Vegan eats in Paris

As Audrey Hepburn so famously once said, 'Paris is always a good idea!'

However, given the Parisian's love of pastries, cheeses and butter rich sauces, I wasn't so convinced that a weekend in Paris was the best idea for a Vegan like myself!

Enter Rule number one - Never make assumptions!

Paris might not be on a par with Vegancentric Berlin, but there is plenty of choice for the most pernickety of eaters.Like most places you just need to do a little bit of research first. Emily Horne has a great Kindle guide book called 'Vegan Paris.' It lists Vegan and Vegan friendly restaurants/grocery stores etc. by arrondissement which is a really useful way of navigating your way round the city. She also has a blog http://veganparis.com/
which you can check out for reviews.

Lindsay Nixon, of 'The Happy Herbivore' cookbook series, has also recently released a new vegan travel book for Europe. You can read more about it at http://happyherbivore.com/2014/08/vegan-paris-hank-grill-courtepaille/

Anyway, back to my weekend..... Having done my research and with only 48 hours to immerse myself in the wonder that is Paris (shopping and sightseeing included) I stumbled across a few Vegan gems which I wanted to share....

First stop, and one Lindsay Nixon also mentions in her blog, was Hank Restaurant -  http://hankrestaurant.com

Hank is located in the North Marais. and opened in January 2014. They specialise in serving organic, environmental vegan homemade burgers. It is quite a small restaurant with indoor sitting for a maximum of 25 people so it's pretty cosy. The menu consists of 4 different burgers with the option to order as menu (with fries and a drink) for a reasonable price of €11.00 which I thought was fairly reasonable (remember I am from Luxembourg:) I had the Tata Monique on Gluten free bread (another great option.) It's not the easiest thing to eat (sans knife and fork) but it was succulent, delicious and flavoursome. Even my non-vegan husband had to admit it was an excellent burger...Result! 

Hank, 55 rue des Archives
75003 Paris France
Tel -  P: +33 9 72 44 03 99 - contact@hankrestaurant.com
For your information, Hank cannot take reservation

Cafe Pinson was on top of my 'Go to' list after receiving various recommendations from work colleagues. Cafe Pinson has two locations in Paris http://www.cafepinson.fr/home/ and we opted for the one located 10th  arrondissement, which incase you hadn't guessed is one of my favorite areas of Paris. We had a lateish breakfast in our hotel and then a leisurely stroll around Paris, so we must have arrived around 2.00pm. Unfortunately for us, but a great sign for the Cafe, was that it was absolutely full with a queue (yes they do exist in France) for a table. The owner was really friendly and suggested we come back in an hour or so when things would be a 'little' quieter. So we had a little walk around the lovely neighbourhood streets and returned at 3.30pm (it was quieter but by no means empty!)

The menu changes daily and is quite small , so you know it's fresh! I had the sweet potato falafel which were to 'die for.' Moist and succulent unlike many dry falafael's you get. My husband had the Cafe Pinson Salad, which was a huge plate of veggies, sprouts, legumes, nuts and seeds. It was presented beautifully and was big enough for the most hearty of appetites.

The ambiance in Cafe Pinson was really a live and vibrant with an eclectic array of customers. It is also very 'child' friendly and they were several families tucking into cake and coffee.

I really can't recommend this cafe enough and will definitely make a return!

 

Cafe Pinson
58 rue du faubourg poissonnière, Paris 10e
+33 (0)1 45 23 59 42
Lun : 8h30-18h
Mar-Mer: 8h30-19h
Jeu-Ven: 8h30-22h
Sam : 9h30-22h
Dim: 10h-18h
contact@cafepinson.fr


Bon Appetit!

International Animal Rights Conference Luxembourg 2014

 International Animal Rights Conference - Kulturfabrik, Esch Alzette.

Last week saw the fourth annual International Animal Rights Conference take place at the Kulturfabrik in Esch. For those who weren't aware, Kulturfabrik was a former abbatoir, so there is something fitting about the conference being held at this location.

The conference boasted a huge variety of international speakers ,from U.S.A, Brazil, France, Belgium, Australia and Estonia (to name just a few) and covered a wide range of topics including; Animal rights arguments, Vegan nutrition, animal testing, computer security etc.

All the presentations I attended were well researched, informative and passionately delivered generating an abundance of questions from the audience. I particuarly enjoyed the two presentations given by George Guimaraes from Veddas - http://veddas.org.br (picture below) who, as a Vegan dietician, spent time answering some of my questions at the end of his talk. Thank you George!

All the food provided at the conference was Vegan, predominantly organic and offered at an amazingly reasonable price of 3 Euros (unheard of for Luxembourg:) Huge Thanks should go to all the volunteers who worked tirelessly in the kitchen and the food sponsors.

If you wanted to take a break in between presentations, there were a number of stalls selling a variety of  merchandise; everything from T-shirts, buttons and books to Vegan Cookies and toothpaste.

For a small country like Luxembourg, without it's own large animal rights community, I was Super impressed on how professional and organised everything was. Most days there were at least 300 international participants at the conference, evidence of just how highly the conference has become regarded.

If you would like more information on the conference visit http://www.ar-conference.com/concept.php

To view presentations and interviews from the conference, visit https://www.youtube.com/user/VeganKanal

Looking forward to the IARC 2015!
 

Useful resources for Vegan information

Links and info to check out for 'helpful' Vegan information

Over the last 4 years I have been on a quest to seek and find as much 'useful' information I can about Veganism/compassion and animal rights.

If you google 'Vegan' you will literally be undated with thousands of links on the subject - both good and bad. 

To save you some time surfing the internet, below is a list of just 'some' of the  resources I have 'personally' found useful since transitioning to a Vegan Lifestyle....I hope some of these will also be useful for you!

Podcasts

My absolute favourite Podcast has to be 'Food for Thought' by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau (picture above). Colleen has a masters in English literature and is thus an eloquent and acclaimed public speaker as well as an award winning author of 6 Vegan books. Her weekly podcasts cover a wide range of subjects including; Compassionate fashion, Advocating for animals and a brief history of 2,500 years of Veganism. What I particuarly love about Colleen is her focus on Compassion and Joyful veganism! She also understands that there is no such thing as the 'Perfect Vegan' and has practical tips/advice for overcoming the growing number of 'vegan police' whose focus sometimes borders on the fanatical rather than the compassionate. You can follow Food for Thought on her website - http://www.joyfulvegan.com/listen or subscribe via ITunes/Stitcher or SoundCloud. 

Animal Rights Books 

So the list of great Animal Rights books out there is pretty awesome and thankfully growing 'everyday' so here are just five of my favourites:-

1. Animal Liberation - Peter Singer (but anything by Peter is great:)
2. Thanking the Monkey - Karen Dawn
3. Eating animals -Jonathan safran foer
4. Why we love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows - Melanie Joy Ph.D. and John Robbins
5. Pig who sang to the moon -Jeffrey moussaieff Masson

 
 

Films

More and more films/documentaries focused on Animal rights and Veganism emerge every year. Most of these are funded independently and take years to produce against massive political lobbying against them. We should be thankful to all these 'brave' film makers for putting themselves out there and ensuring the voices of the 'voiceless' are heard. Again, these are just a few of my faves:-

• Earthlings - A film by Nation Earth - www.Earthlings.com
• Speciesism: The Movie - www.speciesismthemovie.com
• The Ghosts in our Machine - www.theghostsinourmachine.com
• The Cove - www.thecovemovie.com
• Blackfish - http://blackfishmovie.com
• Food.Inc - www.foodincmovie.co.uk
• Forks over Knives - www.forksoverknives.com

Vegan Books on Cooking and Nutrition 

 
Whether or not you also believe that 'Vegan is the new Black,' you can't deny that yet 'Another' vegan cook book/nutrition book is published almost weekly these days. On Amazon.co.uk alone there are over 6,800 Vegan and Vegetarian books available....That's a heck of a lot of reading! Again I've listed a few of my 'Go To...' cookbooks and nutrition guides I have used over the years. I should caveat that I also have an nutrionist who guides me with my Vegan diet, something incredibly beneficial when you are first making the switch to a 100% Vegan diet  -'Stephanie R you are a Rock Star!'

• One Dish Vegan - Robin Robertson
• The Vegan Table - Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
• Skinny Bitch Ultimate everyday cookbook - Kim Barnouin
• The Oh She Glows cookbook - Angela Liddon
• Veganomicon - Isa Chandra Moskowitz (Actually anything by Isa is great!)
• Mouthwatering Vegan - Miriam Sorrell
• Great Gluten-Free Vegan eats - Allyson Kramer
• Vegan for Her - Virginia Messina (nutrition)
• Vegan for Life - Jack Norris/Virginia Messina (nutrition)
• Forks over Knives - Gene Stone (nutrition)

 

Websites

Last but absolutely not least, some useful websites to check out - 

www.joyfulvegan.com

www.averiecooks.com

www.ohsheglows.com
www.ourhenhouse.org
www.dawnwatch.com
www.cok.net (Compassion over Killing)
www.mercyforanimals.org
www.peta.org
www.happycow.net

And Luxembourg specific......

www.saveanimals.lu
www.vsl.lu (Vegan Society Luxembourg)
www.facebook.com/SeaShepherdLuxemburg
www.ar-conference.com (see banner above.) I will be reviewing the IARC in one of my next blogs.

Please let me know if you have any other recommendations/suggestions:)
 

Ready?! Review

Ready is a newish (opened June 2014) cafe on Avenue Du Bois in Limpertsberg close to the Halle Victor hugo.

As a resident of Limpertsberg, a coffee lover and vegan....I was more than just a little bit excited about Ready?! and eager to try it out.

The first thing you notice when you enter 'Ready?!' is the uber cool decor which is mostly recycled; the comfy lounge chairs ,which don't match but are incredibly eclectic, and most importantly the bikes hanging on the walls (hence the logo I assume:) There is a magazine rack, a whole host of board games to play and lots of inspirational/whimsical signs on the walls. In short it's the kind of place you would like to hang out ALL DAY if you could:)

The owners, Connie and Yuki, are Super friendly and always welcome you with a Big smile and cheery hello. 'Kindfulness' ,to quote Ajahn Brahm, is in abudance here and it's extremely contagious!!

The menu at 'Ready?!' has a strong focus on simple, wholesome, eco friendly and delicious food. There are several choices for Vegans including the 'Go Veggie' sandwich, the falafel and hummus wrap and the 'Sharing platters' for 3-4 persons. There are also vegan cookies or muffins, Bircher musli for breakfast and fresh fruit. All the food is presented beautifully in kraft paper with string and mason jars, ensuring it doesn't just taste good but looks fantastic too!

As a coffee lover extrodinaire, I can also confirm without a shadow of a doubt, that the soy latte is the BEST I have EVER tasted in Luxembourg (trust me I have tried a few....) The coffee comes from Mondo del caffe.lu and is 'AWESOME!' For those in a hurry you can also grab a coffee to go as you make your way to work in the morning (Ready?! opens at 7am Tuesday-Friday.)

For more information on Ready?! visit their facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/Readycoffeeshop or read the review by my friends at the Orla Collective - http://orlacollective.com/bright-luxembourg-connie-yuki-ready/

Massive respect to Connie and Yuki! Ready?! is a breath of fresh air for Luxembourg and I couldn't be happier that it's right on my doorstep:)

Ready?!
35 Avenue du Bois
Limpertsberg
L-1251

Vegan travels - Cornwall

Just back from a wonderful family holiday in Cornwall,U.K.....so thought I would take the opportunity to post some comments from a traveling Vegans point of view.

If you are considering choosing Cornwall as a holiday destination, I recommend having a look at the blog - http://vegancornwall.wordpress.com/- before you go. It has a comprehensive list of restaurants catering for Vegans in all the major tourist areas and links to their respective websites.

Here are some of my own impressions.....

Eating In
I was somewhat surprised that the major supermarkets in Cornwall were not more clued up when it came to Vegan and Vegetarian diets...after all, most of us think of Cornwall as more of an alternative lifestyle place.

All the major supermarkets I went to - Asda,Sainsbury's, Marks and Spencers and Tesco's, had a small "organic" section mostly catering for those with gluten or lactose allergies but not specifically a Vegan diet. A case in point would be when I asked for Tofu at the Asda in Falmouth.....The very nice and helpful gentleman had absolutely no idea what Tofu was?! Having said that, the Vegan products supermarkets DO stock are labeled very clearly with the Vegan sunflower logo, so you don't have to spend hours reading the ingredients on the back of packets! One must have I found were a brand called "Munchy's Seeds" -http://www.munchyseeds.co.uk/- a selection of seeds perfect for adding to salads, soups or just nibbling on their own.

Most Vegans I know are use to finding the majority of our ingredients in Health food shops. Cornwall has a great chain of Health food shops called "The Natural Store" - http://www.naturalstorecornwall.co.uk/contact.htm. I visited the one in Falmouth and it was an absolute treasure trove! Vegan cheese, varieties of Tofu, plentiful supply of legumes, grains and nuts, organic drinks and lots, lots more. There was also an adjacent homeopathic/beauty supply shop selling amongst others, Faith in Nature products. The staff were super helpful, even digging out their natural remedy books to help me with my circulation problems:)

Although I didn't get a chance to visit, I'm told Archie Brown's in Penzance - http://www.archiebrowns.co.uk - is equally impressive and has a cafe to boot!


Eating Out
This was the first time I had holidayed with my Mum and Dad as a "complete" Vegan, so my Mum very thoughtfully did a lot of research before we arrived:) Like most restaurants, if you tell the kitchen in advance that their is a Vegan in your party when booking they will accommodate you with no problem.

The chef at the Ferry Boat Inn at Helford Passage gave me a choice of Vegan options and prepared me a chill and lime couscous with beetroot and new potato salad and "dairy free" garlic bread - http://thewrightbrothers.co.uk/restaurants/the_ferryboat_inn/

The restaurant at Trelisik also prepared me a special Vegan meal - Stuffed peppers with ratatouille and mushrooms served with butter free veg - http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/trelissick-garden/

But what about when we were eating on the hoof at didn't have time to call in advance...especially at lunch?

Well, there I had some mixed results........................

The Gylly Beach Cafe in Falmouth had an extremely limited lunchtime menu for Vegans.....In other-words the soup was about it.

The Orangery Cafe, Penzance also really struggled to find me something resulting in a Baked potato with Beetroot and salad. The waitress was really helpful though and pointed me in the direction of Archie Brown's (mentioned above.)

I wasn't expecting a dairy farm to cater for Vegan's but the Roskilly Croust House made me an absolutely fantastic salad with nuts and seeds!

Miss Peabody's Cafe in Falmouth is an absolute haven for Vegans! Fantastic menu, wonderful funky setting and local organic produce. I highly recommend the Ciabatta with Butternut squash puree and mushrooms - scrummy - http://www.misspeapod.co.uk/

Other places that were recommended but I didn't get a chance to try include:-

• Pea Souk, Falmouth
• Cafe Cinnamon
• Potager Cafe and Greenhouse

A guide to helping animals by PETA

Veganism and the environment

For anyone who is considering adopting a Vegan diet to help the planet, here is some information you need to read.I am Vegan and I am an Environmentalist. At the moment, I am completing a degree in Environmental Studies.My decision to adopt a Vegan diet wasn't initially motivated by how my lifestyle would effect the world I live in, now and in the future, but once I looked at the statistics, it only fueled my impetus to follow a Vegan diet. 

This article is taken from the vegansociety.com website.

How your diet could change the world

World meat production has quadrupled in the past 50 years and farmed animals now outnumber people by more than three to one.¹  In other words, the livestock population is expanding faster than the human population and is projected to continue to expand as the Chinese middle classes increasingly adopt meat-centred diets and as the Western taste for meat, eggs and dairy products continues to grow (along with our waistlines).

This trend will contribute to continuing malnourishment in the developing world, global warming, widespread pollution, deforestation, land degradation, water scarcity and species extinction because more animals mean more crops are needed to feed them: the planet cannot feed both increasing human and farmed animal populations.

So if we are trying to reduce our car use, limit the amount of water we waste, become more ‘energy-efficient’ and generally lessen our environmental impact, we must also examine the most important factor of our personal ecological footprint: what we eat.

Help protect:

The hungry

"Studies indicate that a varied vegan diet requires about a third of the land needed for conventional Western diets.  Quite simply, we do not have enough land to feed everyone on an animal-based diet."  Read more

Fertile lands

"Overgrazing is blamed for 35 per cent of soil degradation, deforestation for 30 per cent and agriculture for 27 per cent.  These main causes are directly or indirectly related to the consumption of animal products."  Read more

Forests

"The expansion of agricultural land accounts for more than 60 per cent of worldwide deforestation.  Most of this land is used to graze beef cattle."  Read more

Biodiversity

"The wholesale destruction of forest environments to provide grazing land for cattle and to grow feed for livestock contributes direct to loss of biodiversity."  Read more

Water

"Although statistics vary, it is safe to say that it takes at least three times the amount of water to feed a meat eater compared with that used to feed a vegan."  Read more

The oceans

"By stopping eating fish – be it farmed or wild-caught – we can reverse the destruction of ocean environments."  Read more

The climate

“The livestock sector is a major player, responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2 equivalent. This is a higher share than transport.”  Read more

The planet

"The consumption of animal products contributes to global warming, pollution, water scarcity, land degradation, deforestation and loss of biodiversity – in other words, all the major environmental problems."  Read more