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.

Reed Mangels, PhD, RD and Cathy Conway, MS, RD at The Vegetarian Resource Group’s booth at the American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in Boston.

Via Marion Nestle’s blog, Food Politics:

The Produce for Better Health Foundation’s 2010 GAP Analysis, correlates the gap between consumption and recommendations to the ways in which USDA funding priorities ignore fruits and vegetables. The report is hard to read and goes on and on, but its thrust is understandable.

The Foundation wants the USDA to spend a greater proportion of its dollars on fruits and vegetables, rather than on meat and dairy foods. USDA’s current allocations for subsidies look like this:

• Meat: 54.7%
• Grains (which mostly go to feed animals): 18.0%
• Dairy (non-butter): 11.4%
• Fats and oils: 6.2%
• Fruits and vegetables: 9.8%

These reports aim to align agricultural policy with health policy, and about time too.

You are cordially invited to an Informative Seminar and
Vegan Dinner in Columbia, Maryland.

Topic: Charitable Giving: Creating a Lasting Impact
Points for discussion:
1) Understanding charitable gifting and legacy concepts
2) Income and estate tax advantages
3) Charitable endowment with life insurance
4) Charitable remainder trusts
Presenter: Mr. Sam Lapsley, Regional Vice President Prudential Life Company

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.

COST: $10 PER PERSON
Location: Hunan Manor, 7091 Deepage Drive, Columbia, Maryland 21045
(LIMITED SEATING. RESERVATIONS MUST BE MADE IN ADVANCE BY CALLING 410-366-8343)
Date and Time: Sunday, December 12, 2010, 4:30 PM
Sponsored by Avraham Rappaport, CLTC of Steinharter Insurance Services
And The Vegetarian Resource Group

Call The Vegetarian Resource Group at 410-366-8343 (9am-5pm, Monday-Friday) to pay by credit card or send $10 to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203 by December 1, 2010.

E-mail [email protected] or call (410) 366-8343 with questions.

The first International Animal Rights Conference, organized by Save Animals asbl, will take place May 19th to 22nd 2011 in Luxembourg at the Novotel Hotel in Luxembourg City. The conference will give animal rights activists and people who are interested in learning more about animal rights a platform for international networking, the chance to participate in workshops, listen to lectures about various animal rights topics and more.

HIGHLIGHTS

• viewpoints on animal liberation / animal rights
• learning and networking options
• exhibits
• lectures
• workshops
• animal rights concert
• of course vegan meals

KEY SPEAKERS

• Carol Adams
• Steven Best
• Camille Hankins

For more information, please visit their website: http://www.ar-conference.com/.

As you begin to prepare for your Thanksgiving dinner, here are some recipes to make your holiday deliciously vegan!

Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

• Must Pumpkin Always Be Pie?
• Splendid Squash
• Saucepan Stuffing Mix
• Cooking with Tofurky for the Holidays
• Stuff Your Face: Stuffings for All Seasons
• Easy as Apple Pie
• Awesome Autumn Desserts From our Past
• Holiday Potatoes
• Sweet and Savory Sweet Potatoes
• Vegan Comfort Foods
• Salads for Every Course
• Crazy About Cranberries
• Quick Cornmeal
• A Vegetarian Thanksgiving Feast-The Easy Way
• Winter Squash with Apricot Stuffing
• Vegetarian "Stuffing" and Pumpkin Pie
• Recipe of the Month-Tofu Pumpkin Pie
• Recipe of the Month-Pecan Pie
• Vegan Thanksgiving

A leading woman’s magazine is looking for women, ages 40-50, who follow a vegetarian diet. Please contact Karen at [email protected] if interested.

The Vegetarian Resource Group’s annual Pre-Thanksgiving potluck dinner is on Sunday, November 21st at 5:00 p.m. The event will be held at the charming and historic North Baltimore Mennonite Church, 4615 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21210.

Join us as we show our thanks for turkeys and all living creatures by not eating them.

Admission is $4 per adult; children are admitted free.

Please bring a vegan dish that serves four as a contribution from EACH member of your party. Write the ingredients of your dish on a 3″ x 5″ card to accommodate guests with special diets. Also, please bring a serving utensil for each dish. Paper plates, cups, napkins, and plastic utensils will be provided; however, we suggest participants please bring their own reusable dishes and utensils in order to reduce waste.

If you are unable to cook, you may bring a prepared vegan dish for four from a local natural foods store or restaurant. We also encourage you to bring a non-perishable vegetarian canned food item to donate to North Baltimore Mennonite Church, who will distribute it to those in need.

Please call The Vegetarian Resource Group at (410) 366-8343 if you need any more information about this event.