One Small Step…

Magazine ArticleRecently while at Whole Foods, on impulse I picked up the hefty November issue of Cooking Light.  It was their Best Recipes issue.  (Maybe I snagged it because of their promise of The Most Delicious Desserts inside.  That’s an invitation pretty hard to pass up – hardcore vegan or not!)  I’d let my subscription lapse a few months back (as I shared in my A Letter to Cooking Light) and have no intention of re-subscribing, but I was very pleased to see a whole article – albeit a very short one – devoted to a vegan restaurant.  This particular issue includes the 2012 Trailblazing Chef Awards and their Produce Innovation Award went to a vegan eatery called Vedge (drool over their menu here) located in a very meat-heavy city, Philadelphia.  It almost (almost) makes me wish I still lived in D.C. just so I could make a weekend trip to Philly to check it out.

Now, I’m not saying my letter to Cooking Light editor Scott Mowbray had anything to do with their inclusion of a strictly plant-based (and low-salt, low-sugar) chef in their magazine, but it made me pretty happy to see veganism going a tiny bit mainstream.  It’s about time that “regular” food magazines give vegan cooking the attention it deserves – for being innovative, delicious and inspiring.  Here’s to more of the same.

One year ago today: 100% Whole Wheat No-Knead Bread
One year and one day ago today: Slow-Cooker Rice Pudding

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25 thoughts on “One Small Step…

  1. Somer

    I beg to differ, I remember that letter, it was powerful and could have very possibly influenced the Editor’s decision to include that article. You never know what impact you are going to make, the point is, keep trying to make an impact 😉 !!!

    Reply
  2. wildbluewonder

    I agree with Somer! I’m not vegan, nor even vegetarian, but I love eating meatless meals and I wish *I* lived close to Philly, too. That place looks stellar.

    Reply
      1. wildbluewonder

        Some of my favorite restaurants are vegetarian/vegan. If you’re ever in Ann Arbor Michigan, check out Seva!

  3. Julie

    I love in Philadelphia and one of the first restaurants I tried after switching to a plant-based diet was Vedge…..it’s INCREDIBLE! My boyfriend (who was still a meat-eater at the time) was satisfied with everything we got, and we have been back a couple of times since. I also chose to go there for my recent birthday dinner since he said I could splurge! Delicious food, eye-pleasing presentations, and tasty drinks…all in an upscale, totally vegan setting. If you can make the trip, I DEFINITELY recommend it!

    Reply
  4. narf77

    Veganism is entirely mainstream now. The “edgy” and the “hard core” have all abandoned us for edgier and more hardcore pastures (like Paleo and Raw) leaving vegan feeling somewhat “middle aged” and “proper” in their wake. It might be easy to find vegan eateries in the US but over here in Tasmania its a matter of making sure that your chips (French fries) are not cooked in dripping or lard that are pretty much our alternatives. That’s why I trawl the net for amazing vegan food blogs…so I can make my own :).

    Reply
    1. An Unrefined Vegan

      You’re certainly right about raw and paleo – all the rage right now. I’m quite happy with my middle-aged vegan-ness (and truly being middle aged 😉 )! And I guess I shouldn’t whine about the lack of vegan eateries here – sounds like a plant-based desert where you are!

      Reply
      1. narf77

        lol…only a desert if you let it be! I am full steam ahead making amazing recipes every single day thanks to people like you and Somer who share what you create so freely…like seed swapping, I guess you could call it open pollinated recipes? 😉

  5. tearoomdelights

    I remember that letter, and I can’t imagine anyone read it without being made to think and consider the situation. It was poor that they didn’t reply to you, but an amazing ‘coincidence’ that they’ve taken what you said on board.

    Reply
  6. Richa

    i agree with Somer.. that letter must have touched someone out there!
    I get super happy whenever i see small changes around.. recently i saw menu changes in a few indian restaurants around with already vegan options and veganizable options listed.. I was so happy! i mean for people who dont eat indian food regularly its difficult to know what curries contain dairy and which not. and it also depends on the restaurants. The menu changes take the guess work out and makes life so much simpler.:) i am hoping it is because of constant requests from people like me whenever we eat there:)

    Reply
    1. An Unrefined Vegan

      Richa, there’s a wonderful Indian restaurant nearby that we go to about once a week (it’s SO good) and they’ll make almost any item on the menu vegan. Their baingan bharta with coconut milk is heavenly. And their whole wheat roti…and their… It’s nice to feel welcome!

      Reply
      1. Shira

        Annie – this is super cool! And you guys are making me want Indian… 😉 Vegan Indian, of course!

  7. Choc Chip Uru

    The lack of vegan, even vegetarian restaurants in my suburb is disappointing but I think it will take time to catch on!
    But this restaurant sounds fabulous!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    Reply
  8. alexanderwillowharvey

    i was really happy to find vegan cookbooks in my little town and one of the local pubs has a complete veggie menu that can be made vegan on request! its great how much progress the world is making!

    Reply
  9. hannah

    Granted we are in the Bay Area, but there are SO MANY restaurants that have vegan options – not just available, but clearly labeled. I’m not vegan but with several good friends who are we have no problem finding lunch places that work for everyone. I think the whole “plant based” thing is making great strides (more palatable to some than the word vegan perhaps? ‘plant-based’ rings of health while ‘vegan’ might remind people first of animal-activism?) … Also, one of our local groceries has a campaign about “Meatless Monday through Friday” and gives out recipe flyers that always include a couple vegan meals – I think many folks are catching on that vegan meals are a good thing, even if not all your meals are vegan. Anyway thanks for pointing this out – I don’t read cooking light, it has just never done it for me, but they are certainly a popular outlet and it is nice to see them bringing veganism a touch more ‘mainstream’! Hooray for small steps, and big ones too.

    Reply

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