PENCIL, HORSESHOE AND WALRUS - WHAT DO THESE HAVE IN COMMON?

Robert Goulet: "I'm a prostate cancer survivor. When you or the person you love is diagnosed with cancer, the first thought is of the end, and that is our destiny, but I'm here to talk about the value of living with cancer. It's not an easy battle, but we need to believe life goes on even in the face of cancer, and life can become more full because of cancer."

The answer to the question in the title is, obviously: types of moustaches.  November, otherwise known as Movember , provides us all with an opportunity to raise awareness, to educate oneself, and (if you can find an organisation related to prostate cancer that you can support), donate to a good cause.

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer).  Seventy Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer every day.  Eleven men - brothers, fathers, friends, lovers, sons -  will die every day this year from prostate cancer (2011 statistics). 

Here are a few basic things you can do to lower risk factors, and to raise awareness.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1.  Have a healthy attitude about sex, and transmit this attitude to your kids.  They will be more likely to demand good screening (breast; cervical; uterine; ovarian; prostate; and if uncircumcised, penile) related to reproductive organs.   And teach your children that masturbation is a normal and healthy (although private, etc.) part of growing up.  Your sons will benefit from a lower risk of prostate cancer (citation here).

2.  Wear a light blue ribbon (colour of ribbon signifying prostate cancer awareness) in the month of November - or any month for that matter.

3.  If you are a man, insist on having a rectal exam with every yearly check-up.  (Of all the men I know, NONE of them have ever had a doctor who routinely does this.  It's not pleasant for patient or doctor, but it's over in a few seconds, and not exactly painful.)  If you are a woman, ask the men in your life if their doctors routinely do rectal exams, and if not, encourage them to demand it.

4.  If you are a man, discuss the pros and cons of testing for prostate cancer with your doctor.  Have this discussion before you are 45 if you have a brother or father who has been diagnosed with it, or if you are Black.  If not, have this discussion before you are 65.  (Citation here)

5.  Be aware of the recent links being shown between some forms of breast cancer and prostate cancer, and if biological relatives have had breast cancer, have an appropriate conversation with your doctor (Citation here).

6.  Grow a moustache, in support of prostate cancer awareness.  If you can't grow a moustache, support someone who can.

INFORM YOURSELF

"I don't know what truth is. Truth is something unattainable. We can't think we're creating truth with a camera. But what we can do, is reveal something to viewers that allows them to discover their own truth." —Michel Brault

This blog entry will be very short, but hopefully, one that will prove to help educate you.  My theory is that in order to be a good citizen, you have to be informed.  In order to be informed, you have to seek out information, and to think critically.

Documentaries can be an extremely useful tool in gaining information, in comparing view points, and in helping to shape a wealth of information that can help inform you, and help you make more informed choices.

Three of my favourite documentaries are:  Manufacturing Consent, The Corporation, and Why We Fight.  (In later blogs, I'll probably expand my list.)

Documentaries are entertaining as well as informative.  Needless to say, though, they must be viewed with a critical eye.  Documentaries, if for no other reason than the editing choices that are made when post-production occurs, are always biased.  They present information within a framed context.  This does not make them inaccurate, or untruthful - daily news uses the same process.  It does mean, however, that you need to think beyond the borders of the interpretation of the events presented by the film makers. 

The more documentaries you watch, the more capable you will be of comparing interpretations of facts, and of rooting out unstated biases.  These skills will serve you well as you watch news broadcasts, read news papers, and chat at cocktail parties.

Here's a great website to help you with your documentary viewing:  http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/

I challenge you to watch three documentaries over the next month.

FELLOWSHIP OF THE BOOK (AND TV SERIES, AND MOVIE, ETC.)

"One of the signs of passing youth is the birth of a sense of fellowship with other human beings as we take our place among them. "
Virginia Woolf

(Unlike my usual blog entries, if you are pressed for time, read the main blog entry, as the WHAT YOU CAN DO section is the longest section this time.)

I've been a science fiction buff for most of my life, and for well before it was considered 'cool' and part of pop-culture.  I've read  historical and foreign SF, like  We.  I've read more classical SF, like Brave New World.  I've read 19th century SF, like Frankenstein.  I have freely explored other genres, but I always seem to come back to Science Fiction.  Not just in books, either. I have a love of TV and movies that focus on SF as well.

For years I savoured my SF in solitude, operating under the myth that very few of us existed, and that we certainly were not among main-stream fiction consumers.  (Needless to say, I'm older than I look!)  Then, magically it seems, there was an explosion of Science Fiction lovers.  We slowly began to come out of the shadows, to collect in small groups which ventured out in public.  Star Trek conventions began, and after that, Comic-cons.  For over a decade I have wanted to attend,  to enjoy the fellowship of other Science Fiction lovers, and to relax in a big room where I am actually part of the 'in' crowd.  This year, I was finally able to do it.

Attending Comiccon may not seem like a natural fit to a blog about political and civic involvement, but I do think it's relevant.  Being engaged and involved doesn't always have to be a huge political statement, or entail great organizational effort.  Sometimes being involved can mean taking part in something fun for no other reason than fun.  Your participation adds to the collective (a very 'Borg' statement, if you'll excuse the pun).  Your attendance provides others with a chance to meet you and enjoy your views and excitement - as their attendance enhances your experience.  Sometimes fellowship itself is a goal worthy of effort. 

Science Fiction may not be 'your thing', but you can certainly find something that you are interested in, and that can be enhanced by the fellowship of other like-minded people.  I encourage you to find that something, or if you already know what it is, to continue to engage with others who are share your interest.  You can significantly add to their enjoyment and engagement, just by being you. 

For those of you who have never been to a Comiccon, or Science Fiction/Comic Book convention, below are some of the things I wish someone had told be before I went.  Hopefully, they will make your 'virginal voyage' more pleasant.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1.  If at all possible, buy the gold ticket.  The line-ups are insane. I had considerable stress because there were panel sessions(really a glorified Q & A session with 'stars' from the comic book, SF world) that I desperately wanted to attend, and I didn't know if there would be space left by the time I got there.  For instance, like most Buffy fans, I was dying (yes, Queen of the bad puns again!) to see James Marsters.  Below is a picture of the line-up to see him when I arrived, two-and-a-half hours before his panel discussion.(The goofy looking guy with a black t-shirt on, waving, marks my spot in line.)

 Gold ticket holders are guaranteed a seat in every panel they want, and don't have to wait in line.

2.  Lines were, generally, insane, as you can see by this picture.  This is the line is for those of us who bought our tickets the day before.  We got there two hours before Comiccon was to open the doors, and the line is actually much longer than it looks here (and yes, this is one line that wraps around.)  So....come prepared to be social, to talk to others in the line, and to learn.  We learned more than we thought was possible from one line-neighbour who was a comic book fan.  His discussion on DC vs. Marvel comics, and character changes under new management was fascinating.

Also, be prepared to bring something to keep yourself occupied during the waits.  There will be many many lines, and while you will meet incredibly interesting people, and learn amazing things, there will be some time for you to just stand, too.

3.  Look at the schedule of panelists, and do some research.  On the first day, I asked Michael Dorn a question I thought was pretty good.  I could tell from his answer that although he was incredibly polite (and gorgeous - my God, that man is beautiful!), he had been asked that question 1200 times before.  I went home and researched the panelists I wanted to see the next day.  I knew I was going to ask Adam West about Lookwell (if you haven't seen it, it's worth the effort to find it).  I thought it would be really rude not to ask  Burt Ward  a question.  Because I did my research, I was able to ask him about Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions, the non-profit he started with his fourth wife.  From his reaction, I gather it was a relatively new question, and it made the experience more fun for him, and for us.

4.  Don't overlook the older panelists.  Stan Lee was very popular, but Gil Gerard and Erin Gray

5.  Bring money.  You are bound to find something that you want to take home as a souvenir, whether it be a t-shirt (like the one I bought, shown on the left), or a book, or a sword, etc...

Some of the t-shirt companies have brilliant sayings, printed out on cards that you can take home and put on the fridge, or frame.  "Philosophy Majors - Blurring the line between 'artistic' and 'homeless' since 385 B.C." and "I was never actually a zombie.  Just a lonely cannibal trying to fit in." are two of my favourites, by Rock Paper Cynic (rockpapercynic.com).  Good, smart t-shirt makers deserve support.

There are also many comic/graphic novel artists there to gain a bit of publicity for their work. Take the time to browse a bit, and to ask questions. Many have on-line sites (daveswurld.wordpress.com, and heroesofthenorth.com). 

6.  If you're on a budget, be imaginative.  Pack a lunch and snacks, and water.  Keep an eye open for what can make a good souvenir.  for instance, a ticket stub for a movie can be laminated.  Used as a bookmark, it will not only be unique, but will bring you pleasure for years to come.

A business card card can also be laminated.

7.  Most of all, just have fun, and enjoy the fellowship of others.

THE IMPORTANCE OF 'OLD FASHIONED' RITUALS or BRINGING BACK THANK YOU CARDS

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”G.K. Chesterton

 

(As always, if you are pressed for time, skip down to the WHAT YOU CAN DO section of this entry.)

Abortion, captital punishement, male circumcision...all of these are extremely contentious and controversial issues.  I mention them here only to put this week's blog entry into perspective, as I am about to (no doubt) step on some toes and cause some discussion.  This week I am going to discuss the importance of (wait for it...):  Thank You Cards.  I'm going to try to 'bring them back'!

Thank you cards should be sent in appreciation and acknowledgement of gifts, for a meal or week-end trip, or in gratitude for something special you have received from someone.  Obviously one does not send a thank you card/note for everything, or one would never get up from one's desk!  However, they are sent far too rarely (in my opinion), and as this blog is about celebrating civic engagement, I think this counts.

Yes, I know it sounds incredibly old-fashioned.  I can also hear parents out there muttering about how crowded schedules are, and time management, and how hard it is to find time for anything let alone sitting down with one's child/children and teaching them the art of writing a thank you card.  Those who are childless/childfree will not doubt be muttering about lack of time and unnecessary formalities.  (I'm not perfect, and I have been known to get too busy to send out thank you cards too, so I do understand!)  Give me a chance to tell you why I think thank you cards are important. 

At it's most simple, a thank you card is an opportunity to acknowledge someone's thoughtfulness, to cement family and social relationships, and a chance to brighten someone else's day.  I think we've all had a card arrive unexpectedly in our mailbox, just telling us how someone else is thinking of us.  How much more special is it to receive a card acknowledging the fact that you have touched someone else's life, if only a little?

There are the very practical benifits of thank you cards.  They allow you a graceful way of acknowledging the receipt of a package or gift through the mail, or through a third party.  The gift-giver has confirmation that the gift has not been lost.

 

The gift-receiver has an opportunity to gracefully let the gift-giver know how much s/he liked the gift as well.  As with many social graces, gift giving and receiving is an exchange - the gift-giver receives pleasure from giving.  Lack of feedback from the gift-receiver robs the gift-giver from a lot of this pleasure. 

The gift-giver is also provided with an opportunity to analyze your response, and adjust future gifts if s/he feels that you didn't like it.  Note that I did not say "didn't appreciate it".  One can, and should, appreciate the time and effort that someone spends in choosing and sending a gift, even if the gift itself is a bit of a dud. 

However, one should also be honest about a gift (and there is a very easy 'code' for letting someone know you didn't like the gift while still being polite and showing appreciation).  It is entirely appropriate to thank someone for the thought ("I'm very grateful that you wanted to help keep me warm now that I'm living in Inuvik") and yet still providing useful feedback ("I tend to wear a lot of neutral colours in the office and red is a bit bright; however since the sweater is so warm and snuggly, it will be perfect for keeping me warm under my skido suite on week-ends".  )No one wants to spend time and money giving a gift that isn't liked - by providing an honest and tactful response, you save the giver from making the same mistake again, and provide him/her with useful information.  You can also be less direct ("thank you for wanting to keep me warm - so thoughtful of you!") and allow the giver to follow up if s/he chooses.

Thank you cards also provide you with an opportunity to revisite being grateful.  It cements the fact that someone thought of you. It helps chase out the blues and 'no one cares' on bad days, and it helps you to remember it on good days.  It provides the gift-giverwith concrete proof of their importance, and your care, on their 'blue' days as well.

From a business standpoint, appropriate use of thank you cards can also help you stand out from the crowd (in a good way), as they are rare these days.  I actually got a job offer once because, without thinking, I had sent a thank you card to the host of a party I had been invited to.  It was so unusual, evidentally, and impressed both the host (who was a large donor to the non-profit organization where I was volunteering)  and the Executive Director , that they created a job for me. 

Thank you cards do not have to be sent by snail-mail either.  Care 2 has an amazing assortment of free ecards, including thank you cards, that you can email out once you have an account.  I know there are other sites out there that provide e-cards as well.  Know when it is appropriate to send a thank you note by email (for a job interview, for something less formal, etc.) and when it is appropriate to send a thank you card by snail mail (to a grandmother for a gift, to a host for a formal party, for a wedding gift or a donation in memory of a loved one).

There is a basic formula for writing a thank you card.  Amy Vanderbilt has an excellent section in her book (and yes, I do own and use it - it's one of the first books I bought myself when I got my own apartment years back, and I've never regreted it).  I've paraphrased somewhat, but here is my adaptation of her formula:

For Gifts:

1. Adress the person/people you are thanking.
2. Mention who is doing the thanking (you, you and your partner, you and your two children, etc.)
3. Thank the person for the gift.
4. Mention something about the gift.
5. End on an upbeat note.

An example would be:

Oct. 12, 2011

Dear Amy and Fred:

Stewart and I would like to thank you both for the lovely vase.  It's the perfect size for our dining room table, and we plan on using it for flowers we cut from our garden this coming summer.  We will think of your thoughtfulness every time we use it.

It's so wonderful having friends like you in our lives!

(then you sign the letter)

For a Party/meal, etc.:

1. Adress the person/people you are thanking.
2. Mention who is doing the thanking (you, you and your partner, you and your two children, etc.)
3. Thank the person for the hospitality and the meal.
4. Mention something noteworthy about the evening/time spent.
5. End on an upbeat note.

An example would be:

Oct. 12, 2011

Dear Jean:

I am so grateful to you for all the effort you went to to provide me with a vegan option at your dinner party on Saturday.  I know that it was extra work added to an already stressful day, and I did want you to know how much I appreciated the wonderful meal. 

It was also lovely being able to meet some of your friends (Yumi is a fountain of good book recommendations, isn't she?).

I'm so lucky to have a friend like you!

(sign your name)

For a job interview:

1. Address the person (if a committee, you may send an email to each committee member, or one addressed to the committee c/o the contact you have for the application)
2. Thank the member/s for taking the time to meet with you, and providing you with an opportunity to interview for the job.
3. Mention how much you appreciated the opportunity to meet with the committee member/s, and getting to know a bit more about the position and the company/organization.
4. If you have additional items that you would like to mention (for instance, you have contacted your references and they are expecting to hear from them, or a list of your references, or something that you said in the interview that you would check on - now is the time).
5. Sign off with something along the lines of how it was a pleasure being able to meet with them.

An example would be as follows (sent by email, professionally formatted):

Dear Mr. Smith:

I greatly appreciate having the opportunity to interview with you yesterday morning.  I am grateful I had the opportunity to meet you and your fellow committee members, and to learn more about the Computer Programmer position with your company, as well as about IBM in general. 

Further to our discussion, I have contacted my references.  They are expecting your call.  Their contact information is as follows:

Amy Smith

General Manager, Kodac 

asmith@makeupemailaddress.com

514-555-0000, loc. 613

John Jones

CEO, Russian Storehouse

jjones@anothermadeupaddress.com

1-800-555-0000, loc. 111

Once again, I thank you for your time.

A. Apathy

So, here are a few things you can do to bring back Thank You Cards:

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1.  If you have children, get them involved in writing thank you notes, even if they can't write yet. 

Have them draw a picture in the card after you have written down what they want to say. 

If they are older than a year and a half, but younger than pre-school age, write a short note for them and have them 'sign' it with a thumbprint while you explain to them (briefly) why you are doing this.  (Yes, they are young - but this is a beginning of a habit, and as you will be setting an example and writing the thank you note anyway, it's a great way to include them.) 

If they are old enough to write a card, then get them to write simple sentences (don't correct for spelling - the idea is to get them to write something heartfelt within a shortened version of 'the formula'.) 

As they grow older, let them know it is their responsibility and they are simply expected to do so.  Let them choose a box of thank you cards that they like.  Introduce them to an ecard site for times that emailing a thank you card is appropriate. Make writing thank you notes part of a ritual.  For instance, in our family Dec. 26th was the day we wrote thank you cards for Christmas presents.  As we grew older, we organized the list of cards to write and divied it up over a week (this is still, mostly, my system). 

2.  Research various time-lines for thank you cards (wedding gifts, etc.).

3.  Buy some nice thank you cards for yourself.

4.  Write thank you notes and cards. 

5.  Especially write thank you cards to children, so that they can see how much fun it can be to get one.

 

 

VEGANIZED BANANA BREAD or APPLESAUCE LOAF WITH A TANTRUM

"Many people have eaten my cooking and gone on to live normal lives."  Anonymous.

 (As always, scroll down to the WHAT YOU CAN DO section if you are in a hurry.  However, do not simply skim the recipes this time, as there were some tricky substitutions.)

So, today I decided to use up an icky banana (you know, the over-ripe, makes-you-want-to-gag-from-the-smell-but-perfect-for-baking kind of banana).  Cold fall day, great day for baking banana bread.  Thought it would also make a great blog entry, as it seems that I really am going to write that cookbook.  So, here we go! 

Recap:  My system for veganizing recipes can be summed up by LARI (List, Analyze, Replace or Ignore).  Here's a great banana bread recipe from one of my favourite non-vegan cookbooks, called Best Recipes Under the Sun, by Marion Kane:

Amazing Banana Bread

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 ripe bananas

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 chup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly butter 9 x 5 inch/2 L loaf pan

beat together oil, bananas, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in bowl.

Sift flour, baking soda, spices into separate bowl.  Stir into banana mixture.  Stir in walnuts, chocolate chips an coconut.  Pout into pan.  Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Now for LARI:

I knew right off the bat that I didn't have any vegan chocolate chips (becoming increasingly hard to find vegan chocolate - even most dark chocolate has milk ingredients these days).  I also didn't have any walnuts.  As yummy as they would be, the purpose they serve in this recipe is to add flavour and texture - a nice but unnecessary addition, so I choose to ignore them. 

Vegetable oil is vegan, so no need to tamper with it.  I only had one icky banana, so I knew I would have to adjust the recipe a bit, as the banana not only adds flavour and moisture, but also serves as a bit of a binder in baked goods. Still, bananas are vegan, so no need to replace it. 

Sugar adds sweetness - but I find that most recipes call for too much sugar, and I only have brown sugar in the house, so I will be replacing the granulated sugar with a lesser amount of brown sugar.

The eggs serve as binders, and given the fact that I have reduced the banana (also a binder), I do need to make sure that I use some sort of additional binder in this recipe.  My binder of choice for muffins and breads is ground flax seeds. 

(There are a few things that vegans have to be careful about in terms of nutrition, and Omega-3-Fatty-Acids are one of them.  There is an excellent treatment of Fatty Acid requirements, and vegetarian and vegan challenges in Becoming Vegan, by Brenda Davis, R.D. & Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D.  If you are interested you should really read this book - it is amazing.  Short-story-long, I try to eat 2 tbsp of ground flax seeds every day, so that my body has enough of the 'ingredients' it needs to convert other fatty acids into Omega-3-fatty-acid.)

You can buy flax seeds, keep them in the freezer, and then grind them in a coffee grinder.  I usually do a bunch at a time, and then freeze the ground flax seeds as well.  Here you can see what unground flax seeds look like.

This is what they look like ground up.

1 Tbsp of ground flax seeds + 2 1/2 Tbsp of water = 1 egg in baking. 

Mix the flax seeds and water together, and let it sit.  It will become gelatinous and thick (can take up to 20 minutes - just stir every now and then.)



This is what they look like once they get nice and thick. 

I rarely use vanilla, not because it's non-vegan, but just because I don't like to use alcohol in my cooking, and most vanilla is actually vanilla flavoured rum (or some other type of alcohol).  This is a personal choice, and there is nothing wrong with either keeping the vanilla when veganizing recipes, or ignoring it if you choose.  In this case, I ignored it and added other flavourings.

All-purpose flour and baking soda are already vegan, so I could keep them.  However, as I only keep brown flour in the house (again, simply a personal choice) for this recipe I substituted brown flour for the white.

Coconut is vegan, so I kept it.  So, here's the veganized version as I made it (NOTE - YOU NEED TO READ THIS THROUGH BEFORE YOU TRY IT.)

MY ATTEMPT TO VEGANIZE BANANA BREAD TODAY

(or APPLE SAUCE LOAF WITH A TANTRUM)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a loaf pan.

Mix 2 Tbsp of flax seeds with 5 Tbsp of water and let sit, stirring occasionally, until thick and gelatinous.

1 1/4 cup brown flour

1 tsp baking soda (sifted into flour)

1/2 cup shredded coconut.

Spices to taste (I added ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon)

Mix above together in a bowl and set aside.

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup sugar

Mix together.  Go to fridge to get the icky banana.  See how beautiful the fridge looks and realize that your boyfriend has cleaned it out.  Spend 15 minutes trying to find the banana in the fridge, then freezer, using incrementally nastier words for people who don't put things back where they found them.  Realize that your boyfriend has probably thrown out the icky banana, in spite of the fact that you told him very clearly that you would be making banana bread with it.  Spend 20 minutes inventing new swear words and having a temper tantrum.  Try to find a substitute to save the food that has already been mixed, and to save the efforts towards your blog entry.  Find a jar of apple sauce.  Realize that apple sauce also has binding qualities. 

Measure out 1/2 cup of apple sauce, keeping jar handy so that you can adjust moisture level if needed as you are now completely F***ING WINGING IT.

Mix apple sauce in with wet ingredients. (Realize that the moisture level is fine with 1/2 cup apple sauce, so put the jar away in the fridge.)

Take a few spoonfuls of wet ingredients and mix in with flax seeds until smooth.  Repeat.  Now mix flax seeds into wet ingredients (now they won't lump up and will be evenly distributed).  Mix dry ingredients into wet.  Stir.  Pour into pan.  Realize that the batter does not have the same volume or density as the original recipe, so put timer on for 30 minutes, check it, and eventually settle on baking it for 35 minutes (or until done). 

Decide to thank boyfriend for cleaning out fridge, and try not to start fight when he gets home.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1. Check to make sure that you have all the ingredients you need before you start
2. Get to know the 'science' of baking and cooking, so that you can adjust and substitute
3. Try to veganize one of your muffin or bread recipes.

POTATOE SALAD VEGANIZED THREE WAYS

"If you invite me to dinner, you should feed me.  Expecting me to bring my own food is just rude!"
Me, to someone who asked me to bring my own food to a dinner party.

(As always, if pressed for time, please scroll down to the WHAT CAN YOU DO section of this blog.)

I became a vegan about nine years ago.  I found that almost immediately I began to feel like a liability at dinner parties.  I knew that while some people had no problem figuring out what to feed me, others found it incredibly challenging.  I really hated feeling like a burden, so I frequently offered to bring my own food.  

Then one magical day friends of mine sat me down and told me that it was actually rude of me to offer to bring my own food.  They had invited me.  It was up to them to feed me.  It was one of those 'Aha!' moments for me, and I began to understand that I had no need to appologize for living my ethical and healthty choice. 

Once that happened, I completely changed my attitude.  I now expect to be fed when invited to dinner, in the same way that I gladly feed those with dietary restrictions when I host a meal. That doesn't mean, however, that I am ignorant of how challenging it can be to some people. 

For years now I have talked about writing a cookbook that provides two versions of the same dish and/or meal, one vegan and one non-vegan, so that those with loved-ones can 'veganize' their food.  I will write that cookbook one day, too.  I even have a title: "Veganize it! A Painless Meal Conversion System".  Vegan food can be be delicious and pretty, as well.  For instance, can you tell which bowl of potatoe salad (above) is vegan?

One of my friends suggested that I start using this blog occasionally to write about this, and it seemed like a good testing ground, so here it goes.

THE SYSTEM

Veganizing a dish involves four simple steps:  List, Analyze, Replace or Ignore (or LARI for short).  I'm going to take you through this process using something relatively simple, like potatoe salad.

POTATOE SALAD

So, the first step is to list the ingredients.  Potatoe Salad tends to be a family-tradition type of thing.  I'm going to take you through my version.

Ingredients:

1. Potatoes
2. shredded carrots
3. veggies (celery, broccoli, whatever I feel like that day - for this blog entry I used cold steamed peas and parsley)
4. mayonaise
5. paprika

The next step is to Analyze.  So...Potatoes, carrots, veggies, and paprika are all vegan.  Mayonaise is not.  Now, you have to choose to Replace it, or Ignore it.  Potatoe salad without any dressing just sucks.  We all know this.  So, my choice it to replace the mayonaise with something else.

Let me take you through cooking steps:

Cut up the potatoes, and cook them.  (You want them to be firm.  Mushy potatoe salad is one style, but not mine.)

Add shredded carrots, and the veggies of your choice.  (Here I have the peas and parsley, but as I said, you could add celery, chopped broccoli, green beans, cooked or shredded beats, etc.)

Toss all the veggies together.  Now, you have a number of choices.  The first choice is whether to remove a portion of the salad for your vegan guest/s, and have one non-vegan and one vegan version, or to go vegan-all-the-way.

If you choose the former, toss the non-vegan portion with mayonaise, or a combination of 3 parts mayonaise and one part vinegar (makes it nice and 'bitey'.)

Now, for the vegan portions, you have more choices.  You can replace the mayonaise with Nayonaise, which is a commercial vegan mayonaise substitute. 

You can get Nayonaise at many health food stores, and even if you aren't a vegan, the nutritional breakdown is impressive.  (I promise you it tastes good too, and I don't lie about stuff like that!)

Nutritional Breakdown per 1 Tbsp	Mayonaise	Nayonaise
Calories	100	35
Fat	11 g	3.5 g
Sodium	80 mg	115 mg
Carbohydrates	0	1 g



 

You have a couple of other options for replacing the dressing, too.  You can replace the mayonaise or with a mustard vinegrette (3 parts oil, 1 part vinegar of your choice, 1 part mustard of your choice - whisk until emmulsified), or with a really high quality salsa (and you do have to use a brand you like for this - it makes a difference).  Both of these versions also have the advantage of being really great to bring to picnics, or to pack for lunch, as you don't have to worry about food poisoning and bacterial growth in the hot sun.  So, here are the four versions you can make:

 

Vegan potatoe salad with Nayonaise (shown on right in the opening shot).

Regular potatoe salad, with mayonaise (shown on the left up top).

Potatoe salad with salsa.

Potatoe salad with mustard vinegrette.

Now, obviously there are variations.  Some people add pickles (and if you so, I would suggest that you do not add the vinegar to the mayonaise/nayonaise in the first two versions).  Pickles are vegan, so no worries. 

Some people add bacon.  You can either use vegan bacon-bits and add them just before serving so they don't get soggy, or you can get Yves' bacon slice replacements, fry them until they are crisp, and toss them in. You can also choose to omit them.

Some people add eggs.  Eggs are not vegan, so now you have to choose to replace them or ignore them.  Personally, I recommend ignoring them in this case, but if they are important to you, you need to really analyze the eggs.  There are no ready-made vegan versions to use as a replacement, so you need to analyze the eggs as ingredients.  They add a bit of chewey texture, they add a yellow colour, and they add a sulpher-like taste.  The texture can be somewhat (but in my opinion, not successfully) replicated by cubing firm non-silken tofu and tossing it in with the salad.  The sulpher-like taste can be replaced by adding 1 tsp onion powder and 1/2 tsp garlic powder for every 4-6 eggs you want to replace (you need to taste-test this yourself).  The yellow colour can be compensated a bit by adding some tumeric.

So, there you have it: Potatoe Salad Veganized Three Ways! 

WHAT YOU CAN DO



1. If you have invited a vegan to dinner, do not be afraid to ask questions about what s/he can eat!  Like Catholics, vegans come in various forms of 'observant'.  For instance, honey is not considered to be vegan, but I have no problem eating honey. Also, most of us understand that it may take some time to learn the ins and outs of our restrictions.
2. When planning a menu, either plan a menu that is entirely vegan, or (and this is what works for most people), or choose a menu that is easy to 'veganize' a portion of.  This means either making dishes that can easily be portioned out before the non-vegan ingredients are added, or a meal that has mostly vegan dishes and only one or two non-vegan items that have to be replaced (for instance, all vegan side-dishes and steak for the omnivores and tofu for the vegan/s). 
3. Eat vegan dishes a bit more often (better for your health and the world - I will get to a blog on veganism at some point, I promise!)
4. Send me ideas of food you want veganized!
5. If you feel that veganizing is just beyond you, invite your vegan friend/family member over for a cooking party to teach you, or go to a restaurant that is vegan friendly.  STAY AWAY FROM REGULAR BOUFFETS.  They are almost always nightmares.  I have literally been to family get-togethers where the only thing I could eat was lettuce and coffee (black), and I had to pay $15 for this.  Get feedback from 'your vegan' if you aren't sure where to go.

Now, go and enjoy!

 

 

RECAP OF PREVIOUS ENTRIES - AKA I didn't have a chance to pre-prepare for this week!

Dear Readers:

I am still in Ottawa.  I did not expect to be here quite this long, and so did not pre-prepare a blog entry for this week.  I thought that I would simply provide a list of previously published blog entries for those of you who might want to 'catch up' on entries you haven't had time to read yet.  I plan on blogging in my usual way next week.

In terms of WHAT YOU CAN DO, feel free to re-visit, or to discover, a previous WHAT YOU CAN DO list, and work towards a few items.  You can also send me suggestions for future blog subjects.  (Thanks to those who have already done so!). 

Here's my list:

May 5, 2011 - Welcome
May 18, 2011 - Hunger
May 24, 2011 - For the Love of Books
June 5, 2011 - Elimination of the Per-Vote Subsidy
June 12, 2011 - Celebrating: Daniel Bonin
June 16, 2011 - Celebrating: Shara Rosen
June 19, 2011 - Update: FATFAC Candle Light Vigil
June 26, 2011 - The Joys of Public Transit
July 3, 2011 - Wildflower and Rescue Gardening
July 8, 2011 - Graffito - Art or Crime?
July 10, 2011 - Correction to "Graffito - Art or Crime?"
July 11, 2011 - Reconsidering Lawns
July 15, 2011 - Update: Reconsidering Lawns and Julie Bass
July 22, 2011 - Walking, Biking, Riding, and Driving - But not Necessarily in That Order
July 25, 2011 - Bee Active
Aug. 2, 2011 - The Benifits of Enjoying Art
Aug. 10, 2011 - The Benifits of Enjoying Art, Part 2
Aug. 17, 2011 - The Benifits of Enjoying Art, Part 3
Aug. 25, 2011 - Fifteen People You Should Know More About
Aug. 31, 2011 - Going to the Office to Feed Worms.

There you have it, Dear Reader.  I promise to have something interesting for you next week!

Aunti Apathy