The Discerning Brute: fashion, food & etiquette for the ethically handsome man

Fresh Friday Finds

1. Is My Whiskey Vegan?

My favorite spirits are locally made here in New York State. They are Whiskey, Rum, and Vodka from Tuthilltown Spirits. Completely vegan, and although some are made from wheat, completely gluten-free. The Hudson Whiskey is the best whiskey I’ve ever had! Their rum is made from black strap molasses and aged in former whiskey barrels for a really distinct taste, and their vodka is made from New York State apples pressed into raw cider. Very discerning! You can find their spirits on this list of bars, restaurants, and shops!

For more info on vegan spirits, see The Vegetarian Society’s list on Vegan Spirits!

2. Girlie Girl Goes Live!

Chloe Jo of the Girlie Girl Army has gone live! Her new website is gorgeously designed by vegan web design icon, Lord J Davis. Go check out her amazing blog and tell your sisters, moms, girlfriends, and any ethically fabulous lady in your life. They’ll swoon over her fashion sense and her common sense! This week? The C02-output-of-your-diet-calculator! And dating tips for the tragically shy or unlucky!

3. Dr Cow Goes Nuts!Our favorite cheese has a brand new website where you can order gift box assortments of vegan nut cheese! I might live solely on this stuff. If I am what I’d be eating, I’d be totally nuts! (ha…)

Nut Cheese Tower

4. Splendid Mills Organics
Earn your organic stripes at Splendid Mills. If you don’t know why the United Nations has referred to conventional cotton as one of the “most staggering disasters of the 20th century”, WATCH THIS.

5. Is My Tattoo Vegan?
In certain tattoo inks, bone-char (black) and glycerin (derived from animal fats) are typically used. Make sure to ask your artist to check ingredients or to use a company like Stable Color, who claims their inks are vegan-friendly. My tattoo artist, Seth Wood is a vegan, so it’s also a good idea to get a vegan tattoo artist!

3 Comments

TheDiscerningBrute, August 29th 2008 | Tags: apples, black strap molasses, blog, Chloe Jo Berman, corn whiskey, dr. cow, girlie girl army, hudson whiskey, local burbon, new paltz, s organic cotton, seth wood, spirits, splendid mill, stable color, stable ink, tree nut cheese, tuthilltown spirits, vegan cheese, vegan whiskey, vegn tattoo ink
Posted in activism, animal rights, art, fashion, food, green, Health, human rights, news, organic, social responsibility, trend report, vegan, vegetarian

Songbird Self, Hot Rod Heros, and Virtual-Meat

1. BIRD IN THE MIRROR: One of the major arguments made to rationalize cruelty toward non-human animals is that they have no sense of self. However, there is a test that researches have used to see if an animal can recognize that a mirror image belongs to its own body. Among those that have passed this test are apes, bottlenose dolphins and elephants. A new study suggests that a magpie (as well as crows and ravens) recognizes itself in the mirror, too. Signs of self-recognition are illustrated above: a bird looking in the mirror attempts to remove a paint spot, using its beak and then its foot. Full story.

2. THE NEW YORK TIMES reported yesterday on a group of tattooed bikers that rescue animals and are vegetarians.

“I’m a vegetarian,” said Mike Tattoo (real name Mike Ostrosky), a former bodybuilding champion with a shaved head, great arms covered in art and a probing clarity in his blue eyes…

Having run in crowds where animal abuse was rampant, often involving pit bull fights, the men volunteered at shelters and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Toward Animals, and they tried to solve cases of missing or abused animals that other organizations had neither the time nor the resources to address…Next month, the bikers will begin a program in the city’s public schools to educate children about being kind to all animals…

3. iMeat

Welcome to the not-too-distant future, where meat is “grown” without factory farms, slaughterhouses, or the killing of animals. Sound like science fiction? Maybe. But a group of determined scientists believes it could be possible to mass-produce meat using cloned animal cells well within the next decade. They claim this lab-grown “cultured meat” will be healthier and safer to eat than meat sliced from slaughtered animals, and will produce less pollution and require fewer resources than harvesting livestock for human consumption. Full Article

3 Comments

TheDiscerningBrute, August 25th 2008 | Tags: animal psychology, animal rescue, animal testing, dog rescue, iMeat, lab grown meat, magpie, New York Times, paint spot test, Tattooed bikers, vegetarian bikers
Posted in activism, animal rights, dogs, food, news, pets, social responsibility, vegan, vegetarian

Fresh Friday Finds

1. Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization
Amazing article from Adbusters on the counter-cultural void that is Hipsterdom.

2. The Vegan Collection
Affordable, sweatshop-fee, vegan shoes for men. The Vegan Collection is versatile – dress it up with a suit, or go with a pair of jeans. They’re under $50, and 25% of profit goes to animal advocacy.

3. Hey Alaska, Stop Murdering Wolves!

As many Alaskans already learned via media reports, 14 one-month old wolf pups recently were killed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in a practice known as “denning”. Denning is the practice of killing wolves in or around their den, in this case by shooting them in the head. 14 adults were also killed. Please, as soon as possible, contact Alaska Governor Sarah Palin expressing your objections to this unethical and illegal decimation of Alaska’s wolf population.

4. Green Depot
Perhaps an alternative to Home Depot (formerly known for it’s use of old-growth timber, and now it rampant greenwashing – among other shady practices) can inspire people to consider the enviroment when making home repairs and adjustments. Green Depot promises to be a good steward…that is aside from those “eco-friendly” insect killers and wool rugs. Maybe the best solution is to just not buy anything new at all. Check out Build It Green in New York – an entirely recycled/thrift Depot-style, DIY store.

5. Vegan, Lesbian Hollywood Wedding!
Newlyweds and newly-vegans Ellen Degeneres and Portia De Rossi got married and had a totally vegan wedding featuring a vegan red velvet cake by Sweet Lady Jane. How was I not invited?

6. Fur Real?

Gwyneth Paltrow recently turned stomachs when she appeared draped in fur and exotic skins in a campaign for Tod’s. The strangest thing about it is that she surrounds herself with vegan and vegetarian friends and family including her very own vegetarian husband Chris Martin of Coldplay. Friend Stella McCartney is pissed, Moby is pissed, and I am pissed too. Vaginally and anally electrocuting a struggling fox until it is dead is the furthest thing from sexy. Hey Gwyneth, you might want to brutally bludgeon and stomp my dog, then turn him into a giant set of furry ear-plugs to block out all the shit you’re gonna hear for doing this campaign.

7. AuH2O

New York’s East Village is home to the recycled eco-boutique AuH2O. They even do custom alternations on the spot with no charge!

84 E. 7th St.
(b/t 1st and 2nd Ave)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 466-0844
E-mail: kate@auh2odesigns.com

8. Star Wars’ Environmentalist Origin

Derrick Jensen is an amazing, truthful, and brilliant writer. But comedian? Who knew? Derrick files his grievances with the ineffectiveness of “non-violent civil disobedience” and many other the useless hoops activists jump through to change those who are destroying the planet.

9. Need a reason to boycott the Olympics? How about several reasons…?

10. Olympic Judo Medalist is Vegan. NBA star is Vegetarian.

I can’t tell you how many times people insist that it is not possible to be a veg athlete. Who was the first NBA player to win championships with three different teams? If you said John Salley, then bravo. But you know what else John Salley is? A vegetarian. Also, Beijing 2008 Gold Medalist Ronda Rousey, who is the first US woman to win an Olympic medal in Judo, is a vegan. Click here to learn about other veg athletes.

2 Comments

TheDiscerningBrute, August 21st 2008 | Tags: alaska wolf hunt, auh2o, boycott olympics, chris martin, dress shoe, fur, Gwyneth Paltrow, human rights in china, IDA, John Salley, mens shoes, Moby, NBA, recycled clothing, repurposed, Ronda Rousey, shoe, Stella McCartney, sweat-free, sweatshop free, the vegan collection, tod's, vegan, vegan athletes, vegetarian, vegetarian athlete, wolf denning
Posted in activism, animal rights, environmental justice, fair trade, fashion, food, green, human rights, news, organic, philosophy, social responsibility, vegan, vegetarian

Veg News Gets Brutal

I recently bared all (of my ‘fridge) for Veg News Magazine‘s “What’s In Your Fridge?“. It was really hard to decide what to showcase because I love food so much! Local Farmers’ Market greens and berries, Field Roast Apple-Sage Sausage, Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream, Dr Cows Cheese, Artisana Cashew Butter… where to begin? Regardless it gave me a really good reason to go grocery shopping (something I rarely have time to do these days). Veg News Food Issue is on shelves right now and also has a feature article on my pals at Dr Cow’s Tree Nut Cheese.

DB appears in Veg News

8 Comments

TheDiscerningBrute, August 19th 2008 | Tags: brooklyn foodie, foodie, Josh Katcher, Joshua Katcher, the discerning Brute, veg news, what's in your fridge?
Posted in green, organic, vegan, vegetarian

Fresh Friday Finds

1. CROW Clothing
New Menswear from CROW Clothing is made from organic cotton, bamboo, and soy. But that’s not the best thing – they have a sliding scale for prices, so you pay what you can afford!

2. The numbers are in!
Forest Ethics released a report this week citing that “emissions generated by junk mail is equivalent to the emissions of more than 9 million cars, or if you prefer, 2.5 million cars idling 24 hours a day for 7 days a week.”

2. Howies Organic Denim
This Howies organic cotton jacket is perfect for fall. And their organic skinny jeans with natural indigo are half off!

3. Monkey Thanker
Friend of DB, Karen Dawn (author: Thanking the Monkey) was recently featured in a news segment connecting going green with compassion for farm animals. Check out the video here.

4. HSUS Back to School Fur Free guide:

Printable guide to telling real fur from fake fur:
http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/fur/field-guide-on-real-vs-fake-fur-final.pdf
Printable fur labeling case report:
http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/fur/fur-labeling-case-report-final.pdf
Printable list of fur-free companies:
http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/fur/fur-free-list-pocket-guide-final.pdf

5. It seems unbelievable…

…but the Bush Administration is quietly trying to redefine “abortion” to include birth control. The Houston Chronicle says this could wipe out dozens of state laws that protect women’s reproductive freedom and protect rape victims. This “rule change” doesn’t need congressional approval. Can you sign an emergency message to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, whose department is considering this rule change right now?

1 Comment

TheDiscerningBrute, August 15th 2008 | Tags: bamboo, china fur, contraception as abortion, crow clothing, eco, emissions study, environmental, fur, green, howies, hsus fur-free guide, junk mail, Karen Dawn, organic cotton, organic demin, organic menswear, raccoon dog, soy clothing, Thanking the Monkey, vegan menswear
Posted in activism, animal rights, dogs, fair trade, fashion, green, Health, human rights, news, organic, social responsibility, Uncategorized, vegan, vegetarian

More Food from Nantucket

On Saturday morning I made vegan French toast using my secret recipe that I will reveal for the first time ever! If you are feeding kids, it’s fun to make a face with fresh fruit!

Vegan French Toast Face

What you’ll need for French Toast (feeds 4):

• 8 Slices of any bread. I prefer sourdough.
• 3 ripe Bananas
• 1 cup soy or nut milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 tbs egg replacer
• 1-2 tbs flour
• 2 tbs Agave or other sweetener
• fresh fruit
•maple syrup

DIRECTIONS:

•heat an oiled skillet.
•with your hand or an electric beater, mash the bananas and combine all the ingredients. Use a whisk to beat well until almost frothy.
•dip each piece of bread in the mixture.
•cook on the skillet until each side is golden.
•Serve with fresh fruit & maple syrup.

1 Comment

TheDiscerningBrute, August 11th 2008 | Tags: eco, fruit face on toast, green, vegan breakfast, vegan french toast, vegetarian
Posted in food, green, organic, recipes, vegan, vegetarian

Cooking Up A Storm in Nantucket

I took a few days off to lay on the beach and eat good vegan food with some amazing friends in Nantucket this past week.

Benay, Hedda, James, Jeremy, Joshua, Chloe, John

We made so much amazing food that I’ll have to spend all week at the gym. We cooked day and night and could have given any top restaurant a run for their money. I especially enjoyed the pistacio-crusted seitan with mushrooms in a balsamic-reduction with garlic-roasted potatoes and the fresh lemon-tahini-garlic hummus.

Pistacio-Crusted Seitan w/ Garlic Roasted Potatos

Pistacio-Crusted Seitan w/ Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Hummus w/ Lemon, Tahini, and Garlic

RECIPES:

For the Pistacio Crusted Seitan with Roasted Garlic Potatoes (serving 4) you’ll need:
• 1/2 cup of pistacios
• 1 Vegan Bullion cube
• 4 tbs Vegan Butter
• 2 tbs Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar
• 1 lb of seitan
• 2 cups of mushrooms
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 3 small/medium red potatoes
• 1 tbs Nutritional Yeas

Directions:
• Marinate the seitan in the olive oil, half of the vinegar, nut. yeast, pistacios, and salt & pepper to taste for at least 30 minutes. (Seitan is quite absorbant).
• Put the additional Balsalmic in a small saucer and bring to a simmer on low heat. Let this slowly reduce over about 20 minutes. Meanwhile:
• Heat a skillet with 2 tbs of the Vegan butter in it. Sauteé 3 cloves of garlic, the mushrooms and the bullion cube. Add the seitan mixture including all the remaining liquid in the marinade. Cover and let stand for about 15 minutes on medium heat. Flip the seitan and continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes. (You can add 1/4 cup of red or white wine at this stage if additional savory flavor is desired.)
• Cut the 3 potatoes in half, and place on a baking-sheet face-up. Melt the remaining 2 tbs of butter, adding the remaining diced garlic. Using a teaspoon put the garlic-butter on the open face of each potato half. Bake on 350 for 25 minutes until the top is golden brown and the potato is soft.
• Once the seitan had crisped (not burned!) edges, plate beside the potatoes and drizzle the balsamic reduction and serve!

for the Hummus, you’ll need:
• 2 cups of garbanzo beans (not dry).
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 cloves fresh garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cube vegan bullion (I use Rapunzel with no salt)
• paprika and olives for decoration

Directions:
•Simply puree all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.

6 Comments

TheDiscerningBrute, August 11th 2008 | Tags: Chloé Jo, eco, green, hummus, james davis, Joshua Katcher, lemon tahini, nantucket, pistacio, recipe, recipes, seitan, vegan, vegetarian
Posted in dogs, food, green, Health, holiday, organic, recipes, travel, vegan, vegetarian

Fresh Friday Finds

1. MALCOLM FONTIER accessories
Check out the new line of vegan accessories from Malcolm Fontier. These slick urban bags come with names like “The Director” and “The Agent” to accommodate what you do. These bags are PVC (PolyVinyl Chloride) free (PVC is a nasty substance that can be an environmental and health hazard). The main material on our bags, which comes from Italy, is natural canvas coated with PU which gives it a unique feel and durability. Thanks to contributor Joelle for the heads up!

2. CocoNUTS
Our dreams have been answered! Purely Decadent has made a line of coconut-cream-based ice creams and yogurts that are to die for. These chilled treats the silkiest, the richest, and the tastiest vegan ice-cream yet. No ice cream lover could resist. Good luck not eating the entire pint in one sitting! My personal favs are the Cookie Dough and the Mint Chip.

Coconut Based Cookie Dough Ice Cream

3. Jersey Supreme Court Rules for Animals
In a unanimous landmark decision fostered by Farm Sanctuary, the New Jersey Supreme Court today struck down the New Jersey Department of Agriculture’s (NJDA) regulations exempting all routine husbandry practices as “humane” and ordered the agency to readdress many of the state-mandated standards for the treatment of farm animals. Read More…

4. Proposition 2 and You
Find out about Proposition 2 in California, and what it means! Thanks to Dawnwatch for the New York Times Article on the bill.

5. Dr Cow goes DigitalOur favorite vegan cheese is now available for purchase from the Vegan Store. Get some!

Dr Cow Aged Cheese

2 Comments

TheDiscerningBrute, August 1st 2008 | Tags: california, coconut milk ice cream, cookie dough ice cream, dawnwatch, Dr Cow vegan cheese, farm sanctuary, MALCOLM FONTIER accessories, messenger bag, New jersey Supreme Court, proposition 2, purely decadant, pvc, vegan, vegetarian accessories, vinyl
Posted in Uncategorized

Veg News Gets Brutal

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More Food from Nantucket

1 Comment

Cooking Up A Storm in Nantucket

6 Comments

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