I’ve always loved animals, and I’ve always loved food.
A collective vegan Mémoire and cookbook created by Sarah Duff
I've been a vegetarian my entire life, and a vegan for almost ten years. My mom, my dad, and two of my three sister are vegetarians, and it always just made sense to me. While I was growing up in Texas, our house was always full of rescued animals. We would stop to move turtles safely across the road, and the years were marked by the annual NJHSBUJPOT PG NPOBSDI CVUUFSnJFT BOE TBOEIJMM DSBOFT PWFS our house. It wasn't a big stretch for me to transfer my love for our pets to the owls, barn-swallows, horses and chickens that surrounded me. I decided to become a vegan when I was 14, after I saw footage of laying hens in a factory farm. I saw cages stacked on top of cages full of birds crammed together and miserable, and something just clicked inside my head.
I thought, If I don't believe it's ethical to kill an animal, why EP * UIJOL JU T PLBZ UP LFFQ BO BOJNBM DPOmOFE BOE IVSU MJLF UIJT GPS JUT FOUJSF MJGF I decided that I wanted to live in a way that did the least amount of harm to animals as possible. If we have the ability to survive and thrive without exploiting animals, why can't we? I didn't make this book to make anyone feel guilty about eating meat. It is my hope to open up a discussion around food and the animals that we share the world with. Diet is an extremely personal choice, but also one that has enormous effects and merits great consideration. I've asked my contributors to send me their stories- why they are vegan, and their views on the subject, as well as one of their favorite recipes. I believe in the power of a good meal, and I hope that you try some of these delicious recipes. I think if you followed this book through "a day of vegan meals" you would have a pretty great day.
Laurie -Breakfast
“I stopped eating animals when I was 14.� In high school we grew fertile chicken eggs in our biology class in an incubator, and on the day mine hatched I went home and there was chicken for dinner. I didn’t eat it and never ate meat again. The door was kicked open in my mind and I never looked back. That was in 1967 when health stores only sold vitamins and the only vegetarian cookbook was Diet GPS B 4NBMM 1MBOFU After being a vegetarian for 37 years and raising four daughters as vegetarians, I became vegan 9 years ago.
It has been easy; being a moral issue makes it impossible to go back. I have a tattoo on my arm (in vegan ink of course) that says 7FHBO GPS -JGF. I share my small farm with two bulls, two llamas and two alpacas. Being Vegan is not a diet; it is a lifestyle. It is taking the stand that no sentient being should be used for any purpose and they have the same birthright that humans also share- the right to be free.
Pancakes › DVQT nPVS 2 tbsp. sugar 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp. salt 2 tbsp. oil ½ cup soymilk ž cup water
Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Make a hole in the middle, and pour in the oil, soymilk and water. Don’t stir the batter too much. Mix it only until it’s just blended (It should TUJMM CF LJOE PG MVNQZ TP UIBU UIF CBUUFS TUBZT nVGGZ )FBU UIF QBO VOUJM JU HPFT i,4)))Þw XIFO ZPV nJDL ESPQT PG XBUFS POUP it. Pour out the pancakes, add fruit or chocolate chips, and nJQ UIFN XIFO UIF UPQT CVCCMF VQ &OKPZÞ
Kristen -Lunch
“I became vegan when I was 15â€? as a logical progression of my morals regarding animal raising, slaughter, and consumption as well as my interest in environmentalism. Becoming vegan opened up the door for me to really get involved with cooking. Veganism has also helped me learn to stand up, little by little, for those things which I believe would create a better way of living. I think living vegan (in 99% of circumstances) is integral to living a fully compassionate life and for that reason BOE UIF GPPEĂž * XPVME SFDPNNFOE JU UP BOZPOF
Quick Pita Hummus Pizzas - Pita bread )VNNVT BOZ CSBOE PS nBWPS - Tofu, tempeh, or meat substitute - Vegetables of choice - Oil to sautĂŠ
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop vegetables into small chunks and crumble tofu/tempeh/meat substitute and lightly cook in oil. Prepare pitas by slathering with hummus on top, as if the pita were pizza crust. Top hummus with sautĂŠed veggies and tofu/tempeh/meat substitutes and place on cooking sheet. Place pitas in oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, XBUDIJOH UP FOTVSF QJ[[BT EP OPU CVSO -FU DPPM BOE FBUĂž
Alex - Dinner
Alex with his biodiesel- powered car
I became vegan after realizing that being vegetarian still supported animal agriculture and all of its nasty side effects. There are so many great reasons to be vegan (environment and ethics are my favorites). I think it makes you more aware of what you are eating and how you are affecting the food system.
Garlicky Tofu and Kale Pie (Makes one 9X13 pan) Crust: 3c AP Flour 1-2tsp salt 3/4c shortening 1c icy cold water divided .JY nPVS BOE TBMU $VU JO TIPSUFOJOH VOUJM JU JT NPSF PS MFTT incorporated with a few bean size lumps hear and there. Mix in water a few tablespoons at a time until the dough forms feathery leaves. Try pressing them together. If it doesn't work add another tablespoon or two, mix, and try again. Divide dough into a 1/3 and a 2/3 piece. Roll out between wax paper and throw it in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 400F. Filling: Nice olive oil )BMG PG B MBSHF CVMC PG HBSMJD SPVHIMZ DIPQQFE 1-2 medium yellow onions, diced One large bunch of kale (Russian Red is wonderful for this)
One container of fresh tofu (I like medium) or two vacuum packed ones Salt, nutritional yeast, and pepper to taste Millionaire's variation: 1/4 toasted pine nuts SautĂŠ the garlic and onions in oil over medium high heat until the the onions begin to get a little clear around the edges and the garlic is a little soft. Add kale (and more oil if you want) then sir and cook for a minute. Add the tofu, breaking it up with your hands as you do. Season with salt pepper and nooch. Stir and cook until the kale is wilted. Take off heat and leave uncovered so it cools. Line a 9X13 pan with the larger piece of dough. The dough may be too hard to work with so let it warm up a bit if it needs UP 4QPPO JO UIF mMMJOH UBLJOH DBSF OPU UP HFU UPP NVDI PG UIF liquid. Fold the edges towards the center of the pie. Place top sheet to cover remaining open spots. Trim or fold excess VOEFS TP UIF UPQ DSVTU mUT JO UIF CPVOET PG UIF QBO (FOUMZ press the whole top of the pie, especially the edges to pack UIF mMMJOH BOE TFBM UIF FEHFT $VU TPNF POF JODI WFOU TMJUT JO the top crust. Bake until the crust is golden.
Adrienne - Dessert
When I was ten years old my mom cooked a ham around the holidays. I sat at the table and watched my mom pick up slices of the ham and serve it to my family, and I saw the blood from the meat pooling up on the CPUUPN PG UIF TFSWJOH EJTI 'PS UIF mSTU UJNF * NBEF UIF connection between animal and food. I was repulsed by the blood and fully realized that a pig was killed to make that food. I didn't know anything about slaughterhouses then, but I SFDPHOJ[FE UIBU UIF QJH IBE nFTI BOE CMPPE MJLF NF 5IBU night I decide to not to eat meat ever again.
I grew up in a small city and it wasn't until I was in high school UIBU * MFBSOFE XIBU B WFHBO XBT * mSTU TBX DPPLJFT MBCFMFE BT "vegan" in a local food co-op. I tried one of the cookies and was so impressed by how good it was that I was convinced that being vegan wasn't "extreme" as I had heard it called before, but just a different way of cooking and eating. The more I thought about where the milk and eggs that I ate came from, the more veganism made sense to me. By being vegan you are able to break away from this system of killing animals. "GUFS * BUF NZ mSTU WFHBO DPPLJF * LOFX UIBU CFJOH WFHBO didn't mean giving up delicious food. As a vegan I don't feel MJLF *hWF MPTU BOZUIJOH *hWF POMZ CFOFmUFE * IBWF CFFO WFHBO for almost seven years now, and have never looked back. I believe that every life is precious. No animal should be exploited and killed for their bodies or bodily products.
Double Chocolate Pudding Pie (makes one 9 inch pie)
Ingredients: 25 chocolate sandwich cookies 1/4 C melted vegan margarine (like Earth Balance) 10 onces of vegan chocolate chips 16 once package of silken tofu 1 tsp of vanilla or almond extract, or your favorite liqueur To make the crust: Place 20 of the cookies into the food processor and pulse until they are ground. Add the melted margarine and pulse again until they are all sticky.
Take a 9 inch pie pan and press the cookie mixture into the QBO 1VU UIF DSVTU JO UIF GSFF[FS UP mSN JU VQ 'PS UIF mMMJOH Rinse out your food processor. Melt your chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave. Take your food processor and place your silken tofu inside. Pulse the tofu until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and extract of your choice and process until the tofu and chocolate incorporate. Take your pie shell out of the freezer and pour your chocolate pudding inside. Chill the pie until the pudding sets, about 4 hours. After that you can garnish it with your 5 remaining oreo cookies. Cut the cookies in pieces and place around the outside and put one piece in the center.