May 2021
Marin VEG

Have you seen the median strip on San Anselmo's Red Hill Avenue approaching the Hub? For the first time that street has earned its nickname, the Miracle Mile.  What a magnificent landscaping job! And the trees throughout the county are every shade of green. Except for mildly annoying allergies, I'm loving this season.  Enjoy May! Here's some vegan news.



Saturday, May 29
Second Annual Humane Hoax Chicken Webinar
United Poultry Concerns and Triangle Chicken Advocates are offering a free event to learn more about the rich, complex lives of chickens and the harmful lies of the chicken industry.  Read more about it and register for the free webinar at  https://www.upc-online.org/chicken_webinar/210426_chicken_webinar.html


Rest in Peace
Dr. Elliot Katz, D.V.M, founder of In Defense of Animals
With sadness I share the news that Elliot Katz died at the end of March.  Dr. Katz was the founder of In Defense of Animals and a life long champion for every species.
Here is his obituary: https://www.idausa.org/campaign/guardian/latest-news/media-release-obituary-dr-elliot-katz-dvm-animal-rights-champion/
And here is the video tribute to Dr. Katz: https://youtu.be/4cdQiC-c-xk  that was shown during his memorial service: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/PPGf5paqnxB0aBRuCWj5fpWIaxYJUTco3vnbn4RB2Kv3gniw8q4uhoILYxf38ixy.7uwBDkaj06ucxczv?startTime=1619294477000  In memory of Dr. Katz, please refer to those who care for companion animals as guardians, not owners.


The Vegan Meat Cookbook by Miyoko Schinner
Available for Pre-order
 I don't know how she does so much!  Now, the tireless Miyoko Schinner has written a new book, coming out this month, about plant based meats; where to find them, how to make them, how to serve them.  Learn more about the book and about Miyoko, and pre-order the book at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/639586/the-vegan-meat-cookbook-by-miyoko-schinner/


Veganism and Conspiracy Theories
I found this article interesting.  It explains why some vegans are drawn to conspiracy theories and why some animal rights advocates make bogus health claims about veganism.  I particularly like the phrase "tenuous relationship with provable reality."  https://www.euronews.com/living/2021/04/12/what-do-veganism-and-conspiracy-theories-have-in-common


Vegan Venting
lauren Ornelas, founder of The Food Empowerment Project wrote a brief rant about some of the things that bother her as a vegan in a non-vegan world.  I share her frustration on these issues, and I'm glad she wrote about them.   https://foodispower.org/vegan-venting-2021/


Happy Hooligans
New Vegan Restaurant in Berkeley
Downtown Berkeley has a new vegan restaurant.  Not far from three other great vegan restaurants, The Butcher's Son, The King's Feet, and Cha Ya, there is now a new branch of a popular San Jose restaurant called Happy Hooligans. I've eaten at the San Jose location and am eager to try this new one.   See the menu and learn more here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-happy-hooligans-berkeley


Vegan Nathan's Hot Dogs Now Available
Having grown up in Oceanside, NY, home to the second Nathan's in the country, I was especially surprised and delighted to discover that Nathan's is now offering vegan hot dogs.
 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/26/dining/nathans-famous-vegan-hot-dog.html?referringSource=articleShare


High Tech Meat in the News
I hesitated to include this piece from Ezra Klein because I'm skeptical about high tech solutions where low tech solutions would work even better.  There's a great deal of money to be invested in lab grown meat.  But if the same money were spent, instead, on promoting plant based eating, not only would animals' lives be spared, but people would be healthier, and our environment would be cleaner as well.  When I discovered veganism in 1986, this trifecta of benefits sealed the deal for me.  The big business of high tech meat claims to save animals, but does nothing for the earth or human health.  Corporations and some nonprofits are trying to recreate meat without the animals, but two of the three major problems of producing meat would remain.  I know that big financial gains are likely to come to investors in  high tech meat, and nobody got rich from kale and quinoa.  But while the whole world would benefit from less slaughter, improved human health, and cleaner air and water, most people will not share in the financial gains from lab-produced meat. While I'm always glad to see veganism get media attention, I'm ambivalent about champions of high tech meat.  See what you think.   https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/24/opinion/climate-change-meatless-meat.html?referringSource=articleShare


Regenerative Grazing Debunked
If you're like me, you've heard a lot about regenerative grazing.  This is the practice of protecting the land where cows graze by using cover crops, moving the herds, and other methods.  The people who support this say, "It's not the cow, it's the how." I beg to differ.  All animal agriculture is degrading the atmosphere.  It is the cow!  And climate change is just one of many horrible byproducts of cow ranching.  Dairy farming is inherently cruel, taking babies from their mothers and stealing the milk for human consumption.  Cows raised for their flesh are slaughtered needlessly, as there is no nutritional benefit from eating cow flesh, particularly in rich countries where getting enough calories is not a challenge.  So I was delighted to discover this podcast from Hope Bohanec in which Dr. Tushar Mehta dismantles the myth of regenerative grazing.  Dr. Mehta will be one of the speakers at the Humane Hoax Chicken Webinar, too.   https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-27-dismantling-regenerative-animal-agriculture-with-dr-tushar-mehta/


The Vegan RD on Fats in the Diet
As a huge fan of avocados, olives, peanut butter, flax seeds, pistachio nuts, walnuts, and other high fat vegan foods, I was happy to read this advice from Virginia Messina, The Vegan RD.  In the first paragraph you will also learn about her two new books, updated editions of important vegan literature.   https://www.theveganrd.com/2021/04/finding-the-best-vegan-diet-and-why-its-not-low-fat/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheVeganDietitian+%28The+Vegan+Dietitian%29


Vegan Cheese Better Than Ever
Those of us in love with Miyoko's cheeses might not know that there are many other good vegan cheeses available nation wide.  This article from the New York Times acknowledges Miyoko as a pioneer who set the bar high.  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/16/dining/vegan-cheese.html?referringSource=articleShare


Meat Off the Menu
For twenty five years an online recipe bank called Epicurious has been sharing recipes with readers. (Were we on the internet 25 years ago?!)  For the last year, without announcing it, they have reduced the number of recipes that call for red meat.  Now, they officially told readers that, for climate reasons,  there will be no more red meat recipes.  For anyone who denies the link between what we eat and climate change, this new website policy reflects what scientists know: Cows are part of the problem. (See piece above on regenerative grazing.)  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/27/dining/epicurious-beef.html?referringSource=articleShare