Coop Scoop Veganuary - January 2022 by Mathew Bradley

Veganuary January 2022

Coop Scoop

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Heal ∙ June/July 20212022 Veganuary January Features

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Features

Plant-Forward Food forFrom Healing the Planet Heartburn What is “Veganuary” and why

Skin Deep Naturals

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By Rebecca Angel

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ctavia Maxwell has always enjoyed creating skin and hair care products for her friends and family. In 2014, she launched Skin Deep Naturals A Shared and introduced her first commercial Journey: brand, The Body Butter. Made of shea On the Road to Veganism Joy during Capital Region butter, coconut oil, olive oil, and arrowAn inspiring journey exploring veganism and COVID root powder, it remains her most popular, Can Regenerative Agriculture Vegan Network the choices everyone makes to live and love. Meet Stephanie, Caleb, An interview, what it “most loved” offering. OverSystem? the past five Heal Our Food means to benew vegan, By Susan and their baby Nora! years, Maxwell’s homebasedconsectetuer business has Lorem ipsumPetrie dolor sit amet, adipiscing resources, and events expanded in many other directions. elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut By Rebecca sponsored by theAngel CRVN. Featuring natural, raw, andsit organic ingrelaoreet Lorem ipsum dolor amet, consectetuer By Catherine Jura ingredie dients and only natural adipiscing elit, sed diampreservatives, nonummy nibhher euismod addition line now includes soaps, lotions, deodorants, By Ruth Ann Smalley small bu hair cream, hair growth serum, body scrubs, particip and makeup. Many of these items can be Happenings at the Co-op This is a found in the Co-op’s Wellness Department. Garden According to Maxwell, what started off Cruelty-Free Bunny Vegan Soul The Ayurvedic Happenings at the Co-op Logos-Not All the Same Food Cookbook Vegan Kitchen and lear almost accidentally has grown into a busiCookbook Reveiw Co-op 101 Cookbook Reveiw working ness selling products online at moreFavorite than By Ann and Lapinski By Rebecca Angel By Melanie Pores Incredible What’s Melanie’s ten different locations throughout the CapiEdible Gardens Fresh Date-Sweetened similar Skin D tal District. Men and women love her prodFruit Vegan Spiced TofuSmoothie Lorem ipsum dolorSweet sit ucts Coop Scoop Exclusive Fresh News! that Ma because of their highCorner quality, Recipie Black Bean Brownies IOI and Digital Content Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer Lorem ipsum dolor sitin improvrecruits because they produce fast results Honest Goodness Recipe Corner amet,toconsectetuer By Rebecca Angel By Beyer amet, consectetuer By Deanna Beyer By Deanna Melanie Pores what sh ing the health and appearance of skin and By Deanna Beyer By Melanie Pores success hair. Frequently, she hears, “My skin feels so ingredie much softer,” and, “My hair is fuller and TreeLineis What’s What Skin Deephealthier since using the hair Double Up custom growth serum.” Cheese Fresh aCashew Co-op Naturals Food Bucks! Producer Profile Through collaborations with estheticians, By Deanna Beyer By Pat Sahr Producer Profile Fresh News! Maxwell spa owners, and hair dressers, Co-op 101 For mor Lorem ipsum dolor sit Lorem ipsum dolor sit Lorem ipsum dolor sit about th continues to expand her product line. Glass Recycling Pilo amet, consectetuer amet, Photo: consectetuer amet, consectetuer Cover Monika Grabkowska Illustrations: Jane Welch Most recently, she has partnered with a Zero Waste Capital By Deanna Beyer ISSN 2473-6155 (print) • ISSN 2473-6163 (online) www By Deanna Beyer By Pat Sahr hemp farm to introduce a healing CBD ambitious Glass Recy The Coop Scoop is for informational purposes only, and not intended as

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medical or health advice. Always consult your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. The views of our guest writers do not necessarily reflect those of Honest Weight, and we do not take responsibility for them.

Coop Scoop

the Co-op, to Links to informational sources can be found in the online version of The Coop Scoop at

ensure t recycled rather than https://www.honestweight.coop/page/coop-scoop-magazine-90.html make it successful, w 2 BY throwing clear glass 9 PHOTOGRAPH LIZi home, bring it to the C

Honest Editors Rebecca Angel has been a part of Honest Weight for eighteen years, and is Managing Editor Coop Scoop of the Coop Scoop. When not at the Editorsco-op, Rebecca is a teacher, musician, and writer, currently working on a memoir about her experience with Cushing’s syndrome. www.RebeccaAngel.com Deanna Beyer is the Education & Engagement Coordinator at Honest Weight. A long-time teacher and practitioner of Rebecca Angel yoga, meditation, and mindfulness, she focuses on helping to make these practices accessible to people in all kinds of situations. You can reach her at deannab@honestweight.coop Carol Reid, our Assistant Editor, is a retired cataloger at the New York State Library, where she worked for over 35 Carol Reid years. She wrote a 10-year blog called “Typo of the Day for Librarians” and has been a Co-op member since the 1980s. Ruth Ann Smalley PhD, is our Content Editor. An educator and writer, with a 4-digit Co-op member number from the early 90s, Ruth Ann offers wellness, writing, Ruth Ann Smalley and creativity coaching through her practice at www.vibrant-energies.com or www.ruthannsmalley.com. Mathew Bradely is our Layout Editor. He has been the Lead Designer at Honest Weight since the new store. Outside the co-op, he enjoys writing music with his band, tending to his and training Deanna garden, Beyer his English Cocker Spaniel, Cricket, for field work.

Letter Letter from an from Editoran Editor T ‘V By Carol Reid

his been aAngel rather fraught year Byhas Rebecca for me and not just for the obvious Covid-related reasons. I’ve also a recent movement to learned eganuary’ that I haveis two different physical celebrate and support others in disorders, one fairly common for people exploring the vegan lifestyle. Can my age and the other one far less common.a store thatthe sellsfirst meat,discovery dairy, andright other animal I made at the products partake? Can I, as a non-apologetic beginning of the pandemic and the other meat-eater withgetting a family farm, enjoy one just after mycattle second vaccine ‘Veganuary’? The Coop Scoop says yes! dose. On top of the anxiety and isolation There people become and fearsare of many leavingreasons the house in general vegan. In Catherine Jura’s interview with (just like everybody else), attempting the to Capital Region Vegan Network, you can learn simultaneously deal with all the uncertainabout the health, ethical, and environmental

Fresh News!

issues that compel people to leave animal products behind. find out why ty and doctor visitsToand various neweven healtha month-long makeduea to positive regimens I’veshift had can to adopt these impact, read “Plant-Forward Food for the sudden revelations has greatly intensified Planet. ” Susanyearlong Petrie’s ordeal. piece, “On the Road my personal Towards Veganism,” will inspire everyone to examine their I’m foodnot choices as one a journey But obviously, the only who’s toward wholenesswith andsuch acceptance. been struggling issues—whethjustor theone’s start!family From amembers, primer on er And for that’s oneself cruelty-free bunny logos, a highlight on friends, or colleagues; whether Covid-revegan and ourserious own deli’s vegan lated orcheese, not; whether or routine. options, this to issue is topped off with inforIt’s enough make you downright sick, mation andquite resources for the and often desperate and established depressed vegan orPeople the vegan-curious. And this month to boot. have been afraid to make or we not one, but two vegan cookbook keephave their medical appointments, to go in reviews! Look News, Honest to for testing, or atto Fresh even be around other Goodness, and What’s Freshand for allemotional the latest afflicted people. Mental happenings at our and especially for illnesses have beenstore, exacerbated and are details participating in the sadly onabout the rise. But there are alsoJanuary a lot of 9th Vegan Pop-up event. resources available online right now, and Not enough? We’re expand there’s hope that wealso canexcited finallytobeat the the Coop in 2022 with exclusive online Virus andScoop deal with whatever else might be content. month currentlyEach ailing us. we will have even more articles, recipes, and store news only available through website, In this issue of thethe Coop Scoop,complete entitled with to resources for you. “Heal,links ” Rebecca Angelcreated writes just about her It’s to live ourwith commitment to environowna way experience healing heartburn; mental bywhat’s lowering ourfor paper Melaniestewardship Pores makes good you and while with increasing service also energy tasteuse, good her our delicious to our community. Smoothie recipe; Ruth Date-Sweetened Although my family’s organAnn SmalleyI am getsproud to theofroot of things with ic, cattle, my favorite an humanely article on raised Regenerative Agriculture; cookbook Simplehoping Vegetarian by and [etc.].isWe’re thatPleasures all of the Jeanne I wrote Tofu 101 this month articlesLemlin. and information contained herein because my family a mostly plant-based, will contribute toeats helping all of us on our dairy-free diet. I never heard of ‘Veganuary’ personal journeys toward renewed health until now, but after helping to put together and healing. this issue, I can't wait to participate!

Interested in being part of the Incredible Edible Gardens! Coop Scoop? By Human Soandso

With the help of a new team of member-owners, we’ve officially launched our first ever Edible Gardens! You might be wondering,

We’ve started with a modest plan “What exactly IS an “edible garden?” for thesome CoopofScoop is a that includes the “easier” Whenever I try to explainI’m explain Writing way build on your Memplants to to grow (including: lettuces, this to someone, I inevitably hear great investment hours tomatoes,time zucchini squash, pole Gene Wilder in Willie Wonka and the ber-Owner your own timeand andvarious from your peppers, herbs) Chocolate Factory saying, “Every- on beans, to mention sharing your and not hope to expand our planting thing inside is eatable, I mean edible, I home, based on what works (or doesn’t) this mean you can eat everything.” voice with the Co-op community year.beyond) Any surplus harvest will be used Basically, it’s a garden that every- (and and seeing your to supplement our on-going one is invited to harvest from. If name in print (always a thrill)! fills at Free Food Fridge’s Albany locations. you’re hungry and you want to try Look for the Edible Gardens in the something, go ahead and pick it! beautiful raised wooden beds created Inspired by various urban gardens by our friends at ADK Rustica and the that are popping up around the world stainless trough tubs on the exterior in an effort to address food insecurity, wall of the patio. And if you’re interHonest Weight is working on cultivatested in being a part of this project in ing an edible landscape that anyone the future, please reach out to me at can harvest, share, and enjoy for free. deannab@honestweight.coop. It’s part of our ongoing mission to make good, fresh food accessible to all.

Submit today at:

www.HonestWeight.coop/Page/Coop-Scoop-Submissions-395.html

PHOTOGRAPH JANUARYBY 2022 LIZA MOLLOY

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What is a community-owned co-op? It’s a grocery store owned by its members, usually the people who shop here. These are the people who cooperatively manage and control the business. The By Deanna Beyer membership makes all kinds of decisions, including what foods and products are on the shelf, and what standards those products and their producBy Rebecca Angel If you’re new to Honest Weight, you ers have to meet (think might be wondering what makes growing practices, clean etc.). At us different from any other grocery ingredients, store. There are lots of things, but Honest Weight, we’ve got probably the biggest is that we’re a about 14,000 members. community-owned co-op! Who can shop here? Everyone is welcome: anyone can shop at the co-op. If you decide to become a member, you’ll purchase a “share” of the co-op, become eligible for lots of additional discounts on products, and anyvoting peoplerights are vegan to protectthat animals from can have on decisions affect theharm. store.This Honest include never buying acan product has been tested Weight member-owners choosethat to invest their time on at an the animal. testing a common wayor forwork companies to know ifin store,Animal serve on one ofisour committees, with a program, their products are asafe for discount people, but testing cangroceries. often be order to receive bigger (upsuch to 24%) on their cruel and unnecessary. So how can one know if a product has ever been testedisonon animals? What offer? We believe everyone in our community Leaping Bunny, PETA, and Choosehigh-quality, Cruelty-Freenatural are three legitishould have access to affordable, foods and mate bunny for logos that mean ingredients andlike finished products healthy living.the So we offer things Co+opproduct Basics (a areline not tested animals. of overon450 high-quality foods and household items) at Leaping ensures product is notGreat sold in China, where EverydayBunny Low Prices. Wea have biweekly Deals discounts, animal testing required. Choose Cruelty-Free means a weekly Fresh is Flyer sales, and Manager’s Specials. also We also accept product does not sell in China—plus, any parent company is SNAP benefits. also certified. Statements such as “cruelty-free” orthe “notlocal testedfood on animals” (orIf How is Honest Weight part of system? made-up cannot be trusted on of their buying bunny local islabels) important to you, we’re one theown. best Some places around to shop. Co-ops form strong relationships with local, small-scale producers, which means you can find products that aren’t typically available at traditional supermarkets. At Honest Weight, we work with over 285 local farms and 319 local producers; that list is always growing. And because we get daily deliveries, it means fresher, lower-impact food that hasn’t travelled across the country for days.

Cruelty-Free Logos

What is a Co-op?

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Shopping for special dietary needs? We get it. It’s easy to find tasty food alternatives in every department at the co-op. Our friendly staff can also make suggestions if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the choices, as many of them are on special diets, too! Partnerships to Help Protect Farms for Farmers

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How does Honest Weight support the local community? Most co-ops devote significant time and LenKu Nautato has worked for the co-op's Meat dep't forcommunity over eight years and loves resources educational programming, develthe organization’s commitment to fresh, local, sustainable high-quality ingredients. opment, andLenKu outreach initiatives. 5% of our net In his spare time, enjoys the piano, hiking,We anddonate horticulture. profits to local not-for-profit organizations, run free and low-cost educational programs that are open to all, and are always looking for ways to collaborate with partners in the community. We offer many opportunities for member-owners to help with this community engagement. p Dee Skin rals Natu

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Enjoying the Coop Scoop’s new look? Your Co is grow -op ing!

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Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy (MHLC) mighty, The MHLC is small but of five with a full-time staff has helped people. Since 1992, it acres in protect more than 12,500 and ScheAlbany, Montgomery, nectady Counties. truly The Capital Region’s fertile river special location—in a ce of the valley, at the convergen Rivers, Hudson and Mohawk ks and between the Adirondac

What other co-ops are in the area? You can find

Coop Scoop

Salad, Hot Bar, and Cafe are Back, with a New Option! After what has seemed like forever, the Honest Weight Kitchen is excited to have re-opened both the SSalad Bar and& HHot Bar, including daily soup offerings. AndAlso in other big news: they have also launched the brand-new Build-Your-Own Burger & Fries Bar, available from from 11am to -7pm dailyeach day. Take it from those of us who’ve been lucky enough to sample them, (including meat, vegetarian, and vegan options), this is a MUST TRY for all! After youonare welcome enjoy your companiesgrabbing may veryyour well food, not test animals, buttocan’t afford meal in our newly reopenedre-opened Café space, or the certification process. However, others may be lying. out on our beautiful, sunny patio with lots of comfortSome certified companies choose not to put the logo on their able seating. packaging for design reasons. Or, they may simply be produced and sold in countries where animal testing for cosmetics is already banned. This includes 41 countries so far! Glass Recycling What about vegan? Just because a product has the bunny logo Piolt Project on it doesn’t mean it’s vegan. Technically, if a product is vegan, it e r othere W a sare t e only C a p itwo tal should never be tested on animals, Z but District has launched an companies that certify that: PETA Vegan and Vegan Trademark. ambitious Glass Recycling In short, if you are familiar with the correct bunny logos and Pilot Project here at the Vegan Trademark, you can be confident as toto whether not the an Co-op, ensureorthat item has ever been tested on animals.glass is truly being recycled rather than heading to the landfill. To make it successful, we need your e’ve been hard at work to bring youInstead a publication that is help! of throwing not only current and full of all sorts interesting clear ofglass in yourinformasingle tion about your favorite Co-op, but also visually fun stream bin pleasing at home,and bring to read. Starting this month (January), we Co-op. will be publishing it to the monthly (with the exception of October when the Annual Report Just follow these simple steps: comes out) to bring you all the latest, freshest news. • Locate collection bins nearchange our bike We will be makingthe one other significant inlockers line with • Only place clear, clean glass in the bins our mission to be more environmentally responsible. Like • Make sure to remove both the lids and little many other raw materials, the rings cost of paperare went plastic (labels ok)up over 40% in the last months of 2021. To be more environmentally conscious, help bring our costs down, and still be able to publish on a monthly basis, we will be printing a limited amount of paper Coop Scoops and encouraging members of our community to read and return or read and pass on their copy to someone else who would enjoy it. Seasonal For those who to go paperless, or don’t mind reading Localprefer Produce digital content, we are happy to announce that we will be couldversion be fresher than all Scoop of your favorite offering anWhat enhanced of the Coop online. This produce arriving daily fromthat localwon’t farms? (could we version will have additional content be in the hard a couple of relevant namesfun here?It’s copy, willinclude be available earlier, and will farm have some promoseason and we’ve got farm-fresh tions andgrowing giveaways exclusive to online readers. fruits and veggies from all over the area. So, whether you’re looking for nNon-GMO sweet corn, crisp cucumbers, Be Sure to Out Exclusive Digital Content or Check super juicy, tiny strawberries, we’ve got youat: covered! Be sure to check out all the beautiful new HonestWeight.coop/CoopScoop arrivals next time you’re here.

campaign. for the Squash Hunger ion MHLC facilitated conservat helping in two ways: by to ensure grant-fund the project on to the the farm could be passed ensuring next generation, and densely a in located that the farm, can be sold developed landscape, to a farmer in the future. at the Indian Ladder Farms, g Escarpbase of the Helderber s Farmland Successe is 300+ acres of beautiful ment, of Town patches, Lansing Farm in the orchards, pastures, berry CSA. Origia as ng operates century-lo Colonie and fields, with a that had farm. This nally a 1000-acre farm history as a family valuable protecdwindled to 19.8, those desirable location needed future ent and acres are preserved from tion from developm ent. With a prime its and commercial developm suburban sprawl, providing ion for roadside farm stand soils needed preservat with n. MHLC local food, Lansing partners agricultural productio pantries Capital Roots, supplying food

family. erty owned by the Leon al Wishing to conserve agricultur n, generatio access for the next to add a the Leons also wanted easepublic preserve. MHLC’s to build a family the allows ment for Lovin’ home and greenhouse

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY LIZA MOLLOY

Light. Water. Dirt. Air.

Four words name the building blocks of abundance. Elements inspiring myriad forms of life, the foods that sustain us. Quiet magic in Earth’s chemistry.

Pollinate. Germinate. Root. Harvest. Three words in a plant’s life cycle. One word for the human intervention necessary to bridge the gap between what is wild, ancient, and what is cultivated and eaten.

On the Road Toward Veganism By Susan Petrie

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRVN

Conceive. Gestate. Breathe. Slaughter. Three words in an animal’s life cycle. One word for the human intervention necessary to bridge the gap between what is wild, ancient, and what is shared, eaten.

Nourish. Sustain. Control. Reject. Four words that describe thoughts and feelings when giving food, when receiving food.

Coop Scoop

” ested. I feel the sting of serving meaningful food to someone who doesn’t care. It’s 1996 and I’m married. My husband and I drive from Indiana to his family’s house in upstate New York for Christmas. To the C a p o z z i s —f i r s t - g e n e r a t i o n Italians — food is everything. The next day in the kitchen, it’s like a festival. In the oven, meats are roasting. On the stove, sausages frying. On the table, layers of prosciutto and soppressata for the antipasto. His mother fills the manicotti with ricotta cheese, whips cream for the layered cakes. But, doesn’t Cici, a tremendous cook, know about inhumane farming? Land abuse? When we sit down to give thanks for the time together, I’m mindful of the lesson I learned about rejecting a cook’s efforts, so I take a serving of meat. But when I resist seconds, Cici says there’s something wrong with me. I don’t like being criticized, but I don’t want to ruin a holiday with statistics PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALESIA KOZIK

”

For more than thirty years I’ve contemplated veganism. I’ve flirted with its limits, stepped inside them, stepped back. I’ve made and been fed marvelous plant-based meals. Gazing back at my food memories, why haven’t I been able to make my commitment stick? Is my relationship to food more complicated than I realized? It’s early Saturday morning, 1974. I’m eight years old, ready to go shopping with my father, a ritual I love. After A&P for groceries, we visit grandpa – a butcher – at Star Market. Ground beef, flank steaks, cold cuts for a week of lunches. Pound of ham. Pound of Swiss. Grandpa cuts the end off a tube of bologna, wraps it up for me with a piece of white paper. Sitting on sacks of flour by the door, waiting for my dad, I savor the soft, salty rind. Later, I mimic my dad’s spread of mustard as we make ham sandwiches. As I grow, though, I am less willing to eat the flank steaks, the Easter ham, marbled with fat and gristle. However, I’m not allowed to leave the table until my plate is clean. So I resist, sitting there into the night. It’s 1991. I’m 25, living in Detroit with my boyfriend. Working at a bookstore, I come across the book May All Be Fed, by John Robbins, a defector from the Baskin-Robbins ice cream empire. Robbins makes the case for changing how we manage land, advocating growing plants to feed hungry people, not cattle for factory farms. It’s my first encounter with global thinking and a humane, plant-based diet. His case is philosophical, but also compassionate and logical. I’m curious, feel ready to do the right thing. I begin to trade Saturday excursions to Greek Town’s renowned cheese locker and cream-laden Napoleons for my neighborhood health food store, where the owner teaches me the chemistry of baking without eggs and butter. One weekend, I teach myself to make dal and garam masala. But when I serve them to my boyfriend, meh, he’s not inter-

I feel the sting of serving meaningful food to someone who doesn’t care.

”

about meat. I say nothing. It’s 2003 and we are living in Minnesota. I’m lucky enough to have Mississippi Market in St. Paul and The Wedge in Minneapolis. It’s my first exposure to food co-ops and the motto “buy local.” While my husband is indifferent, I’m thrilled. It feels so easy to do

the right thing! Later that year, though, I get a job as a baker. At Isles Bun and Coffee, I make hundreds of cinnamon buns every day: 36 grams of fat and slathered with butter. I place stainless steel tubs of cream cheese frosting on the counter while a line forms out the door and around the corner. Every 30 minutes, I slide another tray of hot cinnamon buns onto the warming plate. Yes, we bake vegan scones, but sell about six for every 100 cinnamon buns. Isles is full of joy and bluegrass music and crowds from the

“

Over the decades, I’ve grown as a cook, become more considerate of others’ preferences, and come to appreciate the abundance of local and small farm foods that are available so easily at Honest Weight.

”

neighborhood. I love my new Minnesota family; the bonds growing over butter and eggs are strong. Sometimes I go to The Wedge after work, buy local, order a shot of wheatgrass, wonder if I’m a hypocrite. I feel if I take too hard a line with food, I will alienate myself from friends and family. It’s 2008 and I’m back in Albany. I’m 42, a single parent, and I discover Honest Weight. I also discover Temple Grandin, from whom I learn almost too much. Staggered by the number of animals used for food, I feel something like species shame, blurred lines between what to serve my daughter, when to turn away, when to forgive myself, when to do better. When I choose to feed her meat, I know it’s at least coming from local and small farms. It feels better, but still. I wonder if I should have more discipline, more courage… It’s been a long road since

discovering Robbins’ accurate, difficult vision in the 1990s, and I’ve become a more conscious eater. The backstory on meat, dairy, and other animal products is hard for me to bear and I don’t eat them that often. But I don’t know if I will ever eliminate them entirely. Over the decades, I’ve grown as a cook, become more considerate of others’ preferences, and come to appreciate the abundance of local and small farm foods that are available so easily at Honest Weight. I’ve also learned to (gently) defend my preferences. If I’m seeking a label, maybe “humane-atarian” is most accurate. I care about where my food comes from, and who grows, tends, nurtures, harvests, and slaughters the food I buy. It might be the best I can do. Susan Petrie is a freelance writer and artist who lives in Albany, NY. Her book, Hundred-Mile Home: A Story Map of Albany, Troy, & the Hudson River was published by SUNY Press in April 2021.

Co-op Kitchen Vegan Favorites! Kale Caesar Salad

Asian Grilled Tofu Sandwich Falafel Wrap Hummus & Veggie Wrap Vegan Brownie

Fakin' BLT Wrap Crunchy Chickpea Salad Peanut Udon Salad Curry Cashew Tofu Salad Breakfast Bar

Vegan Breakfast Sandwich 7

Bomb Diggity Dill Dip PHOTOGRAPH BY MATHEW BRADLEY

All Everyday!

A Shared Journey: Capital Region Vegan Network By Catherine Jura

ndrea Shaye is “all in” when it comes to being a vegan, but it didn’t happen overnight. At the age of 13, Shaye stopped eating meat. Then it was a twenty-year process—a winding path—for Shaye to fully embrace the broad philosophy of veganism. Now Shaye, her husband, and two young children are walking that winding path, and while at somewhat different points, they are walking it as a family.

Coop Scoop

PHOTOGRAPH BY CRVN

Ethical vegans follow a plant-based diet, oppose the use of animals for any purpose, and try to avoid any cruelty and exploitation of all animals, including humans.

long-term commitment to working for nonprofits—when she became the operations manager of the Capital Region Vegan Network. Founded in 2006, CRVN (formerly the Albany Vegan Network), is based in Albany, New York. CRVN’s mission “empowers our community to adopt and maintain a vegan lifestyle through outreach, education, support, and advocacy.” Shaye loves her job. She oversees membership engagement, event planning, and operations, but she especially enjoys supporting people in aligning their values with their choices. Shaye was adamant that the success of CRVN—and all their events—is due to its dedicated Board and volunteers. CRVN will be joining Honest Weight on January 9, hosting the 1pm Love of Vegan (LoV) Potluck, following their 11am-1pm Veganuary Information Event.

Environmental vegans avoid animal products on the premise that the industrial farming of animals is environmentally damaging and unsustainable.

Whether you are new to the idea of veganism or well-established, you are welcome at all events, which include:

Veganism is the practice of refraining from the use of animal products, particularly in one’s diet, and an accompanying philosophy that rejects the status of animals as a commodity. As the Capital Region Vegan Network website (CRVN) explains, anyone who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan.

CRVN describes several categories: Dietary vegans do not consume meat, eggs, dairy products, or any animal-derived substances.

Potlucks Shaye says that her Whether you are pondering the very children—even though they are only idea of veganism or have already built a Vegan Pop-ups: five and nine—understand the Vegan seafood and Chewish (vegan Chinese food) this past fall at philosophy behind their family’s Honest Weight vegan choices; they are very able and everywhere! to Food Tours: happy to live byco-ops those choices, even atIn addition Vegan Honest Weight, there are several Vegan offerings at different restaurants school and with friends. If there is a others you can check out: Niskayuna traditional birthday party planned at Albany Real VegFest: school, ShayeConsumers reaches outCo-op, to herChathamConference with speakers, vendors, Foodand Market Co-op, Mohawk Harvest and food, held annually at the Albany children’s teachers explains their Convention Cooperative Market, and Cambridge Center family’s veganism choice and sends Co-op. Andrea in a vegan Food alternative. Vegout Fest: Similar to a street fair—with fun, believes this is a positive experience While everyit teaches co-op has itsvendors, own and music—held in Troy for her children because distinctive vibe, wewith are all founded on or Treat”: them how to work in a society “Trunk the same basic principles: different beliefs. Halloween vegan treats · voluntary andunique open membership In March 2020, Shaye had the member control Lectures with opportunity todemocratic combine her “all in” guest speakers · member with economic participation passion for veganism—along her · autonomy and independence · education, training, and informaDental Wellness of Albany tion · cooperation among cooperatives · concern for community

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Mercury-free, Mercury-safe amalgam removal by IAOMT protocol. Laser assisted periodontal in being a member of our treatments, OzoneInterested Therapy, Biocompatible materials, Implant placement, Extractions co-op? We’d using loveL-PRF to have you join us!

Robertthe Herzog, DDS,Desk FAGD, at IBDM Contact Service 518.482.2667 to Laser sign Dentistry up for an availTRADITIONAL, BIOLOGIC able orientation to getDENTISTRY the process & HOLISTIC rolling, and visit our website at 651 Delaware Ave. 651Dental.Com forFax:all518.427.7346 the Albany, NY 12209 www.honestweight.coop details on the membership process. 9

VEGANUARY

CRVN’s mission “empowers our community to adopt and maintain a vegan lifestyle through outreach, education, support, and advocacy.”

”

Whether you are pondering the very idea of veganism or have already built a lifestyle based on its philosophy, Shaye and the CRVN are great resources. Shaye would love to chat with you and can be reached at: Facebook and Instagram: @CapRegionVegan Website: capregionvegans.org Email: support@capregionvegans.org

Catherine Jura has loved teaching, writing, creating, promoting, and talking about food for the last 40 years. A working member-owner for 7 years, she has written for the “Food Section” of the Times Union, and is now bringing her love of food and people to the Coop Scoop.

Producer

Profile By Pat Sahr

Treeline

Plant-Based Cheese Kingston, NY

egetarians often don’t take the final step into veganism because of difficulty giving up cheese. Treeline Cheese, based in Kingston, might just have made that transition a little easier. Their product has cashews, not milk, as its base, and uses the whole nut. These heart-healthy, non-GMO nuts come from Brazilian orchards that are free from pesticides, and where labor practices offer better protection for workers in the harvesting process. High in protein, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals, the cashews are fermented with live probiotic cultures. The resulting cheese has no lactose, casein, gluten, or soy, and contains less than half of the saturated fat of dairy cheese. Treeline produces five varieties of plant-based cheese. Spreadable goat cheese comes in plain as well as a garlic and basil infused cheese, and one flavored with blueberries. The business also offers soft French-style cheese, plain and flavored cream cheese, cheddar and Pepper Jack slices, and aged artisanal cheese wheels, all available online. Honest Weight carries both the French-style and artisanal cheeses. Treeline Cheese has achieved success in numerous conventional markets, due to its convincingly cheesy taste and mouthfeel. Treeline Cheese is a socially responsible b u s i n e s s . O w n er Mic h ael Sc hwarz is

Coop Scoop

passionate about a product that is beneficial to human health, the environment, and animal welfare. Dedicated to creating a dairy-free environment, Treeline contributes a percentage of their annual budget to various organizations dedicated to the protection of animals. Furthermore, they support reforestation projects in the Amazon of Brazil. Their promise to customers is: “When you enjoy Treeline cheese, you are supporting sustainable farming practices, reducing your carbon footprint by avoiding the damaging effects of the dairy industry, and contributing to tree planting on a global scale.” Look for Treeline Cheese at the Co-op, and learn more about this producer at:

www.treelinecheese.com Pat Sahr has been a member of the Co-op since 2005. She contributes to the Coop Scoop as the writer of the Producer Profiles. Sahr says, "Its a pleasure being part of the Honest Weight family, and I've especially enjoyed communicating with the various producers whose products are sold at the Co-op!"

JANUARY 2022

Plant-Forward Food for the Planet

”

By Ruth Ann Smalley

at food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Food writer Michael Pollan notes that his word “mostly” sparked criticism from both vegetarians and meat eaters. He calls it moderation; some call it flexitarian. No matter our terminology, positive adaptations to climate change may necessitate less either-or thinking. Honest Weight strives to provide quality food of all types for our diverse membership. Our buying guidelines are about safety and ethics, not dietary prescriptions. Worldwide, cultures and conditions are too complex for single solutions. However, research indicates that animal production cannot sustainably continue to rise. That’s why we’re bringing Veganuary and the “planetary health plate” into the conversation. Veganuary, a UK nonprofit sponsoring “Vegan January,” started in 2014. Encouraging people to try eating vegan for a month, and promoting buy-in from the food industry to increase vegan options, their campaign has grown steadily. With 12,800 people registered in 2015, and over 582,000 in 2021, they estimate that thousands more follow along without signing up for the recipes and supportive emails from their website. Participants cite motivations including health, animal welfare, and environmental concerns. Indeed, as the climate crisis unfolds, the environmental implications of food choices have come into starker focus. The climate solution organization Project Drawdown ranks “plant-rich diets” at #4 out of 80. As The Lancet notes, “If the livestock sector were to continue with business as usual, [it] would account for 49% of the emissions budget for 1.5 C by 2030, requiring other sectors to reduce emissions beyond a realistic or planned level.” Beef represents the largest portion of agricultural emissions. Despite rising interest in alternatives to meat-centric diets among young people, shoppers in general, and even meat eaters, livestock production continues to increase. According to The Lancet, when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued

its first report in 1990, 758 million tons of eggs, dairy, and meat were being produced. By 2017, it was 1,247 million tons. However, seemingly small changes made by many can add up. For example, the World Resources Institute projects that if consumers in high-ruminant-consuming countries switched to only 1.5 burgers a week (a reduction by half for the U.S.), that “would eliminate the need for additional agricultural expansion (and associated deforestation), even in a world of 10 billion people.” Using a flexible model of the “planetary health plate,” Harvard’s School of Public Health summarizes research on the benefits of plant consumption and has partnered with the Culinary Institute of America to create “plant-forward” menus. Decentering meat, they use “plant-forward as shorthand for food and menu choices that are largely whole, minimally processed, and slow-me

tabolizing” (check out their fascinating “Plant-forward by the Numbers”). Global food problems require large-scale policy changes, so efforts like Veganuary may draw criticism for being temporary quick fixes. But in something as fundamental as one's diet, even short-term alterations can generate benefits. These include the opportunity to practice self-awareness; learn about new ingredients, tastes, and cooking styles; and deepen understanding of food system issues. Transforming eating can be empowering: we gain self-confidence by honing skills to navigate this new territory. When enough people take action collectively, positive grassroots momentum can grow. Transformation requires access to ingredients, information, tools, and time. Planet-friendly eating does take planning. We hope the resources in this issue will help!

A planetary health plate.

VEGANUARY

Coop Scoop

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAARTEN VAN DEN HEUVEL

Cookbook Review By Melanie Pores

The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen

Finding Harmony Through Food By Talya Lutzker

s we delve into Veganuary by exploring vegan options and stories, it seems apropos to review a unique vegan cookbook. The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen: Finding Harmony Through Food, by Talya Lutzker, is the first I have discovered featuring vegan Ayurvedic recipes. To complement my review, I have included a recipe for Black Bean Brownies that I adapted from one in the book. The cookbook opens with a brief introduction to Ayurveda, describing how foods and recipes can help individuals balance their health. Ayurveda traditionally encourages the consumption of a vegetarian diet. Lutzker’s book goes a step further, eliminating dairy products and featuring exclusively plant-based recipes. Healthful Ayurvedic strategies are presented to assist readers in improving their digestion. Providing an overview of the three constitutional body types, or doshas—Vata, Pitta, Kapha—Lutzker highlights signals that can indicate when our doshas are out of balance, along with information about the six “tastes”: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent, and pungent. She also provides examples of foods that embody the six tastes, along with foods that help balance individual constitutional types. Chapters are organized into Drinks, Teas, and Tonics; Breakfast; Salads and Salad Dressings; Sauces, Spreads, and Condiments; Main Meal Dishes; Side Dishes; a small chapter on Snacks; and Desserts. There is also a helpful glossary of Ayurvedic and food-related terminology, and a handy resource section including Ayruvedic educational resources and places to purchase Ayurvedic and vegan products. I hope you will enjoy my adaptation of a recipe from this distinctive cookbook. Melanie Pores, a retired bilingual educator, and HWFC member since 1978, has facilitated HWFC‘s Spanish Conversation Group since 2015. September in HWFC’s Community Room/Teaching Kitchen, Mondays, 10am-noon.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CRVN

Fresh News!

Corner Vegan Sweet Spiced Black Double Up Bean Brownies Food Bucks!

Makes 12 (2-inch square) brownies • Total Time: About 1 hour

I hope you will enjoy my adaptation of a recipe from Talya Lutzker’s Vegan Black Bean Brownies recipe.

By Melanie Pores By Deanna Beyer

Hunger Free America estimates that this past year has seen a 67% increase in food- insecure New Yorkers. And here at Honest Weight we’re on track to have the highest redemp-

tion of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits that we’ve seen in a single year. Which is why we’re so excited to participate in Double Up Food Bucks!

Double Up Food Bucks is a nationwide fruit and vegetable incentive program, servicing millions of SNAP ½ cup almond butter users, active in 20+ states at over 800 1 cup markets, raw walnuts, farmers CSAs, farm stands, chopped, divided mobile markets, and grocery stores. cup Teeccino The¼program givesDandelion shoppers $1 for Caramel Nut flavor every $1 spent with SNAP, so you can coffee substitute purchase even more produce. Sweet Spice Mixture A match of up to $20 a day could 1 tsp cinnamon mean ½ $40 for healthy foods. Why is tsp cardamom ¼ tsp nutmeg this important? Because too many people don’t have access, even with ½ tsp salt government aid, to 2 tbsp egg replacerthe amount of healthy food needed to support fami½ cup water lies. Sign up is free and the dollars ⅔ cup soaked dates never expire. cup date In⅓ New Yorksugar State, Double Up has contributed to 1.1 million 1 can (15 oz) black beans pounds of (drained andsales rinsed)to over 24,000 healthy food customers, at more than 130 sites 1 tbsp vanilla extract spanning 23 counties. 3½ oz Lily’s Dark Visit our Service chocolate chips Desk to sign up and go to honestweight.coop for more information on the program. 1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 11 x 9-inch glass baking pan with parchment paper sprayed with avocado or coconut oil cooking spray. 2. Combine 1/2 cup of the walnuts with Teeccino, the Sweet Spice mixture, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. 3. Whisk the egg replacer with water in a small bowl until smooth. Add the soaked dates and date sugar to the egg replacer mixture. Mix well. Set aside. 4. Put the black beans, the remaining 1/2 cup of walnuts, and the vanilla extract in a food processor. 5. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler with 1/2 cup almond butter. You will need to stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted. Pour the dark chocolate and almond butter mixture into a food processor or high-speed blender with the black bean mixture. 6. Process until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down the work bowl. 7. Pour the black bean mixture into the walnut mixture. Mix well. Stir in the egg replacer mixture. 8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the brownies are almost set. 9. Because this recipe lacks eggs and flour, the batter may still seem a little soupy after baking. 10. Let the brownies cool. Refrigerate them for 20 minutes before cutting them into squares. Stored in a covered container in the refrigerator, these Black Bean Brownies will keep for three weeks.

Coop Scoop Scoop Coop

PHOTOGRAPHYHeal BY ALESIA KOZIK

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Pure Bliss Organics If you’re a fan of Pure Bliss Organics Snack Bites, it’s time to visit the Bulk Department and fill up your reusable containers with three new flavors we’ve added to our bins: Lemon Cranberry, Blueberry Hemp, and Walnut Hemp.

Mabel Clean! This NY-based brand’s Mold Prevention product has been getting rave reviews for its effectiveness at cleaning front load washing machines. The entire line is all-natural, vegan, color-free, solvent-free, sulfate-free, non-toxic, biodegradable, not tested on animals, and cruelty-free. Plus the bottles are made out of recycled plastic.

Coop Scoop

We’re excited to welcome Forge Hill Knife Sharpening to the Practitioner Room from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm on both the second Wednesday and second Saturday of each month. Sharp knives are safer knives!

Co-op Knife Sharpening

JANUARY 2022

The Wellness Department now has CV Sciences Reserve CBD/THC (25mg CBD, 2.5mg THC per serving). Available in peach gummies, and both lemon ginger and dark chocolate mint extracts, this product may just become your favorite go-to stress reliever!

Cookbook Review By Ann Lapinski

By Nadira Jenkins-El

hen I saw the book title Vegan Soul Food, I knew I had to check it out. I have always had an interest in the ingredients in soul food but stayed away because of the use of animal fats in a number of recipes. This book turned out to be all I wanted and more. The author, Nadira Jenkins-El is a vegan chef with a passion for soul food and Caribbean cuisine. It wasn’t until she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure that she became serious about changing her own eating habits. She currently co-owns and operates The Cutting Board Bakery and Cafe in Mesa, Arizona. Ms. Jenkins-El starts the book with a definition of soul food. Soul food was created by the West African people who were stolen and brought into slavery in America. The actual term soul food was not created until the 1960s during the civil rights movement. Soul food is a mix of the food of the people of Africa, cuisines of Europe and France, and available local ingredients, showing the creativity and resourcefulness of the enslaved people. The author has her own definitions of soul food. The first uses the acronym SOUL: seasonal, organic, unprocessed, and local. The second is more about the feeling of cooking and eating soul food: it’s food made with the love and energy of the soul poured into each dish. The recipes contain ingredients and flavors you would expect in soul food, but without any meat or meat products. She does occasionally have recipes containing vegan sausage or bacon. Some of the recipes are familiar, like fried okra and jambalaya. Others are a new twist on old ingredients—like collard, apple, and tempeh bacon salad. One of the first recipes I tried was the Farmhouse Scramble, a tofu-based “egg-like” dish. I am enamored with the spice mix used in this recipe, which includes turmeric, cumin, chili powder, and more. This one is a regular favorite in my kitchen and we eat it for any meal: breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Coop Scoop

”

Vegan Soul Food Cookbook

A second hit was the jerk seasoning. I like the flavor of jerk seasoning, but sometimes it can be too hot. And, of course, it’s normally used on chicken, fish, and beef. This seasoning is not overly hot and I easily made it from my supply of spices and herbs that I buy at the Co-op, including thyme, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, and smoked paprika. I used the mix on a batch of roasted broccoli and it was delicious. I can’t wait to try it on more veggies!

SOUL:

seasonal, organic, unprocessed, and local.

”

And to top off a day of healthy eating, I recommend trying the avocado-chocolate mousse. You simply mix avocado with cocoa powder, melted vegan chocolate, agave, and a few more ingredients in a blender to make a creamy mousse. Yum. There are plenty more recipes I am ready to try like loaded sweet potato hash, which includes collard greens, and a succotash with okra. For those who eat gluten-free, like me, many of the recipes do not contain gluten. If you would like to go on a food adventure, expanding your horizons and recognizing the creative and interesting history of soul food in our country, give this cookbook a try. You’ll also get to experience healthy vegan cuisine and maybe add some “soul” to your cooking in the process. Ann Lapinski is retired from her first career as a nutritionist and her second career as an attorney for the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation. She loves the new adventures that retirement brings to her. She has been a member of HWFC since the early 1980s.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALESIA KOZIK

Tofu A

lOl By Rebecca Angel

Coop Scoop

lthough used for thousands of years in Asian diets, tofu has only become popular in Western countries in the past few decades. The white, gelatinous cube is often the butt of jokes, a tried and failed experiment in the kitchen, or villainized as hormonally dangerous. What is tofu? Is it good or bad for you? And how do you cook it well? Cheese and tofu-making have a lot in common. Both take a liquid and add a coagulant to make a solid. A coagulant can be any ingredient that chemically changes the liquid molecules so that they curdle and bind together. The curds can be processed in many ways to create all the varieties and textures found in both products. The difference is the liquid used. Tofu is made from soybean milk, the liquid from softened soybeans blended together with water. That liquid is then boiled and processed with a coagulant, specific salts, and/or acids, in order to form curds. The curds are what we call tofu. The biggest cooking mistake is using the wrong kind of tofu. Silken tofu is perfect for puddings, smoothies, or a thickener in baking. Soft and Medium are good for mashes and crumbles. Firm and Extra-firm can be sliced, cooked, fermented, and more. Firm tofu should be wrapped in a towel and pressed to remove extra water for the best texture. The taste of tofu is mild enough to absorb the flavors of the other ingredients in a dish, making it an easy protein-rich complement to any vegan or vegetarian meal. Associated with cuisine from Asian countries, tofu is now used all over the world as a healthy form of plant protein. Unfortunately, tofu is often used inter-

changeably with soy “food products” that may not be as healthy. Although some past Western science studies showed a link between soy products and adverse health effects, further research showed these studies used soy protein isolate or other modern soy-based “food products.” These are not the same as traditionally prepared ingredients like tofu. Moderate consumption of tofu as part of a normal varied diet has only shown health benefits for thousands of years. However, anyone with relevant health issues should talk to their doctor before changing their diet. Research has shown that moderate consumption of tofu has benefits for cardiovascular and hormonal health, and correlates with a reduction in cancer, diabetes, kidney, liver, and bone problems. Recent studies point to promising results with brain and memory issues too. Tofu has been shown to balance blood pressure through an amino acid called tyramine. But this can also interfere with medications that do the same thing. Soy intake can also interfere with medications for thyroid problems. As with everything, moderation is key, as even this healthy food can cause problems if used in excess. Again, always talk to your doctor before adding soy foods to your diet. Tofu is a staple in countries where longevity and quality of life are noteworthy. But besides having health benefits, tofu is an easy, inexpensive way to bring plant protein into anyone’s diet. There are many recipes in books and on the web to explore the world of tofu.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALESIA KOZIK

Try this delicious Peanut Coconut Curry Bowl With Tofu recipe!