| eLifelines September 2011 |
| Monday, 01 August 2011 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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September is here! While many people are saddened by the end of summer, vegetarians in and around Toronto (and even as far as New York and beyond!) get excited this time of year because it means the Annual Vegetarian Food Festival has arrived! There's just one week left until the Harbourfront Centre comes alive with over 100 exhibitors, 10 speakers, and 8 chefs celebrating vegetarian cuisine and culture. That's not the only thing happening this month though. TVA's social groups are very active this fall with dinners, bonfires and more! If all of this plant-based celebration inspires you, why not learn from Marco, our animal advocacy profile this month, about how you can host a vegan challenge in your work place? Or perhaps encourage your friends and family to attend the upcoming Vegetarianism 101 session? Or, get involved with some animal activism yourself by giving away veggie dogs outside of one of Toronto's slaughterhouses, or supporting the Animals Asia Fundraiser. Don't Miss These Upcoming Events!The 27th Annual Vegetarian Food Festival is happening September 9th to 11th, and Vegetarianism 101 is October 5th. Find out more on Facebook or in the TVA in Action section.
This Month... TVA in Action - Vegetarian Food Festival, Vegetarianism 101, Directory Updates: New Places In the News - Shark Fin Ban in the Works for Toronto, United Egg Producers Support an End to Battery Cages Animal Advocacy Profile - Marco Pagliarulo: How to Host a Vegan Challenge Nutritious Food of the Month - Spelt-bound Recipe - Homemade Spelt Bread Restaurant Profile - East! By Spring Rolls Reader's Corner - Veggie Dog Giveaway at Quality Meat Packers, Animals Asia Fundraiser, Three Great Veg Apartments for Rent
TVA In ActionUpcoming Events
27th Annual Vegetarian Food Festival Join us at Harbourfront Centre for the best weekend of the year from September 9th-11th. It's time to get ready! Join us again this year for a weekend filled with great speakers, demonstrations and entertainment, all taking place at Harbourfront Centre starting on September 9th.
For the first time, Melanie Joy will be speaking at the festival - author of Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows. Joining us this year are also a slew of health professionals - see Michael Greger, Julieanna Hever of Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant Based Nutrition, Jack Norris of Vegan Outreach and many more.
Returning cooking demonstrators include Terry Hope-Romero (author of the soon to be released Vegan Pie in the Sky), locals Marni Wasserman, Meghan Telpner and more.
And make sure to stop by the World Cafe, a vegetarian food court featuring Nzyme Living Foods, Udupi Palace, King's Cafe, El Cilantro and Govinda's. When? Friday, September 9th to Sunday, September 11th Where? Harbourfront Centre How much? This is a FREE event! All lectures and cooking demonstrations are free as well. More information: Keep checking back to the website for updates on speakers, cooking demos and exhibitors. veg.ca/festival Vegetarianism 101 Come out for an informative session with Nimisha Raja, a vegetarian since birth, who can answer your questions, including: Why would anyone even consider give up eating meat? How can this possibly be healthy? Where do they get their protein? What about if I’m keeping kosher? You'll be informed and entertained with facts and stories about this intriguing lifestyle. When? Wednesday, October 5th, 7 pm to 8:15 pm Where? Barbara Frum Library (20 Covington Road, just north of Bathurst and Lawrence) Room B How much? This informative session is FREE! Registration: Please register in advance by phoning the library at (416) 395-5440. Find other veg-related event listings at veg.ca/events. TVA Group EventsVegetarians in Their Twenties will be having a bonfire night with vegan marshmallows and hot chocolate at Dufferin Grove Park on Sunday, September 25th. Please RSVP to vitt@veg.ca. TVA Reads will meet on October 17th to discuss Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows. Please contact Shan at tvareads@veg.ca for more information and location. The North York/York Region Vegetarian Group will meet Thursday, September 15th at 7 pm at Spring Rolls (4841 Yonge Street). RSVP as seating is limited. Join one of TVA’s social groups. Directory UpdatesAnother month, and another update about new vegetarian eateries opening in Toronto! Urban Herbivore has a new location in the "Urban Eatery" at the north In the NewsSupport a Ban on Shark Fin in TorontoToronto city councillors Glen De Baeremaeker and Kristyn Wong-Tam have introduced a motion to ban the possession, sale and consumption of shark fins in Toronto. But they need support from citizens! Make your voice heard at Toronto City Council by signing their petition and contacting your local city councillor to let them know that you support a shark fin ban in Toronto. Visit www.torontolovessharks.com for more information. United Egg Producers to Support an End to Use of Battery CagesFarm Sanctuary has announced that an historic compromise has been reached between the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) and the United Egg Producers (UEP), with the UEP agreeing to support passage of legislation to ban the use of battery cages for egg-laying hens. This could be the first nationwide law to address the welfare of animals on farms in the US and could lead to other federal legislation addressing farmed animal welfare in the future. Click here for more information. Animal Advocacy ProfileKnow someone you want to nominate for the Animal Advocacy Profile? Tell us about someone in the community doing inspiring work for animals. Host a Vegan ChallengeMarco Pagliarulo is a great ambassador for the vegan movement, participating in numerous forms of activism to support the vegan movement. But he wanted to encourage others in his life to consider veganism as well, so back in April, he hosted a vegan challenge at his workplace, inviting colleagues to adopt a vegan diet for one week. About a dozen co-workers signed on! Click here to read his story about how he organized the vegan challenge, how he got colleagues interested, and how you too can host a challenge in your workplace! Nutritious Food of the MonthSpelt-boundCare of Amy Symington What the Spelt?! For those agricultural scientists at home, spelt is classified as a Triticum Spelta species and comes from the Poaceae family. In layman’s terms, spelt is a cereal grain from the grass family. It is a delicious and healthy alternative to more widely used grains or flours. Recognizable by its nutty taste, while the exact origin of this lesser known grain is unknown, most accounts suggest it was first found somewhere in Europe or the Middle East. Why the Spelt? Spelt is becoming more and more popular in North America, particularly with organic farmers as spelt requires far fewer fertilizers to grow adequately. Spelt is rich in protein, B vitamins, fibre and manganese. It is also a reliable source of iron, niacin, and phosphorous. Due to its richness in fibre, vitamins and minerals, spelt (like most whole grains) can be used in the prevention of Canada’s top diseases – Cancer, Heart disease and Diabetes – if consumed on a regular basis. On top of potentially saving lives, spelt is also easier to digest than regular wheat because of its low gluten content. It does however contain a small amount of gluten, so is therefore unsuitable to consume for those with Celiac’s disease. On the positive side, in some cases, because of its low gluten content, those with slight intolerances or allergies to gluten are able to tolerate and digest spelt with ease! For a diet based on 2000 calories per day, a single cup of cooked spelt contains 21% protein, 30% dietary fibre and 106% manganese of one’s daily recommended requirements. Talk about packing a potent punch. Where’s the Spelt? Used in lieu of white flour as well as whole wheat flour, spelt flour is just as versatile as its cousins It is more than suitable for pasta making, bread baking, pizza crusts, nutritional bars, hearty granola, muffins galore, cakes, pancakes, pies, cookies, croissants, and whole grain crackers – the list can and does go on. Note: One thing to keep in mind, when baking in particular, is that spelt flour is more water soluble in comparison to wheat flour. This means you will need less liquid to get that dough of yours to the perfect consistency. In addition to flour, spelt is also available in its hulled, whole grain form, referred to as spelt berries, which is often prepared and relished like rice. Consequently, this leads to another lengthy list of breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert options. Oh spelt! Oh spelt! Click here to join TVA and receive the print Lifelines, which offers more nutritional info, recipes and cookbook reviews. Find more nutritional information at veg.ca/nutrition. RecipeHomemade Spelt Bread
Ingredients
Directions In a large mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl mix wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry and incorporate. Knead until dough has formed. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Form into your desired loaf-like shape, sprinkle with coarse salt and fresh rosemary. Bake for 35 minutes on 375F. Serve with your favourite soup! Find links to more recipes at veg.ca/recipes. Restaurant ProfileEast by Spring RollsCare of Terri Coles
The strip of Queen West between Yonge and Spadina actually has less lunch options than you'd expect, which is one reason why EAST! by Spring Rolls was such a welcome addition when it opened a few years ago. Torontonians around the city are familiar with the Spring Rolls chain, but EAST! makes the concept a bit more casual -- and affordable -- while keeping the same modern interior. The big front windows give you a great view of the action on Queen West, but inside the restaurant it's quiet and relaxing, with service that's friendly but not obtrusive. EAST! has a nice selection of dishes free of meat, fish, dairy and eggs, which makes ordering easy. The cold vegetable rolls and the sesame ginger salad are healthy and refreshing choices when the weather is warm. The pad Thai comes in both regular and curry varieties, if you're looking to try something new with the staple dish. If you were a fan of basil chicken in your pre-veg life, you'll appreciate the Thai spicy noodles, and it's great to find a vegetable fried rice that won't come with eggs mixed through. And while they may not be as popular in the humid summer months, but the vegetable tom yum, tom kha and hot and sour soups here are all very comforting when you pop inside from the cold on a fall or winter Toronto day. You can finish your meal with one of the drinks from the extensive cocktail menu, but I also recommend trying a genmaicha brown-rice tea, which has a mellow taste that's a great complement to any spicy dish. Veg Status? The restaurant is not vegetarian but they have a vegan section on their menu. Where? 240 Queen Street West (between Bathurst and Spadina) Reader's CornerReader's RentalsThis month we've gotten word of THREE apartments being rented by fellow members of the veg community. **LAKE FRONT 2 BEDROOM APARTMENT TO SHARE IN THE BEACHES** A TVA member and volunteer is looking for a female roommate who is vegetarian, a non-smoker and animal friendly to share a 2 bedroom apartment in The Beach, right by the lake. A fully reconstructed 3 story building overlooking the lake and boardwalk. The unit is on the lake side and has a private balcony. On the roof is a rooftop patio, common room with kitchenette and bathroom, and laundry room. There is central air, an elevator, brand new appliances, a bike rack and street parking. Rent to be shared: $1,569 (784.50 each). Utilities included (phone, cable, TV extra, to be shared). The move in date set for the end of November, but please respond as soon as possible if interested by contacting Carol at carolmichaeline@rogers.com. **WATERFRONT CONDO FOR RENT WITH GREAT VEG COOKBOOK COLLECTION** A TVA volunteer is traveling for six months and will be leaving behind a beautiful, one-bedroom furnished condo in Toronto's Entertainment District. Facilities include: 24/7 concierge, gas stove, 3-piece private bath, queen-sized bed, washer/dryer, wired (ethernet) and wireless internet, balcony. In attached amenities: pool, basketball court, bowling alley, movie theatre, gym (treadmills, running track, spin bikes), party room, tennis court, racquet ball and more. Optional: An expansive collection of vegetarian/vegan cookbooks, Excalibur dehydrator, KitchenAid Stand Mixer and other kitchen appliances. 5 Mariner Terrace is located across from the Rogers Centre, just minutes from Lake Ontario, and steps from the Spadina streetcar line. To inquire about rates and availability please contact pitmanlisa@gmail.com. More info and photos can be found here. $1500/month inclusive, available from November 1st, 2011 until May 1st, 2012. **MARKHAM BASEMENT UNIT** Basement unit and a room for rent. Hwy. 404 & 16th Ave. in Markham area. Close to Buttonville Airport. Shared kitchen. Non-smokers only and no pets. Call Mari @ 416-668-2948 for more info. **Veg Roomate Wanted** Female working in downtown, mostly vegan, eco and pet friendly, open minded person, is looking for a veggie or vegan roommate from September. Hoping to be no more than about 40-45 min from Kensington Market, and looking for a shared space of about $450/month. Phone Maïna at 647 835 7554 or maina.leglatin@gmail.com. Reader's Classifieds Toronto Pig Save and TARS are hosting a Veggie Dog Giveaway outside of Quality Meat Packers on Monday, September 5th. This is a family-friendly event with pig puppets and costumes, story telling, face painting for kids, and music. Check out the Facebook event listing for more information. Animals Asia is hosting a fundraiser on World Animals Day (October 4th). Your $25 ticket will not only support this fantastic organization but will include a presentation by Jill Robinson, vegan hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction and soft drinks. 7 to 10 pm at Lula Lounge - 1585 Dundas Street West. Click here for more info. Join the Toronto Vegetarian Association today!
Founded in 1945, the Toronto Vegetarian Association is a volunteer-driven charitable organization devoted to providing information and support to people who are interested in making healthier, greener, more peaceful food choices. By becoming a member of TVA, you'll support vital programs such as the largest annual vegetarian food fair in North America, the vegetarian directory, a volunteer-run vegetarian resource centre and the Veggie Challenge. You'll also receive our quarterly print newsletter Lifelines, and be entitled to a free, customized subscription to VegE-News. Plus, you'll have the option to purchase our Discount Card, offering savings at over 80 veg-friendly businesses in the GTA. All donations of $20 or more are tax-deductible. Join the Toronto Vegetarian Association today and help us inspire people to choose a healthier, greener, more peaceful lifestyle.
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