conferences.
At first I figured I had to pack plenty of Yves shrink-wrapped meatless Canadian bacon and Tofurkey slices to supplement the bagels or rolls that used to serve as meals on the road.
The conferences tend to take place in swanky hotels in the middle of downtowns. No signs of vegan meals, outside of those rolls.
Fortunately, the conferences tend to be boring. And unless it’s for a story, I’m no good at schmoozing or hanging out at the bar. But I love to walk for miles to check out new cities. And Google pointed to vegan culinary possibilities on the outskirts of each of these places.
So I had time and the inclination to set out to explore, which seemed fitting, since to me veganism has always been a spiritual search, a Sisyphean quest to scrub clean the soul.
That’s how I found the plate of food in the picture. I was in D.C. It was getting dark. Armed with a Google map, I wandered for miles, past the soulless centers of political power, through tidy, modest residential neighborhoods, into a battered zone that must have resembled what Jimmy Carter saw when he paratrooped into the South Bronx.
There, amid abandoned or near-abandoned storefronts (but across from gates to Howard University), on Georgia Avenue NW, was Soul Vegetarian. All vegan, the restaurant is run by a Black Hebrews group. They serve hugs along with the buffet.
Vegan food fits with their philosophy. They have an uneasy relationship with Orthodox Jews, but seem to get along fine with the rest of us.
I discovered that as well when I came upon another one of their restaurants, on the south side of Chicago.
I was, again, staying at a sterile downtown hotel miles away. I called the Soul Vegetarian East for directions. They recommended the King Drive #3 city bus. The woman behind the wheels took one look at the white guy with the yarmulke getting on and asked, “Are you going to the vegetarian restaurant?” Then she regaled me with stories all the way there, about how much fun it is to drive people around, about the old people she looks out for on the route, about a painful episode in her teenage years (she started crying and stopped talking for a bit, but kept driving), then about how much she likes Chicago.
She dropped me off at another stretch of desolate blocks of burned-out homes, liquor stores, drug dealers -- and then the vegan oasis, the Black Hebrews restaurant next door to a Black Hebrews all-natural fresh juice bar. Complete with Tofutti Cuties, if I remember correctly. Although I was so full from the South BBQ Twist Sandwich, cornbread, and strawberry-and-protein powder smoothie, I didn’t have room left for dessert.
Great as those two spots were, San Francisco had the topper, a place called Herbivore.
It was a two and a half mile walk from where I was staying. The restaurant is in the Mission District. A narrow, cozy spot (think the old Claire’s, pre-Schiavone, but with table service), it’s squeezed in amid blocks of urbanism on steroids: a mission next to a used bookstore next to a flophouse next to gourmet shops next to mercados next to hipster live-music dives.
In the end, it was a choice between the soy chicken or seitan schwarma wrap. (Soy chicken’s my default.)
Then I saw the desserts: Mississippi mud with vegan ice cream. I remember Mississippi Mud with real ice cream. Just like I remember McDonald’s -- and high school. Who knew vegans could eat this stuff?
Actually, I couldn’t. I was too full.
Not that I was complaining. I went back out to walk another two and a half miles, to Nob Hill, to Divisadero. (I was checking out a nightclub there called The Independent. An Americana group that sounded good on the Web was on the bill.) I was one block away from the club when I looked to the left and saw: Herbivore. Again.
It wasn’t a mirage. Turns out they have two of the restaurants in San Francisco. In the Mission District. And here. My fumbling with Google maps earlier that afternoon had failed to show the route that would have saved me an extra two and a half miles of walking.
Thankfully. Now I had time for the Mississippi mud.
Subsequently, my daughter and I came across an amazing Latin-themed vegan joint in Brooklyn (with chicken marinara that brought back childhood flesh memories). A funeral in Harlem led to the discovery of an exquisite okra, soy chicken, sweet potato plate at a vegan paradise on Adam Clayton Powell Blvd.
But those were other journeys...

I am probably dating myself by thinking about the old Reese's Peanut Butter Cup commercial.
I really can’t even picture it, but the catch phrase from it clearly stuck in my mind and has become a good example of an issue I am giving thought to.
Yet while the peanut butter - chocolate mess resulted in a popular concoction, my conundrum is not likely to sound so yummy, especially to those who have long eschewed meat and/or all animal products.
The question I am thinking about is whether it is ever OK for a vegan or a vegetarian to eat something that even touched a product they would not normally eat.
For instance: if there were a tray of nachos in front of you, would it be OK to take chips from the bottom of the pile that had not been touched by the cheese piled on top? What if the cheese melted and some it leaked onto the nachos below?
I know when my daughters were younger and adopted a vegetarian lifestyle - and I wholeheartedly supported it because it was a moral choice they made - I never mixed a vegetarian dish with a utensil that I had already used to mix a meat dish. That just would not seem right.
But if you were served a sandwich and someone had accidentally put cheese on it, would it be OK to take the cheese off and eat the sandwich anyway? Should it go to waste if no one else wanted it?
One of my kids - a nearly lifelong vegetarian - now calls herself more of a freegan -not in it truest sense - but for her which means in part that if there is food available and it would otherwise go to waste - she believes it’s OK to eat it, even if it contains meat. An example she used was that after one college apartment roommate moved out, she and her remaining roommate, both longtime vegetarians - ate some leftover chicken breast that had been left in the freezer, rather than throw out.
That’s not a step I would take - I probably would have cooked the chicken and given it to my dog, who is not about to make a choice to be a vegetarian.
I am not about to indulge in a Reese's now, as the vegan trial continues. I have had vegan chocolate, thought and it was darn good.
But this question of how 'tainted' something must be by a non-vegan product before we decide not eat is an interesting one to me. What do you think?

P.S. Veggie peeps, we have something very special coming up on Vegging Out. A small clue: the full name of this blog is Vegging Out in New Haven and we asked a well known Elm city resident to guest blog for us. He did it and it's coming soon! We are very excited and hope you will be too!

I can’t help but do another shout out to Lauren,
While it’s always great to have a co-worker who supports our endeavors - especially those that others might think are a little nutty - Lauren has proved to be an incredible source of support during this vegan trial. And frankly, I should have said ‘a lot nutty’ in terming how many people are reacting to this vegan trial.
But not only does Lauren come prepared and with research and facts in hand, her enthusiasm is contagious.
Plus, she can cook.
Lauren has brought in some of her creations several times for me to try - and let’s face it - on late nights in the office when the cafeteria is long closed - her meal size containers of things for me to “try” have kept me going.
I hope to figure out a way to repay Lauren in kind - but so far nothing I have made has been worth sharing. I will, however, keep trying.
Meanwhile, thanks Lauren.