September 8, 2009

Celebrating The Decades: Talking Anniversaries with Mishka Alarcon and Sarah Kramer

On this special episode of Animal Voices, we speak with Mishka Alarcon — lead organizer of the Annual Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair — and Sarah Kramer — cookbook author extraordinaire — about the passing of some incredible milestones. Both guests give us great insight into how their projects and their activism has grown over the decades.

First, we catch up with the whirlwind herself, Sarah Kramer, who gives us the scoop on the 10th anniversary edition of How It All Vegan. She tells us about the book’s humble beginnings as a cookzine sold at Vancouver area punk rock shows, and its steady rise to becoming one of the most popular vegan cookbooks ever. Then, we speak with Mishka Alarcon, who tells us all about the 25th anniversary of the Veg Food Fair, discussing its founding as an informational fair and its exponential growth, as well as giving us a sneak preview of what’s in store for those attending this year.

Download mp3s of the interview:
lower quality / smaller: part 1 (2.59 MB) and part 2 (3.06 MB)
higher quality / larger: part 1 (7.6 MB) and part 2 (8.98 MB)

Tags: Cooking

June 23, 2009

Vegan Brunch, aka Your New Guide to Popularity

Tofu Benny and photo by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Isa Chandra Moskowitz' new book, Vegan Brunch: Homestyle Recipes Worth Waking Up For— from Asparagus Omelets to Pumpkin Pancakes, makes getting up in the morning a whole lot easier (especially if you're a not a morning person, like yours truly). It also makes spoiling your friends easier, and Sunday mornings (or heck, any morning) a little more leisurely and decadent. Imagine breakfast in bed, with a plate of Chocolate Beer Waffles or Lemon Cashew-Stuffed Crepes with Whole Berry Sauce. Imagine rounds of Pink Grapefruit Mimosas, or Mango Lassis, for a group of your favourite out-of-town buddies. Or, say you've been missing the eggyness of eggs, or the sausageyness of sausages, you'll find ample satisfying vegan translations, such as Cherry Sage Sausages and Tofu Benny. In this interview, Moskowitz dishes on her favourite meal of the day and the creation of the book (and her famed recipes). She also fields a number of listeners' burning brunch-related questions. You might want to eat before you listen to this show, or at least have something tasty to snack on.

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Download mp3s of the interview:
lower quality / smaller: part 1 (3.19 MB) and part 2 (3.16 MB)
higher quality / larger: part 1 (9.62 MB) and part 2 (9.26 MB)

Tags: Cooking

April 7, 2009

Sustainable Soul: Bryant Terry’s Food Remix

Where do you find recipes for joy, empowerment, and celebration? Eco-chef, Bryant Terry, passionately points the way with Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African American Cuisine. In this interview, Terry digs into soul food's green past and explains why healthy grub is the essential antidote to today's "food deserts." From the Black Panthers' "Free Breakfast for Children" program, to the creation of b'healthy (Build Healthy Eating and Lifestyles to Help Youth), to the simple pleasures of a well-seasoned watermelon, Terry shows that eating well not only strengthens one's body, but also one's community. Tune in to get an aural sip of the Cali-inspired Slurricane (an homage to New Orleans), a nibble of Sweet Cornmeal-Coconut Butter Drop Biscuits, and a bite of the philosophy that inspires this dedicated food justice activist.

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Download mp3s of the interview:
lower quality / smaller: part 1 (3.07 MB) and part 2 (2.96 MB)
higher quality / larger: part 1 (9.24 MB) and part 2 (8.73 MB)

February 10, 2009

Hey, Sweetness!: Confessions of a Fair Trade Chocolatier

Photos of Siue Moffat and truffles by Michele Poirer

If you don't live in Toronto, prepare to be very jealous. In this interview we speak with Siue Moffat, of Lickin' the Beaters fame, who is an independent, vegan, socially and environmentally conscious chocolatier. Currently, Moffat lovingly handcrafts sixteen mind-blowing (taste-bud blowing?) truffle flavours to delight the palate as well as the eyes. From Dark Chipotle, Lemon Anise, Key Lime Marshmallow, Coffee Cinnamon Banana, Chocolate Mint, Banana Split, Solid Raspberry, and many more, Moffat combines the finest fair trade and organic ingredients to create a truly decadent experience. While the flavours range from comforting (e.g., Hazelnut or Mug of Cocoa) to playful and unexpected (e.g., Lavender Chestnut or Lemongrass Ginger), attention to detail remains a common feature to all of Siue's creations. Moffat, along with Ben Hackman from Toronto's Global Aware, join us in studio to sample some truffles, discuss the politics of fair trade, and talk shop about the finicky side of chocolatiering.

Moffat's chocolates are currently available at Panacea, Global Aware, and Trash Palace. Her new book, Lickin' the Beaters 2: Vegan Chocolate and Candy, will be published shortly!

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Download mp3s of the interview:
lower quality / smaller: part 1 (3.3 MB) and part 2 (2.45 MB)
higher quality / larger: part 1 (9.97 MB) and part 2 (7.35 MB)

November 18, 2008

A Perfect Blend of Sweet and Savoury: The Dish on Compassionate Cooks

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, founder of Compassionate Cooks, is "one to know" in the vegetarian and animal movements, and with good reason. Through her friendly and intensely informational "Food for Thought" podcasts, cooking videos, and written publications (such as the award-winning The Joy of Vegan Baking), Patrick-Goudreau debunks stereotypes about vegetarianism and animal rights, all without being preachy or overbearing.

Given her personal style and dedication to rigorous research, Patrick-Goudreau offers seasoned activists extra tools for their non-leather toolbelts, while gently welcoming newcomers to the issues. Patrick-Goudreau also radiates health and happiness, which adds extra appeal to her cooking tips, recipes, and nutritional advice: The proof is in the vegan pudding, as they say! Importantly, too, she knows how to tell a good story, be it through how to make satisfying winter soup or the retelling of an overlooked Oscar Wilde tale.

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Download mp3s of the interview:
lower quality / smaller: part 1 (3.66 MB) and part 2 (2.51 MB)
higher quality / larger: part 1 (10.94 MB) and part 2 (7.38 MB)

October 28, 2008

Vegan à Go-Go: An Interview with Sarah Kramer

Vegan a Go-Go book cover

Tune in as we catch up with the renowned cookbook author and vegan icon, Sarah Kramer, currently on tour with Vegan à Go-Go: A Cookbook and Survival Manual for Vegans on the Road. Though Kramer's emphasis remains on the recipes, readers are also treated to creative and seasoned traveling tips for the savvy tripper. Featuring new recipes and lauded favourites, Vegan à Go-Go emphasizes easy-to-find ingredients, simple preparation, and crowd pleasers.

For fans of Kramer's previous cookbooks, including How It All Vegan, Garden of Vegan (both co-authored with Tanya Barnard), and La Dolce Vegan, her newest collection also offers further welcomed insight into the author's past: The opening essay discusses her childhood, and the frightening events that catalyzed her life, the very events that prompted a reconsideration of traveling and eventually helped spark the Sarah Kramer cookbook phenomenon.

Download mp3s of the interview:
lower quality / smaller: part 1 (2.87 MB) and part 2 (2.66 MB)
higher quality / larger: part 1 (8.46 MB) and part 2 (7.88 MB)

Tags: Cooking

October 7, 2008

Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off

Join us live on location for the premier Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off. Hosted by the Toronto Vegetarian Association (TVA), this celebratory event brought together sweet lovers of all persuasions. With thirty submissions, baked selections included a variety of homemade goods, such as cookies, pies, cupcakes, and squares, among other delectables. Listen in as we chat with the tasters, organizers, and judges, including Jae Steele author of Get it Ripe: A Fresh Take on Vegan Cooking and Living, Stephen Gardner proprietor of Fressen and Urban Herbivore, and Eden Hertzog owner of New Moon Kitchen. You'll hear about some of the crowd favourites, and the official competition results. So settle in for some aural black forest cake, miniature cheesecakes, and butter tarts, as we drop in at a lively community event.

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Download mp3s of the interview:
lower quality / smaller: part 1 (2.59 MB) and part 2 (2.73 MB)
higher quality / larger: part 1 (7.55 MB) and part 2 (8.13 MB)

Tags: Cooking

August 26, 2008

Toronto’s Vegetarian Food Fair: A Delicious Celebration

Get the scoop on the upcoming 24th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair happening on September 5, 6, and 7 in Toronto. In this interview, we are joined by the Toronto Vegetarian Association's (TVA) enthusiastic and very busy Food Fair Coordinator, Mishka Alarcon. Alarcon provides an overview of the Food Fair, highlights from the events' schedule, and tips for getting the most out of your experience. We also hear about some exciting new additions, and why the TVA decided to focus this year's Fair on environmental themes. So make sure to bring some re-usable containers and cutlery, a big appetite, and your curiosity!

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Download mp3s of the interview:
lower quality / smaller: part 1 (2.95 MB) and part 2 (1.71 MB)
higher quality / larger: part 1 (9.02 MB) and part 2 (5.16 MB)

June 24, 2008

Advice from Best-Selling Vegan Cookbook Author, Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Pancakes and photo by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

In this show, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, of Veganomicon and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World fame, imparts her well-honed baking and cooking wisdom to our inquisitive listeners. On the sweet side, discover Moskowitz' all-time favourite cupcake and the one she still hopes to invent. On the savory side, check out Moskowitz' pointers for freezing casseroles and the secrets of a satisfying vegan brunch. You'll also learn Moskowitz' tips for introducing vegan food to teenagers and how to rescue a failing dish.

With her unique sense of humour and serious love of food, Moskowitz' culinary philosophies and practical advice go down like a dry martini: distinct and refreshing, with a touch of attitude.

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Download mp3s of the interview:
lower quality / smaller: part 1 (3.09 MB) and part 2 (2.95 MB)
higher quality / larger: part 1 (9.22 MB) and part 2 (8.65 MB)

Tags: Cooking

March 4, 2008

Casting Spells from the Veganomicon: An Interview with Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero

Isa Chandra Moskowitz (left) and Terry Hope Romero (right). Author photo from the Veganomicon, taken by Evan McGraw.

1924 - Penniless Sci-Fi author H.P. Lovecraft writes his first story that includes the Necronomicon (book of the dead), a book of spells and incantations designed for protecting yourself from malevolent intergalactic space creatures. His stories don't become famous until after he dies, but many future generations of geeky teens are enthralled by Lovecraft's paranoid and supernatural musings.

2008 - Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero bring forth the Veganomicon, a book of culinary spells and delicious incantations designed for protecting yourself from vegan cooking boredom. Luckily for us, they are still alive and will be joining us this week to talk about their latest vegan bible. If Vegan with a Vengeance was just enough to whet your appetite, and if Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World filled your belly with cake-y goodness, you won't want to miss this interview with New York's vegan queens. Tune in to hear about cooking, community, and Terry's biblical carob moment.

News links:

Download mp3s of the interview:
lower quality / smaller: part 1 (2.75 MB) and part 2 (2.27 MB)
higher quality / larger: part 1 (5.56 MB) and part 2 (4.46 MB)

Tags: Cooking
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