Kidnapped!

Up until Easter weekend, we had never actually taken a vacation together. We had travelled together — visiting the East Coast to eat lobsters, drive the coast, and to visit museums and historic sites along the way; and we had visited France, travelling the beautiful country by train, touring the Riviera, walking for hours through the Louvre and Musee D’Orsay, all while absorbing every sight and sound. These, along with road trips throughout Canada and the United States, have been incredible experiences, but mostly they were anything but relaxing.

Last weekend we decided to stray from travelling and take a vacation — the kind of vacation that requires little more than a bathing suit, a case of beer, and a plane ticket. Our options for last-minute budget travel were limited because of the long weekend, but we managed to score a decent deal to Orlando, where we spent three days in the sun, lazing around the pool (with the exception of one 14-hour day at the Magic Kingdom). 

Despite a stack of review copies and non-fiction selections from the library weighing down my coffee table, I decided on some smutty young adult fiction (a favourite genre!). I wanted something I could read not only beside the pool, but also in the pool, without feeling guilty for soaking the pages with sopping fingerprints and spilled beer. I settled on Kidnapped, which is #13 in Francine Pascal’s Sweet Valley High series.

I was a huge fan of Sweet Valley Kids and Sweet Valley Twins as a child of the 1980s, but my tastes matured and my love for them dwindled before I ever graduated to Sweet Valley High. Though I likely lacked the vocabulary to express my thoughts back then, I knew there was something wrong with reducing young women to stereotypical gossipers who cared mostly about boys, shopping, and maintaining their “perfect size 6” (or is it 4?) figures.

Revisiting the lives of the Wakefield twins, Jessica and Elizabeth, was provoked by the recent release of Sweet Valley Confidential, which has piqued my curiosity. After all, I dedicated so many hours of my young life to the twins, how could I not want to see what became of them, especially now that they are my age — 27? I’m still number 19 on my library’s list of holds, and booking the trip took up all my book-buying budget for the next few weeks, so I decided to get reacquainted through Kidnapped, which I picked up for .50 at a used-book shop on College Street in Toronto.

Kidnapped begins with Jessica Wakefield’s excitement over a party, hosted at the home of a new (and of course cute and wealthy!) boy who she hopes to snag as her own. In the meantime, Elizabeth, who was supposed to tutor the school’s troubled musician after work, is kidnapped when leaving her job as a candy striper at the hospital. She wakes up tied to a chair at a deranged orderly’s home in the middle of nowhere — and a futile attempt proves there is no way to escape.

While Kidnapped was completely predictable and lacked any real elements of suspense, it was enjoyable poolside reading. It certainly didn’t live up to my feminist ideals, framing each twin negatively (and two dimensionally) — Elizabeth as a helpless victim and Jessica as boy crazy and self-absorbed — yet somehow, likely the nostalgia factor, it was perfect reading for a mind that was slightly clouded by banana daiquiris and excess exposure to sun.

While I’m not likely to read every single book in the series as this blogger did, I am looking forward to reading Sweet Valley Confidential, fully aware of the book’s negative reviews. Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield may be annoyingly cheerful, horrifyingly stereotypical, and, at times, just plain boring, yet somehow they are tied to my memory in the same way Uncle Jesse and hair scrunchies are, and I can’t help but want to catch up with them from time to time.

Veganize It!

This article was originally published on rabble.ca.
It is the second of a two-part series. Read the first part here!

The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions
by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman
(Fair Winds Press, 2010, $20.99)

Most people have that old family recipe that they can’t live without, whether it’s Grandma’s favourite casserole or Dad’s famous chili. Unfortunately, for vegetarians and vegans, many of these recipes call for animal products such as cheese, meat and eggs. Luckily, The Complete Guide to Vegan Substitutions boasts that “pretty much any dish can be vegan using your own hands and your own set of cooking and basic skills.”

This book makes it easier for home cooks to embrace a vegan lifestyle, providing more than 200 dairy-free, egg-free and meat-free dishes, along with tips to give readers the confidence to create meatless versions of their favourite recipes. It provides many soy-free, gluten-free, wheat-free and nut-free recipes for readers with allergies.

The Complete Guide to Vegan Substitutions is also full of fun facts (Did you know that the human race is the only species on earth that consumes another mammal’s milk for sustenance? Or that bananas can be used to replace eggs in some recipes? I didn’t!). Full of colourful pictures and informative charts and diagrams, this book gives new vegans answers to many questions, such as what dairy replacement to use (Almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, rice milk) and encourages them to start from scratch, making their own animal-product replacements like vegan cheese!

Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World
by Bob Torres and Jenna Torres (PM Press, 2010; $16.95)

“We don’t care what Whole Foods says: there is no humane animal product, period,” write Bob Torres and Jenna Torres in the second version of their book Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World. This sometimes abrasive book takes the stance that even local, organic, free-range and so-called ethical farming practices don’t cut it in the fight for animal rights.

Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World is likely best read by someone who shares the authors’ beliefs that eating any animal product, even occasionally, is directly contributing to the exploitation of animals. If readers can get past the sarcasm that plays a huge role in this book, it is full of interesting and useful information for “vegan freaks” attempting to navigate a non-vegan world, including what happens when your partner isn’t vegan, how to raise your children vegan, how to survive the grocery store when you’re vegan and how to deal with vegetarians and ex-vegans who don’t share your beliefs.

Mary of Mud Creek
by Caitlin Black

If you were like me, you read Charlotte’s Web over and over again as a child, delighting in Charlotte the spider’s inventive way of saving Wilbur to pig from ending up on the dinner table. Toronto artist and illustrator Caitlin Black undoubtedly read E.B White’s book as well, as her new graphic novel, Mary of Mud Creek, is a much darker take on the classic.

Interspersed with facts about the Canadian factory farming industry, this daring black and white book follows Mary, Black’s protagonist, who visits a beloved pig at a factory farm, where sows are kept continually pregnant until they ultimately face violent deaths as illustrated graphically in the novel. It is a far cry from the picturesque family farm where Fern visits Wilbur in Charlotte’s Web.

Black’s story takes many twists and turns as Mary navigates the factory farming system, herself becoming a victim of it. Three pages of notes provide readers with links to more information about huge agribusiness and animal rights. Readers are likely to have a visceral reaction as Black illustrates many of the truths of the meat industry that many of us choose to ignore.

For more information and to see an excerpt of Mary of Mud Creek, visit the blog.

Generation V: The Complete Guide to Going, Being, and Staying Vegan as a Teenager
by Claire Askew (PM Press, 2011; $16.95)

When teenager Claire Askew first decided veganism was the right choice for her, she experienced a lot of emotions, including feelings of isolation, alienation and loneliness. In her new book, Generation V: The Complete Guide to Going, Being, and Staying Vegan as a Teenager, she argues that being vegan as a teenager, especially when still living at home, is much different than being vegan as an adult. So, she decided to write a book about it!

“Generation V is for all the teenagers out there who wander around just-adding-water to boxes of vegan food, trying their hardest to defend their choices to their friends, and thinking they’re they only vegan teenager in the world,” writes Askew in the introduction of her fresh, well-written, sometimes-funny take on veganism.

Askew, who first began questioning her relationship with meat at the age of 14, shares her own story about going vegan with readers, offering advice learned from her own experiences, including suggestions about how to break the news to friends and family and how to react to their responses, such as “You’ve been brainwashed!” and “It’s just a phase!”

Askew’s well-researched book, which provides insights into factory farming, staying healthy when vegan and vegan activism is one of the best books about veganism I’ve read while barricading myself between stacks of resources about eating vegan and living vegan over the past few weeks. It is smart — full of convincing insights, arguments, and links to resources and organizations — but it’s also so much fun and different than anything else I’ve read on the subject, providing information about everything from vegan clothing and toiletries to which bands have vegan members. It is truly the perfect book to end this series.

Chowin’ Down Vegan Style

This piece was originally published on rabble.ca.

Just like any good chef, a vegan chef needs to be equipped with the right tools: fresh plant-based ingredients, a sharp knife, and — of course — a few good books. Over the course of rabble.ca‘s vegan challenge, the book lounge will provide a sampling of some recently published books available for vegans and aspiring vegans. Check back next week for part two.

Ripe from Around Here: A Vegan Guide to Local and Sustainable Eating

by jae steele

(Arsenal Pulp Press, 2010; $24.95)

 

As soon as I pulled Toronto nutritionist jae steele’s second guide to vegan eating, Ripe from Around Here, from the shelf of my local library, I was hooked. The inviting cover shows the beaming author at a farmer’s market, clutching a bunch of fresh, local carrots in her hand on a sunny day, immediately transmitting me from the rainy mid-April weather I had just escaped. Dedicated to “organic family farmers-hardworking and heroic growers of green things,” Ripe from Around Here brings together the vegan and local food movements. Thought-provoking text encourages readers to take pleasure in the textures, smells and preparation of food, reminding us that food is meant to nourish and bring joy, fuelling our bodies by providing nutrients. The book also encourages more talk within the vegan community on important topics such as working conditions for farm labourers, capitalism and health.jae steele’s healthy, plant-based recipes use minimal non-local luxuries such as olive oil. Among the recipes I’ve bookmarked to try are homemade nut milk, spring sesame noodles and baked Mexican bell peppers. As though this wasn’t enough, steele also provides readers with detailed instructions for container gardening in small spaces, canning, vermicomposting and making environmentally friendly homemade cleaners.Ripe from Around Here is the perfect book to introduce aspiring vegans to hassle-free recipes and educated reasons for choosing veganism. It is an especially good read for those from jae steele’s bioregion, which luckily for me, is Southwestern Ontario. Her charts show readers when their favourite foods are in season, and her detailed list of resources will undoubtedly encourage readers to visit local farmer’s markets and participate in community-supported agriculture.

 

The Vegan Scoop
by Wheeler Del Torro (Fair Winds Press, 2009; $21.95)

Even the biggest proponent of a vegan lifestyle might find giving up a favourite food difficult. For many new vegans, this difficult habit to break is cream in their coffee. For others, like me, it’s cheese. And for those with a sweet tooth, ice cream might be the deal breaker when deciding whether to plunge into veganism. Luckily for dessert lovers looking for an ethical, dairy-free alternative, there’s The Vegan Scoop: 150 Recipes for Dairy-Free Ice Cream That Tastes Better Than the “Real” Thing by Wheeler Del Torro.

Del Torro, who opened the first vegan ice cream parlor in Boston, introduces his readers to the possibility of ice cream made from soy milk; fruits and vegetables; legumes, nut and seeds; and spices, herbs and flowers. Among his tempting creations are many that likely can’t be found at most ice cream shoppes, including Sweet Potato Basil, Sweet Curry Coconut, Orange Dragon Fruit, Seaweed and Jalapeno. Del Torro’s Almond Cookie ice cream on top of his vegan fudge brownies sounds especially delicious!

The only downside to reading The Vegan Scoop is that, unfortunately, an ice cream maker isn’t in my budget, meaning my only glimpse of Del Torro’s unique recipes have been on the colourful pages of his book.

The Natural Vegan Kitchen

by Christine Waltermyer (Book Publishing Company, 2011; $23.95)

“When I first stopped eating meat, I was the epitome of a junk food vegetarian,” writes Christine Waltermyer in her upcoming book, The Natural Vegan Kitchen. Luckily for her health, she switched from high-fat cookies to a combination of healthy vegetables, whole grains and legumes, learning to cook simple and delicious vegan meals.

“I was going to transform the world, armed with carrots, kale, and barley,” Waltermyer writes. In a way, this is just what she is attempting to do in her new book, encouraging readers to savour their meals and enjoy a natural and ethical lifestyle, both inside and outside of the kitchen.

“For a health-promoting lifestyle to last a lifetime, the food has to taste so good we think it must be bad for us,” she says. Waltermyer proves that vegan cooking is anything but boring through recipes for everything from tofu sushi to sloppy joes.

The Natural Vegan Kitchen is full of tips for the newly vegan chef, including a glossary that simplifies the terms I usually dread pronouncing at my local health food store. It also provides new chefs with crucial information, such as how to cook dry beans and which ingredient combinations make the perfect salad dressing. These may seem like small hurdles, but for an apprehensive cook, these tips might just help to make or break a meal.

Come On-A My House

When my grandmother on my father’s side passed away in 2008, the memories poured in. We remembered Grandma’s quick sense of humour. We remembered her kindness. And, of course, we remembered her cooking. Whether she was making her famous buttertarts, dinner rolls, or a holiday meal with all the fixings, there was always something in the oven, destined to end up in heaps on our plates with seconds soon to follow. 

Last week, when I read  the Hamilton Spectator’s piece about a North-end grandmother’s recipes, I immediately thought of my own grandma and how much I miss her meals and the love she poured into them.  The recipes of Anita Malloni, an Italian grandmother who passed away last year, were used by her family to create a cookbook to help keep her memory alive. The cookbook, along with a trove of family photos, was on display during last night’s art crawl at HIStory + HERitage in an exhibit perfectly titled Come On-A My House.

As per usual, James Street North was packed for the now-famous art crawl, but HIStory + HERitage seemed especially busy, as spectators paused in front of the black and white photos of the Malloni family, recalling their own stories of family gatherings, favourite foods, and relatives who are no longer here. Most of us hold those memories dear, whether we’re from an Italian family, like the Mallonis, or an Irish one, like my own.

Come On-A My House will be on exhibition at HIStory + HERitage until June 10, 2011.

Karen Solie, Evelyn Lau, and Gary Barwin at gritLIT

gritLIT 2010: Tonight’s the Night

Just a quick note to tell the blogosphere how insanely excited I am for the beginning of gritLIT tonight.

Evelyn Lau has been one of my favourite writers for a very long time, since first stumbling upon a bargain copy of Fresh Girls and Other Stories many years ago and devouring it on a Greyhound bus ride from Toronto to Ottawa.

Also reading tonight will be Gary Barwin, whose book The Porcupinity of the Stars I’m currently devouring, and I’m sure many others are after his win at last week’s Poetry NOW.

And also, Karen Solie will be reading from Pigeon. Admittedly, I’m not as familiar with her work, but I am very excited to hear her read tonight.

http://www.gritlit.ca

rabble.ca’s Vegan Challenge

When I’m not guzzling coffee after coffee and listening to music (and, of course, working!) at my day job, I’m lucky enough to read and review books for a number of publications, including rabble.ca, where I began as an intern back in 2006 when I was still a journalism student. My most recent assignment is compiling a list of books to accompany the vegan challenge we’re taking in April. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!