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By Toni Okamoto
Oh my goodness! This place is amazing! The Butcher’s Son is the newest all-vegan restaurant in Berkeley, CA. They have a delicious house-made mozzarella, and it is absolutely perfect served fresh on the Caprese sandwich or on the Fried Mozzarella and Meatball sandwich.
Watch the video above for a sneak peek inside!
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By Toni Okamoto
Michelle Cehn from World of Vegan and I have started a new series called “What I Eat Vegan in a Day!” Episodes will usually contain quick meals that are easy to throw together, as well as what we order when we go out for food. In this episode, we start our morning at an all-vegan coffee shop in Oakland, CA called Timeless, and for lunch we made a Jackfruit Noodle Soup from the Vegan Outreach blog. We finished the day eating a vegetable soup from our favorite Japanese restaurant Cha-Ya, and of course we couldn’t forget dessert … heavenly Divvies cookies!
This particular video was made on a busy day where we ate out for two meals, but we plan on doing a lot more of these types of videos while we’re cooking in the kitchen!
Hope you find this series helpful and inspirational! As always, if you have any questions about vegan food, feel free to shoot me an e-mail: [email protected]!
Continuing our series of activist profiles, today we talk to Katia Rodriguez, Vegan Outreach’s Mexico Campaigns & Spanish Media Coordinator. In addition to helping run VO’s Español pages, Katia has leafleted 36 different schools, reaching more than 29,000 students, and holds the all-time record for the most booklets handed out in a single day with 6,496 booklets at her alma mater, the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León!
Where are you from and where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Monterrey, México, and am currently living there.
What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?
I’ve always loved animals and music. I was invited to a concert where several bands were going to play, and one of my favorite bands was one of them. I was told that the money raised at this event was going to be donated to a local animal shelter, so I invited more friends so that there would be more money for animals in need of a loving home. Since there were more than 10 bands playing, there was a short period of time that was given to the bands to tune their instruments; during that time PETA’s 30 Reasons To Go Vegetarian video was being played on a big screen on the stage. I decided to go vegetarian after watching it. I thought helping animals by not eating them or supporting any form of exploitation was not enough, so I decided to speak up for them and started giving conferences, setting up tables, leafleting, getting involved with animal rights organizations, and I also became vegan.
How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?
I had handed out leaflets about animal rights a few times before during my PETA internship, at my high school and at other animal rights demos, but it was back in 2013, when some vegan friends told me a guy named Vic Sjodin from Vegan Outreach was going to be leafleting at my university and that it would be good to have more volunteers. That was the first time I leafleted with Vegan Outreach.
Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?
So far, I can’t say that I have only one favorite moment, I definitely have a few, but one of the most memorable is when I offered a leaflet to a guy who said no in a rude way and walked away. Then, he came back where I was standing and asked for a leaflet, said he was sorry for rejecting it and explained why he did it. He said he kind of knew what the content was going to be about, that he knows eating animals is wrong, but he has been avoiding reading more about it. He said it was time to face the truth, took the leaflet and continued walking. Another favorite moment was when I gave a leaflet to a guy named Israel the day VO officially started its first tour in Mexico at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León [below]. He read the booklet and decided to join us, and he handed out over 1,000 booklets that day.
What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?
I love reading, attending concerts and visiting my friends that were rescued and now live in an animal sanctuary. I enjoy watching 90s cartoons and horror movies, walking around store aisles discovering accidentally vegan food and hanging out with my friends.
Do you have anything else you’d like to add about leafleting?
Leafleting is a very effective way to reach a great amount of people and creates a positive impact. Every time I leaflet and hear someone say they are seriously considering going vegan, every time I see someone reading the booklet, every time someone asks me for more information or thanks me for being there, they are all special moments that remind me how important creating awareness is and how important this is for the animals.
This semester, Rachel Shippee has handed out 7,974 booklets at 15 different schools, and John Deetjen has traveled to 36 different campuses, handing out 5,480 booklets!
Above are John and Rachel after handing out 960 booklets at Northern Illinois University on April 11, which marked an Adopt a College milestone for Rachel:
We had a tough time with the wind and cold, so we tried leafleting inside the student union; it wasn’t very busy there but it’s a good option during extreme weather. They have tables set up too, which worked perfect for us.
Students here are always really nice and interested in the information.
Despite the weather, I was thrilled to hit my goal of 200K leaflets handed out! Hopefully many more to come.
On April 9, Rachel, John, and fellow activist Kevin Cooney (above) leafleted Wizard World Comic Con in Madison, WI:
Kevin, Rachel and I had a great day of activism in Madison! We reached 894 people with Vegan Outreach booklets at Comic Con and drew this for the #veganchalkchallenge!
Rachel, John, and Kevin traveled to Canada in January and joined John Sakars, Alex Greenwood, Anita Krajnc, and other activists at a Toronto Pig Save vigil outside a slaughterhouse in Burlington, Ontario (above). John reports:
During the time that we were there, we saw four full transport trucks with pigs. Talk about a moving and activism-motivational experience!
I leafleted cars that were stopped at the stoplight…people seemed very receptive and curious to learn why we were out there!
On February 17, John teamed with Thomas Goodman and first-time leafleter Amanda McCrary at the University of Wisconsin (above):
Huge day of veganizing Milwaukee! This crew reached 2,377 people with Vegan Outreach leaflets at UW Milwaukee and an additional 262 students at Riverside University High School! One student told us that getting a VO booklet is what made her and her family go vegan!
You can help more students and their families go vegan by taking part in VO’s Team Vegan campaign! Register for your own fundraising page and post a profile pic by May 20, and a generous donor will seed your campaign with $100! You can also help Rachel and other team members reach their fundraising goals, or make a donation to the general fund. All contributions up to $200,000 will be matched, inspiring twice as many people to go vegan and sparing twice as many animals from suffering!
By Josie Moody, Office Manager
This is part two of my review of the cookbook Baconish by Leinana Two Moons.
Last week I reviewed a recipe from Baconish for Bacon-Spinach Quiche. But this cookbook has so many good recipes, that I wanted to share a couple more! BLT is a definite theme in this book, and I thought this recipe was perfect because it mixes that with one of my (and the world’s!) favorite foods—pizza!
BLT Pizza
Serves about 4 to 6.
Ingredients
Directions
I couldn’t justify reviewing a cookbook centered on plant-based bacon without trying out one of the recipes for vegan bacon. This is the first time I have ever tried to make anything like this—it was surprisingly easy, and I was happy with the result. I had to stop myself from eating these solo before I had a chance to put them on the pizza! (I cooked these before putting on the pizza, although the recipe above recommends having them cook with the rest of the pizza).
Tofu Bacon
Makes about 2 cups.
Ingredients
Directions
Have you made anything from Baconish? Have a favorite plant-based bacon? Share your answers with us in the comments below!
By Lisa Rimmert, Director of Development
Terry Hagio is one of the activists making Team Vegan a success this year. Through her Team Vegan page, Terry was raising funds for outreach on Day One! She’s raised over $100 so far, and she hopes to bring in $1,000 by June 30—to be matched dollar-for-dollar to make a huge impact on what work Vegan Outreach can do this fall. I asked Terry if I could highlight her campaign—and her work for animals—and she graciously agreed. Thank you, Terry!
How and why did you become involved in animal issues?
I went vegetarian in 1996 when I realized the food on my plate used to be alive. I went vegan in 2011 after learning about the horrors of the egg and dairy industries from my sister. Once I went vegan, I knew I had to do more and use my voice to help the voiceless by volunteering with organizations like Vegan Outreach, Mercy for Animals, and The Humane League.
What drew you to participate in Team Vegan?
I did my first race in 2011 and that was my first experience with running and fundraising. I have done some sort of “fundracing” every year since and love supporting amazing organizations that align with my beliefs, like Vegan Outreach.
Many Team Vegan members choose to complete a physical or other challenge to accompany their fundraising goal. What is your Team Vegan activity and how did you decide on it?
I have a new goal of running a half marathon in every state, so I picked the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in San Diego. I also have a bucket list item of completing a triathlon, so I signed up for the Chicago Triathlon with some friends in Chicago! I love finding new races in new places with friends! My last race of the year will be the running leg of a half Ironman relay in Austin!
Thank you, Terry, and best of luck on your half marathon and other runs!
If you’d like to show support for Terry and Vegan Outreach, donate to her Team Vegan page today! Every donation is doubled! Thank you!
By Josie Moody, Office Manager
Whether you are trying to satiate your own wanderlust or looking for a great gift for that vegan in your life, we’ve got the perfect suggestion for you: The Essential Vegan Travel Guide by Caitlin Galer-Unti.
If you’re vegan and you’re like me, you’ve probably read a lot of guides (including Vegan Outreach’s Guide to Cruelty Free Eating!) and thankful for every last one of them. The Essential Vegan Travel Guide is a wonderful addition to that collection, as it is a must-have for anyone traveling, whether nationally or abroad.
It’s no exaggeration that the word “essential” is in the title. Divided between both practical and fun sections, like How the Hell Do I Find Somewhere to Eat?, Preparing for Your Trip, and Emergency Recipes for the Road (like Couscous in a Coffeemaker!), Galer-Unti seems to have all bases covered.
I think what I like most about this book is the mix of technology and “old school” solutions and suggestions. The section Making Connections and Meeting New Friends is a great reminder of how you can use online resources to help you on your way, but what it really comes down to is getting out of your comfort zone and putting yourself in new situations to meet people.
This passage sums up the vegan travel experience nicely:
“…I’m going to put this out there: I enjoy travel even more as a vegan. Sure, maybe my restaurant choices are more limited, but that means I have to be choosier with where I eat. It means I can’t just settle down at the first (likely overpriced, tourist-trap) restaurant I find. And I eat so much better for it.”
In addition to authoring this great book, Caitlin Galer-Unti has a beautiful website that definitely deserves a look. The Vegan Word contains a wealth of additional travel tips and destination-specific information (as soon as I’m done writing this post, I plan on reading her post entitled Vegan Guide to Transylvania!)
The travel guide is available on Amazon via Kindle or Kindle e-book if you’d like to save it to your device and toss in your suitcase. Prefer the tactile version of books? It’s also available in paperback here.
You know times are changing when Texas opens its first all-vegan grocery store!
Excerpts from Austin.Culturemap.com, February 16, 2015, Austin’s first all-vegan grocery store opens on South First Street:
“Texas’ only all-vegan brick-and-mortar grocery store has arrived in Austin. Rabbit Food Grocery opened the doors of its new storefront on South First Street in early February after three successful years of online orders and pop-up shops.
“This process has been three years in the making — doing pop up shops around town —and it’s really exciting to have a storefront to walk in to,” says co-owner Jessica Morris who, along with Gabriel Figueroa, realized the dream of a fully operational grocery store catering to vegan needs with the help of a Kickstarter campaign. “
By Lisa Rimmert, Director of Development
I’m so excited to share with you all that my city of residence–Denver–is making progress by adding a type of vegan food that’s been missing in our community, and a type of vegan business that’s lacking in our movement: a soul food cafe that is owned and operated by two African American women, Chef Lonni Byrd and Juice-Master Caronne Porter! Love, Peace & Sol Cafe opens today, February 5th, and will be open every Tuesday through Friday from 8 am to 2 pm for breakfast and lunch.
Love, Peace & Sol Cafe hosted a preview day on January 19th, and of course I was there! The food was so impressive–it was high quality, very reasonably priced, creative, filling, and delicious. I was too busy eating to get an accurate count of attendees, but it was certainly over 20–and most of them were folks I didn’t recognize! I’m so glad this new cafe is introducing delicious vegan food to more people!
I interviewed co-owner, Lonni Byrd, and here’s what she had to say about the new venture:
How did you and Caronne meet, and how did you come up with the concept of Love, Peace & Sol Cafe?
Caronne and I met first through Facebook because of our mutual interests and friends. Caronne was living here in Denver, and I was living in Atlanta, GA at the time. We had the pleasure of meeting face to face when I came here for a visit in 2013 (we are both Colorado natives), and we became fast friends–more like sister-friends. We kept our Facebook connection, and when I moved back here in 2014, we naturally clung to each other, became very close, and supported each other through probably the toughest times in both of our lives. We have found a true sense of community in each other.
What did you do before starting Love, Peace & Sol Cafe?
Caronne has a business called G.H.E.T.T.O. Fresh (Gaining Healing Education Thriving To be Organic), through which she is a health/wellness, and self-care adviser. She educates people on the importance of plant-based eating and how it affects every aspect of our being (mind, body, spirit). She also makes and sells fresh pressed organic juices.
I have a business call ByrdFood Vegan Eats. ByrdFood started in Atlanta in 2011. I found myself heavily immersed in the Urban Agriculture community, and I was a new mom who needed to make some money but didn’t want to work outside the home. So, I did what I do best–cook! I started vending at local farmers markets using ingredients I had gotten from local farms. The business grew, and eventually my primary focus was on catering and personal chef work. I also ended up getting into food education, teaching classes on shopping healthy on a budget, and plant based cooking classes.
What was your inspiration for starting Love, Peace & Sol Cafe, and what are your goals for the business?
Caronne and I both are plant based eaters, and we were growing increasingly tired of the lack of representation of foods of the African Diaspora in the vegan/veg restaurant community in Denver. Also, many times the excuse that people who don’t eat plant based diets give about not wanting to go veg/vegan is because the food is so bland, and they believe that vegan means quick steamed unseasoned broccoli. So we decided to fill the void to add some variety to the vegan/veg restaurant community, and prove to people that vegan food can be delicious. Our goal is to simply bring community together through food.
Why is your food vegan?
My food is vegan because I am, and my son is, and I hope one day that we all will be.
Is there anything else you want people to know about Love, Peace & Sol Cafe?
Yes! We are 100% non-GMO and use organic and locally sourced ingredients when available. We are not a gluten-free or soy-free establishment, however most menu options don’t include gluten or soy. The menu is revolving, so folks should call ahead or check our Facebook page to see the daily menu. We are a cash-only business. We will make a predesignated amount of food daily, and once it’s gone, it’s gone. We will offer Sunday Brunch service on the first Sunday of every month beginning in March.
Thank you, Lonni and Caronne, for filling Denver hearts and bellies!
In our latest video, we take you inside the ALL-VEGAN restaurant in Sacramento called Garden To Grill! Click the image to play the video, and let us know your favorite all-vegan restaurant in the comments below!