Antiquarian Vegetarian

Can you believe the first book on vegetarianism was written in 1838?! Yea, we've been around for awhile. It's about time we're finally getting some mainstream attention.

Anyway, the book that started it all was called Vegetable Diet: As Sanctioned By Medical Men, and By Experience In All Ages by William A. Alcott. Sure, it sounds a little sexist, but vegetarians were  around before women's lib. The same author also penned books called Young House-Keeper and Young Wife ... ugh.

Sexism aside, Alcott was a founding member of the American Vegetarian Society. In his book, he published letters from medical experts on how a vegetable diet can support health and help people recover from disease. Alcott believed he cured his own tuberculous consumption by "abandoning spirits," "stimulating food" (read: meat), and sleeping on a straw bed instead of his usual feather bed (sounds uncomfortable, but at least straw is vegan).

Now we all know medical knowledge was shaky back then, and some of the so-called medical findings in this book are sort of out there. But hey, I still have weird new-age friends who wave crystals over their food to ward away negativity (seriously ... I have some weird-ass friends), so I can't really judge.

What's really cool about this book is how so many patients and doctors extol the benefits of giving up meat in their letters to Dr. North (Alcott's partner in the veggie diet study, who died before the research was complete). Some claimed that a vegetable diet cured their ailments, and others just raved about how much better they felt since giving up meat. One writer —Eleazar Parmly, a resident of Park Place in New York — said "the system of ultratemperance has had the happy effect of filling the mind with inward joy and spreading delight through all its faculties."

So why am I reviewing a 174-year-old book? Well, Andrew McMeel Publishing's American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection has just re-released Alcott's book. The cover is made from soft green cloth and its trimmed in gold. And the pages are gold when you view the book from its side. It even has a green ribbon sown into the binding to use as a bookmark. Oh, and it has a new intro written by Anna Thomas, author of the 1970s-era Vegetarian Epicure (which I recently got as a housewarming gift). It's a lovely volume. The book is one of 100 antique cookbooks (or in this case, food books that don't contain recipes) that Andrew McMeel is republishing (some in print, some as e-books). As far as I can tell, Vegetable Diet is the only vegan one.

Baby Showers Are Tolerable When They're Vegan Parties

I don't much care for babies. Baby kitties? Yes. Baby puppies? Totally. But baby humans? Ugh. Just not my thing. They're okay when they're, like, three and walking and talking. But the squirmy newborns? No thank you.

But I do realize that people have to have babies to continue the species, so I'll forgive my friends when they get knocked up. Like my friend Shay, who is having a kid this January. She had her baby shower today. Although I don't much care for baby showers, I do like any party that features delicious vegan food. And this party was 99 percent vegan (there was a dairy cheese pizza, but there was a vegan one too!).

Shay's a chef instructor at Viking, so this bitch can cook! Her homemade pizza is the best I've ever had. She makes her own sauce and crust, and this one is topped with Daiya, black olives, and spinach:

I'm not sure who made this hummus, but it was spectacular. Just the right amount of creamy and lemony:

My friend Lara made this vegan caviar with black-eyed peas, tomatoes, corn, avocado, and some other stuff:

Mike, the baby daddy, made a big crock full of his locally famous (okay, famous amongst our friends) vegan queso (made with cheddar Daiya):

Lara has been brushing up her truffle-making skills for about a year now, and she's finally perfected the art. These Cashew Butter Macadamia Nut Truffles were DECADENT!

And my favorite master vegan baker, Stephanie, made these little vanilla cupcakes. The "J"'s are for Justin, which will be baby's name:

Fortunately, we didn't play any lame squish-the-candy-bar-in-the-diaper shower games. Just a little 80s TV trivia followed by Shay opening gifts. I got the kid a onesie with skulls on it cause, while babies tend to suck, they suck less when they're wearing badass skulls.

Cheap Snacks (and Other Stuff!)

I'm cheap. That's partly because journalism isn't the most lucrative career, but you don't go into the field for money. I'm okay knowing I'll never be rich so long as I'm doing something I love. But that does mean I have to cut corners to make ends meet. I can trim a budget like nobody's business ... except when it comes to food.

I have a food hoarding problem. Mostly a snack hoarding problem. I like good food. Organic stuff. Special vegan snacks. Weirdo hippie shit. And that stuff's not cheap. But I've found a new online source for cheap snacks (and all kinds of other stuff!) — Vitacost!

Vitacost contacted me asking if I would review their Whole Food Women's Daily Multi-Vitamin. Of course I said yes. So they sent me these:

Unfortunately, the pills contain milk, which I didn't realize until I read the fine print at the bottom of the bottle. Bummer. I'll have to re-gift these. But that's not the cool part.

Vitacost also sent me a $25 gift certificate to spend on whatever I wanted in their online store. They have everything from healthy snacks to dog food to animal-free bath products to vitamins and supplements. And everything is offered at a discount price. For example, a bottle of Earth Friendly Products Eco Ultra Laundry Detergent (what I use) is $11.12 on Vitacost, versus $15.29 retail. Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Pizza Crust mix is $2.59 instead of $4.29 retail.

After at least an hour perusing their offerings, I finally settled on this stuff:

There's Crisproot Thai Ginger Cassava Root Chips ($3.79 as opposed to $3.19 retail), Kaia Foods Barbecue Kale Chips ($4.79 as opposed to $5.99 retail), Snack Factory Supreme Pretzel Crisps ($3.39 as opposed to $3.59 retail), Seeds of Change Jalfrezi Curry Sauce ($4.49 as opposed to $4.99 retail), Artisana Raw Walnut Butter with Cashews ($9.89 as opposed to $10.89), and two packages of $1.09 healthy Koyo Ramen Noodles (y'all know I HAD to get some ramen!).

All of that was only $27.93! (One commenter pointed out that the math doesn't come out exactly, but that's because the two packs of ramen were slightly different in price. One was $1.09 and the other was a tad less, but I just listed the one price above because I was tired while blogging last night and too lazy to look up the few cents difference). And shipping was only $5. If you only order a few things, the shipping may actually balance out the retail cost of the item. But if you buy a lot, it's definitely worth it. Especially for hard-to-find items (like the walnut butter for me) that you have to order anyway. I actually didn't go for the super discounted items, but rather things I cannot find in Memphis.  But if you're seriously looking to save, there are some deeply discounted things on Vitacost.

Just stay away from the milk vitamins! Thankfully, the site does list ingredients for every product they sell, so you can easily determine a product's vegan-ness before buying.

Oh, and bonus: The Vitacost shipping box has a recipe for hummus!

B-Nut Squash Soup

Tonight's post is short and sweet. First, we'll get a little business out of the way. The winner of my Cookin' Crunk giveaway is Brandy! She was lucky commenter #105 out of #106!

Now for the food. You know it's truly fall when you finally break out the butternut squash. Or at least that's the case for me. I never make butternut squash dishes until well into the season, and that's not intentional. I usually just forget about the poor little b-nut squash.

I only remembered him this time because the November recipe of the month in the Happy Herbivore 2012 wall calendar is this Butternut Squash Soup:

I've made various butternut squash soups in the past, but none were as simple as this recipe. It's simply squash, curry powder, and vegetable broth. That's it. But I did add a lot of homemade hot sauce and a little almond-coconut milk (to tone down way too much hot sauce) upon serving.

What's your favorite fall veggie?

Vegan Cuts Snack Box!

I love a good snack box. And I especially love a good snack box assembled by some of my favorite vegan discount specialists, Jill and John of Vegan Cuts. When I was offered a box to review, I jumped at the chance.

In addition to offering loads of vegan products at bargain prices (think Groupon for vegan treats), Vegan Cuts has begun offering subscriptions for snack boxes loaded with samples of products they offer. For just $19 a month, you can get a cute ass little box of awesome delivered straight to your door. My sample box arrived a few weeks ago. Look at what was inside!

There's Toasty Onion Seasnax, a reusable glass straw from Simply Straws, Berry Plus laundry soap, Surf Sweets Sour Berry Bears, a Caramel Peanut Protein Bar from The Simply Bar, a Dark Chocolate Mint Delight, and a Betty Lou's Cashew Pecan Ball. Oh, and a Vegan Cuts sticker!

I received this package at the office, and after I snapped this shot, I immediately ripped open the Surf Sweet gummy bears. These were the perfect mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Plus, they're loaded with Vitamin C. Healthy gummy bears!

Next, I tried the Delights treat. It was all raw and super healthy, but it didn't taste like health food. More like a tasty, minty brownie bite:

I ate the Cashew Pecan Ball before a morning run this week. I've had these before, and they are just so perfect. Betty Lou's does a snack right, y'all. Just the right amount of cashew butter and nuts. Not too sweet. Not too health food-tasting:

I loved the Seasnax! I often keep little snack packages of seaweed on my desk for light mid-morning snackin', but the kind I buy at the Asian market doesn't come in flavors. These sheets had a slight onion salt flavor. Like potato chips, but totally not. Bonus: This whole package only contains 14 calories!

I wasn't so sure about the Berry Plus laundry soap. We have an HE washing machine, and nowhere on the sample package did it say this stuff was okay to use in an HE machine. But I googled it and found out Berry Plus is made from all-natural soap nuts, which have a low sudsy factor. So they're safe to use in HE machines. This tiny vial of soap contains one teaspoon of detergent, and yet, it made a whole big load of laundry smell so fresh and so clean:

I've not yet eaten the Simply Bar, but it's on the list for tomorrow morning's pre-workout snack. Also, I'm super stoked about the Simply Straw. I broke my last two glass straws (sigh), so it'll be nice to have a new one for my occasional pre-run smoothies.

Vegan Cuts is now taking orders for the December snack box! Get over there and order one for yourself (or as a Christmas gift for someone else!).

Oh, and don't forget about my Cookin' Crunk giveaway. Contest ends Wednesday night, 9-ish CST.

Crunk Time with Cat!

Last year, my partner Paul and I traveled to Portland for the first Vida Vegan Con blogger's convention. There was a meet-and-greet on the first night at a restaurant miles from the host hotel. Unfamiliar with any public transit system, Paul and I attempted to navigate to the opening night event by bus. We had no idea where we were going, and neither of us had ever ridden a bus. I'd printed directions and downloaded a Portland transit app. We crossed our fingers as we stepped onto a bus that we assumed would take us to the right place.

Shortly after we hopped on, the bus made a stop and on came Cat of The Verdant Life. Suddenly, I knew all would be okay. Cat was headed to the same place, and I trusted her bus navigation skills. Throughout the conference, we stuck close to Cat's side.

Well, I haven't seen Cat since last August in Portland. But just before Thanksgiving, she messaged me to tell me she'd be passing through Memphis today on her way back to Ohio from New Orleans. She and her boyfriend Mark met up with Paul and I for dinner at the vegan-friendly Trolley Stop Market.

Cat ordered one of the restaurant's massive vegan calzones (she opted for no vegan cheese in favor of broccoli, artichokes, and something else I can't remember). This thing was bigger than her head!

Monday night is Vegan Night at the Trolley Stop, and they always offer a vegan dinner special in addition to the other vegan options on the menu. Tonight was the Vegan Baja Bowl (black beans, rice, roasted corn, tomatoes, tomatillos, cilantro, and avocado). That's what I ordered. Ironically, the Baja Bowl was served on a plate:

Our boyfriends ordered meat sandwiches. Ugh. I'll spare you the details.

After dinner, we hit up Boscos Squared for some local brews. Cat and I ordered the Boscos Export Stout:

Here's Cat and Mark:

And here's an artsy shot of Paul and I (and Paul's Flaming Stone beer):

Good times!

Cookin' Crunk Giveaway!!!!

As I mentioned in my Thanksgiving post on Thursday, my veganaversary was Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving). To celebrate, I'm giving away a copy of my cookbook, Cookin' Crunk: Eatin' Vegan in the Dirty South.

Now, although the book has been out since September, I've not yet held a giveaway on my own blog. That's because I've been waiting for this very special occasion (my 8th veganaversary and 18th vegetarian-aversary) to do so. All you have to do is a leave a comment at the end of this post.

But first, I want to give a photo shout-out to all the other bloggers who have posted pictures of recipes from the book. Just for fun.

Not only did Joni Marie Newman (of Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet/Vegan Food Gifts fame) write me an awesome endorsement for the back cover of Cookin' Crunk, she also gave me a glowing review on her blog, Just the Food. Check out the Fried Tofu Chicken Wafflewich she made:

From Joni Marie Newman, Just the Food

My buddy Justin Fox Burks, fellow Memphian/photographer extraordinaire/cookbook author, made my Hot Tamale Pie and posted the recipe on the Chubby Vegetarian:

Justin Fox Burks, Chubby Vegetarian

Tofu Mom, who I like to think of as my (and everybody's) "internet mama," combined two recipes I never thought of combining — Fried Green Tomatoes and Country Buttermilk Ranch Dressing:

Tofu Mom (Marti Hall), Vegan Food: More Than Tofu and Sprouts

Speaking of fried green tomatoes, John P of the I-40 Vegan Kitchen combined my green tomatoes with my Bringin' Home the Tempeh Bacon and my Vegan Pimento Cheese to make this mouth-watering (I know, cause I made one after I saw John's) Grant Stack Sandwich:

John Plummer, The I-40 Kitchen

Also, while there's no pictures to post here, Lesley of Lesley Eats reviewed Cookin' Crunk for the Nashville Scene's dining blog, Bites.

Allison Rivers Samson of Allison's Gourmet interviewed me for her Fridays with Friends segment on her Sweet Talk blog.

And fellow Memphian Jennifer Chandler, author of Simply Salads, Simply Suppers, and Simply Grilling, also interviewed me on her 30-day vegetarian blog when she went meat-free for a month.

I hope I didn't forget anybody! I've had a lot of folks post pics from Cookin' Crunk on Instagram and tag me. It's so awesome to see people making my food! It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Anyway, for a chance to win a copy, leave a comment here letting me about your favorite Southern dish. I'll randomly choose one winner on Wednesday night. Also, please leave an email address with your comment if you don't have one linked through a Blogger or Wordpress profile. I have to have a way to contact you if you win!