T.O.F.U. #1

Printed on 100% recycled paper.

Totally and Obviously Fucked Up: living and breathing vegan in a world that smells fishy

T.O.F.U. debut 1

Editor Blatherings

No More Doritos for You! I stopped eating cheese soon after I moved to Winnipeg.

Not that I consumed cheese on a regular basis, but it was only in Winnipeg that I gave up on the idea of a “domestic vegan” being more than a strict vegetarian with a mask. The reason for this decision was a year or two in the making...

Doritos. Yes, some of you are probably dreaming of the idea of vegan doritos right now, and some of you are thinking about how good they were when you ate cheese. Most of you now will probably also be thinking about the aftertaste - not so much the bad breath, but the glorious, metallic aftertaste that comes from foods that are filled not only with cheese but also monosodium glutamate...I’m sorry, say that again? Oh, you mean MSG. Well, fancy that...rarely do I see that in the other foods I eat now.

Yes, it was that terrible aftertaste and the sick feeling in my stomach matching the thoughts in my head of how much happier my body would have been with some dark chocolate or plain potato chips that finally made me decide to give up the random binging late at night that I wrote off with excuses.

So, I guess I’m really vegan now. No more silly reasoning or trying to leave the slightly greyer area of vegetarianism to be in this camp; I think I’m a card-carrying member now. It feels good to be finding this balance between my mouth and my mind, and it feels even better to find other people in my life who understand it. So, with that in mind I took part in the birth of this little magazine.

Cute, right? Go on, isn’t it the most adorable little magazine you have ever seen? But please use big words, we’re trying to encourage language at an early age. Ok, an occasional “goo” or airplane noise is acceptable, but no peek-a-boo... T.O.F.U. gets spooked easily and you will have to clean up the mess.

Of course, our baby is not only cute (as any proud parent would tell you); there is a lot more beneath the surface. Within you will find lots of big and little words detailing things such as vegan life in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Saint John and St. John’s (yes, there is a difference). We also have info on ethical clothing, a bit of history in regards to veggie and vegan choices, and so much more.

T.O.F.U. debut 2

The little tyke also had a lot of help getting started from a lot of great people without whom these precious first steps might have been more of a stumble. Poke around and you might see some names you recognize; make sure to check out our list of contributors and learn about them.

These are some of the people we have had the privilege of meeting and hope to continue to work with for many years.

So sit back and take it all in and take comfort in the fact that we hope this is just the start of a long line of cute little things. We would not want the first born to get lonely now, would we?

Proud, though perhaps a little crazy, parent Ryan Patey

T.O.F.U. debut 3

Editor Blatherings

I’ve decided: Hermione is my hero Like every other literate person on the planet, I am inwardly bouncing up and down awaiting July 21, 2007, the day the 7th Harry Potter book is released. The companion animals in the series are beautifully treated, and Hermione’s devotion to her elf welfare group, S.P.E.W., confirms her position as a staunch activist for worthy causes. The bit that relates most to my convictions about veganism, however, is found at the end of book two, when Dumbledore says to Harry: “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

I have a tough time with choices every day. It seems however that I knew this about myself from an early age: I was recently flipping through these books I used to have called anti-colouring books (you get vague instructions and then draw the pictures yourself). One page told me to draw a robot that would do a task I hated doing. I drew a decision-maker.

This was in 1992.

My childhood reservations were a disturbing foreshadowing for sure: change is tough. But I do believe that choice really is all we have. Most of us move about in a haze of habit, feeling our way from tradition to tradition, whether it be the way we sit at the computer every morning that aggravates our backs, or how we pick out a styrofoam- and plastic-wrapped dead pig from the supermarket, just because it’s what we’ve done since we were taught to cook. The only possible way change can happen is by individuals choosing differently. And then choosing again. And then coming up with something crazy and choosing to act upon it.

So here’s my really far-out decision: 1.Go vegan. 2.Write a magazine about it. Yeah, okay, there were a few steps in between those. It’s taken a while for my palate to adapt to plant-based foods, and more than a few trying discussions with people about my choice. But sharing my veg experiences has always been rooted in the joy I feel about this way of life.

That’s one of the reasons we’ve started this magazine - to keep aloft the vegan image that is not often the one touted: that a lot of vegans countrywide are fun, sarcastic, hilarious, positive people.

Some see a vegan lifestyle as a difficult choice. And it can have its tough moments. But we can’t move forward without solid, compassionate choices. Even when things get the darkest, we all have both the right and the ability to choose again.

Claire Gallant, vegan muggle

T.O.F.U. debut 4

Contributors, Contact Info, other wee admin blurbs Totally and Obviously Fucked Up: living and breathing vegan in a world that smells fishy

is published quarter-yearly (that’s fun to say), in print and online, by Tumbleweed Publishing in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We’re here because we care. twentertainment.ca/tofu twentertainment.ca/vegan You know you want to advertise with us. You’d like some copies for your store, too, no doubt. Write ilovetofu@twentertainment.ca

Punctilious Editors

Claire Gallant and Ryan Patey vegan@twentertainment.ca rpatey@twentertainment.ca

Golden and Divine Contributors

Liz Solo, Happy Kreter, Haley Thomas, Daveybrat, Robyn Taylor-Neu, Olivier Berreville, Mat Dunlap, Brooke Gallupe, Lindsay Henry, Tammy Mast, Mitch Sellar Photo by Sarah Cooper (back cover photo is hers too)

T.O.F.U. debut 5

For Your Eyes Only

Gallivant (v.): roam; wander; rove

The New City Vegan hits Saint John, NB

page 12

Vancouver: La Creme de La Non-Dairy Creme

page 51

How Hard is it to be Vegan in Winnipeg?

page 64

Reason (n.): motivation; logic; mental clarity.

AKA the Why I’m Vegan Section

Vegan: The New Religion

page 8

Compassion for Conformity

page 35

Who Cares If Youʼre Vegan?

page 44

Activist or Pacifist? Propagandhiʼs Todd Kowalski

page 17

A Normal, Earnest Band: Immaculate Machineʼs Brooke Gallupe page 58

Tendrils of artsiness poking through our pages

Letʼs Get Baked presents you with “How to Build A Seitan Skull Fondue Fountain” page 41

Vegan Funny Papers: The Touring Vegan

page 62

T.O.F.U. debut 6

Environmentally and Ethically Conscious Bites

News, The Vegan Way

page 10

Cure or Crux? A Macrobiotic Beginning

page 23

The Secret Ingredient: Dad and His Love of Food

page 28

VeganNet: Blogs Reviewed

page 40

Would You Like Lies With That?

page 47

Book Review

page 53

JustShirts Worker Co-operative and Fair Trade page 68

Disconnect

page 72

Ancient Veg History Timeline back cover

nick始s pancakes vegan chili V3.75 XP advanced broke bank mountain meal yummy butternut squash emma始s tofu thai peanut linguine bruscetta pasta topping valentine curry vegan crackerjack granola trial julienned tempeh and vegetable salad with tangy mustard dressing

page page page page page page page page page page

15 16 22 27 34 38 39 50 57 57

page 66

T.O.F.U. debut 7

Vegan: The New Religion I am a vegan. That’s what I put in the religion box in applications. Vegan.

I don’t eat the animals anymore. I love the animals. I have come to see them like people – like furry, scaly, weird people - but people all the same.

I became a vegan because I didn’t want to kill and skin and fillet and eat the furry, scaly, weird people anymore. The idea of frying up their ovaries or drinking their milk doesn’t do anything for me either.

I hate to tell you this but it’s half pus. Milk, I mean. Half pus. From all the infected udders. They just sterilize the pus during the “pasteurization” process. God, you might as well drink Prime Minister Harper’s urine. It’s probably more nutritious. That could be his next campaign platform. “Elect me and you’ll get to drink my piss instead of cow pus”.

That could be his next campaign platform. “Elect me and you’ll get to drink my piss instead of cow pus”.

People can get really sick from infected cheese, too. Infected cheese.

That’s gross. Last week I had a tomato that I thought tasted really meaty and then I saw a thing on TV saying they are putting sheep genes into tomatoes. So I don’t know. Being a vegan in these genetically modifying times can be complicated; you have to be careful. Even the vegetables have meat in them.

While everyone is drinking pus and eating infected cheese – hey, why not chow down on some endangered fish ova. The sturgeon is almost extinct but go ahead, keep hauling the pregnant mother fish – pregnant with the future of the sturgeon race – out of the ocean and ripping her guts out and robbing her eggs. Yay! It’s so great that we live in a world where pretentious yimyaws can freely dip their crackers and feel important about themselves. “Oh, look at me, I’m so special. I don’t care that I am devouring the future of the world because I’m the president of the food chain. Besides, how many future generations can there possibly be?”

Well, a lot. One would hope endless generations and in those future generations little kids will have nightmares for a month when they hear that the ancient humans used to slaughter and eat baby lambs and fuzzy

T.O.F.U. debut 8

chicks and little bunny rabbits. Yes, the lens of history will view things very differently.

While everyone is drinking pus and eating infected cheese – hey, why not chow down on some endangered fish ova.

Deep in the vaults of the Vatican are scores of books that were edited out of the bible hundreds of years ago. One of these books outlines Jesus’ veganism. This is why he tried to stop the disciples from fishing and this is why there was only (unleavened) bread and wine at the Last Supper.

Jesus’ main vegan teaching: never harm anything that has two eyes that look back at you. Or was that never eat any creature that came from a mother. It was one or the other for sure.

Being vegan is awesome. I can look the cat in the eye. Not only am I avoiding the pus-milk and the gross cheese and the damage to endangered creatures - it’s what Jesus would do.

Liz Solo

T.O.F.U. debut 9

News, The Vegan Way Reports were flying after contaminated cans of pet food from Menu Foods, an Ontario-based company, led to several animal deaths. There was concern also over the general quality of Canadian pet foods, seeing as the industry is unregulated by government. Some, however, believe that pet foods are dandy the way they are. Elizabeth O’Toole, a specialist at a Toronto vet hospital, was quoted as saying “We’re not feeding dogs and cats to dogs and cats, they’re not cannibals. Yes, they don’t get human-quality foods...we have to use up the rest of the cow, the rest of the pig, the rest of the chicken. But they provide a very high quality of food.” Putting aside the fact that it’s unlikely the food would be better regulated if the government were involved, it is possible to avoid sick puppies by employing a phenomenon I like to call “my animal doesn’t eat other animals’ testicles and intestines”.

The Globe and Mail, 03/23/07, p. A11 I guess people in Alaska really like their moose and caribou, because they’re willing to kill their wolves for the two larger species. In fact, they’re offering anyone who turns in wolves’ legs U$150, with the idea that by cutting down on the predator wolves, moose and caribou will be higher in number. Since interfering with nature’s progress always works super well, why not try it again? Good thing you can own a gun in the States... http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2007/03/21/3804128-ap.html Maybe you really can’t teach an old dog new tricks...or in this case the difference between right and wrong. Seems Canada is in the bad books of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) due to complaints of exploitation of indigenous resources by Canadian-registered companies. In typical pioneering fashion numerous companies have taken it upon themselves to extract resources from within the borders of such tribes as the Western Shoshone, leading to the devastation of various sacred grounds as well as the local people.

In not-so-typical fashion, the UN committee seems to be siding with the natives and has requested the U.S. cease all commercial activities on tribal lands. As well, they have requested that Canada draft a report detailing the effects of the activities of transnational corporations in Canada on indigenous people abroad. http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2007/03/canada-scolded-over-indigenous.html Chuang Chuang the panda should be the envy of every puberty-tortured boy across the world, as well as yet another example of mankind trying to intervene a little too much with good old Mother Nature. It seems Thailand’s Chiang Mai Zoo has taken it upon itself to try and lift the male panda’s...ummm...spirits. Every day they have taken the panda from his outdoor environment into an indoor cage complete with large screen television and dvd player. From this confined space he is left to watch panda porn for an extended period of time. In an effort to get him

T.O.F.U. debut 10

to mate with his partner, who has been kept away from him since late last year, the zoo not only prescribed him a diet of this hot and furry action, they also slimmed him down from a hefty 150kgs to a svelte 142kgs since they thought he may be too heavy to mate. As if this story was not seedy enough, the two pandas were rented from China for U$250,000 for a period of 10 years in hopes of generating millions of dollars in revenue from tourists. I suspect in the coming months zoo officials may start thinking about the possibility of implants, a dye job and maybe another diet for the female panda. Obviously sex sells more than personality even in the panda world. http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2007/03/27/3843878-ap.html Instead of 335,000 seals, the Canadian government has decreed that only 270,000 seals be caught in this year’s seal hunt out here on the ol’ East Coast. A good step, perhaps - but then we find the statment that 2,000 of the seals will be allotted for “personal use”. Quite so. I do find that in my daily tasks there is a clear need filled only by a dead seal hanging out at my side. But those 2,000 will likely be claimed by important federal officials. Sigh.

The reason for the reduction is not the realization that seal pups are living creatures, but the worry that ice is thinning out in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. Which is due to global warming. Which can be combatted by eating a plant-based diet. Which also saves animals. Just stop the seal hunt and be done with it already! http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Science/2007/03/29/3862342-cp.html Money can’t buy happiness, but apparently it has no trouble buying the young people of so many towns around Canada, as well as possibly 20 nuclear reactors.

As if the mixture of so much money, so many homesick people and a province burdened with such expansion was not dangerous enough to the health of everyone and everything, a recent report in regards to the Alberta oil sands has suggested that 20 nuclear reactors may be the solution to the crisis they will face by 2015 when production is expected to be triple that of today. Of course, on the bright side, the use of the nuclear reactors will reduce carbon dioxide emissions, as the oil sands production will be able to reduce dependancy on gas-fired generation plants. Apparently the committee did not involve English majors or environmentalists since I believe cutting down on carbon dioxide emissions while producing fossil fuels for consumption around the world has a degree of irony to it...but that’s just me. http://oilsandstruth.org/tar-sands-need-20-candu-nuclear-plants-northernalberta

T.O.F.U. debut 11

The New City Vegan hits Saint John, New brunswick Saint John: quaint waterfront? Steep hills? Classical music scene? Pulp and paper mill? It’s all these things and more....welcome to a city of unsung vegan delicacies. [I’ll leave the Celtic background music for the commercials.]

I’ve spent more time in Saint John than the average non-New Brunswicker, noodling my way through Symphony New Brunswick concerts and playing band shows there every few months for the past few years. It takes but an easy skip around the very walkable downtown to sample the many lovely herbivorous offerings. My first stop is usually the ubiquitous City Market, a big indoor stall-packed space open 6 days a week. Their vegan hotspot is the Wild Carrot Cafe, home to a made-to-order salad bar where the toppings include chick peas, black beans and a hundred vegetables. Also vegan chili to be had. It’s pretty awesome to be able to see what’s in your food as it’s being put together; at last, a respite from the guesswork! You can also pick up all kinds of raw ingredients at the market: fresh veggies and fruit, bulk nuts, granola bars, even a vast bottle of soymilk. Especially great if you happen to have access to a kitchen, as I have a couple of times at Mahogany Manor Bed & Breakfast on Germain Street. (The B&B has vegetarian breakfasts, but not vegan - the two times I stayed there I was still eating dairy and eggs. It’s a beautiful inn, with outstanding hosts, but once I was vegan, it was more relaxing to have an anonymous room at a hotel where I could peacefully scarf the cereal, muffins, almond butter, and soy yogurt I’d packed. No fridge in the room, but I improvised in true anarchist style and stuck my open soy milk and yogurt in a bucket of ice, replenishing it continually as it melted.)

I have spent a lot of my Saint John time in a bubbly place called The Feel Good Store. At the back is a little tea room, where the owner will pull you a cup of loose-leaf tea almost faster than you can choose from the many kinds on offer. I liked the strawberry green. No soy milk, but I managed to while away many afternoons there anyway. Another spot where you can try all kinds of the leafy beverage is called The Infusion, in King’s Square.

No vegan food, but loads of tea! A pretty, bright cafe that’s always full of interesting people, the kind whose conversations you urge to join.

Once you’ve had your fill of the daintiness of tea, trot down to Prince

T.O.F.U. debut 12

William Street and fill your boots with pub food at Elwood’s. In addition to being a super up-and-coming live music venue, the pub has taken the time to provide a vegan menu; ie, they have taken the vegan items from their full menu and printed them on a small card for the convenience of planteaters. How thoughtful! The food is yummy, particularly the portobello burger and sweet potato fries. The vindaloo curry is insanely spicy though - those with tender taste buds, beware.

In addition to being a super up-and-coming live music venue, Elwood’s has taken the vegan items from its full menu and printed them on a small card for the convenience of plant-eaters.

Lemongrass, home of a more palatable curry, is a Thai restaurant on the sharply downhill Princess Street that has a beautiful, peaceful atmosphere and food to match. When I explained to the server that I did not eat meat or dairy, she said “Are you vegan?” and proceeded to explain what they had that I could eat. From her clarification, I discovered that the curry I’d tried two nights earlier had fish paste in it. Oops. From then on I resolved always to explain to servers that I am vegan.

Asian Palace is an Indian establishment on the waterfront: another example of brilliant food and kind staff. I went for the buffet, and since only about half was vegetarian, he gave it to me for half the price and since I was the only person there, the service was impeccable. Taco Pica, a Mexican/Guatemalan restaurant on Germain Street, serves a great black bean tortilla dish, but be careful of the paella because even the vegetable version is cooked with fish.

T.O.F.U. debut 13

Calling its customers in by way of a Hawaiian skirtclad mannequin outside, the Thai Hut is located inside the Quality Convenience on King Street.

The award for the best food I have eaten in Saint John is won hands down by the most unlikely spot: a convenience store. Calling its customers in by way of a Hawaiian skirt-clad mannequin outside, the Thai Hut is located inside the Quality Convenience on King Street. A miniscule kitchen at the back is run by two women who, upon my request, immediately said “we have vegan pad thai!” and proceeded to make it without eggs or fish sauce.

That was impressive enough, but the taste was beyond compare. Served in little Asian take-away boxes with chopsticks, it was an ideal meal. I get slightly red in the face remembering that the only reason we went in there was that it was virtually the only place open for food on a Sunday. Try not to be a snob when it comes to eating establishments...it helps.

Saint John really is full of delicious vegan food. While it sadly does not have a vegetarian restaurant or a health food store (or even a grocery store in the downtown core), it earns veggie points with its multitude of ethnic eateries, and well-informed, caring staff. Every place sampled in this article is independently and locally owned, and no doubt there are other such gems lurking in the ancient crannies of this historic port city.

Written with sore feet by Claire Gallant City Market Elwood’s 47 Charlotte Street (506)658-2820 112 Prince William Street (506)657-3001 elwoods.ca

Wild Carrot Cafe Lemongrass 47 Charlotte Street (506)632-1900 42 Princess Street (506)657-8424 lemongrassthaifare.com Mahogany Manor B&B Asian Palace 220 Germain Street(506)636-8000 1 Market Square sjnow.com/mm (506)642-4909 The Feel Good Store 89 Germain Street (506)657-6249 thefeelgoodstore.ca The Infusion 41 Charlotte Street(506)693-8327

T.O.F.U. debut 14

Taco Pica 96 Germain Street (506)633-8492 Thai Hut 38 King Street (506)634-1822

nick’s pancakes AAAmazing. I adapted this recipe from my cousin Nick from Seattle.

Heʼs been vegan for years and years and years and thanks to him I finally discovered the miracle of fluffy vegan pancakes. Never doubt that baking powder can change the world!

1 1/2 cups white flour 1 1/2 tb. cornstarch 2 tb. baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups soymilk 1/4 cup canola oil blueberries, chocolate chips, etc Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add soymilk and oil and mix gently until all the big lumps are gone (I use a whisk for this). Add extras like blueberries now, if you really think you need them. Let the batter sit for several minutes so the gluten can absorb the liquid and your pancakes will be fluffier. While it’s sitting, preheat your NON-STICK pan or griddle to medium heat (don’t go too low or you’ll have pale pancakes). When pan is hot, use one ladle-full of batter per cake, and you’ll get about 8 out of a batch.

Flip cakes when bubbles start popping towards the middle, and the edges are cooked. Cook for 3-4 minutes more on the second side, and you’re good to go! Smother with vegan margarine and pure maple syrup for breakfast paradise.

By Claire Gallant

T.O.F.U. debut 15

vegan chili V3.75 XP advanced So, just like the computer industry seems to believe, there are so many ways to make one more version of something that we are all familiar with. This version of chili borrows from two inspirations in my life: a cook that taught me so much over a few years and, of course, Claire...ok, maybe it was her brother, but her excitement over his addition of potatoes to their chili made me think I should give it a shot. As for the cook, I will never be able to make a chili as good as Tony Foster始s chili from the Ceilidh Connection. In fact, so much of the food I make and the way I work in a kitchen will always bear his mark.

In this chili it is certainly the idea that it needs to be spicy; otherwise it becomes something else.

3-4 tbsp olive oil 3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1 block tofu, chopped 1-2 medium carrots, chopped 1 medium sized potato, chunked 1/4 onion, chopped 1/4 green pepper, sliced 1 can kidney beans 1/2 can whole tomatoes (crush the tomatoes by hand: another Tony influence) 1 small can tomato paste (6 oz.)

1/8 cup of kernel corn cayenne pepper, rosemary, thyme and oregano to taste Place 1/2 the olive oil into a frying pan with garlic, tofu and carrots.

Place potatoes, onions and the remainder of the olive oil into a separate pot. Allow both to heat and simmer until tofu begins to brown.

Add green peppers to frying pan. Add kidney beans, tomato sauce and tomato paste to pot. Allow both to simmer for 5-10 mins or until pot contents begin to bubble.

Add corn and contents of frying pan to pot. Cover and allow to simmer for 20-30mins or until potatoes and carrots are cooked to taste.

Serve with warm margarined bread and perhaps avocado or alfalfa sprouts (I had them in the fridge, figured it was worth a try) on top.

Feel good with a warm, full tummy.

By Ryan Patey

T.O.F.U. debut 16

Activist or pacifist?

Propagandhi’s Todd Kowalski “itʼs not your fault thereʼs nothing you can do itʼs just the way it is thereʼs nothing we can do...”

This sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek slap to the face of so many is typical of the words that have made up the musical history of a band called Propagandhi. If you know anything about them you know that any praises I may write in this magazine will be true, but not needed by them. The people who make up the band, including Todd Kowalski, are modest, intelligent and brutally honest. It is these elements in the things they do both as a band and through their label, G7 Welcoming Committee, that has inspired me to keep doing what I feel is right instead of what seems easiest. My move to Winnipeg has certainly not been easy, but there have been some great moments and one of those was the chance to see Propagandhi in front of a hometown crowd all for the benefit of Sage House, Sisters in Spirit and the cd launch for the Canada Haiti Action Network. The crowd ran the gamut from the “portage freaks” to the highly educated activist but the overall feeling of being somewhere for a good cause and knowing that so many others agreed almost surpassed the actual concert...almost.

Like so many others I know who feel convinced to question things around them, Propagandhi could care less if you are against them, but if you are with them they are more than willing to help you out.

With that in mind I was very happy to be able to discuss veganism with Todd over a series of emails.

T.O.F.U. debut 17

Might as well get this one out of the way, why vegan?

I think it is a reasonable and logical conclusion to become vegan if you are interested in justice for all living beings. I have no need to hurt animals for my own enjoyment or comfort. I do not want to contribute to the industries that are polluting the world, and killing and hurting animals. Being vegan is easy, healthy, and much more enjoyable than being curled up in pain after eating a bratwurst. haha.....

Was it a progression from carnivore to veggie to vegan, or did you go, for lack of a better term, cold turkey?

I went vegetarian in one night after thinking about it for a month or so. It seemed like the right thing to do.

I was vegetarian for a year or two before becoming vegan. It wasn’t a slow process though. I just decided one day to stop drinking milk and coagulated teat pus.

Is being vegan an active or passive part of your life and your beliefs?

As in, do you believe that it is something to promote to other people, or simply something others can choose on their own?

We definitely use our band to promote veganism through music, interviews, articles etc...In my own life I try to let my example be my message to the people around me. It works. Many of my friends, as well as my brother, have become vegetarian after seeing how easy it was.

Is the whole band vegan?

Yes, the whole band is vegan. It is important to us that since our band has a certain ideology that we all believe what we are saying and playing or else it is not sincere.

How do you view someone who is vegetarian but can not change to vegan because of how good cheese/milk, etc... is, or some other reason that they have?

People will do their own thing and that’s the way it goes but I cannot understand how the taste of milk or cheese overrides compassion and justice in their lives. I would suspect that if they quit that stuff they would soon find it repulsive. I could never eat or drink milk or cheese again. It’s like pus. People can easily change if they have the will and desire to do so.

Do you find it difficult to connect with people who knowingly eat animals despite the harm?

Everybody who eats meat knows the harm in some way. I do feel somewhere in me a small bit of resentment for this. Of

T.O.F.U. debut 18

���������������������������������������

���� ���������������� ������ �������� ������������������� ����������������� � ���������������� ��������������������������������� �������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������

course it’s generally not changing my day-to-day existence or making me not like people but I constantly wonder how they can carry on like this if they consider themselves “just”. If people have no compassion for animals whatsoever I would tend to think that this person is a goof. Of course, we have to remember that there are certain cultures where, due to circumstances, vegetarianism has not even entered the national or societal conversation in any way. These people I would not fault too strongly. We in North America definitely have the information and cultural history to act in a different way, especially considering that most of our “meat” is produced in revolting factory farms. With this in mind, “Free Range” meat is not a justifiable substitute.

We in North America definitely have the information and cultural history to act in a different way, especially considering that most of our “meat” is produced in revolting factory farms.

Do you believe a large part of the world is simply ignorant to the harm towards animals that their diet and lifestyle cause, or do you believe people just ignore the facts?

I would say there is a lot of both. In a place like Sudan the entire history, social structure, and living conditions have made cow herding the backbone of the society. Inuit people rely on their age-old ways to sustain themselves up North. I don’t think these people are ignoring the facts. As I said before the idea of stopping these ways of life does not enter their society’s national or cultural conversation. We are in a different place under completely different cicumstances and it is clear that people here

T.O.F.U. debut 19

are defensive and looking to mock ideas, hide what they are doing, and know what they are doing is wrong. Factory farms are the least natural and sickest phenomenon on earth.

Do you feel being vegan is a natural choice for you, or something you can choose due to the modern society you live in? Would you be vegan if you lived somewhere without the choices of a “developed” nation?

Again understanding the above answer if I was born Inuit up north, Dinka in Sudan or if I was from some other place where eating meat was the backbone of my life I probably would have not developed into a vegetarian. If I was from one of these places and moved to Canada or the U.S. I could very well be revolted and become vegetarian very quickly.

Of course society dictates how your life and choices go. In Winnipeg, In France, In London, In Greece, in Australia, Japan etc..there is no reason to eat any meat whatsoever.

Throughout your lyrics and your work you are avid promoters of many other things besides animal welfare. You also spend a lot of time promoting causes that are connected to various persecuted groups around the world. In fact, thanks to G7 I have learned so much more than I ever would have about the history and current state of Native American populations. I am curious as to your views on their cultural habits in regards to animals, and whether or not you believe that their connection with the animals is one of respect and equality or if you still view them the way you would view a white North American who eats meat?

I think I mostly answered this above. People who are living traditionally and out of sustanance I do not feel the need to fault. I’m not sure about the idea of “equality”, but necessity, perhaps? This is not a question for me to answer since it is a different culture. However, white or aboriginal, buying your meat off white factory farms is completey unjust and decidedly against nature and, as I understand, against aboriginal culture. It is not sustainable, logical, necessary, just or “spiritual”.

In your travels, have you noticed a cultural difference between North America and Europe? Which made it easier as a vegan? Did you find one area more familiar with the concept than another?

I find them very similar. Small pockets of vegetarians and huge amounts of flesh-thirsty freaks.

Name three of your favourite restaurants in Canada.

How about Merkato Ethiopian restaurant here in Winnipeg, Thidas’ Thai restaurant here, and I’ll say just for the hell of it Spring Roll here in

T.O.F.U. debut 20

Winnipeg since the woman there is so nice and they have a vegetarian menu. I like other ones in Canada a lot but I have no idea what they are called...

When can I help you get to Halifax and the East Coast to find a few good places there to eat? I can already recommend some, as well as a few venues to play.

Hopefully soon! I have no idea at this point! When the time comes we’ll gladly take your advice!

Todd “spoke” to Ryan on March 10, 2007. http://www.propagandhi.com http://www.g7welcomingcommittee.com

T.O.F.U. debut 21

broke bank mountain meal For some reason I feel this would be a great meal over a campfire, and for any vegan fridge none of these ingredients are out of the ordinary. Hence, a nice warm meal that can comfort and does not involve spending a large sum of money.

1/4 medium white onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (more to taste) 1 sweet potato/yam, diced 2 stalks celery, chopped 1/4 - 1/3 package of veggie ground round (340g package) 1/4 cup of whole kernel corn Chili powder or other suitable spice 2 tbsp olive oil 1/3 head of broccoli (cut according to preference) 1/3 head of cauliflower 2-3 medium carrots, diced or sliced lengthwise 1/4 green pepper, sliced Saute onions, garlic and sweet potato in large frying pan with olive oil.

Place broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and green pepper into bamboo steamer over boiling water.

When sweet potato begins to brown add celery, corn and groundround. Sprinkle chili powder to taste.

Once steamed veggies are to taste remove everything from heat.

Serve veggies with a little soy sauce. Either mix all ingredients together or serve separately.

By Ryan Patey

T.O.F.U. debut 22

Cure or Crux?

A macrobiotic beginning A long time ago in a land not so far away, a little girl was born into a life with really bad allergies and migraine headaches. She spent her time sniffling over fudgesicles and getting all gummed up from a ‘healthy’ glass of milk.

Struggling to find a non-pharmaceutical solution to these phlegmy woes, her mother stumbles across some ancient wisdom. But how does one differentiate between legitimate ancient therapies and hocus pocus?

Now, many people make dietary decisions based on allergic reactions and sensitivities and many people delve into fad dieting habits to hopefully improve their lives. Whether it’s for strictly health-related reasons or just to lose a couple extra pounds, people seem to believe that there is one magic meal plan that will save them from the wreckage of Western eating patterns.

Macrobiotics may or may not be an example of such - that depends on who you talk to. There is a pile of controversy surrounding that question and it is littered wildly all over the internet. Some of the biggest opponents of this type of eating and living style ground their argument in the scandalous death of two major Macrobiotics Advocates in the US - Michio Kushi and Aveline Kushi. The two died of cancer, the very disease they believed the diet to cure. Illness and allergies are the main reasons modern persons choose macrobiotic eating, though in its more restrictive forms it is not encouraged by The Council of Foods and Nutrition of the American Medical Association. They conclude that the more exclusive macrobiotic diets can cause a multitude of problems like scurvy, anemia, loss of kidney function, hypocalcemia and general malnutrition.

We all know today that veggie eaters are super healthy, bras are very restrictive and black people are, well, people.

Similar criticisms have been screamed at vegetarians and vegans alike especially at their active peak during the 1960’s. That insane period of American awakening which bore bra burning, black rights, and a lot of dreamy eyed pot smokers and acid heads also heard the cry of George

T.O.F.U. debut 23

Ohsawa, who philosophized Macrobiotics as a formal and recognized healthy alternative. We all know today that veggie eaters are super healthy, bras are very restrictive and black people are, well, people. All very shocking findings really.

There are numerous retreats and treatment centres scattered all over North America that are founded in this Japanese ideal that meals should be based on the yin vs. yang principle. It goes so far as to delegate which foods belong in what category. Foods that are particularily yin or yang in nature are not generally part of a macrobiotic diet. Some very yin foods include: sweet fruits, sugars, coffee, alcohol and some dairy.

Some examples of the very yang are: poultry, eggs and refined sea salt.

Basically anything that is really sweet is yin and really salty is yang.

Recommended foods fall in between these extremes in a more balanced manner. Daily proper consumption should be broken up into measured categories. An ideal plan is to have 5% sea plants like kombu and nori, 5%-10% soups like miso, 50%-60% whole cereals, 10% beans and 25%30% fruit and vegetables. Seeds, fish, seasonings like herbs, oils and unrefined sea salt are sometimes included as healthy additions.

The scheme is not specifically vegan or vegetarian in nature but of course there are exceptions to every rule; just like you can be a Buddhist and a Christian, you can be a meat-eating macro. This is more of a diet balancing act than outright activism or yogic ahisma. It’s not just about the type of food that you eat; there are rules concerning preparation and even farming techniques. All food is encouraged to have been grown organically and locally to promote a closer connection with the earth in a relatively

T.O.F.U. debut 24

non-harming fashion as well as the obvious heath benefits of a chemicalfree diet. (I do sometimes wonder about the impact of habits that are almost too pure in relation to immune function and natural antibody development. That may have to be another story all together).

People who adhere to all of these strict guidelines - and the list does go on and on - believe that they are creating harmony on their plate that in effect will translate into positive energy in daily life.

Brown rice and some whole cereals must be cooked in a pressure cooker, all food is fried or boiled in earthen cookware and the use of a microwave is virtually banned. Some widely adopted cooking styles are traditional Asian techniques like kinpira, ohitashi and sukiyaki. Oven baking and tempura are also accepted practices. Chewing must be done in the most relaxed capacity, slowly even. People who adhere to all of these strict guidelines - and the list does go on and on - believe that they are creating harmony on their plate that in effect will translate into positive energy in daily life. They struggle to create tranquil equilibrium of what is within the body and without.

So hocus pocus? I don’t really know. What I do know is that the little girl grew up to drink and smoke as much as the next person and eat as much meat as she wants. She also has no allergies or sensitivities. Does that mean the macro-stint cured her? I don’t know. It can’t be proven. Any combination of happenstance could have affected her long-term health.

Tomorrow she could drop dead from heart failure or burst into flames and we could blame it on the smoking or the red meat or macrobiotic dieting. What I do believe is that balance is very important, almost as much so as moderation. If you find a perfect solution, I will buy shares in your multimillion-dollar idea. For now I think I will do my daily yoga and remember to finish every bite on my plate.

Haley Thomas, opinionated omnivore

T.O.F.U. debut 25

T.O.F.U. debut 26

yummy butternut squash 1 large butternut squash* 1 small white onion chopped 4 cloves of garlic minced 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 cup chopped broccoli 1 cup of veg. stock 2 tbsp chili powder 1 tsp mustard powder 1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional) 2 cups water 1 cup soy milk Preheat over to 400 C. Grease a cookie sheet with oil. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Place cut side down onto cookie sheet. Bake squash for 30-40mins or until skin pierces easily with fork.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, saute oil, onion, garlic, salt, pepper. Add broccoli and vegetable stock. Simmer on low heat until squash is cooked.

When squash is done, let it cool, or with oven mitts on, scoop out cooked squash into your pot. Add chili powder, mustard powder and nutmeg. Add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of soy milk. Stir in and simmer for five minutes.

Remove soup from heat. Either use hand blender or food processor to blend until smooth. Soup should be thick, yummy and done. Add more “milk� or water for thinner soup. Enjoy.

By Tammy Mast * keep seeds from squash, wash and soak in salt water for ten minutes.

Bake at 200 C for ten minutes. Great for salad or snack.

T.O.F.U. debut 27

The Secret Ingredient: Dad and His Love of Food When I was five, I created “Claire’s Big Food Book”. I cut out pictures of food from magazines, glued them on big pieces of cardboard, tied it together with yarn and labeled each item. I remember doing it. My favourite books as a child were mostly food-related, and today when there is a part I remember in a children’s book it’s almost certainly because it had to do with a picnic, a party, or a lunch. I had all the Frances books

by Arthur and Lilian Hoban, and they had brilliant descriptions of food. I even remember clearly the details of the Chompo bar and the bubblegum in A Birthday for Frances; so much so that the book pops into my head whenever I chew gumballs. The parts of Pippi Longstocking that stand out are the tea party where she couldn’t behave and the time she rolled out cookies on her floor.

My father and mother shared the cooking roles in my house. Mom made the casseroles and Dad the “meat and potatoes”- type meals, and big holiday dinners. We sat down for a homemade meal every night, and Dad insisted upon serving everything in nice bowls, never in the pots they’d been cooked in. This pissed me off in later childhood when I had to do the dishes, and in university when I just couldn’t see the need for a pretty table. He always cooked several vegetables with his meals, but of course they were always sides.

Sometimes he only made ones that my sister Isabelle and I disliked, and in fact always had.

When we reminded him of this fact, he’d say “whaaaat?” as though it was the first he’d heard of it. Though the veg were often in scant amounts (why, no one could quite figure out), Dad always made a winning salad with every meal - and these were serious, healthy salads. No messing about with iceberg lettuce and crappy, commercial dressings - romaine, radishes (which I picked out), green pepper, cuke, tomato, apple, different kinds of cabbage. He made his own dressings too, but these were too tangy for me (I unfortunately preferred Kraft).

T.O.F.U. debut 28

Back then, food was just food - there was no thought in my mind about where it came from, except that I knew it came mainly from our kitchen and not the colourful boxes in the frozen-foods and cereal aisles at the grocery store, and I (for the most part) liked it that way.

Though we were by no means vegetarian, I’m sure Isabelle and I ate more vegetables than most kids. Mom pointedly made one vegetarian main meal every week (though I only recently learned of this intention!).

Pop, chips, candy, sugary cereals, “fruit” drinks, even commercial peanut butter were wonders never seen in our kitchen. My parents were obviously conscious about avoiding packaged, chemical-laden foods. I remember tagging along with Mom to Super Natural Foods, which was in the basement of what’s now the Aliant building in Halifax, to get peanut butter in clear bulk containers - it was made from only peanuts and we ladled it out of vats. I went to friends’ homes and was amazed (and delighted) at the abundance of junk food available to snack on. At my house, a popular after-school snack was toast or a bagel with peanut butter. We never ate dinner until 7:30 or 8:00 (which I thought perfectly standard for ages), so those snacks were virtually a meal in themselves. We always drank milk with dinner, which was very important then, and afterwards it was “fruit and dessert”; ie, fruit before dessert. I was surprised to learn that at friends’ houses, fruit was dessert. We never had fancy baked things, but we were always allowed something sweet, usually ice cream, or when we really lucked out, my brother Rene’s cookies. Rene baked with me and Isabelle from when we were pretty small. When I was five we went to my grandparents’ in Maine for Christmas, and I remember crawling up to the attic to wake up Rene early on Christmas morning, saying, “you said you’d make cinnamon rolls with me!” He made the best cinnamon rolls.

I knew my destiny even then.

T.O.F.U. debut 29

Sunday dinners were big, always revolving around animal foods. But then I had no concept of vegetarianism - it simply wasn’t on the radar. I can’t remember even one person I knew as a child who was vegetarian, and I grew up in a pretty liberated home. I loved those Sunday dinners, and the big breakfasts Dad often cooked for us. Back then, food was just food - there was no thought in my mind about where it came from, except that I knew it came mainly from our kitchen and not the colourful boxes in the frozen-foods and cereal aisles at the grocery store, and I (for the most part) liked it that way. I always thought that when I moved out I’d live on box after box of Froot Loops, but of course by then I was too smart for that. Damn it.

But as far as vegan role models - no. There weren’t any. I didn’t learn the word vegan until 3rd year university, when my then-partner Dan’s brother and his girlfriend were vegan, and ate mainly organic. Dan found them strange, and I suppose by my standards at that time they were, but today, I’m pretty sure I’m a lot like they were. We had dinner at their house - mulligatawny soup, some interesting casserole, and apple crisp - and I remember being surprised that there was an easy replacement for butter: margarine. Dan and I talked about going vegetarian when we lived together in 4th year, but since we were buying food with a third roomie it never happened. He drank soymilk though, when I was still drinking cow’s milk. Vegetarianism was definitely in my consciousness then; I recall eating Dad’s barbecued chicken and having to tell my mind to forget what I was eating.

I’ve pretty well learned the basics of cooking on my own, but my love of all things kitchen was instilled by Dad. Dad loved to cook, more than Mom. He would spend hours making dinner, especially when we had people over. In the summer particularly, we’d eat some nights at 9:30 or 10. If you offered to help him cook because you were getting ridiculously hungry, he’d agree but the meal somehow would never be ready any faster. On holidays Dad got even more elaborate with his preparations. He would choose about seven recipes from somewhere snazzy (usually Bon Appetit or James Beard) that were generally heavy on the cream and salt - oblivious to Mom’s protests - and spend all day cooking. Mom did the cranberry sauce.

I know I inherited a similar tendency both to cook elaborate meals and to control my kitchen. I prefer cooking alone, or with a really trusted friend, to having many helpers. I get paranoid that someone’s going to screw something up.

Dad showed me how to cook fried fish once, during university when I was home for Christmas. He revealed his secret ingredient - he was fond of

T.O.F.U. debut 30

The authorʼs 7th birthday, 1989. surprise ingredients - which was that he fried the fish in a knob of bacon fat, which he took from a jar he kept by the stove. That repulsed me even then, but he was adamant that that made the taste. Food for him was taste above all. His food tastes were a mix of high-end and rural PEI; he travelled all over the world sampling flavours, but had been raised on the salt cod and boiled potatoes of Rustico. He’d come back from the store with all kinds of pricey delicacies, like 5-year-old cheddar, pate, and halibut.

Countless gifts I gave him were food-related: boxes of chocolates, jars of special mustards and hot sauces, and my proudest one: a spicy marinade with my own face on the label, that I got specially made at Harvey Nichol in Manchester. Dad loved spicy food. One of his specialties after being in Jamaica was jerk chicken or ribs, using Jamaican jerk sauce. At one party he put on so much sauce it was virtually inedible.

Dad wasn’t very supportive of vegetarianism, and extra skeptical of veganism. In 4th year university, one of my roomies was vegetarian, and when Dad and the fam came to visit he cooked halibut steaks for dinner.

He kept asking her to try “just a little bit”, and finally she did. I wasn’t around him much after I went veg*n, though; I was living in England for a year when I made the switch and three weeks after I came home, he died.

But I think he would be happy to know about my intense passion for food,

T.O.F.U. debut 31

Summer picnic, featuring the ubiquitous salad bowl, 1986. even for a kind of food he never had much connection with. (Dad worked in fisheries for much of his life, from running a fish plant to doing fishery and aquaculture consulting for years.) I do recall making a carrot-ginger soup once that he praised. It felt great getting his praise, because most vegetarian dishes, even if he liked them, were accompanied by his playful “where’s the meat?”

It’s hard to say if Dad were still around whether my vegan commitment would be stronger, or less convinced; he certainly had a huge impact on my eating all his life. It was only when I moved to England that I started getting really excited about cooking in my own kitchen. I had always loved food, books about food, food shops and markets, but I finally came into my own with vegan cooking and exploring. I’ve now finally found the food that I’m completely in love with - and the kind of passion I feel is what Dad was full of. As my sister Nicole said, “If we want to remember Dad, we can get out a bottle of wine and ask a few friends over for dinner...”

Compiled with much love by Claire Gallant

T.O.F.U. debut 32

T.O.F.U. debut 33

emma’s tofu I have a spectacular friend called Emma who lives in Chicago. She let me in on this tofu secret a few years ago. Itʼs the easiest way to make tofu ever, and it tastes so good. Use the results in a bun with toppings, sliced in salads, stir-fries and rice dishes, and in potato salad.

1 block tofu 2 tb. olive oil 1 tsp. sesame oil 2 tb. tamari Preheat oven to broil. Slice tofu into thin rectangles and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet or two. Mix oils and tamari in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush or a spoon to drizzle the marinade over the tofu pieces. Broil for 5-7 minutes, or until they start to sizzle audibly.

Take tray out and flip tofu pieces; drizzle the rest of the marinade on the tofu and broil for another 5 minutes. Remove, cool, and use tofu in a chameleon-like manner in any dish you can think of.

By Claire Gallant

T.O.F.U. debut 34

Compassion for Conformity How do you tell someone you love that you think they are ignorant?

How do you remain ignorant to the actions of someone you love?

These are the questions that often have me running in circles in my head. I have often thought myself to be somewhat compassionate and understanding in regards to other people, but I also often question the actions of others when compared to what I do. As many people could attest, these thoughts are easy to deal with when applied to the masses, the overall faceless majority. However, when you find yourself looking in the eyes of a close friend, someone who you feel a great connection with, how can you justify their actions as they fill their mouth with a burger and fries while you opt for the limp spinach salad?

There is no great critical debate about nature versus nurture for people who choose to be vegan, it is simply a choice and not a trait inherent in our genes...at least I don’t think so. If our aversion to animal products was simply an allergy, an easily visible physical reaction, then perhaps we could simply see the people around us as lucky to not have this “affliction” bestowed upon them. However, the majority of us were not born vegan, and were most likely raised in a manner common to the people we know.

The turning point to veganism, seen by many as the point where the wool was pulled from our eyes (for lack of an animal-friendly metaphor), happened somewhere during our lives. At this point the conscious decision was made to avoid causing harm to other living beings, and it is also at this point that we labelled ourselves as different.

These questions are held in because this is a line that could divide an otherwise great connection, and this is a battle that perhaps does not need to be won or even fought.

You know it well, all the questions and strange looks and maybe even the simple brushing off of the issues. Do you also know the “oh, I could never do that” or the “man, I wish I was as determined as you” or “I could never give up a tasty steak”? All of these and more are common statements heard from the mouths of loved ones, friends and strangers every day

T.O.F.U. debut 35

when another vegan talks about a choice that shapes his life.

And yet we endure these moments, we become used to them, we develop a thicker skin; or we rationalize to ourselves that we are comfortable with who we are and making a logical decision. Rarely do we question the carnivores, the people who say they are too weak to change, or the ones who simply refuse to. These questions are held in because this is a line that could divide an otherwise great connection, and this is a battle that perhaps does not need to be won or even fought.

Instead we simply think to ourselves that it is ok for our friends to do the things they do, it is ok for them to make the choices they make, and they are wonderful people for so many reasons. Then we proceed to ridicule the faceless mass for their ignorance and their unhealthy consumption and destruction while the ones with faces are put in a different space.

How can we change the world when we do not even try to change our neighbours? How can we show reason to complete strangers when we hide it from those who love us and listen? In the end are the factory

T.O.F.U. debut 36

farmers, the seal hunters, and the scientists in animal labs not the friends of someone else? If you were to meet people without knowing that they were in some way contributing to animal cruelty, how much would change when you came to love them for their interest in art, their understanding voice, or some other endearing quality?

As we speak of compassion for animals some of us tend to forget that we are animals as well, and the idea of compassion for ALL living things is clouded by the focus on the living things that cannot make the choice for themselves. Perhaps that is it, perhaps we do not feel it is right to control those who can not stop us. Perhaps we think they do not wish to be caged, beaten, plucked or boiled, and I believe this is a fair assumption for anyone. If so, then why do we give our friends, family and neighbours the gift of ignorance as they choose to deny other living things a free existence?

For me the way to numb the conflict with loved ones’ actions is found in the reason I am vegan. My belief that an animal diet is a justifiable existence in some circumstances is the way I manage to rationalize the lives of so many I know and love. I tell myself that I am unable to kill another living thing, but in the end there are people out there that would be able to do it to live. I convince myself that I am fortunate enough to live in a part of society that allows me to choose being vegan and still be healthy and full each day. I tell myself that those who would be willing to kill are aware of the results of their dietary choice and therefore ignorance is not the reason. Their actions are justified in their own heads and in mine. I do not judge harshly so many around the world who raise animals for food, who have lived off the land for centuries and continue to do so to this day where they can.

And my friends who live in the cities throughout North America? My family who lives in a society that provides options that can prevent the death of so many beautiful creatures? Well, I love them all in some form or another, and when my reasoning fails I just fill my mouth with another piece of spinach and avoid looking at the food on their plate.

Thought about for way too long by Ryan Patey

T.O.F.U. debut 37

thai peanut linguine (I get seriously excited whenever I make this :) ) -1/2 package of firm tofu -1/2 lb. frozen veggies, any kind you like! (I use fresh, usually mushrooms, broccoli, shredded carrots or 2 sliced, 1/2 red and 1/2 green pepper, 1 bunch green onion) -1/2 bulb garlic, or go crazy with it!

-1 to 2 inches of fresh ginger -2 tablespoons red curry paste or curry powder (makes it VERY spicy, use less if desired) 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter -1 14 oz. can lite coconut milk -box of whole wheat linguine -sesame oil for frying the veggies -rice flour or other flour for tofu -salt to taste Chop tofu into small cubes and coat with rice flour. Fry in pan until golden.

SAUCE - chop up green onions, garlic and grate your ginger. Fry these in 2 tbsp. oil in a separate pan. Add coconut milk, curry paste and peanut butter. Add curry and peanut butter until you get it to your liking!

Boil pasta while you do up the veggies! Cut up remaining veggies, and add them in the frying pan with the tofu. Fry until cooked. Add pasta with a little more sesame oil and stir well! Toss with the sauce to coat.

By Lindsay Henry

T.O.F.U. debut 38

bruschetta/pasta topping This sensory marvel is fresh and tasty. It will taste best in June, the month in which it was created. Use to top pasta like rotini, and then spread it on toast the next day.

4-6 cloves garlic, minced (use a garlic press if poss.)

1/2 a red onion, roughly chopped 3 stalks green onion, roughly chopped 10 small cremini mushrooms, chopped lotsa olive oil a few shakes each dried basil and oregano (use 1 tb. each fresh if you have it) 3 large ripe tomatoes, chopped 3 sundried tomatoes, rehydrated and chopped a couple handfuls cooked chickpeas Saute garlic and onions in liberal amounts of olive oil for 10 minutes.

Add mushrooms and herbs. After 5 minutes, add fresh tomatoes, sundried tomatoes and chick peas. Let simmer on medium heat (not low) for 15-20 minutes, or long enough for you to have a conversation with a friend who drops in, or to watch some of Friends. All flavours will combine and thicken. Serve as explained above.

By Claire Gallant

T.O.F.U. debut 39

VeganNet: Blogs Reviewed veganlunchbox.blogspot.com Find out what Little Shmoo has for lunch every day! This guy is one lucky kid, with one meticulous vegan mom. Jennifer McCann creates (and I do mean creates) and photgraphs her son’s lunches, and other packed meals, and displays them on this award-winning site. Posts used to be daily, now they’re weekly and occasionally more often. Aztec designs carved into apple skins? Radishes cut like roses? Fried tofu in the shape of a tiger’s head? I’ve seen it all on this inspiring blog. Every meal is crazy healthy, balanced, and beautiful. She recently released a cookbook, Vegan Lunch Box. It’s mindbloggling how much time these boxes must take her, but really, what could be cheerier than a gorgeously packed vegan lunch? sarahstourdiary.blogspot.com Vegan cookbook superstar Sarah Kramer’s daily musings. She travels all the time for booksignings and demos, and always keeps her site updated with pictures of every dish she orders at vegan restaurants in new cities and also in Victoria, where she lives. Her pics are quality, as proven by her other site, sarahkramerphotography.com. She also owns a tattoo shop with her husband, so her life is one big small business extravaganza. (Find the contradiction there...) vegancupcakes.wordpress.com This is the blog for Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s latest book, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Playful, stunning pics of vegan cupcakes, including cupcake towers and cupcakes posing with action figures. This blog is a solid dose of fiery cupcake banter every time she posts; her writing is both hilarious and “fuck the man” in tone. It makes me want to get off my blogsurfing ass and do something awesome.

T.O.F.U. debut 40

T.O.F.U. debut 41

T.O.F.U. debut 42

T.O.F.U. debut 43

Who Cares if You’re Vegan?

My philosophy of veganism is not like that of any other vegan I’ve ever met. Most vegans have in mind some goal of diminishing animal suffering or achieving total animal liberation, or participating in a revolution of some kind. In short, they think they can make a difference simply by being vegan.

I don’t want to tell anyone that they can’t make a difference, but I think it behooves us to be realistic about our actions and their implications.

A very important first step in the life of anyone who cares about animal suffering is to see to it that he or she contributes as little as possible to that suffering. Being vegan is the best step you can take to that end, and it might get you out of the red, but, at best, it only brings you up to zero.

It’s a passive choice, not an active one. Being vegan isn’t the same as being an activist or liberating a lab animal or even housing a homeless pet.

Imagine a helpful metaphor to illustrate this point. You live in the Southern United States during slavery. Is it doing much good to not own slaves or buy slave-manufactured products? It does some good, but really that’s the least we can expect of you; it doesn’t exactly make you a crusader for abolition. I think of veganism the same way.

I don’t care whether you’re vegan or not, I care why you’re vegan or not.

One might think from that last paragraph that I’m a devoted and radical activist and mobilizer for animal liberation. I’m not. I do very little to help anyone at any time. I basically write songs, read books, and think about things more than anyone really needs to think about anything. Here’s how it is: a person is morally obligated not to act poorly, but no one is morally obligated to act well. That’s an important distinction. If someone is drowning before your very eyes and you have the ability to save them, it would be nice if you did, but it is not morally imperative for you to take any action; you’re just not allowed to push them under. That said, people who are helpful are far superior human beings to people like me. I know that. Dante would have me spending eternity in Hell’s anteroom, sort of a purgatory, rather than going to Heaven, which is certainly a condemnation of people like me. I do the minimum. Shame on me. Sadly, it’s still more than most people do.

T.O.F.U. debut 44

So is being vegan helpful? I think it is - that’s one less chicken getting mangled and dying a fearful, torturous death. But the best reason to be vegan is that the right thing is worth doing for its own sake, not because of its possible repercussions. Here’s the deal: for as long as there has been life on earth, there has been suffering. Animals eat each other, they cause each other fear and pain, and humans are no different in that regard. There has always been a copious amount of suffering and there will always be a copious amount of suffering, human and non-human. The choice you get to make is how much you will contribute to that suffering.

You have no hope of ending suffering, either for humans or animals. You do have a choice about whether or not you do the right thing, and maybe in the process you’ll make the world a slightly better place for someone.

But don’t count on it.

So here’s what it really boils down to, and I think it’s something that makes me a bit different from most vegans: I don’t care whether you’re vegan or not, I care why you’re vegan or not. That’s part of the reason that, when I’m spreading the word, I don’t tell people about the health benefits of a vegan diet unless they bring it up – because it would be dishonest. I care about animal welfare, not any human’s physical health (although I generally have more respect for the idea that someone cares about his or her bodily well-being more than I have respect for indifference to one’s physical state, but ultimately, it’s beside the point).

So where does that leave us? Like I said before, the right thing to do is worth doing just because it’s the right thing, not because of the implications of that choice. And you see, the nice thing about that cynical and difficult position is that doing the right thing typically has positive implications.

Nevertheless, humans and animals alike will mostly continue to be

T.O.F.U. debut 45

largely indifferent to the plight of others, both causing and experiencing ample anguish. Good people are few, and change, when it happens at all, creeps along at a snail’s pace. Nevertheless, here’s to a better future for a negligible minority of living things on planet earth until humans finally succeed in making this place absolutely uninhabitable for all life. Yeehaw!

In closing, I’d like to remind everyone to support the SHAC 7. Read about their case at www.SHAC7.com .

Happy Kreter

T.O.F.U. debut 46

Would you like lies with that?

In a world where faster equals better and time is in short supply, is it possible that the diet of a vegan is more adaptive than that of a carnivore?

As the decades have passed the world has seen the tradition of the family meal slowly fade into the tradition of eating on the way out the door. To many the need for food can often seem to be a hindrance, something to slow down your ability to be productive. Putting the obsession with diet trends and weigh-loss aside, there is an underlying tendency for people to try to eat less in order to spend more time doing everything else they feel they need to do in the measly 24 hours we have allotted for a day.

The idea of a luxurious meal eaten over a time span of more than 510mins or the time it takes to watch the evening news is as foreign to some as the beauty in watching a bee spend his day pollinating a field of flowers. Should these things not be something we all have the benefit of taking part in at some point?

The idea of a luxurious meal eaten over a time span of more than 5-10mins or the time it takes to watch the evening news is as foreign to some as the beauty in watching a bee spend his day pollinating a field of flowers.

The ironic part is as we continue on our inward trend to simply developing a tube in which we can feed ourselves the bare essentials within the time it takes to shave or shower or perhaps a device to decrease the size of our stomachs (oh, wait...we already have that!) we are also moving further and further away from the simple foods that could provide us with so much.

Ask any vegan or vegetarian how fulfilling a simple apple, banana or other fruit can be in the middle of the day compared to the various health bars that Kellogg’s or Quaker have decided will give us what we need.

Sure, most people who enjoy a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle adapt to allowing for a longer amount of time in their day to prepare and eat their food, but for those who do not is it not still easier to live life in the fast lane as a compassionate eater?

T.O.F.U. debut 47

As someone who only recently decided my ignorance towards the consequences of my diet was no longer excusable I remember the days when I would spend more time checking the meal I was preparing to be sure it was fully cooked. A common occurrence for anyone who has had the misfortune of cooking flesh is the fear of knowing that if the animal is not completely cooked the meal may indeed turn out to be a painful experience.

Photo by Sarah Cooper

Now, as a vegan I rarely have to be concerned with undercooking whatever wonderful items I have in front of me. Sure, on the rare occasion I have suffered the horrible consequences of raw vegetables that were supposed to be cooked, but I consider this quite the pleasant experience compared to the chance of salmonella or such other nasty things showing up on my menu.

So, as the trend towards fast food and quick answers to our body’s constant craving for food increases, would it not make more sense for the answers to be found in a simple bag of carrots, or perhaps a peanut butter and banana sandwich instead of a burger and fries? The health risks taken to shave off those extra five minutes of eating so as to get back to the office could lead to days, weeks, months or longer dealing with the consequences.

The money spent on cutting down on service times and the need to microwave something for a horrible 5-8 minutes instead of 2 could be used

T.O.F.U. debut 48

towards educating the general public about the simplicity, and inherent safety, in a plant-based diet.

In the end, if we all turned to vegetables and fruits throughout our day, who would really be the one losing out? Sure, maybe the poor happy meal would be left in under those heat lamps waiting for someone to give it a home, but I would like to think that your stomach and so many animals would be able to give you a big enough smile to make up for it...and maybe if you’re lucky enough even that small toy that you need to complete the set.

Thoughts provided free of charge by Ryan Patey

�������������������������� �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ����������

���������

����������

� � � � � � � � � � � � �� � � ��

��������

�������

�����

���������������������������������������������

����������������

T.O.F.U. debut 49

valentine curry I named this dish before I made it, and it turned out more orange than pink, so perhaps its true name should be Halloweʼen curry. Oh well.

Whatever pagan holiday you choose to name it after, itʼs a hearty, satisfying dish. Serve over basmati rice.

2 large potatoes, washed and cubed 1/3 of a 16-oz. block of tofu 1/2 a red onion, roughly chopped 2 garlic cloves, sliced lotsa olive oil 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger 3-4 tb. curry powder 1/2 of a 14-oz can coconut milk 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes salt and pepa Cook potatoes in a pot until just done. Set aside. Saute onions and garlic in a hot, medium-sized, pretty deep pan until browned, c. 10 minutes. Add ginger and tofu. Saute tofu for about 10 mins, turning a couple of times, until browned. Add curry powder and more oil, and potatoes. Saute until potatoes are a little browned. Add coconut milk and tomatoes, stir carefully to blend, and let simmer uncovered until liquid has thickened a bit.

Don’t hesitate to add things like lentils or chickpeas or other vegetables to this curry - just add more of everything else too. And the potatoes are key. Don’t leave them out.

By Claire Gallant

T.O.F.U. debut 50

Vancouver: la Creme de La Non-Dairy Creme Vancouver is a wonderful place to be vegan. It’s not the most veganfriendly place in North America, but it is the most vegan-friendly place in Canada (this based on several visits over the years to many major centers in the U.S. and all the major centers in Canada). There are several great places to shop and to eat in Vancouver.

Almost every supermarket in Vancouver (or Rain City, as it is affectionately referred to by some locals) has a good variety of vegan-friendly products, and there are even several health-oriented grocery stores that have a large selection of vegan fare. There are chain stores like Capers and Whole Foods, and a local chain called Choices, that provide vegans with delicious treats and other health and cosmetic products. For baking, you can head to Sweet Cherubim, which includes an all-vegan bakery with quite a few raw treats as well. There are also delicious vegan cookies and muffins scattered here and there around town, one of the best of which is the chocolate spelt cookies from Uprising Bakery.

Those stores are great, but what makes Vancouver the crème de la nondairy crème in Canada is its wide array of restaurants. First is Bo Kong.

George and the staff at Bo Kong will treat you right and hook you up with the best Buddhist Chinese food in Vancouver. I recommend the Vegetarian Cutlet in Orange Sauce and Bean Curd Skin Rolls in Black Bean Sauce for beginners, and for the hardcore explorers, try the Bean Curd Skin Sheet w/ Fresh Ginger, Seaweed and Enoki Mushroom Rolls, or an unlisted menu item called Spinach Noodles in Special Sauce, which you can just order by saying you want the Happy Noodles.

A little outside of Vancouver on the New Westminster/Burnaby border is Paradise Vegetarian Noodle House, a Vietnamese joint. For funky North American-inspired chow, I highly recommend Foundation Lounge, where they serve unique signature dishes including some wonderful stir-frys with quinoa (which anyone with half a brain knows is the supreme grain). I feel I also must mention the uber-popular Naam restaurant. The best thing about this place is that it’s 24 hours. I’m not sure why everyone loves it; I like their breakfasts and their salads, but their entrees leave something to be desired.

T.O.F.U. debut 51

If you don’t mind going to a place that serves meat, you’ll want to head to Sha-Lin Noodle House on Broadway for greasy, garlic-laden Chinese food that will satisfy any palate. Try Pan-Fried Pushing Noodles w/ Tofu and Vegetables and Eggplant and Tomato. Continuing in the also-servesmeat department, check out the Asian-fusion restaurant, Toko, where you’ll want the TanTan Noodle Soup, and Nyala African Cuisine.

There you have it. Vancouver - Canada’s vegan hotspot.

Served up by Happy Noodles Kreter

Choices Market several stores in BC choicesmarket.com

Sweet Cherubim 1105 Commercial (604)253-0969 sweetcherubim.com

Foundation Lounge 2301 Main St. (604)708-0881 Naam Dr. 2724 W. 4th Ave., Kitsilano (604)738-7151

Uprising Bakery 1697 Venables St. (604)254-5635 uprisingbreads.com Bo Kong 3068 Main St. (604)876-3088

Sha-Lin Noodle House 548 W. Broadway (604)873-1816 Toko 223 W. 7th Ave. (604)879-0701

Paradise Vegetarian Noodle Nyala African Cuisine House 4148 Main St. (604)876-9919 8681 10th Ave., Burnaby, BC nyala.com (604)527-8138

T.O.F.U. debut 52

From Guinea Pig to Computer Mouse: Alternative Methods for a Progressive, Humane Education.

By Nick Jukes, Mihnea Chiuia. 2nd edition.

book review Comprehensive and fully revised, this book, produced by the International Network for Humane Education (InterNICHE, interniche.org), provides a resource for teachers, students and animal campaigners to implement changes in life sciences and replace the harmful use of animals in education by alternatives.

Animal experiments in education have many negative impacts. The capture, breeding, killing and preservation of millions of animals not only is harmful to the animals, but also impacts the environment, due to the depletion of certain species used and the release of toxic chemicals.

Another argument for the use of alternatives is their economic benefit.

T.O.F.U. debut 53

Experience shows that the costs of alternative methods are lower than for animal experiments. The stress of students and employees working in the laboratories shouldn’t be underestimated either; besides physical stress (e.g. formaldehyde), personnel are also exposed to emotional stress (the routine killing of animals).

The book begins with a detailed description of alternative methods, addressing pedagogical as well as economic aspects. In the second chapter, the negative effects on students who carry out experiments on animals are described. Among other things the authors see as problematic is that students who do animal experiments will be desensitized towards the feelings of animals, that respect for animals is lost, and that ethical questions will no longer be recognized and scrutinized.

Students who do animal experiments will be desensitized towards the feelings of animals, respect for animals is lost, and ethical questions will no longer be recognized.

The issue of designing curricula that support humane education in the field of bioscience is discussed in the fourth chapter. A humane education imparts values like respect for life, sympathy and charity to the students.

Until today, the focus of humane education has lain solely in imparting knowledge. This is not sufficient. Students have to be motivated to process and analyse this information as well, and ethical values like awe and respect for life have to be imparted. It happens consistently that students refuse to carry out animal experiments in their education, and it has been shown that following public discussion about the ethical problems of harmful animal use, many more students are willing to express their discomfort and concern about the current practice.

The second part of the book has been contributed by scientists. Seven case studies present the reader with practical experiences of the creation and introduction of alternative methods in education from different institutes. The individual statements of scientists can perhaps move other researchers to call for the introduction of alternative methods in their fields.

The last section offers further resources for implementing alternatives in education. The authors refer to so-called alternatives libraries that allow the lending of special products to teachers, students and other interested parties. InterNICHE itself maintains such an alternatives loan system.

T.O.F.U. debut 54

Organizations that work on alternatives in education, humane education and animal protection are also listed.

This second edition of From Guinea Pig to Computer Mouse offers rich background information about the problems of animal experiments in education. Although published in 2003, this book contains resources that are still very relevant and helpful to anyone dealing with the issue of animal use in education. It is highly recommended to every reader.

Olivier Berreville

T.O.F.U. debut 55

T.O.F.U. debut 56

1/4 cup popcorn kernels, unpopped 1/4 cup vegan margarine 2 tb. brown rice syrup 1 tb. maple syrup 1/2 cup salted peanuts

vegan cracker jack

Pop popcorn using an air-popper. Melt marge and both syrups in a small saucepan. Pour over popped popcorn. Add peanuts and mix things around. Enjoy while watching The Devil Wears Prada in your pajamas.

granola trial This was a test recipe that worked perfectly the first time, but itʼs still fun to call it a trial. Itʼs more interesting than just “granola”.

4 cups quick oats 2/3 cup walnut crumbs 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup canola oil 1/4 cup brown rice syrup 1/4 cup maple syrup 1 cup thompson raisins Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix oats, walnuts and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix oil and both syrups. Pour the wet mixture over the dry and mix well. Spread on two cookie sheets and bake for 8 minutes. Turn the granola, bake for another 8 minutes, turn again, bake for 5 minutes, and then let cool for 10-15 minutes.

Use a large metal spatula to crack it off the sheets and bust it up into a large bowl. Mix in the raisins and store in jars. Makes 6 cups.

Both By Claire Gallant

T.O.F.U. debut 57

A Normal, Earnest Band: immaculate Machine’s Brooke Gallupe On Immaculate Machineʼs website, it says: “If you google ʻimmaculate machineʼ, youʼll likely find stuff about really clean motorcyles or tractors, and links to Paul Simon lyrics.” When I googled the words, the entire first page was about Brookeʼs band. Immaculate Machineʼs rhythm-driven rock is insatiably catchy. The Victoria-based trio has put out four records (one in French), with a new release on the way in June. Brooke Gallupe plays guitar and sings, draws beautiful comics, and doesnʼt eat animals. Here are his thoughts on non-vegan water (among other things).

Give us a little background on how your band, Immaculate Machine, came together.

We signed a record deal with Mint Records after deciding to record with high-profile Vancouver producers John Collins and Dave Carswell. We had done a lot of touring and were excited for a lot more for our debut label release, Ones and Zeros. We went all around North America playing in big venues with The New Pornographers, and we toured in Europe, which ruled. Travelling is the big perk of being a musician.

So you tour a lot. I know you’re doing a comic for us about this (see p. 62), but can you give us a bit of detail about what it’s like for you as a vegan when you’re touring, and how travelling with non-vegans affects your experience?

Touring as a vegan is mixed, but mostly fun. It is nice to have some kind of goal when travelling to different cities, something to look for, and Kathryn and Luke are vegan-sympathetic, so they will go to whatever vegan-friendly restaurants we find with me. It is harder to travel in a bigger group - when we were touring with The New Pornographers it was a pretty unwieldy posse so we ended up in places where I was suspicious about even the water.

Is veganism implicated in your life in the band? I read that you all share songwriting duties. Do you have any songs with animal-rights leanings, or suggestions of it?

T.O.F.U. debut 58

There is nothing explicit like that. It’s not my goal to preach about veganism. I prefer to let it be part of the overall context of the band, like: “look, there’s a normal band and they’re part vegan which increases the visibility of veganism and encourages the possibilty in others”.

I think a lot of indie musicians these days are put off by politicized music, so are rebelling against the counter-establishment by eating meat and being neo-conservatives... having a stance on anything is seen as earnest and passé.

I know we’ll get to this one sometime....what are your reasons for being vegan?

I was raised vegetarian and I think it is a sensible choice in terms of: minimizing cruelty toward other animals; maintaining a healthy diet (I don’t/can’t eat most fast food, I will never worry about mercury levels or cholesterol, etc.); and reducing our environmental impact.

On my 23rd birthday I decided to become vegan because I felt that if I could hope for other people to leap to vegetarianism then surely I should put a little effort into changing my own lifestyle for the better too. An effort to act on my beliefs, I guess. Anyway, I really don’t have a ‘vegan or nothing’ attitude. I think the more conscientious you are the better. If you are a rabid carnivore who cuts down on meat and starts eating only organic, then good for you.

T.O.F.U. debut 59

So do you feel veganism is more of a personal, individual choice, or should vegans take an active role and inform as many people as possible about the lifestyle? As a performing musician, you arguably have more influence than vegans who have non-public jobs.

The best way to make a statement about veganism is to make an example of yourself as an otherwise decent, happy person. I’m publicly proud of being a vegan but I am not trying to convert anyone. I am not a big fan of the preachy vegan.

Is Mint Records, your label, totally awesome? I’ve read a few issues of Fresh Breath of Mint and I’m pretty much in love with it. The Carolyn Mark tour diaries keep me inspired (sometimes singlehandedly) about my own bands....

Keen of you to notice - yes, our label is very awesome. They are very accommodating artistically. When we finished recording Ones and Zeros, we offered to let them listen to the songs and help us choose the ones that would make the final cut. They refused to let any of their staff say anything because they didn’t want the business to interfere in any way at all with our music.

How’s Victoria as a city for vegans? I read Sarah Kramer’s blog a lot, and it sounds to me like it’s pretty great if you’re vegan, maybe a little better than Halifax. Confirm/deny at will.

There are tons of options here, but the well-known places to eat, Re-bar and Green Cuisine, cater to an older, richer market. It’s not the best of the cities I’ve been to, but it’s closer to the top of the list than the bottom. A little better than Halifax.

The best way to make a statement about veganism is to make an example of yourself as an otherwise decent, happy person.

Do you find that there is a high concentration of vegans in the music community, amongst the bands/people you’ve met so far during your career? As well, do you have many vegan pals you spend time with, or are most of your friends non-vegans? This interests me a lot, because I read an interview with a vegan recently whose friends are all herbivores, and it kind of shocked me, I mean, certainly the majority of people I spend my days with are not vegans. Sometimes I wish they were....

A lot of my friends are vegetarians or loose, non-strict vegans. My parents, my sister, Kathryn (my bandmate)... but almost no vegans in the music

T.O.F.U. debut 60

community here. This may not be true, but I think a lot of indie musicians these days are put off by politicized music, so are rebelling against the counter-establishment by eating meat and being neo-conservatives. I think it’s seen as naive or behind-the-times and quaint now to not be “over” everything. My peers tell racist jokes to prove how ironic and postanti-racist they are. Girls wear heels and makeup because they are postfeminist. Having a stance on anything is seen as earnest and passé. We have certainly been accused of that (naive, earnest) in reviews, and we are not even all that explicit about our values. This seems to be the spirit of our times.

What do you like best to cook?

Whatever is easiest. Soup, toast, hummus... I inherited my mother’s talent with chick peas.

����������������������������� ��������������������� ������������

Brooke “spoke” to Claire on March 12, 2007. http://www.immaculatemachine.com http://www.myspace.com/immaculatemachine http://www.mintrecs.com

�������������� ����������� �� ������������

T.O.F.U. debut 61

T.O.F.U. debut 62

Vegan Funny Papers by Brooke Gallupe

T.O.F.U. debut 63

how hard is it to be Vegan in Winnipeg?

Well the answer is, not that hard at all. I was told recently we have the most Vegetarian restaurants per capita in Canada by one of the dudes who works at Delicious Vegetarian, one of the Vegan restaurants in Winnipeg.

Then I thought about it. I have traveled all over Canada numerous times, making it almost a mission to seek out and experience every type of place that serves Veggie-friendly food. Seriously ask any of my band mates, I get obsessed. Compared to other cities, we do have many, many options.

I spent 3 weeks in St. John’s, Newfoundland and was going insane with the lack of diversity of food.

I remember at one point we were pulling into Vancouver on a March tour and I realized it was a Tuesday when I quickly exclaimed “shit, it’s Tuesday, toonie Tuesday at best falafel on Commercial! Go Go Go!”, with every band member turning around and going, “What the fuck! How did you know that?”

Thank goodness I realized I am not that insane when it comes to tour warfare vegan stories when I read an interview with Davey Havok from AFI - he does the exact same thing. He’s a long-time vegan, and he went raving on about the best place in each town to find Vegan treats.

Anyway, back to Winnipeg. We have so many great places and places that are vegan-friendly. Four completely Vegetarian/Vegan restaurants and many other places with options to choose from. I think the recent surge in immigrants has definitely helped with diversity in flavors and

T.O.F.U. debut 64

food choices. Caribbean, Thai, Israeli, Ethiopian, Middle Eastern, African, Indian, Lebanese, Sri Lankan - the list goes on and on.

My friends and I even got talking about doing a monthly tour for finding places to visit as a group to experience. But we have yet to go out on the town. Soon. http://www.hanksbuttons.com/vegtour/index.html I am also finding that many more Organic places are carrying a lot of alternatives that you couldn’t find even 3 years ago. Organic planet, Organza, and so on.

Yup, being vegan in Winnipeg is the best !

An Essay by Daveybrat http://www.thebratattack.com http://www.undergroundoperations.com http://www.myspace.com/thebratattack http://www.myspace.com/3rdgenerationrecordz http://www.purevolume.com/thebratattack

T.O.F.U. debut 65

julienned tempeh and vegetable salad with tangy mustard dressing Julienned is just a fancy schmantzy word for “cut into strips”, but it sounds so pretty! This is the only recipe for which I include plating instructions. Pretend youʼre at a posh vegan restaurant (they do exist) and that the dish must look beautiful as well as taste divine. This will satisfy both eye and palate.

1 square block tempeh for marinade: 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tb. sesame oil 3 tb. tamari 2 large garlic cloves, sliced largely 4” square hunk of fresh ginger, sliced 4 small-med. potatoes, boiled and sliced into wedges lotsa canola oil 1 large carrot, julienned 1/2 a zucchini, julienned 3 small beets, peeled, boiled and sliced into wedges 1/2 a green pepper, julienned 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish for dressing: 2 tb. vegan mayo 2 tb. flax oil 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar 1/2 tsp. each sea salt and pepper 1 tb. yellow mustard 1 tsp maple syrup Cut tempeh block in half width-wise and then into 32 strips. Place marinade ingredients in an 8*8 baking dish (or any large, shallow container). Marinate tempeh for at least a half-hour, turning regularly.

Fry cooked potato wedges in a cast-iron pan on medium heat with

T.O.F.U. debut 66

ample canola oil, for about 15 minutes, until browned. Then fry the marinated tempeh in the same pan until very browned, adding as much of the marinade juice as you like, and all of the garlic and ginger. Toss the zucchini in the pan to very lightly cook it.

Place all dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake vigorously.

Toss all vegetables, including potatoes, in a large salad bowl. Add most of the cilantro. Divide into portions on plates, and lay 3-4 strips of the grilled tempeh with the ginger and garlic on each serving.

Drizzle dressing and remaining cilantro over each salad. Revel in the beauty for a few minutes, then dig in.

By Claire Gallant

T.O.F.U. debut 67

justShirts Worker Co-operative and Fair trade Children slaving away in sweatshops in Indonesia. Mothers who earn barely enough to feed their children. Shit work for shit wages. This is the world in which we live. This is the world that Fair Trade and other social movements are trying to improve. As human beings, how can we sit and watch, as people across the world suffer? Consumers have the power to change the world. So why don’t we?

If Fair Trade is one of the potential solutions, what do we mean by Fair Trade? Fair Trade is an organized social movement that focuses on gaining equality in international trade. Although initial attempts at promoting Fair Trade occurred during the 1940s and 1950s, it wasn’t until the 1960s that the Fair Trade movement became widespread. Over the last 50 years, the number of Fair Trade producers and products has grown with current estimates suggesting that the sale of such products exceeds $2 billion annually.

By buying clothes from big name companies like Nike and Gap, people are accepting maquilas and sweatshops as a necessity of commerce.

A major goal of Fair Trade is to assist smaller, economically disadvantaged producers in getting their goods recognized and sold in the global market.

For millions of small farmers throughout the world, Fair Trade represents the difference between having enough to survive and farm for another year and literally starving. Fair Trade also promotes equality of wages, and in specific, gender equality. Women are compensated accordingly for their work, and are often the ones in charge. So why not support Fair Trade, and improve our world?

It is important that we use our purchasing power to support Fair Trade as a movement. Without the support of consumers, Fair Trade producers cannot continue to operate. By buying clothes from big name companies like Nike and Gap, people are accepting maquilas and sweatshops as a necessity of commerce. Do not blindly buy without first considering your options. There are countless organizations out there which manage to produce quality goods without the use of cheap labor. If you absolutely

T.O.F.U. debut 68

need a t-shirt, buy it Fair Trade, and support human rights. As the slogan says: “Fair Trade, not aid”.

Many people are under the impression that the only things that you can purchase Fair Trade are coffee and other basic commodities. While this statement might have been true 10 years ago, in recent years Fair Trade has branched out, and indeed there are few things you can’t find Fair Trade.

In terms of foodstuffs, Bridgehead, a specialty coffee company, was the first Canadian distributor of 100% Fair Trade coffee. They have expanded their products to include tea, cocoa, and sugar. All of their products are organic, as well as fairly traded. They are an associate company of Oxfam international, an organization that supports social justice, in many forms. Bridgehead products can be purchased online at http: //www.bridgehead.ca/.

For clothing, Justshirts Worker Clothing Cooperative is a wonderful option.

JustShirts is ‘the creative offspring of the Canadian academic, activist, social justice and union communities.’ They work hand in hand with a producer cooperative, the Single Mothers Cooperative of El Salvador.

The Single Mothers Coop is a group of women who previously worked in the maquiladoras and sweatshops of El Salvador. However with the removal of world-wide tariffs on clothing, large clothing manufacturers have been relocating their production to China where wages are lower and where there is even less concern for workers’ rights. With employment opportunities dwindling and without any other way of feeding their families, this group of mothers took the initiative to work cooperatively and to produce and sell Fairly-Traded clothing. They produce Fair Trade t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, hoodies, and pajamas, which are shipped to Canada and distributed by JustShirts. Their products can be purchased online at http://www.justshirts.ca and in select stores.

For those of us who care about not only what we eat and what we wear but also the social and environmental consequences of our consuming habits, Fair Trade is something that we should support. Although it might not seem like much to request a Fairly-Traded coffee at our local coffee shop or to consciously seek out Fairly-Traded clothing products when we shop, it is through these small actions that we can make the world a better place.

Robyn Taylor-Neu is a high school student in Edmonton, Alberta. She recently had the opportunity to visit and work with the Single Mothers Cooperative in El Salvador.

T.O.F.U. debut 69

T.O.F.U. sophomore issue Late Summer 2007

Itʼs coming your way. Donʼt duck, itʼs soft.

But not harmless...

Vegan baby food...not just mashed carrots Vegan outreach with teens (in case you don’t get them when they’re really young) Being vegan for a month (guy meets girl, girl is vegan, cue hollywood ending?)

News, the Vegan Way

And more of your favourite columns....

VeganNet: Blogs Reviewed The New City Vegan and Veg History Timeline continues...so you can put your back covers together and throw a party

Get updates and Join the mailing list at twentertainment.ca/tofu.

Interested in contributing? Contact ilovetofu@twentertainment.ca.

T.O.F.U. debut 70

T.O.F.U. debut 71

Disconnect I loathe the disconnect forged by this -what I deem- necessity my conviction never waning though at times I feel I’m feigning when I wish I was like them I’m different -everywhere- I’m different embrace it -is what I’m told- I’m different and so I am and so I do embrace what I can and hold onto the person that for so long I have been all the while growing, evolving, becoming what I believe as the pride I’ll recieve from the footprint I’ll leave is worth a snarky snap -or two for these are not they for whom I’ll keep what they say and store it in my heart but the closer ones who also feel with their heart and with their head do they think yet still they decide to let the blade sink then rise and sink then rise repeat until closing start again in the morning every day I feel like I’m mourning every day I loathe the disconnect forged by this -what they deem- necessity from factory to plate Mitch Sellar

T.O.F.U. debut 72