The Vegan Decision

I Think I'm Turning Vegan-ese

2012-02-24T12:37:00.001-08:00

A Korean-American foodie's journey to veganism.

I wish I could say that becoming vegan was a quick transformation for me and that I became a vegan in one decisive move. I have read so many stories of the kind. It sounds so easy and I am envious. While becoming a vegan is inevitable for me, it is at great personal sacrifice. As unpopular as it may sound, I do not think meat tastes gross. I think it is delicious. My passion is to cook, and therefore to eat. My friends and family did not think I could become a vegan, sheerly based on my love for cooking.

Nevertheless, veganism is my destiny. Everything I do, everything I read, leads me down this path. It is manifesting itself. I wish it could be a swift change, but instead it is more like an archaeological dig, slowly and carefully chipping away, then dusting, revealing itself in stages. I no longer try to force it, or advance it more quickly. I am just trying to live in the now and accept myself without judgment. It is a struggle, but it feels more organic to just let it happen.

So, here is my long and sordid story.

DEER ANTLERS AND BEAR PAWS

I dabbled with vegetarianism and veganism when I was 13 through college. At that time, it was less a matter of animal cruelty, and more motivated by an aversion to the questionable dishes my immigrant Korean mother would prepare. Permanently seared into my memory is the intense smell and visual of my mother cooking deer antlers, first shaving, then poaching and then cracking them open to access the crystallized bone marrow. She served the marrow crystals to my father in Cognac to help lower his blood pressure. On another occasion, I opened a pot at home and found what I swear looked like a bear ‘s paw. While probably illegal and close to impossible to procure, never put anything past a Korean mom.

A FALSE START: BACK ON BACON

I abstained from meat until my early 20’s, finally succumbing and indulging, AT WILL. While I always loved to cook from a very young age, it was in my 20’s that my passion for food was really ignited. I wanted to become a great cook. And this time around on the meat, I was not going to be a food pussy. I wanted to try and taste everything. I would read cookbooks and cooking magazines from cover-to-cover, like they were novels. They were more riveting and captivating than any love story. Nothing would be off limits and I would not fear food or be squeamish to trying anything. It was a culinary renaissance.

...AND THEN THERE WAS THOMAS KELLER.

In my early 30’s, I discovered Thomas Keller and it was then that my ideas of food and life began to change. Thomas Keller is famed for his Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry, and subsequently Per Se, Bouchon and Ad Hoc. Thomas Keller, recipient of 3 Michelin Stars, is touted as the best chef in the world. He is my idol and inspiration, not so much for his cooking abilities, but more so about his philosophy towards food, family and the world. He cast a light onto my life and changed me forever.

He once spoke about putting rabbit on his menu, during the early years of French Laundry. When the rabbits arrived, they were alive. He was most definitely expecting them to be ready for cooking. It occurred to him that he should kill and prepare the rabbits himself, so as not be removed from knowing the life of the animal. It was a difficult and emotional experience. It makes me cringe recounting the story now. The outcome was somewhat of enlightenment. He could no longer separate the live, cuddly animal from the dead meat he prepared. He truly valued the life of that rabbit, not so much that he would not kill it, but I digress...

Thomas Keller is well known for using every part of the animal, from brain to snout, hooves to bones, innards to outers, creating heavenly and exquisite fare. Keller’s intention was to honor the life of the rabbits, and all animals, by never wasting any part of it, even wanting to crawl into the oven with the rabbit to ensure that the sacrifice of its life was not for... not.

Keller also writes about being mindful and present when cooking. To burn a loaf of bread not only dishonors the farmer who grew and harvested the grain, but also the people involved in processing, packaging and delivery, and anyone who had a hand in bringing it to you, not to mention a waste to the environment. Keller also discussed the importance in high quality, organic meat, of animals treated kindly and humanely. He stressed how important it is to respect any life you take and prepare it with reverence and mindfulness. It is hard not to roll my eyes at this philosophy in hindsight. The best way to honor a life is to let it live! Nevertheless, Keller was a crucial inspiration for me to head towards veganism.

THE END OF NON-ORGANIC MEAT

At this point, I had been living with the nagging desire to stop eating meat. I didn’t know how to start. No one thought I could do it. My entire life revolved around food, cooking and eating. I would have regular “Iron Chef” parties at my house. At that time, I had a decadent and giant kitchen. I would invite 20 people over, and each hour one or two people would make a course for the entire party. This would go one for many hours and people loved showcasing meat, me being the worst offender.

So, how did I begin down that path toward veganism? Keller brought on the initial change. I decided to give up any meat that was not Step-4 certified organic, humanely raised. Dairy and eggs were harder when you went out to eat, but at home, certified organic. Since wild (vs. farm raised) fish cannot be organic, it was the only non-organic meat I was consuming.

VEAL STOCK. YES, YOU JUST READ THAT.

Before giving up non-organic meat, I was obsessed with cooking out of the French Laundry Cookbook. My favorite dish was Yabba Dabba Do. It required a veal stock that took 4 days to make, yielding 8 cups. I would actually take my vacation days off work to make veal stock.

I was disheartened by the idea that I would never again cook with veal stock. But, I could no longer find a way to reconcile it in my mind after reading Diet For a New America. All the glimpses I had heard about veal, and what I had long suspected but compartmentalized, were confirmed. I was apoplectic. I could spit leather. A convert for life.

Yes, I was still cooking humanely raised and certified organic meat, but there was nothing that could drive me back to the arms of golden veal stock. Shortly after abstaining from veal, I met some friends for dinner at Craft, Top Chef’s Tom Collichio’s restaurant in Century City. The menu was eclectic with southern influences, one of the side dishes being butter beans! There was also “milk-fed veal”. When the young waiter arrived, I asked him about this dish. He said the baby calves are strictly fed milk their entire lives. I asked him if that was to supposed to take the edge off of being cruelly imprisoned, tortured then prematurely murdered. My comments were met with smirks and uncomfortable chuckles by my dinner companions. Most would be horrified, but everyone who knows me, knows that I irreverent, emphatic and irrepressible.

CRUELTY-FREE AND THE END OF LEATHER AND WOOL

Shortly thereafter, I began working at Paramount Vantage, the specialty film division, as a movie trailer editor. The first two weeks were spent watching all the movies coming up on the docket: An Inconvenient Truth, Year of Dog, There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men, Babel, Black Snake Moan, Son of Rambow, Foot Fist Way, Into the Wild, A Mighty Heart, The Kite Runner and Arctic Tale. Needless to say, it was a sobering two weeks and I was emotionally wrecked. Perhaps this made me more vulnerable and impressionable. It seemed like a channel had been opened in my mind and spirit. After watching Year of the Dog, a dark comedy about an unremarkable secretary who finds meaning and a higher power in becoming vegan and an animal activist, I would never be the same. The images of rows of rabbits imprisoned in head stocks, waiting to be tested with cosmetics...

From that point on, I would only use cruelty-free cosmetics. I gathered all of my leather and suede, most of my wool, any cashmere, mohair and began to jettison them. If there was anyone who ever admired a certain leather clothing item or accessory of mine, I gave it to them. This was like a dagger in my heart. These leather pants were like butter and fit me like I was the cow’s body from which it was skinned. (I know, gross.) Gone and good riddens. As an avid knitter, I also had to jettison my stock piles of amazing wool and cashmere. I was quite popular among my friends at the time.

So, I got rid of just about everything. But, I did keep some dress shoes, especially the Stuart Weitzmans, Rene Caovillas and specialty shoes. I also kept my on-the-road-to-groadie Uggs, some belts and a few wool sweaters and coats, because sometimes a girl needs to dress like a lady and I loathe being cold. And, who really wants those disgusting Uggs?! I always have to compartmentalize when I put them on, but feel like I am honoring the life of the animal sacrificed each time I wear any of it. I do still wear silk. I know that is forboden to die-hards, but I have not yet read the compelling information to take me across that bridge.

I was getting pretty heavy into the environment at this time too. People found me to be extreme, but I was and still am mild in the broad spectrum. And, everything I do is extreme, so that meant nothing to me.

MOTHERHOOD

It was an interesting opportunity to raise my daughter, Gia, with a completely different philosophy around food. Like a typical, neurotic, West LA mom, I made all of my baby food, of course using organic, fair-trade, local produce. Pretty much anything my daughter ate at home was fresh and minimally, if at all, processed. Little did I know the golem I was creating. Now, at the age of 4, this girl will not eat canned, frozen or processed food.

Two years into motherhood, I wanted to take the next step in my vegan journey. I decided that I would watch every movie and read every book, until I could no longer abide. I had already read Diet for a New America. I then watched: Future of Food, Fast Food Nation, Supersize Me, Food Matters and Food, Inc. I then read Omnivore’s Dilemma and Animal Factory. (I am too scared to watch Earthlings.) There was no going back at that point. I had drank the Kool Aid and was moving off the grid.

My biggest surprise was learning about the environmental impact of raising meat and the devastating demise of the farming industry. This on top of the insanity of mass-producing meat?! As I mentioned earlier, I was already heading toward Defcon 2 on the environment. This only re-ignited my passion for the environment and for animals.

From this point on, I gave up all meat, dairy, eggs and honey. I spent the first 6 months really hungry and weak. It was an adjustment, especially since I was cooking a completely different set of food for my husband and daughter. Sometimes, I just didn’t have it in me to make a great meal for myself. I ate a whole lot of PB&J.

I was most afraid to give up cheese. Oh, how I loved cheese! Now, years past? Not such a big deal. Cheese? Meh. It wasn’t anything at all. I miss baked goods, so butter and eggs are the two long-lost lovers that I can’t stop thinking about. We’re like ships passing in the night.

Despite all of my extreme views, I never proselytized. It was personal and I did not expect anyone to live by my code. Most times, when people would ask about my conversion, I would be met with hostility and would be proselytized to. People would tell me how humans were the dominant species on the planet, therefore had the right to use any and all of the resources however we saw fit. My Korean mother told me I would die if I didn’t eat meat. Gee, if our roles were reversed, I do not think I would be met with the same level of acceptance.

For goodness sakes, I still cook meat for my mom, sisters, husband, daughter and friends, upon their emphatic insistence. I feel like I am pretty tolerant and try to just focus on myself. I do believe that I have reached a lot of people this way. I am not preaching, judgmental or hostile. People usually engage me into this conversation. I never bring it up.

MY DAUGHTER IS AN OMNIVORE, AND I LOVE HER.

I had decided to cook some steaks as a reward for my husband after his 75-mile bike race in Big Bear. I purchased two high-end rib-eye steaks from McCall’s in Silver Lake. This was certified organic, Angus beef, marinated with olive oil, French sea salt with freshly ground Tellicherry Black Peppercorns. It was Gia’s first steak. Upon her first taste, Gia said, “I love steak. I want to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner”. When I went to Whole Foods to get another steak a week later, Gia said, “No, don’t buy it at Whole Foods, go to McCalls!”. So yes, she eats meat, as does my husband. There is nothing that would ever make my husband give up meat. His family thinks I am a freak show, and maybe that’s a good thing. My sister-in-law in Arkansas asked me what vegan meant. When I told her, she said, “Gross”, in between cigarette puffs and extra large bites of mashed potatoes and gravy. I knew I was on the right track.

My daughter knows I do not eat any meat besides fish. She likes to talk about it and tell people about it. After watching Tinkerbell The Great Fairy Rescue, she asked why the scientist father was catching butterflies and pinning them on his wall and why he wanted to do the same with Tinkerbell. I told her that some people think it is ok to hurt animals and bugs. I told her I did not agree and that is why I don’t eat any meat but fish, but want to give that up too.

Gia: “I want to be a vegan too”.

Mom: “Sure, it’s your choice”.

(A brief moment of silence.)

Gia: “Is bacon meat?”

Mom: ‘Yes, bacon is meat.”

Gia: “Is chicken skin meat?”

Mom: “Yes, chicken skin is meat?”

Gia: “Never mind.”

This kind of dialogue goes on pretty regularly between us. I am guessing she will turn to vegetarianism and maybe even veganism. While I love animals, this girl is completely obsessed with caring for, protecting and rescuing animals. On our trip to Animal Acres, she let giant Turkey Lurkey eat all of our blueberries. The entire container! It was like $8. He was actually holding her hostage, in the nicest of ways. She was vigorously petting his sides and every time she tried to stop, he would peck her, and that’s after he ate our vegan lunch.

Gia asked me once why Cruella deVille was trying to capture all those puppies. I long decided to tell Gia the truth in the kindest of ways, in an age appropriate way. I told her she wanted their fur to make a giant coat for herself.

Gia: “Those puppies would be very cold.”

Mom: “Those puppies would be dead.”

This is when I explained about which animals can be shaved and which ones have to be murdered so people may wear their skin. I also explained that the ones who are shaved are generally not treated very well either. I told her this is why I do not wear leather, suede, fur, minimal wool and have cloth seats in my car for heaven’s sakes. Needless to say, Gia does not wear leather or animal products. Both of our cosmetic lines are vegan and cruelty-free.

Gia is being raised with a completely different philosophy than I ever was, towards the planet, animals and the world around us. These issues were not on my mom’s radar. They were... petty in the grand scheme of her daily life in Korea. She said she and the other girls in the village would hide in the hay stacks so the soldiers would not rape them. They had so little food and clean water that they really could not afford to say no to what they could find. Maybe this is why my meat abstinence would make her bristle, that is was a choice only a privileged life could be afforded. In modern colloquiallism, these are rich-West LA-girl problems.

Now that I am 41 and my mom is 70, she is coming around. She is making only fish based dishes for me and doesn’t question my intentions anymore. She has accepted them and seems to enjoy re-inventing her old Korean dishes. My mother has come a long way from her voo-doo bear-paw-rattlesnake-powder-deer-antler-blood-crystal ways.

THE FINAL BREAK-UP WITH THE BAD RELATIONSHIP.

A huge coup for me? I stopped drinking my nemesis, Diet Coke, in one swift move. I read that the dye came from bugs! In the same article, I learned that coating on shiny candies, like Skittles and jelly beans, was made from secretions of the Lac Bug. Done and done. Honey was never a big issue for me, so a no brainer in abstaining, but it can be hard to get around in cooking and baking. Agave is just not the same, but alas, who really wants to eat bee vomit anyways?

PESCETARIANISM

So, here I am at an impass. Fish is the final frontier. 2011 was supposed to be my last year eating any fish. I still struggle with this. I want something bold to bring me over this threshold, like I have done so many other times in the past. I want to get on with it and be full vegan. Alas, here we are in 2012 and I am still eating salmon, shellfish and smaller fish like sardines, anchovies, etc. I love it so much. I probably eat fish once a week.

I do admit to indulging in a special non-vegan dessert here of there or a special meat meal on a rare occasion. See, I am not Defcon 5. I am NO radical. But, I am passionate and sincere in my commitment towards animals and the environment. It’s such a conundrum. I want to STOP ALL ANIMAL DERIVATIVES, but I just have not gotten there in my process. This is where I just need to be patient and let it unfold. Breath in. Breathe out. Serenity now.

I read an article in the LA Times about Tal Ronnen, the chef who catered a vegan wedding for Ellen Degeneris and Portia de Rossi. Steve Wynn asked Tal to make vegan dishes at all 22 of his restaurants in Las Vegas. Former Mc. Donald’s executives asked for his help in launching a healthful fast-food restaurants. And, if you are still reading this epic blog, you will find this excerpt from the LA Times interesting. It spoke to me on so many levels. I too want to help the vegan movement forward and align with Tal’s philosophies.

“...But here's the real secret behind his ascension to first-name-only status as a vegan rock-star chef: He thinks like a meat eater.

"So many people tell me, 'I could be a vegan if it weren't for bacon,' and I tell them, 'Be a "vegan" who eats bacon,'"...

Wha? Isn't that sacrilegious?

Ronnen sighs. "Real militant vegans hate when I say that. But if you are cutting back on the amount of meat that you eat, you're still doing something great for your health, for the planet and for the animal."

He's part of a new breed of vegans and vegetarians who are taking the movement back from those militants brandishing bumper stickers that admonish us not to eat anything with a face. Ronnen and others like him, including author Kathy Freston, urge the masses to "lean into" vegetarianism and veganism by simply embracing a vegetarian or vegan meal a few times a week. If they have a rallying cry, it just might be "Meatless Mondays."

Their target audience is meat eaters who are intrigued by going vegan or vegetarian, but are afraid to give up meat (especially bacon) because they fear they'll spend the rest of their lives looking at a plate of rabbit food. And Ronnen doesn't blame them.

"I just can't do the 'throw some vegetables and a starch on a plate' thing," he says. "That's the problem with most vegan dishes. It's a portobello mushroom cap, or a pasta primavera, and when you're finished with dinner you have to hit the drive-through. You have to give people something that will satisfy them. And that's a protein-based plate."

The classically trained chef believes it's his mission to inspire chefs across the country to take on that challenge. "If I could get one point across, it would be this: Being a vegan is not about depriving yourself. If you sit around eating lettuce and carrots all day because that's what you think vegans are doing, you're doing it wrong."

This relatively simple approach — designing a vegan menu with the protein front and center, not just paying it lip service — is nonetheless revolutionary in the food world. And Ronnen takes it several steps beyond: He is leading the way in transforming vegan fare into haute cuisine.

"We're just beginning to see what is possible with vegan food, and Tal is at the forefront of that movement," says Bon Appétit restaurant editor Andrew Knowlton. "Tal is an artist. He is just beginning to open a window onto the possibilities of what vegan food can look like."

It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment when the vegan movement started to change. Freston, the blond dynamo at its forefront and author of the new book "Veganist," credits a perfect storm. The eco-friendly movement took notice of the environmental costs of eating meat. The economic slide and rising food costs nudged beef, chicken and pork closer to the "luxury" side of the ledger. Add in the health benefits and celebrity-and-beauty quotient — the gossip mags breathlessly announcing that "Glee" star Lea Michele's sleek new body could be attributed to a vegan diet, for example — and it was on.

But the movement can go only so far without taste. And that's where Ronnen comes in. "This is about delicious food," said Wynn, who recently adopted a vegan lifestyle for health reasons, lost 30 pounds and called for the menu makeovers at his restaurants so he would always have something to eat.

Revamping the Wynn menus has not just been good for the boss. It's been good for business: Wynn says they've been a hit with customers, and are creating a new niche market for those who want more than greasy, fatty food options or a buffet.

Ronnen became a vegetarian as a teenager to impress a girl, and then went vegan for humanitarian and health reasons. A graduate of New York's Natural Gourmet Institute, Ronnen pays homage to French culinary roots by taking those classic elements and playing with the layered flavors and textures until he finds a vegan alternative. "I love that challenge, trying to come up with something vegan that is as good or better."

Although the fanfare surrounding Ronnen has been a boon for his business — his cookbook, "The Conscious Cook," became a New York Times bestseller and was repeatedly named one of the best cookbooks of 2009...

It's his behind-the-scenes role as a guide and a teacher that excites Ronnen most. Trying to make a seafood stew? Sautéed oyster mushrooms can offer up a texture similar to the seafood that shares their name. The flaky texture of a crab cake is easily reproduced, he says, using fresh hearts of palm braised in seaweed. Looking for a smoky seafood flavor? Toast sheets of nori, grind them up and use it as a dusting or flavor accent. Eggless pasta is one of his specialties. He reaches for Gardein protein — he is a consultant for the popular vegan line of meat substitutes — whenever a dish calls for chicken or beef.

But what about butter and cream? No problem, Ronnen says. He uses an olive oil spread for butter, and a silky "cream" made of cashews that have been soaked overnight and then pulverized until the texture reaches luxurious. Truly, it's hard to tell the difference.

Ronnen believes it's his mission to help move the vegan movement forward. He volunteered to work his way across the Cordon Bleu culinary program's campuses, offering demos and tutorials. It's a calculated bid to encourage new culinary students to think vegan before they head out into the nation's kitchens.

So this is where I stand on my mission to become a vegan. I just want to do less harm and the best I can today.

my favorite vegan things:

Soba Noodles with Trader Joe’s Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette

Trader Joe’s Tofu Vietnamese Spring Roll with Peanut Sauce

Bay Cities Tomato Basil Baguette

Trader Giotto’s Bruschetta (next to the hummus in cold section, not in the jar)

Wayfare Cheddar Sauce

O Soy Yogurt

Helen Cutler, 41, Editor, Los Angeles, CA

food shouldn't make you sick or feel bad

2011-01-17T19:32:00.000-08:00

My mom told me that when I found out meat was an animal when I was around 6 years old, I was never the same. From that point on, my beef consumption was minimal to none. And, luckily, I've always hated fish or anything seafood, with a violent passion. Violent in that if I tasted it on accident, it would induce a serious gagging reflex and sometimes vomit. So, I've always eaten a primarily vegetarian diet. Except for chicken, which I ate sparingly and in phases. Dairy, on the other hand, didn't have the same affect on me, given that it didn't require killing an animal. It was a huge part of my diet until a little over a year ago. Throughout my life, I've consumed ice cream and ranch dressing in frighteningly large quantities.

As I grew a little older, and became more aware of how food made my body feel, I started to think that there was something wrong with eating dairy. It just didn't feel right anymore. Cheese especially began to make my stomach ache and made me so lethargic after eating it. So, I've known for maybe 5-7 years that I would eventually be vegan. I knew it was something I wanted and that it would happen because it just made sense. I've read enough about nutrition and the human body throughout my life to know that a plant based diet has been scientifically proven, over and over, to be the key to a healthy and disease-free life. I also just knew how I felt after eating a plant based meal vs. a meat based, cheesy meal. There was always a world of difference. So why did it take me so long to make the decision and take the leap? Human behavior is to blame, I suppose. Habit, fear of change? Probably both. Also, I've never in my life been able to be on a 'diet'. The psychological implications of certain foods being off-limits or a restriction of how much I could eat just made me obsess about it, resulting in failure. I didn't want to do this until I knew I could be successful. It was very important to me and I didn't want to try and fail over and over again and create negative associations.

So one random day in October of 2009, I was sitting at my desk at work feeling a bit 'stuck' and frustrated with where I was in my life and how I felt. In response to the frustration, I knew something needed to change. Right then and there I decided try to go full-fledged vegetarian for a week. It was tough for about 3 days, but that went away quickly. Then, I came across Cynthia Morgan's blog on Facebook. She posted an article about dairy substitutes, explaining that the biggest hurdle for people when making the decision or transition to becoming vegan is giving up dairy. It was definitely the missing puzzle piece for me, so I kept reading. That day I printed out the article and went to Whole Foods and bought all of the products on her list and started experimenting and looking up vegan recipes. My biggest fear with becoming vegan had always been that I'd feel deprived and, well, hungry. So you're saying that I can still eat everything I ate before, I just need to substitute the dairy or meat ingredients? Ding, ding, ding! I had seen the light. I finally figured out how to make it happen, and be successful at it. As soon as you make the decision to be vegan, the knowledge and tools just start flooding in. I posted a couple of questions on Facebook asking for good recipes, etc. and I continue to receive great info.

A big surprise to me since becoming vegan has been how interested others are about it. People often have a lot of questions and seem to be starving for knowledge about the subject. One of the best feelings in the world was when a co-worker came to me in tears, saying that she had heard I was vegan and needed advice on how to help her husband, who had just had a massive heart attack, cut down on his red meat consumption.

The question I get most often is, what is the biggest change you've noticed since becoming vegan? My answer is simple, but big. I never get sick or feel bad from eating. After thinking about what that really means, I realized that feeling sick or getting sick after eating had become an accepted, normal reaction from food before I became vegan. Sick as in, stomach aches, feeling heavy, lethargic and daily digestion problems, etc. Your body and mind are sustained through food. Your body and mind should be energized through food. Food shouldn't make you sick or feel bad. Ever. It's as simple as that.

I make vegan meals all the time for people and they are blown away at how good everything is. Meat and dairy replacements are so good these days. They really make them to taste like the real thing. I love the fake chicken for tacos/nachos (add preservative free taco seasoning, grilled onions, garlic and peppers) and Tofutti cream cheese. Whole Foods has a plethora of vegan products.They even carry homemade vegan chocolate cake in their bakery if you want a treat. Restaurants have proven to be very accommodating as well. If you call ahead, most will have a chef who will make you a vegan entrée.

I have no question that I will be vegan for the rest of my life. It’s really not hard once you make the commitment. It just takes some added effort at the beginning, like any change would.

Happy eating!

Hilary Bailey, 31, Kansas City, MO, Advertising Account Executive/Yoga Instructor

my favorite vegan things:

All Recipes: a helpful website that includes tons of vegan recipes with ratings.

Skinny Bitch: great book with information on veganism.

Vegan on the Cheap: wonderful cookbook.

Turtle Mountain: Purely Decadent Cookie Dough Ice Cream

the slow road

2010-10-10T23:18:00.000-07:00

The story has been told that a piece of beef was the first solid food my little paws reached for. And up until about 10 years ago, I didn’t think a meal was complete without a big, honkin’ piece of cooked flesh. I honestly thought that in order to survive, one had to consume animal protein. That is what we have been programmed to believe. However, this is clearly a myth proliferated by ______ (fill in the blank with any industry driven by profits from meat and dairy consumption). This “myth” has been countered by science. Not a bunch of hemp-wearing, kumbaya-singing, paint-splashing, hippies. Science. In fact, the ‘protein myth’ should be referred to as the ‘protein scam’ because not only do you not need animal protein, it is unhealthy and dangerous. But this essay is not about that. I’ll leave that up to the China Study. This is about my long, ever-winding, sometimes backtracking, still-in-progress, road to veganism.

If you would have told me eight years ago that I would ever utter that previous sentence, I would have laughed at you and then snapped-into-a-Slim-Jim just to spite you. I grew up on meat in central Oklahoma in the 80’s and 90’s. Bologna, salami, hot dogs, pork chops, KFC, steak, jerky, nuggets, burgers, chili, Spam, you name it. I don’t recall hearing the word “vegetarian” until at least high school and “vegan” was just another word with the same meaning…Crazy-ass, tree-hugging, hand-holding , weirdos. You get the picture. Eating meat was “normal” and everyone else was cuckoo.

The first time I actually met (and liked) a vegetarian was my best friend in graduate school (and still to this day – Hi Leslie!). I remember interrogating her FBI-style on many occasions about this lifestyle choice. I was shocked to learn she made this decision sometime in high school (High school! The biggest decision I made in high school was what to wear on a daily basis). Leslie would entertain my litany of questions with the patience of saint. And I, being the tried and true devil’s advocate that I am, would pose every argument possible. She never budged. I never budged…or so I thought.

With all of my questions and all of her answers, it was a question she asked me that started turning the wheels in my meat-loving brain. “What about Connley?” she asked. Connley, you should know, is my family’s golden retriever. He’s pretty much the most amazing creature on earth. While he doesn’t have the equivalent of a primate insula or prefrontal cortex, I swear he has the ability to process emotion and possesses interoceptive awareness (but that’s all beyond the scope of this essay). What about Connley? Hmmm. Now that was a humdinger. How could I love him so much and anthropomorphize his every act and not do the same for all animals? How entirely different is a canine from a primate from a bovine and so on? Yes, I know the phylogenetic differences, but really…What difference do a few sub-branches make? Well, this was a mental pickle I wasn’t ready to examine. Not just yet. And so the interrogation sessions stopped, and life went on.

Back in that first year of graduate school, I spent a lot of time driving back and forth from Kansas to Oklahoma on good ol’ I-35, a.k.a. the industrialized cattle drive. I would see the herds on the side of the road. See (and smell) those big rigs covered in holes and filled with cattle. I watched the calves play in the pastures on the side of the highway, swishing their tails. I watched the bulls graze and the cows drink from the ponds month after month. One day, as I passed one of the stinky 18-wheelers on I-35, I ventured to gaze into one of the holes that covered the trailer. And there it was, a big brownish-black sparkling eye. Not all too different from the chocolatey-brown eyes of Connley. I made the connection. That day I vowed to never eat beef again. And while I was at it, pigs too. I was too far gone to compartmentalize specific mammals. So that day in March of 2004 I decided to not eat mammals anymore. I didn’t tell anyone. This wasn’t a conscience choice, I just didn’t. It seemed natural and like the right thing to do so why would I bore anyone with this inane information. Or maybe I didn’t believe I would stick with it. In any case, that’s what I did.

A few months later, Leslie and I were talking and I must have referred to “not eating mammals” in the conversation; she was taken aback. “Oh yeah, I didn’t tell you?” I queried. “Yep. No more mammals, “I answered my own question. She knowingly half-smiled; best not to make a big deal of it, lest I change my mind. And so years went by. There were hard days when I really craved meat. I slipped a couple of times; always under the influence of alcohol. A bite of a medium-rare filet at a wedding. A bite of a Sonic burger at 2am. But those “slips” solidified my decision. That steak tasted like a rusty piece of iron. That burger tasted like grainy, salted, tendons. Bleck. Living in Kansas and spending a lot of time in Oklahoma was often trying… “Yes, I eat seafood and poultry…No, chickens aren’t mammals…Sorry, Mema, I can’t eat that gravy you made with beef fat…” But most of the time, it was pretty easy.

Fast forward to May 2009 when I moved to L.A. Enter Cynthia; a friend of Leslie’s that she insisted I connect with upon my move out west. Cynthia was a vision. Further, she was delightful and smart and spiritual and just lovely. And she didn’t eat animals. Or eggs. Or milk. Or cheese!!! Oh boy. Here we go again… But this time, I wasn’t so contrary. I was willing to listen to the ins-and-outs, pros-and-cons. Plus, in L.A., things were easier on the meat front. There were restaurants, full-on restaurants (not just a menu), that didn’t serve meat. Further, there were restaurants that didn’t even serve animal products whatsoever (Hi Real Food Daily!) Dairy-free ranch dressing?!?! Impossible you say? Contraire, Mon Frère. It’s true and it’s delish. But this didn’t stop me from eating regular ranch altogether. It just opened a tiny little doorway in my mind about the possibilities.

September (and the eve of my 30^th birthday) brought new leanings. Birds. They’re pretty special too. Why had I neglected them? They’re cute. They have cognitions. They have social order. Fine! No more chicken, no more turkey. Ugh. And I didn’t even get to have a last farewell feast of KFC. It’s like the movie ‘Wizard of Oz’ when the curtain is lifted and the wizard is just a dumpy old man. You can never see him as the all-powerful, wonderful wizard again because you know he is just the dumpy old man. This is how it’s been for me. Once I have knowledge, information, or an emotional tie, I can’t go back. Not even to gnaw on a greasy, original recipe, bird leg for one last self-indulgent time. And down the path I went. A few months ago, shortly after Easter (and my favorite holiday food – deviled eggs), I saw the video “Meet your Meat”. There goes eggs. And kinda milk…but cheese. I’m going to put you in a little box for now. I’m going to continue justifying your consumption with vegetarian/Kosher (i.e., no animal rennet), organic cheese. For now.

See, I’m not perfect. Especially since I’ve continued eating seafood (ah sushi, how I love thee) all this time. That is until now. Two weeks ago I had a delicious crabcake for dinner in downtown La Jolla (where I now live). It was fantastic going down, but not-so-great coming up six hours later. Yep, I had food poisoning. Gut-wrenching, exploding, dry-heaving, food poisoning. I was sick for three days. In the midst of a cold sweat, and writhing in pain in my bed I thought, “This isn’t normal. Food shouldn’t do this to you.” I made another connection. Fish are animals too. I’ve sat on this thought for a couple of weeks. And today, another moving installation pushed that thought out from behind the curtain: the movie Earthlings (available to watch for free online). Today marks my decision to eliminate seafood and thus the last remaining animal in my culinary repertoire. 10.10.10. The official day I can call myself a vegetarian. Still dabbling in dairy…But the wheels, they are a turning. This is my road to veganism. However slow and roundabout it may be, this is my journey. What’s yours?

-- Danyale McCurdy, Ph.D., 31, San Diego, CA. Clinical Psychologist.

my favorite vegan things:

stella mccartney

veg sandiego

uncleeddies vegan cookies

golden retriever foundation

urban decay
pureology

choosing vegan, to honor everything i believe in

2010-08-10T12:55:00.000-07:00

Last month I finally chose to walk the vegan road. I use the word ‘finally’ because I feel it has been a slow and gradual progression over the last 15 years.

In 1995 I read the book Fit for Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond and was introduced to the fact that humans are the only other animal that drink another animal’s milk. This totally grossed me out and my thoughts immediately drifted to how disturbing and incorrect it is for humans to suck on cow teets. Just because someone has packaged it up in a bottle or carton makes no difference. It’s still milk that has been squeezed from a cow, and in my opinion should only be used for one thing … feeding baby cows. So my milk drinking days ended abruptly. For some odd reason though, I didn’t put cheese in the same category. Strange, I know.

Over the next five years my taste for meat declined. Correction, not so much the taste of it, but more so the flesh component. Have you ever bitten in to a piece of meat and visualized biting in to the arm, leg or torso of an animal, and that the chewy bits of meat is too closely associated with chewing your way through the flesh of that animal? Those type of visualizations also grossed me out and ended my meat eating days, with exception to mince meat in lasagna, spaghetti bolognese and carpaccio (the paper thin raw beef), as these styles of meat required no tough chewing and melted in my mouth.

My fascination for food, health and wellbeing led me to study a 3 year Diploma of Nutrition and it was during those classes that I was exposed to the horrifying documentaries about chickens in battery farms, their ghastly diet, abnormally unhealthy living conditions and outrageous cruelty and suffering. Add to that, the accounts of negative health effects that the consumption of these chickens and eggs were having on the human population. I was so appalled by this information that I have never eaten a piece of chicken since, but somehow I remained an egg eater, as long as they were the biodynamic organic free-range variety.

As time went by and my love of food and good nutrition grew, so did my love and respect for mother earth. Each day I was inspired to learn a little more about the “truth” of the type of world we live in, how my choices can have an effect on the future of the world based on the simple fact that every time I buy a product I am saying to that company, ‘keep on doing what you are doing.’ I am supporting everything that company does: every source of raw material, every packaging solution, every environmental standard that they are undertaking, every form of employee relations and every marketing choice.

When creating Be Genki, the range of bath, body and home care products, I was adamant that the brand had to be certifiably “animal cruelty free”, not containing any animal derived ingredients and certainly not allowing any of the products or ingredients to be tested on animals. Yet, I still was consuming eggs, cheese and a portion of meat once every few months. Hmmm… I wasn’t wanting to use animal products in my skincare products but was happy to eat them. Interesting inconsistency don’t you think?!

Being an advocate for holistic health and wellbeing, and possessing the inclination to think about what consequence my choices are having on my life, my loved ones’ lives, the community, the planet, and future beliefs, standards and ideals, choosing vegan seemed like the natural thing to do that would honor everything that I believe in, (that is, to help improve my awareness, consciousness and communion with mother earth.)

The tipping point for making the choice, however, was watching the short clip VEGAN For the People. For the Planet. For the Animals. Quite simply, the short film clip makes sense. Choosing to be vegan not only nurtures myself, but my loved ones, future generations and the world in which we share. Oh… and I look and feel so much healthier since making the change. Love those extra perks!

Sam Sample, 31, Las Vegas, NV. Founder of Be Genki, skin care line.

my favorite vegan things:
Raw Vegan Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce
Red Velvet Cafe, Las Vegas, NV
Rainbow's End Cafe, Las Vegas, NV
(Special thank you to Diary of a Vegan.)

veganism on a dare

2010-06-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

Before totally committing to becoming a vegan back in 1990, I'd tried being a vegetarian a couple of years earlier after reading The Jungle, Upton Sinclair's 1906 expose on the meat-packing industry and the conditions of the wage slave immigrants that worked in that industry and going out with a gal who was a vegetarian.

As the twentieth anniversary of Earth Day approached in 1990, there were more and more magazines and articles on what a meat based diet does to the environment and I read up on this quite a bit. At the same time, I was going through an early mid-life crisis: I was 28 years old and had no real idea of where my life was going, but I wanted to affect a change in my life in some capacity. So now equipped with information about how being a vegetarian could actually change the world (or a small segment of it - one step at a time) I decided I was going to not be a slave to my meat craving palate and commit to making this change.

When I first became a vegetarian, my long time friend Joel (who was also my roommate at the time) asked me why I didn't just go the vegan route instead of just being a vegetarian, and as I had already read some of why being a vegan is even more environmentally helpful (the dairy and egg industry with their factory farms and the horrid conditions they subject animals to) I took his "dare" and went from meat eater to vegan almost overnight (I was maybe a vegetarian for a couple of weeks before becoming a vegan).

If I can be a vegan for 20 years now after being a meat eater for 28 years, anyone can do the same and not have a poorer eating quality of life and not have health deficiencies as a result.

When I first became a vegan and would go out to eat and upon getting a dish, that I requested to have no dairy or cheese, arrive with dairy ingredients, I would go into a crazy scene that I know embarrassed people I was with (just as I did in my former life as a meat eater when I got vegetables when I requested none. I was a dumb not so young angry white guy. It took me several years to get over my dumb angry side, but I've come to the conclusion that being angry is counterproductive to why I became a vegan.

Boca veggie burgers, smart dogs, tofurkey lunch slices and sausages (seriously most people who try these faux meat substitutes are really surprised how good they are and how much they taste like the "real" thing - and these are eaten by vegans such as myself for their protein and because I did like the texture of meat), and or colorful vegetables (raw or stir fried alone or with tofu) and fruits.

This essay has been brought to you by tree hugger and comic book lover (is that a dichotomy?), Ralph, on behalf of Mother Earth, and wants to thank everyone who read this essay and for even entertaining the thought of making more of your eating choices vegetarian / vegan. Just as earth has survived for millions of years without us in the past, so too can it survive without us in the future unless everyone remembers that everything is interconnected and our choices effect not only us, but where we live and will live in the

future.

Ralph Mathieu, Las Vegas, NV Alternate Reality Comics. blog: http://ichliebecomics.blogspot.com/

My favorite vegan things:

Diet For A New America (book)

Vegas Veg (an online site with lots of resources for Las Vegas vegetarians & vegans)

Komols (Thai & vegetarian restaurant in Vegas)

the enlightened diet

2010-05-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

My path to a meat free diet has been long. I grew up on a farm where we raised much of our own food, including beef and chicken. Ours was a hobby farm that my Grandfather bought in the 1940’s (probably to relive his overly romanticized childhood) and was not our main source of income. However, it was still a working dairy farm and my playground as a kid and animal lover.

Our farm animals were both treated well and well loved. For that reason, I never gave much thought to modern day farming until I became pregnant with my daughter and began to obsess about what I would allow into my body, and the bodies of family.

As I educated myself I switched to organic and free-range. For me it was a slow leaning toward vegetarianism, slowly cutting out meat strictly for health reasons. At that time I was still under the delusion that all farms were like ours. I had no moral motivation.

At a certain point in my personal development I intensely desired a big leap in my growth. I wanted to take myself to a new higher level, mentally, physically, and spiritually. It was Kathy Freston’s book Quantum Wellness that was the tipping point for me.

She clearly outlines three compelling reasons for not eating meat:

1. Physical health – I read about the adverse health effects of sugar, caffeine, gluten, alcohol, and last but not least, animal products.

2. Environmental impact – I read compelling facts about the amount of grain and water needed to produce even small amounts of edible meat. Grain and water that would be better allocated to starving people in the developing world. Additionally the greenhouse gas produced from so much farming, “A UN report says that almost a fifth of emissions that contribute to global warming come from livestock, including chickens, pigs and sheep, in addition to cattle”. (Quantum Wellness p. 114)

3. And finally, I read about the absolute horrors of modern day factory farming. We’ve all heard of mad cow disease, which is the result of feeding herbivores a diet of animal byproducts, (disgusting!) and hopefully we’ve all heard about the incredibly abusive ways in which chickens and other animals are raised for our consumption.

Thich Nhat Hanh, in his book Anger, talks about the relationship between consuming an animal that has lived its short life in horror, pain, and frustration, and the effect of that on our mental and spiritual wellbeing.

Freston recommends trying a cleanse in which we eliminate sugar, gluten, caffeine, alcohol, and all animal products.

I was ready for the challenge and embraced the cleanse. I never felt better in my life! I almost immediately felt incredibly energized, lost a few pounds effortlessly, looked more radiant than ever with clear, glowing skin. Something I never had before.

I was convinced of the three-fold benefit to eliminating animal products from my diet once and for all. Although I did go back to moderate sugar, gluten, caffeine, and alcohol consumption, I haven’t eaten meat since. I occasionally enjoy cheese but aspire to eliminate all animal products and even gluten from my diet.

I now believe from my own personal experience that a vegan diet is the most enlightened way to eat. I have found that it nurtures not just your body, but your mind and spirit as well.

Tia Tuenge, 40, Los Angeles, CA, Visionary Life Consulting

my favorite vegan things:

olsenHaus Vegan Shoes

Quantum Wellness (Book by Kathy Freston)

Newman's Own organic cookies: chocolate with mint cream filling

a happy vegan

2010-01-18T11:16:00.000-08:00

I have tried being a vegetarian a couple of times, but it only lasted a week or so each time. I have always loved animals and never wanted to hurt them. I realized that I was taking an animal’s life away just so I could eat meat. I know that I can have a healthy diet without eating meat. Now I am fully committed to being a vegan!

My mom is also vegan, so she helps support me in many ways. We love to cook meals together. I have lots of fun cooking meals myself too. At first there were some foods that were hard to give up, such as ice cream, chicken burritos, eggs, greek yogurt and cinnamon bread. Since I have found vegan alternatives for most of these things, I don’t miss them as much.

I am very happy being vegan and I feel better physically. I know I am making a difference in the world by not eating meat. I am also helping the environment. I am glad I have made the decision to stop eating animals. They should be treated equally with love and care.

Destiny, 11, Los Angeles, CA

my favorite vegan things:

Purely Decadent vanilla ice cream bars

Alternative Baking Company outrageous oatmeal raisin cookie

Luna bars - iced oatmeal raisin and peanut butter cookie

Daiya cheese (great for pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches)

Morning Star Farms vegan veggie burgers

living in integrity

2010-01-14T22:17:00.000-08:00

The first time I stopped eating meat was around the age of nine. I grew up on a farm in Northern California. I have always loved animals and would beg my parents to take in every stray dog or cat I found or that wandered onto our property. So when they brought home baby bunnies, I assumed they were our new pets. I spent time everyday holding them and petting them. Then one day I came home from school to find them being killed for us to eat. I was devastated. I refused to eat any meat that might be my precious bunnies. That was the start of my vegetarian journey.

After a while, I did eventually eat meat again. I wasn’t a big meat eater, but I would eat chicken or fish once in a while. For me the tipping point towards vegetarianism was becoming aware of how the animals are treated, the horrible conditions in which they live and how they are slaughtered. The first time I watched a video showing these conditions, I couldn’t stop crying. I decided then that I would never eat meat again.

After several years of being vegetarian, I made the commitment to become vegan. For the most part I was vegan, but I would eat eggs once in a while, thinking I needed the protein. I also loved cheese and couldn’t imagine not having it. I told myself it was okay to eat those things because the animal didn’t die. But my conscience kept guiding me towards my truth. I became aware of the conditions that factory farm egg laying hens and milking cows live in, and couldn’t deny this truth any longer.

The transition to being vegan has been fairly easy. I just had to find substitutes for the products I ate which had egg or dairy in them. To my surprise, I didn’t miss cheese like I thought I would and I have found some great substitutes.

My eleven-year-old daughter recently decided to become vegan. I allowed her to make that decision on her own. I knew that someday her soul would guide her to become vegan because she has so much love and compassion for people and animals.

My husband isn’t quite ready to be vegan, though he pretty much is since I only buy and cook vegan food. He says as long as the food tastes good, he’s happy. After watching Food Inc. he refuses to eat meat that comes from factory farms, so that is a start. I respect his right to choose and am thankful that he honors my choice. Yes, of course I would like him to become vegan. I would love for more people to become aware of not only how the animals are treated but how it impacts our environment.

Becoming vegan is one of the best choices I have ever made. I feel better physically and emotionally. I feel that I am more spiritually connected to the truth of my soul and that I am now living in integrity.

Tammy, 46, Los Angeles, CA

my favorite vegan things:

Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Daiya Cheese

Smoked Tempeh (Makes great BLT sandwiches!)

Cinnamon Roll LARA Bars

Trader Joe’s Edamame Hummus

being the change i want to see

2010-01-11T16:10:00.000-08:00

I am a life-long vegetarian, my parents became vegetarian during WWII. I have never eaten meat knowingly, and was always quite happy being vegetarian as a child. I was never tempted to try meat. I loved animals and made the connection between killing and meat.

A lot of the food I grew up on was vegan: pulses, nuts, tinned delights such as Nuttolene (you can still get it here in the UK, it is still lovely!). There was no distinction in our household between a meal that was vegan and one with cheese/eggs. Although, given a preference I would probably have chosen the macaroni cheese over the red lentil, lemony splodge! I loved cooking as I grew up and probably used more and more dairy and egg products as my cooking skills developed.

I have been running a vegetarian and vegan guesthouse in Cornwall, UK for six years, and have become comfortable cooking vegan meals for many of our guests. Yet vegans always made me a bit uncomfortable, there was the reminder that I was not really letting myself know the full horror my dairy and egg consumption was supporting. I recall saying things like, ‘I know I should become vegan, but I’m not about to’ to guests, and closing any conversation that might be forthcoming quickly.

I am an avid user of Facebook, and was ‘friended’ by several animal rights activist vegans in 2009. They posted difficult to watch and upsetting videos. I got angry with these people and contacted one and then ‘hid’ his posts for a while. Then, I forced myself to watch one, just a simple video of a cow waiting to go into the abattoir to be killed, trying to turn around, entitled ‘I am scared’. It brings tears to my eyes just to type that out. I decided, instantly, to try being vegan, just for a week, September 2009. I then carried on, day by day once the week was up, ‘I can have the stilton tomorrow if I want to’ etc. I now rarely even think about it.

I still cook some vegetarian meals for guests, and sometimes test them. But the sense of being vegan grows, and I love it, and it is easy. So different to dieting, which I have always been hopeless at. Something to do with doing it for others, not for me, although I benefit too. I have rarely done anything in my life that I am so happy or comfortable with.

It is not without problems, of course. Socially, it means rejecting people’s hospitality at times. It means justifying oneself, although why I have to justify not eating dead things or their products, beats me. It means checking and asking and getting daft replies – ‘Is the soup suitable for vegans?’ – ‘No, Madam, the only item on the menu suitable for vegans is the Cajun chicken salad’, or, in a different café – ‘Are any of the cakes suitable for vegans?’ – ‘Er, no, they all have chocolate in’. It involves a lot of letter writing to link people in with the Vegan Society and educate them, or thank places for good meals they have prepared for us.

I have, however, found that the osteoarthritis I was diagnosed with last year in my hip and which made me limp with pain at times, has caused me virtually no problems since becoming vegan.

Being a vegan is a process, and I still have a way to go, but a journey I am very happy to be taking. I feel so much more comfortable with myself, more honest, but far from perfect. Being vegetarian was not enough, I was supporting the veal industry, the idea of male calves and chickens as waste products, I was supporting the removal of newborn calves form their mothers, and the wastage of land to support dairy cattle which could be so much better used to grow food for humans.

I want everyone to know what I know--the cruelties involved in an animal-based diet, how good it feels to be vegan--and make the same changes. But I know how proselytising is the most off-putting thing there is and how it would have put me off before, so I must ‘be the change you want to see.’

Vanessa Lackford, 52, Tintagel, Cornwall, UK, owner of Michael House, (A vegetarian/vegan bed and breakfast)

my favorite vegan things:

Linda McCartney sausages

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (Cookbook)

Vegan Feasts (Cookbook)

Cooking with herbs, especially rosemary in winter, coriander and basil, and love to add lemon to dishes.   

Cooking with alcohol, rum and wine and brandy in particular!

a vegan, and an animal activist

2010-01-08T22:34:00.000-08:00

I was heavily involved in animal welfare for my first three years of animal activism starting in 1978, and rapidly got involved in anti-vivisection. Here I was, doing what I could to save animals and then eating them. Someone at that time said to me, “What? You save dogs and cats and eat cows and pigs”? That question changed my life. It made all the sense in the world. It wasn’t even a year before I decided to go vegan. That made even more sense.

Being from an Italian family I must admit cheese took about a week to give up. Don’t miss it either. Never liked eggs, milk or meat anyway. As a very poor kid growing up in Brooklyn and New Jersey I never ate meat until I was about 11 years old. We couldn’t afford it.

Back then my mother (didn’t have a father) would make some kind of cheap cut of meat once every two or three weeks. I hated it. I would fill my mouth with this fleshy matter and then go and spit it out in the toilet. My mother quickly caught on to what I was doing and yelled at me. When I told her it felt like I was eating flesh she backed off from preparing meat again—at least while I was around. Truth is, she didn’t like meat either.

No one in my family ever liked fish, even though we were surrounded by three fish markets: The Sodano’s; Piccolo’s chicken market (where at the age of ten I committed my first animal liberation—it was a chicken); and Johnny the butcher’s shop with the goat’s head hanging in the window. Thank goodness for the six bread and pastry bakeries around us. At least those smells were pleasant and no died in the process.

So I sporadically ate these dead bodies, but I would think the average carnivore would have eaten more meat in five months then I have consumed in my entire lifetime. And let me say, I feel great! And I’m not a weak, puny person that just eats celery and carrot sticks. The only thing I did miss over the years were my sweets but now with the natural alternatives I miss nothing.

When I was in jail four different times for helping animals, I went on a hunger strike not only because I wouldn’t eat the crap they gave you, but also to bring awareness to the plight of animals and to take my body to another level. I’m not a religious person, to say the least, but for the first time I did feel something spiritual.

Being a vegan is similar. It’s an amazing way of life. It’s healthier for the body, the planet and your soul--however you define that. Not to mention the animals. “Try it, you’ll like it!” It’s a way of life that most very spiritual and intellectual leaders have lived.

Be well and go vegan—with an open mind.

Chris DeRose, 61, Los Angeles, CA President of Last Chance for Animals.

my favorite vegan things:

Vegan Glory Glory Noodles and Larb Salad. (LA Restaurant)

M Cafe (LA Restaurant)

die kuh

2010-01-03T22:45:00.000-08:00

I announced my vegetarianism at recess in the fourth grade after writing a love poem about cows in German class. It was the year 2000 on Valentine's Day and Frau Fuchs assigned us to write a poem about someone we love. The only thing I wished to declare my love for was the cow, or die Kuh.

My friend, Julia, joked that if I loved cows so much, I shouldn't eat them. I completely agreed. So Julia and I both decided to make the switch from steak to soy, bacon to beans, turf to tofu! After the first week or so, I was feeling great. Why I hadn't attempted this earlier is beyond me. It came so natural, so easy. I had never enjoyed eating meat and I was glad to never eat it again. It's been ten years since then and I haven't touched meat since. (Julia didn't last long. She was quickly eating meat again.)

My mom stocked up on Boca burgers and other effortless microwavables for my newfound eating habits. For a while, I was living on grilled cheese and sugary breakfast cereals. Admittedly, not the healthiest. But I was a 10 year-old novice, living with hardcore meat lovers. Eventually, I began eating fruits and salads. When I grew tall enough to reach the stove and old enough to handle fire, I added an occasional home-cooked tempeh or tofu dish, grilled vegetables, soups, stews, potatoes.

I decided to take it further and stop drinking milk. I have tried the milk alternatives and they are much tastier that cow's milk. Even further I found delicious soy yogurts that I mix with fruit and granola. Then I made my way to the butter, mayonnaise, ice cream, sour cream, egg and even honey alternatives.

But I was about to face a challenge that I still struggle with today: cheese. Oh, how could I ever give you up, Cheese?! Every now and then I indulge in some animal produced cheese. One day I'll have my own cows and goats so I can make my own cheese without guilt. Until then I've got to keep trying. Better to keep striving than give up.

When I got into high school, I started to research how animals were killed for meat. This lead to fur coats, leather boots and bags, down quilts and pillows, animal tested shampoos and soaps. In a few hours I saw all the graphic undercover PETA videos I could stomach and tearfully sat on my bed, wrapped in a what I thought was an innocent blanket. But, I had been deceived. And the boots in my closet, the anti-acne soap in my bathroom, the leather wallet in my leather purse. That night I ransacked the house for every bit of dead animal I could find and slept without a blanket or a pillow. The next morning I announced to my Mom that we had to replace all the blankets, get new soap and switch to pleather. In a couple months, I successfully saved up my money to buy a new blanket, new soap, a new wallet, a new bag, and a new pair of boots. All of which were vegan.

Luckily, I have been mostly met with support than resistance from my Mom and friends. Occasionally, my Mom will try to get me to eat a bite of meat or my friends will lightly jab at my apparent "crunchy-granola ways." But it's not so bad. Two of my friends and one of my cousins have even become vegetarians themselves. It's 2010 and it's officially been a decade since my last burger. I could never imagine eating a piece of meat again and if it weren't for Julia I might be chewing on beef jerky as I write this.

Die Kuh (A poem by 9 year old Alex)

Oh, die Kuh!

Wie ich lange fur Sie!

Die Kuh mit sienem Mantel geschimmen

und seinem harmonische Stimme.

In meinen Traumen singen Sie mich

Leider von Langer Zeit,

"Moooooo, moooooo, moooo!"

Oh, die Kuh,

Wie ich lange fur Sie!

Kuh, oh Kuh.

(Oh, the Cow!

How I long for you!

The Cow with your coat gleaming

and your harmonious voice.

In my dreams you sing me

songs of long ago,

"Moooooo, moooooo, moooo!"

Oh, the Cow

How I long for you!

Cow, oh Cow.)

Alex, 19, Los Angeles, CA

my favorite vegan things:

Follow Your Heart (So Cal Restaurant)

Hempz Shampoo and Conditioner

Silk Soy Yogurt (Mixed with fruit)

Vegetable Masala Indian Burgers (Trader Joe's)

Amy's Roasted Vegetable No Cheese Pizza

a quiet vegetarian

2009-12-30T16:53:00.000-08:00

Always being a supportive yet concerned parent, my mother made an appointment with my pediatrician when I suddenly declared myself a vegetarian at age 11 in 1984. I felt victorious when I heard my doctor respond, “Well, she’ll be healthier than the rest of your family.” On the way home, my mother stopped by the local bookstore and purchased Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappe. Despite my physician’s professional opinion, she was terrified that my new diet would be gaping with nutritional holes.

Admittedly, my self-imposed dietary restrictions meant I would subsist on Morningstar Farm’s “Grillers” (the original veggie burger) and cheddar cheese—lots and lots of cheddar cheese—which wasn’t the best way to eat. But I was swearing off meat because I couldn’t stand the thought of eating anyone, not because it was a healthier diet.

It came easily to me. I found that all I had to do was think a little bit harder about what I was putting into my mouth. I started reading food labels and navigating restaurant menus and that was that—I never looked back. However, I quickly discovered that no matter how comfortable I was with my dietary decision, others around me were not. In fact, I was regularly interrogated and challenged by anyone who discovered I was a vegetarian, despite the fact that I was a quiet one.

Most responded as if I had attacked them personally, as if my taking advantage of meat-free food options was a direct comment on their carnivorism, despite the fact that I never (ever!) broached the subject without invitation. I suspect the judgment they were feeling was from within; and if I could make even one person stop and consider the way they were eating, I was willing to have that uncomfortable conversation.

I am still a vegetarian, but I have evolved beyond Grillers and cheddar cheese. It has been a process, a natural progression. I stopped eating animals when I was a kid because I love animals. I have recently stopped eating animal products because I could no longer talk myself into believing that nobody has to die in exchange for a glass of milk and that eggs could never become chickens because they are not fertilized. The health factor is still an added benefit for me, a freebie.

And being a vegan, which innately requires taking pause to reflect on what I am feeding my body, has affected my health in immeasurable ways: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables today? Check. (Actually, double check.) Diet? Huh? And getting 8 hours of sleep per night has never been an issue. Perhaps because I know that in my own small way, I am not contributing to the horrors of factory farming.

It is my belief that very few meat-eaters would actually kill their food themselves, were that a requirement. And I am certain that shoppers would think twice if ham and bacon were labeled “pig parts,” and their grocery store purchases consisted of “chicken embryos” and “horse, cow, and pig collagen” instead of eggs and Jell-O. I suppose all of these more gentle terms adequately distance the eater from what is really on their plate. And I would bet that if more parents were honest with their children about where food comes from, hot dogs would not be so popular.

These days people are not as defensive when they hear I am a vegan. Most often I receive a much more gentle response such as, “I wish I could do that, but I just don’t think I could give up (insert meat or dairy product here).” Being a quiet vegan, I listen willingly, glad to know that people are paying more attention to their choices, are realizing that there are infinite options, and are considering a change.
Kelley Derr, 36, Los Angeles, CA

my favorite vegan things:
The China Study (Book)
Farm Sanctuary (Organization)
Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook
Trader Joe’s Chicken-less Strips
Vegan Donuts at Buddha Belly (Restaurant, Sarasota, FL)

jake's random thoughts about becoming a vegetarian

2009-12-29T21:01:00.002-08:00

I stopped eating meat in 1996 when my wife also decided to become a vegetarian for health reasons. I thought it would be easier if we ate the same meals, and I also thought it would be a healthy choice for me. I was never a big meat eater, especially as a kid, but I enjoyed hamburgers and meat in foods such as chili and spaghetti. During the first six weeks a vegetarian diet took some getting used to, and meat was still very tempting. For anyone deciding to become a vegetarian I’d recommend having a large number of interesting recipes on hand because you’ll be eating different meals than what you enjoyed as a meat-eater.

At first, tofu and vegetarian hot dogs did not seem very good but now I love them. When dining at restaurants, vegetarians need to ask if rice, soups or dips are prepared with chicken stock. And you might automatically get bacon bits on your salad or baked potato, so vegetarians will need to be vigilant about making sure that meat is not a hidden component of their meals out. Some restaurants are more vegetarian-friendly than others, and most can create something with veggies and pasta if there are no other options.

I don’t feel particularly militant or political about not eating meat. I think there is certainly cruelty associated with the production of meat, but my decision was based on my personal health concerns. I felt better not eating meat and immediately noticed that I had more energy. I’m sure there are unhealthy hormones and chemicals in meat that people don’t need. Today I can’t bear the smell of the meat aisle at the grocery store, and sometimes my co-workers heat up meat meals in the microwave and the smell really bothers me.

I don’t think I could ever go back to eating pork chops or turkey. I certainly don’t want too.

Jake Marshall, 62, Kansas City, MO

my favorite vegan things:

White chili with onions, green chiles, white beans, and fake chicken chunks.

A tie for number two: Squash and leek soup, and Black Bean soup with a bit of onion and cut up cilantro.

Asparagus and minced garlic sauteed in a bit of olive oil, and then stir in a tablespoon of grated orange peel before serving. (You can also sautee the asparagus and garlic in orange juice.)

Baked potato topped with broccoli and tofu cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled vegetables (potatoes, onions, mushrooms, carrots, peppers placed in an aluminum bag, sprayed with a bit of oil to prevent sticking) and then cooked on the grill. (Can also be baked in the oven.) Optional: Leave out the potatoes and then serve the grilled veggies over rice. Variations: throw a sprig of rosemary or basil leaves into the bag to add a different flavor. Any kind of herb mix will work.

life.is.beautiful

2009-12-29T12:02:00.000-08:00

When I turned vegan, my whole life changed. I had been vegetarian for a few years already. That decision was based on a desire to protect animals, and I had heard snippets about veganism from various sources for a long time. I wasn’t able to go all the way until one day my best friend asked me to accompany her to Red Mango (a frozen yogurt chain). I went with her and we sat down and then I looked at the yogurt she had ordered: fully realizing now what it was, where it came from, and the animals that were harmed in getting it to her plate. That, coupled with a horrendous visit I had to an animal market in Ecuador a few months before, absolutely sealed the deal. I was done.

Then, I was better. In every single way.

Let's start with physically. I feel more comfortable in my own skin. My hair looks and feels so healthy. My nails are much stronger than they ever were when I was eating dairy. They don't break at all. And my skin! I still have scars from teenage acne and bruises, but my skin is glowing and healthy and not dry or rough, and I QUIT BREAKING OUT. How come no one ever told me getting rid of dairy would do that?! I don't need as much sleep. I have much more energy. I also just sort of "settled" at this perfect balance and harmony with my body physically to where it sort of knows what's good and what's not. If I spent a night eating lots of junk food and doing horrible things before, my body would have a meltdown. Now, it sort of just bounces back quickly to balance, as does my mind. Which leads me to....

Mentally. This is the biggest. I struggled a lot for the better part of my childhood and adolescence with depression and other issues. Everything seemed to be really hard. Now...stuff just...slips away. I feel lighter. I don't get mad as easily, or at all. I used to have a crazy hot temper, and now I just feel calm and peaceful. And happy. I know, if you aren't vegan, you are reading this and thinking, this girl is freaking nuts. Even if you are vegetarian, you don’t know yet how much of a huge impact cutting out dairy can have on your body and mind. But it's like a personality transformation...one that's here to stay because it's not based on drugs or anything artificial. I feel so happy, so grateful to be alive, and I think it's because my body isn't trying to process all the negative intake. Not to mention, the days that I eat macro or raw...I cannot stop smiling.

Spiritually...I am just way more open. And I spend more me time, and that helps me do more for others. It's now become very easy for me to just sit in silence for a few minutes and breathe and appreciate everything around me. I know you think this is something that I worked really hard at, but nope. It's easy to just be calm and peaceful and happy in my own body.

The feelings that define my day are peacefulness and gratitude. You may think I must be a naturally zen person. But that's not the case. That's who I am now.

My body feels the way it was always meant to feel. I feel beautiful, and happy, and glowing. Sure, I absolutely love knowing that something I'm about to consume doesn't have any animal products in it, and that nothing had to die for me to feel this way. That's why I became a vegan. Who knew about all these other benefits? And I love knowing that I'm saving the planet (and maybe the world) with every decision I make. It's become easier to care, easier to love, easier to feel.

I'm not interested in converting people. I just feel amazing, like I've never felt before, and I want other people to feel as great as I do. But I know if it's meant to happen for others it will happen in their own time.

I love life and living it, and I feel good.

Life.is.beautiful. :)

Anjali Sareen, 23, New York City, Vegan Wonderful

my favorite vegan things:

Purely Decadent Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Almond Breeze Almond Milk

Blossom (Restaurant NYC)

Miso Soup

i don't care if the animal dies, i just can't metabolize it

2009-12-29T10:34:00.000-08:00

My title comes from a Far Side cartoon - meat packing sign read 'we only kill depressed cows' and a picture of cows saying 'kill me, eat me'.

In 1987 my 15 year-old daughter became a vegetarian. I believed she did it only to inconvenience me. Ten years later she had the pleasure of hearing me say 'you were right'.

In February 1996 my doctor told me to just go home, dial 9-1 and wait for the stroke/heart attack to hit before I dialed that last 1. I was 47 years-old, 40 pounds overweight, and my cholesterol was 427. Serendipity rules, and at home I had a newly purchased book by Dr. Dean Ornish, HEART DISEASE REVERSAL in which he professed 'no meat, no fish, no chicken, no eggs, no oil, no cheese'. He recommended 'cold turkey' so to speak, as drastic steps bring drastic positive results so I went that route. I did miss meat and chicken for a year or so, but the immediate increase in energy, well being, and feeling clean were big payoffs.

I would never, could never, go back to eating meat, fish or chicken. I did not last long without eggs and cheese, but today I'm at a healthy weight and my cholesterol is (drum roll, please) 156.

The only type of restaurant I avoid is BBQ. I recently ate at a popular steak house and while I ate a vegetarian meal the smell of cooked meat permeated my clothing, skin and hair. I showered when we got home.

I sound flippant but I assure you that spiritually I could never kill an animal and eat its decaying flesh. I have learned that my body can be nurtured with plants, fruits and vegetables and I feel more compatible with the earth now than if I were requiring the death of pigs, cows, chickens and fish for my eating pleasure.

Ann Marshall, 60, Kansas City, MO

my favorite vegan things:

White Wave Tofu

Morningstar Farms Vegan Griller Burger

Turning Meat Recipes Meat-free

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Roast brussels sprouts, eggplant, broccoli and cauliflower in the oven and mix it with whole wheat penne, drizzle on a little olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar.

can't quite say why i stopped eating animals

2009-12-27T15:37:00.001-08:00

I don’t remember the tipping point. I adored animals as a child; in fact, my first word was our dog's name. But the death of animals was all around me. I spent the early part of my life not far from a meat-packing plant. My grandma worked in one for a time. The smell of death wafted through the neighborhood, and on her. It's an unforgettable stench.

My father was a hunter. It wasn't unusual to come home from school and find deer hanging from our garage rafters, dripping blood all over the cold cement floor. My dad shot squirrels, birds, fish, frogs, creatures I can't even remember. We ate them all. (Forced.) He even shot our pets in the backyard when it was time to put them down. But we didn’t eat them. Though, I don’t know why. What’s the difference really? I was a reluctant meat eater as a young girl. I had my suspicions.

My recollection is fuzzy because it’s been about 22 years since I’ve eaten an animal. One day I just stopped. I don’t recall the last animal I ate. I can’t say why I made the decision. I didn’t read something that changed my mind. I had never met a vegetarian in my life. It wasn’t for animal rights (that came full force two years later). I wasn’t informed about the cruelty of factory farming. It wasn’t for the environment. This was the 80s—no one cared. And it wasn’t for my health. Back then people actually thought eating animal protein was necessary and nutritious.

If I had to put my finger on it, looking back, I think the answer as to why I stopped eating animals was for my spiritual growth. I believe it was my Higher Self nudging me that I could do better. That I could grow more. How can I know love if I am consuming the energy of fear and terror? How can I know peace if I am choosing to partake in cruelty and violence? How can I help the world to heal if I am invested in its destruction? These weren’t conscious thoughts then, but they’re conscious now.

I was a strict vegetarian for 17 years--no milk, no eggs, or ice cream by themselves--but if a cookie had an egg in it, I'd eat it. If I couldn't see it, I pretended it wasn't there. I did eat my fair share of cheese though. Then, about three years ago, I became vegan. I could no longer justify myself. I had run out of the lies I had been telling myself. I was still participating in as much cruelty by consuming milk or eggs as if I had eaten the cow or the chicken.

What was difficult was not giving up the cookies with dairy in them, what was harder was to stop purchasing the leather shoes and bags and pretty wool sweaters. But like quitting anything, the withdrawal is intense and over fairly quickly, and then something beautiful happens. It makes room for a new perception. Now I can't believe I ever spent my hard earned money on those things. Especially, with so many amazing vegan designers out there, like Stella McCartney.

It is hands-down the best decision I have ever made. For my body, being vegan keeps me naturally thin and healthy. I never worry about weight or what to eat. For my mind, I see things more clearly. For my spirit, I feel unity. For the world, I am not contributing to the greatest source of pollution and devastation. For the animals, well, in my small way, I am helping to create a world in which one day we come to a collective awareness that all living things no matter how small deserve loving kindness. I do believe that none of us are truly free until every last one of us is free.

Adele, 44, Los Angeles, CA

my favorite vegan things:

Kiss My Face Olive Oil Soap

Chamomile And Green Tea Eye Makeup Remover

Mike White (Writer/Director/Producer/Actor)

Chocolate-Chocolate-Chip Cookie Recipe (Veganomicon Cookbook)

Chicken Run Ranch Burger With Sweet Potato Fries @ Native Foods (Restaurant, CA locations)

one person can make a huge difference

2009-12-26T14:17:00.000-08:00

I became vegan almost two years ago. I skipped the vegetarian bit (although I’d given up red meat some years earlier) and dived straight into the vegan pool, to realise I’m a strong swimmer. But to swim well, I’ve discovered, you need to have reasons for doing it. In my pool, there are plenty of sharks to keep me on task. The more reasons you have for becoming vegan, the less it feels like a diet. The more reasons, and being vegan simply becomes a fabulous way of life.

Growing up in a regional Australian town where the main industries were (and still are) meat and dairy, it was just a given that my parents would serve up animal products at every meal. Being allergic to dairy from birth still didn't stop me from eating ice cream and drinking chocolate milk. I constantly see-sawed between slim and chubby. Regardless of my weight, I felt I carried a toxic layer of fat around with me. Although I couldn't explain it back then. I just knew my body wasn't quite right. The real me was somehow hidden underneath a layer that wasn't meant to be there. No matter how much weight I'd lose, I just didn't feel right.

It wasn't until I moved to Los Angeles in early 2007 that I began to explore and immerse myself in the vegan culture there. I became vegan after completing my Reiki I certificate (an energetic healing modality). I turned vegan the very next day and gave up a two-year addiction to coffee.

Since leading a 100% vegan lifestyle for the past two years, it's not only my body that has changed shape. I'm mentally clear and find I don't have nearly as much mental chatter going on as I would have in my pre-vegan days. I feel more connected to source, or God, if you will. I have a life purpose that drives me like nothing has before. I also have a spiritual connection to the food I eat. Dinner is no longer just a meal to stop the hunger pains. It's a conscious action that affects my life in countless wonderful ways.

Since becoming vegan, my life has become blessed. I've found if you respect all living things and act from a place of selfless love, the universe will thank you endlessly. It is my belief that veganism is one of the most selfless acts of love you can offer yourself, other people, animals and the planet.

For me, leading a lifestyle free of animal products (spanning food, fashion and anything in between) isn’t about joining an exclusive club. It’s also not a religion. Sure, when you have a solid understanding as to why going vegan is a great health choice for you and the planet it’s hard not to get excited and want to shout it from the rooftops! But if there’s one thing I have learned on my journey so far, it’s that everyone is on their own path of discovery.

My main reasons for going vegan?
• Being dairy and meat free is the healthiest choice for my mind and body and soul.
• I believe animals have as much right to be on the planet as I do. It wouldn’t be right for me to take an animal’s life when I can survive perfectly well on all the other goodies God’s green earth provides. If it’s ludicrous to eat a horse or a dog, what makes eating a cow any different?
• The biggest cause of global pollution comes from the raising and slaughtering of animals. Being vegan is the greenest thing you can do.
• Meat and dairy consumption can lead to diseases such as cancer. My choice is to live a long, dis-ease-free life.

What I've learned so far:
• The only way to affect change in others is to lead by positive example.
• Vegans who eat healthily get plenty of protein and iron, thank you very much!
• Being vegan-healthy doesn't necessarily fit into society's idea of what a "healthy" person looks like. Today, I'm skinny and have never been healthier. Meanwhile, my parents think I need to add quite a few more pounds to "look healthy".
• Mainstream media exists to make money, not to help the world's population achieve optimal health or well-being. Turning off the television and questioning "authority" is a must in order to live life consciously and purposefully.
• Never put any products on your body that you can't eat.
• Making nut milks are so easy (and so nutritious!)
• You can't be a picture of perfect human form until you live and eat as nature intended.

• ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.

Shannon Dunn, 33, global citizen (currently New Zealand), Author of Diary of a Vegan and The Green Dove

my favorite vegan things:
We Like it Raw (Website community)
Kal's Natural Yeast (Nutritional food)
Conscious Eating (Book)
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (For hair and skin)
Fashion: Anything recycled, upcycled, or animal-free

diving into veganism

2009-12-25T19:30:00.000-08:00

Last night I told a friend that if someone told me a year ago that I’d become a vegan, I wouldn’t have believed them. Just a little over a month ago, I was eating cheese, yogurt, eggs, chicken and fish regularly, and red meat on a less frequent basis.

But this past October, I read something that made me reconsider the way I eat. Specifically, it was an excerpt from Jonathan Safran-Foer's book Eating Animals. His widely recognized assertion that animal agriculture is responsible for more environmental devastation than any other factor made me basically sit up and take notice.

I do consider myself an environmentalist. I drive a hybrid car, I recycle everything, I try to be thoughtful about what I purchase and how I consume. Except I hadn’t yet made the connection, or more aptly, the disconnection - between continuing to eat animal products (even though I was eating mostly organic) and helping to repair or stop the destruction of the environment. Until that article. At that point, I started to investigate things a little further.

I discovered that turkeys raised for meat (and poultry altogether) are one of the least humanely treated animals and are also extremely dissimilar from their natural genetic form. I insisted that my family get a free-range, organic, “heritage” turkey for Thanksgiving. But honestly, I felt a little bad and guilty about eating the turkey on Thanksgiving. I didn’t wholeheartedly enjoy it.

That was the last time I ate meat. The next week I phased out dairy and eggs. I borrowed and reserved every book about veganism and animal agriculture I could find in the library, as I wanted to understand what I was doing and why and also be able to defend my choices to others if needed. I’m pretty sure that knowing what I know now, I will not willingly or knowingly eat any animal flesh again.

So far, I do not miss animal products. I have a slight craving for cheese…as cheese was one of my favorite foods in my pre-vegan life and seems to be at every social gathering I go to! But, as Safran-Foer so eloquently states, “There’s a limit to my love” for formerly favorite foods like sushi and cheese.

So, I guess I’m surprised that I am vegan in a way, surprised that it’s been a relatively seamless transition – and surprised that besides feeling like there is a world of restaurants, cooking and eating that has opened up to me that I hadn’t taken notice of before – there is also a feeling that I am closer to the universe in this choice.

Ultimately, I feel like I’ve made a choice about helping protect the environment and my health, but also a spiritual choice. To quote my friend Cynthia Morgan, “It’s really a gift that comes back to you a hundred-fold.” I couldn’t agree more – and I have only just begun!
Tamar Tamler, 36, Los Angeles, CA

my favorite vegan things:

Barnivore (Wine, Beer, Liquor)

The Face on Your Plate (Book)

The Post Punk Kitchen (Recipes)