Each issue of Vegetarian Journal
includes reviews of recent vegan books that have been published. The latest
issue takes a look at Vegan Mac & Cheese by Robin Robertson, Leon
Fast Vegan
by Rebecca Seal, Chantal Symons, and John Vincent, and Show Up
for Salad
by Terry Hope Romero.
In addition to the selection of
fresh fruit, homemade granola, freshly baked goodies waiting for you on the
sideboard, here are some samples of what you can choose for the main event.
Chef Nancy Berkoff writes the Vegan Cooking Tips column for Vegetarian Journal. The latest issue features ideas for preparing dishes highlighting broccoli.
One idea she offers is, “To make a fast and creamy broccoli soup, combine chopped onions with a spray of vegetable oil in a 3-quart microwave-safe bowl and microwave on High until onion is tender. Add about four cups of fresh, chopped broccoli, using the full spear (stalk and florets), enough vegetable stock or water to fill the bowl about half way, ground pepper, and dried parsley to taste and stir to combine. Cover with a lid and microwave on High for 20 minutes or until broccoli is very tender. Remove and set aside. Allow to cool for about five minutes. Stir in about 2 cups of silken tofu and nutritional yeast, to taste, microwave on High for 2 minutes. If you would like a smooth texture, process in a blender or food processor until smooth and reheat. If you don’t care to use the microwave, this soup can be prepared on the stove-top as well.”
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:
Annie O Love’s Café of Sweet
Abundance
1901 Ashley River Rd., Charleston, SC
29407
Enjoy gluten-free granola-based
cookies, vegan cheese cake, sandwiches, and more.
Beyond Vegan Cell Food
615 High St., Portsmouth, VA 23704
Enjoy vegan waffles with
“chicken,” vegan “crab” cakes, wild rice and beans seaweed
plate, walnut “chicken” fruit salad, vegan burgers, soups, salads,
and so much more.
Capitol Bar
1440 NE Broadway St., Portland, OR 97232
The Capitol Bar is the perfect spot
in NE Portland to enjoy an array of cocktails and plant-based dishes like mac
& cheese, burgers, and nachos. Can’t find something on the drink menu that
you’d like? The creative bartenders can take care of that and make an
off-the-menu special that’ll hit your taste buds just right. The atmosphere is
airy and modern with a karaoke room upstairs that you can reserve and outdoor
seating on a patio.
Chau Veggie Express
5052 Victoria Dr., Vancouver, BC V5P
3T8 Canada
Serves vegan savory dishes inspired
by Vietnamese roots in family and culture. They offer 4 different soups and 4
bowl options. Starters include a fresh tempeh roll and also try one of their
salads.
Planthropie
135 Pierce St., Birmingham, MI 48009
Enjoy handcrafted baked goods
including cakes and artisanal vegan cheese made from organic raw ingredients.
Truth & Tonic
The Venetian Level 4, 3355 Las Vegas
Blvd., South, Las Vegas, NV 89109
According to their website, this
restaurant “takes its cues from the apothecaries of yore, with a full
vegan food and drink menu that emphasizes the healing benefits of dish
ingredients.” For breakfast and lunch enjoy baked Just-Egg frittatas, whole
grain ciabatta toasts, soyrizo, rice, and bean burrito, vegan chicken avocado
wrap, veggie burger, tacos, and more.
Viva! Vegan
280 E. Main St., Newark, DE 19711
Viva! Vegan brings colorful smoothie
bowls and plant-based desserts to downtown Newark and the area surrounding the
University of Delaware. Offerings include acai bowls, juices, smoothies,
shakes, and sweet treats like cupcakes, cakes, and various flavors of donuts
that sell out quickly. Not only are their foods vegan, but they also have
gluten-free options available. As an added bonus, Viva Vegan delivers, so you
never have to be without these popular vegan treats.
Brenda Sanders lives in Baltimore City, Maryland and is a vegan activist.
Writer, Amy Dell, reports, “The Greener Kitchen sits on a busy street in
Baltimore’s Pigtown area, an unexpected home for a dedicated vegan deli. The
Greener Kitchen is more than meets the eye, however.
This restaurant is also a wholesaler that sells products to local
restaurants in addition to acting as a “food incubator” that provides
a kitchen space for other vegan chefs in the community to “be supported as
they grow their product line and customer base,” said co-founder Brenda
Sanders.
The idea behind this multi-faceted business was to “expand the culture
of plant-based food into communities that don’t currently have access to these
foods and support other vegan businesses that are doing the same,” said
Sanders.”
“Born and raised in Baltimore, Sanders is committed to changing the world
for the better, starting right at home. Sanders became vegan herself 23 years
ago after being motivated to be closer to the Earth. Throughout her career as a
vegan activist, she started the Afro-Vegan Society, Vegan SoulFest, and Thrive
Baltimore, in addition to her business-enterprise. She has also worked with
other organizations such as A Well-Fed World and Food Empowerment Project to
advocate for food justice.”
Because the standard deduction has been raised to over $12,000
for individuals and over $24,000 for married couples filing jointly, some
people may lose the advantage of deducting charitable donations, since their
itemized deductions won’t exceed those amounts.
So for donors who are over 72 years old, they may want to use the charitable
IRA rollover. The charitable IRA rollover is a distribution from an individual
retirement account directly to a charity, such as The Vegetarian Resource Group.
The distribution from the plan administrator directly to the charity counts
toward the donor’s required minimum distribution for the year, but the
charitable donation is not included in the donor’s adjusted gross income.
Others may use a donor-advised fund. Donor-advised funds (DAFs) are accounts
where the donors can advise on where and when to distribute funds. Donors claim
the charitable deduction in the year the money is transferred to the DAF even
though the funds have not been given to the final specific charities. This
allows donors to consolidate several years of charitable gifts into one year for
their income tax returns. For example, married donors who usually give $3,000
per year to their favorite charitable organization can create a Donor-Advised
fund, deposit $21,000 in it for a current year tax deduction, and then
distribute $3,000 per year as annual gifts in future years. For example, here
is information about a few Donor Advised Funds.
Each issue of Vegetarian
Journal features reviews of vegan products. The latest edition includes
reviews for:
Split — a package divvied in half with complementing nut
butters and jellies. They offer Almond Butter and Raspberry, Almond Butter and
Strawberry, Peanut Butter and Blueberry, and Peanut Butter and Grape. Splits
are ideal for on-the-go activities, such as camping, hiking, sports, or travel.)
A Dozen Cousins’ pre-cooked bean pouches are a convenient
option for an easy, nutritious meal. They offer Cuban Black Beans, Mexican
Cowboy Beans, and Trini Chickpea Curry, all based on traditional ethnic
Caribbean and Latin American recipes.
Alpha Food makes six handheld vegan pot pies: Beefy Cheddar,
Buffalo Chick’n, Chick’n Pesto, Chick’n Veggie, Pizza, and Spinach Feta. Each
pot pie has at least 10g of protein.
KiiTO beverages are like a melted milkshake. There are three
flavors: chocolate maca, matcha moringa, and vanilla ashwagandha.
Each year The Vegetarian Resource Group holds an essay contest for children.
SUBJECT: 2-3 page essay on any
aspect of veganism/vegetarianism. Vegetarianism is not eating meat, fish, and
birds (for example, chicken or duck). Vegans do not use any animal products.
Among the many reasons for being a vegan/vegetarian are beliefs about ethics, culture,
health, aesthetics, religion, world peace, economics, world hunger, and the
environment.
Entrants should base their paper on interviewing, research, and/or personal
opinion. You need not be a vegetarian to enter. All essays become the property
of The Vegetarian Resource Group. DEADLINE:
Must be postmarked by May 1, 2020 for current year of judging.
Vegetarian Journal Senior
Editor Rissa Miller wrote an article titled, “On a Roll” in our latest issue.
She provides recipes for making the dough (including a gluten-free option) or
if you’re in a rush how to use vegan canned crescent-style dough. You’ll also
find three sweet roll fillings and three savory roll fillings. Start baking
today!
Re a recent VRG blog title [since reworded] that said: “Once Coronavirus is Gone and Restaurants Reopen, You’ll Find Delicious Veggie Food,” coronaviruses, including covid-19, will never be gone. I would be remiss if I didn’t say it.
See the following for example. The last link ties the
continual problem to intensive agriculture. Another argument against factory
farming.
The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on veganism and the interrelated issues of health, nutrition, ecology, ethics, and world hunger. We have been helping health professionals, food services, businesses, educators, students, vegans, and vegetarians since 1982. In addition to publishing the Vegan Journal, VRG produces and sells a number of books.
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