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Don't think that the end of summer means the end of celebrations. In fact, we're just getting started!

There's less than two weeks to go until the 26th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair! This year's event promises to be a spectacular array of cooking demonstrations, talks on compassion for animals, and as always, a diverse collection of delicious vegetarian food.

If dessert is your favourite part of a meal, you can look forward to the 3rd Annual Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off in October. This year there's going to be many new twists and lots of sweet prizes!

Perhaps you'd like to practice your baking skills in advance by trying out our recipe for Raw Mango Pie with Coconut Crust, a great way to make good use of the food of the month, coconut.

If all of that excitment in Toronto isn't enough to make you want to stick around as we move from summer to fall, check out our Discount Profile this month of Active Veggie Tours, which gives TVA discount holders $100 off their trip!

The Annual Vegetarian Food Fair is happening September 10th to 12th, followed by the 3rd Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off on Saturday, October 2nd. Find out more in the TVA in Action section or on Facebook.

This Month...

TVA in Action - Annual Vegetarian Food Fair, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, 3rd Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off

In the News - Cockfighting ring busted, local vegan wins Toronto Triathlon 

Animal Profile of the Month - Let's Rave About Rabbits!

Nutritious Food of the Month -The Illustrious Coconut

Recipe - Raw Mango Pie with Coconut Crust

Discount Profile - Active Veggie Tours $100 off

Reader's Classifieds - Veg Chef Wanted, Toronto Animal Rights Expo Looking for Volunteers

Contact Us

TVA In Action

Upcoming Events

 

26th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair

It’s just mere weeks away! The largest of its kind in North America, the 26th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair will offer visitors a diverse cross-section of vegetarian cuisine, new products, workshops, cooking demos and music! Throughout the course of the weekend, visitors can attend talks conducted by a wide array of internationally-acclaimed speakers, from authors and doctors, to animal-rights experts, there is something for everyone!

 

Some of our special guests include: 

• Jonathan Balcombe — Has written scientific papers and articles on animal behaviour, humane education and animal research, and has given presentations on six continents. 
• Brenda Davis — A co-author of seven books, including best-sellers, Becoming Vegan, Becoming Vegetarian, The Raw Food Revolution Diet and the newly released Becoming Raw. 
• Carol Adams — The author of The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory. It’s been called “ground-breaking” and “pioneering”. 
  
• Brendan Brazier — A local favourite! Brendan is a professional athlete whose diet is 100 percent plant-based. 

 

What would our Vegetarian Food Fair be without amazing cooking demonstrations? The weekend will feature dazzling and mouth-watering vegetarian cooking demonstrations by renowned chefs that will leave you with amazing and tasty vegetarian ideas for your kitchen.

Some of our special chefs will include: 

• Terry Hope Romero - the co-author of bestselling books Veganomicon, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. 
• Doug McNish – the head chef at Toronto’s Raw Aura organic and raw food restaurant and will be defending his title at our Iron Chef competition! 
• Marni Wasserman – Marni’s focus is stemmed around whole foods, and she is dedicated to providing individuals with a balanced lifestyle through natural foods. 

 

Creating a wonderful sense of ambiance, the Redpath Stage will feature musical performances, yoga demonstrations and more! Relax on the lawn of the International Marketplace and enjoy the music as you take in the weekend festivities: 

• Susan Wylde - vocalist/songwriter/pianist, Susan is a classically trained pianist and a graduate of the Western Conservatory of Music. 
• Ken Whitely - a Canadian roots music legend. His musical journey has taken him from jug band, folk and swing to blues, gospel and children's music. Among numerous accolades, he has won a Genie Award for Best Original Song in a Canadian film. 

 

When? September 10th - 12th, 2010

 

Where? Harbourfront Centre

More Information: The Vegetarian Food Fair is a FREE event! Visit veg.ca/foodfair for a full schedule and descriptions of events.

Three Weeks Left to Join or Support the Toronto Vegetarian Team at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

If you've still been considering joining the Toronto Vegetarian Team at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, now is the perfect time! We've just confirmed that Brendan Brazier will hold a private meet 'n greet for all fundraisers on the team, where you can ask him for tips and advice before the race. Plus, our new sponsor, Raw Aura, has invited all team members to a discounted dinner in September, so that you can fuel up on healthy, delicious raw food. 

There's no need to fear joining the team, as this race, which can be completed as a 5k, 1/2 marathon or full marathon, is commonly described as flat, fast and festive. You also have the option of either running, or walking, in the 5k and 1/2 marathon distance.

 

Joining the team also presents a great opportunity to demonstrate that vegetarians are indeed healthy, athletic and strong. Plus, it's a great way to support TVA and help us raise funds to support programs like the Veggie Challenge and community outreach. Sponsors Whole Foods and Sequel Naturals will be giving away fantastic plant-based prize packages to the top three fundraisers on the team!

Joining the team is simple. Contact Barbi Lazarus at 416-544-9800 or blazarus@veg.ca to receive your special pincode for a discounted registration rate and full information on signing up. 

And even if running or walking isn't your thing, you can still support our team of plant-powered runners by sponsoring an individual runner or walker, or the entire team! Click here to visit our team page.

3rd Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off

 

No plans to celebrate World Vegetarian Day? Come out and join our party - there will be cake! If you love to impress your friends and foes with your culinary prowess, then break out your whisk and prepare something fabulous for this year’s bake-off. The prizes are fabulous but the competition is sweet.

If you are better at devouring desserts than creating them, bring your appetite, celebratory attitude and pocket change, where incredible sweets in five categories will be waiting for you and your discerning palate. Savor your samples, record your ratings on your ballot, and enter the audience challenges to win amazing prizes!

When? Saturday, October 2 from 2 to 4 pm.

Where? Harbourfront Community Centre

Cost? $3 gets you a plate full of samples. Tickets will be sold for plates in each category - you can buy one or try them all!

More info? To register and read all the event details visit veg.ca/bakeoff before September 20th.

Find other veg-related event listings at veg.ca/events.       

TVA Group Events

I first read Richard Adams’ Watership Down in my 30s. It became my life’s best book, defining my thoughts on life and death, war, conflict and friendship, personality and destiny. Watership Down is about rabbits. Each rabbit represents one of us. Read the book again, it’s worth at least 30 reads by my estimation.

Which rabbit are you? Which would you rather be? As described in the book, rabbits truly have a hard life. Being prey animals, they are constantly on the watch for hawks, owls, wolves, bobcats and foxes not to mention wild or domesticated dogs. However, as they are considered vermin by farmers and proud owners of vegetable plots, their biggest enemy is humans. Rabbits in Australia and New Zealand are considered to be such a pest that land owners are legally obliged to control them. Rabbits are both hunted and bred for meat, and are most often killed by hitting the back of their heads.

I recall a food editor of a major Canadian newspaper buying a rabbit, raising it to adulthood, and then, cuddling it close, killing it with a smash of a rock to the back of the head. “I wanted to see what rabbit tasted like,” she wrote. We could see the rabbit’s sweet face in the newspaper picture. The writer, though, chose not to show her face as she cuddled the rabbit. Why? Because killing animals is an ugly, horrid thing to do, and people who do it know it, deep down.

There’s a shame there that they do not wish to acknowledge. Vegans who do not wear animal products beware: rabbit pelts are sometimes used to make scarves or hats. Angora rabbits are bred for their long, fine hair, which can be sheared and harvested like sheep wool. Read clothing labels closely, is my advice.

Nutritious Food of the Month

The Illustrious Coconut

Care of Amy Symington 

You don’t have to live in the South Pacific or get stranded in deserted paradise to enjoy and benefit from this tasty fruit. The coconut is considered to be in the drupe fruit category and comes from the coconut palm or “tree of life”, as it is often referred to for all its parts’ versatile uses. Its uses are nuts. If we are chit-chatting about the coconut’s nutritional goods you may be pleasantly surprised.

 

It is relatively high in fibre, iron, phosphorus and zinc. It has fewer calories than other oils, supports nutrient absorption and is full of antioxidants and antibacterial agents. However, the white flesh does contain approximately 90% saturated fat. Coconut contains fat and although it does have some great health benefits it should be treated and used as a fat, in moderation, until conclusive evidence proves otherwise. In addition, be sure to avoid coconut products that contain hydrogenated oil as they are then classified as a trans fat, which is not friendly for the old ticker.

 

For either the practical or indulgent culinary use, this “nut” can be cracked so many different ways, we would be listing them until Gilligan returned from his island. However here are a few anyway, just to wet your appetite:

• Fresh or dried coconut is perfect for sprinkling, rolling or garnishing almost anything (hot chocolate, donuts, coconut crusted anything)
• Coconut oil is ideal for cooking, baking, creating delicious raw vegan treats or rubbing on your skin (Thai dishes, fruit crumbles, salad dressings, wintery days)
• Coconut milk is famous in curries and desserts (green curry, pudding, gelato)
• Coconut cream is a sinful substitute for regular cream (pie, cocktails, ice cream)
• Coconut water is rich in vitamins, electrolytes and antioxidants (after workouts, in smoothies, on a hot day)
• Coconut flour is a great alternative for baking (macaroons, muffins, cookies)
• Coconut sugar has a low glycemic index and an extremely high nutrient content, and can also be fermented into a type of alcohol (for diabetics, coffee/tea sweetener, blender drinks)
• Coconut leaves are great for both culinary and non culinary uses (wrapping and steaming rice in, making brooms, building roofs)

 

So, if found lost in paradise surrounded by coconuts be sure to 1) build yourself a thatched hut using the coconut’s trunk and leaves, 2) stay hydrated and energized with coconut water, 3) sport a coconut bra, 4) sit back while you ferment yourself some coconut sugar for a tasty cocktail, and 5) avoid getting rescued because it doesn’t get much better than this. Go Coco-nuts!

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.

Recipe

Raw Mango Pie with Coconut Crust care of Brenda Davis' Becoming Raw

Care of Lisa Pitman

Ingredients

Crust (for 9 inch pie):

• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded dried coconut
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts or macadamia nuts (I used walnuts)
• 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup pitted medjool dates

Filling:

• 3 cups chopped fresh mango
• 1 cup chopped dried mango (soaked for 10 minutes and drained well)
• 1 cup or more sliced strawberries or other fruit 

To make the crust, put the coconut, walnuts, and salt in a food processor. Process until coarsely ground. Add the dates. Process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and begins to stick together. 

Scoop the mixture into a 9-inch pie plate.  With your palm and fingers, distribute the crumbs evenly along the bottom and up the sides of the pan. There should be a 3/4 inch lip of crumbs along the sides. After the crumbs are evenly distributed, press the crust down on the bottom of the pan using your fingers and palm. Be sure to press especially firmly where the bottom of the pan joins the sides. Then press the crust against the pan's sides, shaping it so that the edges are flush with the rim. Put the crust in the freezer for 15 minutes.

To make the filling, put the fresh and well-drained dried mango in a blender. Process on high speed until smooth. To assemble, remove the crust from the freezer and spread the filling evenly over the bottom.

Arrange the strawberries (or whatever fruit you like) over the top. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.

Find links to more recipes at veg.ca/recipes.

Discount Profile

Active Veggie Tours: $100 off with TVA Discount Card

One of the challenges vegetarians face when planning for travel is ensuring their trip will be filled with tasty, healthy vegetarian meals. Well, now it's easy with Active Veggie Tours!

 

Active Veggie Tours are fully escorted, first class tours leaving from all major gateways worldwide to exciting destinations around the world. These veggie vacations are run by experienced tour operators, and they all feature an active component such as walking, hiking, yoga or swimming as part of their daily itenerary, along with vegetarian meals.

 

And starting this year, TVA discount holders will get $100 off the cost of their tour!

 

Check out their website to learn about upcoming veggie tours!

 

Veg Status? Vegetarian

Savings with TVA Discount Card: $100 off

The TVA Discount Card is available to members of the Toronto Vegetarian Association. Find a full listing of participating locations here. To join TVA and/or purchase a discount card, make a tax-deductible, online donation or phone the TVA office at 416-544-9800.

Reader's Classifieds

Veg Chef Wanted

New veg cafe, KindFood (www.kindfood.com), in downtown Burlington needs an experienced cook full time. Great opprtunity. Email resume asap to info@kindfood.com.

Get Cool Buttons and Support TVA at the Same Time!

Want to promote vegetarianism and environmentalism and support TVA? Check out these buttons for sale from Alpha and Omega blog! They are just $2, with 25% of each sale going to TVA! Check out Alpha and Omega to find out how you can order your pins today!

Get Involved with the Toronto Animal Rights and Vegan Expo

Toronto Animals Rights & Vegan Expo is seeking: promoters, directors, webmaster, lecturers, photo and videographers, drivers, administrators and others to join their group. For further information contact: ambientnewworld@yahoo.com or 647-764-0575