We thought some readers may be interested in knowing about this upcoming meeting.

SACATM is part of a larger body which conducts technical evaluations of new, revised, and alternative safety testing methods with regulatory applicability and promotes the scientific validation and regulatory acceptance of toxicological and safety-testing methods that more accurately assess the safety and hazards of chemicals and products and that reduce, refine (decrease or eliminate pain and distress), or replace animal use.

For further information on this meeting see: https://federalregister.gov/a/2016-19774

It’s All Good Kitchen

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

Erven
514-516 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Enjoy soup such as Tuscan Bean Soup and White Gazpacho during the day, along with salads and sandwiches including Falafel or Smoked Eggplant. In the evening you can dine on small, medium or large plates including items such as Lime Pickled Dates, Black Garlic-Chickpea Fritter, Warm Endive Salad, Roasted Carrots, Scallion Pancake, Beer battered tofu sandwich, along with desserts such as Roasted Peaches and Black sesame cake.

It’s All Good Kitchen
Dune’s Boardwalk Café
4 North End Boardwalk
Ocean Grove, NJ 07756
Enjoy organic juices, smoothies, build your own bowls, home-made hummus, and more at this food court located on the boardwalk.

Jodee’s Desserts
7214 Woodlawn Ave. NE
Seattle, WA 98115
Enjoy a variety of vegan pies such as Key Lime, Mocha, and Banana Cream that are made with mostly organic ingredients. They also have smoothies, coffee and tea, sweet and savory treats, and frozen dessert. They are located across the street from Billings Middle School.

Ladybird
127 MacDougal St.
New York, NY 10012
Enjoy vegan tapas at this bar including Gazpacho Trio, Truffle Fries, Quinoa Croqueta, Coconut Quiche, Broccoli Rabe, Chocolate Fondue, Churros, and more. Located in the West Village section of New York City.

Lulu’s Local Eatery
3201 S. Grand
St. Louis, MO 63118
Start your meal off with Buffalo Cauliflower Bites or Thai Crunch Kale Salad. Then enjoy a wrap or sandwich or a main dish bowl such as Chipotle Black Bean, Banh Mi, or Buddah. Enjoy daily specials as well as a wide variety of beer along with your meal.

Nolafare
2009 Highland Ave.
Louisville, KY 40204
Enjoy Sassy Kale Salad, GreenUp Quinoa Plate, Black Bean Dream Sandwich, Sea Carrot Rolls, and more. Ask about their desserts.

Pure
9925 SW Bank Rd.
Vashon, WA 98070
Enjoy fresh juices and smoothies along with bowls, salads, soup, and dessert at this organic café.

Screamer’s Pizzeria
620 Manhattan Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11222
Enjoy a wide variety of vegan pizza including Pepperoni (sauce, seitan pepperoni, and vegan cheese), Hawaiian (vegan ham, pineapple, tomato sauce, vegan cheese, and scallions), Screamer (garlic oil, vegan cheese, cremini and oyster mushrooms, parsley, and almond parmesan), plus others. They also serve vegan garlic knots and calzones.

Thai Vegan
2928 Washington Blvd.
Marina Del Ray, CA 90292
This restaurant offers vegan Thai food including Fresh Vegetable Tofu Roll, Papaya Salad, Tofu Vegetable Soup, Spicy Mint Noodles, Pad Thai, Massamun Tofu Curry, Pineapple Tofu Fried Rice, plus much more. They also have fresh juices.

Thai Vegan
2400 Main St.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
This kiosk offers vegan Thai food including Fresh Vegetable Tofu Roll, Papaya Salad, Tofu Vegetable Soup, Spicy Mint Noodles, Pad Thai, Massuman Tofu Curry, Pineapple Tofu Fried Rice, plus much more. They also have fresh juices and are located near the beach. Outdoor seating.

Timeless Coffee
4252 Piedmont Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94611
Timeless Coffee takes pride in roasting their own coffee beans and taking pride in their product. They produce a variety of vegan baked goods available every day, and serve up fun and creative dishes Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Traditionally serving up brunch or dishes like Biscuits and Gravy, the menu may also feature new specials. Be sure to check them out on social media to see their current offerings.

VegDining.com is pleased to donate 10% of all VegDining Card purchases by VRG subscribers and supporters during July and August. The VegDining Card is an international vegetarian discount card with over a hundred vegetarian restaurants and other businesses offering discounts to cardholders on their goods and services. Visit VegDining.com to order your card (be sure to mention “VRG” to ensure a donation will be made on your purchase). VegDining is a guide to vegetarian dining, promoting vegetarianism around the world since 1999.

Hi VRG,

I just returned from a magic conference at Pidgeon Forge (TN). While the restaurants were meat heavy, the good news was that the Mellow Mushroom there had Daiya cheese as an option on all their pizzas, calzones, and hoagie sandwiches. I took a Tempeh Hoagie with Daiya cheese home, and it was great. There are apparently 2 Mellow Mushrooms in Pidgeon Forge, and the one in the middle of the tourist area (next to the MagiQuest castle) was open every day until Midnight.

Michael C. Worsham

For more information on Mellow Mushroom, see: http://mellowmushroom.com/

The contents of this posting, our website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

By Alicia Hückmann, VRG intern visiting from Germany

When people are asked to describe German culture, many will come up with Dirndl, Sauerkraut or Bratwurst even though these things are not actually typically German but rather Bavarian. Bavaria is a state located in the South-Eastern part of Germany and known for cities such as Munich and Nuremberg. Whether you go hiking in the Alps, have a beer at Oktoberfest, or listen to some of the finest music at Bayreuth festival – Bavaria is one of the most diverse regions in Germany and loved by tourists all over the world.

Our culinary tour begins with a delicious spread from this area: Obatzda. Traditionally made with lots of cheese and served with traditional German bread and veal sausages, Obatzda can also be enjoyed by vegans (perhaps with vegan sausages).

Starter: Obatzda – a savory “cheese” spread from Bavaria
(Serves 4)

Recipe by Clarissa Juse http://paradiesfutter.blogspot.de/

* ½ cup cashew nuts
* ½ cup vegan margarine
* 7 oz tofu
* 3.4 fl oz (non-alcoholic) lite beer or water
* 2 tbsp oil
* 2 scallions or a small red onion
* 1 tbsp paprika powder
* 1 tbsp caraway
* 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
* Salt and pepper, to taste
* Sliced onion and chopped chives for garnish

Soak the cashew nuts for an hour and take the margarine out of the refrigerator. Cut the margarine and crumble the tofu into very small pieces and put both in a bowl. Drain the cashew nuts and blend them with the lite beer or water. Add oil and blend until you get a creamy texture. Finely chop the scallions or red onion. Mix tofu, margarine, cashew cream, and onions together. Add spices, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper and mix well. Garnish with onion rings and chives and serve with whole wheat bread.

For our main dish, we will continue our journey to the South-East of Germany and stop at a region called Swabia, which is part of both Bavaria and its neighboring state Baden-Wuerttemberg. Swabians are not only well-known for their thriftiness and economical lifestyle but also for their great sense of community. It is no wonder that Käsespätzle, an inexpensive yet mouth-watering meal and the main course of our Southern German menu, is this region’s signature dish that has been bringing younger and older generations together for centuries. Even though the original recipe is made with lots of cheese and eggs, there is a way for vegans to enjoy this tasty meal.

Käsespätzle – a timeless Swabian noodle main course
(Serves 4)
Recipe by Sarah Kaufmann (http://www.veganguerilla.de)

* 4-1/3 cups flour
* 2 tbsp soy flour
* 1 tsp salt
* 2 cups water
* 8 ounces vegan cheese
* kosher salt, pepper

Optional: spaetzle maker (can be purchased online)

Add a pinch of salt to a pot of boiling water. Mix flours and 1 tsp salt in a bowl. Add 2 cups of water while stirring/kneading the dough. Preheat the oven to 350°.

For the noodles, you can either use a spaetzle maker (put on top of the boiling water, go back and forth and let the dough fall into the water) or a cutting board (pour some water on the board, spread the dough and use a knife to cut it into thin threads that fall into the water). Noodles that swim on top of the water are ready.

Put some of the vegan cheese into a 9 x 5 inch baking pan (any similar size works). Put some of the spaetzle on top and repeat until you run out of ingredients. For the last layer, use cheese. Bake for a few minutes until the cheese melts. Flavor with kosher salt and pepper.

We will end our Southern German tour in the most south-western area of Germany, the famous Black Forest. The only thing this region is more famous for than stunning hiking trails and cuckoo clocks is a very popular dessert named Black Forest cake. As its main ingredients are actually only plants – dark chocolate and cherries – it is rather easy to make a vegan version.

Black Forest cake inspired vegan cupcakes – a tasty cherry delicacy
(Makes 12-15 cupcakes)

Recipe by Alicia Hückmann

* 1¾ cups flour
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 2 tsp baking powder
* ¼ tsp salt
* 1/3 cup baking cocoa
* 1/3 cup oil
* 1 cup vegan milk
* Approximately 15 oz can black cherries
* 1 cup vegan margarine
* 2 cups powdered sugar
* Vegan dark chocolate chips and black cherries for decoration

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cocoa, then add oil and vegan milk. Separate the canned cherries from the juice but do not pour the juice away. Blend the cherries with two tbsp of juice. Mix half of the puree with the dough and add ¼ cup of the juice. Pour the dough in muffin liners and bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

For the vegan butter cream icing, blend vegan margarine and powdered sugar. Depending on how much icing you like on your cupcakes, either use 1 cup margarine and 2 cups powdered sugar for a small amount of topping or you can double the ingredients for more icing and then add the remaining puree. Adapt the flavor, color, and texture with the help of the juice.

Take the muffins out of the oven and let them cool. Spread the creme using an icing bag or if you don’t have one a knife can be used. Decorate with several chocolate chips and a black cherry on top.

By Alicia Hückmann, VRG intern visiting from Germany

The VRG had a booth at the 32nd Street Farmers Market in Baltimore – also known as Waverly Farmers Market – to spread information about the benefits of vegan diets. Farmers markets are known to draw many health-conscious consumers as well as those that are ecologically aware, which was why Casey, another VRG intern, and I looked forward to spending our Saturday morning in Waverly. It would be a very successful day for us indeed, as dozens of people would stop to grab some brochures, stickers, or a Vegetarian Journal, sign up for our monthly email newsletter, and have a chat with us. Among them were a mostly vegan family, several people interested in tackling diabetes the vegetarian way, and two environmental activists. Others were looking for inspiration for new recipes, for vegan-friendly places to have dinner at, or simply wanted to share their experiences with us.

Over the course of the six hours we stayed at the market (6am – noon), we had enough opportunity also to go shopping for local products at other booths. Different from what the term “farmers market” suggests based on my cultural experiences in Germany, one could not only buy fruits, vegetables, and animal products, but also French bread, pastry, cereals, snacks, and much more. My hands down favorite (and most likely everyone else’s), however, was a popsicle booth that prevented more than one heat-related fatality that day for sure (the heat index was over 100 degrees by noon!). I also loved the booth next to ours that was selling animal free sweet-smelling handmade soaps and other natural cosmetics.

As I greatly enjoyed both booths I have volunteered at so far (Hamilton Street Festival and Waverly Farmers Market), I am all the more excited to be among the representatives for The VRG at the 3rd Vegan Soulfest in Baltimore on Saturday (August 20th).

To volunteer at future booths, in the office, or other ways, contact Brigette at [email protected]
To support The Vegetarian Resource Group outreach, donate at www.vrg.org/donate

The Vegetarian Resource Group will have a booth at the Vegan SoulFest being held this Saturday, August 20th 12:00 PM-7:00 PM at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC), 2901 Liberty Heights Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21215. This event is free and open to the public! Be sure to say hello to our terrific volunteers staffing the VRG booth.

For information on this event, see: http://www.vegansoulfest.com/

By Marissa Thobe, VRG Volunteer

Although German food is traditionally not vegan or vegetarian friendly, vegan Germans deserve to be able to enjoy cultural events without feeling left out. That’s why this year the Zion Church of Baltimore will be featuring vegan sausages (made by the company Tofurky) at their “Beer and Brats” event on Friday, August 26th, 2016 thanks to the advice of one of our volunteers. Next to the beautiful Baltimore City Hall, Zion’s Garden is the perfect place to eat vegan sausage on vegan rolls, drink beer (if you’re over 21, that is), enjoy music, and celebrate the closing of the summer season, regardless of your ethnicity or religion. Zion welcomes people of all diets, backgrounds, faiths, and sexualities. It is a great community event in Baltimore that can be very educational to those unfamiliar with vegetarianism or veganism. The event begins at 4 pm and lasts till 8 pm, rain or shine. Zion Church of Baltimore is located at 400 E. Lexington Street. You can RSVP to the event at zionbaltimore.org.

Reliable, responsible workers in the Baltimore area needed to assist veggie manufacturers in their booths at the Natural Products Expo East at the Baltimore Convention Center on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, September 22, 23, 24. Must be available to work all 3 days. Paid positions. If interested, please email [email protected]

By Heather Francis, VRG Intern

My first day at The Vegetarian Resource Group was technically in May when I attended a Dietetic Internship Day. That day I met Charles and Debra who co-direct The VRG and ate a ton of vegan goodies, such as blueberry “cheesecake,” brought to the VRG office by 10 University of Maryland dietetic interns (working towards their Registered Dietitian credentials). My first real day began in the end of June when Charles gave me the tour of the VRG office. We must have spent hours talking about the history of The Vegetarian Resource Group, and about the vegan movement. I was pleasantly surprised to find a hidden library in the back of the office full of nutrition, animal rights, and environmental books, as well as veggie cookbooks.

I definitely learned a lot about the vegetarian movement, and how there are “extremists” and those who simply float along. I learned more about what it means to be a vegan and how to approach those who aren’t. I used a lot of patience for one of my projects when it came to trying to find out whether or not the National Parks in America offered vegan meals, which another intern and I are still working on. I spent my time writing articles, and spent time packaging and fixing brochures sent out from the office.

What I found most beneficial about the internship, is the overall experience. I have never lived in a city. I have never rented a room from someone I had never met. I didn’t know what it was like to have everything at arm’s reach. I was fully independent, and the work during the internship was all on me to complete. I even created my own schedule and followed it during the summer. The schedule itself changed around due to projects popping up and timing, but I was able to complete all of what I had set out to do plus more. I got to try almost every vegan restaurant in Baltimore, and even traveled to Sticky Fingers in DC and Glory Donughts in Frederick, MD.

I am extremely thankful for the conversations I was able to have within the office. I have spent numerous times engulfed in conversation with my fellow interns or VRG staff about societal and political issues. It is through these conversations I have learned the most. If there is anything I can say I will always remember, it will be Charles’ favorite saying, “take everything with a grain of salt.” Just because a product says vegan, doesn’t make it vegan. Just because someone says they’re vegetarian doesn’t mean they are. Yet, whether a product or a person is or isn’t 100% vegan shouldn’t only matter as long as there is still contribution and direction within the animal rights movement.

Overall, I will miss interning at The Vegetarian Resource Group, but I am extremely grateful for the opportunity and experience. I will continue to volunteer and stay involved with this impactful organization, as I’m already scheduled to work a booth in November near my hometown in New Jersey. I found that working for a non-profit, specifically this one, there is a lot of work but at the end of day I can go home knowing I am making a difference in an important movement. I will head back to Jersey with more knowledge within the vegan movement, and be able to help others focusing on trying to do justice in the animal rights world. I am in school for dietetics, and this internship did not turn me away from dietetics but instilled more reason why I should become one.

I move back into school shortly, and my first week I will be meeting with the Senior Director of Residential Dining to go over the plans for the new vegan/vegetarian menu. I know I will utilize the tools and resources I have discovered the past two months interning for The Vegetarian Resource Group. It doesn’t end here though, as the animal rights movement is growing and there is more to be done and to learn. Living the vegan lifestyle is about compassion, and showing compassion to each person one encounters. Whether or not someone is vegetarian or vegan is not all that matters. Whether or not a company is vegetarian or vegan is not all that matters. Compassion matters, and that’s what the movement is about. The Vegetarian Resource Group makes this extremely clear in all that they do, and I am blessed to have been able to be a part of it.

For information about VRG internships, go to http://www.vrg.org/student/index.php
To support The Vegetarian Resource Group scholarship, internships, and other outreach to young people, donate at www.vrg.org/donate