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