Vegan Cooking Maven Sara Beth

Much of Seattle still has yet to discover the vegan wonder that is Sara Beth. She cooks. She teaches. She caters. She bakes. She even consults. Not to mention she creates vegan donut recipes that win 1st place, even against some of the nation's best bakers, even at high altitudes (harder than you think)*. She has started her own vegan cooking company and now her skills can be yours. Check out all she offers:

Public Vegan Cooking Classes: Some of you may know her from her series of sold-out classes at Wholefoods at Roosevelt Square. If you haven't taken one yet, don't worry, she has something special planned for this month. Sat. Jan 21 and Tues. Jan 24 she will be doing entirely raw dessert classes, focused on simple recipes that don't require a ton of special equipment. Sign up by calling Wholefoods. More info.

Photo (c) Rebecca Bolte

Private Seattle Cooking Classes: You can get private in-home vegan cooking classes for you, your family, or for a fun party. Sara can design a class around your interests. All pies all the time? Raw banana split party? Healthy vegan cooking? Comfort food? 1-time class, or a series of 6 as you transition to a vegan diet. She can also teach about raw prep. What ever your interest, Sara's private classes are very cool and VERY affordable. If you sign up in the month of the January, she is offering 25% off!

In-house and Small Catering: This is my favorite thing that Sara offers our town: in-house dinner party catering that won't break the bank. I like to entertain, but I am not a stellar cook, so this is right up my alley. If you call a local catering house to host a dinner party for you and 6 of your friends, they'll tell you they can't do it for under $70/person. Sara will help you save money and design a vegan party that you've always wanted. Spend time with your guests instead of over a hot messy stove. I'd use this service if I was having people from work over - I want them to know how great vegan food can be. And just like her private classes, Sara is offering 25% off in January (2012)!

Team Building: Your work looking for something fun, healthy, and educational for your team building outings in Seattle? How about a private cooking lesson with Sara at the Wholefoods in Roosevelt? You can have 12-15 people at only $25/person for 3 recipes. She'll let you pick any style or focus and you get to taste and sample everything that is made. Contact Sara with ideas or questions.

*Food Network Donut Challenge: they make Sara seem tough, but she is really a sweetie.

Cook Book : If that wasn't enough, Sara is working on her first cookbook. Recipes are done, tested, and ready for print. Just a few more photographs and this little local vegan chef's recipes can be yours. Keep your eyes peeled as I am sure we'll have some celebrating to do when it finally is on the shelf at our local book stores.

Restaurant Consulting: Sara will soon be offering restaurant consulting to help popular places offer easy vegan, gluten-free, and other related items on their general menus, without changing too much of their back end processes. She'll help kitchen managers and head chefs work with the space, money, and time that they have, but still offer options that will temp everyone's palette. News on that soon.

Follow Sara Beth on Facebook to stay up to date on classes, offers, and amazing recipes. If you prefer twitter, follow Sara Beth at @sarabethxvx. Or just add your email to her email list so you can get her 2x mo. update on classes. What ever way, now you have a resource for your vegan catering, learning, and in-home dinner parties! Weee!

Vegan Song Bird Coreena Brown

Welcome to another installment of the local Vegan Artist Profile! (I should come up with a better name for this series, I realize. Soon, I swear.)

I am honored to have gotten the chance to interview Pacific Northwest native, Coreena Brown, a rising vocalist living right here in our little city. Brought up on soul, rock, and pop, Coreena spent some time singing smooth jazz and R&B, but has since discovered her true love of electronica. She is also an environmentalist, a big fan of Bill Maher, and is playing a show later this month. I asked her a few questions so we could all know her a bit better!



Vegan Score: First, an easy one - when did you become vegan and why?
Coreena Brown: I became a vegan about 4 years ago. In my personal life I was going through so many tough changes because of this I gained weight, was diagnosed with adult eczema a couple years before, I felt my body, my energy, and over all outside appearance did not reflect the best me. So I began this silly "carb" diet and lost about 30 pounds, but did not feel healthy, thin does not mean healthy! I also still continued to struggle with eczema and mysterious rashes. I started to do research about health and diet in medical journals, books, and other studies and ignored all the rhetoric I was hearing on television, in media, etc. I also began to read books about religion and spirituality. My perception not only began to change about food and what that has to do with our health (diabetes, heart diseases, and other degenerative diseases) but my perception changed about my relationship with food and animals. So here I am, and I never looked back and never will.


VS: Does being vegan impact your artistry or expression? Do you ever discuss animal exploitation or compassion in your lyrics?
Coreena: Yes, yes! There are many layers to the song "The 5th Element" one of them being that if we listen to our minds and hearts closely, it speaks to each and everyone one of us about compassion for animals and what that really means. I try to stay away from lyrically being preachy about what I believe, I more so try to get the listener to question their way of thinking and the decisions they make.

VS: Why did you decide to settle back in Seattle and kick off your electronica here?
Coreena: Part of me was ready to leave California, I have so much history there that I couldn't really start a new residing in the same old place. I also thought Seattle, my hometown had a sense of community support for the arts and electronic music.

Listen now: TheFifthElement-DarkElementRemix

VS: What made you decide to pursue electronica instead of soul and smooth jazz?
Coreena: My first music project was a jazzy soul type project and it was great, however I was not the primary writer or producer. Now I write, produce, and do everything myself. I've been singing soul since I can remember so I don't have to think about it, just comes to me, it’s all feeling, so I decided to do music that I felt made me think about the next note out my mouth instead of feeling the next note. Does that make sense? In addition to this, I wanted to reflect my metamorphosis and who I am today. I still perform live straight ahead jazz and soul standards to try to keep the chops up.

VS: Where do you normally perform and with what other local artists?
Coreena: Normally a venue called Lakeside Bistro which is a great place, but I don't do my songs. I haven’t really performed with other artists but I look forward to it! I am also looking forward to having some of my songs spun at a couple electronic events and hot spots!

VS: In what neighborhood do you live and what is your favorite place to get vegan goodness there?
Coreena: I live in the Shoreline area and there is not much up this way, I eat in quite a bit, however I love the U District because there is so much to choose from! I can't just choose one spot all the place are so good Chaco Canyon, Thrive, Hillside Quickie, Highline, it’s ALL FABULOUS!

VS: What is next for you in 2012?
Coreena: New website, new photos, I will have an EP release in May (my birthday month!), a party for the EP release, music for sale online, more performances, and a mini tour and travel overseas.

_____

Thanks Coreena! I am especially grateful that this lil' blog helps me meet so many artists that I otherwise would have no idea about! Coreena is the 2nd vegan Seattle jazz artist that I've profiled, and I have one more in the hopper at least. If you don’t want to wait until her EP release this spring , go hear Coreena croon January, 21, 2011 at Lakeside Bistro from 7:30-9:00 (reservations are recommended).

• Check out Coreena's web site: http://www.coreenamusic.com/
• Become a fan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coreenamusic
• Follow her on Twitter: @CoreenaMusic

ChuMihn Deli in your Belly!

I've been meaning to write about ChuMihn for months. Ever since it opened and my friend Derrick Hachey went there every day for two weeks (no joke). Sorry if I deprived any Seattleites of this amazing traditional Asian vegetarian fare!

Photos by Michelle of Addicted to Cookbooks

If you are not a regular diner in the CD or the neighborhood around 12th and Jackson, ChuMihn Tofu Veggie Deli may be a bit intimidating at first. It is a legit neighborhood deli and you won't find all that much English rolling. ChuMihn Tofo has been making tofu, soy milk, and veggie meats for other restaurants and deli's and now just this past fall, finally opened their own store front.

You can get just about any traditional Vietnamese Buddhist cuisine* - from vegan ginger fish, to curry, to amazing spicy soups, and even fake lobster - ready to eat. You'll find tofu more ways than you knew existed, plus thick house-made soy milk perfect for making rich cream sauces at home. You can also get pho, bahn mi, sesame balls, and more! The best thing I brought home from my first trip was the spicy sauce they sell in a beverage cup for $5 (top right photo on right). I also bought soup and huge containers of mixed items for only $5 each. Everything I tried was amazing.

Photos by Michelle of Addicted to Cookbooks

Nothing was priced and they only take cash, so come prepared to chat. The owner, Thanh Nga Nyugen is extremely welcoming and will let you try anything you are unsure of - plus she'll demand that you come back soon and tell your friends. Let me say this, if you love ginger, don't leave without the "fish." Take it home throw it in a pan for a few minutes each side, and mange. Because everything is house made and not bought processed, it is easy to confirm what you are buying is vegan by just asking! But for sure ask. There is a little table if you need to eat in the deli, but it is mostly designed for take-out.

What are you waiting for? Let 2012 be the year of adventurous Vietnamese vegan eating!

ChuMinh Tofu Veggie Deli
1043 South Jackson (SW corner of 12th and Jackson) Seattle, WA 98104
Hours: 8 am to 8 pm most days
Bus # 7, 9, 14, 265, 60, 309, 36, 984

A huge shout out to the talented and generous Michelle over at Addicted to Cookbooks who took these photos and was willing to share. Both times I've been to ChuMinh, I left my camera at home. Ooops! Michelle's blog is awesome.

*Buddhist cooking has one of the longest histories of vegetarian and meat analog cooking and Buddhist monk recipes for "fake" meat go back hundreds of years. It may seem newfangled, here, but they are masters of seitan, tofu, tempeh, agar (seaweed), and more.