News

Veg Out 477: Catching up with Lisa Le, The Viet Vegan

Lisa Le is a nerdy, feminist, intersectional vegan blogger and food photographer. She runs The Viet Vegan blog and Youtube channel, and you may remember her as a former Veg Out host and Resource Centre volunteer. Lisa joined us virtually to talk about her sourdough journey, propagating house plants, and discovering the new plant based Becel butter bricks and using them to invent vegan matcha-lime sticky buns (pictured above). We also talk about TVA’s new fitness and fundraising initiative Steppin’ to the Beet and share our own fitness experiences during the pandemic. https://veg.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Veg-Out-Lisa-Le-July-25.mp3 Also featured in this episode: Earthling Ed’s recent video about why vegans don’t eat honey La Bartola Taco Shop and Mexican restaurant opens in Toronto Former butcher shop to become vegan deli in Toronto’s east end  … Read More

Filed under: News News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association Resource Centre Toronto Vegetarian Podcast

Veg Out 476: One Love Veg

On this sweltering hot weekend, who better to chat with than Ikeila Wright from One Love Vegetarian – purveyor of delicious meals with just the right amount of spice? From corn soup to roti to callalloo, One Love offers a variety of nourishing Carribbean creole dishes made with care and love. On this episode, Sweta and Steve talk to Ikeira about Ital* food, Rastafarian culture, and finding community here in Toronto. Since One Love offers plant-based cuisine infused with Caribbean flavours, Ikeila emphasized the importance of sourcing Indigenous foods from the islands like collard greens, Jamaican sweet potato, and herbs like thyme. Listen in to find out how One Love evolved from selling delicious corn soup at festivals and concerts around the city, branching out to cook more dishes and offer catering, then opening the beloved green storefront. Plus: raising five kids on a plant-based diet! Did you know? One Love is one of the longest-standing vendors at the Veg Food Fest (speaking of that – stay tuned for announcements about how this year’s virtual festival is taking shape). Visit One Love at 854 Bathurst Street in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood. *In the Caribbean, Ital refers to food from Indigenous crops… Read More

Filed under: News News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association Resource Centre Toronto Vegetarian Podcast

Veg Out 475: Vegan Trivia and Conversation

We continue celebrating the TVA’s 75th anniversary with a trivia game that you can play along with! Listen and email us with how many answers you got right at tva@veg.ca. Don’t worry about your scorecard, your participation enters you to win a vegan cookbook! In our vegan roundtable, Steve tells us about a conversation he had in the dog park, which leads to a discussion about animal lovers who are not veg, and the difficulty in shopping at certain pet stores (though we love Bark and Meow). Sweta gives a shout out to the BBQ tofu bowl at One Love Vegetarian. And Jeanette encourages you to celebrate Pride with a rainbow cake from Bunner’s Bake Shop, and suggests a cow puzzle you can order in support of Farmhouse Garden Animal Home. We end the podcast with a remembrance of activist Regan Russell. Here are ways you can support her work and legacy: Go Fund Me Toronto Pig Save – ways to take action Animal Justice Petition to repeal to Ag-Gag laws https://veg.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/VegOut20200627.mp3… Read More

Filed under: News News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association Resource Centre Toronto Vegetarian Podcast

Discount Profile: Veggie Planet

The GTA is fortunate to have an abundance of vegan-friendly authentic Indian restaurants. But Veggie Planet stands apart for its unique fusion dishes. Now with two locations (Mississauga and Vaughan), this place has landed a spot on my top favourite restaurant list, surprising me even more every time with how delicious and flavourful everything is. It’s not every day you find pizza on the menu at an Indian restaurant, but imagine having a whole section of the menu full of pizzas! It was almost too much to bear to try and narrow it down to just one to order, but eventually my partner and I settled on the chaat Pizza, which had a sauce flavoured with Indian spices, vegan cheese, and plenty of crunchy pieces of sev. It was a close competition with the Indian masala pizza, we’ll have to try that next time! But first, we started with “appetizers”. I say that in quotations because the portions were very generous, even for someone like me, who has a huge appetite! This was our third time eating at Veggie Planet, and at first I resisted my partner’s suggestion we get the poutine for the third time, arguing that we… Read More

Filed under: Discount profiles elifelines Food and Restaurant News News News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association Uncategorised

Veg Out 474: We’re Turning 75 (Part 2)

We’re keeping the celebrations going! In Part 2 of our special 75th Anniversary episode, hosts Sweta and Steve dive into some of the early days of the TVA with guest Michele Brennan, who has been with the organization for many glorious years. The TVA may have an official office and Resource Centre now, but, true to its community ethos, its first and long-time office was actually in the home of the first president, Barbara Jackson. Listen on for more blasts-from-the-past, including how much the vegan and vegetarian restaurant scene here in the GTA has evolved over the past decades. We round out key moments in the organization’s history with updates about Bill 156 (which would essentially criminalize the act of investigating animal cruelty practices) and a new ice cream from Perfect Day (they make cow milk from bacteria – talk about innovative!), and of course, restaurant updates. https://veg.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/VegOut20200613.mp3 Links: Send an email to your MPP using Animal Justice’s letter as a template. The TVA Online Gala is happening on June 19: Silent Auction, a Video Collage and more! Get all the details. We’d love your help celebrating! Send us your birthday wishes… Read More

Filed under: News News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association Resource Centre Toronto Vegetarian Podcast

Veg Out 473: We’re Turning 75 (Part 1)

Did you know that the TVA is turning 75 in on June 19? Tune in for a special Anniversary edition of Veg Out, where we chat with John Graber, a long-time volunteer with the TVA, about the history of the resource centre and the creation of the podcast as a slice of TVA’s history. Toronto’s veg*n landscape has changed dramatically over the past 10-15 years and it’s always fun to take a look back at how things used to be (i.e., needing to go to Seattle to find a good vegan donut). Plus: who, or what, is Gonga? And what is one staple you’ll (almost) always find at the Resource Centre? Listen to discover more fun facts about the TVA’s history. https://veg.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Veg-Out-May-30.mp3 Links: The TVA Online Gala is happening on June 19: Vegan Rock, Silent Auction, a Video Collage and more! Get all the details. We’d love your help celebrating! Send us your birthday wishes in a ~20sec video in landscape format to torontovegvideo@gmail.com and we’ll include it in our montage during the celebrations. Virtual Vegan Rock is an annual musical fundraiser for the TVA and it’s coming to a… Read More

Filed under: News News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association Resource Centre Toronto Vegetarian Podcast

Veg Out 472: Plantify

This week we’re talking PLANTIFY: a short documentary available on CBC Gem that explores how one dynamo couple introduced plant power on Newfoundland’s Burin Peninsula. Here in the GTA we’re lucky to have access to a plethora of resources to support plant-based diets, but that’s not always the case in urban, suburban, and rural locations across Canada. So how did a small community on ‘The Rock’ develop shifts to support culturally appropriate plant-based eating? Hear Sweta, Steve, and Sarah’s thoughts on the community-building power of food – because being plant-based is just as much about emotional well-being and social connection as it is about physical health. Plus: updates on the outbreak of COVID-19 cases in several Canadian slaughterhouses and the troubling issue of workers being directed to return to work – even when they feel unsafe. Listen Now to Veg Out 472 Links Plantify Documentary (available to stream for free on CBC Gem) Meat is not essential. Why are we killing for it? These are the meat plants in Canada affected by the coronavirus outbreak How Cargill became the site of Canada’s largest single outbreak of COVID-19… Read More

Filed under: News News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association Resource Centre Toronto Vegetarian Podcast

Veg Out 471: Lockdown Talk

We’ve made it through seven weeks of COVID-19 lockdown here in Toronto and we wanted to check in and talk about how we’re coping. On this episode of Veg Out, Betsy, Sweta, and Sarah talk about finding ways to get some fresh air (and maybe even get a whiff of blooming magnolias), stay connected to our communities, appreciate our urban surroundings (7:30PM healthcare worker choruses FTW!), and of course – cook! Plus, the devastating effects of slaughterhouses are being amplified during this crisis, and we discuss the myriad problems with worker conditions on both human and animal health. Will COVID-19 lead to more awareness of the environmental and social impacts of meat consumption? Only time will tell, but for now, we’ll keep sharing ways for both veg*ns and the veg-curious to shift some of their food choices given the limitations of accessing fresh food (hint: dried legumes are the powerhouse ingredients that just keep giving). Listen Now to Veg Out 471 Links Mic the Vegan on Slaughterhouses and COVID-19 National Post Article on Canadian Farms… Read More

Filed under: News News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association Resource Centre Toronto Vegetarian Podcast

Plant Seeds and So Shall We Grow

As we extend into week six of this period of physical distancing, here is an update on how the Toronto Vegetarian Association is dealing with the COVID-19 crisis and information about the new online programming we are offering to the veg community. First of all, everyone at the TVA is doing well. We hope that you and your family members are also doing well and practicing safe distancing. This pandemic was caused by a coronavirus of animal origin, which shifted to a human host and has spread rapidly, as there is no natural human immunity. In this context, we know that the TVA’s work has never been so important. We have been thrilled to meet many members of the community during our weekly virtual lunch club and the Instant Pot cooking demo that was held on Facebook Live. Our virtual TVA Facebook cookbook club has over 50 members who are eagerly sharing recipes and photos of the amazing dishes they have prepared. Our Instagram stories showcase food stories and news about open restaurants. At the beginning of April, we moved the Veg Spring Market online, showcasing online offerings from 13 veg businesses and non-profits, and broadcasting five free online workshops including… Read More

Filed under: News News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association Toronto Veg Blog Uncategorised

Discount Profile: Sweets from the Earth

Sweets from the Earth is one of the longest standing vegan bakeries in the GTA and is famous for its delicious, well, sweets of course! Since social distancing became the norm in the GTA, they’ve added some savoury and bread items to their online store, and I couldn’t wait to take advantage of the opportunity to try them out! If the incredibly delicious quality of their caramel pecan bars or apple pie squares, that I’ve become accustomed to, was a sign of what to expect from their breads, I knew I was in for a treat. I ordered a sandwich loaf, dinner rolls, hamburger buns, and mini bagels, all of them in whole wheat. The sandwich loaf was surprisingly large, more slices than a typical loaf you’d buy in the grocery store. It had a nice slightly crunchy crust, but the bread itself was very light, soft, and fluffy. The mini bagels were nice and dense and chewy, just like you want a bagel to be. Next time I might give the apple cinnamon version a try! The hamburger buns were also very fresh and soft. In addition to using them as a hamburger bun, I absolutely loved simply toasting… Read More

Filed under: Discount profiles elifelines News News from the Toronto Vegetarian Association Toronto Veg Blog Uncategorised