By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

The United States has joined other countries who issue postage stamps highlighting fruits and vegetables. On July 17, 2020 the USPS issued booklets of 20 forever stamps featuring 10 different fruits and vegetables. You’ll find eggplants, figs, carrots, blueberries, tomatoes, and other delights.

     According to the USPS website, the artist who created the stamps used real fruits and vegetables for models and created a still-life composition for each stamp. Because of the relatively short shelf life of the produce, he also took photos of his compositions to finish his work.

     I was lucky enough to find these at the post office. They can also be ordered on the USPS website.

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Here are some recent vegan restaurant additions. The entire guide can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

To support the updating of this online restaurant guide, please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

Here are some new additions to VRG’s guide (Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many are doing take-out and/or delivery now):

Bowlila, 11419 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025

One of the restaurants located within the Colony food hall, Bowlila offers “an international take on Middle Eastern street food.” Their signature ingredient is chickpeas, which can be the base for the customizable bowls they offer. They also have other items like their Persian Pita, Chic Mango Pancakes, and Crispy Italian Bites. Bowlila can be bought and delivered through many food delivery services like UberEats, Postmates, GrubHub, and DoorDash. Check them out on Instagram at @eatbowlila

Café 1610, 521 Wayne Ave., Dayton, OH 45410

All items are packaged to go, although limited seating is available. The menu includes Jelly Donut Pancakes; Churro French Toast; a “Grits Bowl”; “Cactus Tofu Scramble”; Breakfast Tacos and a delicious sounding Fruit Salad, with apple, pear, papaya, bananas, strawberry, and cantaloupe topped with granola, coconut, and walnuts. Co-owner Xtine Brean explains “We are all enthusiastic vegans, but that’s not what this café is all about. Our target market is people who are not vegan. We will show them that vegan food is not flavorless, and it is not boring.”

Crust, 4409 Main St., Philadelphia, PA 19127

Crust Vegan Bakery has every baked good you would want – peanut butter blondies, blueberry coffee cake, snickerdoodle cookies, and even loaves of pumpkin bread! This new storefront is located in the heart of Philadelphia, but if you can’t go there to order, feel free to shop online. This small, women-owned and passionate company do their best to provide affordable and quality vegan items, alongside donating food and money to great causes. They specialize in wholesale, and also offer gluten-free items so everyone can enjoy their goodies.

Dodah’s Kitchen, 1210 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201

‘Dodah,’ meaning ‘aunt’ in Hebrew, specializes in soul food. Some favorite menu items are the mac n’ cheese (made with handmade soy cheese), “crab” cakes, and collard greens. Dodah’s Kitchen is also known for its desserts, such as decadent chocolate cake and mouthwatering blueberry cheesecake. Not only is the food great, but the staff is also fantastic and very friendly. This is grandma’s (or you’re aunt’s) home cooking and hospitality at its finest.

Planted Bakery, 5400 Woodway Dr., Ste. 120, Fort Worth, TX 76133

Cases are overflowing with cookies and cakes, sandwiches and wraps, making it a great place to enjoy breakfast, lunch, or a midday snack. Known for the Texas cruffin, there are both sweet and savory options. Cinnamon is the classic flavor and is their take on a cinnamon roll. However, if you want to opt for something more adventurous, try the spicy jalapeno & cheddar cruffin. Also, don’t forget to order the artisan sourdough bread, which is baked fresh every day and proofs for 20 hours prior to baking. The place is owned by a husband-and-wife team so the staff is friendly and the ambiance is homey.

Saramsam, 111 East 7th St., New York, NY 10009

Located in New York’s East Village, Saramsam is a Filipino restaurant. The vegan menu is designed to share plates, so come hungry and with others that love to try new foods. Some dishes to order are Tokwa (silken crispy tofu, brussel sprouts, sweet & sour sauce), Kare Kare (sweet potato, baby eggplant, yardlong bean, peanut miso), and Sisig (sizzling teriyaki strips, baby onion, shishito). The name of the dishes may be intimidating to pronounce, but the staff is very friendly and will help order. Although Saramsam means “casual dining” in Llocano, you will want to make sure you have your cameras out because the dishes are anything but casual. This restaurant serves artfully plated dishes that are authentic in flavor.

Vegan Cuban Cuisine, 9640 SW 72nd St., Miami, FL 33173

Wondering what vegan Cuban food tastes like, check out Vegan Cuban Cuisine in Miami, Florida. Popular are the crispy Ham Croquetas made with cashew cream and soy-based ham and the Cubano Sandwich stuffed full with lechon asado pulled jackfruit, soy-based ham, “cheese,” pickles, and more, creating a party in your mouth. As fun and as flavorful the food is, the atmosphere is the same with food being served out of a ventanita or in English, a little window. Going to Vegan Cuban Cuisine will transport you to Cuba, one bite at a time.

Vegan Deli & Butcher Shop, 524 S. Main St., St. Charles, MO 63301

While the words ‘vegan’ and ‘butcher’ sound contradictory, this deli shop located in the Midwest will make you ask yourself why this pairing has not happened sooner. When making vegan ‘meat’ taste and look like real meat, the chef does not skip on technique, making sure to use traditional butcher methods like smoking and braising. Due to innovative cooking, the roast beef for instance, is made with wheat gluten to make it mouthwateringly juicy and using a soy-base for the meatball sub keeps it moist and tender. This is down home cooking that will leaving you full and satisfied, curing all of those savory meat and gooey cheese cravings breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Many food guides are not vegan-friendly, so how do you know the number of servings of different foods that you should be consuming on a daily basis as a vegan? For example, how many servings of whole grains should you be eating in a day and what amount is considered a serving? The Vegetarian Resource Group has produced a Vegan Food Guide that provides this information. See: VRG Vegan Food Guide

Despite the fact that new vegan restaurants are opening each day during the Covid-19 crisis, many established vegan restaurants are really hurting during the Pandemic. We’ve seen some VRG members encouraging their friends to support local vegan restaurants. We think this is a terrific idea! In some cases one person acts as a central location for pick-up and friends place their take-out order together and one individual picks up the food for several families. In other cases, friends are simply encouraged to go out of their way to support a local vegan establishment.

To help you find a local restaurant to support, here’s The Vegetarian Resource Group’s online guide to veggie restaurants in the USA and Canada: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

Thanks!

People generally think of sweet dishes when chocolate is featured; however, chocolate is often used in savory recipes. Debra Daniels-Zeller’s previous Vegetarian Journal article called “The Savory Side of Chocolate” features these vegan dishes: Chocolate Balsamic Vinaigrette; Slow-Simmered Black-Eyed Peas and Corn in Barbecue Sauce; Black Bean and Yam Enchiladas Infused with Chocolate; Sweet and Smoky Barbecue Sauce with a Hint of Chocolate; Baked Tempeh in Sweet and Smoky Barbecue Sauce; Chocolate Mole; Chocolate-Infused Shepherd’s Pie; and Chocolate Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits. Debra also describes the various varieties of dark chocolate.

The article can be found here: The Savory Side of Chocolate

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

You can also subscribe to the Kindle version of Vegetarian Journal in the USA and United Kingdom. In the USA, visit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544727482&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K  In the United Kingdom, visit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1544731957&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K

The Vegetarian Resource Group is a vegan activist non-profit organization that does outreach all-year-long. For example, VRG responds to the public’s questions every day and sends literature free of charge to other groups/individuals doing educational activities in schools, hospitals, camps, restaurants, libraries, offices, etc. Our ability to continue doing this depends on people like you! Your donations allow us to promote the vegan message whenever we’re called upon for assistance. Please consider becoming a monthly or quarterly donor to The Vegetarian Resource Group.

During these challenging times, thanks so much for your support. You can donate online here: vrg.org/donate

By Saisravya Bandia

Saisravya is a Vegetarian Resource Group 2020 video scholarship winner. She said: Since being a vegetarian myself for seven years and still going strong, I have been interested in finding out how this is helping me and the environment. Along with looking for new food options and restaurants to go to.

To see her video, go to: https://www.vrg.org/veg_videos.php

Fall has arrived and so have a variety of pears in the USA. Debra Daniels-Zeller’s article Perfect Pears (from a previous issue of Vegetarian Journal) provides recipes for Reisling-Braised Kale and Pears With Basmati Rice; Sweet And Spicy Yams And Pears With Toasted Pecans; Maple-Sautéed Pears; Creamy Rosemary, Acorn Squash, and Pear Soup; Coconut-Cranberry-Pear Sauce Hazelnut-Orange Asian Pear and Beet Salad; Pear Crisp With Cranberries; Pear-Walnut Bread; and Berry-Poached Pears. She also explains the differences between popular varieties of pears. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2004issue3/2004_issue3_perfect_pears.php

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

You can also subscribe to the Kindle version of Vegetarian Journal in the USA and United Kingdom. In the USA, visit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544727482&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K  In the United Kingdom, visit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1544731957&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K

Instagram: @vegetarianresourcegroup

The Vegetarian Resource Group has a graphic called Burrito on My Plate, which shows viewers the water footprint of a vegan versus a meat-based burrito. It takes 225 gallons of water to make a vegan burrito without tofu and 253 gallons of water to make a vegan burrito with tofu. In comparison, it takes 541 gallons of water to make a beef burrito.

The Burrito on My Plate Graphic can be seen here: https://www.vrg.org/environment/BurritoOnMyPlate.pdf

The article detailing how we came up with the numbers of gallons of water needed to produce each type of burrito can be found here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2017issue2/2017_issue2_burrito_plate.php