At the Picnic: Pass the Cheese, or Pass on the Cheese?

Each September, I attend a fundraising picnic for the retirement home of the chef's association my sweetheart belongs to. You may recall the dinner dance we attended last winter. A picnic table is much more my speed. While he cooked up a storm, I enjoyed the festivities with my parents.

Petit dejeuner: a croissant, $1, and coffee, $1.

Tombola, 3 chances for $1. Push the paper out of the plastic, and if it has a number, you've won!

Prizes included everything from Pepperidge Farm cookies and chocolates to cookbooks and champagne. After about $25, I walked away with a bottle of red Bordeaux and two white Bordeaux.

Marching for the last time in this year's picnic, Les Cadets Lafayette. They said they are having a difficult time getting younger people joining. I've read of similar issues with a local VFW, which was closing down its hall.

An enthusiastic show of patriotism.


Now, for the feast...

You can't not have bread at a French picnic? I love the simple centerpieces: flowers picked right from the garden in Orangina bottles, which they reuse each year.

Hors d'oeuvres. No pate, seafood salad or sausages for me. I savored the tomato salad in a mustard vinagrette, and mixed bean salad. Apples and plums also adorned the table, as did French wine, bien sûr: Côtes du Rhône and white Bordeaux.



The entree: grilled beef with mushroom sauce. Pass. For me: string beans, carrots and pearl onions, sauteed in garlic and onion.

Salad with a huge brie cheese came to every table (about eight people per table, and this was the equivalent of buying six brie cheeses individually at the shop).


For dessert, a mixed berry tarte, and watermelon. This was the only thing different from last year (a pear tarte was usual).



People wanting to eat vegan often deal with scenarios where they must decide for themselves the merit of passing on certain foods that they would love to eat. Communal situations are particularly difficult, and what to do when there's an enormous amount of something you love in front of you? And then factor in reality: it may likely get thrown out even if you don't consume it. I constantly hear the drum beaten of "veganism is so easy," which I don't find helpful, and often, it's not so black and white.

Cheese often tops the list of tempatations, and even Alicia Silverstone has admitted to eating cheese occasionally. I love her honesty and relate to her and Sarma Melngailis (read I'm Not a Vegetarian) more than the "there's no slipping ever" crowd. Almost no one will want to explore a diet if they think they have to be perfect in every situation for the rest of their life.

As for "perfect" vegans who are judgemental, I think a) They're misleading about how strict they are. I'd love to see a list of what they eat. Really - no honey, no pat of butter, no dollop of cream, no eating a slice of non-vegan birthday cake, no piece of your co-worker's banana bread when your stomach is growling at 10 a.m. ever ever ever? Or B) They are secretly annoyed they are held to such high standards (although shouldn't we set the standards for ourselves and not others?) Who wants a vegan police discouraging people? I don't.

I savor the vegetarian, non-vegan fods I eat at events like the picnic. No apologies, no guilt.

On Labels, Sarma Has it Right

I mentioned Sarma Melngailis' brilliant blog post, I'm Not a Vegetarian, briefly before, but wanted to devote a proper post to an important topic: absolutism, and how nearly impossible it is to achieve, even when trying.

When I started on a vegan path, I was not expecting to encounter a bullying force that brought me back to the fifth grade playground: the label police.

Who and who cannot call themself 'vegan' is a slippery slope. When you start factoring in vegan sugar, wine and beer, and clothes and other items you owned pre-vegan but don't want to give away, almost no one's going to be able to call themself a vegan. I have a down couch from IKEA I bought a decade ago for my first apartment. Am I not a vegan because I still sit on it?

Alicia Silverstone said of her husband, Christopher Jarecki, "He's a vegan who flirts with fish. Sometimes he gets naughty and has a little fish here or there." Some would start griping over "he's not really a vegan then but a pescatarian" and his intentions are misunderstood and dilutes the term. I love Alicia's friendly, accessible approach at promoting a vegan lifestyle, and the way she phrased it.

I consider myself a vegan who flirts with cheese, among other indulgences. I no longer want the weight of being the ambassador to veganism 24/7. If I want a piece of my dad's non-vegan birthday cake, a cookie at a picnic in the park, or other occasional treats, I don't feel like I owe anyone an explanation, nor do others. This is the vegan good life - not the vegan perfect life. Anyone's path is riddled with challenges, temptations and imperfections, as is mine. I still strive for and embrace the vegan life as much as possible.

One blog commenter on another site stated "Molly [Katzen, author of the Moosewood Cookbook]...said...she ate "vegan 95% of the time for 15 years." Well if she was eating dairy, beef, chicken and fish for the other 5%, then she wasn't vegan or vegetarian!" Note the exclamation point. I think 95% is pretty astounding! Exclamation point. Most people I know won't even consider a vegetarian option for a single meal! Exclamation point.

I read a fairly ludicrous post criticizing PETA's I Can't Believe It's Vegan site for listing products that are a mere 99.99% vegan. Much like people who tune in regularly to MTV's Jersey Shore, I thought, "Don't people have better things to do than waste energy on that?"

One reader, Brad, chimed in, and there are millions of Brads out there. "These comments are actually my greatest enemy in my attempt to be vegan...If there is a term for a person who avoids animal products as much as he can but doesn't look for trace ingredients or throw out the leather gloves he bought before he became vegan, let me know. For me, veganism (or whatever I am, you can have your word) is about working to minimize suffering by your lifestyle choices."

Brad is a smart man. The person who immediately took it upon themself to label Brad an omnivore and lecture him is not. I am so disheartened by the people the label police alienate. How can you tell people 'all or nothing'? Isn't this encouraging failure? People are hesitant to explore veganism for that very reason - because of restrictive rules they don't want to live up to. So eat mostly vegan, then.

Our society often roots for failure. Instead of celebrating the growing numbers of those identifying with the vegan lifestyle, purists want to jump on any slip anyone has. Food is emotional, and what's easy for you isn't easy for someone else. This is not a competition to out-vegan each other.

Rights movements have powers in numbers, and millions of people embracing a vegan and vegetarian lifestyle the best they can is more formidable a force to legislators and marketers than thousands of strict practicing vegans. So I'm standing up the the label fanatics once and for all. I'm with Sarma. Let's skip the labels, and rally on in our beautiful, if not flawed, journey.

Now At Starbucks:

Lucy's vegan cookies. I found packages of sugar and cinnamon varieties at a New York City store. Four cookies in a pouch, $1.50.

I often cringe walking by Starbucks. Why? Because they've made their disposable coffee culture trendy. Their shops are packed with people who could be using ceramic cups (they offer them, but few know that), and instead, forests are chopped down, and the plastic lids and stirrers will be in the landfill longer than you'll be alive. People are even trained to covet their disposable cups, asking when the 'red cups' will show up for the holidays.

However, I did want to support a vegan product release a major corporation - which is huge. I purchased the sugar cookies, and shared with my omnivore co-worker, who eats veg frequently. Her first reaction, "Hmm, tastes like Cap'n Crunch" and "it's not the worst thing I've ever had." She later admitted hating them. Dipped in my tea made at the office, they tasted somewhat better, but not much. I generally dislike gluten-free baked goods. I don't know why vegan and gluten-free need to be lumped together. Sorry Lucy's!

These Whole Foods vegan chocolate cookies are delicious, especially when heated for a few seconds in the microwave. But...


I spotted vegetable shortening (palm oil) in the ingredient list. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, "Vast plantations that grow oil palm trees have contributed to the destruction of the rainforest and wildlife of Southeast Asia. They are trying to get cookie manufacturers to stop using palm oil. Read their release.

In the James song, Five-0, Tim Booth sings, "Every answer found begs another question. The further you go, the less you know." I feel this way all the time with food and many other issues. I also think it proves a point that just because one isn't consuming animals or by-products, doesn't mean a diet can't bring harm to animals through deforestation or excessive food miles, and the palm oil is a perfect example. Guess where palm fruit oil is also? Lucy's cookies. It's also in the Earth Balance tub in my refrigerator.

I saw Alicia Silverstone doing a food demo on television for The Kind Diet, and when the interviewer asked what was in Earth Balance, she dipped her head sideways to read the label, since she couldn't name anything. Many of us just read labels for vegan, including myself. It can get overwhelming.

I can't help but think of Michael Pollan's quote, "Don't eat anything that your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food." I hope our great-grandmothers wouldn't recognize or have approved of eggs from chickens or milk from cows raised on factory farms, so that's not the solution. Read about the Darker Side of Dairy Farming.

I guess for vegan cookie time, I'll stick with Uncle Eddie's, and hope for the best.

Why I Heart Trader Joe's

As (so-missed) Tim Russert scribbled "Florida, Florida, Florida" on election night 2000, I declare, "prices, prices, prices."

I visit my local farm every week for produce and some vegan products, but for almost everything else, I hit Trader Joe's.

A staple in many vegan refrigerators: tofu. These are the best prices I've seen, especially for organic. Make everything from tofu scrambles to chocolate mousse.


Love or hate them, mock meats are a humane alternative to the real deal.

In the mood for Southern-inspired fare? Try the chicken-less pulled chicken in barbeque sauce (in the refrigerated section) on a bun with their organic sweet corn (in the freezer aisle) and organic lemonade. The beef-less strips are great for stir-fry's.

Try the chicken-less strips in casseroles (add noodles, a can of mushroom gravy and can of peas and carrots). Their chicken-less stuffed cutlet goes well with rice pilaf and a green salad. They have soy chorizo for just $1.99 if you're looking to make Alicia Silverstone's chorizo tacos. My favorite tacos: bean or guacamole. Simple!

Being of Swiss heritage, my family loves our strudel! Oh, we love all dessert, really. Vegan apple strudel, $2.99, for a package of two.

These vegan cafe twists will be making an appearance at an upcoming clothing swap at work. Perfect for your next coffee break. Don't forget their soy creamer, just $1.49 for a pint.

There's always food sampling in the back at their Westwood, NJ location. At last, a vegetarian one!

Beans are one of the healthiest and least expensive protein sources for vegetarians and omnivores alike, in my humble opinion. Nuts are another great protein source, either sprinkled on salads or eaten just by the handful. Find a large selection here.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for (soy) ice cream. I love their cherry chocolate chip and chocolate varieties the most. You can make 'milk'-shakes with non-dairy 'milk'. Other flavors: vanilla and mango vanilla. For vegan and organic, $3.29-$3.69 for a quart is a terrific deal. I see small containers for $5+ at Whole Foods. Avoiding soy? Go for sorbet.

This lavender scented detergent has a built-in fabric softener, so I only have to buy one product. They have lavender dryer bags, but thanks to Project Laundry List, I've abandoned my dryer for good, hanging drying everything on a drying rack in the bathroom. Saved: $1.50 per load.

Their recycled paper toilet tissue got Greenpeace's approval. For a 12-pack, $3.99.

Look your best, for less. With fair skin, a daily moisturizer with an SPF is a must for me. This one is a steal at $3.99. I used to use a seaweed one from The Body Shop, $18, which I liked, but switched when I ran out to save money.

Cruelty-free toothpaste for just $1.99! Yes, please! The Tom's of Maine brand next to it is $3.99.

Don't want to spend $10 on shampoo? Me neither. This one is just $2.29.


I save a small fortune by getting haircuts at Supercuts, just $15, and for every eight cuts, the ninth one is free. With clothes, haircuts, beauty products, and food, I no longer foolishly think I am "treating myself" to something because the cost of it is high. We shouldn't equate the "best" with being the most expensive. That's thinking drilled into our heads by marketers, and sadly, perpetuated by many women who encourage other women to waste their money on costly products when you could be living the good life, for less.

Get your bargains on at Trader Joe's. Check out their vegan list for quick reference.

Want to contact Trader Joe's to expand soy cheese offerings (their soy cheese contains non-vegan casein), bring back the roasted vegetable pizza (so cruel to discontinue it!) or have other suggestions? Let them know.

Check out PETA's Caring Consumer site to find cruelty-free (non-animal tested and no animal ingredients) companies.

Happy humane and budget-friendly shopping!

Who Wants Earrings When I Can Eat Vegan Creme Brulee?

Fine jewelry? Not my thing. My favorite ring is a $15 "splurge" from the CATS Resale Shop. Perfume? Not so much. Electronics? My 10-year-old television set and old cell phone work just fine.

Instead, I was treated for my birthday to one of my favorite passions in life: food! Here's a recap of my humane dining experience at vegan Blossom Restaurant in Chelsea.

To drink, New York City tap water. Free and refreshing. Even when I'm not paying, $9 plus tax/tip for a glass of wine is simply too much.

To start, a Caesar salad, $8 (there's a larger entree size available). I love trying vegan versions of classic recipes, and this didn't disappoint. It was much lighter than the standard take, and no chickens or cows had to suffer.

Two entrees to share. First, Phyllo Roulade: French lentils and root vegetables in a phyllo crust, a carrot-cream sauce, with caramelized onions and Swiss chard, $18. A hearty and satisfying meal.

I couldn't wait to try the Wild Mushroom and Seitan Stroganoff on their online menu, but the waitress said they didn't serve it and the web site wasn't accurate. Sigh.

I couldn't sample the Bolognese sauce in Bologna, Italy, but I could try the linguini Bolognese, $21, here. As the judges on Project Runway might say, "I was a bit underwhelmed." The sauce was good, but didn't pair well with the spinach linguini and the vegetables, including the broccoli rabe, overpowered the dish.


French food loving-moi loved the lavender coconut creme brulee, $11. What a treat!

Apple cinnamon 'sticks' with vanilla soy ice cream and caramel sauce, $10. A comforting fall dessert.

But...these prices are too high, especially the desserts. Creme brulee is a rarity, so that was worth trying once. The high quality of the ingredients are worth more, and paying for the Chelsea real estate is part of the deal. But their prices limit this to a once, maybe twice a year, restaurant to visit.

One thing never to skimp on: the tip. Hard-working waiters and waitresses often have to share their tips with bus boys and food runners, are almost never provided with health care coverage, and shouldn't be nickle and dimed over the tax and alcohol. I say if one can afford to go out to eat, one can and should leave a descent tip for good service.

In an economy still struggling, it was encouraging to see such a bustling vegan restaurant. Visit Blossom Restaurant, 187 Ninth Ave., New York City. Find slightly more reasonable prices at their sister restaurant, Cafe Blossom, 466 Columbus Ave.

My favorite fine vegan dining experience in New York City? The Natural Gourmet's Friday Night Dinners still takes the vegan cake.

Dine at home for a fraction of the cost. Check out chef Karl Schillinger's recipe for Spaghetti 'Bolognese'. With the chilly nights ahead, have Italian night. Drink some wine if you imbibe, throw on an Italian film and enjoy the La Dolce Vita-frugal-style!

Check out Alicia Silverstone's Caesar Salad from The Kind Diet, available at local libraries. I would try this an even simpler recipe for Vegan Caesar Dressing from VegCooking, and top with Trader Joe's chickenless strips or Morningstar Farms Chik'n Strips for an inexpensive and tasty lunch.

Follow Alicia's adventures in The Kind Life. Just in time for Thanksgiving, check out her pumpkin pie recipe.