Sunday, October 16, 2016, 6 PM

The Vegetarian Resource Group will host a vegan Thai dinner
at My Thai Vegan Café in Boston on Sunday, October 16, 2016 during the
annual meeting of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Meet VRG
advisors Reed Mangels PhD RD, Catherine Conway MS RD, Debra Wasserman,
Charles Stahler, and vegetarian dietitians from around the country.
All are welcome.

MENU:
Tom Kha, Thai Coconut Soup with tofu
Thai Mango Salad
Nam Prik Kaeng Kari with tofu (Yellow Curry) and brown rice
Pad See Ew. Wide rice noodles with Chinese broccoli and vegan gluten.
Fruit cocktail for dessert or other fruit
Tea and cold water

This will be a plated sit down dinner.

TO RESERVE: Send $30 person (includes tax and tip) (Under eight is half
price) with names of attendees to The Vegetarian Resource Group,
P.O. Box 1463,
Baltimore, MD 21203.
Call (410) 366-8343.

You can also pay at www.vrg.org/donate and write Boston Dinner in the Comments. Refunds after September 30th only if your seat can be replaced.

Hope to see you there!

By Alicia Hückmann, VRG Intern from Germany

Known to be one of the best places to visit as a vegan, the vibrant city
of New York offers a broad variety of restaurants and cafés that serve
delicious plant-based alternatives. A considerable number of these are
not just vegan-friendly but manage to run without using any animal
products altogether. One of the most famous of these restaurants is
called Blossom. The first Blossom restaurant was founded in Chelsea
(Manhattan) in 2005 and thanks to its ever growing popularity, two new
branches with their own different menus have been opened in Carmine and
Columbus (both in Manhattan) over the last few years. According to their
website, each of them uses organic and local products and supports small
distribution companies.

I decided to dine in the original Blossom location in Chelsea which is
only a couple of minutes away from the 23rd Street A and C train subway
station. It is located in a modern and young yet rather quiet
neighborhood and can be spotted easily thanks to its big sign that is
impossible to miss. Upon entering the door, I was amazed by a classy,
dim-lit interior with about a dozen bigger and smaller plants that added
perfectly to the elegant ambiance. Although I had not made a reservation
in advance, I managed to get a table immediately.

After being welcomed by a very attentive waiter, I ordered vegan lasagna
as my main dish. The food arrived within less than 10 minutes and could
be eaten right away because of its perfect temperature. I almost could
not believe the melting tapioca cheese was actually not a dairy product
considering its appearance, smell, and texture. The taste came very close
to that of traditional lasagna as well although it is possible to tell
them apart. Despite this, the meal was excellent in its very own vegan
way thanks to the great balance of seitan, tofu, and spices as well as
delicious slices of roasted eggplant and sautéed escarole that were
served along with the lasagna. Compared to the non-vegan equivalent, its
flavor was also much richer and less greasy. Considering the size of the
portion I was served, however, this twenty dollar meal was relatively
pricey for me (on a student budget), which is the only fault I can find.

I also ordered, apple cobbler with a tiny scoop of ice cream for ten
dollars. Again, the meal was delicious. When the dish arrived, I could
already smell the deliciously blended combination of flavors that
awaited me: Fruity baked apple complimented by savory cinnamon served
with a sweet vanilla sauce and creamy vanilla ice cream.

In conclusion, I strongly recommend Blossom to anyone planning to eat
out on a special occasion. Both the classy ambiance and the exquisite
food fit the needs of a romantic candle light dinner, a birthday dinner,
or even a business dinner. Students and low-budget travelers who cannot
afford to pay $35 for the occasional dining out (including taxes and
tip) should probably save this experience for a very special occasion
(or person).

For more information on Blossom, check their website: www.blossomnyc.com

If you would like to learn more about dining out in New York as a
vegetarian or vegan, go to the VRG’s online restaurant guide at
www.vrg.org/restaurant/New_York.php or visit our national restaurant
guide at www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

By Heather Francis, VRG Intern

As a runner and nutrition student, you could expect my favorite meal to be a loaded fruit salad or nice cream topped with kiwi and chopped nuts. Maybe it’s a hearty green curry with potatoes or a fresh salad loaded with arugula and topped with flax seed. That’s not the case; although I do love that entire list. My go to meal for breakfast or dinner are fluffy, moist, warm, and gooey chocolate chip pancakes. Of course, I do add a ton of fruit on top of the pancakes when I’m eating them.

I devour a stack of pancakes at least 3-4 times a week, and when I say a stack of pancakes, I’m talking The Leaning Tower of Pisa worth of pancakes. I have played around with different recipes, and have come up with my best and favorite one which I’m most-willing to share with you. Enjoy!

Serves 4-5

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup spelt flour (I use the brand Veganic Spelt Flour. I have tried using whole wheat flour, but spelt comes out a lot better and tastes terrific.)
1 cup organic cane sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon 100% pure dark maple syrup
½ medium-sized lemon (optional)
½ cup vegan dairy-free chocolate chips
½ pint blueberries, 1 banana, ½ pint strawberries, walnuts, pecans (optional add-ins)
1 Tablespoon Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread
1 teaspoon organic powdered sugar

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift the all-purpose flour, spelt flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
2. Stir in the almond milk, vanilla, and syrup. Add more almond milk to desired batter texture.
3. Squeeze ½ the lemon into the mixture along with chocolate chips and optional other add-ins.
4. In a medium-sized skillet pan, over medium heat melt the Earth Balance butter and measure out three ¼ cups of the batter onto the pan.
5. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown and flip them over and cook until golden brown. Make sure when making the pancakes they are completely cooked on the inside, test this by using a fork and putting it through the middle.
6. Repeat until you finish the batter.
7. Once they are all cooked, serve with blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and/or walnuts/pecans.
8. Top with powdered sugar and maple syrup.
9. You can then eat them like cookies or as regular pancakes.

Note on Syrup: You don’t have to put syrup on these, they’re sweet enough as is, but ever since I was a little kid I could not eat or make pancakes without drowning them in syrup. So of course, I buy the Whole Foods Dark Maple Syrup. Not too sweet and not processed with High Fructose Corn Syrup. The syrup may be expensive, but it’s delicious and worth it. Also, when using it in the pancakes it’s not as watery so it aids to the pancakes ability to stay intact.

Several years ago, The Vegetarian Resource Group ran an article titled “Peach Passion” in Vegetarian Journal. Now that peach season is in full swing, we thought we’d share this piece once again.

Debra Daniels-Zeller provides the following recipes:

CINNAMON-PEACH OATMEAL WITH TOASTED WALNUTS
CREAMY PEACH SALAD DRESSING
LIME-CILANTRO PEACH SALSA
COCONUT-PEACH SOUP
TEMPEH TERiYAKI WITH PEACHES
GRILLED BALSAMIC PEACHES
CARDAMOM-PEACH UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
PEACH CASHEW CREAM
LEMON-PEACH JASMINE RICE PUDDING

Head to your local farmers market and enjoy some fresh peaches today!

The article can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2006issue2/2006_issue2_peach_passion.php

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

VRG staff members have been visiting the Jersey Shore town of Ocean Grove for many summers. This year we were excited to find new vegan options on the boardwalk. Dunes Boardwalk Café is located in Ocean Grove near the border of Asbury Park, NJ and is a food court housing many food options.

Coney Waffles offers several flavors of vegan ice cream as well as vegan waffles to go along with this frozen treat. You’ll also find It’s All Good Kitchen. They serve organic juices, smoothies, Build Your Own Bowls, house-made hummus, and more.

For further information see: http://www.dunesboardwalkcafe.com/
For information on veggie restaurants throughout the USA and Canada see: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

Save the date! Once again, Vegan SoulFest will be held in Baltimore this summer at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC), 2901 Liberty Heights Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21215. On Saturday, August 20th, between noon and 7PM you can dine on a wide range of vegan cuisine, visit vegan booths, hear speakers, plus much more. The Vegetarian Resource Group will have a table at this event. Stop by and say hello!

For details see: http://www.vegansoulfest.com/

By Sasha Keenan, VRG intern

As a recent high school graduate, I can attest to the often crooked priorities of adolescents. We are usually caught up in the temporary: scrolling through our Twitter feeds, chatting about the latest drama, and stressing over prom dresses. Consequently, we sometimes fail to discuss broader issues.

I maintain that awareness is the first step to change–no one can begin to fix a problem if they don’t see a problem. That’s why I made a tenacious effort to promote veganism throughout my high school career.

I never wanted to change every one of my readers by writing about veganism. Instead, I hoped to start a conversation with my peers and shed light on a matter that is not given enough attention. In retrospect, I am happy with the work that I did because it encouraged people to ask questions, and, more importantly, to question themselves.

Promoting a veggie diet in a publication as a high school student might require a leap of faith, but can also allow young people to take the first step towards change. Here are a few ways to be successful when writing about your diet as a high school student:

1.Decide what type of publication works best for you

With each different high school comes a unique student newspaper set up. At my school, our publication was considered a “student forum for expression” and was published exclusively online. Since our publication was not technically owned by the school, we were able to publish whatever we wanted to without prior review from administration. This made it easier for me to publish articles about veganism for my school publication. Other situations might not allow as much leeway, and in that case you could start your own blog or newsletter. Either way, it’s important to determine what type of publication you’d feel most comfortable writing for.

2. Develop your voice and solidify your stance

Since you’ll be writing frequently, it’s a good idea to develop a voice that’s both unique and familiar to your readers. Perhaps more pertinently, you should decide what it is about veganism that matters to you–ethics, environmental issues, health–and infuse your writing with the passion you feel for a particular problem. Personally, I’m very concerned with water resources and droughts, so whenever I wrote about veganism, I would always tie my point to the shocking truths about water consumption and livestock production. As a result, my readers were consistently encouraged to care about the issue, too.

3. Advocate for yourself on social media platforms

Teens have the advantage of being social media savvy–use this to your advantage. Each time you publish an article, tweet it out, post it on Instagram, link it to Facebook, or email it to your relatives. I’ve found that almost 90% of the traffic we received on my high school publication was from social media link clicks. In other words, it’s unlikely that readers would go directly to your site, but if they saw a link to your article on social media with an eye-catching picture attached, they would probably check it out.

4. Submit your work to publications with wider audiences

Once you’ve got the writing and sharing down, challenge yourself by submitting your work to a publication beyond the walls of your high school. Though this may seem daunting, it’s relatively easy. Most major publications have a teen branch, and several online blog-like publication including The Odyssey and Elite Daily are always willing to accept work. By doing this, you’ll be reaching a larger audience and making a name for yourself as a writer.

We have sent tens of thousands of our Vegan in a Nutshell brochure to groups and educators around the country, from Virginia to Nebraska to New York to Oregon and Texas. They have been used by dietitians, by programs serving low income communities, at VegFests, by activists tabling, and with college students. We have run out and need to reprint. Please consider a donation of $25, $50, $100 or more at www.vrg.org/donate

Thank you for your support.

By Heather Francis

The other evening, my girlfriend and I went to Kaya’s Kitchen in Belmar, New Jersey. It’s funny because she has lived close by Belmar all her life and had no idea this all-vegan restaurant existed. We tried it out, and fell in love with the place. Walking in I noticed a table to my left full of pamphlets, business cards, and magazines of events and businesses in the area related to health and fitness. Already I knew I was going to consume a great meal.

We sat down in a booth. I’d like to mention how it took us maybe twenty minutes to choose what to get because of how overwhelming the menu was and it’s COMPLETELY vegan. Stroganoff? Enchiladas? Wings? Seitan Ribs? Seitan Steak? There was so much to choose from.

My girlfriend recently became vegan and had never been to a vegan restaurant before, so for her it was an entirely new experience. We ordered a take on her favorite meal — an appetizer of Tempeh Wings. They were spicy, and the breading wasn’t too heavy. The “ranch” was my favorite part. We devoured most of them and prolonged the last two on the plate. We moved onto our second course almost immediately which was a shared plate of Hungarian Perogies.

The perogies with the creamy Hungarian sauce along with onions and spinach, created a savory and absolutely delicious sensation. I was filled almost completely just eating half the plate. We definitely took our time eating the perogies but overtime they disappeared. I was left heartbroken.

When finished, our waitress brought over the dessert menu, which was on a miniature chalkboard. There was an assortment of vegan cupcakes and a tempting chocolate cake, but my stomach was too full to handle dessert.

Probably the best part of the atmosphere of the restaurant included the live music that started before we paid our check. There was a band playing instruments and singing on a small stage in the corner in the back of the restaurant. We waited just long enough to hear a few songs. Before leaving, I noticed how the customers in the restaurant doubled in size since we got there, almost filling every seat. I wondered how many people there were vegan themselves.

The food may be a bit pricey, but it’s also a lot of food that can be shared with whoever you go with, or you can take half of it home. The service, the music, and the food is worth a trip over to Kaya’s Kitchen if you’re ever in Belmar, New Jersey. On the plus side, it’s also a few minutes from the beach. I know for a fact I’m going to return to Kaya’s Kitchen. The idea of eating vegan stroganoff still intrigues me.

If interested, please visit their website: http://www.kayaskitchenbelmar.com/

For more information on other vegetarian/vegan restaurants please visit: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Below are some recent 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

Belem Café
4409 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montreal, QC H2W 1Z8 Canada
Located near a Yoga Studio, this café serves seasonal vegan food including Acai bowls, smoothies, granola, salads, sandwiches, and more.

Berben and Wolff’s Vegan Delicatessen
227 Lark St.
Albany, NY 12210
Making all of their proteins in house, their vegan “deli” offerings include these best sellers: Seitan Pastrami Rueben, Popcorn Mushroom Po’ Boy, Wing Burger and BBQ Pulled Jackfruit. The Wing Burger, which gets high marks from customers, is a chicken-style Seitan patty, breaded in panko and spices. They also offer a breakfast sandwich with Daiya cheese, faux ham, and sriracha hollandaise on a bun.

Fare Well
406 H St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
Fare Well is a vegan restaurant, bar, and bakery. It is the second offering from chef and owner Doron Peterson who is also the owner of the award-winning vegan bakery Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats in Columbia Heights. At Fare Well, Peterson is joined by a small, passionate team of fellow chefs who have worked to recreate classic American diner foods and Mediterranean fare with only plant-based ingredients. The restaurant also offers a kid’s menu, vegan shakes, specialty cocktails, and coffee in a sleek yet subtly retro setting.

HipCityVeg
712 7th St. NW
Washington, DC 20001
This restaurant focuses on using organic and non-GMO soy ingredients to create a fast-food inspired menu. Try their vegan-ized Philly Steak, made with pulled steak, grilled onion, mushroom, lettuce, tomato, and ketchup, all served on a wheat roll. They also offer their Bistro Bella, a burger composed of grilled portabella, herb Dijon glaze, olive tapenade, red onion, tomato, artichoke, and arugula. In addition, try their vegan “chicken” nuggets with a side of sweet potato fries. Finish off your meal with one of their chocolate, orangesicle, or vanilla-flavored soy milkshakes!

Holi Vegan Kitchen
3099 NE 163rd St.
North Miami Beach, FL 33160
Holi Vegan Kitchen provides plenty of gluten-free and oil-free options with the goal of promoting a nutritious and healing whole-foods diet. They have an entire menu dedicated to breakfast including, but not limited to a gluten-free pesto garden scramble, a raw fresh super acai bowl, and gluten-free buckwheat banana pancakes. For a main dish, try their oil-free avocado and chickpea salad wrap or a mushroom grilled cheese with homemade cashew cheese. Accompany your meal with one of their refreshing live juices, including one made with pineapple, green apple, cucumber, and mint.

Love Livin
Pilgrim Terrace, Charlotte Amalie
St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands 00802
Enjoy raw dishes including kale salad, nori rolls, bbq kale, platters, and more. They also serve smoothies. Hours sometimes vary, so call ahead.

On The Go Organics
600 S. Wolfe St.
Baltimore, MD 21231
Enjoy organic raw cuisine including juices, smoothies, nut milks, and dishes such as Zucchini Pasta with Walnut Neat Balls, Curry Collard Green Wrap, Garden Lasagna, Middle Eastern Platter, and Grande Taco Salad. Also try one of their desserts including Key Lime Pie, Blueberry Cheese Cake, or Coconut Cream Pie. For breakfast dine on Apple Blueberry Macadamia Porridge or Apple, Strawberry, Pecan, Porridge. They are located in Fells Point.

Rock Salt Creamery
16 Parker Hill Rd.
Sanbornton, NH 03269
Despite the name that implies “cream,” Tom Morrison offers these vegan dessert options, which are made from a cashew base. There are nearly 30 flavors, made from natural, almost all-organic ingredients like the more traditional strawberry, raspberry or chocolate, or something a little more out there, like carrot or lemon basil. They are located on a farm.

The Flying Falafel
1051 Market St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
and
919 Meridian Ave.
San Jose, CA 95126
The Flying Falafel serves up a wide variety of Mediterranean sides and toppings for their falafel. Simply order a pita, wrap, or plate and let them know what toppings to include. Falafel can be ordered original or spicy. Gluten free options available. Note that you can order food before arriving through their website!

The Phoenix Veg Cafe and Juice Bar
650 Castro St. #130
Mountain View, CA 94041
The Phoenix offers a vegan buffet with a full complement of food groups. Starches (couscous, basmati rice, penne pasta), Veggies (mixed veggies with coconut curry cauliflower), and Main Course (baked eggplant oregano, black beans with seaweed and tofu). There is also an a la carte menu available all day: among the popular items are the Tofu and Avocado Rice Bowl, the Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, and the Phoenix Sandwich (avocado and eggplant). Favorite signature juices include “Serious Green” (Kale, Celery, Cucumber, Apple, Lemon) and Iron Blood (Carrot, Apple, Celery, Kale, Beet, Lemon). Among the smoothies, you can try the popular Marrakech (Almond Milk, Banana, Dates, Nuts, Raw Cacao) or Forever Young (Mango, Pineapple Acai, Banana).

The Sanibel Sprout
Bailey’s Center
2463 Periwinkle Way
Sanibel, FL 33957
The Sanibel Sprout is a locally-owned restaurant located on Sanibel Island off of the West Coast of Florida. This charming spot offers a menu that is entirely vegan, organic, and gluten free in a down-to-earth and friendly environment. The Sprout prides itself on its extensive selection of hand-crafted juices which are available both pre-made and freshly squeezed. The lunch and dinner menu offers an array of ethnic fusion food from Indian-inspired soups and curries to Mexican salads to Italian pasta dishes with a healthy twist. Dessert consists of a variety of colorful vegan and gluten-free confections from their bakery. In addition to its dining options, the Sprout has a gift shop and even hosts a weekly organic farmer’s market.