Guide to a Vegan Vanguard Thanksgiving, Part 1 and 2

I'm feeling pretty awful right now, so sore and headachy and just sick that I'm not even feeling up to cooking anything for Thanksgiving at the moment. I'm reposting my guide from 2 years ago because I think it's really great for new vegans, though I probably should have posted it last week.

Guide to a Vegan Vanguard Thanksgiving, Part 1

How to Have a Thanksgiving with Less Stress and More Quality Time

Thanksgiving is almost upon us. For most people, this is a day of family, food, and hopefully, love and community--but for some vegans and vegetarians, especially new vegans or vegetarians and their families, Thanksgiving can be especially stressful. Here are some things I've picked up over the years:

If you're around all of your family for the first time since making a huge lifestyle change, your family is bound to be curious. Some people handle their curiosity better than others, but be prepared to play 20 questions with each and every one of your relatives. I've experienced everything from family members who sneakily fed me dip loaded with bacon grease, to cousins who went out of their way to make sure I had something I would eat, to my immediate family who have always been supportive. I've had people try to serve me butter and eggs, or ask if chicken and fish are okay. I've even had family members assume my veganism was a result of my (Catholic) high school brainwashing me. Remember that when your family voices concerns, they do so because they love you. Gently inform them of your beliefs, and, if they persist, agree to disagree. Remember, you're not going to change everyone's mind all at once, and getting in someone's face, being belligerent, etc. only gives vegans a bad name while doing nothing to further the cause, and ultimately, Thanksgiving is a day for family, friends, and gratitude.

Nothing makes people understand veganism like amazing vegan food, so, if possible, take an amazing vegan dessert to share with everyone. If you can, help prepare the whole dinner. Not only is this great bonding time, but you can try to convert some of the dishes and make them vegan. This can be especially helpful for your hosts who want to accommodate you, but are unsure of what exactly is and isn't in your diet. Some dishes can be easily converted with no loss of flavor, using everyday ingredients available at most stores. For example,you can make vegan dressing/stuffing (use vegetable stock and bake in a dish instead of stuffing the turkey), or vegan mashed potatoes (use Earth Balance or olive oil instead of butter, and soy milk instead of milk). Make sure to pay special attention to the presentation of anything vegan you serve, because your food will be judged. I used to find it helpful to wait until after people had started eating and enjoying a dish before mentioning that it was vegan--although now everyone I know is well aware that I'm vegan.

If you know nothing will be vegan, or are unsure if there will be anything for you to eat, eat ahead of time and/or take a dish you love, to share with others. This is a good general tip for vegans at any event, and it makes any food you find that's accidentally vegan, a happy surprise!

Instead of obsessing about food, relax and enjoy the company. This a good general tip for everyone in any situation. In my experience, it does the most to promote veganism because it shows that vegans can be well-adjusted and social, and that veganism can be easy and fun. In college, both of my roommates became vegetarians after living with me, and they each said something along the lines of, "You showed me it didn't have to be hard (to give up meat)".

On the flip side, don't act like a vegan martyr. By that, I mean the modern common usage of martyr, i.e. someone who is constantly suffering. Being a vegan is a choice made freely, and it's something to be happy about. If you feel deprived or angry about it, you're doing it wrong. Additionally, no one wants to hang out with someone who is down about everything. A few years ago, one of my best (omni) friends, J, met a cute vegan girl and wanted to take her out, but they couldn't get their schedules to align until one night when J was going out to a steakhouse with his friends for a birthday party. The girl repeatedly said she didn't mind going to the steakhouse, and they wanted to hang out with each other sooner rather than later, so the plans were set. As soon as they stepped inside of the steakhouse, the girl loudly declared, "It smells like death in here," and proceeded to make snide comments all evening. Did anyone have a good time that night? Of course not. I'm not saying you should stay mum if you're uncomfortable, but I know I would like to eat without having to defend my choices, and I'm sure my dining companions feel the same way. Since we respect each other, even if we disagree, we can enjoy spending time together.

Guide to a Vegan Vanguard Thanksgiving, Part 2

What Do I Eat, Now That Turkey's Off The Menu?

I remember the panic of my first Thanksgiving. I had been a perfectly content vegetarian for about 4 months, and while I had experienced my share of food disasters, for the most part, I was having a lot of fun learning about nutrition and trying out new foods. Then, a few days before Thanksgiving, something occurred to me: for the first time in my life, I wouldn't be able to join in the family traditions. I wouldn't be eating the turkey, or the gravy, or the giblet stuffing, and I definitely wouldn't be making my family's annual Thanksgiving Jell-o.

As I was only 14 at the time, this was a big moment for me, and I suddenly felt extremely alienated and isolated. Not because I wouldn't be eating turkey, but because I would be breaking one of the few traditions we observed, and I would be the only one doing so. I thought that I would be left out. As it turns out, my mother was great, and set aside stuffing for me without giblets, and the other dishes that couldn't be converted were things I didn't really care for anyway, so I was able to be part of the family and share most of the meal.

What did I eat instead of turkey for my first vegetarian Thanksgiving? I actually don't recall. I think it was some savory tofu dish that seemed daunting at the time, and ended up tasting okay but was generally underwhelming. The point is, the food itself didn't really matter, having my family make an effort on my part was enough to allow me to realize I could never not be a part of the family, and see how loved and accepted I was. I do know that for Christmas that year, and for the all of the Thanksgivings since that I've spent with them, my parents bought me a Tofurky. A whole Tofurky. Just for me. I've always appreciated the sentiment, even if I didn't really enjoy the entrée itself....I rag on it a bit, but it does make things easy, and I know many people who enjoy it immensely.

I actually was never a big fan of turkey on Thanksgiving because it usually came out kind of dry and wasn't particularly flavorful, which may account for why I don't miss turkey and don't care for Tofurky roasts. Give me a variety of delicious side dishes, or even just a plate of dressing and cranberry sauce, and I could be totally happy. I do enjoy the ritual of cooking for days, having a big production leading up to the main event, and then the delicious sedated afterglow, though. Plus, JD, my love, has a healthy appreciation for tradition, so we do a full spread, and we do it right.

I've been away from my family for 8 years now, so I've had some time to work on my Thanksgiving dishes, and I've done many different things for the vegan entrée at my Thanksgiving celebrations. For a few years, I made a simple harvest bake by mixing fall vegetables like celery, onions, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, and parsnips in a casserole dish with tempeh or seitan, seasoned it all with soy sauce, garlic, herbs, and wine if I wanted, and baked until everything was tender. I've also made yummy but not especially festive protein dishes like tempeh marsala. One year I tried making a tofu and gluten mock turkey, but it was terrible. I generally enjoy foods more when they're not trying to mimic something exactly, so I should have known better.

Many blogs have compiled great recipes and ideas, some of my favorites include:

Vegan Bits - The link will take you directly to a compilation of holiday recipes, but check out the more recent posts for more Thanksgiving info.

PETA's VegCooking - Tons of recipes, most of which look like they were tailor-made for home cooks with limited time.

Bryanna Clark Grogan - The vegan food mogul and author offers up recipes for some of the most common holiday dishes. Great info, ideas, and recipes for soy-free vegans.

Karina's Kitchen - Anyone with gluten or wheat allergies will understand why Karina is a Gluten Free Goddess. While it's not a vegetarian or vegan blog, Karina does make sure her vegan readers have plenty of gorgeous recipes to try. In her pre-Thanksgiving post she includes tons of dishes that everyone can enjoy, just make sure click on any recipe that sounds inviting, as many of Karina's recipes have tips or variations for vegans.

101 Cookbooks - Heidi's compiled and organized all of her vegan Thanksgiving recipes, so you don't have to search. She's even separated all of the vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes on another page so everything is simple and easy for her readers. I love Heidi's style because it's simple, elegant, beautiful, and everything starts with quality ingredients.

Unturkey - Do you remember Now and Zen's UnTurkey? So do the vegans who created this site. They've opensourced the recipe, so you can recreate it in your home.

Finally, there's Field Roast - many people serve the Celebration Roast version, but I'm partial to the Hazelnut Herb Cutlet. The official website also offers recipes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Things to Eat in Denver When You're on Vacation

We just got tickets to visit my family and so I'm studying up on all new vegan places/places with amazing vegan options in Denver. THERE. ARE. SO. MANY. My heart is exploding like the Grinch's when he realizes the true meaning of Christmas from all the wonderful Whos in Whoville.

Seriously Austin, for a vegan mecca, we have some work to do.

This post is dedicated to all of the wonderful places that I want to try(or go back to) when I visit Denver in January.

1) Watercouse Foods! Watercourse Foods has been my all time favorite restaurant in the whole wide world for as long as I can remember.

Almost anything on the menu can be made vegan.

My mom and I go there at least once every time I'm in Denver and one of us orders the Banana Bread French Toast, vegan, and the other orders either the Country Fried Seitan or the Tempeh Scallopini and we share the hell out of them. I am also a fan of the Grinder.

Colorado is known for its divine craft beers (and also its awful Coors), and they have tons of good ones here, as well as a rotating wine list. For the kids or the teetotalers, there's Oogave fountain soda, teas, fresh squeezed juices, and even milkshakes. They have a fabulous bakery and serve amazing desserts. You have to try at least one. And then you'll probably decide that you need another. They serve Sweet Action's frozen treats, so you can get anything a la mode.

2) Sweet Action Ice Cream Last year, I was super excited to try Sweet Action, only to find out that they were closed for the month. Completely dejected, we went to Watercourse, and found out that even though the brick-and-mortar location was closed, Sweet Action had still sent some of their fine products out.

We got to devour a huge piece of Watercourse's rich chocolate cake with a generous scoop of Sweet Action's coconut-based vanilla ice cream and it was amazing. My mom, brother, nephew and I all had some, and though we were stuffed, we couldn't get enough! It was, hands down, the best ice cream of any kind that I've had in years.

Since I'm apparently a huge masochist, I watch their Facebook page and salivate over all of their ingenious flavors, like chocolate whoopie pie, baklava, molasses swirl and pumpkin fudge ripple. Hopefully this time I'll get to try more.

3) Rebellion Pizza Holy Cow! I have never been here, but I am love with the owners. They offer vegan versions of chicken, Italian sausage, pepperoni, bacon, Canadian bacon, ranch dressing, American cheese, Swiss Cheese, Cheddar, and Pepper Jack, in addition to Vegenaise and BOTH Daiya Mozzarella and FYH Mozzarella. Insane.

They also offer vegan Boca burgers on any of their specialty burgers at no extra charge, and any of their specialty pizzas can be made vegan. This is by no means a vegan establishment, they just love the vegans and it shows.

The prices seem really reasonable, and they have a big delivery area, plus delivery is always free! They also have pizza toppings that are unconventional for pizzerias to carry, but super delicious like broccoli, kalamata olives, spinach, artichoke hearts, banana peppers, plus carrots, sun dried tomatoes, and even celery!

4) Sputnik I am way eager to try this place. Vegan green chile! Vegan green chile smothered over fries! Vegan arepas! Vegan tacos with sweet corn, roasted poblanos, black beans, toasted pepitas, chipotle crema and guac? What? The tacos are only $5.50? Insanity.

There's a specially priced happy hour and late night menu, in addition to their weekend hangover brunch, which includes bloody marys and a $5 mimosa carafe (don't know if these are vegan). It looks like all of their salads are vegan, including a hearts of palm salad and a really cooling-sounding cucumber and jicama salad (since it will likely be around 12° F when I'll be there if last year was any indictation, I won't be trying the jicama salad, as I'm used to 80° F winters, but it still sounds yummy!)

5) Beet Box They offer tons of amazing looking desserts, including formerly-forbidden-for-vegan-pastries like croissants, for really reasonable prices. They don't have a brick-and-mortar storefront, but they are available all over town at a variety of places, like Sweet Action and Paris on the Platte.

6) Mad Greens With 10 locations, and tons of options, this salad, soup and sandwich place sounds a good place to try after gorging on Beet Box's treats. I can't tell which soups and sandwiches have vegan options, but you can make your own salad.

They offer an amazing and extensive list of ingredients including apples, asparagus, cannellini beans, edamame, grilled onions, mango, pears, roasted corn, roasted red pepper, sugar snap peas, sesame seeds, plus premium ingredients like artichoke hearts, avocado, walnuts, grilled portabello and marinated tofu.

These are definitely the kind of salads that make vegans happy. There are also over 20 house made dressings, but I don't know which, if any, are vegan.

7) The Shoppe I've tried going to The Shoppe for two years in a row, so here's hoping for a charmed third time. They have vegan cupcakes, and I'd like to see how they stack up against Sugar Mama's Bakeshop, which has some outstanding vegan options. I believe The Shoppe also has a rotating list of vegan flavors, but their website is kind of confusing....It looks like maybe they have a vegan Elvis?

8) D Note This place doesn't have any of their signature dishes labeled vegan, but they do have lots of options for create your own pizza or pasta dishes, plus a salad or two that look vegan. They have 13 veggie pizzas, but they all seem to include at least a cheese, though I'm sure you could get the cheese omitted.

9) The Comfort Cafe The set up sounds similar to that of Austin's Casa de Luz, but it's an even more intriguing concept. The food is all on a donation basis, and you can even volunteer to work if you don't have any money to donate. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like they have an overwhelming variety of vegan options, but the philosophy is great, and it's right around the corner from one of my former schools, so I'll try to check it out.

The So All May Eat Cafe runs on a similar donation philosophy, but they are much further away, and I don''t think they have many vegan options, so I doubt I'll be able to make it there--I've tried in the past.

It also sounds like there are couple of vegan food cart options, like The Sprout House and The Steamin' Demon (a cute name for a spicy food trailer would have been The Steamin' Vegan, with a vegetable mascot that had steam coming out of its ears).

I had heard somewhere (I guess here?) that Denver was one of the locations where Chipotle was offering the mythical Gardein chick'n option. Last year, I had a couple bowls of pozole from Chipotle, which I could not find any info about online, though I'm hoping to see it roll out to other cities sometime. Denver is a big test market, so sometimes you'll see something really awesome available there for a very short period of time, and then you will never see it again, and if you ever mention it at a later time, everyone will look at you like you dreamed it. But you didn't, damnit! You didn't!

Ahem. Sorry, I digress. I think Chipotle is one of the great national vegan institutions. You always know that at any Chipotle you can get vegan beans, rice, and veggie additions, and you can watch them make it, so there's not going to be a hidden piece of chicken or something--this happened to me once with a feta wrap from Wendy's when I was ovo lacto. The meal is going to be filling, reasonably priced for the amount of food you're getting, and a pretty complete meal. In the past, Chipotle has really saved me, like when a family member was in the hospital, and I didn't have the means to cook or know of any other places close by with vegan options. I'm sure there will be at least one time when I'm out with family or friends and a Chipotle is my best bet during this trip, so I'll try to do a review of the garden blend or pozole.

Anyway, what are your favorite places or menu items to eat while on vacation? Know of any other awesome vegan finds in the Denver metro area? Let me know in the comments!

Saturday Sustenance for August 1, 2009

This week, Central Market has red, orange, or yellow tomatoes on the vine for $1.99 per lb. They also have 6-packs of Breckenridge Brewery beers for $6.99. All Breckenridge beers are vegan friendly, and I've been waiting for them to go on sale so I could try their Agave Wheat, though their Oatmeal Stout, Vanilla Porter, Pandora's Bock and SummerBright Ale also sound good.

Newflower has:

conventional donut peaches $0.88 per lb.

conventional yellow peaches are $0.49 per lb.

conventional red, green or black seedless grapes are $0.88 per lb.

conventional yellow onions $0.29 per lb.

conventional asparagus $1.99 per lb.

organic Woodstock Farms frozen vegetables 10-oz. bags for $1.99

organic Rice Expressions rice blends, $2.49 for 20-30 oz. packages

Rising Moon organic frozen ravioli select varieties, $2.49 (some, but not all varieties are vegan)

Westsoy soymilk, 32-oz. containers 4 for $5.00 for select varieties

And, August 1st and 2nd only, 8-oz. packages of organic strawberries are 2 for $3

Sun Harvest has decent deals on their produce again this week:

conventional red cherries $0.88 per lb

organic yellow onions $0.67 per lb.

organic cantaloupes $0.67 per lb.

organic romaine lettuce $0.97 each

organic seedless grapes $1.97 per lb.

organic pineapples 2lbs for $3

Saturday Sustenance for July 25, 2009

Sorry about getting this up late, I was not feeling well last night or this morning, and then we had to get a new head for one of JD's drums and help a friend get rid of some stuff at Half Price Books and Goodwill. We did get to enjoy a nice little feast of cucumbers, green bell peppers, hummus, eggplant dip (it was just called eggplant dip, and was better than any baba ganoush I've ever tried), red pepper walnut dip, tabbouleh, pita and fava bean salad from Phoenicia Bakery. I also scored a huge package of lavash(4 or 5 pieces of yard long flatbread) for under $2.50.

This week, Central Market has fresh haricot verts $2.99/lbs. large artichokes 2 for $5, and strawberries, 2 1-lb. containers for $3. In the beer section, they have a yummy-sounding Estella Damm Lager Beer, $5.99/6 pack, though I'm not sure if it's vegan (I don't usually drink lagers, and am not really familiar with the brewing specifics).

Newflower has:
conventional cantaloupes, 2 melons for $1.00
conventional watermelon, 4 lbs for $1.00
conventional black or red plums, $0.99/lb.
conventional white flesh peaches of nectarines, $0.99/lb.
organic yellow flesh peaches and nectarines, $1.99/lb.
conventional red or green leaf lettuce, $0.88 each
64 oz refrigerated Almond Breeze $2.49 each
Cascadian Farms frozen organic fruit, $2.49 for 8- or 10-oz.
Tempt hemp-based frozen dessert, $2.49 for 16 oz.
conventional whole pitted dates, $2.00/lb.
conventional walnuts, $3.00/lb.
Earth Science facial care products, 30% off selected varieties( I love their moisturizer with sunscreen!)
Himalaya Organique Body Care, 30% off entire line
and Diann alerted me to Newflower's 48 hour weekend sale which includes:
conventional Italian squash, 2 lbs. for $1.00
conventional mulitcolored carrots, 2 lbs. for $1.00
So Delicious refrigerated coconut beverage, $2.99/64 oz container
aloe vera juice, $9.99/gallon

Sun Harvest has some good deals on their organic produce this week:
organic romaine lettuce $0.97 each
organic blackberries in 6 oz packages, 2 for $5.00
organic Hass avocados, 4 for $5.00
organic yellow peaches, 2 lbs for $3.00
organic white quinoa, $2.99/lb.
conventional jasmine rice, $0.99/lb
red or black plums, $0.97/lb.
blueberries, $0.99 for 11 oz packages (limit 6)

Hope you're enjoying all the gorgeous stone fruit and berries!

Saturday Sustenance July 18, 2009

This week, Central Market has Black Mission or Sierra figs for 4.99 per lb. Walla Walla onions are $0.79 per lb. plus all their bulk herbs and spices are 15% off. The south location has my favorite selection of chili powders and paprikas, so now would be a great time to try something new.

Sun Harvest has:
cantaloupes, 10 for $10
Wild Oats brand frozen organic strawberries 2 10-oz. bags for $3
organic celery, $0.77 each
organic apricots or yellow nectarines, $1.97 per lb
walnut halves and pieces, $2.99 per lb.
Blue Moon, $5.99 for 12-oz. 6-pack

Newflower has
organic white peaches or white nectarines are $1.99 per lb.
organic red or green grapes are $1.99 per lb.
organic red or black plums are $1.99 per lb.
organic Soy Dream soymilk in 32 oz. aseptic containers is $1.59
Nasoya Silken Creations flavored silken tofu is $1.59 per 17 oz. package
conventional bing cherries $0.99 per lb.
conventional green bell peppers, 2 for $1
large cantaloupe, $0.98
Cool Brew Celestial Seasonings Iced Tea is 2 for $5 for 40 count packages

With the high temperatures we've been having, this is a great time to grill out, and most of the seasonal stone fruit is great on the grill.

A Change is Gonna Come

Considering I've had this blog since 2006, I haven't made very many posts at all. Part of the reason is that I've had trouble maintaining a constant level of inspiration; usually I was either cooking so much I didn't have time to blog about food, or so lacking in time, inspiration, or other resources that I wasn't cooking anything fun.

The vibrant local blogging community has been having tons of meetups, potlucks and other get-togethers, and while I haven't been able to attend them all, I have met some beautiful, enthusiastic, and generous people, which has lead me look internally to see how I could better contribute. I've been thinking a lot about how I can make a blog that's a great resource, and I've come up with a few ideas. If you've been reading Vegan Vanguard for any length of time, you've probably noticed one big change already, but I plan to implement more in the coming weeks, and I would love to get your feedback.

While I haven't updated this blog regularly, I have had a continuous online presence, updating my flickr account, interacting on twitter, and participating on the VRA forums. These networks and formats, along with my personal experience--teaching, doing lots of trial and error, and grocery shopping, a whole hell of a lot of grocery shopping--have given me some ideas for new features.

In the coming month, I will be adding these features, and based on feedback, tweaking them. The first new feature is a weekly summary of the best local grocery deals. It doesn't sound like a groundbreaking idea, but I've never heard of anyone else doing it before now. Additionally, during this recession, people are looking for ways to save both time and money, and it's a rare occasion that I teach a class without at least one person asking where I bought a given ingredient. I'll be focusing on produce, and items of particular interest to vegans. The biggest piece of feedback I need is which day to post this. Wednesday is the day when new sales start, and some grocery stores do double ad Wednesdays, but I feel like most people do their shopping on the weekends, especially during the summer when the farmer's markets are overflowing. Since I'm posting on Saturday this week, I'm calling this feature Saturday Sustenance. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Saturday Sustenance

This week, Central Market has their Old Tyme varieties of heirloom tomatoes on sale for $2.99/lb. They also have small, regular and jumbo conventionally grown asparagus for $2.99/lb.

Sun Harvest has some of the best organic produce deals:
fresh organic white corn, $0.77 each
organic black plums, 2 lbs. for $3
organic cucumbers, 2lbs. for $3
organic red cherries, $2.97/lb.
conventional red cherries are $1.47/lb.
conventional brocolli crowns, $0.77/lb
conventional young zucchini or yellow squash, $0.77/lb.
conventional red or black plums, $0.77/lb.
conventional white onions, 3 lbs for $1
conventional radishes, cilantro or scallions 3 for $1
bulk long grain brown rice $0.69/lb.
and much of their body care products are 25% off this week.

Newflower has some exceptional deals in their frozen and refridgerated section:
So Delicious organic coconut-based ice creams, $2.99/pint
Nate's Meatless Meatballs, $2.49/12 oz bag
Good Karma organic rice milk, $1.49/32 oz container
organic kombucha, $1.99/16 oz jar
conventional bulk almonds, $2.99/lb.
two different brands of 32. oz organic lemonade, 4 for $5
organic red or yellow onions, $2.99/per 3 lb bag
organic zucchini 2 lbs for $3
conventional fresh green beans, $0.99/lb.
Texas-grown seedless watermelon, 2 melons for $4

Make sure to get out early and visit the farmer's market, as it's currently fig season! In addition to fresh figs, sweet corn, blackberries, peaches, tomatoes, peppers, okra, salad greens, melons, fresh creamer beans, fresh black eyed peas, green beans, radishes, beets, and eggplant are all in season in Austin. If you're lucky you might even find candy cane beets, edible flowers, or fresh young dates.

Guide to a Vegan Vanguard Thanksgiving, Part 3

Where Can a Vegan in Austin Go to Get Their Thanksgiving Grub On?

In Austin, there are many food-related events for vegans in the days leading up to, and including Thanksgiving Day.

Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts
Annual Very Best Thanksgiving Class and Luncheon
Great community-building event, where all dishes are vegan and gluten-free.
Class is 9:00am-noon, lunch is 12:15pm-1:45pm
Saturday, November 22
Class & lunch are $55 for the first person, $40 for the second, or attend lunch only for $25
512-207-0598
1701 Toomey Road
Austin, TX 78704

Royal Co-op
Vegan Thanksgiving Potluck
Enjoy a sense of community and meet new people
4:00pm
Sunday, November 23
512 478-0880
1805 Pearl Street
Austin, TX 78701

Happy Vegan Baker
Eat Thanksgiving dinner in your own home without having to prepare a thing.
Complete 8-part meals prepared by Inge
Order by 5 pm on November 25, pick up or get it delivered(for a fee) on November 26.
Full meal is $28 per person, but dishes can be purchased separately.
Order via the website, phone 512-657-3934, or email inge@happyveganbaker.com

Casa de Luz
Austin's only totally vegan restaurant continues its tradition of offering lunch on Thanksgiving.
11:30am-2:30pm
Thursday, November 27
$15 includes full meal and dessert
1701 Toomey Road
Austin, TX 78704
512-476-2535

I know other cities are host to similar events, unfortunately, I don't have any info about them.

Guide to a Vegan Vanguard Thanksgiving, Part 2

What Do I Eat, Now That Turkey's Off The Menu?

I remember the panic of my first Thanksgiving. I had been a perfectly content vegetarian for about 4 months, and while I had experienced my share of food disasters, for the most part, I was having a lot of fun learning about nutrition and trying out new foods. Then, a few days before Thanksgiving, something occurred to me: for the first time in my life, I wouldn't be able to join in the family traditions. I wouldn't be eating the turkey, or the gravy, or the giblet stuffing, and I definitely wouldn't be making my family's annual Thanksgiving Jell-o. As I was only 14 at the time, this was a big moment for me, and I suddenly felt extremely alienated and isolated. Not because I wouldn't be eating turkey, but because I would be breaking one of the few traditions we observed, and I would be the only one doing so. I thought that I would be left out. As it turns out, my mother was great, and set aside stuffing for me without giblets, and the other dishes that couldn't be converted were things I didn't really care for anyway, so I was able to be part of the family and share most of the meal.

What did I eat instead of turkey for my first vegetarian Thanksgiving? I actually don't recall. I think it was some savory tofu dish that seemed daunting at the time, and ended up tasting okay but was generally underwhelming. The point is, the food itself didn't really matter, having my family make an effort on my part was enough to allow me to realize I could never not be a part of the family, and see how loved and accepted I was. I do know that for Christmas that year, and for the all of the Thanksgivings since that I've spent with them, my parents bought me a Tofurky. A whole Tofurky. Just for me. I've always appreciated the sentiment, even if I didn't really enjoy the entrée itself....I rag on it a bit, but it does make things easy, and I know many people who enjoy it immensely.

I actually was never a big fan of turkey on Thanksgiving because it usually came out kind of dry and wasn't particularly flavorful, which may account for why I don't miss turkey and don't care for Tofurky roasts. Give me a variety of delicious side dishes, or even just a plate of dressing and cranberry sauce, and I could be totally happy. I do enjoy the ritual of cooking for days, having a big production leading up to the main event, and then the delicious sedated afterglow, though. Plus, JD, my love, has a healthy appreciation for tradition, so we do a full spread, and we do it right.

I've been away from my family for 6 years now, so I've had some time to work on my Thanksgiving dishes, and I've done many different things for the vegan entrée at my Thanksgiving celebrations. For a few years, I made a simple harvest bake by mixing fall vegetables like celery, onions, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, and parsnips in a casserole dish with tempeh or seitan, seasoned it all with soy sauce, garlic, herbs, and wine if I wanted, and baked until everything was tender. I've also made yummy but not especially festive protein dishes like tempeh marsala. Last year I tried making a tofu and gluten mock turkey, but it was terrible. I generally enjoy foods more when they're not trying to mimic something exactly, so I should have known better.

I usually try to do something a little different each Thanksgiving. Here's a recap of last year's Thanksgiving feast. I haven't finalized this year's menu yet, and there are over 20 recipes in contention, including chocolate bourbon pie, cranberry sorbet, cranberry, currant and champagne relish, cranberry upside down cake --yes, I have lots of love for fresh cranberries--and yuba holiday "duck". I do know we'll definitely be making the Cranberry, Fig, and Walnut Cornbread Dressing and Spiced and Caramelized Butternut Squash from last year's menu as well as traditional favorites like mashed potatoes.

Many blogs have compiled great recipes and ideas, some of my favorites include:

Vegan Bits - The link will take you directly to a compilation of holiday recipes, but check out the more recent posts for more Thanksgiving info.

PETA's VegCooking - Tons of recipes, most of which look like they were tailor-made for home cooks with limited time.

Bryanna Clark Grogan - The vegan food mogul and author offers up recipes for some of the most common holiday dishes. Great info, ideas, and recipes for soy-free vegans.

Karina's Kitchen - Anyone with gluten or wheat allergies will understand why Karina is a Gluten Free Goddess. While it's not a vegetarian or vegan blog, Karina does make sure her vegan readers have plenty of gorgeous recipes to try. In her pre-Thanksgiving post she includes tons of dishes that everyone can enjoy, just make sure click on any recipe that sounds inviting, as many of Karina's recipes have tips or variations for vegans.

101 Cookbooks - Heidi's compiled and organized all of her vegan Thanksgiving recipes, so you don't have to search. She's even separated all of the vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes on another page so everything is simple and easy for her readers. I love Heidi's style because it's simple, elegant, beautiful, and everything starts with quality ingredients.

Unturkey - Do you remember Now and Zen's UnTurkey? So do the vegans who created this site. They've opensourced the recipe, so you can recreate it in your home.

Finally, there's Field Roast - many people serve the Celebration Roast version, but I'm partial to the Hazelnut Herb Cutlet. The official website also offers recipes.

Up next: Guide to a Vegan Vanguard Thanksgiving, Part 3 - Where Can a Vegan in Austin Go to Get Their Thanksgiving Grub On?

Guide to a Vegan Vanguard Thanksgiving, Part 1

How to Have a Thanksgiving with Less Stress and More Quality Time

Thanksgiving is almost upon us. For most people, this is a day of family, food, and hopefully, love and community--but for some vegans and vegetarians, especially new vegans or vegetarians and their families, Thanksgiving can be especially stressful. Here are some things I've picked up over the years:

If you're around all of your family for the first time since making a huge lifestyle change, your family is bound to be curious. Some people handle their curiosity better than others, but be prepared to play 20 questions with each and every one of your relatives. I've experienced everything from family members who sneakily fed me dip loaded with bacon grease, to cousins who went out of their way to make sure I had something I would eat, to my immediate family who have always been supportive. I've had people try to serve me butter and eggs, or ask if chicken and fish are okay. I've even had family members assume my veganism was a result of my (Catholic) high school brainwashing me. Remember that when your family voices concerns, they do so because they love you. Gently inform them your beliefs, and, if they persist, agree to disagree. Remember, you're not going to change everyone's mind all at once, and getting in someone's face, being beligerent, etc. only gives vegans a bad name while doing nothing to further the cause, and ultimately, Thanksgiving is a day for family, friends, and gratitude.

Nothing makes people understand veganism like amazing vegan food, so, if possible, take an amazing vegan dessert to share with everyone. If you can, help prepare the whole dinner. Not only is this great bonding time, but you can try to convert some of the dishes and make them vegan. This can be especially helpful for your hosts who want to accommodate you, but are unsure of what exactly is and isn't in your diet. Some dishes can be easily converted with no loss of flavor, using everyday ingredients available at most stores. For example,you can make vegan dressing/stuffing (use vegetable stock and bake in a dish instead of stuffing the turkey), or vegan mashed potatoes (use Earth Balance or olive oil instead of butter, and soy milk instead of milk). Make sure to pay special attention to the presentation of anything vegan you serve, because your food will be judged. I used to find it helpful to wait until after people had started eating and enjoying a dish before mentioning that it was vegan--although now everyone I know is well aware that I'm vegan.

If you know nothing will be vegan, or are unsure if there will be anything for you to eat, eat ahead of time and/or take a dish you love, to share with others. This is a good general tip for vegans at any event, and it makes any food you find that's accidentally vegan, a happy surprise!

Instead of obsessing about food, relax and enjoy the company. This a good general tip for everyone in any situation. In my experience, it does the most to promote veganism because it shows that vegans can be well-adjusted and social, and that veganism can be easy and fun. In college, both of my roommates became vegetarians after living with me, and they each said something along the lines of, "You showed me it didn't have to be hard (to give up meat)".

On the flip side, don't act like a vegan martyr. By that, I mean the modern common usage of martyr, i.e. someone who is constantly suffering. Being a vegan is a choice made freely, and it's something to be happy about. If you feel deprived or angry about it, you're doing it wrong. Additionally, no one wants to hang out with someone who is down about everything. A few years ago, one of my best (omni) friends, J, met a cute vegan girl and wanted to take her out, but they couldn't get their schedules to align until one night when J was going out to a steakhouse with his friends for a birthday party. The girl repeatedly said she didn't mind going to the steakhouse, and they wanted to hang out with each other sooner rather than later, so the plans were set. As soon as they stepped inside of the steakhouse, the girl loudly declared, "It smells like death in here," and proceeded to make snide comments all evening. Did anyone have a good time that night? Of course not. I'm not saying you should stay mum if you're uncomfortable, but I know I would like to eat without having to defend my choices, and I'm sure my dining companions feel the same way. Since we respect each other, even if we disagree, we can enjoy spending time together.

Up next: Guide to a Vegan Vanguard Thanksgiving, Part 2 - What Do I Eat, Now That Turkey's Off The Menu?