The selling - and buying - of stuff so you can eat veggies

I think my father would agree with my assertion that I have always tended towards 'less stuff' in my life. If I don't think I really need it, I'm not likely to buy it. That's not to say I don't splurge from time to time on stuff that, after a while I realize was a complete waste of money. Because I do. I can be impulsive in many areas of life.

More than a few friends and family members probably thought my 'going vegan' would be one of those 'phases' I'd go through, diving deep and then surfacing to discover I really wasn't that interested in that. Prior to changing my diet I didn't really talk about it at all, but for several years it was in the back of my mind. I knew it was going to happen. I just didn't know when.

Anyway, back to the topic.

Anyone who spends any time with their nose in vegan cookbooks, magazines and on the internet looking for advice on how to prepare meals for a plant-based diet will quickly get the idea that there are a few 'essential' pieces of equipment everyone needs. Essential. Needs. You are not going to make it without them. This is the message.

Indeed, I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine about this very thing. Kelly is a well traveled tri-athelete who has recently adjusted her diet from vegetarian to raw vegan. While prepping dinner of a salad and a raw lassagne, (which were delicious, btw) we discussed kitchen 'needs'.

She has all the mod cons recommended by experts in their cookbooks, magazines and web articles; the Vitamix, the juicer (well we both have the same model Breville), the dehydrator, and the food processor.

Me? I have the juicer mentioned above, a Cuisinart Smart Stick hand blender, and a Magic Bullet Blender (no link for this one, the TV ad style web site I find obnoxious). Obviously we both have chopping boards and knives. I do have a 35+ year old Braun blender/mixer combo, but I've not had the need to use it.

My diet is fairly simple. For the summer I've been tending towards raw, but come fall and winter, I'll probably move towards more cooked meals (ratatouille, soups, and stir-fry variations being the core). So what do I really use in the kitchen?

I know some people swear by food processors. Yes, they dice, they slice, they puree and whole load more things, I'm sure and as quick as you can press a button - it's done! But I have a knife! I mean we are talking veggies here people! OK, perhaps I am a little different (some say "uh huh"). I have been playing in the kitchen since before I was ten, which was a long time ago. Slicing, dicing and the like with a knife is second nature. I don't have - or want a food processor. Besides, food processors don't core, de-pit, or de-seed. And then you have more stuff to wash. I'm happy with my knife. Simple to use, flexible and super easy to clean!

A dehydrator. Hmmm.... not having played with one, so I can't say whether or not one is needed. I have yet to run into a situation where a menu item demands that, but then again, I don't make cheesecakes, pies or pizzas that use those dehydrated ingredients to make crusts. If I were to dry my own fruits, (they are more portable that way) then I could see myself with one.... for now, let's say no.

Juicer. By golly yes! I have a fresh green juice/smoothie every day. My standard juice contains, two bunches of kale, three carrots, four stalks of celery, and a large lemon. Variations include adding peppers, chard, beet, spinach, ginger, and granny smith apples. Breville makes a good unit, easy to clean and operate. I picked mine up off Craigslist for half off retail from a couple that bought one and used it 3-4 times over a year and decided to make some room in their downtown condo.

The Magic Bullet is also a hand down from a friend who wasn't using it. Daily plant based shakes (see my previous post) are a breeze with this thing. Super easy to use and clean. Quick and simple - the way I like it. It also has the advantage of being a relatively small package which makes it easy to travel with.

The Smart Stick Hand Blender from Cuisinart was a give from my parents this past Christmas. Wow! What a handy little thing! Makes quick work of pureeing almost anything. Hummus is a staple for me, as are soups, particularly in the winter. So much easier than using a blender. And again, so much easier to clean. And it takes up so little space!

I think I see a pattern here. Easy to use. Easy to clean. Small and compact. Simple. Like me!

To be Vegan: Health, lifestyle, or religion?

Some people, when I say I'm vegan, give me a look like I've grown antlers or something. 

For some, it's a case of “WTF?! You you don't eat bacon? Or cheese? Or ice cream?” A genuine incredulity that one would not eat any of those fine delicacies of the mainstream diet. 

For others it's more, “What the heck DO you eat? This one is generally followed with an up and down glance and an observation as to how thin I am. (Note: those who have known me for years before my diet change will know that I have always been thin). Often this is followed with “Where do you get your protein?” and a “But you need milk to get calcium!”

Another response is eyes wide fear. Yes fear. “The unspoken fear that says “Oh God you're not one of THEM are you?”

Having changed my diet two years ago, I have seen them all. Lately I've been giving some thought as to why. People tend to develop a habitual response to certain scenarios. What it is about the V word that causes such responses? Truth, I don't know and I haven't gone about asking people what their first thought response was to being told person 'x' was a vegan.

I guess I have to go to the roots as to why some people 'go Vegan'.

I'm looking at the back page of the Earthsave Metro Vancouver Veg Directory where it reads “Why go Veg?” It boasts 4 reasons: For your health, For a sustainable future, Compassion for all and Build community and support social justice. I'll summarise each.

For health. Pretty self explanatory, no? There isn't a doctor, medical professional or nutritionist anywhere that is going to say eating more fruits and vegetable in your diet is bad for you. Not one. There is evidence to say that animal proteins, particularly dairy can cause adverse effects on one's health. Doctors can argue this one back and forth with studies showing this that or the other. In my opinion, everyone should take the time to understand what they eat and how it is adsorbed into and affects your body.

For a sustainable future. This requires that one look beyond their plate and consider the environmental impact of the world food system. At school (which was a long time ago, my friends) I learned how many tonnes of grain went into making a tonne of animal protein. According to the Earthsave brochure, ' nearly half the water and and 80% of agricultural land in North America is used to raise crops for livestock'. I would place this under the 'lifestyle' category, though how strongly one 'walks the talk' could push this into the 'religion' category.

Compassion for all. Here we are talking primarily about animal welfare and the whole industrial factory farming complex. Food Inc., the widely acclaimed documentary on the North American Corporate food industry shows a side to what goes into the grocery aisles. Following a philosophy and belief that life is to be respected and protected is very much a religious calling for many.

Build community and support social justice. The Earthsave brochure outlines how with a plant-based diet, you can host and feed anyone, regardless of culture or religion. We gather to celebrate life over a shared meal. The argument here is that it is hard to fight over differences when we can all eat from the same plate.

OK. Having summarised each, I'm note sure that explained much of why the differing reactions. But then again, maybe it did touch lightly on a few of them.

The “WTF?!” probably comes from the use of Vegan. Had I said I follow a plant-based diet, it probably wouldn't have come across as freakishly alien. That most of the world has followed a plant-based diet for centuries only in the last two developing into what the British refer to a “meat and two veg diet” (a traditional type of meal, often found in Britain, which is basic and slightly boring, usually a piece of meat and two vegetables 'The food is very much meat and two veg - you won't find any of your fancy French cuisine here.'). Mediterranean cuisine (European, African and Middle East) has long been traditionally plant-based.

The where do you get your protein/Calcium/fill-in-the-blank, response, I think, largely comes from the long term conditioning that comes from decades of “Official Food Guides for a Healthy Diet” that we have been exposed to over time. I recommend looking up where these guides come from. I won't say they are written by a board that is financed and headed by representatives from the dairy and livestock and grain industry. But I would suggest questioning who pens these authoritative guides. Check out the recent Harvard guide.

The “You're one of them!” look. Well that's just a recognition of a number of Vegan proselytisers out there. Yup, I've been one, and probably always will. The blend of lifestyle and belief incorporated into a daily food diet plan can be quite compelling and perhaps intoxicating. Some get caught up in the religious fervour of, well religion, others politics, some football or hockey. For vegan folks it seems they are caught up in the health benefits, food cycle and interconnectivity of life. There are degrees though. I promise not to ram carrots down your throats. I can't and won't speak for others, though.

For the record, I changed my diet for health reasons. No I don't eat meat, fish, eggs, or dairy and quite frankly, I don't miss them. When an omnivore, I doubt very much I would be able to go through the steps necessary to get meat to my plate though I could work the soil. Speaking of soil, I share a great concern for the degree to which pesticides have become a staple component of modern farming.

When considering the age old adage "you are what your eat" I'm happy to be a collection of pesticide free fruit and veg.

Late night eats

Most of the time life follows a fairly predictable routine; wake, breakfast (oatmeal based) , prep for work, grab a coffee on the go, work, snack (muffin with fruit), work, lunch (generally from two or three day's prepared in advance from home), work, home, exercise routine, dinner, prepare lunch for tomorrow prep for the next day, read, and retire for the evening. Lately I've been getting meditation in before breakfast and some writing in after the exercise routine. But otherwise it's pretty same-same.

Nothing very exciting, I know.

Every now and then something comes along which changes the routine. Could be anything. I might have worked later, or needed to get some paperwork dealt with - accounting and payroll - grrr! Or maybe decided to stop somewhere on the route home, shopping for something, or just maybe I've just 'chucked the whole routine thing' and go for a wander in the neighbourhood and take some time to look around. I do that from time to time. it;s spring. Flowers and shrubs are blooming and with the evening light, some inspiring random moments of beauty can be seen - stuff that makes me go "Wow, isn't nature wonderful when we stop and take the time to notice it!"

Anyway, for whatever reason I find myself running short of time, and if honest inspiration, to prepare dinner for myself. What to do? What to do?

Sure there are a lot of restaurants whose kitchen offer late evening dinner options. Few are able to meet the needs of a vegan. However, in Vancouver this is changing, slowly but surely.

A friend recently reminded me of The Wallflower. I had eaten there a year ago and not been back since. Not because of the food or service or anything like that, more a case of not being into dining out. Well I'm into dining out again.... so I went back. A good call. (Thanks Dani.)


It's a friendly place that offers foods for all people: omnivores, vegetarians, vegans, celiacs, the lot. The kitchen is open late - midnight methinks. The multi-page menu has a page of all vegan options and the daily special chalkboard always has a vegan special.

So far I've enjoyed their Vegan Mushroom Bruschetta, Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Penne and from the daily special board, their Sunset Burger.

If you are out and about later in the evening and feeling peckish, I'd recommend stopping into the Wallflower.

About half a year ago I left the world of meat and dairy products. There were a number of contributing factors and I won't go into them in this forum, but suffice to say, this was a move I have known I would be making for some time. That little voice had been inside my head saying “you know you should …...” for quite some time. I know there is no logic behind that, and it's all a bit airy-fairy, but that is the truth of it.

My first experiment into vegetarianism ended around 35 years ago. It wasn't an experiment I really had much input on. To this day, I'm not sure what triggered my parents to step into the world of Lifestream Foods, hand-ground grains, and the absence of meat products. One day I will sit down and ask and maybe the story will end up here.

I have two very distinct memories of that time and one oft repeated family story.

The first was probably the worst example of a vegetarian burger - ever. It was, I believe, completely indigestible. I mean it had to be. The expression chewing leather fit. Am certain that many people who dabbled into vegetarianism back then, and tried one of these, has spent the rest of their life scared to death of “mission bland and un-chewable”.

The second was a camping trip I took with the Navy League Cadets. I must have been all of about ten, or so. Time came to queue up at the mess tent and “oh, um I'm vegetarian”. I still see the expressions on the adult officers' faces, eyes somewhat bulged as if they were looking at an alien, or something. I ate salad, bread and potatoes for the weekend, much to the officer's concern. I never was more than a stringy skinny kid, they were very concerned that I was malnourished.

The family story relates to a visit of Ian and Liz, my uncle and aunt from Australia, bastion of steak on the barbie. The descriptive of what they felt they were forced to eat is fairly graphic, an experience burned into their psyche. I'll omit it from today's offering. The story is re-told at every opportunity. I promise that when they return, vegan/vegetarian fare will be a completely different experience.

The world of the mid-seventies was quite a bit different then, not that I can recollect much of it. I'm led to believe that most vegetarians, if you found them at all, were probably viewed as the long haired hippies off 4^th Avenue. Much of the knowledge about how foods affect the body didn't exist in the volume and with the scientific back-up that exists today. And as Al Gore hadn't invented the internet yet, Google, that great door into knowledge from around the world, was not even a twinkle in an eye, let alone a verb.

The 'bible texts' in our home then was Adele Davis' Let's Cook it Right (1947), Recipes for a Small Planet and Diet for a Small Planet both by Ellen Buchman Ewald. Standard fare that were most enjoyable were Rice con Queso and Complimentary Pie. We were lacto-ovo vegetarians then.


Through that process, and not being shy of getting in the kitchen, I learned much about 'balancing diets'.

Jump to today, and bookshelves are filled with mighty works extolling the virtues of vegan or vegetarian eating choices, offering recipes in styles inspired from every corner of the globe. There are web sites, blogs, stores, schools, and meet-up groups dedicated to helping one move into the world of vegetarianism painlessly and easily.

Most restaurants have something that is at least vegetarian, if not vegan on their menu. And unlike those decades ago, 'tofu' will not get you the 'I think you've turned blue' expression, heck you can serve it to omnivore guests and they won't think ill of you.

I give credit to two factors in the expanse of vegetarian food options available in stores and restaurants. The first is the rise in allergy awareness – peanut, mushroom, shellfish, lactose, gluten – people are aware of the consequences of eating the wrong foods for their own body, and restaurants have been forced to become adaptable. The second is the delightful expansion of truly ethnic restaurants. Foods from around the world are on your doorstep, with them wonderful tasty ways of preparing them. There is no excuse for bland any more.

So on to today, and given this grand library of knowledge. Where did I start? Where do shop? How and what foods do I prepare at home? What restaurants do I like to visit?

These stories will follow shortly with the first question first. Where did I start?

In ending each entry, I'll drop a quick note about a place I like to go for good vegan foods.

In this first entry on this blog, there can be no other place for me to start but a place I go to regularly, a small restaurant on Commercial Drive called Cafe Kathmandu. In the years, I have been going there, I have become fast friends with the owner and host Abi Sharma. We are brothers, if you will. The Momo, or steamed dumplings are legendary. His dal consistently delicious. If you like spice, Abi can make his foods as spicy as you like, and some of my friends REALLY do like spicy!