Highlights from this issue include:

Organic Farming From the Farmer’s Point of View

Vegan Cowboy Cuisine

Factors Involved in Calculating Grain:Meat Ratios

Delightful Eggplant Dishes From the Middle East and North Africa

Vegetarian Action: Promoting Vegetarianism in the Heartland

To join VRG and receive The Vegetarian Journal in print either:

* join online with $25
* call (410) 366-8343 and order by phone with your Mastercard® or Visa®
* or complete this form and mail or fax it to:

The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203
Fax: (410) 366-8804

Thanks to VRG volunteer Celina Chung for her help in converting these articles into HTML! To volunteer to help with these kinds of projects, please email [email protected].

Thanks to Chef Ifoyami, vegan chef in Las Vegas and VRG member, for sending us photos from her outreach during World Go Vegan Week. Here Chef Ifayomi tabled at the Paseo Verde library in Nevada where she passed out healthy fruit and snacks as well as VRG’s brochures.

For more information about Chef Ifayomi, please see her website.

Triangle Vegetarian Society will host its annual vegetarian Thanksgiving at Café Parizäde, Durham, NC for the twelfth year. The date (Thanksgiving Day) and time (staggered seatings each half hour starting at 11:30 or noon through 2:30p), as well as
price ($23 member adults, $26.50 other adults, $7 children ages 5-10, free under 5) remain unchanged. They also plan to have a 6p seating at Spice Street in Chapel Hill.

Last year, TVS ended up with 640 people in the extended daytime seating, and 148 in the evening!

Full details, including the tentative daytime menu, are available at www.trianglevegsociety.org/thanksgiving10, and will continue to be posted as they become available. Do check out the menu (subject to change) – it includes many items, such as baked collard chips; breads, crustinis, and pita with walnut and red lentil hummuses, baba ganouj, and raw pumpkin-sunflower pâté; lime-marinated seared jerk seitan with lemon sage, peppercorns and fig glaze; cherry-kissed and seared tempeh coated in a coconut milk curry; roasted green beans with pesto alla Trapanese; raw shaved/herbed carpaccio of squash, fennel, and root vegetables; creamy carrot-ginger Soup with pumpkin-olive croutons; and much more. All the food is fully plant-based; most items are gluten-free as well as soy-free.

The Vegetarian Resource Group has produced a list of over 100 companies which offer vegetarian items for schools, restaurants, hospitals, and other institutions. These businesses produce meatless foods in large serving sizes which are easy to use by food services.

This list is a valuable resource for any chef who wants to serve more
meatless meals, or any consumer who wants to let their favorite eating
spot know about healthy foods they can offer.

• Foodservice Update Product Listing
  (PDF)

Thanks to Elizabeth Jenkins for sharing these vegetarian menus she created for a Scout Jamboree in New Zealand:

Vegan group seeks Jack or Jill of all trades good at multi-tasking for part-time job 29 hours per week in Baltimore, Maryland. Staff person clerically, and physically ships vegan books, Vegetarian Journal, and other educational materials throughout the country. See http://www.vrg.org/catalog/

Does the billing, packing, mailing and marketing of items to consumers and wholesalers.

Coordinates volunteers doing booths, events, and other activities around the country. Answers consumer and media questions.

Please send resume, writing samples, and cover letter addressing your short term and long term goals, interests, vegetarian and vegan knowledge, skills strengths, and challenges to [email protected].

VEGAN DINNER
Sunday, November 7, 2010, 6 PM
MY THAI CAFE
CHINATOWN, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
Cost: $25

The Vegetarian Resource Group will hold a vegan dinner during the American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo. Dietitians, VRG members, and the public are invited. Come and meet the dietitians from the ADA Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group. Please reserve early. Hope to see you there.

MENU
Thai Coconut Soup with Tofu
Thai Mango Salad
Yellow Curry with brown rice
Wide Rice Noodles with Chinese Broccoli and Gluten
Fresh Fruit Cocktail
Jasmine tea

This vegan restaurant also sells unique vegan Bubble Tea and vegan cakes. You may want to order takeout after the meal to sample these treats.

COST: $25. Children 12 and under are $12. Includes tax and tip. PAYMENT MUST BE MADE IN ADVANCE. Menu subject to change. Please reserve early. Refunds will be made only if we have a replacement for your seat.

Call (410) 366-8343 between 9 AM and 5 PM Eastern Time Monday to Friday; fax (410) 366-8804; click on the donation button at www.vrg.org and write “ADA Dinner” in the notes section; or send a check to VRG, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

NAMES:
NUMBER ATTENDING: x $25/person = $ Enclosed
NAMES ATTENDING:
ADDRESS:
STATE/ZIP
E-MAIL:
PHONE:
DONATION:
TOTAL ENCLOSED:

A leading woman’s magazine is looking for women, ages 35-60, who follow a vegan diet. Please contact Karen at [email protected] by Friday, October 29, 2010 if interested.

A reader wrote that he was going to have heart valve surgery in a few weeks and asked about advice on vegan nutrition afterwards, as well as communicating with hospital staff.

Reed Mangels replies: Good luck with your upcoming surgery. After the surgery you should be able to resume your usual diet. Your doctor will tell you if any modifications are needed. Make sure your doctor knows that you are vegan so that a vegan diet can be ordered for you when you are admitted to the hospital. You may want to speak to the hospital dietitian prior to admission (several days before, if possible), explain your situation, and ask how they will meet your needs. You can find out if you are allowed to bring food from home. Depending on what’s available in the hospital, having your own supply of soymilk and other staple foods may help. Ask what the best way is to contact the dietary department once you’re in the hospital and what you should do if you get non-vegan foods.

Nancy Berkoff’s article may also be of assistance to some of our readers who have different procedures and need access to textured altered foods: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2009issue2/texture.htm

Other foodservice articles are here.
http://www.vrg.org/fsupdate/index.htm

By Reed Mangels

Imagine more than 1,700 booths packed with the latest natural foods, supplements, and health and beauty aids. Picture aisle after aisle full of opportunities to taste organic chips, sparkling fruit juices, gluten-free cookies, whole-grain crackers, and more. This is Natural Products Expo East (NPEE) – the largest natural products trade show on the East Coast.

I spent a long, pleasant day at NPEE last weekend and wanted to share some of the most interesting vegan products that I found.

Tasting new plant milks seemed like a good way to start the day.

Earth Balance (the company that makes vegan margarine) has introduced a new line of fortified, organic soymilk. Fortified with calcium, vitamin D2, riboflavin, vitamin B12, and small amounts of vitamin A, zinc, and selenium, this soymilk’s nutritional profile is similar to other fortified soymilks. I thought it tasted similar to other brands of soymilk. It is the first soymilk certified by the Non-GMO Project and is made from soybeans grown in the US. Earth Balance Soymilk comes in original, vanilla, chocolate, and unsweetened flavors and is sold in refrigerated cartons. http://earthbalancenatural.com/soymilk/

I first tried hemp milk about five years ago and did not like it at all. I was pleasantly surprised by Manitoba Harvest’s Hemp Bliss which tastes mild – much like my more usual soymilk. This hemp beverage comes in four flavors – original, vanilla, chocolate, and unsweetened. It’s fortified with calcium and has omega-3’s. As far as I know, this is the only organic hemp milk on the market. Since it’s low in protein, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 it would not be my first choice as a primary beverage but it’s a nice addition to the plant milk shelf. http://jointheblissrevolution.com/

After working up an appetite walking the miles of aisles, it was time to sample some entrees.

In contrast to past years, very few veggie burgers were featured. I did find a 100% organic vegan burger made with quinoa, flax, and vegetables. Ashera’s Gourmet Vegan Burgers are soy and gluten free and taste like what they are – grains and vegetables. I found this burger to be a refreshing change from burgers that are trying to taste like beef. www.asherahsgourmet.com

A vendor, seeing my Vegetarian Resource Group badge, told me I had to check out a booth several aisles over. I was glad I did. Sophie’s Kitchen features vegan seafood based on konjac, a starch made from the root of an Asian plant. I tried breaded vegan shrimp which tasted the way that I remember fried shrimp tasting. Other products include vegan calamari, vegan prawn, and vegan squid ring. My daughters who have never eaten seafood enjoyed this product also. http://sophieskitchen.net/

EVOL Burritos produce several frozen vegan products. I tried a mini Veggie Fajita (3 ounces, 160 calories). A whole wheat tortilla was filled with red and green bell peppers, brown rice, black beans, corn, and seasonings. This tasty burrito would be a big hit in a lunchbox. For larger appetites they have full-size burritos filled with either veggies or a tofu and spinach sauté and wraps filled with curried tofu and vegetables or couscous, chickpeas, and vegetables. http://evolfoods.com/

Follow Your Heart (the makers of Vegenaise and Vegan Gourmet “cheese”) were featuring a new Vegan Honey Mustard dressing that was amazing. I couldn’t stop dipping baby carrots in this sweet, spicy dressing. Other new vegan products include Cream Cheese and Sour Cream. www.followyourheart.com

Vegan Basil Pesto? Oh, my! I’ve always made my own but have never seen it commercially. It was a treat to find jars of vegan pesto at the Meditalia booth. All of Meditalia’s products are vegan and kosher. The company relies on business partnerships among Israelis and Arabs and products are made in Israel (To learn more about the business model see www.peaceworks.com). My other favorite products were a smoky Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade, a Sundried Tomato Tapenade, and a Mushroom Spread that is still in the development stage. http://peaceworks.com/products/meditalia/

Chips seemed to be one of the featured foods at NPEE this year with many booths featuring flavored potato or corn chips or gluten-free chips. Two unique products were Pumpkin Seed Corn Chips and Kale Chips. The Pumpkin Seed Chips were flavored with pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, and spices and were pleasantly hot. They only had 80 milligrams of sodium in a serving – not bad for a chip. www.laurelhillfoods.com. Kale chips were addictive. They are made of kale flavored with spices and air- crisped at a low temperature. I especially liked the Bombay Curry flavor. There’s also Kool Ranch and Zesty Nacho Kale. All flavors are vegan and gluten-free. www.rhythmsuperfoods.com

Feeling in need of something sweet, I headed for the LaraBar booth and was not disappointed. These bars, based on fruits, nuts, and spices include the new vegan flavor Carrot Cake as well as perennial favorite flavors like Cherry Pie and Banana Bread. www.larabar.com

Clif C Bars are also based on fruits and nuts and feature a layer of organic fruit on a nut crust. One vegan bar is a light snack with 130 calories. They come in raspberry, apple, cherry pomegranate, and blueberry flavors. www.clifbar.com

The NPEE was not lacking in vegan desserts. Among the unique products I tasted were 2 kinds of frozen desserts, tapioca pudding, and macaroons. Coconut Bliss is a soy and dairy-free frozen dessert, sweetened with agave, and based on organic coconut milk. I definitely approved of the Cappuccino flavor while my daughter voted for Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge. Other flavors include Pineapple Coconut,
Cherry Amaretto, and Mint Galactica. www.coconutbliss.com Blackwell’s Organic Vegan Soy Gelato and Sorbetto are organic, creamy, and delicious. We tried (and liked) Chocolate Gelato. Other flavors of gelato include Coffee, Peanut Butter and Vanilla. Sorbetto flavors include Blueberry, Pineapple, and Mango. www.BlackwellsOrganic.com

So Yummi uses organic ingredients including organic soy drink to make vegan puddings. I enjoyed a creamy tapioca pudding; other flavors include rice pudding, dark chocolate pudding, and lime pudding. www.soyummifoods.com

Tucked away so that I missed it the first time through was Emmy’s Organics, makers of vegan macaroons. The macaroons have a simple ingredient list – coconut, coconut oil, agave, nuts, and flavorings and taste like homemade macaroons. Unique flavors include Chai Spice and Lemon-Ginger but I have to admit, Dark Cacao was my favorite. www.emmysorganics.com

It was time to leave the food area behind. ChicoBag caught my eye on my way out with their colorful display of reusable bags. Their Produce Bag Starter Kit was especially appealing with 3 bags tucked into an apple-shaped pouch. One bag, made from a mixture of hemp and cotton is good for bringing home leafy greens. Another, made from recycled plastic bottles keeps squash, broccoli, and carrots fresh. The mesh bag, also made from recycled plastic bottles can be used to store apples, onions, and potatoes. All bags are washable. Sometimes the best products aren’t food! www.chicobag.com