Vegan Fine Dining? Surely You Jest!


The rest of the world hates you New Yorkers for a reason.

One word: jealousy.

Fashion week came and went, but on NYC’s Upper East Side, there’s a house that delivers trendy dishes to the city’s fashionistas and fabulistos: President Clinton, Dr. Oz, John Salley, Lance Armstrong, Alicia Silverstone, Donna Karan, Tea Leoni, Mario Batali...the list goes on.

Vegan Haute Couture

So what's all the fuss? Candle 79 is self-described as New York's "premiere vegan oasis." Plant-based dining meets chic and sophisticated. Wait...that exists?

Since we practically have a joy-induced aneurysm every time new vegan recipes don't taste like cardboard, we beat down the door of Joy Pierson, Candle 79 owner, when we heard they were coming out with a new cookbook.


Table for Two, Please

"People come into the restaurant for many different reasons, but all leave having experienced a delicious and nourishing meal. We are feeding the fourth generation of the movers and shakers of the planet," says Pierson.
 
Candle 79’s chefs, Angel Ramos and Jorge Pineda, serve up tasty plant-based dishes with museum-worthy visual appeal. The proof is in the vegan pudding, ladies―check out the photos.

Pierson notes that the goal for every diner is to experience "food that is presented beautifully and accompanied by gorgeous organic wines and spirits. A totally, embracing dining experience that pleases all the senses and makes you yearn for more.” Yearn we do.

Get In Line

The restaurant is never anything but packed. Those who are too important to wait in line at other Big Apple restaurants must belly up to the bar and drown their disappointing wait in some organic wine. Bummer.


Cook With Class

This week, the Candle 79 team share their culinary secrets with the nation with "Candle 79 Cookbook: Modern Vegan Classics from New York's Premier Sustainable Restaurant."

“Our customers asked us for it [another cookbook] on a daily basis,” notes Pierson.

Brunch, lunch, cocktails and dinner―fine vegan dining is no longer an urban myth, bitches.

Some of our favorite recipes? Mixed grain waffles with raspberry butter, butternut squash-chestnut soup with caramelized pears and a beet, fennel and fig salad with cranberry-sage dressing.

“The photography is food porn and the recipes are easy and delish!” says Pierson. We couldn’t agree more.

Freebies Are Fabulous


We advise donning some gloves and a designer apron.

Candle 79 is giving away three (3) copies of their new cookbook to HBD readers! To win, tell us what vegan dish you'd serve if you were hosting a high-class dinner party and wanted to impress your guests in the comments section below.

Bitchworthy: For those of you who buy a cookbook for the pretty pictures but avoid any heavy lifting for fear of breaking a nail, you can also head to the refrigerator and freezer sections at Whole Foods to grab Candle Café desserts and frozen meals.

Have a question for Ashley? Email us at info@healthybitchdaily.com and we'll get your questions answered.

*UPDATE: We've chosen our winners! Congrats Charlene, Tina, and Kathleen!*

Ashley Koff, R.D., Resident Dietitian
Named among the Top 10 Registered Dietitians in the U.S. by Today’s Dietitian Magazine, Koff appears regularly on national media outlets, including Dr. Oz, The Doctors, Good Morning America Health, CNN, AOL and E!. Koff is also the dietitian for espnW, and the featured dietitian on the CW’s “Shedding for the Wedding” and Lifetime’s “Love Handles.” Koff maintains a private practice, regularly lectures, and works to improve the quality of food choices on the sets of popular shows such as Private Practice, CSI: New York, Big Love, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Bones. Her book, Mom Energy: A Simple Plan to Live Fully Charged (Hay House, 2011), hits stands later this summer. For more information please visit AshleyKoffRd.com.

'Cause That Pizza Hankering Just Won't Quit


Wait. I have to give up my cheese? Oh, hellll no.

For most of us, the hardest thing about going vegan is parting with our friends like Brie, Gouda, Cheddar and Haloumi. I'm from Wisconsin and cheese is a part of my friggin' cultural heritage - they don’t call us cheeseheads for nothing.

Part of the problem for you bitches that live in rural areas is that vegan cheeses can be scarcer than a move star sighting. Not only are they hard to find, but most seem reminiscent of rubbery, dried kindergarten paste.

Maybe you’ve tried them: the ones that don’t melt, the ones that look wrong, the ones that taste and smell funny or the ones that you wouldn’t dare serve to your carnivorous in-laws.

In a word: gross.

Scary Dairy

In case you’re unaware of the cruelties inherent in the dairy industry, cows are basically forced to spend their lives pregnant, genetically manipulated, doped up with BGH (bovine growth hormone), flooded with antibiotics or other hormones and milked intensively. It ain't pretty, ladies.

Calves are taken from their mothers within a day of being born. Females are destined to the same fate as their mothers and males, considered a "by-product" of the industry, are sentenced to confinement in veal crates, fattened in barren lots or just slaughtered at birth.


Got Disease?

The antibiotics and growth hormones in cows eventually make their way into our own bodies, leading to drug-resistant superbugs and girls getting their periods at age 9.

Side note: No female who's at the age where boys are still gross should have to worry about bringing tampons to school in her backpack.

But, My Shit's Organic

While organic dairy might alleviate some of these issues, animals from the organic dairy industry are still raised to produce food and slaughtered when they’re done. Plus, you’re still getting a side of mucus with your meal.

Still want that block of pepper jack?

Currently, 30 to 50 million Americans suffer from a lactose intolerance and it's been estimated that around 90 percent of the entire world actually suffers from this "condition." Is it safe to assume humans weren't originally "designed" to digest dairy? We think so.

What the Hell Do I Buy?
 
With vegan cheese, you don’t have to worry about any of that. But, what the hell do I buy?  There are a couple of vegan cheese contenders worth trying:

Daiya, somewhat of a newbie on the market, is a tad different than most vegan cheeses in that it's not made with casein (the milk protein found in dairy products or soy and an ingredient in many other non-dairy cheeses). It tends to melt better than others and comes in a whole bunch of yummy flavors.

Follow Your Heart - the people that brought us veganaise - make a mozzarella that's good on sandwiches or sprinkled over salads. However, it can be tough to melt if you're making pizza or other cheesy dishes.

All in all, look for vegan cheeses without casein, whey, rennet and that have vegetarian sources of lactic acid. Use them on pizzas, pasta dishes, casseroles or sprinkled over salads.

Cruelty-free cheese without the nasty by-products? Now that’s something for cows to moo over.

The Verdict

Pros: Tasty, versatile and generally easy to find both at Whole Foods or health food stores.

Cons: Neither are very tasty straight out of the bag and Follow Your Heart's doesn't melt that well.

What do you think about vegan cheese? Can you go without? What products do you love? Help a bitch out and let us know in the comments section below!

Liz Farrington, Features Editor
A vegetarian who wishes she could stay vegan, Liz is a media professional and former editor at several fitness and lifestyle publications throughout Southern California. Now principal in Farrington Communications, she does sales, marketing, writing and editing for a range of clients. When she’s not shopping for leather-free handbags or deciding which companies to boycott, the Las Vegas resident enjoys following liberal politics, detoxing at the co-op, scoping farmers’ markets and volunteering for animal rescue.

Vegan Crab Makes This Fresh Dish a Win for Everyone


Get your seafood fix without hurting any fishies!

Serves: 2 to 4

What You Need

2 cups cooked and cooled vegan crab meat (Match Vegan Meats Ground Crab), shredded or cut into small chunks
1 cup celery, diced
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
1 avocado, diced
Bibb lettuce cups, for serving

How to Make It

Mix cooked crab meat with all of the ingredients. Spoon mixture into Bibb lettuce cups and enjoy!


Carolyn Scott-Hamilton, Recipe Editor
An avid traveler and crusader for health nuts around the world, Carolyn Scott-Hamilton is the executive producer, creator, host and writer of The Healthy Voyager web series & radio show, site, blog, brand and social network. Visit Healthyvoyager.com.

Ellen Jaffe Jones Shows us How to be Budget-Conscious Vegans (Bonus: Recipe!)

These days, food ain’t cheap.
 
Well, that is unless you know what you’re doing says author Ellen Jaffe Jones.
 
After seeing one too many news stories in which shoppers said they would only be able to afford Twinkies and boxed mac ‘n’ cheese on a $6-a-day budget, Jaffe Jones, an award-winning TV consumer reporter, financial consultant and trained cooking instructor, decided she couldn’t keep her mouth shut any longer.
 
In her debut “cook” book, Eat Vegan on $4 a Day, Jaffe Jones shows how you can make six servings of delicious, high-quality, plant-based foods for the price of a Twinkie.
 
Forget the fancy schmancy grocery stores. Screw the expensive ingredients. Jaffe Jones works on foods found at popular supermarkets and big-box stores to create meals that don’t exceed $4 a day per person.
 
Aside from offering almost 100 budget-conscious recipes, the book includes tips on how to veganize or adapt some of your favorite recipes, properly cook beans and grains, and what to buy in bulk to save some moolah. Jaffe Jones even puts together a sample weekly menu plan to help you stay on track.
 
Think you have the vegan diet on lockdown? Don’t be so sure. Eat Vegan on $4 a Day is a great resource for anyone looking to eat right and shop smarter.
 
Buy it on amazon.com or visit vegcoach.com to purchase a signed copy from Ellen Jaffe Jones ($20, includes shipping and handling).
 
Bonus Recipe: Portobello Poor Boy Sandwich (excerpt from Eat Vegan on $4 a Day)
 
Here is a new take on the submarine sandwich that is flavorful and satisfying. You may want to cook extra mushrooms so you have leftovers for lunch the next day.
 
What You Need
2 large Portobello mushrooms, stemmed
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 to 4 tablespoons water
2 roasted red peppers, drained
2 ounces spinach leaves
1 small loaf whole wheat French bread, split lengthwise and halved crosswise
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce (optional)
 
How to Make It
Put the mushrooms and vinegar in a medium bow and marinate for about 20 minutes. Out the marinated mushrooms and 2 tablespoons of the water in a medium skillet and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until just softened and tender. As the mushrooms cook, add more water, if necessary, to prevent sticking, loosening them with a spatula. Top each mushroom with a roasted red pepper. Cover the skillet, decrease the heat to low, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the peppers are warmed through.
 
Divide the spinach leaves and put them on the 2 bottom pieces of the French bread. Cut the mushrooms and peppers in half and divide between the sandwiches. Sprinkle with soy sauce, if desired, and top with remaining pieces of bread.

Eat Vegan On $4 a Day, Ellen Jaffe Jones, Book Publishing Company, 2011

Win a copy of Eat Vegan on $4 a Day! We have FIVE copies for you lucky ladies. Just leave a comment telling us one of your budget conscious vegan tricks.

*UPDATE: We've chosen our winners! Congrats Deb, Emily, April, Dawn and Sheena!