| eLifelines October 2010 - Spreading Plant-Based Power in Toronto |
| Tuesday, 05 October 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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With the food fair and bake-off behind us, you may think it's time for a slow period, but as it turns out, fall is becoming just as busy as the summer! Nimisha Raja has announced yet another cooking class, and our Annual General Meeting will take place in November. In between of course is the Toronto election and we've got a suggestion for how you can get involved and get vegetarianism on the minds of our mayoral and councillor candidates! Outside the world of the Toronto Vegetarian Association, veganism has been in the spotlight lately in mainstream media, with Bill Clinton increasing his consumption of plant-based foods and a vegan chef winning an episode of Cupcake Wars. Read on to find out more details about the above, and to get your hands on a tasty recipe for veggie pate and tips on finding veggie poutine in the city. Don't Miss These Upcoming Events!Our Annual General Meeting s happening November 21st, followed by Sensational Vegan Soups and Stews on November 28th. Find out more in the TVA in Action section or on Facebook.
This Month...
TVA in Action - Annual General Meeting, New Cooking Class: Soups and Stews, Directory Updates: Spotlight on Poutine, Make Meatless Mondays an Election Issue, Celebrate Go Vegan Week In the News - Bill Clinton Trying Veganism, Vegan Chef Wins Food Network's Cupcake Wars Animal Profile of the Month - Be Kind to Fish Nutritious Food of the Month - Partial to Parsley Recipe - Caroline's Raw Veggie Pate Discount Profile - kale: 10% off with the TVA Discount Card Reader's Classifieds - Vegan House for Rent, Soupalicious, Part-Time Job Opportunity
TVA In ActionUpcoming Events
Sensational Vegan Soups and Stews Cooking Class Soup’s on! Nothing says comfort like a hot bowl of soup or stew. Let health coach Nimisha Raja of Evolving Appetites show you how to create healthy vegan nutrition in a pot. She’ll show you how to build your menus around a creamy broccoli/spinach soup (non-dairy), silky butternut squash soup, spicy Cuban black bean/barley stew and an African peanut stew.When? Sunday, November 28th from 2 to 4 pm Where? Whole Foods teaching kitchen, located at 87 Avenue Rd. Cost: $30, including samples of all dishes and copies of recipes used Registration? Please call 416.944.0500 for more information or to register. Unless otherwise stated, please register in person at the customer service desk or by phone. Space is limited to 14 students so don't delay. 2010 Annual General Meeting Want to help set the direction for the Toronto Vegetarian Association in the years moving forward? Attend our Annual General Meeting on Sunday, November 21st and help elect our 2010-2011 Board of Directors. We'll also be presenting our 2011-2013 Strategic Plan which will guide TVA's activities for the next three years, following a brief review of our accomplishments and activities in 2010. Light refreshments will be served. When? Sunday, November 21st from 3 to 6 pm Where? Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre (at the corner of Bloor and Spadina) Membership Required: This event is for TVA members only. Although non-members can attend by joining at the door, only those who have been members for 30 days prior to the AGM are eligible to vote at the meeting.
Celebrate World Go Vegan Week
World Go Vegan Week is coming up October 24th to 31st. Are you an omnivore whose been contemplating going vegetarian? Or a vegetarian interested in improving your health and reducing suffering even further? This is the perfect opportunity to make use of one of TVA's support programs to take that next step and give a plant-based diet a try! Make the pledge to take the Veggie Challenge the week of October 24th. Whether you're an omnivore wanting to try a vegetarian diet, or a vegetarian interested in trying to go vegan, the Veggie Challenge will help you with suggested meal plans, lots of delicious and easy recipes, and nutritional information. You could even win some fantastic prizes such as cookbooks and dinners at vegetarian restaurants. Visit www.veggiechallenge.com and sign up to try a plant-based diet for one week in celebration of World Go Vegan Week! Already enjoying an entirely plant-based diet? Celebrate by forwarding the link to a friend, and visit www.worldgoveganweek.org for other ideas of ways to celebrate. Find other veg-related event listings at veg.ca/events. TVA Group EventsThe North York/York Region Vegetarian Group will hold their next meeting at Joe Yee Vegetarian Cuisine (9688 Leslie St, #17-18, between 16th Avenue and Major Mackenzie) on Sunday, November 14th at 1pm. Please RSVP to yorkregion@veg.ca or 416-636-5757. The York Region/North York Veg Group welcomes new and experienced vegetarians, and anyone wishing to make a transition to a vegetarian lifestyle. All ages welcome. The Dinner Social Group will hold their next meeting at Queen of Sheba (1051 Bloor Street West) on Sunday, October 21st at 7 pm. Please RSVP to tvadinner@veg.ca or 416-544-9800. TVA Reads will meet to discuss Brenda Davis' Becoming Raw and to enjoy a vegan potluck on Monday, October 18th at 6:30 pm. For more information or to join the group contact Shân at tvareads@veg.ca. Directory Updates: Spotlight on PoutineIf you've looked around Toronto recently, you might have noticed that it's getting hard to throw a radish without hitting a restaurant that serves poutine, the dish that combines french fries with cheese curds and gravy and probably requires about 30 servings of salad to balance out, health-wise (but oh, how tasty!). We don't have an inventory of which places serve vegetarian gravy, but we do have one step better: there are now at least three different restaurants selling vegan poutine in the Toronto area! By using vegan cheese, this also avoids the issue of rennet, which often comes from calf stomach lining (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rennet). Sadie's Diner (504 Adelaide St W) has reportedly been experimenting with vegan poutine. Owner Al says "The Poutine is not on our menu but we offer it sometimes as a special and use the Daiya on it." Nancy let us know that the bar/restaurant Disgraceland (965 Bloor St West) sells vegan poutine, and "about half the menu is vegan/vegetarian." And, for those of you who want to shop with poutine specialists only, Poutini's House of Poutine (1112 Queen St W) features a vegan option that uses Daiya vegan cheese and a homemade vegetarian stock featuring leeks, roasted onions and nutritional yeast flakes. Lastly, Magic Oven (5 locations across the GTA, http://www.magicoven.com/) doesn't feature vegan poutine as a menu item, but they have been selling it at special events like last month's Live Green Festival, so it's worth giving them a call to let them know you want more menu options that are gooey, greasy, and animal free! Stay in-the-know as more updates are announced on our directory updates page. Will Our Next Mayor Go Meatless?We should soon find out! While everyone’s eyes are on the mayoral race, the TVA is trying to push veg issues to the political and public forefront with a timely electoral poll. On behalf of all our members, we’ve recently asked the top 10 mayoral candidates: “As mayor, would you endorse a Meatless Monday resolution by city council, encouraging schools, restaurants and grocery stores to offer more plant-based options, for both health and environmental benefits?” Once we get their responses back, we will publish the results of our poll in time for the upcoming election. So, before you cast your very important vote on October 25, make sure you check out Veg.ca or eLifelines for the results. In the meantime, be sure to attend YOUR local mayoral and councillor debates and pose the same or a similar question to candidates. If you can’t make it to a meeting, send the candidate an email or telephone their office directly. Either way, get your voice heard and help us make Toronto the first Canadian city to go Meatless on Mondays! In the NewsBill Clinton Tries a Near-Vegan DietWord on the street is that Bill Clinton is trying to eat a mostly plant-based diet! Inspired after reading books like T Colin Campbell's China Study and books by Dr. Dean Ornish, he says he's heard of all the health benefits of a plant-based diet, and is currently eliminating most animal products from his diet. Click here to read an article with more details. Vegan Chef Wins Food Network's Cupcake Wars!Another sign that the vegan movement is growing not only in popularity but also in credibility! Vegan Chef Chloe Coscarelli, at only the age of 22, won after facing off against three bakers of traditional high-end cupcakes on the Food Network's Cupcake Wars. What's extra great about her Food Network triumph is that it didn’t rely on health or dietary benefits, or on sympathy for animals, to promote the virtues of vegan food - her cupcakes simply tasted better! Click here to read more. Since the dawn of time people have been catching and eating fish without giving the fish a second thought, as though they were inanimate objects, as though being drowned in air was not a big deal to the fish. All that desperate flapping of their fins onboard fishing boats – that doesn’t mean a thing to many people. But now, the fish are talking back with more than just their fins. Their voices, mute for thousands of years, are being channelled by Peter Singer, renowned Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University and Laureate Professor at the University of Melbourne. If you haven’t read his essay, “If Fish Could Scream”, then you really should. You can find it here. His thesis is that there is no humane slaughter requirement for wild fish caught and killed at sea, nor for farmed fish. The thing is, humans catch and kill over two trillion fish a year, dumping them on board trawler boats where they suffocate, or impaling them on live-bait hooks. And here’s where it gets really ugly, as if that number wasn’t bad enough. Nervous systems of fish are sufficiently similar to those of birds and mammals to suggest that they feel pain and are capable of suffering. In laboratories, fish learn to avoid unpleasant experiences, like electric shocks. And painkillers reduce the symptoms of pain that they would otherwise show. So the next time someone tells you to eat fish, whether it be your mom or TV’s Dr. Oz, tell them that you can get your cholesterol-reducing omega-3 fatty acids from plant-based sources, which you can find on the Vegetarian Nutrition page of veg.ca. You can be healthy and kind at the same time. Nutritious Food of the MonthPartial to ParsleyCare of Amy Symington There are much worse things to have stuck in your teeth. According to our green biennial friend’s statistics, you should be kissing the chef who sprinkled your pasta primavera with this fresh, peppery and mild majestic herb. There are three main varieties of parsley. Curly and flat leaf (or Italian) parsley are two types that are leafy green herbs and are internationally used, while Hamburg parsley is a root vegetable and is the lesser known sibling. Curly or flat leaf parsley is a staple for any of those herb garden junkies out there and can be grown year round provided you bring them indoors when the snow starts to blow. Leafy parsley will stay green up until as late as late fall. Before winter shoos us and our herbs indoors, parsley plants should be kept in a lightly shaded area whether it be in your large luscious garden in the country or in a pot on your quaint urban bungalow’s balcony. Wherever your parsley may be planted you can rest assured because not only is parsley tasty, it will also save the rest of your garden’s goodness by attracting pesky flies, wasps and other insects to itself, and away from damaging valuable vittles. Parsley is a plant’s plant! Whether you need a little something in lieu of an after dinner mint or are looking to stimulate the old kidneys, parsley is your ticket to mouth and urinary tract bliss. Not only does parsley freshen your bogus breath, but it's also is great for helping soothe kidney stones and urinary tract inflammations. Of course if it is a severe case of either it’s always best to get examined by your MD, stat! Adding a little parsley to your tea has also been known to help regulate menstruation, as well act as a natural diuretic, antibacterial agent, and mild digestive. It’s also laden with antioxidants and is rich in fibre, folic acid, iron and vitamin C (which helps to further absorb the iron). Adding parsley to your entree is not just an ornamental trick only used by chefs. It’s an easy way to spruce up any basic soup, stew, salad or sandwich. Curly parsley is milder in its peppery flavour, whereas flat leaf is much bolder. Hamburg parsley has a similar taste to that of celery root. All are used in American, European and Middle Eastern cuisine whether it is as a garnish, a flavour base for stock, in a pesto or sauce or with potatoes and rice. Parsley is a staple in several famous recipes. You may recognize it from such dips and condiments as the Mediterranean’s tabbouleh or Milan’s Gremolata. Besides its culinary magic and breath freshening virtues, there are several reasons to kiss that chef. Not only is parsley nothing short of a fellow plant hero/heroine, it has some amazing ailment remedying powers and nutritional bonuses to boot! The next time when dining in or out, keep all of these parsley facts in mind when you have that robotic urge to remove your dinner’s thoughtfully placed garnish. 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. RecipeCaroline's Raw Veggie Pate care of jae steele's Get it Ripe
Ingredients
Toss all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Stop to scrape down the sides with a silicone spatula, processing for one minute until smooth. That's it! Stores in the fridge for up to 5 days. Find links to more recipes at veg.ca/recipes. Discount Profilekale: 10% off with TVA Discount Card
If you liked Sunny Cafe inside Noah's at Bloor and Spadina, then you'll love kale at their new location at Yonge and Eglinton. Although you may have been saddened by the closing of Sunny Cafe, kale is owned and operated by the same team. kale offers pay by weight food for eat in or take out. That includes a salad bar as well as hot dishes, plus fresh juice, fair-trade coffee and tea. All their items are entirely plant-based. And the good news is that this new eatery also honours the 10% TVA discount just like Sunny Cafe did! Veg Status? Vegan Savings with TVA Discount Card: 10% off Location: 2366 Yonge St. (north of Eglinton) 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 ClassifiedsVegan House for RentAre you a vegan/vegetarian, environmental & social justice activist who wants to live with like-minded people in a vegan house? Rent a room from $460 to $625 inclusive in a large, bright, clean house with organic vegetable garden, hardwood floors, large common areas and laundry. The house is near Eglinton/Dufferin. Please contact Anita at 416-825-6080 for more info, or visit progressiveaesthetics.wordpress.com/vegan-house/. Soupalicious: Saturday, October 9thWith all-you-can-slurp soup stations and a variety of exhibitors, visitors can enjoy the soups and gather information as well as inspiration from a diverse selection of food and gardening presentations and activities. The event offers numerous vegetarian (and some vegan) options including: Cruda Café’s Moroccan Cauliflower Soup, The Annex Hodge Podge’s Curried Carrot and Ginger Soup, Esther Queen of Soups' Vegetable Beans Soup, One Love Vegetarian’s Corn Soup and many more! Saturday October 9, 2010 11 am - 4 pm at Exhibition Place in Heritage Court. Click here for more information. Vegan Food Company Looking for Part Time HelpStarlite Cuisine (www.starlitecuisine.com) is looking for a part time demo person to travel in the greater Toronto area. The position offers flexible hours, make-your-own schedules, weekends or evenings. Must have reliable transportation. If interested please email june@starlitecuisine.com. 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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