Human Breast Cheese, SIGG Sale, Tofu Tester & Sonic Fedora

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I’m trying to figure out what the hell all this infantile (haha!) hysteria about he human breast milk cheese is really about. Is it really being considered the worst idea ever? It it really illegal? C’mon. Really?

When comparing cow and human milk, let’s ask a few question. Which milk comes from a consenting individual? It’s not the cows’. Which milk typically has pus, blood, synthetic hormones, and feces in it? Nope, not the human milk. Which milk is designed by nature for human consumption? Not the cows’. Which milk is responsible for the veal industry and global warming? Not the human milk.

So why are people freaking out? Why is human breast milk any more gross than drinking the random tit milk from a cow stuck in a filthy factory farm up to its knees in feces? Let’s face it, people are so boob obsessed that’s all they can think about. Boobs! But if you had to push a calf aside, crawl under a cow and put an udder in your mouth and suck – you’d have a much different point of view. The anonymity and safety of the milk carton obscures the truth. The newness of the human milk illicits visions of adults sucking on pregnant tits, which is, apparently, very scary. That’s why I prefer almond, coconut, rice, and soy milk. Yum!

What do you think about this issue? Leave a comment!

SIGG sale at Gilt Groupe! Only $10 – $15. Click here for you invitation to Gilt.

• Serious Eats’ Michael Natkin conducted a taste test of several store-bought tofu brands to bring you the least-bland winner of the taste test! I’ve never been a huge fan of plan old tofu, but according to Michael:

not all tofu is created equal. Some tofu has a mild, sweet beany flavor and a smooth consistency, while other brands have flavor defects and strange textures.

In Japan, it’s understood that top-shelf bean curd is an artisanal product made with only the best soybeans and spring water and processed with labor-intensive traditional techniques. That level of appreciation is unusual in the United States, but perhaps it will become more common as we realize that tofu is a versatile and delicious food in its own right, not a replacement for meat.”

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• Remember those recycled cassette tape ties? Check these recycled cassette tape fedoras from the same people!

recycled cassette tape fedora from alyce santoro

Darbster, West Palm Beach, FL

Darbster

On a recent trip to Florida, I took my family to a new vegan joint called Darbster – named after the owners’ rescued pooch, Darby. I believe that it’s the first and only entirely vegan restaurant in West Palm Beach. We arrived on a rather chilly evening, and the place is an open-air bar-style restaurant with outdoor seating (dog-friendly!) overlooking a canal. Unfortunately for us, the place was wrapped in plastic tarps with heat lamps inside to keep some warmth in, so we didn’t get to experience any of the outdoor atmosphere. We were, however, greeted by a very friendly staff, and the service was quick!

There is a good-sized menu with several raw and gluten-free options, a nice wine list, and several desserts.

The food was good. The first thing I wanted to order was the Kale Chips, but they were out! So we started with the Palm Cakes, which were pan-fried, chopped hearts of palm in a savory pine nut sauce, and were reminiscent of crab cakes. I thought they were delicious, and I’ll have to try to recreate this recipe at home.

My entree was the Gardein filet prepared in a lemon, pine-nut sauce, and my sister got a marinara version with Daiya cheese and tomato sauce. My little side of mac & cheese was delicious. I so wish there had been more. The Gardein filets were a bit too thick, but seasoned well and very filling.

The Beefless Sliders were one of the highlights for my whole family. The special sauce was perfect, and there was just enough contents between the soft sesame bun. This is a must-have if you go. My mother and father (not vegetarians) thought these were the best thing, and that the faux “beef” was delicious and satisfying.

For dessert we enjoyed a coconut-sorbet sundae with chocolate fudge, raspberries, blueberries, and walnuts.

On future trips, I’ll be sure to make reservations for daytime enjoyment of the outdoor seating, or at least a warm night to be in the open air. The next time you’re in south Florida, definitely check this place out! I plan to be back.

Spring Biker, Best Doc & Easter Candy

Cheap Monday has a nice faux-leather biker vest available at Alter $105
(Shop via text message through or Subports web store.)

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Gilt offers a Rogue poly-cotton faux-leather, asymmetrical zip jacket in black or
(here’s your Invite to be a Gilt member)

Asymmetrical Zip Front JacketAsymmetrical Zip Front Jacket

We were THRILLED that The Cove won an Academy Award for Best Documentary last night! If you haven’t seen it, you must! Watch the trailer, buy the movie, then find out what you can do to help!

What’s the best part about Sweet & Sarah’s Easter marshmallows in the shapes of chicks, bunnies, and eggs? There no boiled cow or horse hooves, tendons or cartilage in them! Don’t get me wrong – I love how cute Peeps are as much as the next guy, but there’s something as sinister and creepy as a Zombie-Jesus about disguising nasty slaughterhouse-scraps as yummy candy for kids. Thanks to Sweet & Sarah your celebration of Easter doesn’t have to support factory farming.

Cream EggsAlso, don’t forget to include some vegan Cadbury-style ‘cream’-filled eggs from the Chocolate Wendy House.

Garlicky Polenta, Tender Eggplant & Marinated Tofu Tower with Mushroom & Wine Red Sauce

I made this yummy Italian dish for my family last night. It was full of flavor, not too heavy, and went great with some steamed kale and quiona. The presentation really makes the dish stand out, so use it the next time you need to impress someone!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED (serves 4):

  • 1 medium eggplant
  • 1 package of plain firm tofu
  • 1 package of Italian herb polenta
  • 1 medium zucchini
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 Tbs dried oregano
  • 1 Tbs dried basil
  • 4 Tbs olive oil
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 Tbs wine vinegar
  • 6 med/small crimini mushrooms
  • 1 can tomato sauce

DIRECTIONS:

*tofu marinade: Combine the basil, oregano, paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper and 2Tbs olive oil, the vinegar, and 1/4 cup tomato sauce in a deep plate and set aside.

  1. 1. Cut the tofu into four, 1-inch thick pieces, and place them in the marinade, coating evenly on each side. Let stand for at least 20 minutes.
  2. 2. Place the tofu along with the remaining marinade and all the garlic (crushed, peeled, and diced) into a large oiled saucepan on medium heat.
  3. 3. Slice the eggplant into four, 2-inch thick medallions, and add to the pan.
  4. 4. Every time the pan starts to brown or get dry, add a little white wine and tomato sauce, which will tenderize and keep the eggplant and tofu from sticking and add flavor. Saute for about 10-15 minutes or until the eggplant is brown on each side and practically falling apart with tenderness.
  5. 5. Cut the polenta into four, 1-inch thick medallions, and in a separate pan, saute on medium heat with the diced mushrooms in 1Tbs olive oil and 2 Tbs white wine until golden on each side.
  6. 6. Slice the raw zucchini longways using a peeler into very thin, long pieces, then lay about 3 or 4 slices on each plate.
  7. 7. Stack the eggplant, tofu, and polenta on top of the zucchini, then fold the zucchini over and flip it so the crease is on the bottom.
  8. 8. Top it with some extra wine-infused tomato sauce from the pan and the sauteed mushrooms, and serve!

GQ’s Spring Suggestions, SeaWorld Must Drown & Bad Parenting

• GQ’s Spring Must-Haves include a vegan new-wave boat shoe from Sperry Topsiders (without those leather laces, finally), fancy pocket squares of every pattern and color, bright and bold striped ties and straw fedoras.

When searching for a striped tie that isn’t made from hundreds of worms who are boiled alive, we suggest hitting up your local thrift or vintage store which typically have piles of ties or our favorite vegan tie company, Jaanj.com. As for straw fedoras, that one thing we love about spring. You can avoid the wool hats and go with a 100% plant-based straw hat. LiViTY makes recycled, hemp, organic, and fair trade fedoras in some bold patters and classic shapes, and Engineered Garments makes an organic linen boater cap. We suggest keeping a lid on it and sticking to classics like these:

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Engineered Garments Boater Hat- Organic Linen w/ Khaki/Blue Madras

The Hill-Side offers some selvedge Pocket Squares that we find quite fetching:

The Hill-Side S13-006 Selvedge Chambray Pocket Square Stonewash IndigoThe Hill-Side S13-004 Selvedge Chambray Pocket Square Kyoto VioletThe Hill-Side S13-003 Selvedge Chambray Pocket Square Plum Violet

ric o'barry seaworld tillikum• I’ll be as happy as the next guy to see SeaWorld go under. The next guy is our pal Gary Smith, and he’s written an article on SeaWorld and the exploitation of dolphins and whales that flooded the enterprise with a 1.4 billion profit last year. In the article over at Elephant Journal. Ric O’Barry, who was featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary film “The Cove” and serves as the marine mammal specialist for Earth Island Institute, shares some thoughts with Gary on the recent killer whale tragedy. If you needed to be convinced that captive seas mammals are unhappy, this will do it!

“Orcas are the most social animal on the planet, even more so than us,” said O’Barry. “Males will stay with their mothers their entire lives. When we capture an animal like Tilikum, we take him away from the two most important things of his life; the world of sound and family. We put them in a concrete box and expect him to stay mentally healthy. It simply doesn’t work.” - Rick O’Barry, Marine Mammal Specialist EII

mousse• Is Discovery’s Planet Green FINALLY getting the meat/global warming connection? Or not. The promos for Emeril’s Green(washed) Kitchen still lists “beef” as a major ingredient, but I got a recipe for vegan chocolate mousse in my inbox this morning, and they have a vegan section. Strangely, their new show Future Food: Gastronomic Geniuses seems like a bunch of dudes playing with their meat. The video showcases these “geniuses” shooting bratwurst with paint-balls, and trying to figure out the tastiest way to serve this meat up in mad-science ways. The maddest science is showcasing meat on a self-proclaimed “green” network when it’s the #1 cause of global warming! Hey Discovery, WTF!?

• Rock It Out: A Night to Benefit New York’s Farm Animal Sanctuaries

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Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary

This benefit will feature live musical performances, a scrumptious vegan bake sale, and an awesome raffle all to benefit farm animals at Farm Sanctuary and the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary! Check out what these sanctuaries do to save animals like Billy, who was taken in after almost being killed by a sledgehammer at a dairy farm just a few weeks ago:

Saturday, March 6, 2010 from 7:00pm – 10:00pm
Location: Reidy Hall at All Souls Church, 1157 Lexington Ave @ 80th St, Basement Level
$10 pre-sale, $15 at the door (cash only)
Pre-sale tickets can be purchased at:
https://www.mycommunitytickets.com/event_info.asp?eventid=26496

• Did society create monstrous people, or do a collective of monstrous people create civilization? This was the topic of last week’s Hardcore History, and we suggest you listen. Totally mind-bending! Could widespread child abuse and bad parenting in earlier eras explain some of history’s brutality? We think so.

Learn to Lobby for Animals with the HSUS. We are only a few weeks away from the 2010 New York State Humane Lobby Day on Wed, March 24th in Albany. Join fellow activists to help pass legislation to crack down on animal fighters, stop puppy mills, end canned shoots of captive exotic wildlife, and protect farm animals from cruel treatment. To RSVP and get more info, click HERE.

Jessica Reid asks GGA readers if a No Kill Nation is possible when it comes to dog shelters. There’s always a fierce discussion on the GGA comment-board, so have you say!

“The truth is you cannot blame having to kill shelter animals on an “irresponsible public” or “too many animals” when a shelter doesn’t implement lifesaving and low cost programs. I personally witnessed missed opportunity after missed opportunity from alienating potential fosters to terrible customer service to rude behavior toward rescue groups. I heard the same stories from other volunteers.  These were not isolated cases. These were failures of management and staff to do what they should be doing: saving lives.”