vegansaurus!

Mayim Bialik is coming out with a vegan cookbook!  »

You heard it! Blossom is coming out with a vegan cookbook. As she said last week on her blog:

My next book will be a plant-based (vegan!) family cookbook. Yay! It’s meant for vegan and non-vegan alike! I intend to include all of the Jewish recipes I’ve veganized as well as all of our family’s standard beloved recipes.

I’m into this! I like Jewish food and Blossom was my jam. Remember her boyfriend? What was his name, Vinny? He was the hotness. And Six was so great in those Lifetime movies later in her career. 

So, is there vegan matzo brei in my future?!

Vegansaurus NYC: Blossom!  »

I may have finally found a reason to move to Manhattan: Blossom! It rules. It may even be better than Millennium and Horizons, no lie. I went there for my birthday dinner over the weekend and I’m basically dead. Other food has lost all meaning. I don’t even want to look at anything that wasn’t made in that kitchen. I think I have food malaise! Can you die from food malaise? I guess we’ll see (yay, experiment!).

It was so dark inside that I couldn’t get any decent pictures but trust, everything looked dope. For starters, I had the parsnip cappelletti: “Fresh hand-rolled ravioli stuffed with savory whipped parsnip and crushed potatoes, finished with shiitakes and truffle oil.” DAMN. It was amazing. I’ve been really into parsnips all winter and this pasta-parsnip combo was great. People got various yummy things but one of my guests got the ravioli with cashew cream, which I liked in particular.

For my entree, I had the phyllo roulade: “French lentils and root vegetables baked in a phyllo crust, served over a carrot-cream sauce. Caramelized onions and swiss chard complement.” It was great but honestly it kind of just tasted like the lentil Peasant Pie, which is a lot cheaper. But I love the lentil Peasant Pie so I loved this dish too. Half my guests got the rigatoni in porcini cream because god forbid the ominvores step out of their comfort zone! Just kidding, it’s a valid choice and that dish was slamming. The cream sauce was excellent—all the cream sauces were excellent. One friend got the seitan scaloppini which we both agreed was too salty.

Then we got dessert! We all shared the cheesecake, the ganache and the apple cinnamon sticks. The last was my favorite, I think. It was a great mix of sweet and salty. The omnis couldn’t believe how legit the cheesecake was; one guest said it was one of the best he’s had. The chocolate ganache was good, it had a nice cake bottom, but it wasn’t that special. See, I like cake like I like my education: special!

And the wine, oh the wine! Delightful. I’d say though that it was the appetizers that did me in. I want to go back and just get all starters! And wine. But seriously you’d have to be Sir Fatpockets to eat there on the regular. It’s pricey. Worth it, though! And if it were any cheaper, I would live in the gutter just waiting for them to open each day. I wouldn’t get anything done! And I have important things to do. Big things going on, big things.

[generic picture from restaurantsinyc.com]

Interview with a Vegan: Joshua Katcher!  »

Joshua Katcher is a super-cool NYC vegan and founder of The Discerning Brute! The Guardian dubbed him “the New Sexy Vegan!” Jealous.

Vegansaurus: Do you go by Josh or exclusively Joshua?
Joshua Katcher: I prefer Joshua, but I won’t have a complete meltdown if someone calls me Josh. I may cry for a few minutes and punch a hole in the wall, but then I’ll be totally fine. I’m pretty emotionally stable. 

Why are you vegan?
Because it’s delicious, and because I think animals are individuals who deserve validation and consideration where their lives and bodies are at stake. But also because I hate freedom and I was hoping to be frail and ill—but that backfired and I’m really healthy and athletic now.  

How long have you been vegan?
There was no exact date—it was a transition—but about 12 or 13 years, I think. 

Favorite animal?
I am completely FASCINATED by parasitic intelligence. But as far as animals that I want to hang with, and cuddle. Dogs and goats. And cows. And pigs. Turkeys are like cats!  Oy vey, this is impossible to answer. 

Got any companion animals? Pictures!

Enzo is a rescued chihuahua. His nicknames are: Enzo Benzo, Enzo Roni, Reno Roni, Monster, Burrito, Little Man. There are more, but my sanity would be called into question. He didn’t bark or play or have any interest in other dogs for almost two years, but he is finally coming out of his shell, and recovering from the three years of abuse/neglect he experienced. He was rescued by Amy from sugarmutts.org.

 
[OMJesus this picture!]

Favorite food?
Dr. Cow’s hemp-nut cashew cheese. 

Favorite cookbook?
Veganomicon is so incredibly comprehensive. I like to experiment in the kitchen, too, and make my own recipes that I feature on TheDiscerningBrute.com 

Favorite vegan restaurant?
I still swoon over Candle 79’s seitan, but the bacon cheeseburger at Blossom Cafe is habit-forming, and the beet tartar at Madeline’s Bistro is worth flying to L.A. to have. I am such a foodie, it’s hard to choose favorites. Sometimes a bowl of steamed kale is the best thing in the world, and other times a Vegan Treats chocolate-covered strawberry shortcake hits the spot.  

Vegan celebrity you want to bang?
All of them. At once.  

Peta: Y/N?
Yes. Sorry, haters. 

LOLCats: Y/N?
Crucial! Yes. 

Do you remember when we met at Lula’s? Was it as awesome for you as it was for me?
I have been recovering ever since.

What’s your favorite thing to get at Lula’s?
I keep it simple at Lula’s: I really like a scoop of strawberry ice cream on a sugar cone. When feeling adventurous, I am obsessed with the malt powder or a malted milkshake—and the coconut whipped cream is better than I remember whipped cow-tit secretions being. I have a gym membership for a reason. 

What do you like about fashion? How do you know all about it?
I like fashion because I am gay and I love being a stereotype. Ha ha. In all honesty, fashion is an incredibly powerful form of visual communication. It is the premiere means by which the majority of people in our current culture express their personal identity. We all participate in that discourse, whether we like it or not. Even if we reject the notion of fashion all-together, our culture is dominated by this visual language. There is a lot of power to be had or lost in dress, and if you know how to communicate that power properly, it have have amazing effects—especially if you are someone who wants to change the world. Additionally, if you know how to decode what others are wearing—a fur coat for example, it makes understanding the issues surrounding everything from animal cruelty in fashion to sweatshops and ecological issues, less overwhelming. 

Favorite vegan designer?
I am really inspired by the strides John Bartlett is making, announcing “I want to be a 100-percent-vegan designer.” He is a personal friend, and a powerhouse in the fashion arena.

Favorite vegan accessory/possession?
There are a few. I got a recycled poly suit from CPas, a vegan biker “Decontrol” jacket from April77, black “milo” boots from NOVACAS, the gray “Vintage Boot” from Vegetarian Shoes, and an awesome men’s peacoat from Vaute Couture.

Why’d you start The Discerning Brute?
I started the Discerning Brute several years ago because no one was really providing a lifestyle resource specifically for “ethically handsome men.” From the beginning, my aim was to slowly compile a catalog of brands, companies, resources, and people that would form a community, and to eventually open a store, launch a suit line, and write a book. These are all underway.

Who does the illustrative design-y stuff for your site? I’m into it.

Thanks! I did the layout and graphic design myself, and the actual art I used in the design is from an 18th century illustrator.

[Katcher and Anna Wintour look-alike outside the Conde Nast building for the Pinnacle launch!]

What’s Pinnacle all about?
JK: PINNACLE: Reinvent The Icon is an image-driven initiative consisting of fashion industry professionals from all areas of fashion culture who are clarifying the changed meaning of fur within the context of our current culture.

Pinnacle produces editorial stories, and works with informed designers, models, and other professionals to create accessories and various forms of visual art consistent with an interest in:

1. Aesthetics
2. Providing critical commentary about animal fur
3. Exposing aspects of fur production and marketing which are intentionally hidden or obscured
4. Shifting the outdated, whitewashed and greenwashed attitude toward, and meaning of fur garments
5. Calling for personal and corporate accountability concerning the cruelty inherent in all fur production

What’s next for Pinnacle?
I have been touring a bit with my “Fashion & Animals” talk, and I plan on speaking at Parsons, FIT, and San Francisco, soon. I was also asked to teach a module at the American University of Paris next spring on the topic, which is exciting. Getting more designers, models, photographers, etc. involved and producing more and more fashion content. Also, a huge priority for us is expanding to China because that is the fur capital of the world, and there are no regulations to protect animals. There is more animal cruelty in China than the rest of the world combined, and they are the largest exporter of fur—and that includes cat and dog fur. Because China is a communist country, if you can convince the government to stop something, it will be done overnight, more or less. We need to reach the Chinese government with a message of being heroes for animals in an appealing way. The Compassion For Animals Foundation is doing amazing work in China.

Is it true you’re trying to take over the world?
Well, the short answer is yes. But, since I have a bone to pick (hey vegan police, is it vegan to say that?) with hierarchical power structures, that poses a dilemma. I plan to change the world, but a take over seems so…egotistical.

First of all, the Guardian rules. Second of all, how do you feel about being “the new sexy vegan?”
I was so honored, and shocked. Growing up, I was always a totally shy, unpopular, comic-book-reading geek who got picked on pretty bad. So it’s quite strange to be considered “sexy” by someone. I’m learning to embrace it though, and use it to help animals. 

Do you have any amazing nicknames I should know about?
My nickname in junior high was “fag” so you can try that. Or you can call me Yahoshua Ruvin. That’s my super-cool Hebrew name. Don’t be jealous.

Are you willing to have Vegansaurus over and cook us a vegan feast? If so, what day?
I’m not sure I have room for a dinosaur in my apartment, but I’d be happy to come to one of your places and cook together! That would be fun. We can make sawdust and gravel and grass clippings, since that’s what vegans eat.

Any questions for Vegansaurus? Anything!
What would the Vegansauraus dudes like to see happen on the DB, and what would you like to see for sale at my forthcoming store, BraveGentleMan.com? Do any readers have men’s lifestyle questions for me?  

Vegansaurus men, let’s hear it! Just what does the Vegansaurus Man of today want?