Category Archive

So many of the food and beverage choices at our disposal today are quietly pervaded by animal products - and wine, beer and spirits are no different.

Apart from the obvious inclusion of cream or eggs in some libations, animal products primarily make their appearance in the filtering or fining (clarifying) stage of alcohol production - not dissimilar from some sugar refining. In fact, as with some sugar, bone char is often used to filter spirits. Other filtering agents used in the making of some wines and beer include isinglass (derived from fish), gelatin (animal bones), egg whites, and clay. Wine in some countries may still be fined (clarified) using blood which was once a commonplace practice, although this is now illegal in the U.S and France. Trace elements of these fining or filtering agents are left in the beverage. For most of those against the use of animal products the fact that they are being used at all is reason enough to want to avoid certain products.

What can you do if you want to avoid alcohol that has been filtered using animal bits?

The best thing to do is write a polite email or call the customer service department of the makers of the wine, beer, spirits, etc that you’re interested in and enquire.

My personal favourite is red wine - unfortunately for me I have a huge sensitivity to sulphites and tanins, a.k.a big headache makers. Hearing that it was made with less of these nasties, I started looking to organic wine. My first organic wine purchase consisted of three varieties from an Italian vineyard, the Botter Family. After approaching the vineyard with my questions they sent me confirmation that their organic line was in fact vegan. The three wines are each named after one of the Botter siblings - they are:

• Botter Alex Sangiovese - light ruby red colour; aromas and flavours of fresh red berry fruit, plum and herbs; dry, light to medium bodied with vibrant acidity and hints of spice.
• Botter Anna Pinot Grigio Chardonnay - pale straw colour; slightly floral nose with notes of citrus, melon and almond paste; dry, light to medium bodied, soft and flavourful.
• Botter Luca Nero D’Avola - light purple red colour; aromas and flavours of cherry and blackberry with hints of chocolate; dry, medium bodied, soft and fruit driven style.

The Alex Sangiovese is now discontinued near me unfortunately, but perhaps it’s still available elsewhere. I keep the white, Anna Pinot Grigio Chardonnay, on hand for guests and for cooking - but my absolute hands down favourite is the Luca Nero D’Avola, a rich dark red. All three sell for about $12, so jackpot.

They also come in aseptic tetrapaks so they’re very easily recyclable. What I really love about the tetrapaks is that, as you use up the wine, you can squeeze the extra air out before capping it which keeps the wine fresher longer - not that it’s going to last that long because it tastes so damn good.

There are some great online resources that will identify some vegan wine, beer and spirits for you - like Taste Better!’s Vegan Booze List.

Salute.

With awareness of global warming on the rise, an interesting bit of information is unfolding along with it - meat consumption, along with egg and dairy, is the primary cause.

Animal agriculture affects climate change and air pollution more than any other single source. In fact, according to the United Nation’s massive report, Livestock’s Long Shadow, eliminating animal products from our diet would have a bigger impact on global warming than taking every single plane, train and automobile off the road, hummers and all. In short, the best and most immediate way for us to reduce the emissions that cause global warming is for people to adopt a vegan diet.

With billions of farm animals raised on factory farms annually, and billions upon billions of pounds of feed being produced to feed them, the impact on the planet is severe. Animal agriculture plays a significant role in climate change and air pollution, water depletion and pollution, and has a significant impact on biodiversity.

According to the United Nation’s report, animal agriculture has the following impact on air pollution:

• the CO2 equivalent of the livestock industry’s current contribution to climate change is 18%
• currently accounts for 9% of Carbon Dioxide emissions, and climbing.
• currently accounts for 35-40% of Methane emissions
• currently accounts for 65% of Nitreous Oxide emissions
• currently accounts for 64% of Ammonia emissions

Animal agriculture, including the meat, egg, and dairy industries, also has a significant impact on water depletion and pollution. This sector currently exceeds 8% of total global water use. This is a significant figure, especially in light of the increasing scarcity of fresh water in many places in the world, California for example.

Additionally, animal agriculture significantly impacts biodiversity through its direct effect on greenhouse gas emissions, soil erosion, water pollution, deforestation, and overfishing. Consider that 26% of the terrestrial surface is used for grazing, up to 70% of which is already considered degraded, and 33% of arable land is used for feed-crop cultivation.

In the meantime the world is entering a food crisis. The cost of food for human consumption is on the rise because increasing demand for grains, corn needed for ethanol production for example, is exceeding supply. The human population is growing, along with its appetite for meat. There is simply not enough to go around. It is now costing farmers more to feed the farm animals than they are receiving for the meat in return. The livestock industry is not a sustainable one. If consumers don’t start to change their thinking and move away from heavy meat consumption, the Earth’s resources will simply be used up.

The status quo cannot be maintained, whether people like it or not.

People are becoming more aware every day of the power they have as individuals to make a difference. They recycle and compost, they choose to use reusable cloth bags over plastic, they conserve water and install energy-efficient light bulbs. More and more people are opting to use public transit or more fuel efficient cars. Many are choosing to buy local or organic produce and eschewing the use of pesticides and chemicals. As much as all of these things help, nothing has as big of a positive environmental impact as choosing to adopt a vegan (best) or vegetarian (better) diet.

You can start with small steps. Commit to just one vegan day a week or even just one meal to start with. If everyone committed to having just one vegan or vegetarian meal per week, that alone would have a huge impact. According to an estimation by Environemental Defense Fund, if every American ate one meat-free meal per week that would be the equivalent of taking 5 million cars of the road - and if that same group went meat-free for one week, that would be the same as eliminating 8 million cars.

It’s such an attainable solution to a very serious problem. In addition to the multitude of wonderful vegan cookbooks out there, their are countless free resources on the internet. Check out some of the spectacular vegan food blogs out there - there are many wonderful ones in the Blogroll on this site, and countless others. Have fun with it - see the diversity of food available to you. I never ate such a diverse and healthy diet as I did once I made the decision to go vegan.

We can make a difference.

Happy Earth Day!

Recently, my much anticipated shipment from SerendipiTea (a.k.a. the best tea ever) arrived. I unpacked my treasure with gleeful fond memories of Eve’s Temptation, that joyous elixir of old, and couldn’t wait to brew myself a cup. Ah, what sweet anticipation - the aroma was overwhelming as I opened the box. The scent! Such sweet pungency has never before visited my nose.

I ordered four different large packs of loose tea and one small tin. The large packs of loose tea come in paper bags which sit inside recycled cardboard boxes. The packaging is simple, recyclable, and elegant. Sustainable and environmentally friendly - as if I need more reasons to adore this tea.

If I thought the scent was pungent when the box was closed, I was completely blown away when I actually opened it. I was immediately met with an awesome display of colour and texture - truly as much a feast for the eyes as for the nose. Eve’s Temptation is composed of quite large pieces of apple and mango, and nothing else.

I also purchased a box of rather tall, unbleached tea filters which are designed to sit upright in the glass. Now for the revered tasting.

Verdict? Heaven in a glass. Sweet, smooth, and just as wonderful as I remembered.

After having my fill of the star of the day, Eve’s Temptation, I turned to the other intriguing teas in my order - and there were no disappointments there. Each tea is unique and wonderful in its own way:

• Eve’s Temptation: Apple, Mango - simply amazing, smooth and sweet
• Chaucer’s Cup: Apple, Mango, Cloves, Cardamom, Ginger, Fruit, Spices - sweet & spicy, tastes like Christmas - gives Eve’s Temptation a run for its money
  
• Monk’s Mead: Apple, Mango, Chamomile - soothing, calming, wonderfully enjoyable - fair trade
• Genesis: Apple, Mango, Green Tea - much stronger than others, green tea flavour features most prominently
  
• Gaucho: Cloves, Cardamom, Ginger, Yerba Mate - spicy and awakening, great in the morning, the first Yerba Mate blend I’ve actually really liked
  

The quality of SerendipiTea is tops. Their service is super friendly and efficient, and my order arrived very fast. I’ll surely be making regular orders to keep up with what will certainly become a habit. The circle is complete.

When I heard about Dirt Candles I had to share. Firstly, the name is awesome - come on, Dirt…love it! But the cool philosophy behind the name makes it all the better.

The makers of Dirt describe themselves as ‘Raw. Pure. Real.’ They believe in all things natural, cruelty-free, charitable, and biodegradeable. Their soot-less, vegan candles are made using local organically grown soybeans and essential oils and are quite elegantly packaged using recycled glass and paper. Plus, in the spirit of giving back, a portion of their profits goes towards a list of charities that includes Peta, The Humane Society, and The Nature’s Conservancy among others.

You can buy Dirt in a multitude of U.S. stores, including online at Wildlife Works (they ship to Canada) and Room 6 in Vancouver, British Columbia (also check out the Sigg reusuable water bottles).

Smell good and feel good too.

I was flipping through the pages of a fashion mag today when I happened upon a small blurb about celebrity vegan Alicia Silverstone and a comment she made about a new line of makeup brushes made by EcoTools. If you know anything about makeup brushes you know that most of them are made with animal hair. What caught my eye about this particular line of brushes was the phrase ‘cruelty-free’. This merited some investigation I thought. A small bit of surfing later and after having read up on this delightful new product I’ve decided I must have them.

Not only are EcoTools made with cruelty free hair (they are made of taklon, a synthetic material), but they are also made using natural and recycled materials. The handles are made from the notoriously sustainable bamboo and the the metal cuffs are made from recycled aluminum cans. Even the reusable pouch is biodegradeable. Plus, the brushes are soft, the importance of which cannot be understated, and they were designed by a makeup professional who knows how these things are supposed to work. We want our brushes to be as comfortable to use as they are effective. They’re also really attractive and chances are, if you’re applying makeup, looks probably matter to you.

As if they didn’t already sound amazing enough, EcoTools has also joined up with 1% For The Planet, an organization made up of businesses that contribute 1% of their sales to environmental groups around the globe. Cruelty-free? Check. Environmentally conscious? Check. Sustainable? Check. Recyclable? Check. Girly? Check. Sounds like a winner to me.

Yesterday I revealed myself to be a doughnut fan. Today, trapped in the house with beautiful new cookbooks and woefully understocked cupboards on a statutory holiday (stores closed), I decide to distract myself from the pain by doing a little surfing in honour of the doughnut. The vegan doughnut. And to my barely containable glee I discover Mighty-O. Mighty-O is a doughnut shop in Seattle - here’s a summary of what they’re about:

• no animal derived ingredients
• certified organic ingredients
• no artificial colours or flavours
• non-GM/GMO ingredients
• no trans fats (hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils)
• organic, fair-trade coffee
• dedicated to sustainability - they say that by composting and recycling religiously they create zero waste - they don’t use harsh chemicals and support vendors and suppliers who share their philosophy.

I know my doughnuts (I am Canadian after all) and Mighty-O’s doughnuts look amazing. And they have cool names like Cocoloco, Chocolate Cake Don King and Vanilla Cake Nutty Vanilla - and the name of the joint itself is reminiscent of Saturday morning cartoons. Mighty-O, oh how I wish Seattle was within walking distance. If you’re in the Seattle area - stop by 2110 North 55th Street and get yourself a doughnut.

I’m always chuffed when I discover a great new product that is environmentally friendly, sustainable, and cruelty-free - so I was thrilled to discover Smudgepot. Smudgepot was started by Michelle Palmer, a Toronto-based esthetician and make-up artist. Michelle developed the line of skincare products with the desire to create something that was completely vegan-friendly and chemical free. The products, which address the needs of varying skin types, are made in small batches using fresh, quality ingredients, free from synthetic dyes and perfumes. The medley of essential oils make each product smell fantastic. With an eye towards the environment, Michelle has also made an effort to keep packaging to a minimum and encourages people to either recycle or reuse. I always appreciate the fine look of things and, since we’re on the topic, Smudgepot’s packaging is beautifully simple - a synthesis of aluminum and glass that looks fabulous on my shelf.

If you do Facebook, Michelle started a Smudgepot group page and fan page to promote the brand and get feedback. She welcomes questions and feedback and is as knowledgeable on the topic of skincare as she is generous with her time. She happily advised me in my quest to find something suitable for my problem skin (super oily, yet thirsty and ultra-sensitive). Oh, did I mention it’s Canadian made? Extra bonus.

You can find Smudgepot in Toronto at Heart on Your Sleeve and online at YourMomma.

I have often expressed the desire to write more regularly and with more focus. Enter Jason Doucette and his Taste Better! newsletter with the challenge therein to start a veg-focused blog. Since this was one of the ideas I had already been considering I jumped at the idea. Activism, advocacy, animal rights, sustainability, the environment, food, and all things veg-friendly are important to me so I’m looking forward to rising to this challenge. Will consider over ginger tea.