VEGWORLD 69 - The Environmental Issue

ISSUE 69 | MARCH/APRIL 2022

the environmental issue Nature, Art, and

Eating As if the

Southern Roots Bakery:

Surrealism: A Spotlight

World Depends on It

Serving Sumptuous

on Vegan Artist

with

Southern Sweets for

Amy Guidry

Dr. David Katz

the Soul

contents

LIFESTYLE

12

Editor's Note

16

Faces of the Himalayan Vegan Festival

20

VEGWORLD Top Picks

24

Nature, Art, and Surrealism

30 Eating as if the World Depends On It 32

Southern Roots Vegan Bakery

36

Sea Life Not Sea Food

38 Dr. John McDougall Wants to Put Planet Earth on a Diet

FOOD

42

Spring Fruit Galette

44

Asparagus Recoup Soup with Crispy Croûtons

46

Potato Galette with Asparagus

48

Instant Pot Thai Green Risotto

50

Creamy Golden Gravy over Mashed Potatoes

Features 24 Nature, Art, and Surrealism: A Spotlight on Vegan Artist Amy Guidry

30 Eating As if the World Depends on It with Dr. David Katz

32 Southern Roots Bakery: Serving Sumptuous Southern Sweets for the Soul

Contributors

KIM CAMPBELL Kim Campbell is the author of the PlantPure Nation and the PlantPure Kitchen cookbooks. She developed more than 250 delicious whole food plant-based recipes using no processed oils. Kim is also the Director of Culinary Education and Development at PlantPure, where she works with her husband, Nelson, building an organization that promotes a whole foods plant-based diet. Nelson directed and produced the groundbreaking movie, PlantPure Nation.

Kim graduated from Cornell University with a BS in Human Service Studies with a concentration in Nutrition and Child Development. Her passion has always been nutrition education for children, families, and adults. Kim has been a plantbased cook for more than 25 years cooking for her family and friends. Her love of culinary goes back to her early childhood growing up in a large traditional family.

Kim is gifted at creating traditional American cuisine using 100% accessible plantbased ingredients. She builds flavors and textures that are familiar to most people, helping to make the transition to plant-based diet easier for people.

She is also the daughter-in-law of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, considered by many as at the science ‘father’ of the rapidly growing plant-based nutrition movement. plantpurenation

AMY GUIDRY Amy Guidry is an artist currently residing in Lafayette, Louisiana. She comes from a family of artists including the late painter Eleanor Norcross. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums nationwide. Her paintings are present in public and private collections throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. amyguidry

CATHERINE (SANANÈS) KATZ

cuisinicity cuisinicity

cuisinicity

cuisinicity

pinterest/cuisinicity

DAVID L. KATZ, MD David L. Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP is a globally renowned expert in disease prevention, health promotion, lifestyle medicine, and nutrition. The founding director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center, and past president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Katz is founder/President of the non-profit True Health Initiative, and founder/CEO of Diet ID, Inc. He has over 200 peer-reviewed publications, has authored 19 books, and has earned numerous awards for his contributions to public health, including three honorary doctoral degrees. truehealthinitiative

dietid

Contributors

Catherine (Sananès) Katz, PhD received her BA (psychology) from the University of California, Berkeley '81, and her PhD in neuroscience from Princeton University '87.

Born in North Africa and raised in southern France, Catherine learned Mediterranean French cooking from her mother and aunt. After marrying nutrition expert, Dr. David L. Katz, Catherine applied her scientific acumen to the systematic reconciliation of great cuisine and great nutritional quality, recipe by recipe. The result is an approach to optimal eating she and David refer to as “loving food that loves you back,” an approach on which their five children (age range 22 to 32) have been raised. Catherine founded Cuisinicity around this very philosophy. Catherine has generated hundreds of “loving food that loves you back” recipes, meeting the highest nutrition standards and the demands of discerning palates in adults and children alike.

Contributors

JOHN MCDOUGALL, MD John McDougall, MD, is founder of the McDougall Health and Medical Program, a national best-selling author of 13 books, and a principal investigator of scientific research on nutrition, medical care, and health.

Over 50-years of clinical practice, he has helped countless individuals recover their health. He has been a tireless advocate for nutritional education and dietary change.

To learn more about Dr. McDougall, his 12-day McDougall Program, and his Starch Solution Certification program. drmcdougall

MARY MCDOUGALL Mary is a retired nurse, homemaker, co-founder of the McDougall Program and co-author of 13 national best-selling books.

Over the past 50 years, Mary has worked with Dr. John McDougall caring for people using diet therapy to restore health and has created over 3,000 health-supporting recipes. Mary is best known as the inventor of low-fat, vegan cooking, and loves sharing the practical methods of turning the kitchen into a health-builder for the whole family. Prior to 1977, when Mary began her work in the kitchen, low-fat recipes contained skimmed milk, white meat, and other unhealthy ingredients and vegan recipes were loaded with vegetable oils. Now there are dozens of websites and cookbooks that focus on the McDougall health-supporting way of eating. drmcdougall.com

themcdougallprogram

MIGGS MCTAYLOR

callmeishbel

call.me.ishbel

CallmeIshbel

SHRIYA SWAMINATHAN Shriya is an animal rights warrior in training at PETA’s International Science Consortium. She is also a certified Vegan Hospitality Consultant and founder of Nourish by Shriyaher new consulting service that helps restaurants attract vegan clients. A proud travel foodie, she enjoys exploring local vegan cuisines! In her free time, you can find her hanging out with the residents at the Gentle Barn Sanctuary, while educating folks about the abundance of a vegan lifestyle. Her precious companion pooch Halley joins her activism on the #adoptdontshop message!

Contributors

Miggs McTaylor is a professionally trained chef who is passionate about plantbased dining. She currently lives with her family in one of New Zealand’s main wine growing regions. Miggs enjoys providing private catering, plant-based tuition, recipe development and food photography services. After completing “traditional” chef training, Miggs continued her studies to become a botanical cuisine specialist by completing the eCornell Plant Based Nutrition Certificate. She then went on to complete the Rouxbe Plant-Based Professional course and most recently completed the Rouxbe’s Essential Vegan Desserts course.

M E E T

O U R

T E A M

the

dream team

V e g W o r l d M a g a z i n e i s pa s s i o n at e a b o u t s tay i n g a h e a d o f t h e r a p i d ly g r o w i n g t r e n d o f p l a n t- b a s e d / v e g a n . B e c a u s e o f t h i s p a s s i o n , w e h a v e c r e a t e d a c o m m u n i t y o f r e a d e r s w h o s e l o y a lt y is second to none.

Photo by product-school-unsplash

Food Editor

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

CATHY KATIN-GRAZZINI

ANOKI CASEY

Cathy Katin-Grazzini, Food Editor at VEGWORLD Magazine, is a plant-based personal chef, nutritional coach, cooking instructor, and owner of Cathy’s Kitchen Prescription LLC. Certified in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell, Cathy is also a graduate of Rouxbe Cooking School’s Professional Plant-Based Program. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago, attended graduate school at Harvard University and received a M.A. from Johns Hopkins University.

Cathy lives with her husband Giordano in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

When she’s not inventing and fermenting, she loves to run, hike, and adventure travel atop their trusty Ducati.

Keep an eye out for Cathy’s upcoming cookbook, Love the Foods that Love You Back, to be published

by Rizzoli International Press

Anoki Casey is an Art Director, Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Animator, and Online Media Maker, specializing in identity, outreach, and marketing creation for community-focused nonprofits and groups. A vegan for over 20 years, Anoki has been focusing his professional career to more align with his personal passions, with vegan living and animal justice taking center.

ALORA MIDDLETON HALE Alora Middleton Hale (she/her)

is a former educator turned socially conscious social media manager and the Publisher & Editor-in-Chief of VEGWORLD Magazine. Like so many others, Alora’s compassion for all living beings began as a child.

Vegetarian from the age six, she has been vegan now for six years and strives to bring her passion for spreading the joys of living a compassionate lifestyle to all she does. Alora lives in Southern California with her husband and enjoys the arts, vintage fashion, travel, and eating nachos with extra guac. alora.naturally

Art Director

He has a B.F.A. in Graphic Design from Rutgers University and lives meditatively in sunny San Diego, California. anoki.net

in April 2022.

the

dream team

cathyskitchenprescription.com cathyskitchenprescription

Marketing Consultant LYDIA PALMERI

E D I T O R ’ S

Note

Just as we show compassion towards animals and our fellow human beings, so should we show compassion to the planet we all call home.

In a report in 2018, Oxford University’s Joseph Poore said, “A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use

It is our hope that you will find inspiration in their stories and, perhaps, discover new ways to show your love for our planet.

and water use. It is far bigger than cutting down on your flights or buying an electric car.”

Earth is in dire need of our help and respect, and each of us have the power to make a difference!

By consuming less, or even no, meat and dairy products, we can have a significant impact on the health of our planet.

Team VEGWORLD is excited to share this Environmental Issue with you. From

With compassion,

plant-based doctors to vegan artists and

Alora Middleton Hale

bakers, the amazing people featured in this issue are using their unique

Alora Middleton Hale

talents and abilities to bring awareness to the importance of caring for

alora.naturally

the environment.

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KATHMANDU, NEPAL

APRIL15 -17 th

th

THIMPHU, BHUTAN

Organized by

APRIL18 -20 th

th

The biggest PLANT-BASED EVENT ever in the HIMALAYA !

Media Partner Worldwide

Sponsored by

World Vegan Organisation Nepal

Organizing Partner

& The World Vegan Organisation’s 7th Annual International Conference

www.himalayanveganfestival.org

Highlights of The Event l Over 100 International Vegan Speakers, Delegates & Celebrities and 75+ Exhibitors l l Vegan Food & Product Bazaar l Live Bands, Music & Dance l International/Local Vegan Chefs l Free Film Screenings l l Free Cooking Classes l Free Vegan Health l Fitness & Fashion Workshops l 5k Mini-marathon l Vegan Challenge l Learn to Make Vegan Milk l l Vegan Mock-Meats & Dairy l Vegan Sweets l Kids Activities Corner l Animal Education by Local Organisations & Much More.. l

www.vegvoyages.com

“The food was, hands-down the best I’ve ever had in my life !”

“For anyone with curiosity and adventure in their souls.”

"Mouth-watering, Heart-expanding, Soul-enriching"

NEPAL I INDIA I MALAYSIA I LAOS I THAILAND I BALI I SUMATRA (INDONESIA) I BHUTAN

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LIFESTYLE

Photo by Japheth Mast on Unsplash

FACES of the Himalayan Vegan Festival

What goes into making the biggest vegan event in the Himalayas happen

By Adit i Pok ha rel More people are choosing veganism every day. The reasons behind this lifestyle shift can be different for different people. While some are doing it as a conscious choice of reducing their carbon footprints on the planet, others might have chosen it out of their love for animals. Whatever the reasons are, the end goal is the same, sharing this planet equally with all the creatures. To achieve this common goal, a group of people came together to organize the biggest ever vegan festival witnessed by the people of Nepal and Bhutan, The Himalayan Vegan Festival, set to happen in September 2022.

But have you ever wondered what goes behind making such a big celebration of veganism happen? Several factors come into play to bring together hundreds of vegans, vegetarians, and non-vegans to one place to share the idea of love and compassion for all living. However, one major factor is the committed individuals from different age groups, professions, and religious and ethnic backgrounds organizing this big event. Despite coming from very different walks of life, they have united to make this six-day-long event the biggest, most exciting celebration of veganism.

For over 18 years, Bishnu Prasad Neupane has been a passionate vegan, advocating for the benefits of a plant-based diet for people, animals, and the planet. He is President of Nepal Vegan Association, Vice-President of the World Vegan Organization (WVO), Nepal, and a social worker whose true passion lies in promoting various humanitarian projects in Nepal.

These projects include compassionate living programs and associations

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& The World Vegan Organisation’s 7th Annual International Conference

www.himalayanveganfestival.org

to vegan advocacy campaigns and human welfare organizations such as the Manav Sewa Ashram, a human service shelter for the homeless.

meat-based cuisines, Gurung's love for animals and commitment to a vegan lifestyle is simply remarkable. An excellent graphic designer by trade and passionate vegan activist by heart, Gurung is also a proud father of two vegan children who share their father's dedication to promoting a vegan lifestyle in Nepal. He is also a partner in one of the first vegan restaurants in the Kathmandu Valley – Loving Heart located in Thamel. Gurung's business partner at Loving Heart, Samu Yonjan, is another passionate vegan. A self-taught vegan chef, Yonjan's vegan ice cream can beat any other popular non-vegan brands any day. Being a vegan food enthusiast herself, Yonjan is particularly excited for the Himalayan Vegan Festival's cooking workshops and classes, all set to make even non-vegan people fall in love with her yummy vegan delicacies.

While Neupane is looking forward excitedly to welcoming delegates and speakers from all over the world and celebrating the plant-based lifestyle with his fellow participants, Vegan activist and Director of Vegan Travel Asia by VegVoyages Himalayan Operations, Suresh P. Sharma, has already organized and led the first international vegan tour group in the country and has high hopes from the festival to make Nepal the world's best vegan destination. Sharma is also Nepal chair of the WVO and co-founder of the Nepal Vegetarian Association and has traveled extensively in the region, leading hundreds of holistic tours.

Another businessman by profession in the organizing committee, Vikram Singh Gurung, is a vegan and a spiritual person with immense love for animals. Gurung, a founding member of WVON and the vice-chairman of Nepal Vegan Association, hails from the Himalayan district of Mustang and mainly puts his efforts to bring awareness about the importance of a vegan lifestyle in reducing carbon footprints and preserving the environment.

Krishna Gurung, vegan activist and President of the Nepal Vegetarian Association, is another crucial coordinating team member of the Himalayan Vegan Festival. Hailing from an ethnic community popularly known for their

It's not every day when you step into an office and see a Buddhist monk and a Hindu activist, wearing a sandalwood tika on his forehead, discussing how one becomes what

l Over 100 Intern l Vegan Food & Product Bazaar l Free Cooking Classes l Free Vegan Health l l Vegan Mock-Meats & Dairy l Vegan

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they eat. This is the sight you can only witness at the office of the Himalayan Vegan Festival. Vikshu Ang Phuri Sherpa, Plant-based Health Advocate & Vegan Monk, has been a strict vegetarian for 22 years and recently became a raw foodist. Sharing his own life experience, Sherpa advocates the wonderful health benefits of following a plant-based diet and passionately promotes a vegetarian lifestyle to be embraced within Buddhist communities. The author of the book "Vegetarian Virtuous Food," Sherpa promotes awareness of the benefits of plant-based diets through Buddhist teachings in communities and participates with many animal rights and vegetarian/vegan-related organizations and religious groups.

and speakers discussing plant-based lifestyles in a conference room. Instead, it will have interactive workshops, cooking demos, and beauty and fashion features. It will also host a short film competition. The organizing committee of the festival itself isn't devoid of creative influences. A devotee of Osho and a musician by profession, Swami Subhash Chandra, is also eagerly looking forward to the festival. Chandra has also composed and recorded a song titled "Timro Jastai" to raise compassion towards animals. He says his love for animals is why he chose to be vegan in the first place. Popular FM radio jockey and program host Rita Limbu is also a strong voice of the voiceless animals in Nepal. Vegetarian activist Limbu is the powerhouse of energy in the Himalayan Vegan Festival organizing committee. Involved in several animal welfare campaigns across the Kathmandu Valley, she holds no qualms about raising her voice against animal cruelty and, of course, making the best vegan momos.

Likewise, Deepak Subedi, a Hindu vegan activist, shares his teachings on how Hindu Shantan Dharma promoted healthy living via a plant-based diet. Sharing how scientific evidence suggests the open meat market as a cause of the present COVID-19 pandemic, Subedi is hopeful to spread awareness about veganism in Shantan Hindu Dharma among today's young generations to celebrate the Himalayan Vegan Festival.

These people are a few voices among many who are working tirelessly to make the Himalayan

Now you might be thinking that the festival is all about old preachers preaching about their lifestyle choice, but you couldn't be more wrong. Many young vegan activists from Nepal make up the soul of this event. Young vegan activist Shova Bhujel has been a vegetarian for over ten years and a vegan for two years. Sharing a horrifying story from her childhood where she encountered cruelty and violence in the meat industry, animal lover Bhujel turned vegetarian but still felt she wasn't doing enough for the voiceless animals. Even as a vegetarian, she felt that she was still participating in animal cruelty with the dairy industry. She embarked upon this journey of veganism and has never looked back. Bhujel hopes that the Himalayan Vegan Festival will help make young non-vegans aware of vegan brands such as VeganDairy Nepal that make equally delicious vegan alternatives of their favorite foods.

www.h

Like Bhujel, another young vegan activist and animal lover, Deepesh Shrestha, says that he too wants to see more non-vegan participants in the festival and share the idea of compassion and non-violence among them. A fan of vegan ice cream, Shrestha suggests people visit his favorite vegan restaurants in Kathmandu; Loving Heart and C-YA. The Himalayan Vegan Festival will not be entirely about international delegates and vegan activists,

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Vegan Festival the most exciting Nepali and Bhutanese calendar event. The festival will take place in Kathmandu, Nepal, and in Thimphu, Bhutan, Septemth ber 15-20, 2022. Initially set to take place in April, the festival was postponed due to the Omicron COVID-19 variant and the travel restrictions that followed. People from over 31 countries will be attending the festival to support the plant-based activists at the grassroots level, which would not have been possible amidst so many restrictions in mobility and gathering.

& The World Vegan Organisation’s 7 Annual International Conference

himalayanveganfestival.or There is no doubt about veganism making its place in the world's various culinary cultures, be it in the east or the west. The vegan movement is gathering momentum everywhere, and there is a curiosity among people everywhere on what it brings to the table, literally.

The Himalayan Vegan Festival aims to address this curiosity among non-vegans and celebrate veganism and a plant-based diet as the way forward to a better future for this planet. We can't wait to see you there!

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Top Picks

Wonderlab’s Doozy Pots Family-owned and female-led, Wonderlab’s Doozy Pots plant-based gelato comes in six delicious flavors - Banana Cinnamon Date Swirl, Chocolate Mint Chip, Chocolate Raspberry Swirl, Coffee & Cookies, Smooth Coffee, and Vanilla Bean - and is made with earth-friendly oats and hemp.

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TOP PICKS

Watson’s Seasoning Blends Watson’s Seasoning Blends was founded to make it easier for people to eat fresh and healthy home-cooked meals, including more plant-based options, by providing interesting and sophisticated spice blends to enhance flavor.

We’ve enjoyed leveling up our avocado toast with the California Everything blend and adding flavor to our grilled veggies with the Yumami blend. We also love that Watson’s Seasoning Blends are created with a special emphasis on supporting organic, ethical growers.

Love + Chew Protein Cookies A better-for-you treat from a mission-driven brand, Love + Chew Protein Cookies contain minimal ingredients while still being high in plant protein and fiber. Each cookie, in flavors Banana Bread, Cherry Almond, Chocolate Chia, and Mocha Chip, contains 7g of protein and is both soy-free and gluten-free.

We like to enjoy our Love + Chew cookie with a nice hot cup of tea.

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TOP PICKS

Primal Kitchen No-Dairy Queso-Style Plant-Based Dip Sugar-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and vegan queso? Yes, please! Made with mindful ingredients like pumpkin seed butter, roasted bell pepper puree, and jalapeño peppers, Primal Kitchen’s queso-style dip is perfect for topping burritos, nachos, veggies, and more.

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TOP PICKS

The Vegan Butcher Zacchary Bird’s The Vegan Butcher is the ultimate science-meets-magic guide to plant-based meat. With recipes for cooks of every level, The Vegan Butcher has substitutes for almost any vegan meat dish you can think of! From Sweet ‘n’ Spicy Corn Ribs and Bacon-coated Brussels Sprouts to entire vegan charcuterie boards, each recipe proves that you don’t have to eat animals to enjoy the classics.

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Nature, Art, and Surrealism

A spotlight on vegan artist Amy Guidr y VEGWORLD

Artwork by Amy Guidry 24

March/April 2022

Amy Guidry is a Surrealist artist, a lifelong lover of nature with an interest in psychology, and a vegan.

Guidry studied at Loyola University of New Orleans, where she received her Bachelor's degree in Visual Arts in 1998. While attending Loyola, she received the Loyola University Art

Scholarship;

a

prestigious

scholarship only awarded to one student per graduating class. Her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide and private collections throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.

We spoke with Guidry about her creation process, her vegan journey, and how her interest in animals and the environment have shaped her work.

When did your interest in art begin?

I've been drawing and painting since I was a small child. By the time I started school, I was involved in art classes as well as the Talented Art Program. From quite a young age, I was concerned about the welfare of animals and had an interest in the natural world, and was drawing animals all the time.

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Can you share a bit about your vegan journey with us?

I started out as a vegetarian for about three years and gradually cut out dairy products before finally becoming vegan. I became a vegetarian after I was at my college library doing research for an Ethical Biology class and happened upon some books about slaughterhouses and agribusiness. I was shocked and appalled, looking for more books to the contrary, thinking this was a oneoff. It wasn't. Over time and after more research, I decided to go vegan, which I've been for almost 23 years now.

How has being vegan impacted your art?

I've had an interest in animals and the environment since childhood. Even though animals and the natural world were usually present in my work throughout the years, I felt the need to up the ante. Art used to be something that I did for fun, not that it isn't enjoyable anymore, but it's done with more purpose now. I create art not just to bring attention to issues affecting the planet but to make people look at it in a way they never did before. I want people to connect to my work, to the subject matter, and see the similarities. See the expressions in their eyes and faces, see the movement in their bodies- all so similar to ours.

See how all flora and fauna are connected and interdependent.

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That's why I create art. It wasn't until my 40s that I realized that it's nature that I care most about, not art. Don't get me wrong- I love art. I love to look at art, to wear art, to live with art.

I collect a lot of art- quite varied and often quite different from my own. But my love for nature is why I create my own art. I've been in love with nature for as long as I can remember. I create art because I want others to love nature, too. I create art because I want to save it.

How would you describe your art to someone who may not consider themselves an art expert?

I would say I take the unreal and make it look real, applying it to the natural world, creating surreal depictions of animals. That being said, no one should ever feel they need to be an expert to understand art. Art history gives you some perspective and context behind the emergence of certain styles, but it's personal experience that gives you understanding. You can see yourself in art created by someone you've never met. That can't be dismissed just because you never studied art. I love hearing how someone sees their own life story or experiences in my work. It's fascinating how connected we are and just how small the world really is.

How do you decide upon the subject matter of a painting? Do you go into it with an idea of what you want to convey?

I always work out a concept on paper before taking it to canvas. The images I come up with are inspired by issues or events that I feel a need to cover through my work. Sometimes I'll hear or read something in the news and make a note. Others have been inspired by more personal encounters. I start out with thumbnail sketches of the basic concept behind a painting and I'll do upwards of 50 variations, if need be, on that concept until I have the right one. Even with an inordinate amount of sketches, they still revolve around the same theme, just different ways of conveyance.

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Is there a piece of artwork of yours that is especially important to you?

Oh, that would be like asking me to pick a favorite child. However, I would say that The Wild West is a significant piece for me because even though my work is surreal, I had taken it to another level starting with this piece in my current series In Our Veins. I was in the middle of another body of work at the time but made a sketch and some notes and put it away for later. I had to get out of my comfort zone a bit, given that it was a more technically challenging piece, and I played with my technique a little. It was more demanding timewise, given the hours I had put into it as well.

What artists inspire you or your work?

Surrealists such as Salvador Dali, Frida Kahlo, and Rene Magritte have inspired me since I was a child. Really any dreamlike art has always been inspirational to me—even Botticelli's Birth of a Venus. I saw a print of it once in an antique shop when I was maybe 6 or 7 years old. I remember being fascinated by it, just awestruck. I stood there staring at it, and when I got home, I made my own interpretation of it. I made some changes to it, I don't recall them now, and unfortunately, that drawing was at my mother's house in Slidell during Hurricane Katrina, so it is no longer.

I've always been drawn to the magical, the whimsical, and the surreal.

I'm also drawn to the work of Lucian Freud, Jenny Saville, and Philip Pearlstein. Portraits and figure work appeal to my love of psychology. I'm fascinated by how they interpret their subjects, the settings they're in, the way they are painted, and their expressions.

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What do you hope people take away from your art?

With each painting, my aim is for the viewer to have an inner dialogue with the work. Consider the message behind the painting and look inward to discover more about themselves and their role in the world. If the viewer can see themselves in the work and see how their impact on the world translates into this work, maybe they will be more conscientious of their actions and take steps toward positive change, change that can improve the world, help nature, and ensure it's still around for future generations. This connection to the work is the experience that I'm referring to. One that immerses the viewer into the work and resonates with them. Each painting is an opportunity to tap into not just one's visual perception but also their emotions, their memories, their fears, and their passions. If I can create a work that gets more than a fleeting glance at the wall, then there is this opportunity for the painting to converse with the viewer and create momentum.

Do you have a story you can share of a time your art brought the issues of environmental concerns and animal welfare to the attention of a viewer who may not have considered them before?

I had participated in Animus, a vegan art exhibition in London, and my painting Mother Nature was used as a promotional image for the show. The curator told me that someone had seen it and said right then and there that she was going vegan. Even though I want my work to resonate with people, I was still surprised and delighted to hear of her inspiration.

Do you have any projects you're working on or anything you would like to share with VEGWORLD readers?

I'm happy to announce I will be participating in WOW x WOW's upcoming online exhibition MicroVisions 5. It will open online on May 6th, and I will have a new painting featured.

Where can people find your work?

You can find my work in New Orleans, where I am represented by LeMieux Galleries. Also, my work can currently be viewed at Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles. And you can always find my work online on my website, https://amyguidry.com/

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Eating as if The World

DEPENDS ON IT

by David L. Katz, MD, MPH

The result is a periodic argument, albeit a very civil argument, with my colleagues, not just my adversaries. When, for instance, the more ardent proponents of vegan diets among my colleagues assert that eating wild salmon is toxic, I quip back: yes, for the fish. The epidemiologic evidence shows consistently and overwhelmingly that there is net health benefit for people in eating fish, omega-3-rich, fatty fish such as salmon in particular. We do not know if that benefit extends to optimal vegan diets or is only because fish is generally displacing meat from mixed diets. There really is no evidence to support the claim that eating wild salmon is toxic for people.

This column was adapted from this article The mission of my nearly 30-year-long career in medicine has been doing all I can, with nutrition in particular, to help add years to lives and life to years. That mission has evolved over the past decade and a half for one fundamental reason: there are no healthy, vital people on a ruined planet. If we want to be healthy, vital people, we must pursue that aim on a healthy, vital planet- and in my view, all “health professionals” are now duty-bound to strive in every way possible- for that confluence.

But it is indisputably toxic for the fish. And in a world awash in adult Homo sapiens making ever more hungry baby Homo sapiens and running out of wild salmon, the disagreement is increasingly moot. When there are no wild salmon left, it will no longer matter if we would have been better off including them in, or excluding them from, our plantpredominant, whole foods diets.

A fair amount of my professional time has gone into clarifying what diet is best for health. In that effort, I am publicly pledged to favor epidemiology over ideology. In other words, I subordinate my personal preferences to the weight of evidence. I advocate for the dietary theme on the common ground of science, sense, and global expert consensus.

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I have heard the more dedicated proponents for Paleo diets among my colleagues argue that humans are adapted to eat meat. That may be true, but what meat? Feeding time in the lion compound does not involve hotdogs or pepperoni. If we want to invoke our omnivorous adaptations as a reason to eat meat, it must be applied to the relevant articles. Those would be game animals, not the processed parts of their incarcerated, domesticated counterparts. So, maybe we are adapted to eat game. But for nearly 8 billion Homo sapiens to do so would require roughly 15 times the surface area of the Earth. So Stone Age eating, too, is mostly moot.

Gertrude Stein famously said: “a difference, to be a difference, must make a difference.” For dietary guidance to make a difference, it must be responsive to the world as it is- and not given over to pie-in-the-sky.

The world as it is involves diets excessive in animal food and ultra-processed foods contributing to unending pandemics of premature death and chronic disease. (Along with cardiometabolic risk factors that made the toll of the COVID pandemic far graver than it needed to be.) The world as it is involves cruelty and abuse of billions of “factory farmed” animals that have awareness and sensibilities much like those of the family dog.

The world as it is involves destroying the glorious icons of Nature…to feed the world’s appetite for hamburgers.

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When we share the crucial truth about food with one another, these realities of “now” are the relevant context.

We have eaten up many of our choices, and the options that will allow us to keep eating and for our children and grandchildren to do the same - are dwindling. This, too, is among the fundamental truths about food: It can run out.

That there are no healthy people on a ravaged, unhealthy planet pertains directly to the view of nutrition through the lens of public health. This is the urgent message of our time.

The basic theme of healthful eating – food, not too much, mostly plants - is rooted in common ground, and enjoys the support of experts with predilections ranging from vegan to Paleo and everything in between.

Whatever disagreement there may have been about eating most if not exclusively plants, based only on the imperative of human health fades to insignificance as the urgent defense of our imperiled climate and planet conscripts us all. How we eat makes a difference to health beyond the limits of our own skin. We should now be eating diets based predominantly, if not entirely, on whole, plant foods as if the world depends on it.

Because…it does.

VEGWORLD

Southern Roo ts V E G A N

BA K E RY

Serving Sumptuous Southern Sweets for the Soul

by Shriya Swaminathan

A journey fueled by a drive for optimum health led San Antonio couple Cara and Marcus Pitts to a plant-based lifestyle. Owing to Cara's bond with her then 98-yearold grandmother, Mary Lee—whom she was caring for—Cara wanted to ensure that she prepared delicious, nourishing foods reminiscent of her Southern roots without compromising on taste and flavor.

Their home kitchen morphed into an R&D operation where Cara trialed several recipes with her avid taste testers—family, friends, and most importantly, Mary Lee. Following a decadent donut that sealed the deal, Cara and Marcus were inspired not only to nourish their families with the magic of plants but also their community! Soon after, what began as a small-scale business at their local church, evolved into a thriving online bakery with happy customers across the nation. Southern Roots Vegan Bakery is on a noble mission to feed souls with sweet, comforting Southern classics with a plant-powered twist!

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VEGAN BUSINESS VW: Tell us about your journey going plant-based!

off. We were quickly all-in on Southern Roots, and we knew there was no way we were going to fail. We used Marcus' severance package towards getting our food handlers license and business equipment and materials. We never would've seen our very own vegan bakery come to fruition, but we thank God daily that we do.

CP: Marcus and I met in 2013, working together in the healthcare field at an insurance company. Shortly after we got married in 2018, I wanted to watch a documentary I heard about on Netflix called "What The Health". Halfway through the documentary, Marcus decided to go plant-based. We immediately threw out all the meat that we had just purchased from the grocery store and started reading about living a plant-based lifestyle and things we would like to eat. This was before plant-based meat alternatives were in fast-food chains, so there was a lot of trial and error and finding things out on our own. We had no vegan friends in the beginning, so we were in unknown territory. Marcus enjoyed cooking, and I have been a baker since childhood.

VW: Did you face any hurdles attracting customers as a vegan bakery?

CP: We were very blessed that we grew a customer base immediately. In one of our classes in the business accelerator, one of the mentors asked us a straightforward question, "Have you ever sold to someone you didn't know?" The answer was no, and that weekend we signed up for our first farmers market! I was SO nervous because I'm naturally introverted, so this forced me out of my comfort zone completely. By our 2nd and 3rd market, we had customers showing up specifically for our products, and we were the only vegan option at the market! We did that market every weekend for the next few months and built up a customer base.

Those returning customers encouraged us along the way and even helped us out; one even bought us our first real sign and brought it to the market!

VW: According to you, how do you set yourselves apart from other vegan bakeries and businesses?

CP: I think our story is authentic, and people all over can relate to it. We don't compare ourselves to any other companies, and we stay focused on listening to our customers and expanding our product lines when it feels right. We never make something just to do it because other businesses are. We have turned down custom orders because we knew that wasn't something we were ready for at the time and shared other local vendors that could help them

VW: What inspired you to start a vegan bakery?

CP: Once Marcus decided he wanted to start a plant-based lifestyle, that was my queue to figure out how to veganize our favorite foods. My family has always loved desserts. I would be the go-to baker for all of our family reunions, birthdays, and celebrations, so it was a no-brainer for me. I was going to need to figure out vegan alternatives for things like eggs and milk, so it took me a while to figure out what replacements I liked best. I never even thought to look for any vegan bakeries around us since I was so used to baking my own desserts. Once I created a Mary Lee-approved recipe, I would then share it with friends at our church, and they couldn't believe the desserts were vegan. Being members of our church business ministry, they pushed us to start a business but suggested we go to our small business center, 'Launch SA', to get on the right path. Luckily there was a 10-week culinary accelerator that was starting in a few months, so we quickly applied, but we didn't know how we were going to do the class if we got accepted because it was three times a week during work hours.

Complicating things further, two weeks before the classes were to start, Marcus got the call that the insurance company he worked for was laying off the entire department. The timing on our journey has truly been a blessed road because if I hadn't already left to care for my grandmother, we both would have been suddenly laid

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VEGAN BUSINESS out. We know we have a great product and choose to take our time expanding! We spotlight and uplift other vegan businesses in our blog and newsletters. Last year we ran a black-owned vegan market during the last half of the year to use our platform and customer base to promote other vendors. Giving back is incredibly important to us.

VW: We love when businesses support and uplift one another! From your experience, what was the most challenging part of starting Southern Roots?

Is there something you would do differently in hindsight?

CP: I believe everything happens for a reason. When our company went viral during the 'Buy Black' movement, there were a few hiccups in our production process, simply because it was during the pandemic and we didn't have enough hands to get all of our orders out promptly. We were very cautious about hiring people that we didn't know at the time because we have immediate family members that were high risk, but we were always transparent to customers about the issues we faced. A majority of our customers were very understanding; the world was on edge so just knowing they were going to get some sweet treats was worth the wait for them, and we are thankful for that. We wouldn't change anything we did because we know you can't satisfy everyone, but we knew keeping our family safe was a priority, and we don't regret that decision. It was all worth it in the end. We learned a lot very quickly about scaling our company, and we are now in a space where we can mass produce with a small team and take our time adding to our team. The trials we have faced made us better business owners, and we share the knowledge we learned now as mentors in that business accelerator we took. Everything comes full circle!

quick to reach back out to our small business hub in our city" Launch S" and ask the network of mentors we have established relationships with, and they will steer me in the right direction.

VW: How do you respond to the criticism that being vegan/ plant-based does a disservice to Black culinary culture?

CP: I like to emphasize that this lifestyle can fuel longevity in our culture because plant-based Soul Food is much better for our health. In fact, we think it builds a better, stronger culture because it's good for us. That's why Southern Roots was born! Food is a huge part of our culture in gatherings with friends and family. We wanted to prove that we didn't have to give up the types of meals we loved; it was just about changing how it was made.

Starting with southern desserts was what we wanted to start with because it was part of our life.

VW: Did you get any pushback from friends, family, and the community while establishing Southern Roots Vegan Bakery?

VW: What proportion of your customers are plant-based, and what has their reception been?

CP: Of course, when you do something that is against the "norm," you are going to get criticism from friends and family who don't believe in what you're doing and will tell you why you should or shouldn't be doing something. When you take a different path, people will come out of nowhere to give their unsolicited opinions. My husband always says, "we don't take advice from someone that hasn't been where we want to go," which I think is great advice. You want to be sure the people you are listening to know what they are talking about. We are sponges for knowledge and information, so if I'm stuck on something business-wise, I'm very

CP: Our customer base is about 60% plant-based and 40% non-vegans, but they are looking at branching into the plantbased world. Tabitha Brown's fanbase has been a huge customer base of ours after she highlighted our company. Our tagline is "so good you won't believe it's vegan." For the first year and a half of our business, we focused on farmers' markets and events. Usually, we were the only vegan options at these non-vegan events. We've done markets where they would put us next to BBQ vendors, and we would have people leave those lines to buy our products. It was heartwarming to see customer reactions to their sample bite—the moment when their minds were blown and stereotypes of what vegan food is were broken!

VW: As you have evolved on your personal plant-based journeys, what has veganism come to mean to you?

MP: For me, veganism is a different way of looking at life. One of the things that changed my life for the better was the tremendous health benefits I got simply from eating stuff that was better for me. This had a positive impact on my worldview. Now that I think differently, I act and feel different. I treat people differently.

Nothing changes if nothing changes. So veganism can simply be different and sometimes better.

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VEGAN BUSINESS VW: How do you come up with flavor ideas?

CP: Our community is woven into everything we do at Southern Roots. From the flavors to giving back and event planning. Our first donut was our now famous red velvet cake donuts, and then we launched our lemon bundt cake named after my grandmother Mary Lee. We are very intentional about the flavors and pastries we launch. They pay homage to our roots and childhoods. We send surveys, ask in forums, reach out to friends and family for suggestions. In business, if you only make what you want, then you won't be in business for very long. We do our best to give our fans what they want, and we are excited about the ongoing challenge.

that have ordered our Mary Lee's Lemon cake that was named after her. Now, if we can get Steve Harvey to try out her cake, she would be on top of the world!

VW: Is there a personal, staff, or customer favorite you'd recommend to skeptics of plant-based treats?

VW: While we work on getting these treats to Steve Harvey, do you have any exciting plans for the future that you can share with us?

CP: Mary Lee's Lemon Cake is a fan favorite. My favorite is our Funfetti volcano cake because it has our buttercream frosting in the middle, which is mouth-wateringly delicious! Marcus’ favorite is our Chocolate Luxury Volcano Cake.

CP: So many exciting things to come! There's no doubt in our minds that Southern Roots will be a global brand. We will be launching a podcast very soon that will be an extension of our blog that will cover our journey with veganism, tips, and tricks we learned along the way, and share other people's stories about how they got into veganism. We will be expanding our retail footprint, and we want to have a lot of corporate clients that we can be the go-to for employee luncheons and gifts for their employees.

Our goal is to be a household name. We would love to have a book come out within the next three years and be featured on national television. As you know, my grandmother is a big inspiration for us, so it's been on our vision board to partner with a senior meal planning program to have Southern Roots Vegan meals on their meal plans. It is very hard to find affordable plant-based options for seniors on a fixed income. We look forward to being true game changers in this field and cannot wait for the future.

VW: All that sounds fabulous! With these marvelous creations, how do you envision your role in food activism as being a part of creating change for a better, kinder world?

CP: We've always had a vision that Southern Roots isn't just a vegan bakery. We are going to be the leaders in health and wellness in the food industry, creating innovative ways for people to enjoy food while increasing their longevity and vitality. Hippocrates said, "Let thy food be your medicine, and thy medicine is thy food" We want to partner with brands that make sweets that make your brain think it's loaded with sugar when it contains less than a gram of sugar. We believe that the more time you spend living a full life free from preventable diseases, the more positive impact each of us can have on the planet and the people on it. So we want to help everyone help themselves. In that way, everyone can help someone.

Southern Roots Vegan Bakery ships its homemade, award-winning treats nationwide. Lucky residents at San Antonio may also enjoy your favorite donuts, cupcakes, cookies, and more delivered straight to your doorsteps. Patrons wanting to support this burgeoning business can contribute to their Crowdfunding effort on their website. A successful feat will enable expanded production, sustained employment, and perhaps a brand new storefront!

VW: This conversation would be incomplete without chatting about the marvelous Mary Lee. How did she motivate your mission and vision for Southern Roots?

CP: My grandmother, Mary Lee, is so pivotal to our journey because had I not decided to leave my job in 2017 to become her caregiver, there would be no Southern Roots Vegan Bakery. After watching "What the Health,” it started our plant-based journey, and she was along for the ride. We wouldn't be here today because we wouldn't have had the time to start a business and do recipe testing. Since I was already responsible for making all of her meals and taking her to doctor's appointments, we were seeing the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle in real-time. My grandmother was able to be taken off her diabetic medication and her labs improved within a few months from introducing plant-based foods in her diet. It was even shocking to her doctors. I remember we left her cardiologist appointment, and he said he didn't need to see her for a year. Her labs were that good, which is very rare to say to a 96-year-old at the time. That was confirmation for us that this was something special and would inspire generations to come in our family. She's our ultimate testimonial. We just celebrated her 99th birthday, and she stays up until midnight watching Family Feud. She's our original taste tester and will forever be a part of our vision. She says we have made her famous, and it brings tears to her eyes when we tell her all the different states

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Sea Life

Not Sea Food

Israeli Startup Sets to Launch World's First Vegan Salmon Fillet It's packed with nutrients and promises the same delectable buttery texture, with none of the nasty microplastics, heavy metals, and cruelty to our aquatic friends!

by Shr iya Swaminat han When food science meets commitment to the planet, no fish need to be harmed to create the perfect fillet for a top-notch meal. The revolutionary vegan startup, Plantish, believes that our fish friends belong in their ocean homes and not on our plates. With that spirit at the core, the crew embarked on a mission for a sustainable solution to feed the world's population without causing devastation to the pristine sea life that is increasingly threatened by the $586 Billion Seafood Industry.

The startup has successfully raised a $2 million seed funding round that includes participation from TechAviv Founder Partners, a prominent venture fund, Michelin chef José Andrés, and vlogger Nuseir Yassin (aka Nas Daily). This funding will enable Plantish to scale their production of whole-cut salmon, fill the gaping void in the plant-based, whole-cut fillet market, and offer an affordable, plant-powered upgrade to conventional fish at restaurants. The company has plans to showcase this game-changing product at select pop-ups by the end of 2022 and expand its launch by 2024.

Their latest trailblazing creation is a structured boneless "salmon" fillet made with high-quality, responsibly sourced, plant-powered ingredients.

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Our vision is to be the world's leading seafood brand, all without hurting a single fish.

- Ofek Ron, Plantish Co-Founder & CEO

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Dr. John McDougall Wants to Put Planet Earth on a Diet

A lion among the greatest of our plant-based medical authorities, Dr. John McDougall, is on a mission now to save us from impending climate disaster. What’s the key? He says: “It’s the food!” Dr. McDougall graciously agreed to share his thoughts with VEGWORLD. What’s the connection between climate and food?

be nearly 18% of the total; while all transportation (buses, train, cars, planes, etc.) accounts to less than 14%. By including several additional factors, those underestimated by the WHO report, the Worldwatch Institute concluded that livestock actually accounts for more than 51% of the GHG produced annually.

(See: https://awellfedworld.org/wp-content/uploads/ Livestock-Climate-Change-Anhang-Goodland.pdf)

I, along with most of you, was first made aware of the existential perils of climate change by Al Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, in 2006. He clearly laid out the disastrous future ahead, with his solutions being largely limited to curtailing the fossil fuel industries. No mention was made of the livestock industries’ contributions to global warming. Nor did his 2017 film An Inconvenient Sequel; Truth to Power, provide enlightenment on the potential role of curtailing our addiction to meat-eating for saving our home. In 2006, the WHO published highly-influential research, Livestock’s Long Shadow; a nearly 400-page report finding livestock’s contribution to GHG production to

VEGWORLD

So how can food save the planet?

The EAT-Lancet Commission, considered to be the authoritative word on the subject of climate crises and diet, published their conclusions in 2019: The livestock industry is a major detriment to planetary survival; and that we have fewer than 12 years to take action before life on Earth becomes impossible.

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In March of 2020, the EAT-Lancet Commission reported that replacing beef, pork, and poultry with a plant-food-based diet reduced the GHG associated with people’s diets by up to 50%, depending on the type and degree of substitution (vegan being most effective). (Lancet Planet Health. (2020) Mar;4(3):e98-e106). Further encouragement about the power of food comes from scientific findings that changing from a standard Western diet to a vegan diet can reduce GHG production by as much as 80%.

(PLOS ONE, Nov 3;11(11) (2016).

over traditional eating patterns based on staples, like corn, potatoes, rice, and wheat. This is, by no coincidence, the period of time that the greatest damage to Planet Earth from climate change has occurred.

The vast majority want a viable future for their children; they just don’t know how to attain this elusive but precious, goal. People are poised for big changes in their lives, especially after realizing that there is no going back to “normal” and that in fewer than 50 years, we face extinction. Some may believe that “More research and more discussion need to be done before we act.” We don’t have the luxury of time to make our conclusions acceptable to everyone. Present circumstances dictate that observations, deductive reasoning, incomplete science, and a bit of faith must prevail in our decision to act now.

What’s your advice to save us from ourselves?

We need to go back to the future. A simple U-turn, back to traditional diets followed by the more than 100 billion human inhabitants who have walked

Looking back, to only 50 years ago, the majority of people on planet Earth followed a starch-based diet; and many of us are old enough to remember these times. How ironic to realize how knowledge commonly held within one lifetime— the traditional starch-based diet—would also be a necessary part of the solution to mitigating climate change for the next half-century, and beyond, for the lifetimes of many future generations. We have a world to save, and every bite counts.

About The Author John McDougall, MD, is founder of the McDougall Health and Medical Program, a national best-selling author of 13 books, and a principal investigator of scientific research on nutrition, medical care, and health. Over 50-years of clinical practice, he has helped countless individuals recover their health. He has been a tireless advocate for nutritional education and dietary change.

planet Earth, is the change in eating patterns I am proposing. Throughout verifiable human history, all large populations of trim, healthy, athleticcompeting, war-fighting people have obtained the bulk of their calories from starches. Examples of thriving populations include the Japanese, Chinese, and other Asians, who ate sweet potatoes, buckwheat, and/or rice; Incas in South America who ate potatoes; Mayans and Aztecs in Central America were known “as the people of the corn;” and the Middle East, formally known as “the breadbasket of the world,” fed hundreds of millions on a diet of wheat and barley. I say “ate” rather than “eat” because, since the early 1980s, Western eating patterns have prevailed

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To learn more about Dr. McDougall, his 12-day McDougall Program, and his Starch Solution Certification program, go to https://www.drmcdougall.com/.

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Food is really and truly the most effective medicine.

- Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Photo by Edgar Castrejon on Unsplash

RECIPES

Photo by Edgar Castrejon - unsplash

Spring Fruit

GALETTE B Y

C A T H E R I N E

K A T Z

Galettes are the crusty free-form versions of those more sophisticated tarts or pies. They are more rustic and "rough around the edges," so you can just eat a slice with your hands–no need for forks here!

The only problem for me is that the traditional ones are made with plain white flour and lots of butter.

In fact, I had just resigned myself to the fact that if you wanted that perfect luscious combination of flaky crust and rich buttery taste –the way my idols Julia Child and Jacques Pépin have always made them–there was just no way around it. I imagine you know where I am going with this? Here is my newly created version true to Cuisinicity nutritional standards, AND it has passed my picky French culinary standards with flying colors! Enough said - I will let you judge for yourself! Here I made it with fresh strawberries, but you can make it with whatever fresh fruit is in season, so enjoy and

Bon appetit!

Photos by Catherine Katz

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RECIPE

Prep time: 15 minutes Baking time: 25 minutes Serves 8

Dough

Dough

1 P lace all the dough ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until a soft ball forms (30 seconds). The dough will be sticky, that's OK--sprinkle it with a little flour (no more than 1 Tbsp flour), enough to gather it in your hands and make it into a ball.

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour • 1/4 cup powdered sugar, organic • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed

2 P lace it on a piece of parchment paper, and using a rolling pin, gently roll into a circle about 7 inches in diameter--it doesn't have to be perfect.

• 1/4 cup white wine

3 Transfer onto baking sheet.

Custard

Custard

• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 M ix applesauce, ground almonds, and vanilla extract and stir well with a spoon until thoroughly mixed.

• 2 Tbsp ground roasted almonds • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Assembling 1 S pread the custard evenly over the dough to within about 1/2 inch of the edge.

Topping • 10-12 medium strawberries, rinsed and sliced

2 S pread the sliced strawberries in one layer; no need to arrange them in any way, they will be naturally beautiful.

• 1 tsp granulated sugar

3 F old the edge of the dough up over the strawberries to create a little border.

4 S prinkle the granulated sugar on top of the strawberries and folded edge.

Preheat the oven 350° F

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5 B ake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the strawberries are juicy and the crust is golden.

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Asparagus Recoup Soup with Crispy Croûtons

by Cathy Katin-Grazzini

Photo by Giordano Katin-Grazzini

Here’s a delicious way to salvage the tough, woody

and garnish with chopped chives, a pinch of

ends of asparagus spears. They make an exquisitely

chili threads, and some homemade whole grain

flavored velvety-smooth blended soup that whips

croûtons for an elegant, delectable first course

up with minutes. Lightly season to enhance but not

that costs very little in time, effort, or ingredients.

obscure its delicate, nuanced asparagus flavors,

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Pre p t i m e 5 m i n u t e s t o t r i m p l us 5 m i n u t e s t o s e a s o n a n d b l e n d Co o k t i m e 5 t o 20 m i n u t e s t o c o o k s t e m s p l us 5 m i n u t e s t o re h e a t S e r ve s 2

• 2 2.25-pound bags of fresh asparagus spears, lower woody sections only (tops reserved for another dish)

1) Break off the asparagus stems towards the bottoms to remove the tougher, woodier ends. Simmer in water for 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the stems’ thickness and

• 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast, or to taste

freshness, until they are quite tender when pierced.

• 1/8 teaspoon fresh grinds of white pepper

2) D rain, reserving the water, and toss in a high-speed

• 1 to 2 tablespoons Shiro (mild, white) miso, or to taste, diluted in tepid water to make a thick miso sauce

blender. Purée them, adding only as much of the cooking water as needed for a smooth, velvety texture. Sea-

G a r n is h e s

son with a light hand with pepper and nutritional yeast.

• A few chives, chopped finely • Several homemade croutons (recipe below) • A pinch of chili threads or flakes (optional)

3) Before serving, reheat on the stovetop or for a minute, covered in the microwave. Serve in warmed bowls, stirring in a spoonful of diluted miso or to taste. Garnish

Variations: While more assertive in flavor, recouping the stems of cauliflower, broccoli, or hardy greens like kale or collards, also make very nutritious, tasty, and thrifty blended soups. Cook and season them similarly.

with chopped chives, warm croutons, and, if you like, a pinch of chili.

Q uick Cro û t o ns The fastest way to make croutons, of course, is to repurpose stale artisanal whole grain bread or toast a slice. Then rub it with a clove of garlic and season with fresh grinds of pepper and perhaps a sprinkle of dried thyme leaves. But, if you are out of bread, here’s a tasty surrogate that’s simple to make using whole grain breadcrumbs and potato, seared on a hot, nonstick skillet.

Pre p t i m e 5 m i n u t e s

|

Co o k t i m e 5 m i n u t e s

M a ke s 15 t o 25 c ro û t o n s , d e p e n d i n g o n s h a p e a n d s iz e

• 2/3 cup coarse whole wheat breadcrumbs • 3 teaspoons arrowroot • Several grinds of white or black pepper • ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic • ¼ teaspoon granulated onion • 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast • ½ teaspoon dried herbes de Provence or dried thyme leaves • 1 medium yellow potato, microwaved • 1 teaspoon Shiro miso paste, or to taste

1) Mix the breadcrumbs, arrowroot, nutritional yeast, pepper, herbs, and miso paste in a bowl, taste and adjust seasonings as you like, then mound the mix on a large cutting board.

2) Cook the potato in a microwave for 3 to 4 minutes, just until tender. While it is still piping hot, cut the potato in half, and using a ricer, squeeze two-thirds of the riced potato pulp onto the mix. Use a fork to distribute the potato throughout the mixture, and then use your hands to knead it for a minute into a dough. Add more of the riced potato if the mixture remains too crumbly to gather cohesively.

3) Use a wooden dowel or light rolling pin to flatten the dough to ¼-inch in thickness. Then square off the edges and cut into bitesized 1-inch squares or 1 by ¾-inch rectangles.

4) Heat a nonstick pan for 3 minutes over medium heat. Toast the croûtons for about 2 minutes on each side to lightly brown them.

5) Serve immediately, or, if you prepare them in advance, reheat them before serving for 5 minutes in a 300°F oven.

Potato Galette with

Asparagus

by Miggs McTaylor

A crispy potato galette with asparagus may sound like a sophisticated dish.

However, it is deceptively simple to make. All elements can be prepared separately ahead of serving, and quantities are easily adjusted to suit the number of servings. Make a thinner potato galette for two, or to feed a larger group, just add a potato per person spiraling more layers in a larger skillet.

Fresh asparagus can be steamed, blanched, or grilled, topped off with a dollop of aquafaba mayonnaise, and garnished with fresh salsa. This delicious combo is perfect for eating any time of day.

Preparation times

Cooking times

Potato galette – 10 minutes

Potato galette – 30-40 minutes

Aquafaba mayonnaise – 10 minutes

Asparagus – 5 minutes

Salsa – 10-15 minutes Asparagus – 5 minutes

Serves 2

Photo by Miggs McTaylor

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Potato Galette

• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

Ingredients:

• ¼ teaspoon sea salt • ¾-1 cup neutral oil or 50/50 olive oil/neutral oil

• 2 medium potatoes

Method:

• Olive or canola oil

1 Put aquafaba, lemon and vinegar, Dijon mustard, and sea salt into a blender. Use a tall vessel if using a stick blender. Blend/ whisk until light and frothy, on a high speed/ whisking steadily; slowly stream in oil, mixing continuously, until thick and creamy. Season and adjust to taste.

• Sea salt • 2 Tablespoons fresh chives or parsley • 10 - 14 spears of fresh asparagus • Aquafaba mayonnaise • Fresh salsa

Fresh Salsa

Method: 1 Wash potatoes and thinly slice unpeeled potatoes. Use a mandolin (with the guard) or a sharp knife to keep the thickness regular.

A tomato and onion-based chopped salsa is a simple way to add flavor and more vegetables to any dish. For extra flavor, you could add ingredients from the optional extra list below.

2 Coat a heavy-based frying pan with olive oil and heat until just sizzling. Starting from the outer edge, arrange the sliced potatoes in an overlapping spiral, lightly season, and sprinkle with herbs between layers. Lower to medium heat and cook until golden brown. Finish cooking in the oven at 400ºF until cooked through.

Makes approximately 1 ½ cups or about 8 servings Ingredients: • 1/2 red onion

3 If making ahead, a potato galette can be warmed at 375ºF for 15 minutes before serving.

• 1 large red tomato • 1/2 red pepper • 1/2 cucumber

Aquafaba Mayonnaise

• 1 lemon

Unlike traditional homemade mayonnaise, this recipe is almost foolproof, easily fixed if something goes wrong, and very quick to make.

• Sea salt • Freshly ground black pepper

Makes approximately 1 ½ cups or about 8 servings

• 1 Tablespoon capers (optional)

Ingredients:

Method:

• 1/2 cup aquafaba, aka chickpea brine

1 Peel and finely dice the red onion, put into a small bowl. Add zest of a lemon and its juice.

Stir and set aside while you finely dice all the vegetables.

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

2 Add all ingredients to the bowl and season to taste.

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

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VEGWORLD

I N S TA N T

P O T

Thai Green Risotto Recipe and Photo by K im Campbell Creamy smooth risotto infused with the flavors of Thai green curry takes the idea of risotto to a whole new level. This Asian risotto is packed with not just an assortment of fresh vegetables but has a harmonious balance of powerhouse flavors!

The Instant Pot is the easiest way to pull off this meal quickly and easily. If you don't have a pressure cooker, no problem, I'll include directions for both. Enjoy!

P r e p t i m e : 10 –15 m i n u t e s

|

Cook time: 6 minutes

|

Yields: 4 - 6 ser vings

Ingredients • 6-8 green onions, sliced

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced

• 2 cups warm low sodium vegetable

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

stock for Instant Pot or 2 1/2 cups for

• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs removed,

the stovetop

thinly sliced

• 3 cups fresh spinach, roughly

• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, any variety

chopped

• 1 Tablespoon ginger paste or grated ginger

• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas

• 2 teaspoons Thai Green Curry Paste (I use Thai

Garnish

Kitchen brand) • ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

• 1 lime, quartered

• 1 ½ Tablespoons white miso paste

• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)

• 1 ¼ cup arborio rice

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March/April 2022

Directions: Instant Pot Directions

Stove Top Directions

1) Set a 6-quart Instant Pot to the high sauté setting.

Add the green onions, celery, garlic, jalapeño, mushrooms, ginger, Thai green curry paste, and basil to the pot and cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring continuously. Add small amounts of water as needed to prevent sticking. Add the miso paste, rice, white wine, and continue stirring for another 3-4 minutes.

1) In a large skillet, add the green onions, celery, garlic, ginger, jalapeño, mushrooms, ginger, Thai green curry paste, and basil to the pot and cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring continuously.

Add small amounts of water as needed to prevent sticking. Add the miso paste, rice, white wine, and continue stirring for another 3-4 minutes.

2) T urn off the sauté setting and pour 2 cups of vegetable broth into the pot. Close the lid and turn the venting knob to the sealing position. Select manual setting and adjust the pressure to high, and set time for 6 minutes. When finished cooking, quick release the pressure.

2) Add 2 1/2 cups of warm vegetable broth to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 20-22 minutes, making sure to stir frequently to prevent sticking.

3) Stir in the spinach and peas. Serve immediately and garnish with lime and sesame seeds.

3) S tir in the spinach and peas and allow the spinach to wilt for 5 minutes. Serve immediately and garnish with lime and sesame seeds.

Photo by Andreea Fegan

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VEGWORLD

Creamy Golden Gravy over Mashed Potatoes

by Mary McDougall This gravy is made with brown rice flour instead of wheat flour. The great thing about using rice flour instead of wheat flour for thickening is that it doesn't form lumps like wheat flour often does. You just sprinkle it over the top of a hot liquid, stir it in, and it thickens nicely without any lumps.

Serves: Makes 2 1/4 cups

VEGWORLD Photo credit: Emma Roche, PlantPlate

Prep Time: 5 min

50

Cook Time: 10 min

March/April 2022

Gravy

Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

Serves: 6 to 8 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes

• 2 Cups vegetable broth • 3 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce • 2 Tablespoons tahini • 1/4 cup brown rice flour • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions 1) Place the broth in a saucepan.

Combine the soy sauce and tahini in a bowl and add to the liquid in the saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to smooth out the tahini. When mixture is simmering and smooth, sprinkle the brown rice flour over the top, about a tablespoon at a time, and stir in. Continue to add the rice flour, stirring until sauce becomes thickened. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve at once.

2) H int: This may be made ahead and refrigerated. It will thicken slightly more when refrigerated. To reheat, place in a saucepan, add a small amount of water, whisk to combine, and then heat slowly, stirring occasionally, until hot.

Ingredients • 3 pounds Russet, Yukon Gold, Yellow Finn, or any white potato • 3/4-1 1/4 cups non-dairy milk, heated • 1 /2 teaspoon salt • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions 1) Peel potatoes and cut into quarters. Cook potatoes in a pot with water to cover and simmer over low heat until tender, usually 20-25 minutes.

Test them with a fork for doneness. Drain immediately, then mash while still hot.

2) In a bowl, mash potatoes with a hand-held electric beater, a potato ricer, or use an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Gradually adding the non-dairy milk. Continue to beat until smooth and creamy. Stir in salt and pepper.

Serve at once.

3) Variations on basic mashed potatoes: For garlic mashed potatoes, cook 2-3 cloves of garlic with the potatoes.

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4) For roasted garlic mashed potatoes, cut the top off 1 head of garlic, drizzle 1 tablespoon vegetable broth over cut portion, wrap in parchment paper, then tightly wrap in aluminum foil. Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Cool. Remove from wrapping, invert over bowl, and squeeze garlic out of the cloves. Add to potatoes while mashing.

5) For colorful mashed potatoes, add cooked vegetables to the potatoes while mashing.

Try carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, kale, spinach, broccoli, or celery root.

6) For herbed mashed potatoes, add fresh chopped herbs to potatoes after they are mashed. Try parsley, dill, chives, cilantro, basil, or another of your favorites.

Potato Tips: Don't buy soft, cracked, bruised, discolored, green, or decayed potatoes.

Cook in skin to preserve nutrients. Save the cooking water for moistening potatoes and making gravy.

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