The Vegan Table is Here!

A surprise to all of us (mostly me!), my new cookbook, The Vegan Table: 200 Unforgettable Recipes for Entertaining Every Guest at Every Occasion has already been released! Books are being shipped from Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, and signed copies are available from Compassionate Cooks. Order yours today and please write a review at these online stores, on your blogs, and elsewhere!

I'm very, very proud of The Vegan Table and hope you use it for years to come. The intention was to create a cookbook of accessible recipes, delicious recipes, seasonal recipes, holiday recipes, and recipes for entertaining - and I believe I've accomplished that. Please enjoy, and do let me know what you think!

JOIN THE PARTY! On June 7th, at Numi Tea Garden in Oakland, CA, we will celebrate the release of The Vegan Table. Gosta Berling will play the Compassionate Cooks theme music (and more), cookbooks will be raffled off, Farm Sanctuary will receive a portion of the proceeds, Numi tea and delicious food will be served! RSVP TODAY! Space is limited.

Doctors Mandated to Inform and Educate - Imagine That!

The mission of Compassionate Cooks is to "empower people to make informed food choices." How can any of us make "informed" decisions about our health if we aren't given the tools, resources, options, and information to do so. Believing their doctors to have all the information about what it takes to live healthfully (by the way, they don't!), they also believe their doctors would give them all the information they need to make critical decisions about treatment and prevention. By the way, they don't.

When diagnosed with coronary artery disease, patients are told about surgery (specifically angioplasty and bypass) but rarely about the role the typical, rich Western diet plays in the *cause* of coronary artery disease. And they are rarely told that they may prevent it, treat it, and reverse it with a low-fat, plant-based diet. Diabetes patients are led to believe their only option is lifelong dependence on pharmaceutical drugs. They are not told that a whole-foods, low-fat, plant-based diet is effective in treating and preventing diabetes.

Now, thanks to California state assembly member Tom Ammiano, a new bill (Assembly Bill 1478) has been introduced that will require that a "physician and surgeon obtain a
patient's written acknowledgment confirming the receipt of information, as specified, regarding treatment through medical nutrition therapy prior to delivering nonemergency treatment for diabetes or heart disease."

According to the American Heart Association, in the US in 2006 there were about 1.314 million angioplasties and 448,000 bypass operations performed. Many hospitals derive 80% of their income from the treatment of heart disease. And yet these interventions do nothing to treat the underlying disease or to prevent future blockages from occuring.

If this law passes, it could potentially save billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives every year. If people had the information they needed to take their health into their own hands and realize they can actually prevent PREVENTABLE diseases such as heart disease, it would mean a monumental shift in how people perceive themselves and the power they hold.

Please contact the members of the Business and Professions Committee, which will consider the bill very soon. Urge them to pass the bill. Keep your email brief, but please write. It will take all of 5 minutes of your time.

For Mary Hayashi:
Assemblymember.hayashi@assembly.ca.gov
916 319 2118

For Bill Emmerson:
Assemblymember.emmerson@assembly.ca.gov
916 319 2163

For Connie Conway:
Assemblymember.conway@assembly.ca.gov
916 319 2134

For Mike Eng:
dave.maritn@asm.ca.gov
916 319 2149

For Ed Hernandez:
Assemblymember.hernandez@assembly.ca.gov
916 319 2157

For Pedro Nava:
Assemblymember.nava@assembly.ca.gov
916 319 2135

For Roger Niello:
Assemblymember.niello@assembly.ca.gov
916 319 2105

For John Perez:
Assemblymember.John.Perez@assembly.ca.gov
916 319 2146

For Curren Price:
Curren.price@asm.ca.gov
916 319 2151.

For Ira Ruskin:
Assemblymember.ruskin@assembly.ca.gov
916 319 2121

For Cameron Smyth:
Assemblymember.smyth@assembly.ca.gov
916 319 2138

For Sarah Huchel B&P Consultant:
sarah.huchel@asm.ca.gov
916 319 3306

Soooooo Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt

Admittedly, I've never been a huge yogurt person. I like it - don't get me wrong - but because I don't obsess over "probiotics," I never pursued it as health food, and because I tend to opt for fruit smoothies for breakfast, I just never saw the need to add yogurt to my morning ritual. I've enjoyed many soy yogurts in the past, particularly peach and vanilla, and because of my husband's affinity for them, they often took up residence in our fridge and in his belly.

All that has changed - all thanks to Turtle Mountain. If that name isn't familiar to you, you most likely know them as "So Delicious" or "Purely Decadent," the most delicious line of non-dairy ice creams EVER (in my humble opinion). Formerly referring to their line of non-dairy goodies as "Soy Delicious," I see now why they've changed it. They have expanded beyond soy milk as the base for their ice creams and yogurts and have delved into the delicious world of coconut milk!

Their new line of coconut-milk-based yogurt is unbelievably delicious. I confess I've tried only the vanilla, because I fell in love at first taste, before it was even down the hatch - and I prefer to dress it up with my own fruit and nuts. But I do look forward to trying the other flavors as well, which include blueberry, chocolate (yikes!), passionate mango, plain, pina colada, raspberry, strawberry, and strawberry banana.

The yogurt is thick, creamy, delicious (did I mention delicious) and full of all those good little bacteria people get so kooky about. Another great food from a great company. Check out their website and store locator to find a store near you that carries it, then run out and buy some. And if you get to the chocolate before I do, let me know what ya think! Enjoy!

Creating a Traditional Vegan Passover Seder

(Excerpted from the upcoming The Vegan Table: 200 Unforgettable Recipes for Entertaining Every Guest at Every Occasion.)

A Jewish holiday observed by most Jews, Passover (Pesach) commemorates their exodus out of Egypt, from slavery to freedom. A vegan Seder is not only traditional in its own right, it reflects the principles of freedom and mercy that signify this holiday.

Matzoh
The most significant observance involves the removal of leavened foods and the serving of matzoh commemorating the fact that the Jews leaving Egypt did not have time to let their bread rise. Matzoh, unleavened bread made from flour and water, can be used as flour (for cookies and cakes), meal (for bread crumbs), farfel (a noodle or bread cube substitute), and full-sized matzohs (as bread). Matzoh is eaten three times during the Seder.

Seder Plate
The Seder Plate is a special plate containing six symbolic foods used to retell the story of the exodus.

*Charoset, a mixture of fruit and ground nuts soaked in wine, represents the mortar used to cement bricks when the Jews were slaves in Egypt.
*Parsley, celery, or other green herbs dipped in salt water, symbolize spring and new life, as well as the tears of the Jewish slaves.
*Freshly grated horseradish, sometimes mixed with cooked beets and sugar, symbolizes the harshness of slavery.
*Bitter herbs, such as the bitter-tasting roots of romaine lettuce, are also used to signify the bitterness of slavery.
*Jewish vegans replace the egg, a symbol of fertility and new creation, with a flower or roasted nuts. Some even use a miniature white egg-sized eggplant, whose stem has been removed.
*Jewish vegans replace the “shankbone,” meant to symbolize the sacrificial lamb, and point out that even the Talmud explicitly allows for roasted beets to be used in its stead.

Make Your Own Seder Plate
You can purchase decorative “Seder plates,” which are designed to section off the plate for the various elements, naming them in Hebrew as well as English. Vegan versions are not yet available, so a friend of mine went to one of those paint-it-yourself pottery stores and created her own vegan Seder plate, designating a place for the Haroset, Parsley (or “Greens”), Horseradish, Bitter Herbs, Beetroot, and Eggplant.

Passover menus are in the new cookbook, which won't be out until June. One of the recipes, however (Matzoh Ball Soup) can be found at the Compassionate Cooks Message Board. Look for this Passover Menu in The Vegan Table:

*Charoset
*Matzoh Ball Soup or Traditional Vegetable Soup
*Passover Pizza
*Matzoh Chocolate Brittle

Soy-free Earth Balance Has Arrived!

You may not even have known it was coming. I didn't! But it's here now in its full glory. Before I tried it, I was told by a reliable source that it was "better" than the original Earth Balance, but I remained skeptical - until I tried it. Don't ask me how, but it's true. It's better. Trust me.

For those of us who know the deliciousness that is Earth Balance, a fantastic dairy-free, GMO-free, trans-fat-free, lactose-free (of course) cholesterol-free (of course it is, it's plant-based) butter, I'm so thrilled that I can recommend the soy-free version to recommend to folks with soy allergies. The results of the creamy, salty butter comes from a natural blend of palm fruit, safflower, canola, and olive oils. Butter is fat and salt, after all, so for those times you want to roast veggies or caramelize onions or bake (from the Joy of Vegan Baking!), Earth Balance delivers.

In addition to the new Soy-Free Earth Balance, there is also “the Original Buttery Spread,” and the “Organic Whipped Buttery Spread.” (The Organic Whipped can often be used in baking as you would use the original, but because it’s whipped, just know it’s lighter and has more air, so that might affect the measurements.)

(They've pulled their dairy-based cream cheese - though it may still be in some stores - so it's safe to say that the entire Earth Balance line is vegan.)

I can’t speak more highly about Earth Balance; they don’t only make delicious spreads – but they’re genuinely concerned about the source of their ingredients. For instance, they get their Palm Oil, one of the oils in their blend, from Peninsular Malaysia for their original spread), and from a Brazilian company for the Organic Whipped – a company that Earth Balance considers to be "the most responsible, sustainable and ethical producer of palm oil on the planet." I really appreciate their commitment to ethical practices, and I really appreciate their commitment to making delicious non-dairy butter!

Earth Balance is available in lots of natural foods stores, so ask your local store to carry it if they don’t already. Nationally, it’s available at Whole Foods for sure (which is where you'll find the soy-free version; after June 2009, it will be in other natural markets as well), and it’s also available regionally at Trader Joe’s, Safeway, Publix, Wegman’s, and other natural and specialty stores across the U.S. and Canada.

As a bonus, Compassionate Cooks Members are eligible to receive a Earth Balance gift pack, which includes coupons for FREE Earth Balance, so become a member today. Or just visit www.earthbalance.net, and start spreading the love. The Earth Balance love. :)

Growing Pains (that aren't really painful, thank goodness!)

It's been too long since my last post, and I'm hoping that will change. Compassionate Cooks is growing in every direction, and I want the blog to remain one of elements of what we do. I desperately needed to keep the new cookbook on the front burner, and I'm relieved and thrilled to announce that it's all complete and is slated for a June 2009 release. It can be The Vegan Table: 200 Unforgettable Recipes for Entertaining Every Guest at Every Occasion. It is broken up by the number of people you're hosting, offers menus of all the recipes, tons of helpful tips for entertaining, and contains beautiful food and party photos!

We just launched our new Membership Program, which gives perks, discounts, recipes, and rewards to people who join our club. It's a great opportunity to be part of the CC community and get some goodies at the same time. You can join at the membership page on our website.

I have out-of-town talks lined up for almost each month, which - though very fulfilling - is also a bit taxing. I love meeting podcast listeners and members in person, but it can be tough to keep up on everything else I'm working on. Upcoming talks in Michigan, Los Angeles, Ohio...

The podcast continues to stay front and center of what I do. Not only are we celebrating the 3rd anniversary of the podcast, we also just celebrated the 100th episode. Very exciting stuff.

Other than that, I may be writing a third cookbook, I'm working on some other non-cookbook books, writing articles, essays, and newsletters. I'm also working on a TV show, but shhhhhhhhh...it's a secret.

So, having said all that, please forgive me if the blog is silent for days (weeks?) at a time. I'd like to submit more regular posts in the future. In the meantime...

May our daily choices be a reflection of our deepest values.

For the animals,
Colleen
Compassionate Cooks

Vegetarian Cooking Classes by Compassionate Cooks

Compassionate Cooks is approaching its 9th year of teaching vegetarian cooking classes in the San Francisco Bay Area. We feature local, seasonal, mostly organic ingredients and a different theme every month. Because of the popularity of certain themes (tofu, Mediterranean, and vegan baking), those classes are repeated throughout the year. Please join us for our remaining 2008 classes, or register for any of our 2009 classes. The classes are packed with information, recipes, resources, and tips for cooking healthfully and compassionately - quickly and easily.

View menus and register at www.compassionatecooks.com

2008
November 15 - Harvest Feast (Thanksgiving for the Birds)
December 13 - Holiday Cooking & Baking

2009
January 24 - Healthful Resolutions: Low-Cal, High-Flavor
February 28 - The Joy of Vegan Baking
March 28 - Demystifying Tofu, Tempeh & Seitan
April 25 - Hearty Homestyle Italian
May 23 - Burgers & Backyard Bites
June 20 - Theme Pending
July 25 - Greens, Greens, Glorious Greens!
August 22 - Middle Eastern & Mediterranean Menu
September 19 - Demystifying Tofu & Tempeh
October 17 - The Joy of Vegan Baking
November 14 - Harvest Feast (Thanksgiving for the Birds)
December 12 - Holiday Entertaining