Summer 2012 - Vegetarian Network of Austin

Vol. XVI Issue 3
Early Summer 2012
Austin Vegetarian Living
The Newsletter of the Vegetarian Network of Austin
In this issue ...
Austin’s First Roving Vegetarian/Vegan
Food Truck Ready to Rock This Summer
About The VNA........................... 2
By Stevie Duda, VNA Newsletter Editor
Photos from Recent Events ..... 3
News and Notes .......................... 4
Newly opened restaurants
New and relocated food trucks and trailers
Four new grocery stores opening
Vegan grocery “pop-up shops” around town
Sunflower and Sprouts Merger
Red Rabbit Bakery goods at Wheatsville
New Zico Flavor Debuts in June
New Vegan Health and Fitness Magazine
New Engine 2 Book Coming Next Year
Lance Armstrong’s Fitness Secret
Community Calendar..............6-7
Austin’s first completely mobile vegetarian/
vegan food truck is gearing
up to hit town in a big
way. Guac N Roll is a
half-vegetarian, half-vegan
food truck with a rock n’
roll theme, that is hoping
to please the omnivores
as well. Benjamin Miller
will be serving up “bad-ass
vegetarian food”, starting
with a soft opening in July. “We’ll have
vegans covered just as much as vegetarians”,
Benjamin explained.
They will be serving three artisanal freshmade guacamoles (two of
them are vegan), two salsas
(a red and a green), both
served with warm locallymade El Milagro chips,
tamales made with coconut
oil so they’re not as dry
as your average tamale,
soups (chilled ones for
summer), and desserts such
as push-up pops and granitas. Almost
everything on the menu is gluten-free.
The initial regular menu will be limited, but
Benjamin will be rocking us with lots of his
other recipes via daily specials.
Current/upcoming events, meetings of
local groups, food and cooking classes,
and farmers’ markets
Guac N Roll will serve an all-natural,
seasonal menu of Mexican and Latin dishes.
The VNA Goes To Falafel
Restaurant Maoz Vegetarian .... 8
Help Austin Move Beyond Coal
Cheezy Sauce Recipe ............. 10
T-shirts and VegNews Offer.... 11
Classified Ads .......................... 11
VNA Event Calendar ................ 12
Monthly potlucks, restaurant visits
and board meetings
Help support the Vegetarian Network
of Austin by subscribing to
Austin Vegetarian Living
See Page 11 for details.
Vegetarian
Network of Austin
www.VegNetAustin.org
See Guac N Roll, page 5
By Garrett Mize, VNA director
Vegetarians and vegans understand
the importance of protecting the
environment—we do it every time we
eat! Animal agriculture has long been
known to be devastatingly destructive
to the environment. Meat-,
dairy- and egg-based
diets are the culinary
equivalent of driving
a Hummer. Scientists
have understood for a
good deal of time now
that animal agriculture is
a leading cause of global
warming—but the extent of this
problem is finally being realized. A
recent report authored by Jeff Anhang,
a research officer and environmental
specialist at the World Bank Group’s
International Finance Corporation,
and Robert Goodland, former World
Bank economist, demonstrates that
the source of at least 51% of humancaused greenhouse gasses is animal
agriculture. That is more than all forms
of transportation combined. Clearly
a vegetarian/vegan diet is the most
powerful step we can take to protect the
environment. But while meat,
dairy and egg production
accounts for the majority of
greenhouse gasses produced
by humans, we still need to
act to reduce other sources
of the pollution that causes
climate change.
Recently, I participated in the
Austin Beyond Coal campaign by
hosting a house party to raise awareness
about clean energy. Austin Beyond Coal
is a project of the Sierra Club, a national
environmental advocacy organization
whose mission is to “Enjoy, Explore
and Protect the Planet”. The Sierra Club
maintains a regional chapter in Austin
and locally, this campaign is focused on
encouraging the City of Austin to phase
See Beyond Coal, page 3
News for Austin’s Vegetarian Community
© 2012 Vegetarian Network of Austin
The Vegetarian Network of Austin
Austin Vegetarian Living is published bi-monthly by the
Vegetarian Network of Austin, P.O. Box 49333, Austin, Texas 78765-9333.
Subscriptions are mailed to paid members.
Executive Board of Officers
Chairman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jerry Amundson . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Secretary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rupert Hazle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Treasurer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boris Veltman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Communications Director, Webmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brendan Good . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Events Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brittany Reutzel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Newsletter Editor, Online Cookbook Manager, Librarian, Historian . . . . . . . . . . . Stevie Duda . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Membership Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kathy Monte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Sponsoring Directors
Stanley and Erika Rogala • Chris Delevoryas • Marsha and Randy Streu
Dennis and Morgan Stock • Linda and Sean Carney • Stevie Duda and Brendan Good
About The VNA
Membership in the Vegetarian Network of Austin (VNA) is open to anyone interested in a vegetarian lifestyle. Our organization meets
regularly for food, fun, support and to exchange information and ideas. We host monthly vegan potlucks and patronize local vegetarianfriendly restaurants; non-members are welcome to attend. We also meet for social gatherings and public outreach.
Our website, www.VegNetAustin.org, lists activities and events in which the group participates, as well as contact and other information.
We communicate to members and other interested persons by e-mail via our Yahoo! Group. You can also join our online communities
on Facebook and Meetup, and follow us on Twitter. We also maintain a vegan cookbook on Food.com. See below for the addresses.
We periodically advertise and promote special events, such as the annual Lone Star Vegetarian Chili Cook-Off, and sponsor special
guest speakers.
The VNA is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization consisting of an elected, all-volunteer Executive Board and dedicated members
like you. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
We and our activities would not exist without your membership dues. Thank you for your support!
Find the VNA online:
Website: www.VegNetAustin.org
Recipes: Food.com/member/585141
Yahoo! Group: Groups.Yahoo.com/group/VegNetAustin
We Need
Your
Help!
Facebook: Facebook.com/groups/VegNetworkAustin
Meetup.com: Meetup.com/VegNetAustin
Twitter: @VegNetAustin
Please help us with our Austin Vegetarian Living newsletter!
E-mail your submissions of all kinds to [email protected]
(please start your subject line with “NEWS” to stand out from the spam):
• Articles (find or write)
• Restaurant Reviews
• Event Photos
• News items
• Web links
• Calendar items (non-VNA events) • Recipes
• Volunteer for a Member Profile
• Cartoons
Advertising
Austin Vegetarian Living is published five times per year: in the winter, spring, twice in the summer, and autumn. The
print run is 500 copies. The newsletter is mailed to registered members and is distributed to restaurants, grocery stores,
and other locations in Austin.
Advertisements run by the issue or for an entire year with a one-third discounted price. Below are ad sizes and rates. To
purchase an ad or for more information, e-mail our Communications Director at [email protected].
Quarter page: $25 per ad or $100 per year
Half page: $45 per ad or $180 per year
Three-quarter page: $70 per ad or $280 per year
2
Austin Vegetarian Living—Early Summer 2012
Beyond Coal, continued from page 1
Photos from Recent Events
out the use of dirty coal plants—specifically, the Fayette coal
plant. Currently, Austin uses a diversity of energy sources
to create electricity—wind and solar power among them.
However, our city currently owns stake in, and still uses, the
Fayette coal power plant.
While Austin has made great strides to become a green
leader in the nation, we can always do better and improve.
As an Eagle Scout, I was taught to leave a campsite cleaner
than I found it—that same lesson applies to our environment
and our city. We have a unique opportunity in Austin because
Austin Energy, our utility company, is publicly-owned by
Austin residents and is controlled by Austin City Council.
This means we have the opportunity to ensure that our
voice is heard on this issue by people who have the ability
to act and make influential decisions. The City of Austin’s
facilities and buildings are already running on 100% clean
energy—no small feat. We need to keep pushing until the
entire city—every light bulb and every TV—runs on 100%
clean, renewable energy. This is a long-term goal, but by
organizing a grassroots movement today, we can eventually
achieve this aim.
Fortunately, Mayor Lee Leffingwell and Austin City Council
members have committed to eventually phasing out the
use of the Fayette power plant. However, they have only
expressed this verbally and need to make it official policy.
The city has taken the first steps to move beyond coal, but
we need to continue to urge them to put their words into
action so that Austin can be coal-free by 2016. Hopefully
then, Austin’s share of the plant will be retired and no longer
used. Nonetheless, when Austin eventually stops using coal
to create electricity, it will send a message to other cities and
communities across the nation that dirty coal is no longer a
responsible or acceptable way of producing energy.
Austin may be the “Live Music Capital of the World”, but
we need to embrace the mayor’s vision to become the “Clean
Energy Capital of the World” too. If the vegetarian and
vegan community became involved in this campaign, I am
confident that we could contribute to making real change.
Vegetarians and vegans are a large part of this community,
with a vested interest in the environment. If we make our
voice heard on this issue, we can ensure that it will be heard
on other issues as well. !
The Austin Beyond Coal campaign needs more
people to get involved. A good way to start will be
at the next leadership training on June 30th at
6002 Jain Lane. See their Facebook page at
www.TinyURL.com/AustinBeyondCoal, or you can
contact the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club by calling
(512) 477-1729, or email [email protected].
About The Author
Garrett Mize, a VNA director, serves on the Board of
Directors for Sunny Day Farms Animal Sanctuary and
co-founded University Vegetarians at the University of
Texas. He works as the Youth Advocacy Coordinator
for the Texas Freedom Network. In his spare time, he
writes about the need for the progressive movement
to champion animal rights and support a vegan diet
and lifestyle at www.GarrettMize.com.
Austin Vegetarian Living—Early Summer 2012
The VNA handed out newsletters, restaurant guides and starter kits at
several events this spring, including the Spring Alive Festival (left). At
ACC’s Earth Fair 2012 (right), we signed up ten people to “go veg” during
Compassion Over Killing’s VegWeek 2012.
The first Texas VegFest (right) on
March 31st was a huge success,
both for the festival (which had
3500 attendees) and for the VNA,
which sold over 30 of our new “I
[Texas] Vegan” shirts, and signed
up three new directorships. See
page 11 to learn how to buy a shirt.
At the VNA’s April 14 potluck, we
were joined by Phil Eherenman (left)
from the Alaska Vegetarian Society.
He gave a cooking demo for his vegan
Cheezy Sauce (recipe on pg. 10) at the
home of VNA director Stephanie
Maiman (standing beside Phil).
The fourth semi-annual Gathering
of the Tribes on April 21 (right),
Austin’s largest vegan potluck
picnic, had a record 128 attendees
for this spring’s edition. Thanks
to dozens of local veg-friendly
businesses who donated raffle prizes,
$500 was raised to benefit Sunny
Day Farms animal sanctuary.
At the “Taste of Health” Austin Chef Showdown on May 12, Beets Café
won Best in Show with their raw “veggie meat” tacos. (Left to right: Event
Coordinator Jennifer Conroy, Beets owner Sylvia Heisey, KVUE’s Quita
Culpepper). Meanwhile, VNA Newsletter Editor Stevie Duda found out
you never know who you might run into when you wear the VNA shirt.
Counter Culture had the grand
opening of their new full-service
restaurant on May 30th. Owner Sue
Davis (left) had her mom come for the
big event. The VNA visited Counter
Culture for their May Restaurant
Visit a week earlier.
Photo credits: VNA director Allan
Campbell (photo 1), Ross Abel (photo 3),
VNA officers Stevie Duda and Brendan Good
3
Austin News and Notes by Brendan Good and Stevie Duda, VNA officers
Restaurants and Food Trailers and Trucks
Please e-mail submissions for this page
to [email protected].
Start your subject line with “NEWS” to
stand out from the spam.
The much-anticipated return of Counter Culture, at 2337 E. Cesar
Chavez, was celebrated with a Grand Re-opening on May 30th. See
photo on page 3. Meanwhile, the old Counter Culture trailer has been
reborn as Schmaltz, a new veggie trailer serving classic Jewish deli
food, located just up the street at 913 E. Cesar Chavez behind Domy,
open afternoons. And at Counter Culture’s old spot on E. North Loop
Blvd at Avenue F, new trailer Vegan Nom is “rockin’ vegan tacos” for
breakfast and lunch.
Guac N Roll, Austin’s first roving vegetarian/vegan truck, is gearing
up to open sometime in July. See article on page 1.
Kristen Davenport opened her new vegan dessert trailer, Capital
City Bakery, on May 25th at Longhorn Food Court. With Conscious
Cravings already there, the weekly pop-up shops from Rabbit Food
Grocery (see below), and the addition of Moses Falafel, a kosher and
vegan trailer that used to be at Hart Lane in Northwest Austin, the
Longhorn Food Court is the vegan-friendliest food court in town.
Nomad Dosa, the Indian vegetarian trailer that was on E. 34th St. near
I-35, has moved to South Congress, at the trailer park between Milton
and Monroe that also has Hey Cupcake.
Vegan-friendly trailer Sun Farms Kitchens has re-opened at Kenny
Dorham’s Backyard, at 1106 East 11th St.
A new veg-friendly Indian restaurant, Pakwan Indian Restaurant and
Bar, has opened in South Austin, at 3601 W. William Cannon Dr.
Also opening a new South Austin location will be Wheatsville
Food Co-op, shooting for spring 2013, at Lamar Oaks off Ben
White and South Lamar.
The newcomer on the scene will be Trader Joe’s, finally coming to
Austin, with their first store to open in 2013 at the Seaholm Power
Plant redevelopment.
Two of the other big names in Austin’s natural grocers, Sprouts
and Sunflower, have completed their corporate merger, with all
Sunflowers becoming Sprouts. The Sunflower at William Cannon
Drive and Manchaca Road in South Austin will be getting new
signage in July.
Austin’s first all-vegan grocery store, Rabbit Food Grocery, has
been operating “pop-up shops” for a few hours a day two days a
week at various locations around town. Look for them at Longhorn
Food Court on Sundays and at South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery
on South First on Fridays. You can also order from their website
(www.RabbitFoodGrocery.com), and pick up your order from them
at one of their pop-ups. See their ad below.
Grocers
Food and Drink
Suddenly, Austin is getting an explosion of new grocery stores that are
particularly veg-friendly. The newest location of Whole Foods Market
has opened in Bee Cave, at the Hill Country Galleria on Highway 71.
Whole Foods is also opening their first South Austin store on June 19,
at Arbor Trails on MoPac (Loop 1) near William Cannon.
Vegan baked goods from Red Rabbit Bakery are now available at
Wheatsville Food Co-op, including their famous doughnuts.
Zico’s newest coconut water flavor, the Zico Latte, will hit stores
in June. The VNA got to preview it at our April potluck.
People
The first issue of Vegan Health & Fitness magazine is on
sale now at an introductory price of $10. Vegan body builder
Robert Cheeke (now an Austin resident) is on the cover.
See www.VeganHealthAndFitnessMag.com.
Rip Esselstyn has just completed his latest book, which will include
how to win an argument with a meat-eater, on 35 topics, plus 140
new Engine 2 Diet recipes. It will go on sale in May 2013.
In an interview with the Huffington Post, seven-time Tour
de France champ Lance Armstrong revealed his newest
training secret. He fuels his fitness with a primarily vegan diet.
See TinyURL.com/LanceEatsVegan.
4
Austin Vegetarian Living—Early Summer 2012
Guac N Roll, continued from page 1
His partner (and spouse) is Ashlea Miller, a writer for Whole Foods
Market’s Global headquarters by day and food-taster by night.
Benjamin and Ashlea moved to Austin in September 2011. On an
earlier visit, they realized how veg- and small-business-friendly
our town is. Benjamin, who worked in restaurants and has been
vegetarian for 10 years, wanted to open a vegetarian business, and
this concept popped into his mind. What motivates him, is making
food that people would be excited to go out for. His plan is to bring
us something unique, down to the beverages. Guac N Roll will
serve squeezed-to-order juices and limeades, flavored Topo Chico,
and cochata, his version of horchata (made from rice, hazelnuts, and
cinnamon) with coffee added, which can be topped with homemade
whipped cream, more cinnamon, dried cranberries, and hazelnuts.
a 32-inch flat screen for showing videos and, at times, offering Guitar
Hero or karaoke as activities. He’s starting off the fun right away
by having a name-the-character contest to name the mohawked and
bandana’d avocado character on the truck and website (see page 1).
Guac N Roll is bringing a completely new vegetarian and vegan
experience to Austin. See their website at GuacNRollAustin.com.
To keep up with where the truck’s going to be, just follow
@Guac_N_Roll on Twitter. If you want to add some Guac N Roll to
your event, party, or your business’s parking lot, call Benjamin at (512)
660-0234, or email [email protected]. !
The VNA is looking forward to tasting some of Benjamin’s
foods and beverages at our June 9th vegan potluck dinner.
Besides the food, Benjamin wants to give us a food truck to party (See back page for more information.)
by. The truck is having its mohawk installed this week, as well as Thanks to VNA director Allan Campbell
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Austin Vegetarian Living—Early Summer 2012
5
Community Calendar
For VNA events (monthly vegan potluck
dinners, restaurant visits, board meetings, food
classes, and special events) see the back page.
Austin EcoNetwork Events Calendar
Their website features Austin’s most comprehensive listing
of green events on their EcoCalendar, as well as blogs, an
EcoDirectory, and forums.
www.AustinEcoNetwork.com/calendar
Casa De Luz Events Calendar
They are a non-profit experiential educational community center
and have calm, clean meeting rooms for events that preferably
align with sustainability, health and organics.
CasaDeLuz.org/austin/event-rooms-for-rent-in-austin-78704
Thursdays at 7:00pm
EFT Support Group (Austin Ctr. for Spiritual Living) $15
This group is for beginners as well as experienced people. See
their Meetup page to RSVP and for more information about
workshops and other locations.
www.TinyURL.com/EFT-Support-Group
Most 3rd Fridays at 6:30pm
Gary’s Vegan Potluck (Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts)
Gary says, “expect to have a great time and eat some great food”
[Editor’s note: and at a great location]. Arrive at 6:30 to set up
and meet others; serving begins at 7:00.
[email protected]
Saturdays in June from 9:00am-1:00pm
Fruit and Veggie Fest (SFC Farmers’ Market Downtown & Sunset Valley)
This Annual Celebration of Height-of-Season in Central Texas
features chef demos, games and family fun for all. See the website
for schedule of events.
www.TinyURL.com/FruitAndVeggieFest
1st & 3rd Saturdays from 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Action For Animals Austin Group Meeting (Spider House Cafe)
Join them for coffee, juice, treats, etc. They will be discussing
current events and planning upcoming actions. Please RSVP.
www.TinyURL.com/ActionForAnimalsAustin
Most Sundays, 6:00pm (Harmony Balance Studio)
The Austin Applied Meditation Group
This group does Applied Meditation practices, focusing on daily
meditation practice and the impact it has on daily life.
www.Meetup.com/The-Austin-Applied-Meditation-Group
2nd Mondays (except December) at 7:00pm
Austin Organic Gardeners Meeting (Zilker Botanical Garden)
An educational presentation, Q&A session and plenty of informative
conversation. Members often bring seeds or plants to share.
www.Main.org/aog
2nd Tuesdays (except holidays) at 7:00pm (come at 6:00 to
socialize & order food)
Sierra Club Austin Regional Group meeting (Scholz’ Beer Garten’s
N. Dining Room.)
All general meetings are open to members and non-members alike.
www.Texas.SierraClub.org/austin/genmeetings.html
They also schedule outings, potlucks, picnics, and happy hours via
their Meetup Group.
www.Meetup.com/Austin-Sierra-Club-Outings/events/calendar
Join in June/July (competition starts July 15th for seven Sundays
from 3:00-5:00pm)
Sunday Kickball League (South Austin Recreation Center)
Join the Tofu Power kickball supersquad made up of vegans,
vegetarians, and their allies for another season of adult kickball. The
team needs 20 players.
www.TinyURL.com/TofuPowerKickball
Saturday, June 9, 11:00am-12:30pm
Baby Food 101 (Bright Beginnings and Bee-yond) Free
This workshop is perfect for new moms and dads, as well as
experienced parents looking to expand their knowledge about
homemade gourmet baby food.
WhirledPeasBabyFood.com/about-us/baby-food-101-classes
Sunday, June 10 from 2:00-6:00pm
Cats & Canines Concert (Continental Club) $10
The Continental Club presents this fabulous event, benefitting the
Austin Humane Society, featuring live music from five acts.
www.AustinHumaneSociety.org/community/events
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Tuesday, June 12 from 6:30-9:00pm
West Coast Summer Sampler (Whole Foods Market’s Lamar
Culinary Center) $70
Utilizing ingredients best known from California and Oregon, this
summer picnic grill-and-chill menu will be a healthy favorite with
the entire family.
www.WholeCateringAustin.com/calendar.php
Austin Vegetarian Living—Early Summer 2012
For more Austin-area veg-related events, go to www.ATX.vg
Saturday, June 16 from 2:00-4:00pm
Decadent Raw Vegan Desserts (Natural Epicurean Academy of
Culinary Arts)
In this lively raw foods preparation class, Chef Alicia will
demonstrate decadent gluten-free raw desserts using a variety of
whole food ingredients and natural sweeteners.
www.NaturalEpicurean.com/public-classes
Monday, June 18 at 7:00pm
Scott Jurek Speaking and Book Signing (BookPeople) Free
Jurek, a world famous ultramarathon runner and vegan, will speak,
take questions and sign copies of his new book, Eat & Run. To get
a book signed, buy it at BookPeople.
www.BookPeople.com/event/scott-jurek-eat-and-run
Wednesday, June 27 through Sunday, July 1
Vegetarian Summerfest (Johnstown, Pennsylvania)
The 38th annual conference of the North American Vegetarian
Society features over 60 speakers, cutting-edge educational sessions
and great natural-food vegan meals.
www.VegetarianSummerfest.org
Saturday, June 30 (time to be announced)
Austin Farmers’ Markets
Saturdays, 9:00 am-1:00 pm
Republic Square Park - 4th and Guadalupe
Saturdays, 9:00 am-1:00 pm
Sustainable Food Ctr. Farmers’ Market at Sunset Valley
3200 Jones Road
(Turn onto Pillow Road next to Toney Burger Center)
Wednesdays, 4:00-8:00 pm
The Triangle - 46th and Lamar
Saturdays, 9:00 am-1:00 pm
Barton Creek Farmers Market
(formerly Sunset Valley Farmers Market)
South Capital of Texas Highway, off Mo-Pac
Back side of Barton Creek Square mall parking lot
Bring a friend for the first time and your friend will get two $5
Austin Beyond Coal Leadership Training, 6002 Jain Lane
vouchers to use at the market and you will get a $5 voucher.
Austin Beyond Coal needs more people to get involved.
This meeting is a good start. See article on page 1.
www.TinyURL.com/AustinBeyondCoal
Get vouchers at the Good Flow Honey/Texas Olive Oil booth.
Saturday, June 30
www.AustinFarmersMarket.org (click on Other Markets)
Vegan Pizza Day
“A worldwide celebration of the awesomeness of the vegan pizza.
Vegan Pizza Day can be celebrated by anyone anywhere.”
www.Facebook.com/events/399809530057273
You can also join Austin Progressive Vegetarians at one of four
restaurants (all three Conans, plus Milto’s on Guadalupe for
gluten-free pizza) where they’ll be dining for Vegan Pizza Day.
www.Meetup.com/AusProgVeg
Monday, July 2 at 10:00am
Texas Wild Mushrooming Group Tour of Kitchen Pride
Mushroom Farm
This Meetup group will tour Kitchen Pride Mushroom
Farm in Gonzales.
www.TinyURL.com/KitchenPride
Sunday, July 1 12:00-11:00pm
LoveATX Fest (Soma Vida & Eastside Yoga: 12pm-7pm;
Kenny Dorham’s Backyard: 7pm - 11pm)
Local organizations, businesses, and artists supporting a healthy,
creative, conscious, and sustainable lifestyle will be there. Sun
Farm Kitchens will have vegan treats.
www.Facebook.com/events/113813968757757
Tickets on sale now for Saturday, September 1, 12pm-5pm
3rd Annual Vegan Party Barge (Lake Travis) $35
The party barge offers five hours of fun on the lake and an All-YouCan-Eat Vegan Buffet by Green Island Catering (see their ad on
page 9). The limit is 100 people and they’ve sold out every year,
so get your ticket now.
www.Facebook.com/events/315295765213826
Austin Vegetarian Living—Early Summer 2012
Neighborhood Farm Markets
Please e-mail calendar submissions for this page
to [email protected]. Start your
subject line with “NEWS” to stand out from the spam.
Other Local Vegan, Vegetarian and
Animal Rights Groups
Action for Animals Austin
Outreach and activism activities like
leafletting, tabling and demonstrations.
www.ActionForAnimalsAustin.org or
TinyURL.com/ActionForAnimalsAustin
Vegans Rock Austin
Social group with lots of restaurant visits,
potlucks, and other activities; they also
volunteer at Sunny Day Farms.
www.VeganAustin.org
Austin Progressive Vegetarians
Restaurant visits, picnics, and sometimes
cooking classes.
Meetup.com/AusProgVeg
ATX Vegan Drinks
Monthly happy hour gatherings at Cheer Up
Charlie’s, with veg-friendly food trailers.
www.ATXVeganDrinks.com
VegAustin.com
Outreach and activism activities like
leafletting and tabling.
www.VegAustin.com
7
The VNA Goes To Maoz Vegetarian, The Triangle’s Falafel Restaurant
By Jerry Amundson, Brendan Good and Stevie Duda, VNA officers
The VNA’s June Restaurant Visit was to Maoz Vegetarian, a fastservice Mediterranean restaurant at The Triangle. It’s the newest
addition to a worldwide chain that now has
13 locations in seven European cities and 14
locations in seven American cities. Maoz,
which means “strength” in Hebrew, was
founded in Amsterdam by two brothers from
Israel. The Austin location was opened by
Roy and Anne Landesman, who first became
familiar with Maoz in the 1990’s while on
a cruise that stopped in Amsterdam. They
were immediately struck by the fresh, tasty
vegetarian falafel dishes.
You can order your falafel in a sandwich, on a salad, or by itself. The
sandwiches come in either whole wheat or white pitas, with add-on
toppings from the salad bar. You can get
them in either the full, five-falafel size or
a smaller, three-falafel Junior size. If you
get the meal deal, it comes with Belgian
fries and a beverage. You can also choose
from hummus, eggplant, baba ganoush,
avocado, feta cheese and hard-boiled egg
as extra options (the full sandwich meal
deal gets you hummus and eggplant for no
charge). The Salad Box meal deal also gets
you your choice of two of the extras.
Roy and Anne decided they wanted to open
a franchise in the U.S., and considered places
that are vegetarian-friendly and where they would like to live—
Portland, Seattle, and other locales. Roy had always wanted to live in
Texas, so they chose Austin.
Other side items include sweet potato fries,
hummus, plain falafel balls, soups, side
salad, and vegan rice pudding. At our visit, Roy brought us samples
of the hummus and baba ganoush as appetizers. There are also
several sauces you can put on your sandwich or salad, including
yogurt, garlic, tahini (vegan), cilantro lime and spicy green chile.
At first the Maoz home office was skeptical (“Are you crazy? Open a
vegetarian restaurant in Texas?”) But Roy and Anne kept the dream
alive, and found a location at The Triangle, on North Lamar and
Guadalupe. One concern that came up was foot traffic—at many
other Maoz locations, like the ones in New York City and Amsterdam,
there is considerable foot traffic. In Austin more people drive, so there
is not a comparable area with dense foot traffic. But thanks to The
Triangle’s pedestrian-friendly layout, it’s worked out well and they’ve
stayed busy.
The restaurant buys produce fresh every day. They buy local,
although not all is grown locally. The falafel is gluten-free as
well as vegan, and because their goal is to serve the very freshest
food, they make the falafel twice daily. All the salads except the
cole slaw are vegan. They hope to find a good source for glutenfree pita bread soon. Also, Anne and Roy devise most of the soup
recipes with their chef, and they’re made from scratch. They also
donate some of the leftovers to the homeless.
See Maoz, page 9
8
Austin Vegetarian Living—Early Summer 2012
Maoz, continued from page 8
As for seating, inside there are two tables that seat 6 each and two
that seat 8 to 10 each. When they’re filled to capacity, people can eat
community-style (more than one party at a table). Outside there are
three tables that seat four each.
Roy and Anne have big plans for the future of their Austin Maoz.
They’re talking with other business owners in The Triangle about
bringing more music to the area and possibly even sponsoring music
events in the common park area. They’re also looking at other possible
locations in Austin.
Maoz Vegetarian is located in The Triangle, at 4601 North Lamar
Boulevard, across from the OfficeMax. They are open every day
11:30am to 10:00pm. !
Comments from attendees at the recent VNA visit:
“Thanks for all the free appetizers!”
“Fantastic food with over-the-top service.”
“Staff was very welcoming, and helpful; vegan pudding is good.”
“Very fresh, three thumbs up!”
“Good falafel. Salad was good too, but could have made it at home.”
“The pudding was worth the trip alone.”
“Service was superb...great lemonade.”
“Five stars...the vegan pudding is to die for. I’ll be back!”
“Too loud.” [We did fill the place with 21 festive people, plus there
were 5 more people at another table.]
“Excellent service and world-class falafel.”
“Superlative sustenance!”
“The red lentil vegetable soup was surprisingly not salty
for a chain restaurant. A little sad the fries aren’t gluten-free.”
Austin Vegetarian Living—Early Summer 2012
Veggie
Heaven
Serving healthy Taiwanese
vegetarian meals and bubble teas.
1914A Guadalupe
(parking available)
www.VeggieHeavenAustin.com
457-1013
Mon-Fri: 11am - 9pm
Sat, Sun: 12pm - 9pm
Help stop the persecution
against Falun Gong in China.
100 million people lost their freedom of believe in
"Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance".
At least 928 practitioners have been tortured to death.
For more info: www.fofg.org and www.falunaustin.org
We invite you to discover the extraordinary practice for better health and inner peace.
9
Cheezy Sauce, by Phil Eherenman, Alaska Vegetarian Society
Preparation Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 5 mins
Ingredients
1/4 cup raw cashews
2 cups water (1 cup heated in a
saucepan, and 1 cup in the blender)
1 1/2 tsp sea salt (or less)
1/4 cup nutritional large yeast flakes
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot
1 tsp - 1 Tbsp lemon juice to taste. (More makes it
a sharper cheese flavor, less is mild cheese flavor)
1/3 cup roasted red bell peppers or 1 small jar
pimentos
Option: blend in 1 serrano pepper for a great
nacho-style cheese
Directions
Blend all ingredients until smooth.
Make sure there are no cashew chunks.
Pour into a saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring
constantly.
It will thicken to nacho cheese consistency.
Serve hot.
If you want a thicker sauce, add up to 1 Tbsp more
arrowroot or cornstarch.
10
Notes
This is great as a dip for chips, over taco salad,
on tacos or burritos, over vegetables, and over
baked potatoes. I also love sautéing veggies,
pouring cheezy sauce over the veggies,
then serving the cheezy veggies over baked
potatoes.
Add this to broccoli soup for broccoli-cheddar
soup, or use this over macaroni for macaroni
and cheeze.
Online Demo Video: www.youtu.be/VRVEy96DhuM
Nutritional Comparisons
Cheezy Sauce (Vegan) ¼ cup sauce:
45 calories, 2 grams fat, 0 mg cholesterol
Dairy Cheese Sauce—homemade ¼ cup:
120 calories, 9 grams total fat, 5 grams saturated fat,
23 mg cholesterol
Cheez Whiz ¼ cup:
182 calories 14 grams total fat 8 grams saturated fat
50 mg. cholesterol
Source
Phil Eherenman—www.2OurHealth.net, PCRM Food
for Life Cooking & Nutrition Instructor, Anchorage,
Alaska
Austin Vegetarian Living—Early Summer 2012
New VNA T-shirts
Now On Sale!
The VNA has t-shirts with a new design
available for purchase. The front has
a rebus in dark green ink that says “I
[Texas] Vegan” with the shape
of Texas placed like the heart
in “I [Heart] NY”. The VNA
logo is on the left sleeve.
The shirts
come in
natural (the light beige
pictured) in three sizes
(medium, large and extralarge). You can buy them at any of our potlucks or restaurant
visits, or purchase them online from Rabbit Food Grocery
(RabbitFoodGrocery.com) for $20 ($12 for VNA Directors). We also have
a limited number of light green shirts for sale only at our events. If you’d
like to purchase a green shirt, or use your Director discount to buy a shirt,
please send an email to [email protected].
Club VegNews Offers Discounted Subscriptions to VNA Directors
CLASSIFIEDS
Listings are free for VNA members
and $10 per issue for non-members
(up to 6 lines; $2.50 for each additional
line). Send your listing by e-mail to
[email protected].
Linda Carney MD, AllMedPhysicians
The Science of Nutritional Healing
1760 FM 967, Ste B, Buda, TX 78610
(512) 295-7877
www.PlantBasedPhysician.com
Graphic and web design
Call Brendan Good at 377-9893
Counter Culture Vegan Restaurant
Now at 2337 E. Cesar Chavez
www.CounterCultureAustin.com
VegNews magazine has extended an offer to VNA Directors. If we have 25 or more members who wish
to subscribe to VegNews, they are offering a discounted rate of $7.50 per year (versus their normal
$20 subscription rate). If you are interested in subscribing to VegNews at the discounted rate, please
send an email to [email protected].
Support the VNA—Join as a VNA Director!
Dues-paying members of the VNA are called Directors. For more information about becoming one, see
VegNetAustin.org/join.html. Your support puts Austin Vegetarian Living in the hands of the community.
Austin Vegetarian Living—Early Summer 2012
11
Austin
Vegetarian
Living
Vegetarian Network of Austin
P.O. Box 49333
Austin, TX 78765-9333
Peak Produce
for June and July
Fruits:
Apples, Blackberries, Blueberries,
Cantaloupes, Honeydew, Peaches,
Pears, Watermelon
Vegetables:
Cucumbers, Green Onions, Lettuce,
Onions, Field Peas, Hot Peppers,
Sweet Peppers, Potatoes, Squash,
Tomatoes, Zucchini
Available Year-Round
Green Cabbage, Carrots, Herbs,
Mushrooms, Greenhouse
Tomatoes, Turnips
www.TinyURL.com/PickTexas
Treasurer’s Reminder
Please check the renewal date for your membership on the mailing label above.
If your renewal is due, please renew online at www.VegNetAustin.org, or mail
the form on Page 11 with a check or money order to the address above.
VNA Events for June and July
Organized by Brittany Reutzel, VNA Events Director ([email protected])
Get regular updates on our events online by joining our Facebook, Meetup, or Yahoo groups. See page 2 for their web addresses.
Everyone is welcome at our events, including families with children, new vegetarians and vegans, and the “veg-curious”.
VNA events are free for anyone to attend, but we’d appreciate your support by purchasing a membership. See page 11 for more information.
Saturday, June 2, 7:00pm
Vegetarian Dinner at Maoz Vegetarian
Saturday, July 14, 6:30pm
Vegan Potluck Dinner at Dan’s home in North Austin
4601 N. Lamar • www.MaozUSA.com
See our website for location, map, and directions
Falafel is the specialty at Maoz Vegetarian, but they also serve
hummus, baba ganoush, pita sandwiches, salads, fries (including
sweet potato!) and even vegan rice pudding. Gluten-free options
are available, including the falafel. See their ad on page 3.
Saturday, July 28, 12:00pm
Vegetarian Lunch at Veggie Heaven
Saturday, June 9, 6:30pm
Vegan Potluck Dinner at Nancy’s home in West Austin
We’ll be joined by Benjamin Miller from Guac N Roll. See page 1.
See our website for location, map, and directions
1914 Guadalupe • www.VeggieHeavenAustin.com
We congratulate Veggie Heaven on their recent Readers’ Award
for Vegetarian Dish (runner-up) in the Austin Chronicle’s annual
Restaurant Poll. Veggie Heaven serves healthy Taiwanese
vegetarian meals and bubble teas. See their ad on page 5. We
reserved their back room, so look for us there.
Potluck Dinners
Our potlucks are usually held second Saturdays of each month. Please bring a VEGAN dish to feed
8 people, plus a serving utensil, your plate, eating utensils, beverage, and your recipe or list of ingredients
to help those with food sensitivities.
Restaurant Visits
We support a local restaurant about once a month for lunch or dinner. Please order VEGETARIAN or
VEGAN when you join us. To help the restaurant plan ahead, please RSVP on the event pages of our
Facebook or Meetup groups, or by emailing [email protected] (start the subject line with RSVP).
Board Meetings
The VNA Executive Board meets monthly, on a weeknight or in conjunction with a potluck or restaurant
visit. Dues-paying members are welcome to attend our Board Meetings, especially those interested
in helping plan the VNA’s future. Please go to our website to see our schedule for upcoming Board
Meetings. If you’re interested in attending, let us know by sending an email to our Executive Board
Chairman, Jerry Amundson, at [email protected].
Always check www.VegNetAustin.org for updated listings, as events are subject to change.