Why I Do What I Do and Don't Do What I Don't

"Why I Do What I Do and Don't Do What I Don't" needs more than a blog post, but I really need to come to terms with the truth.

I could illustrate with the squalor the house is in now.  In fact, after I post a couple of blogs, I plan to go around the house and take pictures of the bags I've left on the floor with the contents still in them--the one I took to the Social Security office and the one I took to visit David.  The piles of newspapers, notebooks, and binders--all proof that I never learned in kindergarten to put away one thing before beginning another.  I use my clean-up time to create another mess.

I seek what makes me happy, what feeds my soul, to put it in nauseating terms.

Reading, writing, talking feed my soul, but keeping my house the way a sane person would keep it apparently does not feed my soul, and my soul is extremely well-nourished.

It's not just the squalor that indicates that my interest lies elsewhere; it's the lack of preparation for the month-long trip I'm about to take.

Instead of getting ready to leave home and arrive somewhere else, I'm celebrating all the things I love about being home.

When will I pack?  When will I figure out how to attach my walking poles to my back pack and where to carry my water bottle?  Not until after I've read the New Yorker article Jana recommended, "Love in Translation:  Would I be a different person in French?" and  the French translation of Jennifer Yniguez's article, "Oprah Winfrey:  le challenge végétalien."

Now, instead of getting dress or cleaning up, I need to blog on the subject of the insights travel offers:  How will I most annoy people:  With my Spanish and French or with My Vegan Diet?

The Abundance of French Books Promoting Veganism Made Me Late

It's true!  I was late to my bi-monthly French session today because of the abundance of French books promoting Vegans!

http://www.vegan-france.fr/litterature-moderne-vegan.php

I printed out all 17 1/2 pages for my session.

I'd already found a recipe for fromage vegetal "cru" aux noix de cajou to take to France with me just in case we spend some time in Ardèche in spite of Annie's sprained knee.

I'd also printed out the many benefits of noix de cajou, which are cashews, in a French write-up, and "Le regime alimentaire de l'haltérophile américain Kendrick Farris aux JO de Rio," who's the vegan body builder who was the only American body-builder to qualify for the Olympics.  

I threw in "Dites bonjour a Pita Taufatofua, le porte-drapeau des Tonga" even though I have no reason to suspect that he's vegan.  This was a session for French, after all, not just the vegan cause.

Likewise with 4 pages in French on Florence Foster Jenkins and the French version of her life, Marguerite.

I printed out a page of "Vous êtes végétarien?  Ces pays sont faits pour vous..." and "New York, ville la plus 'Vegan-Friendly'" and two pages of "Israël, le pays ou les végétaliens sont rois."  

Unfortunately I can't read the print-out of "Exclusif: Les destinations de voyage incontournables pour végétariens."  I can see  that they say I can count on them...but that's vegetarianism, not vegan.

One More "Sharing" with the French Woman Arranging Our Lodging on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela

Perhaps overdoing it, I responded to the very nice response of a French woman arranging our lodging (which includes breakfast and dinner) on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

Thank you so much for your very reassuring and kind response.  I appreciate your understanding and support. 

I heard that even at the COP21 in Paris  late last year  vegetarians had trouble finding enough to eat even though the vegetarian--and especially the vegan--diet is considered better for the environment.

http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2015/12/03/cop21-vegetarians_n_8706150.html'

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/damien-clarkson/cop21_b_8818916.html

I understand that France is justifiably proud of its cuisine and may resist change, and places along the trail we'll be traveling in northern Spain may also be tied to tradition more than Barcelona is.

http://www.thelocal.es/20160323/barcelona-declares-itself-a-veggie-friendly-city

I know we're going to love our time in Spain and our walk on the Camino, and many thanks to you!

Tina

False Rumor: Vegans Can't Donate Blood

When my walking partner on the Camino told a group of friends that I had become vegan, someone said, "Oh, vegans lack what they need, so they can't donate blood!"

I told him, "Isn't that kind of like saying gays can't donate blood because they might have HIV?"

He thought she was speaking about iron.

 She spoke to me yesterday and said it was the low red blood cell count.

So far, I haven't been able to find anything online that indicates a problem.  But there are some reassuring posts.

Here's one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6B7Tqqx4MA

Response to a Vegan Caminista from an Agent for the Camino

When I explained what "vegan"  to the agent arranging our lodging on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, I wondered whether she would be annoyed and write back while making it clear she was crossing her eyes.  Instead, I got a very nice response:

Ok. Yes I know this is an important movement.

I will read the article later, thank you.  (Note from me, Tina:  I sent her the article by Kathy Freston urging restaurants to offer more vegan entrees.)

I don’t know if all the hotels in Spain are conscious of the precision of “Vegan”, but what I know is that they prepare vegetarian meals but we’ll re-precise you  are Vegan which means you don’t eat any animal food, eggs and cheese.

Also in France we have this movement even if here the meals are really cultural and we still find local organic food easily and good products from the farms.

I have also been changing my food for a couple of years and rarely eat meat, but as I live in a small fishing port, I still eat sometimes the fish coming from the local fishing boats. 

She ended this part of her e-letter with a smile emoji.  

Vegan on the Camino: What Do Restaurants Know about Vegans?

I'll soon be going on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela--just the last 110 miles.  The greatest challenge I think I'm facing isn't the distance of 15 miles we'll go the first three days but the lack of food available to people who don't eat animal products--People like me!

I wrote to the person who has arranged our accommodations while on the Camino, saying that when we arranged our accommodation, we stated that I was vegan and would like vegan meals.  I wanted to be sure that all the lodges understood this so that they would be prepared.

She wrote back that the Company had asked all the hotels to prepare vegan meals for me and they would re-send the reservations to remind them that I was vegan.  Then she asked, "Vegan means you don’t eat fish nor meat ? or only meat ?"

I wrote back thanking her for asking and explaining:

  Vegan means that I don't eat any animal products at all--no cheese, milk, butter, fish, or meat.

But I do eat vegetables prepared in olive oil, fruit, salads (with olive and vinegar dressings), pasta made without eggs, nuts, garbanzo beans, lentils prepared in olive oil,   cashew spread (a substitute for cheese made from cashew nuts, lemon juice and water),  tofu (which might not big "big" in northern Spain).  I drink almond beverage, which is a substitute for milk. 

I added:  

I wonder whether places in northern Spain sell  seitan, tofu, and other products high in protein but not involving animal products.  I feel sure they sell vegetable broth, and I'm glad olive oil is big in Spain.

I feel sure there will be lots of vegetables,  lentils and nuts, and those will keep me happy!

I used to think of "vegan" as really weird, but it's becoming a very important movement especially among young people (which I'm not!), and I'm happy to say that there are a lot of delicious dishes  full of protein.   

I also attached a favorite article Kathy Freston wrote to restaurateurs:

http://nutritionstudies.org/more-people-want-vegan-food-in-restaurants/

VegNews, The Food Issue Is New to Me!

Last night Javier and I saw Mission Blue about Sylvia Earle, the famous marine biologist who does not eat fish.  We decided against the Cliff House, with a menu heavy on fish, and in favor of Greens.

On our way to the car, I saw yesterday's mail, which included VegNews, the Food Issue, a bonus of my having joined the San Francisco Veg Society.

Javier kindly drove to Fort Mason while I looked at the last three pages.

"Vegan Egg Is Here."  I would so welcome something that made a good tortilla de patatas!  I've tried garbanzo beans and tofu.


"Dear Starbucks" is a full-page plea for a vegan version of the Pumpkin Spice Latte complete with an explanation of how Starbucks can make one AND this fascinating info.  (Gotta check it out!  Was it peer-reviewed?)


Nearly half the nation now drinks plant-based milk and dairy sales dropped $18 billion last year.

"A Day in the life with Jay Astafa" follows him through a day doing what has made him a two-time winner of the Vegan Iron Chef competition.

And I didn't even know there was a Vegan Iron Chef competition!

He runs a vegan restaurant on Long Island.  I wonder whether Jonathan and I could get there in late September.  Maybe we should concentrate on Manhattan.

But isn't it wonderful to have so many possibilities!  There are some was that the world is changing for the better!

An Open Letter to Poggio, a Question and a Plea

Dear Poggio Management and  Staff,

When I was a vegetarian, I enjoyed eating at Poggio, and my friends and I often chose it for our birthday lunches.

But now I, like many other people concerned about  animal suffering and the effect of animal products on the environment,  have become a vegan.

When I ate at Poggio with a group of friends last Friday, I explained to the server that I was vegan, and she seemed to understand the concept.

She told me that all but one of the pasta dishes contain eggs, so I chose the one that did not, the Bucatini, and instead of the egg and other things described on your menu, some vegetables were substituted.

Later when I got the tab, I saw LG PASTA  BUTTER.

I had commented that the olive oil tasted like butter, but I trusted that no animal products would be  used.

Could you explain this?  

Also, would you consider adding a dish that is truly  vegan?  As you may know, the mayor of Turin , Italy, has taking a public stand to encourage a diet that is lower in animal products, so even Italians are getting the message and moving forward.

Nuts can be added to a pasta dish too, to provide additional protein. There are wonderful recipes online, including on NO MEAT ATHLETE:

http://www.nomeatathlete.com/favorite-pastas/

I'd like to see an otherwise lovely restaurant like Poggio be more vegan-friendly..  You'd be doing a kindness for animals and  the environment as well as to your clients.

Sincerely,

Tina Martin

America's Olympic Weight-Lifter Is Vegan!

Javier called me over to the television broadcast of the Olympics when they were interviewing a vegan body-builder.

I am so grateful to people who help dispel myths!

This write-up explains how and why Kendrick Farris of Louisiana became a vegan in 2014.

http://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/articles/why-americas-best-olympic-weightlifter-is-vegan-w434203

He says that after finding out he had bloodlines with ancient Israel, he decided to eat what his ancestors might have eaten, and then cut out meat altogether, saying, "I don't agree with the way the animals are mass-slaughtered."

(My objection, of course, is that I don't like the way they're tortured every moment of their lives  before they're slaughtered.)

It's interesting that he mentioned Israel because that's something else Javier brought to my attention:  The most vegan country in the world is Israel!

That is worthy of another blog!

But before leaving Kendrick Farris, the only male member from Team USA  who qualified for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, I want to mention again that Arnold Schwarzenegger is the only one who spoke up at the COP21 in Paris last November to say that we should all eat less meat for the good of the environment.

Now I see a report that he's turning vegan!

http://www.attn.com/stories/9418/arnold-schwarzenegger-becomes-vegan

Poggio in Sausalito Doesn't Welcome Vegans

The server at Poggio in Sausalito became increasingly charming during our lunch today.

At first her response to my question about what a vegan could eat sounded less than accommodating.  I explained that I was vegan and that it seemed that the only pasta dish I could eat was Torchietti--"sweet yellow corn, leeks, chanterelle mushrooms, truffle, and arugula.

But she said that all the pastas were made with eggs except for the Bucatini, and I noticed tht Bucatini says "Carbonara guanciale, egg, black epper, pecorino toscano.  Egg?

She said she could give me the Bucatini with added vegetables and they could use olive oil instead of butter.    So I ordered that.

I thought it was tasty if not outstanding, but I also thought the olive oil seemed surprisingly buttery.  Who could miss butter?

Then the bill came.  

What is this large pasta butter?

I'm going to have to write to Poggio and hope that they can some day start to catch up with Turin, Italy.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3702045/Salami-sliced-Turin-set-Italy-s-vegetarian-city-new-mayor-s-plans.html

Look! No Eggs! A Very Kind Friend Makes the Adjustment for Veganista Me

I was very touched yesterday by the friend I thought did not understand my New Veganism and would present me with a non-vegan cake and be hurt and disappointed that I wouldn't eat it.

But this lovely friend made the adjustment, and when she served me the samsas filled with butternut squash, she showed me the wrapping, which she'd saved, to let me see for myself that it contained no eggs.

I was also relieved that they enjoyed the vegan cake they asked me not to bring.  I don't usually impose in THAT way, but I wanted to offer them something good that was vegan, and they didn't seem upset by my bringing it against their protestations.

We had such a lovely tea!  And isn't it wonderful that tea itself is vegan.

Let Them Eat Cake--as Long as It's Vegan

Oh, dear!  I have some meat-eating friends I adore, and they've invited me and my meque (mejor que un esposo or better than a husband) to lunch this week--first to an Italian restaurant and then to their home for dessert.

I did tell them that I'm a vegan, but I don't think they've grasped my upgrade (downgrade to them) from vegetarian to vegan.

I wrote this as part of a longer message:

We're looking forward to seeing you this Thursday, when I hope you will let me bring a cake.  I no longer eat animal products, and that includes eggs.  I can make a cake without eggs so there won't be a problem for anyone else!

This is the response I got (also as a longer message):

We have made a reservation in the Italian restaurant for 1:45.  We were assured that they have vegetarian food in their menus.  After that we would be happy to see  you both  in our home ...We are kindly asking you not to bring anything, including the cake, because {my wife} is going to bake something. 

But I'm sure the cake will have eggs in it.  What should I do?  Bring the cake in my bag?  I don't really require cake, but I've known hosts who require that guests eat it, and they don't say, "Let them eat vegan cake."