45 million lives for one day. RIP.

**I thought about posting something new to address Thanksgiving this year, but realized I’d probably write the exact same thing I wrote last year.  So, copied & pasted below are my thoughts re: America’s double standard with regards to wildlife, “farm animals”, and dietary choices.  Tomorrow you will choose to eat turkey or not to eat turkey, and your choice will make you either part of the solution or part of the problem.  Without further ado…:

Remember how upset we were by the images from the BP Oil Spill?  Remember how we condemned humanity and our addiction to oil?  Remember how while we criticized BP we also admitted our own individual contribution to the tragedy?  Remember how we vowed to change?

Can anyone honestly and truly explain to me how the above images are any different than those below?

(dying Turkey lays face down in a factory farm)

(Live Turkeys in transit…some have already died due to inadequate food, warmth, or hydration)

(live Turkeys hung upside down before slaughter, to make the killing process easier for the slaughterhouse employee)

It’s 2010 (editor’s note: now it’s 2011, and we’re STILL doing this s$&#!), and there is no longer any possible defense or excuse for eating a Turkey on Thanksgiving.  45 million have already been killed this year just for this holiday alone.  By abstaining from eating animals this Thanksgiving, you can send a clear message to horrific companies like Tyson and Butterball.  

You will tell them you won’t accept their standards, you will not fund their cruelty, and you will find a new way.

Giving up your car to stop using oil is hard.  Going vegan is easy.

(This post inspired by the brilliance of Andrew Kirschner)

“What would happen if you didn’t eat a turkey for Thanksgiving? Would you lose your college loan or your job? Would your family stop loving you? Would you get sick and die?

What really matters in your life? Are you treating all inhabitants of this earth with compassion or are you succumbing to cultural norms? Are you a leader or a follower? Do you think for yourself to determine right from wrong? Are you treating animals the way you want to be treated?

You are what you do, not what you say. Who are you?”

-Andrew Kirschner

This was by far the most amazing Thanksgiving of my life.  I managed to get my parents, brother, and a few friends out to an entirely vegan Thanksgiving dinner, at which we met two of the sweetest, most beautiful and affable turkeys in the world.  It was pure bliss.

Fast forward to the next morning.  The magic continued as I was able to get the entire family to join me for a fur protest through Beverly Hills.  The protest was scheduled for Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year.

It was an extraordinary event with over 200 people marching through the streets.  We started at the corner of Rodeo Dr. and Santa Monica Blvd, then proceeded to walk along the busiest, most highly populated streets of Beverly Hills.  We stopped for brief periods of time to target specific stores that boasted furs (Neiman Marcus, Saks, Coach, Burberry, etc) to make sure the customers inside knew what their money was supporting.

That’s me there in the pink tank top, joined to the right by my very vocal brother.

My whole family, out on the streets to support the animals! So proud.

The two photos above should give you a pretty good idea of how substantial the crowd was!

Overall, I consider it a very, very successful protest.  You would have had to be an extraordinarily bold and unashamed person to push past us and get into one of those stores.  I’m pretty confident that we hurt business in a big way.  We were also able to pass out hundreds of flyers and booklets full of information to curious bystanders.  

Please support compassionate, progressive businesses this holiday season.  Nothing says “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Hanukkah,” etc like a thoughtful, cruelty-free item.  If you need suggestions, that’s what I’m here for!

Remember how upset we were by the images from the BP Oil Spill?  Remember how we condemned humanity and our addiction to oil?  Remember how while we criticized BP we also admitted our own individual contribution to the tragedy?  Remember how we vowed to change?

Can anyone honestly and truly explain to me how the above images are any different than those below?

(dying Turkey lays face down in a factory farm)

(Live Turkeys in transit…some have already died to to inadequate food, warmth, or hydration)

(live Turkeys hung upside down before slaughter, to make the killing process easier for the slaughterhouse employee)

It’s 2010, and there is no longer any possible defense or excuse for eating a Turkey on Thanksgiving.  45 million have already been killed this year just for this holiday alone.  By abstaining from eating animals this Thanksgiving, you can send a clear message to horrific companies like Tyson and Butterball.  You will tell them you won’t accept their standards, you will not fund their cruelty, and you will find a new way.

Giving up your car to stop using oil is hard.  Going vegan is easy.

(This post inspired by the brilliance of Andrew Kirschner)

(Photo stolen from the Animal Acres facebook page)

Thanksgiving has always been a little tricky for me, ever since I gave up meat at age 8.  I still remember sitting between my two older cousins at the table while they took turns making fun of my plate (which was a beautiful rainbow of veggies, potatoes, pies, etc), and struggling to defend my choices in the midst of their heaping plates of meat and gravy.  Times have changed, my extended family (and certainly my immediate family) has evolved quite a bit.  No one (with the exception of my Mom and Brother) has gone vegan yet, but many of them have opened their minds and hearts and are more willing to have intelligent, mature discussions about our life choices. 

I know that for many of you, Thanksgiving is not a holiday to look forward to so much as it is a day you approach with some trepidation.  You know you’ll have to answer a bunch of questions, including classic favorites such as “Where do you get your protein?” and, “So do you hate lions and tigers that hunt for their food?”  After eloquently answering such questions as calmly as possible, you are then rewarded with a giant plate of steamed spinach, plain mashed potatoes, and a bread roll- if you’re lucky and your family hasn’t infused those dishes with mounds of butter. Unfortunately, I can’t get you out of the press conference portion of the evening, but I can help you bring your own masterfully crafted, absolutely jaw droppingly delicious Thanksgiving feast to the dinner with you.

Madeleine Bistro, Los Angeles’ most renowned organic vegan restaurant, is offering a Thanksgiving to-go feast for $50 per person.  In this box, you’ll receive:

* Salad: Baby spinach, quinoa, candied walnuts, dried cranberries, pomegranate vinaigrette

* Soup: Butternut squash bisque (you won’t even believe how delicious this soup is)

* Entree: Choice of Seitan (either grilled lemon-rosemary which is OUT OF THIS WORLD or herb crusted which is also quite fab) or Tempeh (braised or herb crusted) along with your choice of sourdough-sage stuffing (this is honestly worth the $50 alone) or, for the gluten averse, wheat-free quinoa stuffing.

* Also included w/ entree: rustic mashed potatoes, pan gravy, coconut yams, pan roasted Brussels sprouts, and cranberry relish

* Dessert: choice of pumpkin pie or French apple tart (I really can’t advise you here, they’re both way too good.  The pumpkin pie is better than any pumpkin pie I ever had in the pre-vegan days).  For an extra $5 you can get BOTH.

***EVEN IF YOU AREN’T IN LOS ANGELES, THE BOX CAN BE OVERNIGHTED TO YOU FOR AN EXTRA FEE***

(for this, I suggest getting a few people in on an order so you can share the shipping cost)

If you are in Los Angeles and would like to pick up your box, the deadline for placing your order is 4 pm on Monday, Nov 22.  Orders can be picked up Weds or Thurs before Thanksgiving (the 24th or 25th).

If you are placing an order to be shipped, the deadline for placing your order is 10 pm on Saturday, Nov 20.  The extra time is required for the restaurant to make the necessary shipping/packing arrangements.

Seriously, I would not steer you wrong.  Chef Dave Anderson is quite possibly the world’s best, most creative, most upscale, most gourmet vegan chef.

(Chef Dave, hard at work)

This will be the best money you’ve ever spent.  There is also an option of ordering just an entree for $35 (which includes the same choice of seitan and tempeh along with the yams, potatoes, gravy, cranberry, stuffing, etc) without the soup, salad, and dessert.  While this is absolutely a better idea than going without, I highly suggest getting the entire meal.  People are definitely going to be asking you for samples, and once they try your food you’re going to wish you had more!  All of the items can also be ordered individually and in bulk.  Feel free to email/message me (jschluet7@gmail.com) for more details.  I am happy to help set up your order.

To read more reviews (with gorgeous photos) of Madeleine Bistro, go here:

http://www.quarrygirl.com/category/la-restaurants/madeleine-bistro/

Here’s a sampling of a few Madeleine Bistro creations to get your imagination and hunger juices flowing (all photos stolen from food photographer extraordinaire, QuarryGirl)

Red Beet Tartar- served atop a Warm Cake of Tofu Cheese

Chicken friend Seitan, served with mashed potatoes and gravy

Bigger Maque (you can probably figure this one out)

Bananas Foster Sundae

Again, feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like assistance placing an order with the restaurant.  For the time being, you can either email your order to me at jschluet7@gmail.com or madeleinecuisine@sbcglobal.net.

Even in Los Angeles, the leaves are changing color and beginning to crunch beneath our feet, there’s a distinct chill in the air (even though we’re still struggling to erase the recent 114 degree days from our memories), colleges students are stressing about this year’s Halloween costume, and facebook statuses about football have consumed our newsfeeds.  There’s no use denying it, autumn has arrived.

This fact becomes ever so apparent with a quick trip to the organic produce section of your local grocery store/market, as summer melons and berries have been replaced by fall gourds, squashes, and other terrifying yet fascinating looking items.  After a quick trip to my local Whole Foods and Bristol Farms today, I ended up with this lovely selection of oddball squashes (that’s the plural of squash, right?  It seems too easy…are we sure it’s not squaish? squashae?)

The handsome gentleman on the right is the subject of today’s discussion.  I happened to be at Native Foods Cafe for lunch today (inhaling my 3rd vegan Reuben ((!!!)) in the past week), and discovered a Chef Tanya recipe in the October newsletter for the “Stuffed Turban Squash”.  Of course, as I am always looking for ways to procrastinate my work-related-work, I decided to take this squash-insprired adventure as a challenge.  It turned out quite well, so I thought I’d share it with you.  Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 Turban Squash (I found mine at Bristol Farms- they didn’t seem to have any at Whole Foods, so you may have to go on a hunt.  I originally bought a Kabocha squash (at Whole Foods, before I ventured to Bristol), which is the green fellow pictured above, and was intending to try the recipe with that.  I’ll have to use it for something new and creative tomorrow.  Tanya’s recipe says you can probably find a Turban Squash at your local farmer’s market)
• Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup (I used 3, because I have a sweet tooth)
• 1 cup Crimini Mushrooms, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup bread crumbs (I used Ezekial bread, but Tanya wasn’t specific so any kind of crumbled up bread should be fine)
• 8 oz cooked chestnuts
• 1 cup dried apricots or cranberries

(This was the original list from the newsletter, but due to a lack of grocery options I replaced the chestnuts with chopped walnuts…and I went with the cranberries because I think they’re more autumny…but go with your instincts.)

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Brush the squash lightly with olive oil and bake it for 30-35 minutes (I took it out at 30, but I suggest 35 because I think it needed to be slightly softer).  Allow the squash to cool.  Cut the top off, remove the seeds, then scoop out a decent amount of squash and set it aside.  Chop it up into manageable pieces.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté the mushrooms with salt & pepper until lightly browned.  I actually added a couple tablespoons of Earth Balance vegan butter here, because I though it would add some richness to the final mixture.  Add celery, shallots (word to the wise, be careful to not let the onion juice squirt in your eye…just trust me, I’m still in pain), and garlic.  Sauté again until lightly browned. 

Mix in the bread crumbs, chestnuts (or walnuts), apricots (or cranberries), maple syrup, and the squash you scooped out earlier.  

Stuff this beautiful mixture back into the squash, cover it again with the top, and bake for an additional 25 minutes.

If you don’t run into any major disasters, you should end up with something like this:

So, so, so delicious.  And filling too!  I ate about 2/3 of it for dinner and am still full three hours later.  It’s relatively healthy too, compared to some of the rich, creamy (and occasionally processed-foods-based) recipes I often post.  I’m thrilled to have discovered this in time to perfect it for my family Thanksgiving.  My mother, brother and I are going to try to prepare as many vegan Thanksgiving dishes as we can this year to impress the rest of the extended family.  We’ll see how that goes…