Vegan Is Love Cooks Up Controversy

If you're a regular here, you know that I've tried to make you aware of dozens of books that could be helpful to anyone who wants to control or eliminate the dairy in their dairy. That covers a huge range, from the basics of lactose intolerance to books on keeping kosher to non-dairy cookbooks to almost anything vegan. I've been doing this forever, since the 1990s in fact, when I added the Milk-Free Bookstore section to my website. (Remember websites? Apparently I don't, given how little updating I've done of mine lately. Most of the information there remains good, though. And just browsing through the titles should give you an understanding of the incredible range of materials out there waiting to be used.)

So I'm a friend to vegans. Always have been. Except, of course, for the nutty fringes, like PETA. Or Jenny McCarthy. I hate all nutty fringes, of all descriptions and varieties.

What am I to make of what one child psychologist called "the most disturbing children’s book I’ve ever seen"?

The book in question is Vegan Is Love: Having Heart and Taking Action by Ruby Roth

Book Description

Publication Date: April 24, 2012 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

In Vegan Is Love, author-illustrator Ruby Roth introduces young readers to veganism as a lifestyle of compassion and action. Broadening the scope of her popular first book That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals, Roth illustrates how our daily choices ripple out locally and globally, conveying what we can do to protect animals, the environment, and people across the world. Roth explores the many opportunities we have to make ethical decisions: refusing products tested on or made from animals; avoiding sea parks, circuses, animal races, and zoos; choosing to buy organic food; and more. Roth's message is direct but sensitive, bringing into sharp focus what it means to "put our love into action." Featuring empowering back-of-the-book resources on action children can take themselves, this is the next step for adults and kids alike to create a more sustainable and compassionate world.

What makes the book controversial? Alyssa Giocobbe's blog, which is also where I found the child psychologist's quote, said the book:

explores complex themes like animal cruelty, big agriculture, and world hunger, and while the message is not overly heavy-handed, Roth doesn't dance around the idea that she believes eating meat will destroy the Earth and everyone we love, and soon — a heady concept for a kid, for sure.

It's unquestionably true that meat takes a larger toll on the environment than plants per unit, although it's not absolutely clear what the net result would be if we had to put many more acres under cultivation in order to go to an all-plant diet. I continue to eat meat myself, without guilt, although I try to keep portions to no more than 4 ounces at a meal. The gigantic servings that are the norm at restaurants and many homes are a waste and a recipe for obesity and health issues.

As an adult, I can make these choices for myself. Children cannot. I've listed many books that give parents help in putting and keeping their children on vegetarian or vegan diets. You can do this safely and healthily for a child, but you need to be even more vigilant than normal. As Giacobbe wrote:

John Bagnulo, PhD, MPH, who teaches nutrition in Kripalu Healthy Living programs, says that kids can be very healthy as vegans, but it's important to remember that it's not as simple as "just eat plants." For example, a vegan diet for children that is mostly grain, flour, and fruit juice is much more unhealthy than one that's mostly fruits and vegetables with, say, small amounts of fish, he says. "So many vegetarian and vegan parents embark on this journey with the misconception that kids have the same nutritional needs as adults," says John. "Nothing could be further from reality. Kids' brains are developing so fast and there is clear evidence that high-quality essential fatty acids, like those found in oily fish, are a factor in brain development. You can also get these nutrients in raw walnuts, raw pumpkin seeds, freshly ground flax seeds, and power-packed specific greens such as purslane." But getting them is essential. B12 and zinc are also critical.

This is a New Age-oriented site with heavy amounts of woo making these cautions. I'm quoting it in the hopes that the words coming from her have more of an impact than a warning from an old-fashioned carnivore like me. No matter how you raise your child, do your research. And keep away from the nutty fringes.

Allergy Free Cook Bakes Bread

I found this tasty bit of promo from Laurie Sadowski sitting in my email, which means I have to share it with you.

THE ALLERGY-FREE COOK Bakes Bread


Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free

Highlights include advice on how to:
* convert your kitchen into an allergy-free zone
* interpret ingredient labels to find hidden allergens
* adapt and customize your favorite recipes
* discover the nutritional qualities of over 20 gluten-free flours
* make rich, moist breads without eggs or dairy products

ISBN # 9781570672620 • $14.95 • by Laurie Sadowski



French Bread • Focaccia • Breadsticks • Scones • Gingerbread • Crackers • Multi-Grain Breads

Savor the irresistible aroma and tantalizing flavor of freshly baked bread, straight out of the oven—even if you have food sensitivities! The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Bread proves that you don’t have to be a magician to work magic in the kitchen. Culinary wizard Laurie Sadowski has crafted an amazing collection of gluten-free bagels, biscuits, loaves, muffins, scones, and specialty breads that rival their traditional counterparts in every imaginable way.

These wholesome, delectable, gluten-free baked goods are completely vegan—free of eggs and dairy products—and many recipes are also free of other common allergens, such as legumes, nightshades, tree nuts, peanuts, seeds, and soy. Not only can you enjoy your favorite baked goods once again, but your friends and family will also dive in with gusto. The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Bread transforms restrictions into possibilities and makes it easy for anyone challenged by food sensitivities to eat safely, compassionately, and nutritiously—right down to the very last scrumptious morsel.

You can get the book through the usual outlets, but the URL given in the email goes to Book Publishing Company, which bills itself as a publisher of vegan, vegetarian, raw, & natural health books.

Thanks, Laurie.

Daiya Vegan Cheese Makes Good Lasagna, She Says

aiya is the hottest new dairy-free product that I've seen in a while. I first posted about it a year ago and it's made my blog several times since.

Why all the attention? Because of the extraordinary claims Daiya makes.

Daiya is a revolutionary new dairy-free vegan cheese that tastes, shreds, melts and stretches like dairy based cheese. Daiya is not made with casein, the protein found in dairy products or soy, common to many other non-dairy cheese alternatives. In fact, Daiya does not contain any common allergens, animal products or cholesterol.

A non-allergic vegan cheese that melts like real dairy cheese can, dare I say it, rule the world! Or at least, lasagna.

That's what Missy Berggren says on her blog at MinnPost.com.

The Daiya cheese was gooey and tasted great, and the flavor of the sauce tastes the same as the traditional recipe. The best part though? It reheated well in the microwave! I feasted on this lasagna for days and it reheated really well each time.

Now, I don't want you to think it tastes exactly like regular cheese, because it doesn't. But it's by far the best substitute I've tried - and the consistency makes it awesome!

The Dairy Free Diva Recipe Exchange

At the top of the Dairy Free Diva Recipe Exchange Site stands a whole lone of corralled cows cowed behind the universal big red slashing line that symbolized NO. No dairy. No meat. No processed cow effluvia.

Just recipes galore. Potato-Leek Breakfast Casserole. Cornmeal-Crusted Tempeh. Cashew Cheeze Spread. Spinach Fettuccine with Creamy Pesto Sauce. Vegan New England Chowder.

Click on any of the pictures of the foods,

like the Almond Sour Cream Coffee Cake

and you'll be taken to a long and detailed set of instructions.

Looks to be lots of amazing recipes. Please give them a try and come back and drop off a review.

Most Vegan Friendly College

OK, it's from PETA2, the younger-skewing and fortunately less batshit insane offshoot of PETA. But the competition doesn't see out to offend people with brains and sensibilities. It's a March Madness-like playoff for the Most Vegan Friendly College.

Does your college have faux-chicken drumsticks that would put any side salad to shame? How about a soy ice-cream bar? Or veggie sushi, made to order? Schools on our Most Vegan-Friendly Colleges list do! Check out all the tasty vegan options that our top schools offer and then vote for your favorite to help us decide who will get the prestigious title of peta2's Most Vegan-Friendly College!

Round 1: The competition is underway! Choose carefully, as these top schools battle it out head-to-head, fighting for the title of Most Vegan-Friendly College in the country! Voting for round 1 ends October 18. Winners will be announced November 19, so cast your vote to help us decide who will win!

Round 2: Voting for round 2 ends October 25. Winners will be announced November 19, so cast your vote to help us decide who will win!

Round 3: Voting for round 3 ends November 1. Winners will be announced November 19, so cast your vote to help us decide who will win!

Round 4: Voting for round 4 ends November 8. Winners will be announced November 19, so cast your vote to help us decide who will win!

Round 5: Voting for round 5 ends November 15, and winners will be announced November 19, so cast your vote to help us decide who will win!

Instructions: Select your favorite large U.S. school in each matchup by clicking on the button next to the logo. Be sure to fill out the form at the bottom of the page and hit "Submit" to make sure your vote comes through to help us pick the contenders. And don't forget to vote for small U.S. schools and Canadian schools too!

Crains Cleveland Business has a squib on the healthy competition.

Kent State University and Oberlin College are among the schools in contention for the most vegan-friendly college competition sponsored by peta2, the young adult arm of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

At Kent State this fall, "dining services is working alongside students to unveil a new vegan-friendly menu with dozens of delectable dishes, including Alpine vegan chicken casserole, vegan stuffed green peppers, and dairy-free chocolate ice cream," peta2 notes.

The group says Oberlin "is among the most vegan-friendly schools in the nation and has been for years. Tofu and red pepper stir-fry with quinoa, Creole-style vegan jambalaya, and vegan gumbo are just a few of the dozens of premier vegan options to be found at this top liberal arts school."

Sounds good, sounds tasty, sounds healthy, and doesn't sound batshit insane. A real step up for PETA.

Caribbean Vegan

Caribbean Vegan: Meat-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free Authentic Island Cuisine for Every Occasion, by Taymer Mason is brand-new, it's publication date being today, presumably the day when everybody in the north starts longing for that Caribbean vacation.

Product Description
Here is your passport to a world of distinctive, unforgettable food—125 delicious, authentic vegan recipes that showcase flavors and ingredients from across the Caribbean islands

If “Caribbean cuisine” makes you think of pineapples and coconuts, you’re missing out. The Caribbean islands are home to a rich cooking tradition that combines African, French, Spanish, British, Asian, and Indian influences, adds an unmistakable local flair . . . and tastes like paradise. A real secret is in the herbs and spices—with the right uncooked sauce, cooked sauce, or “wet seasoning” blend, you can transform everyday ingredients into Caribbean delights.

Caribbean Vegan will spice up your vegan diet like no other cookbook. Popular blogger Taymer Mason serves up 125 completely vegan recipes—for breakfast dishes, appetizers, entrées, sides, soups, desserts, and drinks that are anything but bland. Sample the local flavors of Barbados, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Grenada, and the French West Indies with:

Saint Lucian Bakes
Eggplant and Seaweed Accras
Bajan Soup with Dumplings
Rummy Rum and Raisin Ice Cream . . . and much more!

Enticing color photos and Island Tips explain the key ingredients, equipment, and techniques of Caribbean cuisine—so whatever your previous familiarity with Caribbean food, you’ll be cooking like an islander in no time.

About the Author
Taymer Mason grew up in a family of cooks who taught her to make—and love!—traditional Caribbean cuisine. She went vegan in 2006 while an undergraduate at the University of the West Indies and discovered that, far from being limiting, it was an exciting new way to cook her old favorites. Now she writes the popular cooking blog Vegan in the Sun. She lives with her husband and their cat in the French West Indies, but she appreciates the unique culture and cuisine of all the islands—and especially of her birthplace, Barbados.

Honestly, I originally read that as "Taymer Mason grew up in a family of cooks who taught her to make love! using traditional Caribbean customs." I'm a very bad person.

The Experiment trade paperback
256 pages
List price: $18.95

Primal Blueprint Cookbook

The Stone Age Diet is like the DC Comics villian, Vandal Savage, an immortal remnant of the paleolithic that just keeps coming back.

The latest booster is Mark Sisson, another self-invented fitness guru, whose blog and website boosts the Primal Blueprint.

And there is a Primal Blueprint Cookbook as well.

The popularity of the low carb/paleo/Primal way of eating has exploded, as people discover an appealing and sustainable alternative to the restrictive diets and flawed conventional wisdom that lead to burnout and failed weight loss efforts. Until now, high-quality cookbooks written for this growing community simply haven't existed. The dream of eating satisfying meals—even on a budget—controlling weight and feeling great has now become a reality. Make your transition to Primal eating easy and fun with this innovative cookbook from Primal Blueprint author Mark Sisson, and acclaimed chef/food writer/photographer Jennifer Meier. Included are over 100 mouth-watering recipes with easy-to-follow instructions and nearly 400 brilliant, glossy, full-color photographs to guide and inspire you to cooking and eating Primally.

Convenience: Save time with intuitive recipe steps, easy navigation, and great visual support. Find recipes quickly in the following categories: Meat, Offal, Fowl, Seafood, Vegetables, Eggs, Primal Substitutes, Marinades, Sauces and Dressings, Desserts, Beverages.

Effortless Weight Loss: As detailed in the Primal Blueprint, losing excess body fat is all about insulin. Regulate insulin production by eliminating grains and sugars and you will lose weight, even if you don't exercise much or are cursed with the "fat gene". Easier said than done, right? Well, the Primal Blueprint cookbook shows you how to transition from great American grain-based diet to a Primal diet featuring meat, seafood, fowl, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. All of these Primal recipes have a naturally low glycemic impact, keeping your insulin levels—and thus your waistline—in check.

No Pasta, No Bread, No Rice, No Beans, No Kidding!: As you build momentum for Primal eating, you'll find that you won't even miss the bland, boring, low-fat foods that previously were the central focus of your diet. How can you argue with a menu that includes Roasted Leg of Lamb with Herbs and Garlic, Salmon Chowder with Coconut Milk, Tomatoes Stuffed with Ground Bison and Eggs, and Baked Chocolate Custard? This isn’t a crash course diet. These and the other Primal recipes provide the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating, high energy and protection from common health problems that arise from eating SAD (Standard American Diet).

Primal Nutrition, Inc. Hardcover
278 pages
List price: $29.99

The Wild Vegan Cookbook

The Wild Vegan Cookbook: A Forager's Culinary Guide (in the Field or in the Supermarket) to Preparing and Savoring Wild (and Not So Wild) Natural Foods, by "Wildman" Steve Brill.

OK, who reading that immediately leapt to the thought that the book was published by Harvard Common Press? No, you didn't. Put your hand down.

Not that the publisher has anything to do with the University. It puts out cookbooks and parenting guides. Still.

Anyway, here's what it says about the Wildman:

Leading American foraging expert “Wildman” Steve Brill has been guiding foraging tours in and around New York City since 1982. He has appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman and Today, and has been profiled in numerous publications, including The New York Times.

Claire Hopley of the Amherst Bulletin has this to say about the huge book.

At 445 pages plus a lengthy section of tables and weights and measures, this book is quite a tome, and readers new to foraging will be amazed at how much there is out there that we can eat. OK we know about mushrooms and crab apples and wild blueberries; we know there are fiddleheads in the spring and blackberries in the fall. But who knew about Curly Dock and Wineberries? Who knew that daylily and cattail shoots were edible, or where to find wild cabbage or knotweed -- the latter described as "one of the premier wild foods of Spring?" Who knew that common spicebush berries taste like allspice?

This book is an encyclopedia of answers to these questions, and also a fascinating compendium of recipes. You don't actually have to go out and gather stuff from the wayside -- often you can buy or grow cultivated forms -- but this being the season for wild mushrooms, you may want to check out the many mushroom recipes.

Harvard Common Press trade paperback
528 pages
List price: $27.95

The book was originally published in hardcover as The Wild Vegetarian Cookbook.

The 30-Minute Vegan’s Taste of the East Cookbook

The 30 Minute Vegan is the line of cookbooks by Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray. Reinfeld is the proprietor of the Blossoming Lotus restaurant and the author of other vegan cookbooks promoting vegan fusion cuisine. Murray is his wife. You can see their site at Vegan Fusion World Cuisine.

The newest cookbook from the busy guy is The 30-Minute Vegan’s Taste of the East: 150 Asian-Inspired Recipes—from Soba Noodles to Summer Rolls.

Product Description
After dazzling foodies and food critics alike with their fun, easy, and delicious recipes in the The 30-Minute Vegan, award-winning chefs Mark Reinfeld and Jennifer Murray have turned their skillets to the East.

The 30-Minute Vegan’s Taste of the East offers irresistible dishes from all over Asia—from India, Thailand, and China to Indonesia, Nepal, and Japan—virtually all doable in 30 minutes or less.

Complete with at-a-glance cooking charts, key Asian pantry ingredients, all-new preparation techniques, and unique cooking tips, Taste of the East is a must-have addition to your cookbook shelf.

Expanding your animal-free palate has never been easier, quicker, or more exciting.

• 16 pages of color photographs

Authors Bios
Mark Reinfeld is the founding chef of the celebrated Blossoming Lotus Restaurant. His Vegan Fusion World Cuisine has won nine international awards, including a Gourmand Award for "Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the USA."

Jennifer Murray is the coauthor of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw. She teaches vegan cooking classes internationally.

Reinfeld and Murray live in Kaua’i, Hawaii.

Here's the info on their earlier book, The 30 Minute Vegan: Over 175 Quick, Delicious, and Healthy Recipes for Everyday Cooking

Busy vegans, rejoice! award-winning husband and wife chefs/authors Reinfeld and Murray present 175 delicious, easy-to prepare recipes for everyday vegan cooking—all dishes that can be prepared in a half-hour.

Sections include:

The Lighter Side of Life:

Smoothies & Satiating Beverages;

Snacks, Pick Me Ups & Kids’ Favorites;

Lunches: Wraps, Rolls, Bowls, and More;

Extraordinary Salads;

Sumptuous Soups;

Small Plates: Appetizers, Side Dishes, Light Dinners;

Wholesome Suppers;

Guilt-Free Comfort Food: Healthy Translations of Old Stand-bys;

and Divine Desserts.

The 30-Minute Vegan also provides at-a-glance cooking charts, kids’ favorite dishes, and exciting menu suggestions for every occasion—making this an essential cookbook for busy vegans who want to enjoy delicious, healthful, whole-foods vegan fare every day.

• 8 pages of color photographs

Tofurky Pizza with Daiya "Cheese"

Hokey smoke, Rock, it's Daiya week here at Planet Lactose.

Yesterday, I posted Daiya Expands Its Vegan "Cheese" Alternative Availability. But that's just the beginning of the big Daiya news.

Tofurky is starting a line of pizzas made with Daiya vegan cheese alternative.

Tofurky® Pizza

Tofurky brought vegetarians back to the Thanksgiving table by providing a high protein, cholesterol free option to people who had been left out of the celebration. Today we continue that mission by offering delicious, nutritious vegan pizzas in three bold flavors: Cheese, Pepperoni and Italian Sausage with Fire Roasted Veggies. You might say our goal is: "No pizza eater left behind!"

Ingredients: Ingredients: Crust: Whole wheat flour,
enriched wheat flour (niacin, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid), potato flour, water, expeller pressed non-GMO canola oil, yeast, organic sugar, salt, malt (malted barley, wheat flour, dextrose). Sauce: Water, tomato paste, garlic, expeller pressed non-GMO canola oil, salt, oregano, basil.

Tofurky Italian Sausage: Organic tofu (water, organic soybeans, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride), vital wheat gluten, expeller pressed non-genetically modified canola oil, water, shoyu soy sauce (water, non-genetically engineered soybeans, wheat, salt, culture), sun dried tomatoes, textured wheat protein, basil, black pepper, spices, granulated garlic, salt, chili pepper. Fire Roasted Veggies: Zucchini, tomatoes, red onion, red bell peppers, poblano peppers, green bell peppers, olive oil.

Vegan Cheese: Filtered water, tapioca and/or arrowroot flour, non-GMO expeller pressed canola oil and/or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, vegan natural flavors, inactive yeast, vegetable glycerin, calcium citrate, xanthan gum, citric acid (for flavor), annatto.

Contains: Soy and wheat.

I found a review from a Hollywood socialite with Ph.D..

My verdict: Not bad! The whole wheat crust tasted especially impressive for a frozen pizza — a perfect crispiness after 12 minutes in the oven — and the sweetener-free tomato sauce had a nice natural flavor.

The toppings were just okay — though faux meat lovers will likely have a more enthusiastic response. The somewhat synthetic tastes of fake cheeses and meats seems to rankle me more than others. I appreciate how Daiya cheese melts unlike most faux cheeses, but the stuff always tastes vaguely soapy to me. And while I do enjoy Tofurky on occasion, the sausage on the pizza dried out too much in the oven heat, ending up little, light dehydrated squares atop the otherwise well-cooked pizza.

Daiya Expands Its Vegan "Cheese" Alternative Availability

I posted about the introduction of Daiya vegan "cheese" almost a year ago. I said, "It's big distinction is that instead of soy or rice or the usual bases, Daiya uses tapioca* and/or arrowroot flours."

The vegan cheese world can't sit still for long. Daiya, a Canadian product, is finally busting out all over. All over Canada, at least. Naturally, there's a press release.

Daiya Foods has been called "the holy grail of vegan cheese". naturalnews.com says "Daiya is one brand that stands out from the rest. Based on its excellent taste, texture, and ingredients, Daiya truly is a delicious and healthy vegan product."

Daiya Foods originated in Vancouver, BC. The Naam restaurant on W. 4th Ave was one of their first customers and Canadian consumers have been asking for the last year when they can buy the product in Canada. The day is on the horizon, the labeling issues holding Daiya Foods back have been overcome, and the packages are at the printers! We will start shipping to distributors Oct 1st, and you will see the product in stores by the end of the month!

Over the last year the only way to purchase Daiya products in Canada was to order 5lb foodservice packages from online retailers like Karmavore or Viva Granola; many supportive Canadian consumers waited patiently for their shipment of Daiya style shreds to arrive at their front door. Now everyone will find the retail packages exploding onto shelves in early fall, plus the foodservice and prepared foods sections in markets will be ramping up over the next 4 weeks.

Enjoy Daiya products on your pizza, nachos, and comforting macaroni. Daiya products are a healthy choice that offers all of the taste, melt, and stretch without the guilt! It's a perfect option for any diet need, whether you have a common food allergy, are lactose intolerant or vegan, or your [sic] just watching cholesterol and trans fat intake!

Positive feedback is already coming in from the foodservice market; Boon's Burger Café in Manitoba says "Thanks Daiya, we’ve got new customers coming in the door… just because we are carrying your "cheese"! With a powerful, fast moving national launch in the US Whole Foods and the continued trends in vegetarian and health eating, Daiya Foods expects the same excitement in Canada. Check back often to see where you can purchase or enjoy Daiya products at www.daiyafoods.com/where/index.aspx.

Product information: Daiya products are a revolutionary new dairy-free vegan option that tastes, shreds, melts, and stretches perfectly for any of your favorite recipes. Daiya is free of many of the common allergens including; dairy (casein and lactose), soy, gluten, egg, peanuts and tree nuts (excluding coconuts). Daiya is also free of animal products, cholesterol, trans fats, and preservatives. To find out more visit www.daiyafoods.com.

To spare you, I edited the release to create paragraphs and I added some proper punctuation. I complain all the time about how badly written press releases are, but this one is close to the bottom.

Hi, Daiya! I'm available!


*UPDATE: That used to say cassava flour, but the ingredients lists now [11/27/11] read tapioca flour instead.

Vegan Cruises

Vegan has gone mainstream and nothing is more mainstream than cruises, which are apparently nothing more than 10,000 calories a day with ocean breezes.

Chari Suri wrote about vegan cruises on The Huffington Post.

The chefs on board were more aware of my dietary needs than I had given them credit for. Before long, I was feasting on Indian dishes, delicately-flavored al dente pasta and crisp, almost "farm to table" quality salads. Navigating the breakfast, lunch and dinner menu was a lot less pedestrian that I thought it would be. Noticing the absence of generous vegan options in the dessert department (how long can the "sorbet with fruits and berries" song possibly go on for?), I resorted to the biblical "ask and you shall receive" approach and requested the head waiter to give me some variations on what was becoming an increasingly boring theme. The very next day, I had a soy ice cream sundae with warm apple turnover. It really does pay to be a pest.

She goes on to talk about options available from several cruise companies.

Chelsea's Vegan Wedding Cake

Every media outlet in the known universe has an article on Chelsea Clinton's wedding today. How can I say this? Because even The Hill, a specialty, small-circulation, insider's paper that doesn't cover anything but Congress has an article on Chelsea's wedding.

I don't want to break media law, so I need to have a Chelsea article too.

And I'll quote from The Hill to do it, completing the loop.

Chelsea Clinton is a vegan, so guests can expect a dairy-free wedding cake, as well as other non-vegan choices.

Oh, and the news doesn't stop there, my friends. The cake is also gluten-free! From the bridal site, AisleDash.com:

Our sources tell us that the bride's gluten allergy is making it difficult to find a wedding baker. Calls to three top bakers in New York state, including family favorite Lulu's in Scarsdale, have not confirmed who will be making the couple's wedding cake but a gluten-free cake is sure to be on the wedding menu.

Old news. Lulu's logo was spotted!

Lulu's cake gallery. The cake has been widely reported to cost $11,000.

Look, if you're upset that the daughter of a president has had an elaborate wedding, get over yourself and study some history. President's daughters - whether their fathers happen to be in office or not - have always had fairytale weddings.

And Chelsea appears to be a model for all. Bright, modest, educated, unspoiled by fame, and utterly untouched by scandal. If you can't be happy for someone like her then look inward for your faults.

Mazel tov, Chelsea and Marc. May a dairy-free, gluten-free life of happiness await you both. (Or dairy-, gluten-, and meat-filled if you, Marc, are none of the above.)

UPDATE:
Dianna Mardar of Philly.com has the latest on Chelsea's cake. Seems that all the early reports were severely deficient in the fact department.

First, the baker was wrong. The cake was "a triumph for Frances and Maarten Steenman of La Tulipe Desserts in New York's Westchester County."

And while Chelsea is a vegan, the cake itself wasn't. Gluten-free to be sure, but filled with dairy. Or at least chocolate mousse. And butter, according to other reports. Not to mention eggs.

Some media outlets speculated that the wedding cake was also dairy-free because the bride is a vegetarian of long standing. But Frances Steenman said that was not the case.

"Instead of flour, we used a special brown rice blend that contains no barley, rye, oats, or wheat," she said. "But no, it was not a vegan cake."

Honestly, do reporters at major outlets not understand the difference between vegan and vegetarian? I admit that despite the number of stories referring to her as a vegan, there are also reports saying that she is a vegetarian instead. Chelsea has stayed far enough off the radar that not knowing this bit of info about her isn't surprising.

Either way, I'm sure all of you understand the distinction: vegetarians often have dairy and eggs; vegans do not. Vegan cookbooks are fine for those looking for dairy-free recipes; vegetarian cookbooks are often problematic. How can there still be people who don't get it?

Grump.

The Divvies Bakery Cookbook

I've written about Divvies many times before. Over the past few years they've become hugely famous for their kosher, vegan, dairy-free, and other allergen-free cupcakes and baked goods. And they manage to get national television attention for their products, even though - or maybe because - they are available only at the most upscale locations.

Now Lori Sandler of Divvies has a cookbook available. The Divvies Bakery Cookbook: No Nuts. No Eggs. No Dairy. Just Delicious!

Product Description
The Divvies Bakery Cookbook is an opportunity for the millions of people who are dealing with serious food allergies to put the sweet back in their kitchens. With an assortment of delicious recipes, free of the four major food allergens – peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, and eggs (all vegan!), Lori Sandler offers sweet treats that everyone can enjoy and share ANY time: at birthday parties, snack time, bake sales, holidays, picnics, dessert time, and just because. What ingredients are left out have been replaced by double dollops of the good and the gooey – like chocolate, oatmeal, and molasses, – making the confections not only safe to eat, but absolutely delicious for everyone, even those without food allergies.

Divvies, an irresistible "fun-foods" company devoted to baking safe-to-eat, tasty treats for people with life-threatening food allergies, has been featured on Good Morning America and The Martha Stewart Show, as well as in the New York Times, New York Post, Gourmet Magazine, Vogue, Everyday with Rachel Ray, Daily Candy, and Urban Baby. All of their products are made in a dedicated facility where no nuts, eggs, milk, or ingredients that may have been exposed to these allergens are allowed in the door.

Some of the tasty recipes featured in THE DIVVIES BAKERY COOKBOOK include:

Divvies Famous Chocolate Cupcakes (featured on the Martha Stewart Show!)
Benjamin’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pick-Your-Berry Muffins
Extra Thick, Treasured-Filled Marshmallow Treats
“Ice Cream” Hash
Movie Night Popcorn

With the degree of "divviculty" indicated for each recipe, tips for the best birthday parties, perfect picnic baskets, cool cupcake towers, snacks in a cinch, tasty travel treats, and bonus gluten-free recipes, THE DIVVIES BAKERY COOKBOOK is the essential allergen-free cookbook for beginners and kitchen experts alike.

St. Martin's Hardback
List Price: $25.99
176 pages

The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook

The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook: 125 Easy and Delicious Recipes to Jump-Start Weight Loss and Help You Feel Great, by Neal Barnard and Robyn Webb was reviewed on SeattlePI.com by Miss Bob Etier.

Instead of concentrating on what The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook may lack, let’s have some fun and look at what it contains. Authors Neal Barnard, MD, and chef Robyn Webb serve up 125 recipes that forgo meat, animal products, and nasty animal byproducts (yeeesh, just the thought of byproducts is scary!). Dr. Barnard is the author of the best-seller, Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes as well as seven other health and nutrition titles. This man is seriously into nutrition. But what about taste?

Barnard and Webb’s recipes are especially appealing to those who are not fans of TVP (texturized vegetable protein). When I visit a vegetarian/vegan restaurant, I don’t want to eat things that are made to look like meat; I want veggies. Okay, so I’m old school. I’m also not vegetarian; meat makes cameo appearances in my diet, and if I want something that looks and tastes like meat, I’ll eat meat. Usually, I do not.

The first fifty pages of The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook serve as a primer on vegan cooking, the health-benefits of a vegan diet, and nutrition. If you’re hungry, skip them and move on to page 55 where you will find breakfast: green chile and oyster mushroom crepes. Anything with mushrooms is a winner, but these crepes can also be filled with blueberries or strawberries as the authors suggest, or anything else you may like in your crepes.

Product Description

In Dr. Neal Barnard’s Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook, the country’s leading diabetes team weighs in on America’s hottest dietary trend. The cookbook is based on a landmark two-year study conducted by Dr. Barnard, which showed that a vegan diet more effectively controls type 2 diabetes. In fact, it‘s also beneficial for weight loss, the reversal of heart disease, and the improvement of many other conditions. Dr. Barnard and nutritionist Robyn Webb now offer easy, delicious meals to improve your health.

Featuring 125 flavorful recipes, readers will find all-occasion dishes that use familiar ingredients and require minimal effort. All recipes are free of animal products, low in fat, and contain a low-to-moderate glycemic index.

Barnard and Webb explain how diet changes can have such dramatic health effects and provide simple ways to get started. With convenient menus, scientifically proven advice, and inspiring stories from real people who have used Barnard’s recommendations to turn their health around, there’s no better cookbook to help you eat well and feel great.

Da Capo Lifelong Books Trade paperback
List Price: $18.95
248 pages

Hot and Raw, Just Like You Like It

Headlines aren't headlines any more. They're just lures for content crawlers. The more spicy, lurid, dramatic, eye-catching, and stupid they are, the more chance they'll be clicked on.

Why? Because there are no editors any more. When you picked up a newspaper or magazine or book you knew that the contents had passed through the hand of an editor, so you could expect to read something that had some meaning and was somewhat professional. No longer. Now everything is equal and you read whatever happens to catch your eye.

End of rant. I just wanted to let you know about the "Hot Raw Chef" Video Recipe Contest. Disappointed? Hey, with $1800 in prizes it's a happier ending than most of those come-on headlines will ever be.

Here's the press release.

Living Light Culinary Arts Institute, a gourmet raw food teaching facility in Northern California is launching a “Hot Raw Chef” Video Recipe Contest as part of the Living Light Chef Showcase, streaming live August 27-29, 2010. Entries must be 100% raw vegan recipes, with a minimum of 90% raw (never heated over 118 degrees Fahrenheit) ingredients by weight. $1150 Grand Prize includes a Food Styling for Photography Class, taught by Living Light Director Cherie Soria, author of The Raw Food Revolution Diet, and Denise Vivaldo, a professional food stylist and author of How to Start a Home-Based Catering Business. The Grand Prize winner will also earn a place as a featured chef during the event. Runner up receives $450 worth of prizes, and the People’s Choice Award, valued at $250, goes to the aspiring chef who wins the most votes online. A total of more than $1800 in prizes will be awarded.

The contest is open to both professional and amateur chefs who submit a 5 minute video demonstrating an original raw vegan recipe. Entries will be evaluated on presentation, teaching style, recipe quality, and adherence to judging criteria. Deadline for submissions is Midnight June 30, 2010 Pacific Daylight Time. Visit www.HotRawChef.com for contest guidelines and details. ...

The Living Light Chef Showcase will highlight step-by-step demonstrations of healthy, sustainable, earth friendly dishes with a gourmet spin—everything from dairy-free vegan "cheeses" and pates, to appetizers, soups, entrees, breads, crackers, sauces, dips, and incredible desserts. 12 top raw food chefs and one lucky "Hot Raw Chef" Video Recipe Contest winner will translate the flavors of the world into a brand new language.

And now... hot, raw nudes!

Vegan Boulangerie

The Vegan Boulangerie: The best of traditional French baking . . . egg and dairy-free is by Marianne and Jean-Michel. No last names. Sadly, our computerized world doesn't handle the lack of last names very well. Amazon insists on listing them as Marianne Marianne and Jean-Michel Jean-Michel. I'm pretty sure that's wrong.



Trafford Trade Paperback
144 pages
List Price: $14.99

Vegan On the Cheap Cookbook

This is the almost perfect time to put out a cookbook on cheap eats. Things were a lot worse last year, but people weren't spending money then. Now consumers are beginning to shell out the dollars. Cautiously.

So a cookbook titled Vegan on the Cheap: Great Recipes and Simple Strategies that Save You Time and Money has got a lot going for it.


Author Robin Robertson is a longtime vegan who has:

written nearly twenty cookbooks, including 1,000 Vegan Recipes, Vegan Planet, Vegan Fire and Spice, Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, and Quick-Fix Vegetarian. For more information about her books and for sample recipes, visit her website at www.globalvegankitchen.com and her blog at http://veganplanet.blogspot.com.

Before she began writing cookbooks, Robin was a restaurant chef and cooking teacher. When she left the restaurant business in the late 1980s, Robin became vegan for ethical reasons. Over the years, she has fine-tuned her plant-based diet into an eclectic and healthful cooking style which she thinks of as a creative adventure with an emphasis on the vibrant flavors of global cuisines and fresh ingredients. In addition to writing cookbooks, Robin writes 'The Global Vegan' column for VegNews Magazine.

Product Description
You don't have to blow your budget to eat great meatless and dairy-free meals every day.

With Vegan on the Cheap, you can enjoy delicious vegan meals every day of the week. Veteran food writer and vegan authority Robin Robertson provides 150 mouth-watering, exciting recipes that cost just 50 cents to $2 per serving-hefty savings to go with hearty vegan meals.

This book presents great options for savory soups and stews, satisfying salads, hearty noodle dishes, first-class casseroles, favorites for the slow cooker, and meatless and dairy-free recipes for classics like pizza, burgers, and sandwiches. Plus, there's even a chapter for desserts to satisfy every sweet tooth. Throughout the book, smart tips and creative ideas help you save money by cooking in bulk, prepping meals in advance, and finding tasty ways to reuse leftovers.

Includes 150 money-saving recipes for delicious vegan meals like Walnut-Dusted Fettuccine with Caramelized Vegetables and Fresh Pear Galette.

From the Back Cover

The ultimate vegan budget cookbook—easy recipes for delicious food that costs no more than $2 per serving!

With the price of fresh vegetables, fruit, and meatless and dairy-free foods on the rise, it's tougher than ever to eat great-tasting vegan meals without blowing your budget. In Vegan on the Cheap, Robin Robertson gives you a big bang for your buck with 150 exciting, mouthwatering recipes—all for just 50 to $2 per serving.

You'll find great options for savory soups and stews, satisfying salads, hearty noodle dishes, first-class casseroles, slow-cooker favorites, quick-and-simple skillet dinners, plus vegan versions of classic foods like pizza, burgers, and sandwiches. Even if you cook every night, these recipes won't let you run out of ideas any time soon!

And, Vegan on the Cheap provides plenty of tips and strategies for everyday savings:

Manage your food budget with handy cost-per-serving icons for each recipe

Make your own meat alternatives like seitan at a fraction of the cost of packaged proteins

Prepare and stockpile big batches of ingredients that will keep for weeks

Cook it once but enjoy it twice with "Two-for-One Meals"

Wiley trade paperback
272 pages
List price: $17.95

Starbucks Vegan Frappuccinos

These days you might think you could get a frappuccino everywhere, but no. Just at Starbucks. The name's a registered trademark. So when you're drinking those Mochalattas or Coolatas, get up and look at the nameplate on the front of the store. You're someplace else and you missed your date, who's now icy. Or possibly steaming. Not that Starbucks invented frappuccinos. George Howell did, at the Coffee Connection. Guess who bought out the Coffee Connection, though? Right.

Starbucks secretly will introduce vegan frappuccinos starting on May 5th. Not secret secretly, of course. Internet secretly. With a gradual rollout so that a million sites can breathlessly announce the news. The best account seems to be at The Consumerist.

The old method to make them used a base that contained dairy, but the new way you basically add a thickening syrup to base of milk/flavour syrups/coffee depending on the drink, so as long as the drink is made with soy it’s vegan. The coffee and creme frappuccino bases are vegan, however, the light one is not— and all the other inclusions and toppings are vegan except for whip (duh) and caramel drizzle.

The whole process is fraught. Worry about the White Mocha and the Java Chips, which contain dairy, and make sure that the soy comes from the right pitcher.

Or make your own and put it in a thermos.

By the way, here's a secret that you'll only find on the Internet: that water you pay more for than gasoline to buy in bottles with a fancy brand name? It now comes from tubes that are being run into houses. Almost free. Just like the Internet itself.

Some Vegan-Friendly Foods

Geri Maria Harris wrote about the Top 5 Vegan-Friendly Foods Even Carnivores Will Love for a blog in the Houston Press.

We all know that when a blogger talks about the Top 5 anything it really means five things scraped together to fill up space rather than "Top" so I hope none of you are taking that headline literally. That's why I titled this post "Some Vegan-Friendly Foods." Wow. That's exciting, isn't it? And that's why bloggers lie to you on a regular basis. Along with everybody else who has ever written a headline. Truth doesn't jump off the screen and grab your eyeballs. Pity.

Three of the five seem to be worth your time and attention regardless. I've mentioned two of the firms before but one is new and it's nice to have them together like this. Besides, I'll give you links directly to their sites so you can explore them further.

Amy's Roasted Vegetable Pizza


Pizza without cheese? Doesn't sound too great, we know. But somehow, it is! Amy's starts this scrumptious pie off with a hearty whole-grain rice crust, then tops it off with organic olive oil, tomatoes, and a medley of other veggies that actually taste good. It sounds weird, but it works. We always have to end up sharing at least half of this single-serving entrée.

Uncle Eddie's Vegan: Oatmeal and Chocolate-Chip Cookies

We know there are many amazing vegan cookies out there, but Uncle Eddie's are our personal favorite. They have several flavors to choose from, but we like the substantive texture of the oatmeal blended seamlessly with the creaminess of the chocolate. You can actually pronounce every ingredient listed on the package, which is a plus. We brought some home yesterday and after having a few non-vegan friends over, the bag was totally empty. Not even a crumb.

Rice Dream Chocolate Frozen Pie


All right, so maybe we have a sweet tooth right now, but these things are truly decadent. A heavenly thick layer of creamy "rice cream" is sinfully sandwiched between two oatmeal cookies and covered with chocolate. We tried our first one yesterday while babysitting a niece, and let's just say we were lucky she didn't go after ours once she had finished her own. It was definitely family feud-inducing stuff. We can't wait until it gets even hotter outside and we have an actual excuse to indulge in this delightfully icy extravagance.