Sunday, February 24, 2008

Being vegan: H is for...

News of the largest US beef recall last week brought to the national spotlight the abuses endured by animals in today's meat industry. Though these reports and horrific images are now fading from the media and the minds of mainstream America, reports of animal cruelty continue, and I find my commitment to the first of 6 vegan principles -- ABSTINENCE from animal products strengthened.

In light of the reported 143 million pounds of recalled beef this past week, and the 10 billion animals raised and slaughtered in the US each year for food, the second principle for a vegan...
H is for HARMLESSNESS with reverence for life

Though this may sound crude and possibly offensive to some, the primary focus of the meat industry is essentially -- death. Animals are viewed as raw materials, commodities, and product, slaughtered en masse for human consumption in the name of food.

Carol Adams in her book, Living Among Meat Eaters, notes that while a meat-eating world organizes itself around death, it is a plant-based world that organizes itself around life (p. 217). Veganism and a vegetarian diet celebrate life by refraining from practices that harm animals, and seeking to live in harmony with all living beings.

According to Joanne Stepaniak, a vegan is "a person who is committed to and practices reverence and respect for all life" (Being Vegan, p. 5). This begins in a vegan's dietary choices, but must extend to all of life's decisions, choosing to "Do the least harm and the most good".

As William Blake has said, "everything that lives is holy, life delights in life." Veganism delights in life, and as I desire to honor my Creator, veganism helps me see evidence of God's holy presence in all things. There is harmony and a "harmlessness" in vegan principles, as veganism is a lifestyle choice of peace, with reverence and awe for all that lives, moves, and breathes.

An unrealistic utopian vision? It should not be for those who put their hope in God! A vision of peaceful co-existence is found in God's Word, the Bible, the holy promises and premises of God.

Genesis paints a portrait of life in the Garden of Eden where all of God's creatures live in harmony, humanity included. Though humankind is given "dominion" over animals (or "rule" in some translations), it is not a "lording it over them". As the Christian Vegetarian Association explains, dominion is a "sacred stewardship, since God immediately afterward prescribed a vegetarian diet in a world God found 'very good'. Created in God's image of love, we are called to be caretakers of God's Creation, not tyrants over God's creatures".

Prophecies in Isaiah 11:6-9 (NCV) envision a return to that peaceful creation harmony."Then wolves will live in peace with lambs, and leopards will lie down to rest with goats. Calves, lions, and young bulls will eat together, and a little child will lead them. Cows and bears will eat together in peace. Their young will lie down to rest together. Lions will eat hay as oxen do. A baby will be able to play near a cobra's hole, and a child will be able to put his hand into the nest of a poisonous snake. They will not hurt or destroy each other on all my holy mountain, because the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the sea is full of water."

When will this take place? When "the root of Jesse" (aka "the Christ") returns as a banner of hope for the people (Isaiah 11:10). Jesus is the Promised One who will reestablish this peaceable kingdom.

Thus, for those who trust in Jesus and call Him Lord, I believe there is a call to choose the harmlessness found in veganism and a plant-based diet. We are to revere life, love all, and re-claim the peace God had originally intended in creation. That for me is "the full knowledge of the Lord", which is to cover the earth, a vision of divine encompassing love.

As we prepare to celebrate new life this Easter, may you choose life over death this Lenten season, by reducing your use of an animal product. And besides, if lions are going to eat hay in the new kingdom, you might find yourself blessed consuming a plant-based diet too!

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Being vegan: A is for...

As my vegan choices are becoming more "public", more questions are being asked about why I made that choice, what I eat, what I need. When I saw her this week, my goddaughter began to ask me what I do and do not eat now. While it is easy to say that I simply do not eat any animal products (or that I am on "an indefinite animal consumption" fast), there is more to being a vegan than dietary choices.

I was reminded of that as I've begun reading Joanne Stepaniak's book, "Being Vegan: Living with Conscience, Conviction, and Compassion".

Last week marked the start of the Lunar New Year, but it also ushered in the season of Lent, which began on Ash Wednesday, February 6th. Lent is a season of preparation, when the cold dark deadness of winter breaks forth with the warm new light and life of spring. It is also a time when many followers of Christ fast or abstain from something, so to feast on Someone (God) through the disciplines of sacrifice and prayer.

On the journey to Easter joy, I thought I'd use the next 6 weeks to share more about the principles of a vegan life, and to encourage you (if you've not already made a commitment) to fast this Lent from animal consumption. That might mean not eating meat, or cutting back on meat to once a day or once a week, or pursuing a strict vegetarian diet by not eating anything that comes from an animal source (including dairy, eggs, honey, and butter).

To begin... For a vegan:
A is for ABSTINENCE from animal products.

The popular conception of a vegan today is a person who simply does not eat animal products. A vegan diet is often regarded as one step more "severe" than a vegetarian diet, as all animal sourced food items are "off limits". In other words, vegetarians will eat eggs and cheese, vegans however do not. While this is true, the choice of a total plant-based diet really grows out of the larger vegan commitment.

Veganism grew out of the vegetarian movement in the 1940's. According to Stepaniak, "The term vegetarian was devised solely to describe diet -- nothing else. On the other hand, the term vegan encompasses far more than just what one eats. It is - and has always been - a philosophy of compassionate living, and this is a vital distinction." (p. 9)

In its Articles of Association, The Vegan Society in its conception, defined veganism as a "philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practical, all forms of exploitation of animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefits of humans, animals, and the environment".

Stepaniak writes,
"Based on these explanations, the practice of veganism entails abstaining from the use of animal products in every aspect of daily living as much as is possible and practical. Although this includes what one eats, it also extends to all other types of consumables. In addition, vegan practice is coupled with the active pursuit of alternatives to commodities typically made from or with animal products or by-products, as well as the avoidance of animal exploitation and cruelty for any purpose" (p. 3).
Abstinence from animal products is the place where veganism often begins.

As a follower of Christ, I have discovered that "vegan values" under gird my desire to honor the Creator by caring for all that the Creator has made. Veganism embodies compassion for every living creature, and embraces responsible stewardship of earth's resources, built on the simple tenet - "Do the least harm, and the most good."

"In the beginning" of Genesis, a portrait of peace in creation is described which God the Creator deems as "good". We often gloss over it, but a plant-based diet is prescribed for humans and for animals in Genesis 1:29-30. It is this harmonious co-existence that God had made, not the creation of humans, I believe, which the Creator deems "very good" (1:31).

Animals were Adam's first companions, whom he names. As Mother Theresa has said, "They (animals), too, are created by the same loving Hand of God which created us.... it is our duty to protect them and to promote their well-being." With continuous reports of animal cruelty, and questionable food industry practices abstaining from any product that comes from an animal is one way to honor the God who has made all and is in all.

As Meister Eckhart has written, "God loves all creatures equally and fills them with His being, and we should lovingly meet all creatures the same way."

This Lent, may you consider reducing your use of an animal product as a sign of your commitment to love and to care for all the creatures God has made.
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Sunday, February 10, 2008

Restaurant review: BOK CHOY GARDEN

The Lunar New Year began this past week, and to honor my Chinese heritage, I went out to dinner with my parents and grandmother to celebrate. Because my folks are considerate of my vegan diet when we go out, when I suggested a vegetarian Chinese restaurant near my grandmother's apartment, they were open to giving it a try.

To be honest, I was surprised that my parents were so willing to take my suggestion. This would be their first vegetarian dining experience, but I had every confidence that Bok Choy Garden on Clemet St, near 19th Avenue in San Francisco would not disappoint. And it did not.


Bok Choy Garden is definitely my choice when it comes to vegan Chinese restaurants in the City, if not the Bay Area. I first brought my veg cousins and grandmother there early last year. They liked it. My cousins in turn brought their mom (my aunt) and the rest of their family, along with my grandmother, numerous times since.

Ken, the "shaved head" owner since 2006, along with the wait staff are personable and helpful, answering my questions in English, but also answering my grandmother's questions in Chinese. (If you ask, they have a Chinese-English menu.) While Ken has adapted some of the dishes from the previous owners, he has created some new specialties, with sauces that are vegan, delicious, and familiar in Chinese flavors. (He hopes to bottle them but needs a manufacturer.)

Though parking in this Richmond neighborhood is tough after 6 pm, we pulled up at 5:15 to a parking space right in front of the restaurant. (The wonders of eating early!) We also had no problem getting a table, as the place is small, with limited seating. The restaurant was full by the time we left.

In preparing to order, my grandmother knew exactly what she wanted - crispy taro roll appetizers, wrapped in soy, cut into rolls and fried, served with a light sweet and sour sauce. (We let her enjoy two of the six.) Because my grandmother should not live on appetizers alone, we also ordered for her a cabbage tofu clay pot which was full of other exotic Chinese sea veggies which are familiar, but unnamable to me, yet still enjoyable.

My mom loves eggplant, so we ordered for her braised eggplant in the house special sauce. (My preference however is the spicier version on the menu). At other restaurants, the eggplant swims in oil, but at Bok Choy Garden, the eggplant breathes life, and is gently stir fried, not mushy, in a mild sauce with a subtle kick.

My dad who says, "I'll eat anything", originally wanted to try one of the fake meat beef dishes. But when he discovered that they were all spicy, he settled back into the "whatever". We thus decided to order the crispy veggies with walnuts, a healthy vegan twist to walnut prawns. Though the walnuts looked plain, they were addictive, lightly sweetened and served with a wonderful array of veggies that included snow peas, carrots, water chestnuts, celery, and a mysterious sweet root vegetable. We had our suspicions, and knew it was not turnip so we asked. While my grandma and the wait staff came up with the Chinese name, Ken made the final call in English to confirm that yes, it was jicama, as my mom suspected.

The one dish I really wanted to try was the portobello mushroom and soft tofu, which turned out to be the table favorite. With a huge mushroom perfectly cooked, covering a generous portion of broccoli and tofu, it was not only delicious, but as my mom said, beautifully arranged on the platter.

For the four of us, the four entries plus appetizer, plus an order of white rice and an order of brown rice, was more than enough with leftovers to take home. Though the meal ended with the check, the check came with a delightful complementary dessert, a wonderful surprise, which I won't give away, but many customers afterwards purchase a box of them to go. They are that good.

Other dishes that have gotten a thumbs up:
- One of my cousins really likes the taro casserole with coconut milk.
- The tofu and broccoli with curry sauce over spinach is excellent.
- Before I ran the SF Marathon in July, I carb loaded with a satisfying platter of pan-fried noodles with lohan veggies (chopped rather than shredded).

My grandmother appreciates Bok Choy Garden because unlike traditional Chinese restaurants where my other relatives take her, there is no MSG, and minimal oil in the preparations. My mom was impressed with the variety of selections. It took us a long time to decide what to eat, and through the evening as other tables ordered, the wait staff was often making suggestions. My dad liked the prices and was impressed with the portions, though he as a meat eater racks it up to "it's because there's no meat which is why it's so cheap." (I disagree but that's a topic for another blog.)

For me, I like Bok Choy Garden because they serve brown rice for no additional charge! (It's the little things that make vegan-me happy.)

A shortened version of this review may be found at HappyCow net.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Let the baking begin

I do not bake. But when asked to cook a birthday dinner for my cousin who wants to taste a vegan meal, cake needs to be on the menu. Thus, this past week, I dusted off the baking pan and dusted the counters with flour as my first attempt at vegan baking began.

Originally the plan was to go out to celebrate at Herbivore, but with last minute changes and my cousin's need to stay home with the kid while his wife traveled, eating in made the most sense. He also wanted to learn how I cook vegan, and since I enjoy cooking, and sharing what I'm learning about a healthy animal-free diet, I would head to his place and cook his birthday dinner with him.

My cousin does not like a lot of kick in his spices, so I decided my mom's easy rice and bean recipe (featured last week on my blog) would be a perfect place to show him how simple and delicious a vegan meal could be. Along with tortillas, lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and a simple Mexican veggie side dish of zucchini, tomatoes, green peppers, and onions, I had a quick and easy menu plan.

It would be the dessert that would be a tricky. The question: Would I be able to bake a vegan chocolate cake?

For my cousin, I thought I'd give it a try. Through an online search I found an easy vegan chocolate cake recipe that would work for me. The recipe reviews called it dense, moist, and dark (my kind of cake), and with no oil in the recipe, using applesauce for moisture instead, the cake was fat-free (definitely my kind of cake). But most important, I had all the ingredients at home!

The original recipe however called for a bundt pan (which I didn't have), but one suggestion in the online review was to turn the cake into a lava cake by baking it in a 8x11 pan (which I do have). After the cake is baked, holes are inserted and filled with vegan chocolate pudding, which also doubles as frosting. Sounded pretty yummy, and so the baking began.

Everything was going well as I followed the recipe until I measured out the applesauce, which I had in my fridge. The recipe called for 1½ cups, and I had exactly 1 cup left. One of the other online reviews suggested adding chocolate soy milk to lighten the dense quality of the cake. Having no other jars of applesauce, I had no other options, thus, vegan-me (who does not bake) took a risk, added ½ cup of soy milk, and changed the recipe. Would the cake come out OK? I'd have to wait and see.

As the cake baked in the oven, I prepared the homemade vegan chocolate pudding. Smells of chocolate were filling the kitchen as I tasted the pudding as it cooled. Very very nice! When the timer went off and I opened the oven, the cake looked good and after a toothpick insert, I knew it was done. I poked holes for the chocolate lava flow, and in so doing, pulled out small chunks of cake.

As I put a piece in my mouth, my eyes widened. A smile crossed my face. My first vegan chocolate cake tasted pretty good. It was a proud moment. I finished pouring the pudding, and after letting it cool, I frosted the top, decorated it with sprinkles, and covered the top of the pan with saran wrap. The cake would wait in the fridge overnight, for the real taste test after dinner the next day.

The meal went well. And after happy birthday was sung, the candles blown out, and the cake cut, the reviews began. For my cousin's 3 year-old, there were no complaints as she gobbled up her piece, asking for more with chocolate encircling her mouth. For my cousin, he too enjoyed it.

For me, I was impressed with how dark and most the cake was. Though I added soy milk, the cake still maintained a dense texture which complemented the smooth pudding surprise inside. The pudding also added depth to the chocolate flavor, as the cake lacked the rich bittersweet taste I personally enjoy. Probably too much sugar. A bit of coffee might add that missing kick. My cousin's sister-in-law who also joined us for dinner agreed. Overall, I was really impressed by my first attempt at a vegan chocolate cake, and thus, for effort -- My grade: B+

I say I don't bake, but chances are good I will pull out the cake pan and attempt this again. And when I do, I will cut down the sugar, add a bit of coffee, and more cocoa. For those who really do bake, please send me your suggestions on how you would adapt the recipe. (see below)

My journey to create the "perfect" vegan chocolate cake has begun. Let the baking continue.

Recipe: VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE


CHOCOLATE SURPRISE CAKE (VEGAN)

2 cups flour (1 cup wheat, 1 cup all purpose white)
1 cup sugar
1 T cornstarch
2 t baking soda
¼ t salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
½ cup chocolate soy milk

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 8x11 glass pan.
2. Sift all dry ingredients together in a large bowl, removing any lumps.
3. Add applesauce and soy milk, and mix well until batter is smooth.
4. Pour into pan and bake for 30 minutes (or until done).
5. While cake bakes, prepare the pudding frosting (see below).
6. When cake is done, remove from oven and using a wooden spoon handle, poke holes all over the top of the cake through to the bottom of the pan. (Be careful not to poke too many holes!)
7. Pour the hot pudding frosting into the holes and all over the top.
8. As pudding frosting cools and continues to fill the holes, spread evenly with a knife to frost the top (up to 1 hour), then decorate.


CHOCOLATE PUDDING FROSTING (VEGAN)
1/3 cup sugar
4 t cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2 T cornstarch
dash salt
2 cups chocolate soy milk
1 t vanilla

1. Sift all dry ingredients together in a bowl, removing lumps, then gradually add 1 cup soy milk, whisking constantly. Stir in the rest of the milk.
2. Pour into sauce pan, and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until pudding thickens and boils with large rolling bubbles.
3. Add vanilla. Whisk through, and remove from heat.
4. Stir occasionally to break through cooling top until cake is done.

Cake recipe is adapted from http://vegetarian.about.com/od/desertrecipes/r/applesaucecake.htm
Pudding recipe taken from http://www.theveggietable.com/recipes/veganchocolatepudding.html