Fwd: Compassionate Cooks Food for Thought - August 30, 2007

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT: COMPASSIONATE COOKS NEWSLETTER

August 30, 2007

 

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Events & Celebrations!

Food Lore

Compassionate Cooks Gifts

Recommendations

Podcast

Cooking Class

Recipes

Spread the Word

Act Up

Essay: This I Know

Our Fabulous Sponsors

Sponsor this Newsletter

 

EVENTS & CELEBRATIONS

 

NEW YORK: LECTURE & BOOKSIGNING

Colleen will be speaking at 1:30 on Saturday, September 29th at the

San Francisco World Veg

Festival . The topic is " Being a Joyful Vegan in a Non-Vegan

World. " This event will also be the premiere of Colleen's

cookbook, The Joy of Vegan Baking: Traditional Treats & Sinful

Sweets.

 

SAN FRANCISCO: LECTURE & BOOKSIGNING

Colleen will be speaking at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary's fabulous

" ThanksLiving "

event on November 18th. The topic is " Surviving the Holidays as a

Joyful Vegan " and will include tips for baking, as featured in

her upcoming cookbook.

 

Learn about other Compassionate

Cooks events and speaking engagements.

 

 

FOOD LORE

 

EGGPLANT(AUBERGINE)

I love eggplant, but it's a bit like that little girl...when it's

good, it's very, very good, but when it's bad, it's atrocious.

(Something like that.) The main problem I have found with eggplant

in the past is finding recipes that don't require 5 gallons of oil to

cook it in, because eggplant acts like a sponge when it comes to oil.

I've really enjoyed modifying recipes to cut down on the oil but not

compromising flavor.

 

HISTORY: The ancient ancestors of eggplant grew wild in India and

were first cultivated in China in the 5th century B.C. Eggplant was

introduced to Africa before the Middle Ages and then into Italy, the

country with which it has long been associated, in the 14th century.

For centuries after its introduction into Europe, eggplant was used

more as a decorative garden plant than as a food. Not until new

varieties were developed in the 18th century, did eggplant lose its

bitter taste and bitter reputation, and take its now esteemed place in

the cuisines of many European countries, including Italy, Greece,

Turkey and France.

 

CHOOSING: Choose eggplants that are firm and heavy for their

size. Their skin should be smooth and shiny, and their color, whether

it be purple, white or green, should be vivid. They should be free of

discoloration, scars, and bruises, which usually indicate that the

flesh beneath has become damaged and possibly decayed.

 

STORING: Eggplants are sensitive to both heat and cold and should

ideally be stored at around 50 degrees Farenheit. Don't cut eggplant

before you store it as it perishes quickly. Place uncut and unwashed

eggplant in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator crisper where

it will keep for a few days. If it is too large for the crisper, do

not try to force it in; this will damage the skin and cause the

eggplant to spoil and decay. Instead, place it on a shelf within the

refrigerator.

 

PREPARING:

*For homemade babaganoush, purée roasted eggplant, garlic, tahini,

lemon juice and olive oil. Use it as a dip for vegetables or as a

sandwich filling.

*Mix cubed baked eggplant with grilled peppers, lentils, onions and

garlic and top with balsamic vinaigrette.

*Add eggplant to your next Indian curry stir-fry.

 

RECIPES: A few Compassionate Cooks recipe packs feature

eggplants. Check out: Healthful Mediterranean V (Ratatouille with White Beans) and Healthful Mediterranean VI (Eggplant & Caramelized Onion

" Lasagna. "

 

(Content courtesy of whfoods.org.)

 

 

 

COMPASSIONATE COOKS GIFTS

 

DVD DISCOUNT FOR SUBSCRIBERS

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

eating healthful plant-based meals. Purchase DVD with

discount.

 

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!

 

NEW " BE KIND TO ANIMALS " BUTTON!

Spread compassion with our new Fish Button!

It's a great reminder for people who think fish are just plants with

fins. Check out our other compassionate

message gifts.

 

 

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

 

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.

 

ONE OF MY FAVORITE FILMS: AU HASARD BALTHAZAR: This incredible film is by French director, Robert Bresson,

considered one of the few " spiritual filmmakers " was as much

concerned with the inner workings of the human mind and heart as he

was with the use of images to convey these things. In many ways, his

films could easily be silent pictures, as images - more than words -

illustrate the stories he tells. Though I love many of his films, it

is Balthazar that is his most startlingly beautiful and

heart-breaking. The basic plot is this: The film follows Marie, a farm

girl, and her beloved donkey Balthazar. As Marie grows up, the pair

become separated, but the film traces both their fates as they

continue to live a parallel existence, continually taking abuse of all

forms from the people they encounter. I won't tell you it's not a sad

film; it is very sad. And though it is a bleak comment about the

potential of humans to be brutal and unkind, it is so breathtakingly

beautiful that it's worth every tear. Here's a wonderful essay about what is one of my favorite films.

 

 

 

 

PODCAST

 

Latest Episode: A Mother's Tale

Today's episode is longer than usual but only because I thought it was

worth sharing this little known but heartbreakingly beautiful short

story written by American novelist, journalist, and poet James Agee in

1952. You can read this story on many levels, and many critics judge

it as pure allegory, and obviously it has that as a primary element in

that its main narrator is a mother cow talking to her calf and other

calves out on the range. Even if it's viewed as only allegory,

it's so refreshing to have a realistic portrait of the fate of farmed

animals as opposed to those children's stories that we're all

told, which are all based on lies and deceptive depictions. The

stories on which most children grow up certainly never tell the truth

about what happens to these animals - including those animals who many

live on the most idyllic " farms. " To further the

satisfaction of this tale, the fact is it's just so beautifully

written lends dignity and reverence to the non-humans who are

denigrated in so many ways in our society.

 

 

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

you can easily sign up for this service here. Each episode addresses a

different issue, question, and myth related to veganism/animal

rights.

 

 

COOKING CLASSES

 

SEPTEMBER 15th: DEMYSTIFYING TOFU, TEMPEH, & SEITAN

Join us on September 15th as we demystify the " big three "

most mysterious foods for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.

 

ON THE MENU:

 

*Shitake Mushroom & Seitan Saute

*Tofu Parmigiana

*Tempeh & Eggplant Pot Pies

*Caramelized Tempeh Shwarmas

*Chocolate Mousse Pie with Cashew Crust

 

MENU FOR OCTOBER CLASS (SOUL FOOD) is

available for viewing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

RECIPES

 

SOUPS & STEWS I

I happen to believe that soups and stews are perfect for any season of

the year. They pack a healthful punch, are something that can easily

be made in advance, and most freeze really well. These are literally

my favorite soups & stews, and I enjoy at least one of them every

week.

 

Carrot Ginger Soup - with fresh ginger

Split Pea Soup - with potatoes and thyme

Saffron-spiked Moroccan Stew - serve with couscous

Asparagus Soup - filling and lovely

Gorgeous Garlic & Greens Soup - heals what ails

 

FOR MCDOUGALLERS: All of these dishes are oil-free.

 

 

 

SPREAD THE WORD

 

ONLY TWO MORE DAYS TO VOTE FOR COMPASSIONATE COOKS! We have been

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

for Favorite Veg Blog (Vegetarian Food for Thought). You don't have to

answer every question if you're not familiar with other category

nominees, and you don't have to include your contact info, (but if you

do, you'll be eligible to win fantastic prizes.) Some people have also

been adding our Podcast as a write-in at the end of the survey. It

takes 3 minutes to vote! Thank you! Closes 9/1/07

 

 

 

 

ACT UP

 

WRITE! I don't care if you were a math major and you don't think

you can put sentences together. I know you can! Letters to the Editor

are simple things everyone can do, and it takes just a few minutes a

day to do so. Sign up for DawnWatch to get regular alerts

about veg- and animal-friendly (and un-friendly) stories in the media

along with who to send letters to. Check out DawnWatch for tips on writing

letters and learn why your

one letter is the equivalent of 50-500 to a radio producer or

magazine/newspaper editor.

 

 

ESSAY - THIS I KNOW

 

As many of you know, the notion of "humane meat" or "humane

any kind of animal product" is an oxymoron to me. There is simply no

such thing. (See From

Cradle to Grave: The Facts Behind "Humane" Eating.)

 

Over the years, I have become increasingly distressed by the romantic

assertions posited by those who consider themselves "foodies" or

"gourmands" or "slow-foodists" or "consumers of sustainable

meat or humane meat or organic meat." Anyone who's ever been

uncomfortable at the thought of killing animals for human consumption

but who has resisted taking responsibility for it (i.e. most of us)

has always sought to have their meat and eat it, too. That is, they

figured if something was labeled in such a way that enabled them to

enjoy their steak but still sleep at night, then that was good enough

for them. So, they abandon their ideals of compassion, nonviolence,

kindness or whatever it is that makes them feel inclined not to eat

animals at all and put their trust in the very industries who have the

most to gain from such spurious labels and feel-good marketing

campaigns.

 

But alas, it wasn't until the spring of 2006 with the publication of

Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma that meat-eating was

elevated to such a degree that you'd think the very animals

themselves gave their blessing. With lyrical language, Pollan turns

pig slaughter into poetry and likens the consumption of animals'

bodies to a spiritual transcendence that "transforms the body of the

world into our bodies and minds." The romanticizing of something so

ugly belies a desperate attempt to deny what's true.

 

A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, they say, and

Pollan's text is awash in all manner of sweeteners. For those who so

desperately wanted to rid themselves of their nagging conscience and

to wash clean their blood-stained hands, they now had their messiah,

their liberator. Pollan became canonized, "ethical ranchers"

became idolized, and veganism - the one true response to the

violence inherent in turning beautiful beings into butchered bodies -

became perceived as a naïve (and even dangerous) ideal. Pollan

admits he "pities" the vegetarian, ironically (and arrogantly)

asserting that "dreams of innocence are just that; they usually

depend on a denial of reality that can be its own form of

hubris."

 

With that, Pollan completely dismisses the idea of not eating animals

at all, not because the arguments for veganism and animal rights

aren't convincing enough or sound enough or compelling enough but, in

short, because he wants to keep eating animals. Period. Pure and

simple. He says it himself: "If I believe in equality, and equality

is based on interests rather than characteristics, then either I have

to take the interests of the steer I'm eating into account or concede

that I am a speciesist. For the time being, I decided to plead guilty

as charged. I finished my steak."

 

Throughout the book, he skillfully makes it appear as though he

thoughtfully considers an alternative to killing animals for human

consumption, but it is all a ruse. He is a meat-eater and wants to

defend his meat-eating; his arguments against vegetarianism are

unfounded and embarrassingly pedestrian. But for all the praise and

accolades he received, not one reviewer ever questioned his logic. He

kills a pig to "see if I could," and not one reviewer or

interviewer questioned this unethical decision, which, among other

things, breeches the journalist's code of ethics to "minimize

harm." I suppose, however, that the "harm" refers to human

beings - not all beings. He uses the pathetic argument that humans

are physically designed to eat animals and even says that we're

denying our heritage by not eating animals.

 

And nobody questioned any of this. Nobody!

 

Well, *I* did. And so did like-minded folks who, having no need to

spend hundreds of pages defending an unnecessary habit, saw right

through Pollan's lofty language. But my blog

posts and podcasts didn't exactly have the power to overturn the damage Pollan

caused.

 

In my podcast

version of my article: The

Rise of the Excuse-itarians, I read Hans Christian Anderson's

fable, The Emperor's

New Clothes, because I find it a fitting analogy to the

"sustainable meat" phenomenon. In summary, it's a morality tale

whose message is "Just because everyone else believes something is

true, doesn't mean it is." And it takes the voice of innocence, of

truth, in the form of a little child to pierce the illusion and lift

the veil from everyone's eyes.

 

Well, I'm now thrilled to report that another voice has just pierced

the illusion - and what a voice! B.R. Myers, a book critic for the Atlantic Monthly magazine, has

written a fiercely honest criticism of Pollan's book in the Sept.

2007 issue of the magazine. It's called "Hard to Swallow: The

gourmet's ongoing failure to think in moral terms." I ran to my

local bookstore, sat down, and almost squealed with delight as I read

it. In fact, I did squeal and sigh and cry, and I'm sure my fellow

book patrons were wondering what the heck I was reading!

 

Myers adeptly scrutinizes Pollan's arguments, chews them up, and

spits them out. Though the doublespeak of such "excuse-itarians"

as Michael Pollan has always been very clear to me, it was incredibly

satisfying to have a respected writer agree that Pollan's

justifications leave as bitter a taste in his mouth as they do in

mine. And to have it published in a magazine such as The Atlantic

gives me great reason for hope.

 

I read the article in my next podcast episode, but I highly recommend

that everyone get themselves a copy and more importantly write a

letter to The Atlantic Monthly magazine. The email address is letters.

Thank them for publishing Myers piece, a powerful piece of

truth-telling that recognizes that the emperor is indeed wearing no

clothes.

 

(You can read the beginning of the essay here,

but do help make this the best-selling issue of the magazine by

purchasing it, and tell them why!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sept 2007 Issue

 

THANK YOU TO OUR NEWSLETTER SPONSORS!

 

 

VEGAN ESSENTIALS

 

VeganEssentials is a

fabulous vegan-owned online store and retail shop located in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Find everything from Companion Animal Supplies,

Hair Care, and Cosmetics to Food & Sweets, Outdoor Wear, and

Vitamins. " Vegan Essentials: Where compassionate meets

convenience. "

 

 

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