A New Yorker In Boston OR : A Simple Post For Not So Simple Times

I have a car.
I live in Queens NY.
I want to go to the above event.
I have room for a couple of people.
Does any body from the NYC area wanna go?
Email me : brownbirdrudyrelic (a) gmail . com
Thank You

A Perfect Vegan Monday OR : Isa Chandra Rules OKAY!

Isa from the Block

Either i'm a victim of that fuzzy little thing called pessimism or I just don't allow myself to adorn that shiny coat called naivety - but - I don't think Veganism will ever overtake our current situation. I don't. And. I have my reasons. So. Poo! No perfect world for me.

But I do like to daydream though. And you can bet your sweet sass that I have my ideas of what that perfect world would look like.

In my perfect world, Paula Deen wouldn't exist and Isa Chandra would kick Rachel Ray's EVOOin ass. For Sure.

And. Well. Lo and behold! : Isa's in the news! If you haven't heard or seen it, then have yourself a gander.

Go Isa!

She's even brought a sweet recipe to boot! And. Well. There's also this Vegan Lemon Cheescake recipe from the same AP story too. Oh. And, this piece on the Essentials of a Vegan Baking Pantry.

Okay. So. Maybe we won't take over the world, but, we sure have better food no?

Oh. And. I stole this above photo from Sharyn Morrow.

Tantalizing Tidbits To Tickle Your Vegan Ears OR : Vegan Podcasts At A Glance

Irrespective of where you may have been sleeping (under a rock or not) you probably know what a podcast is by now, so, I'll spare the semantics and get right to the point. Here's a listing (in no order) of some of the best vegan/vegan related ones out there for your auditory pleasure.

Erik's Diner - Animal Rights Activists and Author Erik Marcus' survey of all things vegan/AR related. From interviews to politics to food talk - it covers it all.

Vegan Freak Radio - The podcast of Bob & Jenna Torres (of Vegan Freak fame) two foul-mouthed, irreverent and hardline-as-hell vegans who don't pull any punches- it's equally funny as it is informative.

Let's Get Baked - Seriously, quite possibly the best of the punch. (probably because, I myself am more of a foodie) Mixing music with vegan foodiness. The jumble up rad recipes with rad music. Not to be missed. Totally.

Go Vegan Radio - This was described to me as "the most reputable vegan podcast out there" - and this may be true because it's actually a radio show. Interesting, informative and esteemed.

Vegan Cooking School - A cooking school and a podcast wrapped into one big ball of hoo hot yell yeah - now you're cooking with MP3!

Vegan Radio - Contrary to popular belief this has nothing to do with Cuba Gooding Jr going vegan. It's a cooperative (featuring Derek Goodwin of Veganica and Megan Shakelford of Oh Sweet Mama Vegan Bakery) show with things in and out of the vegan sphere.

Blogging The Bloggers OR: A Vegan Blog Round Up Diversion

Get out your paintbrush. Okay. So. Admitting that you visit about 50 blogs (uh, and counting...) a day either paints you as someone who has their thumb on the pulse of the Vegan blogosphere or is juggling a few social ineptitudes.

I don't know, you be the judge - beside, I have enough baggage already, the last thing I need is an existential magnifying glass pointed at my forehead - and, well, those things are heavy.

So. I was asked recently: "what and why do certain blogs make it to the roundup?" and "Why are some blogs featured while others are not?"

1. Recipes - this, my dear friends is the whole reason I read blogs. Out there. Hidden just above the froth that is the html and code are delectable treasures created by an assemblage of talented vegan chefs. They inspire me!

2. Ingenuity - daily, I never ceased to be amazed at the awe-inspiring inventiveness of those vegan bloggers who take recipes and flip them on their head to create masterpieces separate from their inspirata.

3. Literary Prowess - some bloggers do nothing but concoct amazing anecdotes; some, do this so well that I can't help but blog about their blogging - in turn creating some peripheral dimension that threatens to destroy us all!

And. Lastly.

4. Food Porn - okay, so, yeah, long gone (at least for me anyway) are the days of "I'm a vegan and look what I ate yesterday" food bloggery - but there are some bloggers that somehow, someway tantalize me with the kind of food pictures that make me drool all over my keyboard.

*Oh. And. The above photo is totally ripping off Black Flag.

The Vegan Bookshelf : A Look At Some New Vegan Cookbooks Just Around The Corner

Vegan Fusion World Cuisine
Publication Date: October 15th, 2007
Gotta Have it Factor: 6 outta 10

The Paperback version of the long out of print book by the same name. The World Famous Blossoming Lotus restaurant's skinny on a plethora of recipes that has made this place what it is and how it is regarded today.

VEGANOMICON
Publication Date: October 28th, 2007
Gotta Have It Factor: 11 outta 10

Seriously, I have never seen so much buzz about a vegan cookbook before, the thought, the idea the mere mention of this book sends vegans into uncontrollable fits of joy and happiness. Yeah, it's hard to get vegans to agree on anything (politics, food, honey, etc.) but word around the stove is that vegans are in a hand-holding cumbaya campfire singing tizzy over this one.

And. Well.

It's easy to see why - The Post Punk Kitchen's Isa Chandra Moscowitz & Terry Hope Romero are veganism's kick-ass answer and antithesis to all things omnivore. Sorry Sarah Kramer, there's some new queens of the Herbivorous throne.

My Sweet Vegan
Publication Date: November 2, 2007
Gotta Have It Factor: 8 outta 10

Knitter extraordinare, part conscious-cooking blogger at the Bittersweet Blog and amazing photographer Hannah Kaminsky's new book looks too sweet to pass up! You can rest assured that though this book will probably keep you in dentist bills, it will definitely keep your sweet tooth satisfied - and well, that's always good enough for me.

The Gluten-Free Vegan
Release Date
December 28th, 2007
Gotta Have It Factor: 5 outta 10

From the looks of things, author Susan Obrien already has slew of gluten-free cookbooks under her arm, this though, would be her first vegan foray in the field.

She's Got Vegan Soul and She's Super Bad

Every now, again, sometimes, somewhere in between and/or out of nowhere, a "reputable" publication will do a story about something vegan-related. More often than not though, it's a implicitly pejorative sucker-punch using veganism as a catylist to depreciate the vegan movement through mainstream society. It's the way the world works I suppose.

With that said, other times, these same "reputable" publications will do a piece that's more of a splash of cool water than boiling broth.

Case in point: Today's Washington Post's piece about Levita Mondie-Sapp, a 37-year old mother of two who uses veganism not only as a conduit to address health issues but to cook up some delicious soul food as well. The piece is brief, but refreshing.

Also, thankfully, the Washinton Post has even gone so far as to include some delicious looking recipes from Ms. Mondie-Sapp's semi-business Vita's Eatery. Check Em Out: Vita's Vegan Orange-Glazed Sweet Potatoes, Vita's Barbecue Tofu, Vita's Collard Green Won Tons, Vita's Vegan Corn Bread and Vita's Vegetarian 3-Bean Chipotle Chili.

Vegan With A Valence OR : The Vegan Blog Roundup

Have Cake Will Travel has it in the bag with this baguette recipe - Ah, yes, always consistent and carbtastic too!

Seitan Is My Motor is in test kitchen mode, mulling over a collection of recipes that run the gamut, siting Vegan Yum Yum to Vegan with a Vengeance. I love it when she get's all hyper-informative. Cooking smart!

When in doubt turn your leftovers into a glut of gourmet goodness. Vegan Visitor has many a trick up her sleeve, for instance, check out this Creamy Spinach Pesto recipe - a little ingenuity and inventiveness goes a long way no?

Oh. And. Speaking of inventive cooks and their respective cookery - Isa over at the PPK blog is smoky sweet with this Chili Pumpkin Cranberry Risotto with Spicy Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. Yeah, say that 5 times really fast. Whoo!

Ever heard of Hempmilk? Yeah, I've seen in the health food store a couple of times and I've been meaning to try it. Need an excuse? Well, how about this Almond Butter Hemp Cookie recipe from Veggie Girl? Uh-hum, motivation!

Need a new vegan book for your collection? Well, The Veg Blog has got the skinny on 3 books you may or may not have heard of or have or some variation of...