Thank you to VRG’s Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, who was interviewed during the past few months by these media: Philadelphia Daily News on becoming vegetarian, Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine on children’s vegetarian menus, the Health Direct health and wellness publication, the NPR Science Desk on tips for parents raising vegetarian children, Emerson College TV Station about vegetarianism, Today’s Diet and Nutrition on teen vegetarians, CBS.COM on Chanukah Latkes, and The Washington Post on vegetarian children.

Also kudos to Reed the past few months for teaching a class for 50 nutrition majors on vegetarian pregnancy, completing co-authoring The Dietitian’s Guide to Vegetarian Diets textbook, presenting on Vegan Diets to 50 dietitian and nurses who work for the Maryland WIC program, and presenting a poster session at the American Dietetic Association Annual Meeting.

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group’s ongoing outreach, please make a donation at https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565
or
http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4

Thank you so much.

Date and Time: Sunday, December 12, 2010, 4:30 PM
Location: Hunan Manor, 7091 Deepage Drive, Columbia, Maryland 21045

Seminar Topic: Charitable Giving: Creating a Lasting Impact

DINNER:

Vegetarian Spring Roll
Vegetarian Chicken with Mixed Vegetables
Vegetarian Beef with Black Pepper Sauce
Vegetarian Crispy Fish Steak Hunan Style
Eggplant in Hot Garlic Sauce
Rice Noodles
Oranges

Menu subject to change.

Sponsored by Avraham Rappaport, CLTC of Steinharter Insurance Services.

THIS EVENT IS FREE, BUT PLEASE RESERVE TODAY IN ADVANCE AS THERE IS LIMITED SEATING. E-MAIL [email protected] OR CALL THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP AT 410-366-8343 MONDAY TO FRIDAY.

Vegans Know How to Party

OVER 465 VEGANS RECIPES, INCLUDING DESSERTS, APPETIZERS, AND MAIN DISHES
By Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD

Purchase a copy for $25.00 here
**And for a limited time, click here to order 4 books for $50 – a great holiday gift for friends and family!**

In this 384-page 8 1/2 X 11 book with color photographs, Chef Berkoff shows you how to put on a party for vegans and those who enjoy great food. Vegan Desserts include pies, tarts, cakes, cupcakes, quick breads, muffins, sauces, frostings, cookies, parfaits, puddings, cobblers, frozen treats, and more.

Nancy gives us lessons on preparing vegan “ricotta,” veloute, demiglaze, and bèchamel. Sections include Using Vegan Ingredients, Basic Party Planning, Egg Substitutes, Napkin Folding, and Hiring Entertainment. Additional chapters feature Entertaining Children, Cooking for A Crowd, treats, Secrets of Cooking Large Amounts of Foods, and Sample Recipe Conversion from a small recipe to a large recipe and visa versa.

Working with a Caterer includes finding a caterer, catering concerns, helpful hints for vegetarian catering, food safety suggestions, label reading, and upscale menus. Also helpful is Party Planning for People with Diabetes.

Vegans Know How to Party has great recipes, but is certainly a reference book you’ll want to have around to answer all those vegan cooking questions. Your purchase will liven your parties, as well as support vegetarian outreach.

Try:

• maple apple pie
• peach cheesecake
• silky lemon pie
• cherry tarts.

Birthday party basics include vanilla, moist chocolate, and devil’s food cakes.

For brunches, Nancy starts the day with chocolate raspberry and banana
blueberry muffins. These dessert sauces and icings will spruce up any party:

• vegan caramel sauce
• cream cheese spread with fruit
• vegan buttercream frosting
• coconut frosting
• lemon frosting
• vegan pastry cream.

Cookie to the Max with:

• glazed ginger-almond cookies
• apricot and raisin bars
• fudge without the oven cookies
• peanut butter and jelly cookies
• rugelach
• sugar cookies
• chocolate chip of course
• pinwheels
• vegan lemon squares
• fudge brownies

Plus you and your guests will enjoy parfaits, trifles, mousse, cobblers, crumbles, crisps, custard, bread puddings, noodle puddings, and chocolate puddings – too many to name. For frozen desserts, Nancy gives us vegan ice cream cake, coconut-cinnamon and peppermint-chocolate frozen treats, and pineapple sorbet.

THERE’S MORE TO A PARTY THAN DESSERTS.
Nancy also shares the basics in this new book like:

• stuffed grape leaves
• baked “chicken” fingers
• chips of all types
• BBQ sauce
• veggie sloppy Joes
• stuffed manicotti
• vegan cheeseball
• raspberry vinaigrette
• ranch dressing
• and numerous other common party dishes…

Appetizers and main dishes span from Arepas, Gulai Daun Bayem (spinach in coconut milk), and pierogi, to asparagus with lime and onion dressing, mustard crusted tofu salad, and Octoberfest roulades. And for winter parties, warm up the guests with Komenymagos Leves (Caraway Seed Soup), Potage Crecy, and Roasted Two Pepper Soup.

A reader contacted us because she noticed that there had been a recent addition of whole milk powder to the ingredients in Green & Black’s dark chocolate bar varieties such as their Mint, Cherry, Hazelnut & Currant, and Maya Gold bars.

The statement on the back of the bars in the UK reads: “The milk in our organic dark chocolate is present because it is currently made on the same production line as our organic milk chocolate. Please visit our website for more information on allergen controls.”

Green & Black’s online FAQ says:

The vegan statement has gone; has the product ever been suitable for vegans?

By definition vegan products contain no ingredients derived from animals within the recipe and this still remains true for Green & Black’s dark chocolate. However as our dark chocolate is made on the same production line as our milk chocolate there is some risk of cross contact. As a result, the desire for clearer allergen labelling now conflicts with the vegan statement and we have reluctantly decided to remove it from our labelling.”

We contacted Green & Black’s and spoke with Sylvia at customer service who said that the system was not showing that there have been any reformulations to the chocolate, but that this might not be entirely up to date.

VRG’s vegan broccoli latke recipe (from The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook) is currently featured on CBS’s Health Blog.

Hanukkah for Healthy Noshers: Broccoli Latke Recipe:

(CBS) Today is the first day of Hanukkah. That means it’s time for Jews to light the menorah and exchange gifts – and gnosh on traditional fare like potato pancakes (latkes).

Ordinary latkes aren’t especially good for you – and it doesn’t help matters when they’re topped with a dollop of sour cream. Not exactly the sort of thing to put a smile on the face of your cardiologist.

But here’s a healthier alternative: broccoli latkes. They’re still fried, but they’re a bit more nutritious, as they include broccoli and a touch of celery seed.

BROCCOLI LATKES

(Serves 5)

1 pound broccoli, chopped into small pieces

2 pounds potatoes, scrubbed and cubed into small pieces

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

3 cups water

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon oil

Cook all the ingredients (except the oil) in a large covered pot over medium heat for 20 minutes. Drain mixture. Mash ingredients together.

Heat oil in large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Form 10 pancakes. Fry eight minutes on one side. Flip and fry for another five minutes on the other side. Serve Warm.

****

Calories per serving: 216

Fat: 4 g

Total fat as % of Daily Value: 6%

Protein: 4 g

Carbohydrates: 43 g

Dietary fiber: 3.9 g

Recipe courtesy Debra Wasserman, author of The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook.

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

This is in response to questions readers asked The Vegetarian Resource Group:

Q: What is shellac?

A: Shellac is a coating or glaze derived from the hardened, resinous material secreted by the lac insect, much like honey from a bee. Shellac in its raw form, known as “lac resin,” along with lac wax and lac dye, is produced in Southeast Asia. India is the largest producer in the world, yielding 18,000 metric tons of unrefined lac resin annually. Approximately 85% of India’s crop is exported, mostly to European countries, Egypt, and the United States.

According to an article by Ramesh Singh, Department of Zoology at Udai Pratap Autonomous College in India, 300,000 lac insects are killed for every kilogram (2.2 lbs.) of lac resin produced. Approximately 25% of all unrefined, harvested lac resin is composed of “insect debris” and other impurities according to the Shellac Export Promotion Council. The cost of shellac varies according to climatic effects on harvest. An employee of a shellac company told us that due to 2010’s crop failures, the price of lac resin has doubled to approximately $15/kg.

Shellac has GRAS status by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which means that it is generally recognized as safe in foods. If used as a fruit or vegetable coating, it may be labeled as lac resin or as shellac. It is also approved for use in products certified as organic by The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Shellac, in one or more of its various forms, (e.g., bleached, dewaxed, etc.), may be found in a wide variety of products including furniture polish and varnish; aluminum foil coating; paper coating; hairspray, shampoos, perfume, mascara and lipstick; printing inks and paints; pharmaceutical tablets; and agricultural fertilizer (slow-release coating for urea). Readers may note that all forms of shellac, (even “orange shellac” or “lemon shellac” which may connote non-animal origins), are derived from lac resin.

Confectioner’s glaze, the name often used for shellac by candy makers, is composed of approximately 35% shellac (purified lac resin). The rest are volatile organic compounds which evaporate off during manufacture.

In foods, shellac is most commonly used as a coating or glaze on confections, chewing gum, fruit, and coffee beans. Lac dye, red like carmine, (another insect product), may be used as a coloring in foods and beverages.

Q: Which candies are coated with shellac?

A: As a general rule, any hard-coated, shiny candy contains a shellac coating or glaze (M&Ms™ is one notable exception.) Shellac may appear on the label under different names. The two most common ones in use today are “resinous glaze” or “confectioner’s glaze.” In general, all Easter candy (eggs and jelly beans) are coated. Halloween candy (candy corn) is as well.

The VRG contacted many candy manufacturers about shellac. There are many who use it, even on candies that you may not suspect to be coated with it. Below is a partial list. Subscribe to our free email newsletter updates on shellac and other food ingredients. Coming soon: shellac alternatives.

For more information on ingredients, see http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

Confections Containing Shellac

• Hershey’s Whopper’s Malted Milk Balls™
• Hershey’s Milk Duds™
• Nestle’s Raisinettes™
• Nestle’s Goober’s™
• Tootsie Roll Industry’s Junior Mints™ (NOT Tootsie Rolls)
• Tootsie Roll Industry’s Sugar Babies™
• Jelly Belly™ jelly beans, mint crèmes
• Godiva’s™ Dark Chocolate Almond Bar; Dark Chocolate Cherries; Milk Chocolate Cashews; White Chocolate Pearls; Milk Chocolate Pearls. (This is a partial list; consult with Godiva about specific items.)
• Gertrude Hawk’s™ chocolate-covered nuts and raisins; cupcake sprinkles; decorative cake pieces
• Russell Stover’s™ jelly beans; NOT in their chocolate-covered cherries or mint patties
• Skittles™ and Starburst™: no shellac, but they do contain gelatin (an animal-derived ingredient)

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

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

A reader recently asked The VRG if Chick-fil-A still prepares its Waffle Potato Fries™ in beef tallow as it did a few years ago. We contacted the restaurant chain and spoke with Diane, a Customer Service Representative, who assured us that Chick-fil-A is now using canola oil to cook its fries. This side item is all-plant-based and cooked in a fryer designated for fries only. Patrons may consult the website to find all ingredients listed for this and all other menu items.

Vegetarian and vegan guests at Chick-fil-A will be pleased to learn that this restaurant chain devotes one of its FAQ questions to list items that “they believe” are vegetarian and/or vegan. Chick-fil-A defines the terms “vegetarian” and “vegan” as they are using them. “Vegetarian” is defined as people “who do not eat any meat, poultry, or fish, but include milk and eggs in their diet.” A vegan is defined as a person “who does not eat any foods of animal origin, including ingredients from animal origin.” Patrons should inquire of this restaurant chain about specific items; some may be listed as “vegetarian,” (such as the Waffle Fries™), but are “vegan” according to their definition.

Thanksgiving 2010 at Angelica Kitchen (NYC)

$55/person. Jerusalem artichoke-black olive pâté pickled vegetables, celery root bisque or mushroom broth, endive & baby lettuces with shaved fennel & radicchio, heirloom bean tamales or seitan en croute, poached pear or pumpkin pie or chocolate truffle tart.

Blossom’s Thanksgiving Menu (NYC)

$68/person. Kabocha Squash Soup, Waldorf Salad, Roasted Portobello, Twice Baked Potato, Thanksgiving Medley, Seitan Kiev, Spaghetti Squash Alfredo with Soy Filet, Poached Pear à la Mode, Spiced Pumpkin Coconute Pudding, Trio of Seasonal Cashew Ice Creams from local micro-creamery Lula’s Sweet Apothecary.

Candle 79’s Thanksgiving Menu (NYC)

$72/person. Appetizers: Grilled artichokes or wild mushroom fricassee or Saffron & butternut squash ravioli, Soup: Butternut squash-chestnut, Salads: Kale & quinoa or Baby arugula, Entre&eacutes: Rosemary Walnut Crusted Seitan or Blue Cornmeal Crusted Tofu, or Pomegranate Stuffed Tempeh, or House-Made Squash Gnocchi, Desserts: Pumpkin Cheesecake, or Apple-Cranberry Pie, or Mexican Chocolate Cake, or Handmade Ice Cream Sampler.

Chicago Diner’s 28th Annual Vegan Thanksgiving (Chicago, IL)

$37.99/adult, $22.99/child. A vegan menu incorporating veggie turkey, beefy wellington and pumpkin herb gnocchi alongside ginger-garlic green beans and peanut butter chocolate cake. Dinner by reservation only; also have carryout meals from $11.99.

Counter’s Thanksgiving 2010 (NYC)

$50/person, $30 wine pairing. Creamy butternut-miso soup, bitter greens & baby beets salad, maple-herb roasted seitan, wild mushroom & sage gravy, apple-fennel stuffing, candied yams & peaches, caramelized green beans, cranberry chili-jam, pull-apart potato rolls, and choice of pear-cranberry crumble or spiced sugar pumpkin-apple cake.

Green Vegetarian’s ThanksLIVING Day (Tempe, AZ)

$24.95/adults, $8.95/children under 12. Enjoy ThanksLIVING DAY with a multi-course vegan meal at Green New American Vegetarian. Nosh on seitan turkey breast with vegan giblet gravy, sweet corn with smoked paprika and vegan pecan and pumpkin pie with soy whip topping. Vendors, music, turkey adoption sponsorships, and an art exhibit make the day a complete and compassionate celebration. Dinner will be served from 12pm-4pm on Thanksgiving Day.

Milennium Restaurant (San Francisco, CA)

$60/person, $30/children under 12. Enjoy an alternative to traditional Thanksgiving dinners with a 5 couse prix fixe menu including kabocha squash, wild mushroom torte, brussels sprouts & brassicas, and chocolate marbled pumpkin pie with bourbon cream. Reservations from 2pm-8pm.

Mr. Natural’s Thanksgiving Menu (Austin, TX)

$10.99/plate. Thanksgiving Eve Dinner at Mr. Natural will include hand carved homemade vegan turkey topped with vegan rosemary mushroom gravy accompanied by a fresh baked roll and orange-cranberry sauce, along with 3 veggies of choice. Available from 11:00am-8:00pm; carry for $11.99.

Thanksgiving Dinner at Pure Food and Drink (NYC)

Black Walnut Gallete with Black Mission Fig and Cippolini Onions, Lemon Mascarpone, Braised Escarole Or Curly Red Mustard Greens and Wild Arugula with Pomegranate Seeds, Granny Smith Apple, Spiced Pistachio Brittle, Tarragon Lemon Vinaigrette; Delicata Squash Soup with Bourbon Maple Reduction and Clove Oil; Poached Lobster Mushrooms, Sunchoke and Argan Oil Puree with Autumn Gremolata Or Pumpkin Seed and Sage Tart with Parsnip Cream, Maple Spiced Baby Carrots, Haricot Verts, Cranberry Pear Relish, Cranberry Reduction; Red Wine Poached Apples with spice cake, graham crackers, vanilla ice cream Or Pumpkin Parfait with vanilla cream, maple brown ale caramel and candied pecans

Thanksgiving Dinner at Sublime (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)

$39/adults, $29/children under 12. Express your gratitude at a gourmet vegetarian restaurant this Thanksgiving. Eatables include a choice of Gardein “turkey” or roasted acorn squash filled with quinoa stuffing, button mushrooms, and pumpkin “cheesecake”. Dinner will be served from 2pm-6pm on Thanksgiving Day.

The Yabba Pot (Baltimore, MD)

Single serving sample: 2 Entrees & 3 Sides for $20. Turkee with gravy, vegan pot roast, baked chik-n, mac-n-cheeze, queen greens, mashed potatoes, almond string beans, sweet P & plantain mash, sesami broccoli, cornbread stuffing, corn on the cobb, orange mint cranberry sauce, live! kale, chick-n pasta, sesame spinach.

Thanks to Corey Bivins for helping to compile these events!

Thanks to Zel and Reuben Allen for sharing this recipe with us. It’s from Zel Allen’s book, The Nut Gourmet, which can be ordered for $25 including postage and handling in the US (foreign postage possible as well at additional cost) by calling us (VRG) at 410-366-8343, 9-5, M-F.

With Thanksgiving only one month away, we began to think about our family celebration and wanted to share a treasured vegan recipe that has become our family’s Thanksgiving main dish. It’s a stunning centerpiece on the holiday table and promises irresistible flavors to match its beauty. We want to wish our vegan community a delicious and fulfilling Thanksgiving holiday.

Health and Joy,

Zel and Reuben Allen
Vegetarians in Paradise
http://www.vegparadise.com

The Torte makes the ideal vegan Thanksgiving dish with its varied textures and savory flavors from the combination of wild rice, mushrooms, nuts, and sage. Served with a robust Mushroom Sauce on the side, the Torte makes a very hearty main dish and goes well with all the typical side dishes like cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, chestnut stuffing, and a few veggie combinations. For dessert, its pumpkin and apple pies, of course. To ease the feast-day preparations, we usually make the Torte the day before, store it in the fridge, and reheat it at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes before serving.

One little hint, the Torte preparation comes together more quickly if you cook the wild rice before beginning the torte or even the day before.

THANKSGIVING TORTE

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

2 cups water
2/3 cups wild rice
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound red or white rose potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed, and cut into
1-inch cubes
1 cup water
1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 (14-ounce) package vegan ground sausage
3/4 pound portobello mushrooms, chopped (about 4 large mushrooms)
1 large onion, diced
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon hickory liquid smoke
1 1/4 teaspoons salt or to taste
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced

Mushroom Sauce
1/2 pound sliced button mushrooms
1 3/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons water
1/4 soy sauce
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water

1. TO MAKE THE TORTE, lightly oil a 9-inch springform pan, line the base with parchment paper (for easier cleanup), and set it aside. Combine the 2 cups water, wild rice, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low and steam for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Drain off excess liquid and set the rice aside.

2. Combine the potato cubes, 1 cup water, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan. Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a medium bowl, mash them, and set them aside.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toast the pecans and walnuts in a 10-inch skillet over high heat, stirring constantly for 1 to 2 minutes.
Immediately transfer them to a dish to cool.

4. Combine the vegan sausage, mushrooms, onion, the 1/3 cup water, olive oil, poultry seasoning, and pepper in a large, deep skillet. Cook over high for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion is transparent, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon or paddle to break up the sausage chunks. Drain and reserve any excess liquid. Add the salt and hickory liquid smoke to the sausage mixture and mix well.

5. Add the mashed potatoes to the skillet along with the toasted nuts and cooked wild rice. Mix well to combine the ingredients thoroughly. Adjust seasonings if needed.

6. Press the mixture firmly into the prepared springform pan, and attractively arrange the tomato slices over the top, covering most of the
surface. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Allow the torte to stand for 15 to 20 minutes before removing from the pan.

7. TO MAKE THE MUSHROOM SAUCE, prepare it while the torte is baking. Combine the mushrooms, water, soy sauce, red wine, and lemon juice in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn heat down slightly and simmer for 5 minutes.

8. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and stir with a spoon to make a runny paste. Add the paste to the bubbling sauce, a little at a time, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, until the sauce has thickened to the desired consistency.

Thanks to Gia’s Irie Kitchen for sharing this recipe for callou, a Caribbean/African dish.

DO YOU CALLOU?

Ingredients:

• 1 pound callou (also known as “callaloo”, a green leafy vegetable; this can be found in markets that sell West Indian foods)
• 8 oz vegetable broth
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
• ¼ cup chopped seeded tomato
• 1 half scotch bonnet chopped
• 1T smoked soy chips
• olive oil
• 1 tsp lime juice

Directions: Sauté onions, peppers, soy chips, garlic and scotch bonnet in olive oil, fold in callou and tomato add veggie broth and simmer till callou is tender.

Click here to purchase a copy of Gia’s Irie Kitchen for more Caribbean and African vegetarian recipes.