Paris Vegan Day II, organized by the Gentle Gourmet, took place last weekend on both Saturday and Sunday. The event kicked off with a marathon of both sweet and savory crepe-making, and brought back the popular vegan shwarma from Wheaty. There were two full floors of tables and activities featuring savory food, sweets, clothes, accessories and household and beauty products. Food demos were given by the gifted Fran Costigan and Gentle Gourmet‘s Chef Deborah Brown Pivian. Doughnuts and cookie sandwiches from Health Angels Baking Club (get it?) rocked! Last year drew in almost 5,000 people and this year may have been more! I visited the Vegusto table for free samples a few too many times, and I was able to showcase my shoes and ties in a fashion showcase that I emceed. Finally, on Sunday morning there was a buffet-style brunch in a gorgeous outdoor patio.
The UFC homepage had this image up yesterday! How cool is that? Vegan and vegetarian men are kicking serious ass, and on April 30th, Jake Shields will be fighting for the welterweight championship! Who is hosting a party in NYC to watch?
The BoBo Malcom and Fango are some smart gibsons for spring. Lightweight, bright soles, and sustainably leather free in soft microfiber-suede with faux-leather lining. From a summer soiree in a suit, to a casual stroll in chino shorts, these are versatile, neutral, and handsome.
Since 1986 Etnies has been manufacturing some of the most cutting edge skateboard shoes on the market. Now celebrating their 25th year anniversary they are continuing on that path with a new campaign BUY A SHOE PLANT A TREE. For every pair of Jamieson 2 Eco shoes sold Etnies will plant a tree in the rain forests of Costa Rica. The Jameson Eco 2 is not only a stylish pair of shoes but the out soles are made from recycled bike tires and plastic gloves while the laces are made from Pet recycled plastic bottles.
• ANNTIAN’s Spring 2011 lookbook, inspired by the natural, ripe lushness of fruit, features bright colors, organic, lux textures and patters, and hints of psychedelic tribalism – an ode to the future hippie in a sane world. Anttian says “Behind this is our wish to touch on the subject of how important the relationship and behavior towards nature and food and “living together” is. Anntiain strives to use sustainable materials like organic cotton.
• “Should we name them?” This was one of the first things one of the “foodies” asked before eating live lobster at 15 East for the sake of Zagat. Immediately the woman in the middle says, “No That will give them personality” and the man on the far right, “then there’ll be a whole faction of PETA people that think we’re terrible”. Eating an animal while it’s still squirming requires a serious disconnect, but even more-so, it requires a desire to be seen as controversial, edgy, experimental, brave and cool . The website challenges, “If you’re brave enough to experience it yourself, the special is $120 and feeds two.” Listening to the people in the video fumble through rationalizations for doing this is amazing. See for yourself:
This reminds me of the recent article, The Moral Crusade Against Foodies, by B. R. Myers, which is a must-read for anyone concerned with food and ethics issues.
Image credit: John Cuneo
“A true gastronome,” according to a British dining manual of the time, “is as insensible to suffering as is a conqueror.” But for the past several decades, factory farms have made meat ever cheaper and—as the excellent book TheCAFO [Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations] Reader makes clear—the pain and trauma are thrown in for free. The contemporary gourmet reacts by voicing an ever-stronger preference for free-range meats from small local farms. He even claims to believe that well-treated animals taste better, though his heart isn’t really in it.
• I love the aesthetic of the Animal Rescue Corps. It’s very effective, using a military-inspired logo and language like “serving” animals. The real heroism of this organization is showcased in their organized, rescue operations – and President Scotlund Haisley is certainly a Discerning Brute, with impressive and extensive experience in animal rescue, shelters, advocacy, fund-raising and legislation – even rehabilitating 11 of Michael Vick’s dogs, and working to rescue of over 1,000 animals in post-Katrina New Orleans. With a focus on Puppy Mills, Companion Animal Abuse, Animals in Agriculture, and Animals in Research, the Animal Rescue Corps is a reserve of true heroes. Why not join them?
Tying a bow tie is not rocket science, but it is an important man-skill that is coming back into mainstream usage. I don’t have anything against clip-on bow ties, but the real deal can be worn with just a bit more pride, and there’s no chance it will come un-clipped and fall off. In this video I was wearing my organic cotton shirt from CPas and a vintage plaid bow tie, but don’t forget that I have a line of sustainable, vegan, made-in-NYC bow ties under my Brave GentleMan label!
Thrift stores are FULL of them, and here’s a few handsome, ethical bow ties to choose from:
• The New York Times’ Diner Journal highlighted chef Ayinde Howell, a two-time Gracious Gourmand chef and the man behind Williamsburg’s very own vegan waffle brunch, which happens every Sunday at The West Cafe at 379 Union Ave. In the article, they interview Howell, a born-and-raised vegan, whose parents were in the food-service and restaurant biz. There is a fantastic recipe for enchiladas as well, so go check it out!
• Winter-sports enthusiasts can hit the slopes without hurting them (as badly). Clearing trees and wildlife for ski trails and resorts is not very eco-friendly, but another hidden danger is that most ski and snowboard waxes are made up of toxic chemicals that drain into streams, lakes and rivers when the snow melts, harming both the environment and human beings. Chemicals like PFOA has been found in the blood streams of minks, bald eagles, and more than 90% of the American population. Yikes…
The Good News- More and more companies have developed formulas that are eco-friendly and biodegradable.One example is from Magic Potion. Another Great find are these vegan snowboard boots from Burton. The are sustainably leather-free and add some flair and performance for your shredding needs.
• Jake Shields recently won Peta2’s most veg friendly athlete of the year! I interviewed Jake way-back-when, and it’s awesome to see his career is becoming so successful – and that someone who demands so much from his body does it without meat. When he fights GSP in April, he will become the highest profile vegetarian athlete in the world. Go Jake! For a glimpse into the life of Mr. Shields, watch the trailer for an upcoming documentary about him here:
• LA Weekly is reporting on a new BBC show that will premiere in the US on January 18th on Current TV, called Kill It Cook It Eat It. This show is certain to get a large viewership – but I wonder just how honest a depiction of the slaughter really is, and whether the viewers get to visit large factory farms and USDA slaughterhouses (where 99% of meat comes from) or just the small, killing-with-kindness farms that maintain the bucolic myth of where our food comes from. In addition, pay careful attention to the “It” in the title. It’s not “Kill Them Cook Them Eat Them” – or “him” or “her” for that matter. They are careful to refer to animals as objects as opposed to individuals. Current TV’s description is as follows:
” …a diverse group of participants is challenged to procure their main course the old-fashioned way: by hunting and killing their chosen prey, butchering it in the slaughterhouse, helping to prepare it in the kitchen, and ultimately sampling it at the dinner table. Some may enjoy the process while others recoil, but for each diner it’s an intense journey that just may change their perspectives — and appetites — forever.”
•Writer Jim Edwards, from CBS’s BNET website, is calling for Harper’s Bazaar to be sued over it’s fashion spreads – which could open a legal floodgate to help animals on fur farms. Long-gone are the days when fashion editorials were created for the sake of fashion-as-art. A list that was accidentally left in a hotel lobby revealed (what most fashion industry insiders already know) that paid-advertisers are given priority when it comes to shooting fashion “editorials”, which “…appears to be a blatant violation of the FTC’s new guidelines for advertisers.” Edwards c0ntinues, “If the FTC sued Harper’s Bazaar magazine for not disclosing that its advertisers influence its editorial features it would do readers of women’s magazines — and the fashion business in general — a huge favor…the legal framework exists to make it a possibility, and the FTC has shown interest in bashing the fashion biz before.Animal rights attorneys, pay attention!
“A fashion editorial is clearly an endorsement, but does Harper’s disclose the “material connections” between its fashion shoots and the advertisers who buy ads and provide the garments? Not online. In Harper’s December shoot with Iman, the items are identified by designer and price but it doesn’t say whether the Michael Kors fur scarf in shot 1 was selected because Kors is No. 2 on Harper’s list of advertisers.”
A large portion of the demand for fur originates from paid-advertisers, which explains why so much fur is in every fashion mag. Fur marketing organizations that represent independent farms have millions of dollars to play with, considering the exorbitant mark-up of fur garments. There’s a lot of legal jargon in the full article that I’ll leave to you lawyers, but when it comes to heavily-funded designers that use fur, their days gracing so many pages of editorials could be numbered. This also gives stylists something to celebrate, since their craft was hi-jacked in the early nineties.
“Of course, readers of women’s magazines know that most of the editorial is either made up or bought-and-paid for by advertisers, so it’s tough to argue that consumers are “damaged” by them. Still, wouldn’t it be nice if one area of the fashion world wasn’t complete fiction?”
• Power Vegan. What does this phase connote? According to the Business Week article from Nov. 4th, The Rise of the Power Vegan is an interesting turn of events for a culture of executives and power-players who want to take control of their own health, and thrive for as long as possible.
…a growing number of America’s most powerful bosses have become vegan. Steve Wynn, Mort Zuckerman, Russell Simmons, and Bill Clinton are now using tempeh to assert their superiority. As are Ford Executive Chairman of the Board Bill Ford (F), Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, venture capitalist Joi Ito, Whole Foods Market (WFMI) Chief Executive Officer John Mackey, and Mike Tyson. Yes, Mike Tyson, a man who once chewed on human ear, is now vegan
• A new, slightly controversial article in New York Magazine explores why vegetables are the new meat, becoming the focus of entrees at unlikely restaurants throughout cities famous for fervent foodies. Vegetables Are the New Meat, they say – but they make sure to distinguish themselves from vegetarians, still calling on meat, butter, and cheese for flavor. What do you think about the “vegivore” trend? Leave a comment!
“Sales are up 15 to 20 percent,” says Mountain Sweet Berry Farm’s Rick Bishop, whose spigarello broccoli and spring-ushering ramps have cult followings at Union Square. “You see lines at the market now for vegetables. People used to only line up for eggs and fish.”
• If you like football, but hate the stereotype of the meat-maniacs that fill the parking lots, you’ll love Peta’s list of the Top 5 Vegetarian-Friendly NFL Stadiums:
1. Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Eagles), where protein-packed mock-steak sandwiches, faux-chicken sandwiches, veggie dogs, and veggie burgers are coming off the grill faster than DeSean Jackson in the open field.
2. Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (Oakland Raiders)
3. Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers)
4. Georgia Dome (Atlanta Falcons)
5. (Tie) Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Chiefs) & Ford Field (Detroit Lions)
• I made my debut on Oxygen Network’s Running Russell Simmons last night, where I was drenched in fake blood and wrapped up in a meat tray in times square! So may people have been Tweeting that they are considering going veg! Thanks to the amazing Simone for asking me to join her at this event! Watch the full episode (the PETA demo starts at about 36 min. in):
• Win a Gardein Stuffed Turk’y Thanksgiving Meal from Mercy For Animals! Gardein has provided MFA with five coupons for free Savory Stuffed Turk’y products to give away to our supporters. All you have to do is enter MFA’s Savory Stuffed Turk’y contest for your chance to win a free coupon. So, what are you waiting for? Enter to win today! Five lucky winners will be randomly selected on November 15.
Being a loser was never so cool. When I was in Los Angeles a few weeks ago I sat down with Bob Harper, host of NBC’s Biggest Loser to discuss his role as the 2010 National Spokesperson for Farm Sanctuary’s Walk for Farm Animals.We discussed his recent evolution to a vegan diet, how he grew up on a cattle farm, and or course, food and nutrition! Check out the full interview, and sign up for the Walk for Farm Animals in your town! The new season of NBC’s Biggest Loser premieres tonight.
he New York Times’ Diner Journal
“A fashion editorial is clearly an endorsement, but does Harper’s disclose the “material connections” between its fashion shoots and the advertisers who buy ads and provide the garments? Not online. In 
lots, you’ll love Peta’s list of the 
