So, what about our “global family” sharing our table? What are we, as a single humanity, eating on Thanksgiving, or any day? Everyday, seven billion people eat, somehow. Because all seven billion of us share the same resources, we all sit at the table. How can we make the earth’s resources sufficient for everyone?

Being a restaurateur and a mother, I spend a lot of time thinking about food and how to feed both my customers and my family. When I think about how to feed the world, it seems logical that a plant-based diet is the solution.

On the level of “one person, one plate;” a plant-based diet yields a longer, healthier life. Just ask Bill Clinton or Steve Wynn. It took personal health challenges to turn these two guys around. On the level of many people, many communities and many plates, eating meat-free is the most sustainable food choice. The whole planet is stressed, and not just because of population growth. Climate change is here and with it comes increased droughts, floods and other natural disasters.

Whether you’re eating turkey or faux turkey, we have a lot to be thankful for. A warm dry home surrounded by people we love gives us nourishment and gratitude. From our position of relative comfort, let’s look at some options for feeding the “seven billion at our table.”

According to the New York Times, between 2009-2010 the world produced enough grain to feed 11 billion people, but humans consumed less than half of it. Where did the rest go? It was distributed as animal feed, and went toward bio-fuel production.  It’s easy to see how the less meat we eat; the more grain will be available. Eliminating meat from our diet creates more food for people. Reducing our meat consumption conserves resources and spares the environment. The U.N.’s Nobel Prize–winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports that meat production produces more greenhouse gasses than all the SUVs, cars, trucks, planes, and ships in the world combined. It takes 300 gallons of water per day to produce a vegetarian diet but more than 4,000 gallons of water per day to produce a typical meat-based diet. More than a billion people live without an adequate supply of fresh water, yet we spend two thirds of the world’s fresh water on raising meat.

Resources matter. While Monsanto engineers GMO foods to grow in drought stricken regions of the world and chefs like Dan Barber turn to fish farms so they can keep fish on their menu, I am in favor of new ways to make better use of the earth’s resources. There are a few ways you can start right at home.  

According to a recent article published in Good, a third of all food grown in America is either thrown away, spoils, or is eaten by pests. OneEarth, an online survival guide for the planet, quotes an N.I.H. study that says Americans waste an average of 1,400 calories daily per person, which is equal to about two meals. 

On your next trip to the grocery store, be mindful of how much you buy. What does your family usually eat and how much? Can you use leftovers the next day? Consider donating food to non-profits like Feeding America, which can help you find a local food banka. And remember, eating vegan and vegetarian is the most healthy and sustainable way to go. 

All seven billion people of us sit at the table together, not only this Thanksgiving, but also every day of the year. I think we can all do something to help feed them. 

I had been vegetarian for over a decade. I had celebrated Thanksgiving at potlucks and cooked with vegetarians who were proud to have “saved a turkey.” I had also been invited to eat at the tables of some serious home cooks who meticulously followed recipes published in the now defunct Gourmet magazine or from books like The Silver Palate or The Joy of Cooking.

One Thanksgiving after I had become a pretty good vegetarian cook, I attempted to prepare the turkey at my mother’s table. I wanted to prove to my family that I was tolerant enough to cook what they wanted and good enough to make traditional recipes past down from the hierarchy of great southern cooks of which I belonged to. I wasn’t carrying the Southern cuisine baton as I shunned Crisco from the get-go. Still I was aware that I was continuing the lineage of one who had been graced with the skill and creativity to cook. And besides, would it hurt them if I made some of the traditional holiday recipes with a twist of healthiness?

I was clueless about how to cook a bird. I followed a step by step Martha Stewart recipe. In the end, even after all that time I took to brine and stuff and macro-manage the oven, that organic bird came out too dry and a little bit tough.

Thank goodness, my side dishes came to life. From the traditional mashed garnet yams to a stuffed acorn squash to my mother’s rendition of asparagus casserole using crème of mushroom soup, to putting my spin on my grandmother’s beloved corn meal stuffing; these dishes made up for the turkey failure, sort of. Today, my family still likes to “rib me” about the turkey disaster.

Nevertheless, all this came rushing back into my memory as I said yes to my hungry guest for his order of a Thanksgiving meal, vegan style. As the budding restaurateur I was at the time, I figured I might as well offer this meal to others. I so needed the day off, that I made a deal with the customers to let me give them this meal the day before Thanksgiving. Thankfully, they all agreed and I got my day of rest and they got fed.

Over the last two decades, I have perfected Thanksgiving in both my restaurants and in my own home kitchen. What started as a few dishes has now grown into every thing Thanksgiving from soup to pumpkin pie and each year we are proud that we spared the life of a turkey. Are you aware that 45 million turkeys are killed, cooked and eaten in America at Thanksgiving?

As the popularity of this annual feast in my restaurants grew, it grew beyond just singles and couples that wanted to eat a plant based meal. Hostesses who were cooking for their family and friends wanted to supplement with a creative plant protein dish. Each year we receive more single orders for our “faux turkey breasts” and our savory gravy. And this year, when gluten sensitivity is such an issue, I changed the flours in the gravy and stuffing to a gluten-free flour. I actually l think these savory flours enhance these recipes.

Today, people are more relaxed about what kind of eaters are coming to dinner and more willing to make sure that they offer them something that is creative and satisfying. What a joy it is to set a table and invite all kinds of eaters. I’ve found my meat eating friends are willing to do what I did for years; politely and without judgment enjoy the food that has been set before them.
Here are a few of the Thanksgiving recipes that I will be making for my family this year. Whether or not you want to forgo the turkey, these recipes can be great substitutions or additions to your holiday meal. My commitment to preparing dishes that are both delicious and health-minded stays strong at the holidays. These recipes nourish on a lot of levels. Enjoy your cooking and consider saving a turkey. If not, then at least honor the non-meat eaters at your Thanksgiving meal. Here are eight perfect recipes to make. These recipes are published in my two cookbooks: Vegan Family Meals, Real food for Everyone published by Andrews McMeel Publishing and The Real Food Daily Cookbook published by Ten Speed Press.

•Holiday Herb Mix
This savory herb mixture is used in the Faux Turkey Breasts and the Corn Sage Stuffing. It is easy to make this ahead and keep using it throughout the holiday season. Makes about 1 1/4 cups

1/2 cup dried rubbed sage
1/4 cup dried marjoram
1/4 cup dried rosemary
1/4 cup dried thyme
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Stir all the ingredients in a small bowl to blend. Transfer the herbs to a glass jar and seal with the lid. The herb mixture will keep up to 1 month, stored airtight at room temperature.

•Faux Turkey Breasts
Makes 8

2 (8-ounce) packages soy tempeh
1 (12-ounce) container water-packed firm tofu, drained
1/3 cup yellow miso
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons Holiday Herb Mix
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Quarter the tempeh squares and tofu square into rectangular blocks. Using the food processor fitted with the shredding disc, shred the tempeh and tofu (the mixture will appear crumbled). Stir the miso and mustard in a small bowl to blend. Set the tempeh-tofu mixture and miso-mustard aside.

Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 8 minutes, or until they are translucent. Stir in the herb mix, salt, and black pepper. Then, stir in the shredded tempeh-tofu mixture and miso-mustard mixture. Sauté for 8 minutes, or until the mixture is well blended and golden brown. Set the tempeh mixture aside until cool enough to handle.
Brush the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over a heavy large baking sheet. Using your hands and about 3/4 cup of the tempeh mixture for each, shape the tempeh mixture into eight 4 to 5 inch-long oval patties that are about 3-inches wide and taper at one end to resemble chicken breasts. Arrange the patties on the prepared baking sheet. Brush more oil over the patties. The patties will keep for 2 days, covered and refrigerated.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the patties are golden and heated through.

•Corn Sage Stuffing
8 servings

1 teaspoon plus 1/4 cup neutral cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
8 celery stalks, finely chopped
4 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
3 tablespoons Holiday Herb Mix
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons tamari
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
12 cups coarsely crumbled Southern-style Skillet Cornbread (see recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 teaspoon of oil. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Stir in the celery, carrots, herb mix, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in the water and tamari. Bring the water to a simmer. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the parsley.
Place the corn bread in a large bowl. Add the vegetable mixture and toss to coat. Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish. The stuffing can be made ahead up to this point. Cover the stuffing with foil and refrigerate it until ready to bake and serve.
Bake the covered stuffing for 30 minutes, or until it is heated through. Uncover and continue baking 20 minutes longer, or until the stuffing is crisp on top.

•Southern-style Skillet Corn Bread

2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
or 2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 cups plain soymilk
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Sift the cornmeal, white flour, pastry flour, and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk the soymilk, 1/3 cup of oil, maple syrup, and salt in another bowl to blend. Stir the wet ingredients into the cornmeal mixture. Set aside.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to a 12-inch-diameter cast iron skillet and swirl to coat the bottom and sides of the skillet. Heat the skillet over high heat until it begins to smoke. Pour the batter into the hot skillet and spread evenly. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the corn bread it firm to the touch, golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool slightly.

•Savory Gluten-Free Gravy
Makes 4 cups

1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup gluten-free flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds (optional)
4 cups water
1/4 cup tamari
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Stir the nutritional yeast and flour in a heavy skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until pale golden and fragrant. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, and thyme, and sauté for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Whisk in the flour mixture and ground flaxseeds. Whisk in the water, tamari, and pepper. Bring the gravy to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking frequently. Continue simmering until the gravy is thick and creamy.

The gravy will keep for 2 days, covered and refrigerated. To rewarm, bring the gravy to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

•Mashed Yams
Serves 8

8 pounds yams (about 12; red-skinned sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup plain soymilk
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning

Cook the yams in a large pot of boiling water for 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain. Return the potatoes to the pot and mash. Mix in the maple syrup, soymilk, cinnamon, and allspice. Season with salt and pepper.

The yams will keep for 1 day, covered and refrigerated. To rewarm, transfer them to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set the bowl over a large saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until heated through.

•Mashed Potatoes and Celeriac
Serves 8

4 small heads celeriac, (about 11 ounces total), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 large russet potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 pounds total), peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
6 tablespoons (vegan) butter
1 1/2 cup (about) non-dairy milk, warmed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, divided
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
Fine-grained sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Boil the celeriac in large saucepan of salted water for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes longer. Drain well.

Return the potatoes and celeriac to the saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until dry, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the butter and mash until the vegetables are smooth. Add enough milk to moisten. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the rosemary and all of the chives. Season the mash to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer the mash to a serving dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1teaspoon of rosemary and serve immediately.

•Cranberry Relish
Serves 8

1 (12-16 oz) package fresh or frozen cranberries
2/3 cup maple syrup
1 small orange juice and zest

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Real Food Daily provided food at the opening cocktail reception and of course, our food made raving fans out of everyone. We served the Club Sandwich wrap, our veggie sushi, Nori Maki and old fashion Oatmeal Cookies. I took the cookies with me to a different venue on Saturday night to give to another RFD fan. Weird Al Yankovic who is committed to eating a plant based diet and a supporter of my restaurants ended his The Alpocalypse Tour in Hollywood at The Pantages Theater. It was wildly creative, outrageously loud and true to his style – provocative, cutting edge and an entertaining commentary on our pop culture.

On the previous Sunday which happened to be rainy and gray, I participated in the second annual Healthy Taste of LA by cooking a favorite RFD seasonal special, Vermont Harvest. It is in published in my cookbook, Vegan Family Meals on page 164 entitled Maple-Dijon Tempeh and Vegetable Stew or click here to download the recipe.

1. They can be made quickly and with ease.
2. With little effort and expense the results can stretch beyond one meal.
3. All you need is a knife and a large rimmed pan or cookie sheet.
4. You can roast most any kind of vegetable as they lend themselves well to high heat.
5. There are a variety of cuts to use.
6. Simply tossed in oil and salt and pepper.
7. Or add most culinary herbs, dried or fresh.
8. You can spotlight seasonal vegetables.
9. Easy to prep ahead of time.
10. People always love this dish.

I just recently made a How-To-Cook video with Vegetarian Times. After you watch my video click here for a copy of the recipe Herb-Roasted Winter Vegetables. Enjoy!

That’s a lot of fuss over some raw goat milk, cheese and yogurt.

The story about the bust last summer appeared in The LA Times, and realfoodrights.com has lots more info. Note; I love their name but “realfoodsrights” is not affiliated with my restaurant Real Food Daily, and we do not buy any products from them. 
The three people arrested are out on bail and scheduled to go to court in December.  The case makes me think of the things we take for granted. Basic freedoms: reading, traveling, entertainment, eating. Our freedom to eat and share food is not a given. As this raw milk story illustrates, it may land you in jail. The police have shut down food markets and raided stores, just because of the food they carry. Even sharing food is encountering opposition from the authorities.  

According to Civil Eats, the once flourishing San Francisco Underground Market is now facing a legal limbo. The Health Department saw the SF Underground Market as a private event where people could share their latest cooking inventions, but when it grew to accommodate thousands of people, the Health Department no longer recognized this as a private event, and shut it down.

All of this raises the question: Can it be illegal to eat healthy and share food?

The answer seems to be yes, it can.

The shareable food movement is involved in a different battle than the raw milk and cheese people. Food can be shared at gift-economy restaurants (where you don’t pay or leave a donation), pop-up stores, food buying cooperatives and food swap events. But even these eateries can run afoul of health regulations.  

We have a disconnect. The health laws that close down raw food stores and small producers were designed to control health violations prevalent at factory farms, large scale feedlot operations and large scale distribution systems. They have little to do with the way a community of consenting adults might choose to eat, and whom they might want to share food with.

I’ll be watching the Rawesome case unfold because it’s testing these issues right in my own neighborhood. What’s going on in yours?

Published on Huffington Post on October 31, 2011.

“It has always been crucial to the gourmet’s pleasure that he/she can eat in ways the mainstream cannot afford.”

For thousands of years, lording it over the “commoners” has meant gorging on a rich, animal based diet. More recently it has meant taking on a “holier than thou” stance about what you eat, whether you are a “kill-it-yourself carnivore” who likes to get to know his/her livestock before it is slaughtered, or a pure “raw foodist” who seeks fresh, organically grown coconuts imported from the Philippines or someone who buys a loaf of gluten-free bread that costs more than a night at the movies.

All foodies are not elitist, yet food means something different to each of us. “Food culture” is way too big to be just “one culture.” We need “clubs.” The gourmands have their club. The “macho, Anthony Bourdains” have their club. Of course, the opposite of that club is the vegan club, which Mr. B detests. Everyone has his or her “food neighborhood. Lets face it, food is personal.

Can I criticize one club and praise another? Well, yes. Does that make me elitist? I don’t think so. Think for a minute about what food is and is not. Look at the Food Network today. What started as educational programming for home cooks is now about showmanship and competition, values that have little to do with the importance of food. The Food Network thrives on showmen like Bourdain who glorify eating live animals in the same way reality shows glorify people’s self-destruction.

Is a food show that glorifies the killing animals healthy for our food culture? Violence is glorified in video games, in movies, and in pop music. Do we need to extend violence into our food? How does watching Louis Cole eat a live scorpion enhance our lives? ”To Louis, anything is food,” his Facebook page for his web series Food For Louis states. I didn’t watch his gastronomic feats. I suppose enough people do, in the same way we rubberneck on the highway when there is a car wreck.

There is a higher value to food. Food culture values nourishment, love and fulfillment. Violence toward animals need not be celebrated by our “food culture.” Chefs need not be glorified or worshiped like minor gods. I don’t mind some personal glorification from time to time, but cooking is an art that can be mastered by mere mortals. For me, being a foodie is not elitist. For food to be nourishing it does not have to be expensive. Good food can be available to everyone. Cooking is part of pop culture, and it needs to be a popular art. As Mark Bittman wrote recently in the New York Times,

“The solution to the current junk-food crisis in America is not to get fast food chains to serve better food. The solution is to get more people to see cooking as “a joy rather than a burden.”

Cooking is something we do to create a richer, more abundant life without needing to spend a lot of money, impress anyone, or do violence to animals. Does that sound elitist to you?

What a perfect place to counter balance the intensity we writers approach our work. Everywhere I looked the place swirled with color and patterns. Comfortable sitting areas, perfectly coiffed flowers, old china and colored crystal chandeliers were eye candy. My heart sang as it reminded me of the proper Southern ladies in my family. My great aunt, Marie Antoinette aka Arnie, (don’t ask me how she went from being named after a queen to being tagged with a manly nickname.) I reminisced about sitting in a “parlor” hanging on to every word my namesake Ann Elizabeth said. These grand dames were influenced by the work of Dorothy Draper, the interior designer who changed the style of their homes and many others from post Civil War décor. Nor more Scarlett O’Hara green velvet drapes keeping out the sunshine.

Yes, that was the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. No doubt, they stayed at The Greenbrier like every other high profile celebrity of the hotel’s grand era.

Last but not least, modern amenities have taken hold there.I spent quite a bit of time in the Olympic size in-door pool. On my way to the pool one day, I looked behind closed double doors and there was a bowling alley. True to the spirit of Ms. Draper the walls were bold green stripes.

When I got home, I went on a diet! hahaha
I wasn’t the only vegetarian in the group and graciously there was always something to eat, but my-oh-my, most meals were way too rich for my liking. For the last few weeks, every morning, I’ve been blending this Power Green Smoothie.
Click HERE for a full page spread of my recipe from Vegan Family Meals.

Steve and his wife, Nicolette, have an interesting marriage. He’s an omnivore and she’s a vegetarian who is close to going vegan. Since I am married to a guy stricter than I am about all things vegan, I asked my friends how they co-exist at the table at every meal. Who does the shopping? Are there food rules in their house? And who is influencing the direction in which they feed their children?

A word comes to mind: diplomacy. Something you need at larger family gatherings, at dinner parties, traveling, and various other situations when your convictions about food will be tested.

The friendly coexistence of vegans and omnivores makes me think of famous odd couples like Democrat James Carville married to Republican Mary Matalin. Apparently things are good between them: they merited a spread in Architectural Digest. If political rivals can make a go of it, detente al dente must also be possible in the kitchen and on the plate.

Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.
 – Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
I think it starts with everyone understanding that what we put on our plate determines who we are. I grew up in Memphis and mothers at that time were pretty much smitten with the food-industrial-complex: fast foods and processed foods. Even when fresh food was available, it was uncool to kids to actually eat it. Going to McDonalds or eating Swanson’s TV dinners was the thing.

When you begin cooking your own food, everything changes. Whether you are making something for yourself or cooking for others, when you start to put love and care into the food you are preparing, there’s a shift. You want your ingredients to be the freshest possible, and that usually means, locally available ingredients. You start thinking about how the produce was produced. Who grew it? How far it had to travel to get to your local store? You start to consider that cheapest isn’t always the best anymore. Quickly isn’t always the way you want to cook. The intention and focus you put into meals starts to matter a lot. If you shop at farmer’s markets, you begin to appreciate what farmers do. We depend on their labor for our nourishment. Soon enough we begin to see how we’re all connected.

Then it hit me — that’s how vegans and omnivores can coexist. We all want to eat well, and that means we all need to know where our food comes from. Once we start to find that out, it connects us with the people who grow and produce what we eat. That’s the common ground right there. Whether you are eating something that once walked, or something that grew in the ground, there’s diplomacy in realizing that we’re all in this together, interconnected.

Recently, I attended a Food Writers Symposium at The Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia, where David Leite of Leite’s Culinaria was a presenter. His culinary site was one I was aware of, but I had pre-judged it to be a site that I wouldn’t be interested in nor would it be interested in my content or cooking style. After meeting David, I perused his site and boy, was I surprised. In the recipe categories, there was plenty that interested me, from salads to soups, gluten free to vegetarian and vegan. When I opened the vegan section guess whose recipe popped right up, MINE! There was my Tuscan Tomato Soup with comments!

Next day, I told David how surprised I was to see my recipe on his site. He commented that at one time he excluded certain things like veg and vegan but now he sees how important it is to include all.

We all want to eat well, and that means we all care about how food gets to our plate. That’s the starting point for diplomacy in the kitchen and at the table.

Published on Huffington Post on September 23, 2011

In 1986, I relocated to LA from NYC where I had lived in my early 20’s. Okay, go ahead, do the math.  Once I got settled in my own place, I started going to the Santa Monica’s Farmers Market. Business people in downtown Santa Monica, local home cooks and budding culinary people like myself couldn’t wait till Wednesday to see what we could bag up and take to our kitchens. Each week a community gathered to share in the bounty grown in rich soil and brought to us on funky pick-ups and mud drenched flat bed trucks.  It wasn’t just the produce that turned us on; it was the grower too.  He or she educated us about the land they toiled and what it took to harvest their beloved crop. Woven into this education were stories of their families and the hardships they had in feeding not just the people around their table but also the larger community.

I started my home delivery service two years after I settled in LA.  My commitment to using organically grown produce was born shopping at this market. Building relationships with the farmers and people who worked their booths cleared the way for me to eventually open Real Food Daily, the restaurant.  Today, I still shop the market though my focus has changed.  With two RFDs, there are logistical challenges to sourcing produce at the market, but for sure I walk it every week and buy supplies for home.  I take my kids any chance I get to continue to impress upon them the importance of making a connection to where your food comes from and to meet who grows it.

I rummaged through my video files to find this excerpt from one of my cooking shows, Naturally Delicious which airs on the Dish Network. It’s my homage to the market that has been such a blessing in my life.

Join us this Friday night, at The Annenburg Community Beach House where RFD will serve a cool silky corn soup made from organically grown corn at Mud Creek Ranch. 

As part of the celebration, on Sunday, I’ll be giving a cooking demo at The Good Food Festival at 3pm on the campus of SaMo High School.

While on the road promoting my latest vegan cookbook, I allowed myself to become reacquainted with a delicious morning ritual that had left my life once I stopped eating dairy. It was if a long lost love had come back into my arms. I couldn’t remember how much time had passed since I last enjoyed this pleasurable dish.

A vague memory floated in my mind that my first time with this treat was from a frozen box, no doubt that was considered a luxury. I saw myself in the local family-run grocery store where I was allowed to pick something from an under stocked reach-in. The picture of flaky horns on a damp paper box was as exotic as can-can dancers wearing red stockings under layers of petticoats.  My first trip to Paris sealed my deal with these crescent moon delicacies.  I’d walk for hours on end though Les Halles with several stuffed in my shoulder bag.  Some days, that was all I ate, stopping for lunch at worn cafes filled with Gauloises in the air. Tony waiters tolerated my insecure French as I ordered my favorite dish.

Later living in New York City, I tried to mimic those carefree days of a first time European voyager. The perfect morning consisted of a croissant still slightly warm having just left the comforts of the large funky oven of my neighborhood patisserie. This gem of a place was run by two Midwesterners who were now true Francophiles. Not that I knew anything then about the merits of grass fed cows, but their imported butter seemed as if it had grown in the earth and better yet, it was served in handmade butter crocks. They guarded these century old ceramics as if they were children.  Once, I saw one fall off the table and the wife, Jill cried. My ability to slather this creamy pale substance on every inch of this flakey pastry was nothing short of heavenly.

On my current sojourn in the Pacific NW, homemade preserves stood outin neighborhood breakfast haunts. Thick garnet jam made with whole chunks of berries; rich as color stained on your hands from picking them wild were growing abundant in home gardens and trimming backcountry roads.

After I got back home, I slipped easily into my daily discipline, recommitting to my pure clean eating habits.  I have no guilt realizing I’ll take some heat from hardcore vegans who might feel I’ve let them down. I beg to differ, it is liberating to explore and be guided by culinary memories.  I give credence to Amy in Little Women who said, “Isn’t Butter, Divinity.”  My sentiments exactly.