Urban gardening

Okay. I'm going to just come out and say it. I am growing vegetables in my living room. I know a lot of people out there are starting to do more gardening. It makes sense because food costs are going up, people are being more environmental, and if you like to eat organic, there is no better way to do it.

It's hard for me to admit that I am doing this because I am afraid I will fail. I am not a nature girl, which always surprises people. I LOVE organic, vegetarian food, I live in Colorado, and I practice yoga regularly. But I do not love dirt, or bugs, or worms or camping. I am a city girl. I'd rather go to an opera or a jazz club or museum or just watch a good movie classic than spend a day hiking through the woods. I love sunshine and the ocean, but I enjoy them much more if they are followed with the amenities of a nice hotel.

I decided after years of wavering to just try gardening this year. Starting to eat more raw foods and juicing every day is what nudged me over the edge. I'm starting small, and indoors on purpose.

Luckily, our house is entirely windows on the south side, so my living room plants are getting a lot of sunshine. I am having an INCREDIBLE amount of success with basil. If everything else fails, I will at least have succeeded with that.

I have some romaine that is not looking so good. But I suspect my cat Ellis has been sitting in the pot. I caught him jumping into it today. Weirdo.

Anyway, I had to just finally come out and say it - I am now responsible for some pretty important plants and I'm trying to be good to them, but it's a little scary and a huge learning process for me. So we'll see how it goes. Will the romaine live to see another day? Will the heirloom tomatoes actually produce edible fruit? Will I ever use Thai Chili peppers if they happen to actually grow? Will I learn to like dirt?

Time will tell.

Why I LOVE Valentine's Day

Some people immediately dismiss Valentine's Day as the "Hallmark Holiday." They say it's all about the money and think they are being pressured to show love by consumerism. I completely disagree.

This is the one holiday that pretty much every person can celebrate, no matter what their religion or background, and it has one message: "I love you." In order to celebrate it, you do not HAVE to buy cards or gifts or candy. I would even argue that you are less obligated to spend money on these things on Valentine's day than you are on Christmas. You don't get Valentine's day wish lists like you do on Christmas - you don't even have a list of people that you HAVE to wish a Happy Valentine's Day. It is entirely up to you how big or how little you want the day to be - and that is a beautiful thing.

Even more beautiful, is that you can freely show your love (fraternal of course) on this day without expecting anything back and without making the other person feel bad for not getting something for you. You can freely express your love and appreciation for other people without it being weird or uncomfortable. You can say "Happy Valentine's Day" to a barista while getting your morning coffee and it just sends a little love out into the world. No big deal. The barista won't say, "I don't believe in Valentine's Day." And your next conversation won't even have to be, "So how was your Valentine's Day?"

It is a day that can be celebrated completely, entirely in one day and then completely and entirely forgotten. It is a day that you can celebrate with other people who aren't even celebrating it and both parties will be happy.

And because it is not an obligatory holiday, if someone chooses to think of you on Valentine's Day, in whatever small or big way, you feel all the more loved.

It's such a human, normal, understandable concept and you can express it in any way you want. You can just say "I love you." Or you can just spend time with the people you love. So simple. So wonderful. And it has always been my favorite holiday.

Visiting East Coast VegProject members

I had the chance recently to meet a lot of veg restaurant owners and managers on my recent trip to the East Coast. It was incredible to hear the stories they have to tell.

Anita at Ahimsa in Connecticut talked about how it is very difficult to find fast food if you are Vegan. Simply put, she hopes her restaurant makes it easier for Vegans to eat out, and she definitely succeeds. The menu at Ahimsa is Vegan, but also has plenty of raw options, and it is incredible how the spices stand out. I asked her about this, and she actually grows, grinds, and in non-raw dishes, roasts her own spices. This attention to detail and care and concern for the smallest element of the food is only found in veg restaurants.

We went to Grezzo for dinner in Boston, and again were impressed with the energy and happiness of everyone there - only to be found in a raw restaurant. It isn’t just about health, which is a big benefit. It isn’t just about peace, which is also important. It’s about taste. And these people are highly attuned to good taste. And the cool thing about raw food, even more than the energy you feel, is that you get full faster. With raw foods, everything is nourishing and your body recognizes that right away. You end up easily feeling full without even finishing your plate. We barreled through though because we were looking forward to the special dessert of the night, a raw pumpkin pie gelato. It was pretty incredible. Raw food is the ultimate in the slow food movement too. Each dish can take hours and days of preparation, and at Grezzo, it’s all presented elegantly and thoughtfully.

We stopped by Wheeler’s Frozen Desserts, the vegan ice cream shop too. It was difficult to choose which ice cream to try because the flavors are pretty inventive...everything from your basic vanilla to "red bull cranberry vodka sorbet." Luckily we were given a few samples and settled on the cherry chocolate ice cream. We were not disappointed. I have never been into chocolate ice cream, but this was so rich and creamy and nothing like anything I’d ever tasted before. It’s a very good thing I don’t live nearby.

In New York, we had a chance to visit Candle Café and try a lot of new dishes. We had incredible Seitan Chimichurri Skewers, Mexican timbale, and more. We brought along a meat-eater, and he was so blown away by the taste that he couldn’t comprehend how it was possible to have vegan food taste so good. He grabbed the cookbook to see what the ingredients were. We didn’t have a chance to get to Candle 79, but Frank Bruni of the New York Times did, and they got a review in the paper! To celebrate, in the October issue of the VegProject Newsletter and on our VegProject Web site, we’ve chosen Candle as the featured restaurant.

We also got to have lunch at Zen Burger, a really interesting fast food concept from the people who own Zen Palate. I had my first chicken sandwich ever, and also tried a bacon cheeseburger. We got to talk to the manager and understand the concept of meeting people where they live. Their restaurants are meant to be familiar to meat-eaters, and not intimidating with weird-sounding ingredients and expensive items. They have actually had customers come in and not know they are not eating meat. We all agreed that if you can take a meat-eater out of the conveyer belt of animal eating for just one meal, you are doing great things for the world. And getting people familiar with the veg concept without scaring them is so important in getting them to take the next steps for trying more veg foods, for their health, and for the environment.

One of our most romantic dinners was spent in Counter in the East Village. We learned from the manager there that they grow their own herbs and participate with local farms in the farmer’s market nearby.  All of the dishes were delicious of course, but the most unexpected delight was a panini. It had a walnut-lentil pate, rennet free goat cheese and an incredibly delicious rosemary aioli sauce on cibatta bread. Someday we will save room for dessert!

It was so good to get a chance to meet all the people who are out there, passionate about delicious food. There is a beautiful, peaceful camaraderie among people who love animals and love food. No sacrifice in taste has to be made, and these people are the ones who are showing that to the rest of the world.

I can’t wait to get out there and meet more VegProject members!

Sincerely,
Kindle Fahlenkamp-Morell
www.VegProject.org