A Vegan Lifestyle Blog



Growing up my dad called me "Gina Beana Fagiolena," or "little bean" in Italian. He never could have guessed that I'd become a vegan, but the nickname suits me more now than ever. Read on to learn about all things vegan: fashion, books, food and more.



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Sunday, January 31, 2010

More Upscale Veg Options for Philly Veggies

While Philly has its share of all kinds of vegetarian and vegan restaurants, not all of them are consistently tasty, inspired, interesting places to dine. Govinda's is ok, MiLah is good, Farmicia is really good but not totally vegetarian, and Horizons is excellent. This week, we might have another excellent to add to our weekend dining rotation here in Philly. Chef Mike Jackson opens his new Loft District vegetarian grille, Thoreau Restaurant, this Tuesday night.

While I've never eaten at his first restaurant in the suburbs, Blue Sage Vegetarian Grille, I've heard a lot about it. If Thoreau lives up to the reputation of its predecessor, than I think we will see our options begin to expand.

The menu looks delicious, inspired by a range of cuisines like Malaysian, all ranges of Latin American and more with plenty of avocado and interesting vegetable dishes. Jackson certainly doesn't rely on tofu and seitan to fill out the "meat" portion of the plate but instead looks to create vegetable-based meals with layered flavors. Vegans beware--looks like cheese plays a role at times, but fortunately most meals don't appear to rely on dairy.

Looking forward to writing a review soon!

Vegan Bakery Heaven Finally Comes to Philly....

Yesterday was my mom's birthday, and I wanted to buy cupcakes to celebrate the occasion. I turned to Yelp to find out what was nearby, and--totally unexpectedly--a vegan bakery popped onto the screen! Sweet Freedom just opened two weeks ago right next to Govinda's at Broad and South.

I picked up vanilla and chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting. The chocolate cupcakes were cocoa-y, the vanilla cupcakes slightly nutty, the frosting was rich and not too sweet. Excellent cupcakes and so good that my non-vegan mom savored every bite.

When I picked up my cupcakes, the owner (brunette in the picture on the website), told me all about the brand new bakery and how she just got back from a trip to NYC to give Alicia Silverstone a sample of all Sweet Freedom's treats. I'm sure we can expect a comment on her blog, The Kind Life, soon.

Next time I'm going to try the Magic Bars, a coconut-chocolate concoction, and the chocolate-chip cookie sandwich. Reminds me of the menu at BabyCakes in the Lower East Side in NYC. Thank goodness we finally have our own vegan bakery started by some local gals (the blonde in the website photo looks strikingly similar to a woman who goes to my yoga studio...) here in downtown Philly!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Alicia Silverstone and The Kind Diet

Alicia Silverstone is vegan...you knew that, right?


She just came out with a new book, The Kind Diet, that is a vegan recipe book but even moreso it is a lifestyle book. Not only does she give they reasons why she is a vegan (physical and mental well being, mental clarity and vitality), she also teaches readers about what it means to follow a macrobiotic diet, which, in her terms, is a revved-up version of a vegan diet. You eliminate all the bad, unhealthy parts of veganism (like processed foods, etc.). Very informative! I've already started incorporating some macrobiotic principles, such as starting a meal with soup and basing your entire diet around whole grains, into my vegan diet today. I like this book because it's much more than a celebrity cookbook. It's educates around health and lifestyle, too, and is definitely worth a read while you're browsing through the book store.

Alicia Silverstone also has a blog that you can follow: The Kind Life. Notice her first post under the "Food" tab. It's all about our local girl who owns Vegan Treats that I blogged about a few months ago. Props to Alicia, but I do have to say that Fagiolina spotted her first....

Monday, January 18, 2010

Grass-fed meat with a side of moral superiority

For many people veganism is at one end of the spectrum of a diet transformation. They work their way from eating all meat, to only eating white meat, to only fish, then no meat but dairy and eggs, and finally no animal products. It can take a long time to get from one end to the other, if at all, but movement toward no animal products is a move in a positive direction.

My friend is slowly moving along that path. She realizes the impact of diet on her physical and mental health, so she's mixed more veg meals into her day. She goes with me to vegan restaurants. She supports my lifestyle, and I thank her for it.

The other day she sent me this article in Newsweek about some famous, veg-movement defining vegetarians, moving to the opposite, meat-eating end of the spectrum. They argue that locally raised animals that are allowed to live "happy" lives are okay to eat. The author of the article responds to their argument:

"While it's true that sustainably raised, grass-fed beef may be better for the consumer, it's hard to argue that it's ultimately better for the cow. What these steak apologists seem to be missing is that no matter how "lovingly" the cow was raised, no matter how much grazing or rooting he did in his life, he gave up that life to become their dinner. Carnivores who only ate the flesh of animals that had died of natural causes at the end of long, satisfying lives might have a claim to moral superiority, but what to call them? Corpsevores? And if these organic farm animals have such great lives, isn't the more humane thing to eat a cage-raised, industrially processed chicken? At least we'd be putting it out of its misery."

I like her response. I don't consider myself vegan for ethical reasons, but more for those of personal health. Antibiotic-laced, factory-farmed meat just isn't going into my body, and I refuse to give my money to support an industry that sells us contaminated, diseased food.

I'm hard pressed to make an argument against locally raised meat for those who do enjoy it, but I admire those who can see the argument purely from the viewpoint of the animal.

Irrespective of your opinion of animal rights, etc, it's hard to deny that eating a plant-based diet is just better for your body. It just feels better--less tired, more energetic, never sick--without animal products in it. At least, it does for me.

If the animal argument doesn't do it for you, then consider your health when making a decision to eat meat, either factory-farmed or locally raised. Be conscious of what you're eating and how it makes you feel. Be aware of how you are choosing to nourish your body and notice the effects.

Skip fine dining, stick to the cafe at Govinda's

Last weekend I went to Govinda's. A small, vegan, fast-food-like cafe on Broad and South Street, Govinda's opens up the back room for sit-down dining on the weekends. Well, let's just say that next time I'm just going to stick to the cafe.

The most disappointing thing about Govinda's menu was that it was all based on faux meat. No pure tofu, seitan or vegetable dishes but only "scallops," "chicken," etc. The best part of the meal were the veg samosas we had for appetizers, and those actually were on display in the cafe.

The cakes looked excellent, though, so next time just the cafe and dessert for me.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010


I just returned from a much-needed vacation to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. I was looking forward to sun, sand and of course lots of dancing and partying! I also was looking forward to lots of rice and beans, figuring that was going to be my best vegan option, with a little guac on top to round out my Mexican "dining" experience.


Little did I know that our hotel would be right next to a natural food restaurant called 100% Natural...tofu, seitain and all other kinds of vegetarian and vegan options filled the menu. Fresh fruit juices and other delicious items completed the meal.


To commemorate our last night in Playa, my friends and I had dinner at 100% Natural for the last time (several dinners later), and I ate a "Arroz-ote." Not quite sure if it's a modified version of an authentic Mexican dish, but it was freakin' good. Broccoli, spinach, tofu and brown rice all stir-fried in a soy-based sauce.



The best meal, though, which I unfortunately didn't take a picture of, was the seitan tacos. Three flour tortillas filled with perfectly spice seitan (kind of like a dry rub), with sauteed peppers and onions, sprouts, spinach, and a side of guac. It was so good that I think I'll be trying to recreate that one here at home...now how do I recreate that hot DJ we danced with at the club?