T.O. got a visit from a Vegan Superstar

The Winner is....comment #3, SickOnSin. Please send us your mailing address at tvp@veg.ca and we will put the calendar in the mail for you. Congratulations. Thank you to everyone for the fantastic recipe suggestions from HIAV.


On September 8th, Sarah Kramer came to town to celebrate the release of the 10th anniversary edition of How It All Vegan (I've had my copy for over 9 years!). She woke up at a ridiculous hour to hang out with Seamus O'Regan and provide the Canada AM audience with an update on how easy it is to be vegan these days (in comparison to 1999). Sarah finished her day surrounded by fans at a fundraiser for ARK II (a shindig hosted by Ken from Panacea and Steve from Leftfeet). What a whirlwhind.

With Sarah in town, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to ask her a few questions about HIAVX and her 2010 Calendar.

Lisa:As I mentioned on Twitter I enjoyed flipping through the familiar pages and actually got a little emotional when thinking about how much my own life as a vegan has changed in the last decade.
Sarah: awwww. Me too! :)

What changes had occurred over the last ten years in the vegan scene that required revisions? Just minor things ... website addresses, typos, etc.

Did you adjust any of the existing recipes?
Yes. We didn’t have our “recipe speak” perfected just yet when we wrote HIAV so I adjusted some of the recipes so they made more sense.

Were there resources or tips that were added?
As I re-read my old introduction that I wrote 10+ years ago I was pleasantly surprised to find that I agreed with everything I wrote. *laugh* A lot changes in 10 years ... but my passion for vegansim hasn’t. HIAV-X also includes a new introduction about what’s happened to me and the books in the 10 years since it hit shelves.

What recipe did you rediscover while updating the contents of HIAV? I had so many "oh...that one is fantastic, I should make that again" moments when I was flipping through the pages last night.
Big Ben Lentil Burgers ... it was originally my Mum’s recipe and I had totally forgotten about it. This summer we’ve been making them at least once a week.

For many of your fans HIAV provided the first recipes that supported their vegan culinary success. For those who are just beginning their path to veganism in 2010 what recipe do you think they should try first in HIAVX to help them solidfy their belief that eating vegan is easy and delicious.
When you first go vegan it can be really overwhelming, especially if you don’t have a group of friends/family who are supporting your new lifestyle so having a book like HIAV there to guide you on your journey can make things a lot easier. Plus learning to cook/experiment and have success in the kitchen helps build your vegan confidence. ;)

HIAVX includes the addition of five fantastic new recipes, including buttertarts! You tackled Nanaimo bars in VAGG, another Canadian classic. With those two on your list of accomplishments are their other traditional treats you are attempting to veganize?
There’s not a lot of Canadian Cuisine that is specifically “Canadian” because we are such a melting pot of cultures and most of our popular Canadian foods are derived from other countries ... but if your readers have any requests - send them to sarah@govegan.net and I’ll try my best to veganize them. :)

Panacea, Toronto's vegan grocery store, that is hosting your party on September 8th has an amazing array of vegan products. Are there any products that you have recently discovered to make life just a little bit easier or more enjoyable?
The last time I was in NY I sampled some Dr.Cow’s Cheese nut cheese and almost exploded with joy. I wish I could buy it in Canada ... but you can order it from http://www.veganessentials.com/

What ingredients are you currently experimenting with in your kitchen? Are you currently recipe testing or enjoy the spontaneity of eating without a looming book deadline?
I’m currently working on a FRESH cherry pie and taking my time with it. I am really enjoying not having any cookbook deadlines looming. I really need some time off to re-charge my creative batteries.

Your fans will have you on their calendar for 2010 but what's on yours for the coming year?
I just finished shooting (with my husband Gerry) photos for the 2011 calendar. Rudee from SSOV (secretsocietyofvegans.co.uk) is working on the design with me and it’s HILARIOUS! I think everyone will enjoy it - and again we are giving a portion of the proceeds to Sea Shepherd. So it’s exciting to do a project that involves all my passions. My husband, photography, food and fundraising!!

On behalf of all your Toronto fans thanks for coming for another visit. It is always nice to have you in town (I think adds a little something sweet to the air).
Awww. I love Toronto. I am always overwhelmed with the amount of love and encouragement I receive from The T-dot.
xoxo
SARAH

Now for the Giveaway! If you are interested in recieving your own Go Vegan 2010 Wall Calendar all you have to do is add a comment listing your favourite HIAV recipe and why you love it. That's it. We will draw a random winner from the list on September 26th.

Good luck.