VRG-NEWS: The Vegetarian Resource Group Newsletter

Editor: Davida Gypsy Breier

Volume 5, Issue 9

September 2001

CONTENTS

1) Notes from the Editor

2) VRG Vegan Dinner in St. Louis, October 22, 2001

3) Help Support VRG Through Matching Donations

4) Recipe of the Month: Roasted Garlic and Basil Spread

5) September / October 2001 "Vegetarian Journal" Online

6) College-level Online Course on Vegetarianism Available

7) Upcoming Vegetarian Events and Conferences

8) Job Openings and Opportunities at VRG

9) Audio Tapes Available on Vegetarianism and Religion

About The Vegetarian Resource Group

About "VRG-News"

 

1) NOTES FROM THE EDITOR

There have been a few changes in the VRG office in the last month. Sarah

Blum has returned to start

her second year of college and Harriette Wimms has joined the staff as our

new Administrative

Assistant. Harriet is working on her PhD in Clinical and Community Social

Psychology at The

University of Maryland Baltimore Campus.

Also, this will be my last issue as editor of VRG-News. I will be leaving

VRG in October and John L.

Cunningham will be taking over my position. John has come to The Vegetarian

Resource Group via

musicianship, civil engineering, and computer consulting. He started down

the vegetarian path three

years ago and has found the journey to be exciting, fulfilling, and

immensely enjoyable. Please welcome

John and Harriette.

 

2) VRG VEGAN DINNER IN ST LOUIS MONDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2001, 6:30 PM

During The American Dietetic Association Annual Meeting, VRG will hold a

dinner in St. Louis,

Missouri at the Mandarin House at Union Station. The dinner is open to

dietitians, VRG members, and

the general public.

The menu for the Chinese Vegan Banquet will include:

Vegetarian Deluxe Soup (vegetable, tofu, green bean noodle)

Fresh Spring Rolls (rice sheet wrapper, non-fried)

Pan Fried Bean Curd Cake

Green Beans with Szechwan Sauce

Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Vegetables (Napa, spinach, etc.)

Three Greens (Chinese broccoli, zucchini, and snow peas)

Hot Bean Curd in a Special Sauce (a favorite of their vegetarian guests)

Steamed Rice

Mixed Fruit Dessert

The cost is $18 before September 15, 2001; $20 after September 15th until

October 15. Children

under 10 years are half-price. Price includes tax and tip. Payment must be

made in advance. Refunds

will only be made if we have a replacement for your seat. Call (410)

366-8343 between 9 am and 5

pm, Monday to Friday; fax (410) 366-8804; e-mail vrg@vrg.org; or send to

VRG, PO Box 1463,

Baltimore, MD 21203.

Please send in your payment and reservations by ***October 15, 2001***.

 

3) HELP SUPPORT VRG THROUGH MATCHING DONATIONS

VRG was recently selected to join Give for Change's list of non-profit

organizations receiving

philanthropic support. Give for Change allows you to make online donations

to a variety of progressive

organizations. VRG is listed under the "Rights & Welfare Of Animals"

section. Give for Change is

affiliated with Working Assets, a company that supports a variety of

organizations through their long-

distance phone and credit card services. As part of the "Tax Rebate Matching

Grant" program, Give for

Change will match any donations of exactly $300 or $600 from now until

November 1, 2001. For

more information on this program go to: <http://www.giveforchange.com>

For more information about Working Assets go to:

<http://www.workingforchange.com/>

And go to <http://www.giveforchange.com/cgi-bin/GiveForChange.storefront>

for more details about

Give For Change.

Thanks to all who have already sent donations!

Please remember The Vegetarian Resource Group in matching gifts at work,

United Way, and federal

employee (CFC) campaigns.

 

4) RECIPE OF THE MONTH : Roasted Garlic and Basil Spread

This recipe appears in VEGAN MEALS FOR ONE OR TWO

<http://www.vrg.org/catalog/oneortwo.htm>, by Chef Nancy Berkoff.

Roasted Garlic and Basil Spread

(Makes approximately 1 cup or 16 servings)

Try this garlic spread which can be used on salads. It can be mixed with

some tofu or soy mayonnaise

to thin it out and used as a marinade or used as a spread for sandwiches or

a dip. There's some elbow

grease involved, but it's worth it!

2 whole heads of garlic

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup fresh basil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub unpeeled whole garlic heads with oil and

wrap in foil. Bake at 375

degrees until garlic is very tender (easily pierced with a knife),

approximately 30 minutes. Allow garlic

to cool.

When cool, squeeze garlic pulp from heads into a small bowl. Using a potato

masher or a strong fork

and a bowl, mash the basil with the salt until it is a paste. Slowly add

garlic and lemon and continue

to mash until a combined paste is formed. Refrigerate spread until ready to

use.

Total calories per serving: 18

Total Fat as % of Daily Value: 1%

Fat: 1 gram

Protein: 1 gram

Carbohydrates: 3 grams

Iron: <1 mg

Calcium: 20 mg

Dietary Fiber: <1 grams

Sodium: 147 mg

There are 100 recipes in VEGAN MEALS FOR ONE OR TWO (216 pages). You can

order a copy of

VEGAN MEALS FOR ONE OR TWO on our website at

<http://www.vrg.org/catalog/order.htm> or call

(410) 366-8343 to order over the phone with a Visa or MasterCard M-F 9am -

5pm EST. The price

includes media mail shipping (US only). The cost of shipping for

international orders varies, so please

contact us at vrg@vrg.org if you are outside the US.

 

5) SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2001 "VEGETARIAN JOURNAL" ONLINE

The SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2001 "Vegetarian Journal" articles online include:

Awesome Autumn Desserts From Our Past; Sweet, nostalgic treats from

Debra Daniels-Zeller

Cheers for the Chickpea The garbanzo goes gourmet! By Jacqueline

Dunnington

The AHA Calls for Eating Fish Twice per Week - What's a Vegetarian to

Do?

Omega-3's are good for your health; Gail Nelson shows us

how to beat the fish

recommendation with flax

Vegetarian Action: Are Those Brains Vegan? Interview with Horror

Actress

Linnea Quigley By Davida Gypsy Breier

Product Reviews: Vegetarian Journal's Guide to Products for Kids

Note from the Coordinators

To read these article go to: <http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2001sep/>

ADDITIONAL FEATURE ARTICLES INCLUDE:

Coconut Cooking: Milk and meat? Yes, when we talk about coconuts. By

Nancy Berkoff

Eating Vegan on Campus Sara Chatfield, MPH, RD, discusses dorm food

and

quick meals for the starving student in your life

REGULAR FEATURES INCLUDE:

Nutrition Hotline Concerns about mad cow disease, and vegetarian

calcium sources

Letters to the Editors

Veggie Bits

Scientific Update

Notes from the Scientific Department

Vegan Cooking Tips - From Chef Nancy Berkoff: How to prepare pilafs;

quick meal ideas for a grab-and-go breakfast

Book Reviews

 

Read excerpts from back issues online at: <http://www.vrg.org/journal/>

The "Journal" features informational and recipe articles, product and book

reviews, news for vegetarian

activists, and up-to-date information about vegetarian health and nutrition.

If you are not currently a

subscriber to the "Vegetarian Journal," why not subscribe today?

Subscriptions to "Vegetarian Journal" are $20/year in the US (please inquire

for subscription rates

outside the US). Accepted forms of payment, in US funds, are Visa,

MasterCard, checks drawn on US

banks, and postal money orders. When joining please send us your name,

address, phone number, and

e-mail address. If paying by credit card please include the card number and

expiration date.

If you join online at <http://www.vrg.org/journal/subscribe.htm> for $30 or

more, you will receive a

FREE copy of the VEGAN HANDBOOK, a $20 value! (US addresses only).

If you choose to join by mail, subscriptions should be directed to:

The Vegetarian Resource Group

PO Box 1463

Dept. IN

Baltimore, MD 21203

Phone: (410) 366-8343

Fax: (410) 366-8804

E-mail: vrg@vrg.org

 

6) COLLEGE-LEVEL ONLINE COURSE ON VEGETARIANISM AVAILABLE

VRG now offers a college-level online course on vegetarianism, taught by

Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD.

Originally designed as an advanced nutrition class for culinary students,

the course has been expanded

to include topics of interest for everyone interested in food, health, small

business, and vegetarianism.

Consumers can learn more about vegetarian cooking; institutional food

service staff and managers can

expand their knowledge about new products and cooking styles, and

restaurateurs will certainly be

better able to please their vegan diners. Topics will include types of

vegetarians, recipe and menu

design, careers in vegetarian food services, ethnic cuisines, ingredient

selection, vegetarian nutrition and

health trends, and vegetarian business topics. College credit is optional

and the course is open to the

public. The cost for the course is $100 ($90 for VRG members). There is an

additional cost to receive

college credit. You can follow a traditional school calendar and begin in

the fall or start right now! For

more information online go to <http://www.vrg.org/berkoff/introduction.htm>

or call (410) 366-8343.

 

7) UPCOMING VEGETARIAN EVENTS AND CONFERENCES

17TH ANNUAL VEGETARIAN FOOD FAIR IN TORONTO, ONTARIO

The 17th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair will take place September 7, 8 and 9,

2001 at Harbourfront

Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The Annual Vegetarian Food Fair, organized by the Toronto Vegetarian

Association, is a three-day

event designed to increase the public's awareness of the benefits of

vegetarianism. The main objectives of

the event are: to allow individuals the opportunity to sample and learn to

prepare a variety of meatless

meals; and to provide information on all aspects of vegetarianism.

Now in its seventeenth year, the Annual Vegetarian Food Fair had been held

at Harbourfront Centre

since 1987. York Quay Centre provides an ideal venue for the festivities,

accommodating exhibits and

guest speakers within the building, as well as more exhibits, food

concessions, cooking demonstrations

and musical entertainment outdoors under tents. Each year, over 12,000

people from across Ontario,

Canada, the United States and beyond travel to Toronto to join the

festivities, making the gathering one

of the largest, if not the largest, annual vegetarian event of its kind in

North America!

Featured guest speakers for 2001 will include Thomas J. Barnard, M.D. (Essex

County Medical Society);

Brenda Davis, R.N. (American Dietetic Association, co-author of Becoming

Vegetarian and Becoming

Vegan); and Elizabeth May (Sierra Club of Canada).

For more information contact:

Annual Vegetarian Food Fair

c/o Toronto Vegetarian Association

1101-2300 Yonge Street

P.O. Box 2307

Toronto, Ontario, CANADA M4P 1E4

(416) 544-8891 (mailbox #1)

E-mail: foodfair@veg.ca

<http://www.veg.ca/foodfair/>

***********************************************

FIRST ANNUAL HAMPTON ROADS VEGFEST 2001

The Hampton Roads VegFest 2001 is scheduled for Saturday September 8th, 2001

at Town Point

Park from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Speakers include Erik Marcus (Author of Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating),

Dr. Neal Barnard (PCRM),

and Robin Robertson (cookbook author). There will be activities for

children, food demonstrations,

exhibits for non-profit companies and businesses that promote popular vegan

items, socially responsible

messages, and alternative products, and live music by local and regional

musicians. Volunteers are

needed!

VRG Circulation Manager Tamara Gabai and a volunteer will be attending the

VegFest, so please stop

by the booth!

For more information contact

Dawn Adams

(757) 343-5287

<http://www.vegfest.org>

***********************************************

7TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON ANIMALS AND THE LAW

The Association of the Bar of the City of New York's Committee on Legal

Issues Pertaining to Animals

will present its 7th Annual Conference on Animals and the Law on Saturday

September 29, 2001

(9:30 am to 5:30 pm) at the House of the Association, 42 West 44th Street

(between 5th and 6th

Avenues), New York, NY 10036.

The fee for attendance at the program will be $30 ($25 for students and

members of ABCNY). Lunch

is not included. For further information, call 212 382-6653, or, to receive

registration information by

mail, send your postal address to marisul@prodigy.net.

For more information contact:

Animal Defense League-New York City

PO Box 20878

New York, NY 10009

718-274-4443

NYC_ADL@bigfoot.com

<http://www.adl-online.com>

***********************************************

VEGGIE COOK-OFF IN SACRAMENTO, CA

Animal Place Sanctuary is holding a Veggie Cook-off benefit event Sunday

September, 30th, 2001.

The Cook-off will be held at the Sacramento Grand Ballroom (629 J. Street,

Sacramento, CA 95814)

from 12-3pm. Kitty O'Neal, from KFBK radio station, will be hosting the

event. The tickets are $20 in

advance and $25 at the door. There is no fee to enter a dish, and you'll

receive a copy of the Veggie

Cook-off cookbook. All recipes must be vegan and a recipe must be furnished

in advance to be

included in the cookbook.

If you have any questions regarding the Veggie Cook-Off or the Animal Place

Sanctuary , please contact

the event coordinator, Kim Gardner at (916) 488-3991, fax at (916) 488-8019,

or e-mail arcc2@jps.net.

***********************************************

SIXTEENTH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL COMPASSIONATE LIVING FESTIVAL 2001

The 16th Annual International Compassionate Living Festival will take place

the weekend of October 5-

7th, 2001. It will be held at Four Points Hotel Raleigh Crabtree, 4501

Creedmoor Road (70 West)

Raleigh, North Carolina 27612

Speakers include Tom Regan, Katherine Grier ("Pets in America"), Jenny Stein

and James Laveck

("Peaceable Kingdom"), Robert Cohen, Ray and Jean Swingle Greek ("First Do

No Harm"), Steve Hindi

("Is the Movement Dying?"), and John Coetzee ("Disgrace: A Reading").

For more information on the event go to:

<http://www.cultureandanimals.org/iclf2001.htm>

For registration details go to:

<http://www.cultureandanimals.org/registration.htm>

Or contact:

The Culture and Animals Foundation

3509 Eden Croft Drive, Raleigh, NC 27612

(919) 782-3739; Fax: 919-782-6464

E-mail: njregan@nc.rr.com.

***********************************************

THE SIXTH ANNUAL BOSTON VEGETARIAN FOOD FESTIVAL

The Sixth Annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival will take place Saturday,

October 13, 2001 from 10

a.m. until 6 p.m. It will be held at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center 1350

Tremont Street (at New

Dudley)

Boston, MA

Stroll the aisles and graze on free samples of delicious natural, vegetarian

foods from exhibitors from

across the country and locally. Learn about new products, talk to food

manufacturers, and enjoy "Show

Special" discount shopping. Admission is FREE.

VRG will have a booth, staffed by volunteers Dina and Dan Aronson. Please

stop by!

This event is organized by the Boston Vegetarian Society

For more information contact:

(617) 424-8846

E-mail: BVS@ivu.org

<http://www.BostonVeg.org/foodfest>

***********************************************

GATEWAY TO COMPASSION ANIMAL RIGHTS SYMPOSIUM

The Gateway to Compassion Animal Rights Symposium will be held Saturday,

October 13, 2001 at

Sheraton Westport Plaza Towers (900 West Port Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63146;

(314)434-5010; Fax:

(314) 434-0140)

Topics of discussion include diet and health, factory farming, fur,

trapping, captive animals in circuses,

zoos, and canned hunts, and exotic animal auctions. Speakers include Ingrid

Newkirk (PETA), Dr. Neal

Barnard (PCRM), Bradley Miller (Humane Farming Association), Dr. Elliot Katz

(In Defense of

Animals), Richard Farinato (Humane Society of the U.S.), and Camilla Fox

(Animal Protection

Institute).

Contact St. Louis Animal Rights Team at

PO Box 28501

St. Louis, MO 63146 (314) 851-0928

E-mail: stlouisanimalrightsteam@visto.com

<http://start.enviroweb.org/>

***********************************************

2ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE FOR CONSCIOUS LIVING

EarthSave Chicago is hosting its second annual Conference for Conscious

Living at Northwestern

University in Evanston, Illinois, on Saturday, October 20, 2001. They will

be featuring speakers,

including John Robbins, Howard Lyman, Stanley and Rhoda Sapon, Robert Cohen,

and James

LaVeck and Jenny Stein, who will be screening their award-winning

documentary, The Witness.

They will be offering a vegan lunch, tables of information from local animal

advocacy, environmental

and vegetarian organizations and the opportunity to meet others with similar

interests.

For more information, please contact EarthSave Chicago at 773-525-4032 or

visit their website at

<http://chicago.earthsave.org>.

***********************************************

THE FOURTH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON VEGETARIAN NUTRITION

The Fourth Annual International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition is being

held April 8-11, 2002 at

Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California.

Major conference topics include:

Vegetarian diets and longevity/mortality

Vegetarian diets: current issues

Vegetarian diets and bone health

High soy consumption: good, bad, and indifferent?

Vegetarian diets for all: a solution to the environmental crisis?

For more information contact:

Office of Extended Programs

Loma Linda University

School of Public Health

Loma Linda, CA 92350

(909) 558-7230

E-mail: icvn@sph.llu.edu

<http://www.vegetariannutrition.org>

 

8) JOB OPENINGS AND OPPORTUNITIES

INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE

Responsibilities depend on background, major if in college, and interest of

applicant. Tasks may

include research, writing, and/or community outreach. Internships are

helpful for students working

towards journalism, English, and nutrition degrees. Business majors can

obtain experience related to the

business aspects of a nonprofit. Activists can learn new skills and gain a

broader knowledge, as well as

share their expertise. Positions open throughout the year for all ages

(including high school students if in

Baltimore). Internships are unpaid. Send resume and cover letter to VRG, Box

1463, Baltimore, MD

21203; vrg@vrg.org.

*************************************

JOB OPENINGS AT PETA

AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATOR - People for the Ethical

Treatment of Animals (PETA) is looking for an outreach coordinator for its

Norfolk, Virginia,

headquarters to help promote animal rights issues and vegetarianism in the

African American

Community. The candidate must have good contacts within and an understanding

of African

American culture. The candidate must also have a thorough knowledge of

animal rights issues, be out-

going, and have the ability to communicate with a variety of people. Some

travel is required.

Competitive salary and benefits.

Send cover letter and résumé to PETA, Attn: Human Resources, 501 Front

Street, Norfolk, VA 23510;

or fax to 757-628-0789. Please visit the PETA Web site at

<http://www.peta-online.org> for further

employment information.

 

HISPANIC COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATOR - People for the Ethical Treatment

of

Animals (PETA) is looking for an outreach coordinator for its Norfolk,

Virginia, headquarters to help

promote animal rights issues and vegetarianism in the Hispanic Community.

The candidate must be

fluent in both English and Spanish and have knowledge of Hispanic Culture.

The candidate must also

have a thorough knowledge of animal rights issues, be outgoing, and have the

ability to communicate

with a variety of people.Some travel is required. Competitive salary and

benefits.

Send cover letter and résumé to PETA, Attn: Human Resources, 501 Front

Street, Norfolk, VA 23510;

or fax to 757-628-0789. Please visit the PETA Web site at

<http://www.peta-online.org> for further

employment information.

 

9) AUDIO TAPES AVAILABLE ON VEGETARIANISM AND RELIGION

Professor Richard Schwartz and PETA have created an audio tape that

addresses Judaism and its

relationship with vegetarianism. There is an introduction by Rabbi David

Rosen former Chief Rabbi of

Ireland, an Israeli educator and activist. Rabbi Rosen discusses his

approach to vegetarianism, in

response to questions from Nina Natelson, founder and director of CHAI

(Concern for Helping Animals

in Israel). Professor Schwartz also responds to questions from Joel

Goldberg, Ph.D.

The tape is $5.00 and there are discounts available for quantity orders.

To order contact PETA's Customer Service Department toll-free at

1-800-483-4366; or you can order it

from their online catalog <http://www.PETACatalog.com>. PETA will also be

putting audio files online

(www.peta-online.org) for people to download. PETA encourages people to copy

the cassette and to use

it in any way that will promote vegetarianism.

PETA has also produced a cassette that considers vegetarianism from a

Christian perspective. With an

analysis of the cruelty, environmental degradation, and health problems

associated with meat

production and consumption, Fr. John Dear, S.J., author of 15 books on

Christianity, makes the case

that Christians should be vegetarians. Further information is available from

the sources noted above.

 

ABOUT THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP

Our health professionals, activists, and educators work with businesses and

individuals to bring about

healthful changes in your school, workplace, and community. Registered

dietitians and physicians aid

in the development of nutrition-related publications and answer member and

media questions about

vegetarian diets. The Vegetarian Resource Group is a non-profit

organization. Financial support comes

primarily from memberships, donations, and book sales. The "Vegetarian

Journal," a bi-monthly print

magazine, is a benefit of membership in The VRG. (For more information,

please see the SEPTEMBER

/ OCTOBER 2001 "Vegetarian Journal" online above or view back issues online

at

<http://www.vrg.org/journal/>).

If you would like to make a donation, become a member, volunteer, or find

out more about The VRG,

contact us at:

The Vegetarian Resource Group

PO Box 1463

Baltimore, MD 21203

Phone: (410) 366-8343

Fax: (410) 366-8804

E-mail: vrg@vrg.org

Website: <http://www.vrg.org>

Donate: <https://skyport.net/vrg/donate.htm>

The contents of this newsletter, as with all The Vegetarian Resource Group

publications, are not

intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be

obtained from a qualified

health professional.

 

ABOUT VRG-NEWS

VRG-NEWS is the monthly e-mail newsletter of The Vegetarian Resource Group.

This is an

announcement list, so subscriber messages are not accepted by the list. If

you have a technical question

about the list, please contact the list manager, Bobbi Pasternak, at

bobbi@vrg.org. If you have any

suggestions, ideas, or corrections to VRG-NEWS, direct them to vrg@vrg.org.

Thanks!

If you are a new subscriber, you might enjoy reading past issues of VRG News

online at

<http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/index.htm>.

If you wish to cancel your subscription to VRG-NEWS, send an e-mail message

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LISTSERV@LISTSERV.AOL.COM with the following message: SIGNOFF VRG-NEWS

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Do not include the {} when you enter your name. The newsletter will be sent

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Contents of VRG-NEWS are copyright 2001 by The Vegetarian Resource Group.

The newsletter may

be freely distributed in electronic or print form provided its contents are

not altered and credit is given

to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.