A Friendly Message to the Colorful Toreador on West Portal

I love your restaurant but couldn't eat there recently with a friend because you didn't have anything for vegans in the way of a main hot  dish.  I hope that by now you've added something like butternut squash tamales.

Please let me know, and we'll be back.

Also, do you now indicate on your menu what's vegan, what's vegetarian, what's gluten free, etc?

What Fuzio's Can Do To Help the Environment and Alleviate the Suffering of Animals in Factory Farms and

Two friends and I had lunch at Fuzio's yesterday, and when  the hostess forgot to deliver the message that my friends were already seated, I used those 15 minutes to look over the menu--varied but with almost no vegan options.

Since plant-based dishes are kinder on the environment and on animals that suffer in factory farming, Fuzio's Bistro could add a vegan sauce for the Pad Thai fish sauce and add pine nuts to the tomatoes on pasta dish to provide protein and make it a bit more interesting.

It would be great if they would add a vegan dessert too.  Right across the floor there on Embarcadero, the Embarcadero Cinema offers 6 kinds of cookies--all vegan!

The servers were courteous, but they shouldn't have to work so hard to accommodate vegans.  The menu needs to have vegan options right there, ready to go.

King of Thai Noodle Cook Likes Vegans

Jonathan and I had a quick lunch at King of Thai Noodle Cafe, and when I asked the server what the difference was between vegetarian and vegan broth, she told me some vegetarians were fine with a chicken stock.  She said the cook was happy that I was a vegan.  I don't think she was just saying that because she'd put chicken stock in my soup.  I'm sure she put vegan, and maybe she had so much on hand that wasn't ordered that she celebrated being able to use it on these rare occasions?

The Sequoias: A Retirement Center Induced to Consider Vegan

  My son Jonathan and I usually have a pre-Christmas celebration with his Aunt Patty and Uncle Joe at the Sequoias, where they live.   This year there were more vegan options and even a labeling of such options, and Patty and Joe told us that was because the vegans among the residents pretty much insisted upon it.

The only thing they didn't have for vegans was dessert, unless you consider Sherbert--too cold on a wintry day!

I was impressed and want to know more about these retirees who remind me of what the authors say in Hello.  My Name Is Vegan Freak:   "Timid vegans go hungry."
I'd like to know more about how these assertive vegans improved the offerings!

A Surprise (Vegan) Package

What a surprise!

My son is visiting for the holidays and ordered some things to be delivered to my address and in my name (so as not to confuse the mail carrier), so since I hadn't ordered anything, I put the three packages that arrived yesterday with his things in the bedroom, and then this morning I saw that he'd left one of the  packages out with a post-it note  to me.  It began, "Tina, I don't know how to thank you for that wonderful letter--" and I was trying to figure out who'd gotten a wonderful letter from me.  I feared I hadn't written any wonderful letters, and I wondered whether the person had the wrong Tina!  But I read on and continued to wonder.

  I should have thought of the   wonderful now-90-year-old vegan I met at a Christmas party three or four years ago because she has a way of writing like a writer--someone who thinks things through on a lot of different levels, and the wording of "Actually, yes, I do {know how to thank you for that wonderful letter}--by doing better than this in reply."  She uses words with mastery, and   I feel that I'm reading Diana Athill!

But I read on and saw that the sender was giving me some vegan candies.  Who would do that?   I saw a signature of "L," and my son had just returned from visiting someone whose name is Lani, but she never sends me vegan candies, and she wouldn't have mailed them anyway.

I thought of a vegan friend who lives in Pacifica (and is active with the SF Veg Society), but I hadn't written her any "wonderful letter."

Finally, I thought of   this lovely, 90-year-old vegan because, even though I hadn't considered my letter to her wonderful, it was wonderfully heart-felt.  

Before even thanking her, I popped one of the vegan chocolates  into my mouth, and they're delicious.

Wholesome Bakery Makes Delicious Things, Vegan and Gluten Free

 The name "Wholesome"  may be off-putting for people who are more conscious of taste than health, but Wholesome Bakery offers treats that are  vegan and gluten free AND pleasing to the palate.

I just wrote a sort of fan letter to the person who runs the bakery, located in San Francisco on 18th Street between Mission and Capp.

Dear Anna,

Last Saturday, I arrived early at Wholesome Bakery to get something (other than bûche de noel) for my French group meeting on Sunday, and even though you hadn't yet arrived, the very nice people who run the Alite Outpost were there--Mere (?) and John--and she showed me what they had from the previous day, so I bought the almond cakes and cookies, which were a big success the following day!  The gluten-intolerant member of our group was grateful, and our host mentioned that when he sent out a message of thanks after our gathering.

I'm attaching a photo for you to see the display. 

I'd like to become a regular customer of yours!  We take turns bringing the amuse-gueules, so most Saturdays I'd just need to pick up a small portion of something vegan that's also gluten-free.  But when it's my turn, I'll order the whole almond cake and more.

A feast called The Three Kings, which is celebrated in both the Latino and French communities, is coming January 6, so if my group  gets together for that, I think we could use a whole almond cake for the galette   des rois.     Have you considered offering that the way other bakeries around the city do?  Yours would be so special for vegans and people who are gluten-intolerant!  The one made in the Mission District is very different from the French one, and even though I love some of the Mexican baked goods, in the case of this cake, I much prefer the French version, which is a lot like your almond cake!

Tina

Vegan at the Embarcadero Cinema

 The Underdog vegan hotdog is available at the Embarcadero Cinema, where I found 6 different kinds of vegan cookies from Alternative Baking Company!

http://www.landmarktheatres.com/Menu/Emarcadero_ConcessionsMenu_r1_WEB.pdf

Renee Morel's French Class: Veganism in France

Yesterday when a friend and I were having lunch at Lemonade, she (Elma) mentioned the end-of-the-semester French class she attended, which had an article on how big the vegan and vegetarian  movement is becoming in France.

Today I found these three links:

http://www.lemonde.fr/m-styles/article/2016/02/24/vegan-une-histoire-de-culte_4871005_4497319.html

http://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2016/04/14/etre-vegetalien-et-grand-sportif-c-est-possible_4902179_3244.html

http://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2016/04/07/lexique-comprendre-la-galaxie-vegetarienne_4898161_3244.html

I don't have time now to read them but will be back!

Open Letter to Wholesome Baker in San Francisco

I'm happy to discover an all-vegan pastry shop in San Francisco in the Mission:

http://www.wholesomebakery.com/

They're on 18th between Mission and Capp--very close to Gracias Madre.

Here's the note I just sent them:


 As a vegan who really wants to support the vegan movement/revolution for every reason,  I'm so glad you're there.  

I only wish you made a buche de noel because I belong to a group of Francophiles/Francophones who meet once a month, and I'd like to bring a vegan buche de Noel to our next meeting, Sunday, December 18.   Is there any chance you could add that to your repertoire or as a special order?   If not, can you make croissants?

 I'm looking forward to becoming a regular customer.

Impossible Burger at Jardiniere

                            http://www.sfweekly.com/dining/feature-dining/animal-style-impossible-burger/

Lemonade--4 at Our Table and 3 Were Vegans!

There were four people at our table, and three of us were vegans.  When I asked Jane Allen, described as The World's Greatest Math Instructor, why she had made the decision to become vegan 15 years ago, she said, "For health and for humanity."

The food was delicious.   Now they just have to work on creating a vegan dessert.

Encuentro--Expensive but worth it!

We celebrated my sister Suzy's birthday yesterday at Encuentro in Berkeley, and everything was terrific!     My photos don't really do justice to the plates.  I see that I've cut off the prices--pricey, but worth it and worthy of a very special occasion!

A Vegan's Boar's Head Carol?

The San Francisco Bach Choir combined fun and beauty in a  wonderful way last Friday  at a Candlelight Service at Calvary Presbyterian Church, but I was a little confused about part of the fun.

Is this a chocolate boar's head?

Here are the words to one of the songs they sang in the category of The Community Celebrates.

The boar's head  in hand bear I,

bedecked with bays and rosemary.

and I pray you, my masters, be merry,

Quot estis in convivio [As many as are in the feast].

Capput apri  defero [I bring in the boar's head]

Reddens laudes Domino [Giving thanks to the Lord].

The cheese plate aloft I bring.That vegetarians may sing.

Though you eschew the flesh of pork

Still raise a glass and wield your fork!

Caput cheese plate...[I bring the cheese plate].

The boar's head as I understand,

is the rarest dish in all the land,

which thus bedecked with a gay garland

let us servire cantico [Let us serve with a song].

Caput apri...[I bring in the boar's head]

Fie then, sirs, and shame on you!

Abhor the boar, and serve tofu

This gorgeous block of gleaming white,

hic bean-um bonum servio!

Caput tofu...[I bring in the tofo].

Our steward hath provided this

in honor of the Queen of Bliss,

which on this day shall be served is (us?)

in reginesi atrio [In the hall of Queen's College].

Caput apri...[I bring in the boar's head].

Advice for the modern host:

You need not kill the thing you roast.

In faith whereof I propose this toast:

Ally ally al-ly oxen free!

Caput vino...[I bring in the wine].

Our cook hath roasted brussels sprouts,

and beans with garlic fill the house

a meal for friends of pigs and cows

in verdurum vivero

Caput garlic...[I bring in the garlic]

I would think this were funnier if I didn't fear that this really is the image people have of vegetarians--and they're not even talking of vegans!  To be continued!

Does the San Francisco Chronicle's Season of Sharing Include Vegan Outreach?

 Does the San Francisco Chronicle's Season of Sharing Include Vegan Outreach?

That's  what I want to know, so I just sent the following e-mail message  to  JKirschenbaum@sfchronicle.com:

This season I want to give to two causes: an organization   to help the people without homes and an organization  to help the factory farmed animals through vegan outreach.

Do you have a list of vegan organizations?

I'm about to sit down and read  the enclosure that came with the SF Chronicle this morning, "Beyond Homelessness," which is a directory of nonprofit groups needing donations or volunteers.  

But I'd like to know what the SF Chronicle is listing in the way of vegan organizations, which help animals and  the environment.

Tina Martin

Donations to Organizations to Help Animals

My sister, who became a vegetarian in 1972 and vegan before I did, gave me $30  for my seventy-first birthday and told me to donate to any cause of my choice, so I looked online, and here's what I found on the website  animal charity evaluators.org   

https://animalcharityevaluators.org/research/donation-impact/where-donations-go

Of animals used and killed by humans in the United States, over 99.6% are farmed animals, about 0.2% are animals used in laboratories, 0.07% are used for clothing, and 0.03% are killed in companion animal shelters. However, about 66% of donations to animal charities in the United States go to companion animal shelters, 32% go to groups with mixed or other activities, and just 0.8% of donations go specifically to farmed animal organizations, while 0.7% go to laboratory animal organizations.

Spending on animal advocacy is highly inconsistent with these patterns. As of 2015, Charity Navigator listed 90 major US animal shelters with budgets over $3.5 million, together endowed with $1.2 billion. By contrast, 10 major US farmed animal outreach organizations together controlled just $19.9 million.

These numbers together suggest that typical donors and volunteers should concentrate their efforts on preventing the suffering of as many factory farmed animals as possible.

I want to make sure that the San Francisco Chronicle's Season of Sharing includes vegan organizations on its list.

Pedro Jesus Lopez-Toribio

Information about a remarkable feat by Pedro Jesus Lopez-Toribio can be found through these links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wteacav5vQo

http://www.eldiario.es/caballodenietzsche/ciclista-vegano-tiron-Camino-Santiago_6_304879530.html

Unfortunately, there's nothing in English, and I think there should be, so I'm going to try to get something on Wikipedia.

What he did that's so remarkable:  He biked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in 40 hours to show that vegans can be healthy and strong.  He wore an outfit saying, "Go vegan!" and "No como animales."  (I don't eat animals.)

I also plan to translate an article or two into English for this Spaniard, who's worked at Activismo por los Derechos de los Animales.

·         

The Answer to a Prayer in French? o

The answer to my prayer in French!  Julien and Noe provide frozen vegan croissants that I can offer to my beloved group of Francophiles/Francophones Chew and View, which meets monthly to brunch and speak French before watching the latest emission of Un village francais.

http://www.julienetnoe.com/

http://www.julienetnoe.com/4/julien-et-noe-our-story

Dear Juliene and James, 

I'm thrilled to see you there online!  But where can I go to buy those vegan croissants so I can take them to my monthly Francophile/Francophone group that means at 10:00 am?

Tina Martin

I was in such a hurry that I failed to see that they were offering to send these pastries!  

They've already responded with an automatic reply acknowledging my question and promising to answer it soon.

I've replied too:

Thank you!  I was in such a hurry to make contact that I failed to see that you offer to mail these vegan croissants. 

Until you find a distributor, maybe I can subscribe and get a monthly supply!

After all, this is Giving Tuesday!

An Exchange with Lemonade--Praise and a Plea

Today I got a response from Kate Berry of Lemonade.  She attached a menu with an Allergen Key.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/i.lmnd3.com/pdfs/111116%20Fall16-CateringMenu_Allergens.pdf

Here's my response:

Dear Kate,

Thank you so much for your prompt response.

  I'm glad that there's at least one hot dish for vegans, the vegetarian Chili and basmati and brown rice.  These side dishes together may equal an entree.

I hope in the future Lemonade will add a real vegan entree.

The salads look good!  I'm excited!

It appears that you have no vegan desserts.  Do you think that could be remedied?  I know of two cookie companies, No Cookie Cookie (not the best name in my opinion but really delicious!) and Alternative Baking Company.  

http://www.nocookie.com/contact/

http://www.alternativebaking.com/

The Embarcadero Cinema has 6 types of vegan cookies from the Alternative Baking Company.

It's amazing what can be made without dairy--cakes, flan, all sorts of things I never knew were possible a few months ago.

I realize that it's very complicated to accommodate all diets, but I really think vegan is the wave of the future.

I'm looking forward to becoming a regular customer.  I live within walking distance!

Lots of good wishes!

Tina

What's in the News--Fresh Produce on the Same Page as Meat

I know my picture of a newspaper headline shows that I'm behind the time; a link for the online article would be more up-to-date.

But I'm interested in how the newspaper looks, and it's good news that people getting food stamps will be given extra for buying fresh fruit and produce.

Beth Spotswood's column on Thanksgiving Day was about sorting through produce to be able to gift the good.

I just thought it was ironic that on the bottom of the same page a person writing to Dear Abby was suggesting giving food as a gift to relatives, and twice meat was used as if it were almost synonymous with food.

Danza de Fogones--Why Vegan? Por que vegano?

Here's what the couple who blog Danza de Fogones said about their reasons for having a  vegan diet:

We want to avoid as much as possible causing suffering to animals, and we also do  it because it's better for our health, for other people, and for the Earth.

He aqui lo que dicen la pareja que tienen el blog Danza de Fogones acerca de sus razones de comer vegano:

Queremos evitar en la medida de lo posible provocar sufrimiento a ningún animal. Además de eso también lo hacemos porque es mejor para nuestra salud, para otras personas y para la Tierra.

To No Cookie Cookie about Farm Shop Larkspur

A friend who knows I am vegan gave me a package of your cookies for my birthday!  They were delicious, and I'm thinking of ordering some to give as Christmas gifts.  I can see that I can order online.  I'd also like to buy them right here in San Francisco--maybe at Mollie Stone's.

In the meantime I'm wondering whether you could provide vegan cookies or other baked goods to restaurants, which are often bereft of any vegan offerings.

When I ate with friends at the Farm Shop in Larkspur last Tuesday, I learned that their Cookie Collection had been put on Oprah's Favorite Things for 2016, but I'm not sure vegan cookies were among their "collection," and when their menu had no vegan dessert listed, I got my No Cookie Cookie out and ate it at their table!  (This was after a full and delicious meal they prepared just for me but didn't have printed on their menu.  It cost $22.00, whereas my non-vegan dining friends had less costly items--those listed on the menu.)

Pedro Jesus Lopez-Toribio, a Vegan, Biked the Camino in 40 hours

Pedro Jesus Lopez-Toribio, a vegan,  biked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela  in 40 hours in 2014.

Why is there no article about this  in English?  There are several in Spanish.

http://www.eldiario.es/caballodenietzsche/ciclista-vegano-tiron-Camino-Santiago_6_304879530.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wteacav5vQo

There should be a Wikipedia page too!  I wish I knew how to create one.

This is some of what I just wrote to Javier, my meque (mejor que un esposo):

La pasamos muy bien, nuestra comida vegana! 

Sobre este sujeto, quiero compartir este enlace:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wteacav5vQo

 Pedro Jesus Lopez-Toribio, vegano,  hizo el Camino de Santiago en 40 hours en su bicleta para mostrar que una dieta vegana puede ser saludable.  He copiado esto:  Dice al fin de un articulo:

El ciclista Pedro Jesús López-Toribio realizó en agosto una gesta deportiva: recorrer de un tirón el Camino de Santiago, de Roncesvalles a Santiago de Compostela. Con una equipación en la que se leía NO COMO ANIMALES, este otro Perico pedaleó sin parar esos 780 kilómetros durante más de 40 horas para cumplir con un reto: demostrar que se puede estar en plena forma siendo vegano, es decir, sin consumir productos de procedencia animal.

Dice al fin de un articulo:

 Yo no soy un personaje público, ni un deportista famoso, y por tanto se que esto no alcanza a tener la repercusión que tienen las últimas declaraciones de Belén Esteban o el último amorío de cualquier otra celebrity. Pero me gustaría que a quien alcance esta historia, por favor piense que ese trozo de carne en su plato, ese queso, ese vaso de leche, esos huevos, tienen detrás una historia de horror insufrible de alguien que sintió, que amó, que querría haber podido luchar por su vida como nosotros lucharíamos si alguien nos fuera a quitar la nuestra, pero en cambio vivió horrorizado su corta existencia y murió de la misma forma.

Basta ya, por favor, basta ya. No necesitamos que un corazón muera para que el nuestro siga latiendo.

Go vegan.

A Rap that's not Hamilton--for a Happy Vegan Thanksgiving

There's a rap I got from a vegan friend, who included the greeting, "Happy Turkey Massacre Day" and gave a web site for a rap on vegan food.  

Here are the printed words I found at a different site:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me4YM6FyJQA

Published on Nov 15, 2016

Greens Beans Potatoes Tomatoes Song REMIX You Name it Challenge funny
U Name It Challenge - Man Raps About Vegan Thanksgiving Shirley
Caesar Beans, Greens Remix

Grandma Thanksgiving Rap remix (Greens, Beans, Potatoes, Tomatoes)

"Man, Check me out, Man.....yo....

Dis yo boy no lie
A vegan Thanksgiving at our house
Bout to bring everything but the hog out
Think we eat nothing but grass what you talkin bout

Shit I might jump into the whip and hit Whole Foods early
Get everything to get that soul food workin
Like mac and cheese, the collard greens, the black eyed peas
Get a roast of that tofu turkey

Got corn bread even got stuffin
Mashed potatoes so good, put yo hands in it
Got string beans, even got yams wit it
Got cabbage and greens wit no ham in it

You can fill yo plate up without all the guilt
Whip pies up nigga out of almond milk
Everything that you touch gone be dairy free
Even though I don't care for meat

BOY PLEASE I GOT.....(beans, greens, potatoes...)
WOO!.....(lambs, rams, hog,...)
THAT'S RIGHT I GOT....(beans, greens, potatoes...)
AINT FUCKIN WIT THE....(chicken, turkey, rabbits...)

NO SIR BABY.....(beans, greens, potatoes....)
AINT GOT NO.....(lambs, rams, hogs,....)
BUT YOU KNOW I GOT.....(beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes)
NO...(chicken, turkey, rabbits...)

BUT YOU GOT BABY.....(beans, greens potatoes.....)
WOO......(beans, greens, potatoes...)
WOO.....(beans...)
WOO....(potatoes...)
WOO....(beans., beans, beans, beans)"

Why Vegan? The Answer Given by Alternative Baking Company, Inc.

As I told the staff of FarmShop in Larkspur, I had the choice of six vegan cookies at the Embarcadero.

Today I got around to reading the paper backing of the package:

Why vegan?  No single food choice has a farther-reaching and more profoundly positive impact on our health, the environment, and all of life on Earth than choosing vegan.

In an hour I'll be meeting with Samba for the French session we have every two weeks.  I'd like to translate that into French.

Il n'ya pas d'autre seule choix de notre alimentaire que ait un impact plus profonde et d'une plus grande portée pour notre santé, l'environnement, et toute la vie sur la terre qu'une choix végétalienne.

Does Oprah Winfrey's 2016 list of Oprah's Favorite Things Include Vegan Items?

Oprah had a 2011 show with Kathy Freston, the author of Veganist, shown here:

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/kathy-freston-on-being-a-veganist-video

She also had her 378 staff members go on a vegan diet for a week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCw-GMyhJEo

So....I'm wondering:  Does her 2016 list of Oprah's Favorite Things include vegan items?

I've sent this message to find out:

'contactus@oprahweekend.com'

Today I ate a the FarmShop, whose vegan cookies have been put on the 2016 list of "Oprah's Favorite Things," and I'm wondering whether there are vegan cookies among them.  There was no vegan dessert at this restaurant, which my friends and I like a lot but want to encourage to have at least one vegan entree and vegan dessert on its printed menus. 

http://mynameisveganista.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-plea-to-restaurants-heavy-with-animal.html

I know Oprah Winfrey did a show with Kathy Freston, the author of Veganist, and even though I don't think Oprah Winfrey herself is a vegan, I think it would be wonderful for her to encourage the vegan movement, which is to alleviate animal suffering and be kinder to our land and oceans.

I was a vegan pilgrim on the last 110 miles of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in September and extended my vegan pilgrimage to Madrid, Paris, and NYC with very exciting and satisfying results.  I even made a vegan pilgrim's passport, using a photo of a dish or restaurant in place of the traditional stamps.  Please see the two photos:

http://mynameisveganista.blogspot.com/2016/11/my-vegan-pilgrimage-passport.html

I'm really excited about this movement, which I think is really gaining momentum.

                Tina Martin

Does the FarmShop's Holiday Cookie Collection Include Vegan Cookies?

Dear Staff of FarmShop,

My friends and I love your restaurant and go there every time we're in Larkspur.

Today we were happy to find out that your Holiday Cookie Collection was on the 2016 list of "Oprah's Favorite Things"--especially if the collection includes vegan cookies.

Does it?

Yesterday when I was at the Embarcadero Cinema in San Francisco, I had my choice of six different kinds of vegan cookies at the concession stand, so it was disappointing to find that at FarmShop there was no vegan dessert on the menu--nor any vegan entree.

The server was very courteous about finding out what could be prepared for me, and the dish I was served was delicious (and the most expensive thing on our bill). 

But out of kindness to the server, the cook, other staff, and the vegan diners, I hope you'll soon have a vegan entree and dessert printed on your menu.

Of course, I understand the work and artistry that go into running a restaurant, but I think everyone will benefit if you include vegan options.

I hope you'll consider my suggestions.

Sincerely,

Tina Martin

My Vegan Pilgrimage Passport

Here is my traditional pilgrim's passport or certification, with the stamps of the places I stopped along the way.

Here is the vegan pilgrim's passport or certification showing each vegan plate I was able to get in Basque country, in Galicia along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, and in Madrid, Paris, and New York

Pictures that Help or Hurt the Vegan Cause

On my birthday I got vegetable cards both from a friend and from my meque (mejor que un esposo/better than a husband).

It makes me happy that vegans are getting attention, but I think some graphics are likelier than others to win over people (would-be vegans and those intolerant of vegans).

When I look at almost any page of VegNews, I think "delectable!"  A vegan does not have to be a martyr.

But I wonder about this graphic for Veg News.  (See below.)  A cactus?  Even a raw and prickly cactus?  We should be planting succulents, yes, but should they be the mainstay of our diet?

I see that Veggie World is had its first fair in April of 2016, so it's new.  I hope its next brochure will have a different graphic!

No Paris Exception

Reading Hello, My Name Is Vegan Freak by Bob Torres and Jenna Torres, I learned that Peter Singer, called the leader of the animal rights movement, speaks of "the Paris exception," saying that it's no big deal to go off a vegan diet in places that make it so hard.

The authors take him to task for this, citing Jon Stewart's observation that "If you don't stick to your values when they're tested, they're not values. They're hobbies."

I agree.

But I also know that it's quite possible to eat vegan in Paris because I did it as a continuation of my vegan pilgrimage along the French route of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

My friends Annie from France, Jutta from Germany, and I (from the United States of San Francisco) ate in Cafe Ginger, Veget'Halles, and Le Grenier de Notre Dame, places that are really either vegan or vegetarian with vegan options.  Annie and I also ate at La Palmeraie, on the Rue de la Gaitee, where they served vegetarian couscous, which I asked for without milk or any dairy products.

Here I am with my Vegan Pilgrim's Passport, which includes several places in Paris.

  Things are rapidly changes in Paris even though that city's chefs or organizers failed to come through for vegetarians at the COP21 in November 2015.

There's hope.

I'm Not Allergic to Animal Products; I'm Allergic to Animal Suffering and the Destruction of Our Land and Oceans!

Yesterday friends from one of my birthday groups treated me to lunch at a Thai Restaurant in Sausalito.  One of them suggested that I could just take the shrimp out of my serving of papaya salad.
 
I love these people, but they certainly don't seem clear on the concept.

I'm not allergic to animal products.  I'm allergic to animal suffering and the destruction of our lands and oceans.

I see that a "novice" vegetarian asked whether s/he could eat tuna.  S/He was advised to stay away from it with this additional comment, "Many other animals are killed during the capture of tuna and the fish themselves are tortured during capture and killing."

Animals Don't Have Rights, So We Who Do Need To Do What's Right

Lots of vegans talk about animal "rights," but I don't use that word.  The word "rights" implies a guarantee.  I looked it up to see whether this was more than just my sense of the word, and this is what I found:  

a moral or legal entitlement to have or obtain something or to act in a certain way.

"she had every right to be angry"

entitlement, prerogative, privilege, advantage, due, birthright, liberty, authority, power, license, permission, dispensation, leave, sanction, freedom.

Animals have no entitlement, prerogative, privilege, advantage, due, birthright, liberty, authority, power, license, permission, sanction, freedom.

Do they have the dispensation or leave?

The site also gave the example, "You have the right to say no."

Animals don't have that right--just the unfulfilled need.

 So we need to think of another form of the word right--the right thing to do, which  is to treat them as living beings, not objects, and to do what we can to alleviate their suffering, particularly their suffering in factory farms, while recognizing that "range free" is often a misleading--even dishonest--phrase, and if it were accurate and honest, it would not be sustainable in a world with 8 billion people.  We need to support the vegan movement in any way we can.    Eat less meat or no meat at all, be sure that a vegan entree is on the menu of every restaurant we patronize, encourage people who are trying to do the right thing, educate and be educated.

That's the right thing to do.

A Plea to Restaurants Heavy with Animal Products: Add a Vegan Entree

Back from making a vegan pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela and in Madrid, Paris, and New York City in September,  I'm meeting the challenges of Bay Area restaurants that  really don't welcome vegans.  (There are many that do, and I patronize those when I'm given the choice.)   These meat-heavy places include vegetarian dishes on their menus, but they don't include anything vegan.

Here are some  experiences I've had:

I went to Le Garage in Sausalito, the choice of a friend whose birthday we were celebrating.  I called in advance to ask about a vegan entree but got no response.  When our party of four arrived, they offered me chick pea fries and a Salade Niçoise without the tuna, hard-boiled eggs, anchovies, and gouda basil pistou.  That didn't leave a lot.

While there, wanting to be neither timid nor obnoxious, I really tried to make the point that a vegan entree would be a wonderful addition to their menu, and I mean printed on their menu.

When I was invited to the Magic Flute in San Francisco, I had two weeks' notice and contacted the restaurant in advance.  However, I didn't want to state my interest in a vegan entree only for my lunch with friends.  I stated it in more general terms, saying that I had heard good things about their restaurant but, before going there, wanted to be sure that they had a vegan entree--not just a side dish--on their menu.  I went online and filled out their form, explaining that I would greatly appreciate a vegan entree.  When I didn't get a response, I sent an e-mail, which didn't get a response either.     I then called and left a message, adding that Italian flavors were so  good that I was sure they could create a vegan entree.    (I even mentioned the Mayor of Turin, Italy, who's been promoting plant-based dishes.) 

In all these messages I was very polite and kept a friendly (if insistent) tone.

The day of our lunch at the Magic Flute, the server was a bit perplexed because even the risotto had  pesto-with-cheese, and she thought there was a chicken stock base, too.  Then the owner came to our table and said that they made the risotto from scratch and could make it vegan, which I trust is what they did.  It was delicious, and they added pine nuts!  I praised the dish and suggested that they add it to their printed menu.

I had the same experience with Original Joe's in Daly City, when I tried to contact the restaurant in advance and got no response.  I did see something online about the owner's worst experience, which was with a rude client demanding a vegan, gluten-free meal and no alcohol.

The evening we ate there,  I was very polite, had a glass of wine, and didn't ask that my pasta be gluten free but did specify that I wanted no animal products.  The server tried to be very welcoming and accommodating.  Later, though, I noticed the bill showed  I had been charged $14.95  for spaghetti with meat sauce, which was removed,  and $5.95 for a side dish of vegetables, which they put in place of the meat sauce.   

Restaurants really need a vegan entree.  Sometimes they "come up with one," but they just take out the dairy without adding anything in its place.  (I was lucky with the pine nuts--or maybe it was my in-advance-suggestion.)  I think this is an important part of the vegan movement.

My birthday is coming up, and I'm celebrating with the same group of friends who went to Le Garage.  The person who chose Le Garage did not give me a choice of where to go but said they would choose "something to suit all tastes,"  as if a vegan restaurant couldn't possibly do that and as if "taste" were the only consideration leading to a vegan diet!  But a friend who doesn't "get it" or is hostile to the whole concept  is a separate issue.

  

Volunteer Work: Being a Vegan

It occurred to me recently that if a person is looking for volunteer work to help the environment or to alleviate the suffering of animals, being a vegan is a good way to go!

A vegan does volunteer work three times a day, every day.

It's very pleasant job, one full of adventure because all sorts of new dishes are being created.  Also a vegan gets to know people in a special way along the way.

A Recipe for an Eggless Omelet, the Vegan Version of Spain's Famous Tortilla de Patatas

After subscribing to Danza de Fogones on October 6, I asked the co-creator of that vegan blog spot, Iosune,  about B-13's tortilla de patatas, and I got this response, which I finally saw yesterday, when she and Alberto, who does the photography for Danza de Fogones, featured B-13.

 She agreed that its riquisima (delicious) but doesn't know how they make it.  But she gave me the recipe for tortilla de patatas on Danza de Fogones, and here it is:

http://danzadefogones.com/tortilla-de-patatas-vegana/

Danza de Fogones and B13: Vegan Restaurant in Madrid

Today I found a message from Danza de Fogones, which I subscribe to, on B13, the vegan restaurant Annie and I went to our last night in Madrid, September 23, 2016, and had the incredible eggless tortilla de patatas that I've been trying to make ever since!

B-13 is on the Calle de Ballesta, just "behind" la Gran Via and a few doors down from where I stayed for two weeks, when I returned to Madrid in 1976 for a review course in Spanish (after living in Algeria for two years immersed in French).  

When people hear that I made pilgrimages to vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Basque country, Galicia, Madrid, Paris, and New York, they often ask me which was the best, and I say B-13 in Madrid and My Chloe in NYC.  

I also tell them about all the young people choosing to eat in vegan restaurants.  Here's the scene at B-13, also showing Annie looking on.

I was looking at the comments made about this restaurant and found this posted on October 6:  

Tina dice:  Una amiga francesa y yo (de San Francisco, California) comimos en B13 en septiembre, y no podíamos creer la tortilla de patatas.  Fue riquísima!  Quiero tratar de hacerla.  pueden avisarme?  Se que se usa algo de garbanzo--farina?  Aquafaba?  Cebollas, ajo, patatas--pero no huevos!

That's me!  (I should have written harina instead of farina; farine is the French word for flour.)  I had a response from Iosune, who co-writes Danza de Fogones.

Cooking for a Vegan Granddaughter according to Dear Abby

Someone wrote Dear Abby to complain about a vegan granddaughter.

She says, "I love to cook for my family. My granddaughter has now become a vegan. It has taken away my enjoyment for the fun meals we used to have. I can no longer cook for her, and it has changed the family dynamics. How can I cope with this without being angry?   

This was Dear Abby's response:  Allow me to offer two suggestions. Either have your granddaughter bring food with her that she can eat, or widen your repertoire by learning to prepare one vegan dish the entire family can enjoy along with her.

Let's here it for widening the repertoire!

http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/2016/10/20/2/vegan-diet-doesnt-mesh-with-grandmothers

My Vegan Pilgrim's Passport

This is what the officially issued pilgrim's passport looks like:

Walking the Camino, we got it stamped at any tavern where we stopped and at the place where we spent the night.

Here's the vegan pilgrim's passport that I created, stamping each vegan or vegetarian restaurant with a card or thumbnail photo.

And these are actually vegetarian restaurants for the most part--in Madrid, Paris, and New York City, where I continued my vegan pilgrim's camino!

Is Original Joe's Trying to Punish Vegans?

I came across my receipt from Original Joe's, and I noticed something disturbing after I figured out which dish I was charged for.  (Javier had the Calamari Steak, Jeanne had the Filet of Sole Piccata, and Ken had the Ravioli with Meatsauce.  Sorry, Spell Check.  That's how Original Joe writes it.)

They charged me for the Spaghetti with Meat Sauce  even though they didn't include the meat sauce, AND for the side of Sauteed Vegetables, which is what they gave me instead of the Meat Sauce.

Something tells me they may not be adding a vegan entree to their menu.

An Open Letter to Original Joe's after a Very Nice Dinner

Our friends of thirty-seven years chose Original Joe's for a farewell dinner before moving to Arizona from San Francisco, and even though I had some misgivings because I am a vegan, even I was able to eat well there with very good service from Antonio, who didn't look alarmed when I revealed my dietary choice.

He suggested a pasta with a marinara sauce and vegetables.  They could leave off the cheese.
See how good this looks?!  (I trust that what looks like cheese is really breadcrumbs or something non-dairy.)

"It's a very popular dish," Antonio said.  "We really should put it on the menu."

I agree.

Putting a vegan entree on the menu would send a message that all diners are welcome.

Sometimes people check the menu before making a reservation, and if they don't see something they can eat, they choose another restaurant.

Right now Original Joe's doesn't have to worry about clientele.  There are plenty of people content with the menu as it is.

But vegetable dishes are kinder to the environment than livestock and seafood, and there are an increasing number of people who are horrified by factory farms.  There are also a lot of people whose health concerns direct them towards more vegetables and less meat.

The Italian cuisine is so good that it can retain its flavors even with dishes that are free of dairy and meat.

So I'd like to raise my glass (a Negroni) to Original Joe's and the prospect of seeing a vegan entree on the menu someday soon!

What's for a Vegan at Original Joe's?

Friends I love are moving away, and their last wish is to go to Original Joe's, so we're granting their wish.  (I did suggest that I prepare them dinner at my house, and she enthusiastically accepted--until she talked to her husband!)

 I just looked at the menu, and I see that while vegetarians have a choice or two, vegans really don't.

I wish all restaurants just automatically had an entree, but since they don't, I'll bring my own pine nuts and ask them to leave stuff out.

By Googling Original Joe's and vegan, I found an interview with the owner of Original Joe's, and this was the vegan part:  I will drink, take on gluten, and be nice!

What's the most outrageous request from a customer you've ever had to accomodate?A non alcohol drinking, gluten-free Vegan with a hostile attitude....its happened and its scary!!

 I will drink alcohol, take on gluten, and be nice!  Will they be nice?