Fwd: Compassionate Cooks Food for Thought - August 2, 2007

[Guest guest]

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: COMPASSIONATE COOKS NEWSLETTER

August 2, 2007

 

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Celebrate The Joy of Vegan Baking!

$5 off Cooking DVD

Food Lore: Summer Squash

Recommended Book: Eat to Live

New Podcast Episode: All About Tofu

Sign up for August CookingS Class

New Recipe Packet: Sensational Salads II

Vote for Compassionate Cooks

Kind Words

Essay: This I Know

Check out our Fabulous Sponsors!

Sponsor this Newsletter

 

SAVE THE DATE TO CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF OUR NEW COOKBOOK!

 

Join us Saturday night, October 20th to celebrate the publication

of our new cookbook. More details will

follow, but do save the date!

 

PRE-ORDER THE JOY OF VEGAN BAKING

Our upcoming cookbook is already up on Amazon (and other

online stores) and can be pre-ordered now! It will be released in

October 2007 and will add 150 baking recipes to your repertoire!

 

Learn about other Compassionate

Cooks events and speaking engagements.

 

 

NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS RECEIVE $5 OFF OUR VEGETARIAN

COOKING DVD

Enjoy our fun, upbeat DVD to learn the basic skills and resources for

eating healthful plant-based meals. There are 6 different dishes -

everything from a simple stir-fry and a beautiful holiday centerpiece

to two desserts: chocolate cake and chocolate chip cookies.

 

PURCHASE DVD

USING THIS SPECIAL LINK

 

 

 

FOOD LORE: SUMMER SQUASH

Summer squash (crookneck, straightneck, patty pan, zucchini) is a

tender, warm-season vegetable related to the cucumber and melon that

can be grown throughout the United States anytime during the warm,

frost-free season, and in August, summer squash is at its peak!

 

HISTORY: Modern-day squash developed from the wild squash that

originated in an area between Guatemala and Mexico. While squash has

been consumed for over 10,000 years, it was first cultivated

specifically for its seeds.

 

USES: Sprinkle grated zucchini or other summer squash on top of

salads and sandwiches. Serve raw summer squash with your favorite

dips. Summer squash can be grilled, steamed, boiled, sauteed, fried or

used in stir fry recipes. They mix well with onions, tomatoes and okra

in vegetable medleys. Add to quick breads and cakes to increase

moisture.

 

CHOOSING: When purchasing, look for ones that are of average size

and with unblemished skin. Summer squash is very fragile and should be

handled with care as small punctures will lead to decay. It should be

stored unwashed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, where it will

keep for about seven days. There's no need to peel summer squash; lots

of nutrients are in the skin.

 

RECIPES: We have many recipes with summer squash, but our

favorites are in these packets: Healthful Mediterranean I (Risotto, Pasta Primavera, Polenta with

Veggies); Healthful Mediterranean V (Ratatouille); Hearty Italian (Zucchini Cakes); and look for Zucchini Bread in

the recipe packet from our upcoming August class.

 

 

RECOMMENDED BOOK: EAT TO LIVE

 

I'm thrilled I can finally point you directly to the products that I recommend -

whether it's my favorite food processor & kitchen tools , the books that changed my life, my recommended cookbooks, or pantry items - in all my classes.

 

EAT TO LIVE : Dr. Fuhrman's book, Eat to Live, comes about as close to reflecting how I try

to eat every day. He encourages the mass consumption of whole foods,

including vegetables, fruits, and beans, and translates medical jargon

into easy-to-understand language. Ignore any optional animal products

he may suggest. This is essentially a vegan book. In a way, I consider

this book as a companion piece - as a practical guide - to The China Study, another important book I HIGHLY

recommend!

 

 

 

 

 

OUR LATEST PODCAST EPISODE

Each " podcast " addresses a different issue, question, and

myth related to veganism/animal rights.

 

All About Tofu

In today's episode we talk all about this delicious, nutritious food:

its history, its versatility, and how it's made. Undergoing a process

that resembles the production of dairy-based cheese, tofu has many

advantages over its animal-based cousin, namely that no calf is harmed

in the making of it. Tune in for more on that, for tips on cooking

with it, and for information about the different textures (silken,

soft, medium, firm, extra firm). This is an information-packed episode

that will inspire and empower you and demystify the " big white

blob. "

 

 

*If you'd like to receive email alerts when I post new podcasts,

you can easily sign up for this service here.

 

 

AUGUST 11th COOKING CLASS: MEDITERRANEAN

These are perfect dishes for the summer. They're delicious, simple,

and so colorful. A few were inspired by my recent trip to Italy.

 

ON THE MENU:

 

*Stuffed Peppers With Arborio Rice & Basil

*Eggplant & Caramelized Onion " Lasagna "

*Fava Bean Hummus

*Portabello Panini With Lemon-Basil Pesto

*Zucchini Bread

 

 

 

 

 

 

FEATURED RECIPES: SENSATIONAL SALADS II

More tasty options for outdoor parties, picnics, or family meals.

 

*Creamy Caesar Salad - hearty & tangy

*Indian-spiced Quinoa with Raisins - pine nuts, too!

*Bulghur with Potatoes, Asparagus, & Pumpkin Seeds - yum!

*Pasta with Green Beans & Peanut Sauce - delish

*Ensalada de Frijoles - as a side, a dip, or a salad

 

FOR MCDOUGALLERS: There is a minimal amount of oil in the quinoa

for toasting the seeds, and the bulghur calls for a small amount of

optional oil. Everything else is oil-free.

 

 

 

PLEASE VOTE FOR COMPASSIONATE COOKS IN THE...

 

VEGNEWS MAGAZINE VEGGIE AWARDS! Compassionate Cooks has been

nominated for two Veggie Awards: one for Favorite Column (Veg Entertaining) and one

for Favorite Veg Blog (Vegetarian Food for Thought). Please take a few

moments to vote for us; you don't have to answer every question if

you're not familiar with other category nominees, and if you include

your contact info, you'll be eligible to win awesome prizes. Thanks,

everyone. It really takes 5 minutes to vote! Closes 8/11/07

 

PEOPLE'S CHOICE PODCAST AWARDS! We are thrilled that our podcast

is nominated for Best Podcast in the Food & Drink category in the

third annual Podcast

Awards. You can vote only for us (so it literally takes a minute),

and you can vote EVERY DAY! You'll need to verify your vote, so do

provide your email address. Closes 8/11/07

 

 

 

KIND WORDS

 

" While I was already vegan when I found your podcast (and

later your website), it has kept me strong, informed and motivated. I

have also seen your podcast act as a catalyst of truth for the

awakening of some of the people I hold closest to my heart: my sister,

once an ovo-lacto vegetarian and now a vegan, and my best friend, once

an unapologetic, in-your-face omnivore, now a vegan. Both of these

transitions were solidified simply through my suggestion of your

podcast to them, and to some degree it means your podcast has

facilitated the building of my support in both the most immense joy

and terrible sorrow that comes from a vegan lifestyle. So thank you.

Thank you very much. "

 

 

THIS I KNOW - MATERNAL INSTINCTS BELONG TO ALL ANIMALS

 

Humans have claimed so much over non-human animals; we deny them

everything that's natural to them. We manipulate them, mutilate

them, enslave them and deny them their most basic, basic desires. Most

egregiously, we deny them the most basic desire to nurse their babies

and groom them and protect them.

 

This is especially the case in our exploitation of cows for their

milk and you can also see this in the exploitation of female horses

(mares) who are kept pregnant to produce a particular hormone that is

used in the production of Premarin, which is an estrogen replacement

therapy for post-menopausal women. Though there are ways to produce

this with synthetic materials, which are just as effective, instead,

Wyeth-Ayerst, the company that manufactures Premarin, uses the urine

of pregnant mares. The word Premarin is an acronymn of "Pregnant

Mare's Urine." Just for this product, 80,000 horses live their

entire lives penned in tiny stalls, unable to turn around or

meaningfully lie down, they're deprived of water because it would

dilute their urine, they're repeatedly impregnated, and they're

continuously connected to plumbing collecting that collects the urine.

When they can no longer produce adequately, they are slaughtered, and

the babies of these mares are either put in stalls or slaughtered.

 

There is absolutely no way to justify this stuff. Humans can

claim no moral superiority over other animals when we do this kind of

thing willfully and knowingly, particularly when it's not necessary.

How can we say that we're the most advanced species on Earth when we

continually choose profits over principles? How can we say we're the

most advanced species on Earth when we use and abuse animals,

especially when alternatives are available? We simply cannot claim to

be the " higher " species. And we certainly do not have the

corner on motherhood.

 

Despite our desperate attempt to remove ourselves from our

non-human brethren, we are animals, and we have a lot more animal

instincts than we like to admit. Every woman will tell you that her

drive to protect her young - what we call maternal instinct - is

pure and fierce and real. I mean we call it an "instinct" - the

maternal instinct.

 

And any right-minded person would agree that this extinct exists

in ALL animals. If we know that to be true and real, then how can we

so arrogantly deny animals their desire to fulfill that very basic,

fierce, real, powerful instinct? I wonder if it's because we come to

call the maternal instinct in humans "love" and if we call it

"love" in non-human animals, we're accused of

anthropomorphizing.

 

The one thing each and every individual should be able to claim

is the protection of his or her own body. To violate someone's body

is the most egregious crime we can commit. And we do it again and

again and again. I think perhaps no animal suffers like the female who

endures pregnancy after pregnancy (cows are pregnant as long as humans

and horses are pregnant for 11 months) only to have her baby dragged

away from her. Ask any farmer what the experience is like taking a

calf away from his or her mother. Every instinct of the mother is in

full gear, as she tries desperately to take her baby back but is

powerless to do so because the humans have already decided against

this. She loses - everytime.

 

Susie Coston is the director of Farm Sanctuary's New York

shelter and has many, many wonderful stories to tell, including one

about Bertha and Robin. In 2004, Farm Sanctuary helped rescue 26

cattle from a cruelty case in Pennsylvania. There were 4 calves and 22

cows.

 

When the cattle first arrived, some of the cows were pregnant,

and one of them was Bertha, who after giving birth, didn't want to

nurse her baby. She kept pushing him away, and the staff learned very

quickly that it was because her mastitis was so bad that it was really

painful for her to nurse.

 

Mastitis

is a painful infection of the udders that affects one in four dairy

cows and it manifests itself as an infected, (sometimes hugely)

enlarged udder. Though Bertha was being kept on a "beef"

operation, she had no doubt been used for many years as a breeding cow

and had many babies taken away from her over the years to be killed

for steak or prime rib. She most likely developed her mastitis from

the filth that she was forced to live in before she was rescued.

 

So, Bertha couldn't nurse her baby boy, who was named Robin,

but she would still watch the staff very carefully when they

bottle-fed him and make sure he was okay. Then one day, when her

mastitis was cleared up and she felt no pain, she nursed Robin for the

first time. It was a very emotional day for everyone, as they watched

her able to feed her baby herself for the first time - and groom him

and tend to him.

 

Three years later, Robin is now 2,000 pounds, and whenever he

gets scared, he runs over to his mother and nurses. He's 2,000

pounds, and the first thing he does when he's nervous or scared

(when he hears a large truck or something like that) is run over to

nurse from his mom.

 

And this bond goes both ways.

 

Sadly, Bertha has cancer and is dying. She's about 20 years old

now (cattle can live up to 25 years, but we kill them at anywhere from

1 day young (for " bob veal " ) to 16 weeks (in the case of

" veal " ) to 4 or 5 years (in the case of dairy cows). The

first time Bertha was brought to the hospital, she was so upset that

she wouldn't eat. She was just really depressed. So in response,

they decided to bring Robin to the hospital to be with his mom, which

is no small task, and Bertha was fine. This is the bond they have.

This is the bond of mothers and their children. It doesn't matter what

species you are.

 

Read

the entire essay at the Food for Thought blog.

 

 

A baby calf bonds with his mother, just days before he was sold

to slaughter. Photo by Laura A. Moretti

 

 

A wild mare and her baby

 

 

A wild mare and her baby

 

 

Bertha nursing her baby, Robin

 

 

Berth cleaning her baby

 

 

 

 

 

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