Chef Barry Schenker had an underground vegan supperclub going for years. Invite only and difficult to get an in, it’s said these meals were magic-filled and mind-blowing. The standout of the feasts was always Schenker’s ice cream. To procure it, you basically had to jump through hoops and promise your soul to seitan. But that’s all changed because at this weekend’s 12th annual San Francisco World Veg Festival. Schenker debuted Genuto his all natural nut-based ice cream, which will soon be available in Northern California Whole Foods.

Developed with his physician wife Diana Rebman, Genuto’s probiotic nut emulsion blend is cholesterol-free, antioxidant-rich, and low in saturated fats. It’s also ridiculously delicious.

At the festival, Schenker and Rebman offered up flavors Simply Pistachio, Chai Latte, and Chocolate Cardamom, and I basically had to try them all. Twice. If you held a gun to my head and made me choose a favorite, I’d call the cops, because who does that!? Then, I’d confess that the Crystallized Ginger, which was spicy and rich, with just a touch of sweetness, really spoke to my heart.

Yes, ice cream speaks to my heart and if that’s not the case for you, then maybe you’re not as obsessed with food as your average vegan. You see, we, as a people, have an appreciation for delicious veg food that’s either enthusiastic or psycho fanatic, depending on where you’re standing. Last weekend’s World Veg Festival was a celebration of all things vegan and awesome. Veg vendors, speakers, and non-profits descended upon San Francisco’s County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park, to meet and educate the masses about the glories of a veganism. I attended with a full wallet and empty belly, ready to take in all the sites, sounds, and snacks of the festival.

Before you even enter the building, you are greeted with vendors selling everything from vegan marshmallows to freshly made taquitos. Right off the bat, you’re made aware of the fact that it’s all about the eats.

In addition to Genuto, I discovered Eli’s Earth Bars, the new-ish organic, vegan candy bars from chocolate maker, Sjaak’s.

I sampled the Treasure Bar, which is basically a high quality Butterfinger, taken to the next level with a drizzle of caramel and a chocolate coating. Sure, they’re a little more expensive than your average truck stop candy bar, but they’re organic and Fair trade, so you don’t feel like an asshole when you eat one. Or four.

Another food highlight was Melodi Donahue and her Obsessive Confection Disorder (OCD) Sweets.

Donahue burst onto the scene earlier this year with her insanely-flavored, absolutely irresistible vegan treats. Having previously binged on caramels with crazy flavors—think artichoke and Limoncello; blood orange, ginger, and beet; and sourdough pretzel, IPA—I was excited to see what she cooked up for the fest. Lucky for me, Donahue had some major winners! Her table overflowed with Apple Cider Caramels, Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce, and Caramel ‘Not’ Corn, which are popcorn-sized bites of marshmallow, coconut, rice, corn, caramel, and India Pale Ale, and will grace the goodie bags at next year’s Academy Awards.

Yes, I was eating something that Meryl Streep will eat, and I got to have it before her. Sometimes life is fair! Donahue said that she sold out on Saturday, and had to run home and make more of everything. She’s currently set to take over the nation’s sweet tooth when featured in next month’s O Magazine—we all know that whatever Oprah touches turns to CHA-CHING—so I plan on ordering a metric ton before that happens. She’s currently a one woman operation and I need my magical beer caramels.

Although World Veg festival is primarily about gorging on as many samples as possible, it’s also filled with non-profits like Food Empowerment Project and SaveABunny, both looking to spread the message, recruit volunteers, and save awesome animals. There were also tons of vegan companies peddling everything from message t-shirts proclaiming your love of kale to board games that teach kid compassion for animals. One of my favorites was Roni Seabery’s company, Daisy Wares, which allowed me to stock up on the most marvelous smelling lavender soap I’ve ever almost accidentally eaten.

In the adjoining rooms, the festival’s line-up of vegan-famous speakers tackled a variety of issues, including The Truth About Protein and our role in global depletion. Heavy stuff! Vegan cookbook author extraordinaire, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, gave a talk titled, "From Excuse-itarian to Vegan: Addressing the Blocks and Debunking the Myths that Keep People from Making Changes," which packed the house. Patrick-Goudreau is excellent to hear live, speaking persuasively about food and our relationship to it. She made the fantastic point that, “We flavor our meat with plants with ketchup, mustard, and spices... we're the only animal who flavors our meat,” She continued with, "We do not crave the flesh of an animal, we crave flavor, fullness, fat, and salt."

Through other booths and speakers, I acquired little tidbits of information that I can’t stop thinking about. For example, did you know that the organic label doesn't mean that workers or animals are treated well, it’s just that they're not exposed to chemicals? And that factory farms are always in poor areas, far away from anyone with power or money to be affected by the smell and horrific air and water quality. This is one of the most upsetting things about modern animal agriculture, the fact that it’s so hidden, and its enormous impart on poor communities. As Paul McCartney says, “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.”

While this weekend World Veg Festival housed its usual high concentration of leather-free Birkenstocks, there was also a few Stella McCartney pumps in the house. The entire event is a nice reminder of where veganism has been, and where it’s headed. We’ve come a long way, baby! I left feeling uplifted, inspired, righteous, and so freaking full.

Guests and host, Leslie Sbrocco taping episode 608 of Check, Please! Bay Area at KQED. Photo: Wendy Goodfriend

Check, Please! Bay Area Season 6: episode 8 airs Thursday September 29 at 7:30pm on KQED TV 9. View other airtimes and channels.

You can watch individual restaurant segments as well as view the entire episode online. The website also provides restaurant information not specified on the show, written reviews from the guests and restaurant recipes. If you have opinions on the restaurants featured please feel free to share your thoughts. This season, Leslie Sbrocco will be sharing wine tips with each episode.

The eighth episode of the season features these restaurants: DOSA on Fillmore (San Francisco), Sapore Italiano Ristorante (Burlingame) and Gather (Berkeley).

Leslie Sbrocco: Wine Tips -- Alternative Packaging Trends

SF Street Food Festival Passport. Photo: Wendy Goodfriend

Carnivores, omnivores, and pescatarians will find plenty of food truck fare this Saturday at the third annual San Francisco Street Food Festival, which boasts some 70 trucks, carts, and purveyors peddling hand-held grub.

But does the event cater to a vegetarian crowd? Are there enough veggie options to make waiting in line worthwhile? Can a veg head find some variety among the vendors turning out finger food?

In short: Yes, yes, and yes, though plant-based eaters may have to work a little harder than the meat-eating set to find food at the event sponsored by the nonprofit incubator kitchen La Cocina.

No worries, Bay Area Bites is here to help. Regardless of how you define your diet, a few tips to make the wildly popular food festival a successful edible experience: Come early. Tote water. Bring friends (to both have company in line -- the time will pass more quickly -- and to divide and conquer so you can divvy up food to share once you've all been served.) Carry small bills (cash only) or purchase a "passport" in advance (details below).

And, need we remind locals: Wear comfy footwear and don layers to deal with whatever weather the day may bring. As for the crowd phobic and the impatient: You've been warned.

Okay, now that we have the logistical details covered, read on to discover a dozen street food vendors dishing up meat-free eats on Saturday. Several brick-and-mortar joints including Out the Door, Flour + Water, Commonwealth, Osha, and Beretta will have veg-centric options in the mix too. Here's to a finger licking fest.

SAVORY PICKS:

1. Azalina's Malaysian: Azalina Eusope, a La Cocina participant, will have peanut sauce tacos for vegetarians, with signature spices from her homeland. Heads up: Devotees of the former fine dining pastry chef's popular banana chai fritters will have to get those on another day. @Azalinamalaysia

Curry Up Now Truck at Off the Grid. Photo by Wendy Goodfriend

2. Curry Up Now: Indian street eats from Rana Saluja-Kapoor, Amir Hosseini and crew. Think paneer tikka masala burritos (Indian cheese and chickpeas) and samosas, the popular Indian pastries, filled with spiced potatoes and peas. @CurryUpNow

3. Kasa Indian Eatery: Two veg-centric choices from this truck run by former lawyer Anamika Khanna and self-described geek Tim Volkema. Gobi aloo rolls, house-made roti filled with braised cauliflower and potatoes, spiced with cumin and turmeric, and spread with cilantro and tomato chutneys. Spice fiends should be sure to ask for the truck's signature crazy hot sauce. Also samosas, see above. @KasaIndian

Gail Lillian in front of Liba Falafel truck. Photo: Wendy Goodfriend

4. Liba Falafel: Gail Lillian and team's falafel are hearty and hit the spot. Load up on condiments like spiced carrot ribbons, orange-and-olive relish, and tomato, cucumber salad with mint. Don't forget the sweet potato fries with cilantro, garlic and lime. @LIBAfalafel Or maybe save that pita to serve with Love & Hummus Co.: Try the slow-roasted organic lemon and thyme hummus made by Donna Sky, who is in La Cocina's incubator line up. @LoveAndHummus

5. Maite Catering: Big hit at the media preview event: The Colombian aborrajado made by Constana Ortiz, also a participant in the La Cocina program. These fried plaintain are filled with guava paste and provolone cheese and hit the spot.

Constana Ortiz - Maite Catering at SF Street Food Fest Media Preview. Photo: Wendy Goodfriend

6. Onigilly: Vegans may well make a bee line for Onigilly's rice balls known as hijiki onigilly, made with brown rice and hijiki (Japanese black seaweed) with shredded carrots cooked with house-made sweet soy sauce wrapped with seaweed by chefs Kan Hasegawa and Koji Kanematsu, also in the mix at La Cocina. @Onigilly

SWEET NOTES:

1. Creme Brulee Cart: Take your pick between Vanilla Bean or "The Yes Please" (Nutella creme brulee with balsamic strawberries inside). Or share them both. Or not. @cremebruleecart

The Creme Brulee Cart at Off the Grid. Photo: Wendy Goodfriend

2. Delicioso Creperie: Gabriella Guerrero who hails from Mexico City turns out dulche de leche crepes for the sweet tooths among us. A La Cocina member.

3. Endless Summer Sweets: Funnel cake fans don't have to travel to the East Bay (where ESS regularly serves up her sweet treats at the Berkeley Flea Market) let alone the the East Coast to sample one of the summer fair standbys, handcrafted by Antoinette Sanchez, a La Cocina alum. Salty kettle corn too. @ESSweets

4. Kika's Treats: Chocolate-covered caramelized cookies, tropical shortbreads and honey cakes from Brazilian baker Cristina Besher, a graduate of La Cocina's program, whose goodies can be found at Whole Foods, Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market and other retail stores. @kikastreats

5. La Luna Cupcakes: Elvia Buendia runs La Luna Cupcakes, and is a member of La Cocina's incubator program. Last year, Buendia made 1,000 mini cupcakes and sold out within a couple of hours, she told the San Francisco Chronicle. This year, she plans to triple her stock of mini and full-size cupcakes, and introduce chocolate and red velvet "cake pops." @LunaCupcakes

6. Sabores Del Sur La Cocina participant and Chilean chef Guisell Osorio's alfajores—delicate round butter cookies filled with creamy dulce de leche caramel and dusted with powdered sugar have loyal fans at the Alemany Farmers' Market and Whole Foods stores. Find out what the fuss is about for yourself.

Do you have a favorite vegetarian street eat not listed above that's likely to be in the mix this weekend? Share your chowhound choices below.

FESTIVAL DETAILS:

San Francisco Street Food Festival
Saturday August 20, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Folsom Street between 22nd and 26th streets
Admission free; food costs $3-$8 cash only or buy $25-$150 "passports" in advance.
Twitter: @streetfoodsf
Facebook: San Francisco Street Food Festival

Photo credit: Hush Supper Club

What's a former World Bank worker doing running a secret supper club? Meet the accomplished amateur cook who goes by the name Geeta and hosts the Hush Supper Club in her Washington D.C. home. This weekend, Geeta brings Hush to the Bay Area, where she'll serve up culinary storytelling along with vegetarian Indian food.

Geeta grew up in Chicago eating the food of the Gujarati region in northwestern India. Her family followed the dietary restrictions of people who practice the ancient religion known as Jainism, a vegetarian cuisine that prohibits eating root vegetables that can't regenerate on their own (think potatoes, onions, and garlic). Well, there was that brief period when her father, worried about his children's ability to assimilate in America, took them out to eat hamburgers for a year or two. But otherwise, Geeta told me, she's led a meatless life.

Around three years ago, Geeta's mother became ill and she worried she might lose her (she's well now). But at the time, Geeta was struck by the fact that if her mother passed she'd take with her all the recipes to the food Geeta grew up with. She vowed then to learn the food traditions of her family and to master the comfort dishes from her family home.

Now in her late 30s, Geeta recently gave up her World Bank job traveling to Africa to devote much of her time to educating people about the food traditions of her culture and the stories behind these classic dishes.

Her Supper Club's are popular in D.C., where word spread quickly. Prominent media coverage in The Washington Post and on Rachel Ray's blog has helped.

Hush Supper Club. Photo: Pam Rutter

Last Friday she held a Supper Club in a friend's home in The Elmwood neighborhood of Berkeley. Tonight Hush comes to San Francisco's Potrero Hill and on Saturday to Oakland's Jack London Square. Geeta spoke with Bay Area Bites earlier this week.

What can attendees expect at a Hush Supper Club event?

I think of it more as a salon than a trendy underground dinner.There's a playfulness to these salons, a sense that people can be kids again. I want to challenge the hipsters who aren't bothered to get bothered (or involved) with something. We'll start with a cocktail, which allows people to get the "What do you do?/How did you get here?" questions out of the way. I don't socialize with my guests at this stage, I like them to get to know each other, as it's often strangers coming together.

I like to keep it small; 12 is ideal, sometimes we'll have up to 16. The more intimate the better. The evening typically lasts four to five hours and the suggested donation is $75.

Why did you start the supper club?

For three reasons: One, India is on the move and I wanted to tell the story of my people and my culture. Secondly, before there were celebrity chefs and fetishized food, there was just food and the stories behind the dishes we eat, and I want to continue that tradition. And three, as someone who likes to tell stories, I like to question people's assumptions about culture and provoke them to think through food.

What are some misunderstandings about the Jain diet and how closely do you follow the food regimen?

Some people think we don't eat dairy, but yogurt is a big part of our diet. It gets kind of complicated with the food rules but essentially we don't eat any plant that can't regenerate itself, which is why tubers like potatoes are off limits, as well as garlic and onions. When I traveled to Africa a lot I found myself eating eggs, which is a big no-no in the Jain world, but I needed to find protein sources. As a rule, Jains don't drink, but this Jain likes a cocktail.

What's on the menu this weekend?

We'll probably start with a saffron-cardamon infused cocktail. Since it's summer I'm thinking mangoes. Mango lassi, of course, but also mango soup which is savory. I'll do a chaat making demonstration. I'll probably serve a chana chaat (chickpea snack), which is the quintessential Gujarati street food.

We'll have dhokla (steamed lentil-and-rice cakes), a chana masala, and a classic corn dish, with green chili, coconut, and raisins. Maybe some okra.

And then falooda, a cooling, creamy, rose-scented dessert with basil seeds and gooey noodles, that you mix all together. It has this wonderful perfume. Chai, of course.

Have you noticed differences in the dinner conversations in the D.C., Chicago and Bay Area Hush Supper Club events?

In D.C., since so much of Washington life involves international travel, you can literally verify headlines at dinner parts with people just back from Uganda and Iraq. I challenge people there not to ask "What do you do?" In Chicago I suggest people find something else to talk about beyond the bears, bulls, cubs -- in other words sports. Here in the Bay Area, there's a lot of talk about the food and food culture, so I encourage guests to mix it up.

What are some of the signature flavors in your cuisine?

Common spices used in Jain cuisine include saffron, cinnamon, cardamon, chili, coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Fresh herbs include cilantro and mint and curry leaves in the winter. We get a lot of protein from chickpea, lentil. or bean flours. And we use yogurt in our flat-bread doughs.

Photo credit: Hush Supper Club

What's the secret ingredient in your spice box?

The mystery ingredient is hing (asafoetida) which is a pungent garlic-like flavoring and a digestive aid, known for its anti-gas properties, as my mother likes to say.

What's next for Hush?

I'd like to write a memoir about my food and culture, and my experience sharing it through the supper clubs. I walked away from a life at the World Bank for a spice box. But that kind of entrepreneurial pluck is respected by my people.

Details:

For up-to-the minute info on ticket availability -- a few seats were still left at press time for both Hush Supper Club events this weekend -- visit the Hush Supper Club Facebook page. To reserve a spot visit the Hush Supper Club site. Follow @hushsupperclub on Twitter.

A large portion of my childhood consisted of living on a macrobiotic diet. As a kid, I wasn't much of a fan of brown rice, beans, burdock, seaweed, squash, and steamed leafy vegetables. I especially hated kale and after exiting that type of dietary lifestyle I thought that I would never eat kale again for the rest of my life. But something happened. My tastebuds changed and as I became a "grown-up" I started to crave the clean, fresh taste of the ingredients commonly found in macrobiotics. 10-year-old me would not believe it, but I often miss that food from my childhood. Now our pantry is full of seaweed, our vegetable crisper is full of leaves, and we always have a container of umeboshi plums on hand (which is amazing on a steamed ear of corn, by the way). Next to Hungarian food (my obligation by birth), Japanese is my favorite cuisine. And oddly enough, I now love kale.

Kale, as I am sure you have noticed, is all the rage right now, which is pretty refreshing in light of the other recent trend foods out there (bacon, cupcakes, mac 'n' cheese...). It's incredibly healthy, versatile, and hearty.

One of my favorite ways to eat kale is via kale chips. Raw foodists make these by dehydrating pieces of flavored kale (which is how the ones you buy by the bag are made). They are either very simply seasoned, or are smothered in a nut or seed-based sauce before making them crisp. Unfortunately, most of us don't own a dehydrator. But luckily, you can easily make kale chips in your oven! It does change some things. Lightly dressing the kale is very important, so that the oven has a chance to make all the water evaporate -- otherwise you are left with soggy pieces of chewiness. And the oven-variety is best consumed right away -- crisp and even a little warm. It's not really for storing -- but I mean, why would you NOT want to finish a whole bowl in one sitting?

SESAME AGAVE KALE CHIPS
A crispy, sweet, and salty delight.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30-40 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
Yield: one medium-sized bowl of chips

Ingredients:
1 bunch curly kale (curly works well, vs. Dino or Red Russian, since all the curls trap the sauce)
2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari (or BRAGG Liquid Aminos, or Coconut Secret coconut aminos to make it soy-free)
4 teaspoons agave
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
4 Tablespoons hulled (white) sesame seeds
(You could also add a pinch of cayenne for a kick.)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

2. Tear kale off of stems and into bite–sized pieces (remember: kale will shrink a lot while baking, so don't make them too small).

3. Wash kale in a big bowl of water. Drain, and dry as well as you can (preferably in a salad spinner).

4. Whisk all other ingredients together and pour over kale a little at a time. Massage the sauce into the kale pieces so that they are well coated. You may not use all of the sauce. Only pour enough to JUST coast the leaves. You don't want it dripping.

5. Lay the kale pieces out on two parchment-paper-lined cookie sheets in a thin layer.

6. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes, turning the pieces once or twice while baking. Ovens vary so you may want to keep an eye on them and make sure they don’t start browning (which would make them bitter).

7. Once crisp, remove from oven and serve in a bowl. Eat right away.

People are giving up gluten. It may be because of a diagnosis of celiac disease or finding out you have a genetic predisposition to it. It may be a wheat allergy or from simply experiencing gluten intolerance whenever you eat it. Or it may just be a lifestyle choice after reading how gluten is a very recent addition to the human diet and that the medical community is realizing that the prevalence of celiac disease seems to have increased dramatically in recent years.

Unfortunately, testing for celiac disease and gluten intolerance is not perfect, so many individuals rely on their own instincts and bodies and embark on a complete makeover of their eating habits, realizing that they just feel better when they don't eat gluten.

Gluten and gluten-contaminated products are everywhere. And, often, they are in the foods we love the most. Bread, pasta, and cake are the most obvious culprits. But what about the wheat in soy sauce (used in the fermentation process), creamed soups (in the roux), or cola (via the caramel color)? Or malt vinegar, barley, rye, oats, triticale, and beer? Gluten hides in the most unexpected places.

Now imagine if you are gluten intolerant AND vegan. As I mentioned in a previous post, just because a vegan has to or chooses to avoid gluten, his or her ethical stance about animal products doesn't change. So, the elimination of gluten gets added to the vegan lifestyle. Luckily, awareness about gluten intolerance is becoming more prominent, making it easier for everyone to find food that works for them. Mainstream grocery stores like Safeway are tagging their gluten-free items. More and more exclusively vegan companies, like Eat Pastry are offering gluten-free products. Churches are even offering gluten-free wafers for communion. Allyson Kramer of Manifest Vegan transformed her vegan food blog to a gluten-free vegan food blog when she was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2009. And a recently launched blog called xgfx offers up animal-friendly, gluten-free recipes and resources because "While there are plenty of great resources out there for vegans, and many for the gluten-free crowd, there seem to be very few for folks like us who dwell in both camps." So, it’s easier than ever to find recipes and products that are safe and restaurants that are sensitive to the topic. But it's still rare enough that a little advice doesn't hurt.

In the Bay Area, several restaurants offer gluten-free vegan options that are definitely worth checking out. If you have celiac disease, or are severely gluten intolerant, I recommend calling ahead to see what practices they have in place in their kitchens to avoid contamination.

Photo Credit: Gracias Madre

Most of Gracias Madre's menu is gluten-free. There are only a few items that aren’t. I recommend… everything! But The Papas al Horno, Quesadillas de Camote, Enchiladas con Mole, Platillo de Legumbres, and whatever cheesecake they have at the moment should be the first things you try. Can you tell this is my favorite restaurant?

Souley Vegan's Fried Okra, Yams, Mustard Greens, Potato Salad, and Cayenne Lemonade

Souley Vegan is your destination for comforting, healthy, simple soul food in a truly caring and down-to-earth environment. You can tell that owner Tamearra Dyson built this restaurant out of love and it's become a destination for home cooking for the community surrounding it, vegan or not. Souley Vegan labels the items on the menu that contain wheat. My recommendations are the crispy and light fried okra, the simple and tender yams, and the mustard greens. And make sure to grab a cayenne lemonade to sip on!

Cafe Gratitude's "I Am Thriving" creamy tomato soup, "I Am Hearty" deep-dish pizza, "I Am Fortified" quinoa bowl, and "I Am Awakening" raw key lime pie

Café Gratitude recently went through a menu change (they are not exclusively raw anymore and have expanded to include cooked items). They've also lowered their prices by 24% in response to the rising cost of food and healthcare. They even offer a community-supported "I am Grateful" grain bowl where payment for the bowl is by donation ($7 recommended) and no one is turned away. The bowl was created "to allow for those in financial need to have access to organic vegan food." You don't see many restaurants offering that kind of service to their community.

They also happen to offer great gluten-free options -- as in pretty much the entire menu. Live mac and cheese, maple coconut "bacon" BLTs, and raw deep dish pizza. The creativity at Gratitude never ceases to amaze me. Important tip: make sure to eat dessert there (key lime pie highly recommended).

Source's Dan Dan Noodles, Truffle Macaroni & Cheese, and Baked Vegan Spinach Artichoke Fondue

Source is one of the most health-conscious, allergy-conscious, vegan-conscious places I have ever experienced. The staff is beyond kind and patient as you ask them over and over your usual "does this have...?" questions. Their cashew-cheese-based mac and cheese is gluten-free (if you ask for no breadcrumbs) and insanely yummy with truffle oil and a red pepper sauce drizzle. The gorgeous Dan Dan noodles are creamy and satisfying in an almond sweet soy sauce. And ask for live chips to go with an order of the Baked Vegan Spinach Artichoke Fondue to make it gluten-free. You won’t be disappointed.

VIK's Mix Vegetable Pakoras, Idli, and Masala Dosa.

I love VIK's. It's one of my favorite destinations on the weekend. Take the pup to Point Isabel, then pick up some Indian chaat and reminisce about my trip to Mumbai and Goa a few years back when I was too afraid to try anything served on the street. What’s great is that they recently started labeling their online menu with symbols for what's vegan and gluten-free, and luckily they have several items that are both—namely the Mix Vegetable Pakoras, Vegetable or Masala Dosa, Uttapam, and the Idli.

Here are a few additional places to check out:

• The Buddha Girl Roll at Sushirrito is gluten-free and vegan and has a delectable combination of Hodo Soy Spicy Tofu Strips, roasted garnet yams, shiitake mushroom, shaved cabbage, avocado, green onions, and crumbled rice chips.
• Vegan restaurant chain, Loving Hut, is happy to accommodate gluten-free guests. My fave is the Spicy Royal Noodle Soup at Westfield Centre. Just ask for gluten-free and they adjust the order for you.
• Gather in Berkeley clearly marks their menu for gluten-free and vegan options, and urges guests to notify servers of any dietary restrictions so that they can be accommodated. Some of the gluten-free/vegan options currently include yuba "pappardelle" in a mushroom "Bolognese" sauce; a young carrot plate with hen of the woods mushrooms, hay-carrot top pesto, fava beans, dehydrated kale, charred peel, and espelette peppers; and their famous vegan "charcuterie."
• Vegetarian (and super vegan-friendly) restaurant Ubuntu in Napa (named the #2 best new restaurant in the country by New York Times when it opened in 2008) has a lot of gluten-sensitive guests so they happily offer many options.
• Millennium is a great destination for gluten-free vegan eating. The restaurant even held a Gluten-Free Winemaker Dinner back in March. A must-eat is their plate of Crusted Oyster Mushrooms (with chickpea flour & thyme dredge, radish salad with ginger aioli, and grapefruit-habanero chile jam).
• Shangri-La Vegan in Oakland offers some of the cleanest food you can imagine. They post their menu daily on their website and most of the time the entire menu is gluten-free. With a Macrobiotic/Tibetan/Buddhist/100% organic menu (at very affordable prices), you will leave satisfied, light, and guilt-free.


Shangri-La Vegan moderate meal. Photo Credit: Wendy Goodfriend

As I'm sure you know, macaroni and cheese is all the rage right now. With entire restaurants dedicated to the creamy, comforting stuff, it's clear that it's a childhood favorite that we don't outgrow. Vegans have long been in the practice of creating amazing versions of animal-ingredient-free varieties. There's even an entire blog dedicated to it called the Noochy Noodle. But what if you are vegan and also gluten-free? Just because a vegan gets diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity his or her ethical stance about animal products doesn't change. So, the elimination of gluten gets added to their vegan lifestyle.

The two main components in traditional mac and cheese are dairy and wheat. So, you may wonder how a gluten-free vegan could possibly, of all dishes, manage to eat some. Believe it or not, it's possible to create a delectable, velvety, savory bowl of noodles that will satisfy even an omnivore. I know of four restaurants in the Bay Area that serve gluten-free vegan mac and cheese: Source, Nature's Express, Cafe Gratitude (and a raw variety at that!), and Homeroom. However, everyone knows that nothing beats homemade. So, let's start with some cashews and some rice pasta and take it from there...

Gluten-Free Vegan Macaroni and Cheese

Summary: This makes a cheesy, gooey mac and cheese. I prefer not to bake it so that the nut base doesn't get too dry or congeal. The base for the cheese sauce was inspired by the Raw Cashew Cheese recipe on Chocolate & Zucchini.

Prep time: After soaking cashews, 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min (some steps are done simultaneously)
Yield: 4 2-cup servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup cashews (soaked for 6 hours or overnight -- measure after soaking)
• 1/2 cup vegan milk (I used homemade cashew milk, but any other type would work)
• 1/4 cup roasted red peppers (from a jar works fine)
• 3 tablespoons white wine (find a vegan variety here)*
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Earth Balance (I prefer the soy-free variety, which would also make this a soy-free recipe.)
• 1 large clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• black pepper to taste (but I recommend a lot)
• 1 bag Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice Fusilli Pasta (This is the best gluten-free pasta I have found, and it's only $1.99. It comes in other shapes, but fusilli is the best.)**



*The addition of wine and vinegar helps give the sauce the sharp taste that the fermentation in dairy cheese produces.
**If you are not gluten-free, you can totally use regular wheat pasta here as well.
Note: If you're not feeling the macaroni part, you can also just make the sauce and use it for other recipes that call for cheesy concoctions, like a vegan fondue, over veggies, or drizzled on vegan pizza.

Instructions

1. Start cooking the pasta according to directions. I've learned that exactly 8 minutes is the ideal time for the Trader Joe's brand.
2. In the meantime put all other ingredients into a blender and gradually increase the speed to the highest possible, and blend until completely smooth. I highly recommend using a good quality (preferably high-speed) blender like a Vitamix to get the creamiest consistency possible. But whatever blender you use, the key it to get it as smooth as possible and without any gritty texture.



3. Pour "cheese" mixture into a pot and over medium low heat, gradually heat sauce while constantly stirring with a whisk.
4. Drain noodles, rinse for a second, and while still wet combine with cheese sauce.
5. Stir.
6. Eat.

You can also customize this recipe easily. Add a little cayenne or jalapeños for a kick. Sprinkle with gluten-free bread crumbs or crumbled potato chips. Stir in peas or broccoli florets. Use your imagination! Then grab a bowl, pile in the creamy pasta, and relive your childhood (maybe add some grown-up cartoons for even more authenticity).

I came late to the quinoa love-fest. Technically, this high-protein, high-fiber, gluten-free superfood from the Andes is not a grain, although it acts like one in the kitchen. When I was a UCSC farm and garden apprentice, we made a lot of quinoa pancakes (not bad) and quinoa tabbouleh (surprisingly good). But too many times, I've had it served plain as plain and here, I must tell you: Quinoa, You're No Rice. Sad to say, you're not even couscous. To me, unadorned quinoa tastes like it came out the wrong end of the flavor-extraction machine, pleasantly fluffy but free of taste.

So, the trick with quinoa is to treat it like tofu: as a nice, neutral backdrop just aching to become a Jackson Pollack. In other words, throw a lot of big, bright stuff at it, and you'll get something worth eating. Unlike, say, pasta, which gets exponentially tastier the more cheese, sausage, and cream you toss into it, quinoa's best partners are stubbornly healthy.

Which brings us to that staple of Bay Area life, the potluck. And especially, the potluck with the vegan/vegetarians, half of whom have recently gone gluten-free. I've already given out my potato-salad tips, which could be adapted to use a vegan egg-free mayonnaise like Nayonaise, or the tofu version in Mollie Katzen's Still Life with Menu.

The tininess and cool purplish color of cooked adzuki beans work well with the colors and general small scale of everything in this salad, but you could, if pressed, use another small bean from your Mason-jar arsenal. If at all possible, soak and cook the beans yourself; canned beans are really too mushy to make a decent showing in any salad.

But who am I kidding? You're already looking at those half-dozen cans of organic black beans in your pantry and thinking, "Burn through gas and raise my blood pressure angling for a parking spot at Berkeley Bowl just to get a half cup of some weird bitty bean? Not a chance!" Okay, sister, I hear you. But at least drain and rinse those beans really, really well to get all the slimy can-muck off. (And by the way, if you've ever had a moon cake stuffed with red-bean paste, you've had adzuki beans; in Asia, where this bean originated, its nutty-sweet flavor is highly prized for use in desserts and other sweets.)

This recipe is a mash-up of inspiration from two different recipes, Tangerine Quinoa Pilaf from The Sunset Cookbook and Curried Couscous Salad in The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. A small amount of beans and quinoa turns into a satisfyingly generous (and protein-rich) amount of salad, and it can easily be made a day or two in advance. If your favorite farmers' market vendor has carrots in groovy colors like purple and burgundy, by all means buy them instead of the usual orange ones. You'll lose a lot of the color if you peel, so just wash well and dice.

Jaan J. tie, Stella McCartney belt, Cri de Coeur boots, Vaute Couture coat, and olsenHaus shoes

One of my earliest memories is of my dad showing me an ant on the ground and explaining to me that we do not step on them because, however small in size, the ant's life is just as valuable as ours. That sense of compassion has stuck with me always and my love for all animals became the foundation for becoming a vegan years later. It was such a perfect move that when I made the transition it felt like coming home.

It is that feeling of compassion for all creatures that leads ethical vegans (my guess: the majority of vegans), to extend a cruelty-free lifestyle beyond food. Our compassion for animals and the planet affects what we buy when it comes to everything from body products to furniture to cleaning products to bedding to car interiors. And of course, it affects the clothing we wear. It would be hypocritical for us to avoid meat and then buy a leather belt. Vegans don’t just avoid fur—we also avoid leather, silk, wool, cashmere, down, alpaca, angora, and, well, anything that comes from an animal—including, when possible, animal-derived glue used in shoe manufacturing.

I haven’t always been a vegan, but I have always felt deeply empathic and connected with non-human animals—especially because they cannot speak for themselves. This connection, combined with my inclination towards creative endeavors and my love of fashion, led me to focus on researching not only the best vegan foods, but the best vegan clothing as well. Out of this inquiry emerged the creation of my own vegan fashion curation blog, plantmade.

There is something exciting happening in the vegan world right now where young designers are creating incredibly innovative ways to produce shoes, handbags, belts, coats, ties—you name it—with materials that are animal and planet-friendly. And vegan fashion-conscious individuals are also hitting the blogging world, as evidence by sites like Animal Friendly.Me, The Ethical Man, and The Discerning Brute, covering everything from the their top ethical picks from this season's collections to the recent Farm Sanctuary 25th Anniversary Gala in New York. They are mending the disconnect mainstream society harbors with regard to what they consume—whether it be a hamburger or a silk blouse.

While what’s best for our planet it to stop consuming at the rate we are, we can’t avoid the fact that people still want to buy a new pair of shoes once in a while.The key is to invest in quality pieces that you truly love and plan to keep for a long time made from materials that cause the least amount of harm to animals and the environment. If you do some research (through places like Global Action Network, PETA, Veg for Life, Farm Sanctuary, or vegan designers like olsenHaus) it can make all the difference. It is through this research that you will learn that sheep go through a cruel practice called mulesing and later get sent to slaughter (if they haven’t died from infection or heat stroke by then). Cashmere goats get castrated, notched, and dehorned without anesthesia and killed by age two if their coats are not perfect (50-80%), then sold for slaughter after shearing. Silk worms are boiled alive. Down "production," where birds are plucked alive or scalded in boiling water while still conscious, supports the foie gras industry. And of course, the leather industry is directly linked to the meat industry, whether it be represented in that calf-skin (veal) handbag, shearling (lamb skin and fur) boots, or in those kidskin (baby goat) gloves. And this is all just scratching the surface. The lesson here is that everything is connected and vegans don't like to turn a blind eye to that fact.

Luckily, more and more attention is being paid to conscious fashion and more and more small companies are popping up everywhere and growing. Footwear companies like olsenHaus (now sold at Nordstrom!), Cri de Coeur, Neuaura, and Melissa focus on vegan footwear. Stella McCartney avoids leather in her designs, so all of her shoes, belts, and handbags are vegan (but she does use silk, wool, and cashmere in her clothing). Melie Bianco, Matt & Nat, and Gunas are vegan “leather” accessory companies. Vegan coats can be found at Vaute Couture. Jann J. makes great silk-free ties. And of course, many designers who are not vegan, happen to create “accidentally vegan” pieces (like Marc Jacobs’s fabric bags or Givenchy’s jelly sandal). In that case a vegan needs to make the decision of whether they want to support a company that produces non-vegan pieces despite the availability of vegan ones. If the preference is to stick with only eco-conscious labels, check out any of the designers featured at Vancouver’s Eco Fashion Week. Fashion is becoming such a focus in the vegan community that the first annual Vida Vegan Con international blogging conference in Portland this August features a vegan fashion workshop.

It can, however, be pretty challenging to find quality sweaters, scarves, and hats that are not cashmere or wool, and it can be even harder to find blouses and dresses (especially wedding dresses!) that are not silk. But they are out there. (Check out The Cotton Bride and Lindee Daniel.)

With yarn being made out of bamboo, soy, hemp, lyocell, and ramie, cotton and linen (made from flax) are no longer the only plant-based options for knits. Bamboo is incredibly soft, durable, and even antibacterial. Soy is smooth like silk and drapey, with a similar feel as cashmere. Hemp functions much like linen. Lyocell, made from cellulose fibers, is better known as Tencel or modal. Ramie, made from a flowering plant in the nettle family, adds luster to any fabric with which it's blended. Of course, it is advisable to look for organic when possible to avoid the chemicals used in the production of the textiles, both for environmental and health reasons. For more info, TreeWool is a great vegan blog that posts information on the world of vegan knitwear.

polylactic acid dress, DyeCat-dyed fibers, kombucha-bacteria-grown cellulose "leather" jacket

And then there are truly experimental materials out there that show how turning to plants that we normally associate with food can lead us to innovation in the apparel design world.

Suzanne Lee at Central Saint Martins in London is developing cellulose “leather.” Her “Bio-Couture” project uses bacterial cultures in kombucha tea to grow what resembles transluscent leather. Check out a video on her work on The Discerning Brute.

Compostable “Ingeo,” a plastic called polylactic acid (PLA) that’s similar to polyester is manufactured from plants such as corn, wheat, sugar beet, mollases, sugar cane, or rice. Not only does Ingeo not use oil or take centuries to degrade, it can also use up waste from our landfills. And, of course, it makes a fabulous wedding gown as well.

DyeCat is a company that created a way to “dye” polyester or PLA as the fibers are produced, eliminating the need for dyeing in water afterwards, a practice that has lead to dumping of chemicals into bodies of water, causing massive environmental damage and health hazards for workers.

If some of these options seem too expensive and/or out-of-reach, fear not and keep in mind that doing the best you can is better than doing nothing and you can always aspire to do more. The key is to buy products made from plants whenever possible (organic being ideal) and to stop adding to the consumerism cycle. Shop vintage. Buy kapok instead of down. Avoid PVC. If not made of plants, buy recyclable materials, then actually recycle them. Compost fabric. Donate clothing. Support small-scale designers. Educate yourself.

The whole point of being a vegan is to do as little harm as possible. And I’m sure that, no matter what we each ate for dinner last night, we can all agree that that’s not a bad idea.

With Memorial Day just around the corner, it's time to talk about burgers (again). Yes, I know I just wrote about all-beef patties, but you don't need meat to make a tasty burger. Veggie burgers can be just as delicious as their beef counterparts, and healthier too.

Now when I say veggie burgers, I do not mean garden burgers. Just like any mass-produced food, frozen garden burgers are a quick commercially-made alternative to a true veggie burger. Making homemade vegetarian burgers is not much more difficult than preparing beef burgers (especially if you have a food processor) and you can modify the recipe for your own tastes and preferences. Plus they aren't full of sodium (unlike the frozen varieties).

There are numerous ways to make veggie burgers. Whether using mushrooms, vegetables, tofu or beans as a base, each recipe has something different to offer. I like making my burgers with beans because the texture, when pulsed in a food processor, is really perfect for shaping into patties. I also just like the flavor of beans. Other ingredients I tend to use are walnuts (which provide both substance and flavor), spinach (which helps bind the burger), carrots and onions. You'll also need to mix in a dry ingredient or the burger will disintegrate into the pan when you try to fry it (trust me on this as I've had it happen). The good news is that you can really use whatever you'd like, from bread crumbs to oatmeal, rice, bulgur or couscous (which is what I used when preparing the recipe below this week as I had some leftover from dinner the night before).

Seasonings are really whatever you want. If using black beans, try a tsp of cumin and 1/2 cup cilantro. If you want something with an Italian flavor, use cannellini beans and then add in some sun dried tomatoes and basil. Other flavorings could be chili powder, turmeric, curry powder, ginger, soy sauce or a variety of herbs. It's your burger, so mix in whatever sounds good.

Keep in mind that veggie burgers need to be cooked and prepared a little differently than meat burgers. Here are some tips and tricks to keep in mind:
• Don't over process the ingredients or else the burger will fall apart
• Cook in a nonstick pan (I use my cast-iron pans)
• Fry your burgers in a little bit of oil
• Handle your burgers carefully as veggie burgers are more fragile than meat burgers and tend to fall apart
• Chill your burgers before cooking (if time allows) as they will maintain their shape better
• Start off cooking in a hot skillet and then reduce the heat
• If you accidentally over process the beans, just add more dry ingredients
• Taste the bean mixture before adding the egg so you can determine if you have seasoned everything to your liking

Following is my bean burger recipe along with some links to other types of veggie burgers that you may find interesting. Some are vegan, some vegetarian and all worth considering.

*Apparently Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies (who knew?) so if you'd like to keep this vegetarian or vegan, you can substitute soy sauce.

Other Veggie Burgers That Look Good

Here's a list of recipes for veggie burgers that I haven't yet tried, but plan on preparing in the future.

• Moosewood's Mushroom Pecan Burgers from the venerable and reliable Moosewood Restaurant
• Summer Veggie Burger Made to Order by Mark Bittman
• The Simplest Bean Burgers from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything
• Tofu Burgers by 101 Cookbooks
• Cracked Wheat Burgers with Pickled Onions and Lime Slather from Better Homes and Gardens
• Greek Spinach Veggie Burgers from Better Homes and Gardens
• Bean Burgers from Alison Holst from Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Life
• Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger from Meatless Monday
• Mushroom Burgers With Almonds and Spinach from the New York Times Recipes for Health
• White Bean Burgers from the New York Times Recipes for Health