Chef Rawsheed, a known raw vegan chef, split with his co-owners of Sun Cafe last year and will launch his own restaurant this summer in Sherman Oaks (Los Angeles). The restaurant will also have a vegan grocery store and a performance space next door. More details on that to come!

In the meantime, Chef Rawsheed is making his long-awaited return to San Diego for a very special dinner. His reality show is beginning filming, so he is traveling to some of his favorite spots to see the many people who helped establish him as one of the best raw vegan chefs. Come join us for this special dinner on Saturday, Feb. 18th in San Diego. The address is 2476 Presidio Drive, San Diego, CA 92103.

MENU for San Diego event:

Supreme Living Loaf
Living Chowder Cheese Soup
House of Raw Salad
Fruit Living Cake

Cooked Items:
Mac n’ Cheese

To Go Items:
Pizza Slices $5
Candy Apples $4
Sneaky Bars $5

BUY YOUR DINNER TICKETS NOW:
$35 per person ($25 if you buy your ticket online by February 15th)
$15 for children
https://www.paypal.com/
Make payment through PayPal to jennifer@lovelivevibes.com
(If you are buying multiple tickets, you can pay for them all at once).

If you have any questions, please call Prabhat at 310.872.0669 or email him at prabhat.gautam@gmail.com

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CHEF RAWSHEED’S DINNERS IN FEBRUARY
Feb. 14th in Huntington Beach
http://www.facebook.com/events/245747345501759

Feb. 18th in San Diego
http://www.facebook.com/events/248621565214998

Feb. 25th in Rancho Palos Verdes
http://www.facebook.com/events/322979037744086

Prabhat Gautam has an amazing list of accomplishments.

He started Positive Television in 2003, wanting to inspire people to do more good in the world through watching celebrities talking about their causes and charities. About 90% of his work with Positive Television is related to veggie causes.

In 5th grade he learned about how many chinchillas are killed for one fur coat and felt it was very cruel; by high school he was a strict vegetarian. Later, he became vegan and learned about “the horrors of the factory farming system and will never go back. I’ve never been happier and healthier. When I play flag football or basketball with friends, I am always the person who has the most energy,” said Prabhat.

Prabhat helped establish Compassion Over Killing‘s presence in Los Angeles by launching its volunteer chapter, which has resulted in a full-fledged office with interns. Prabhat started and is on the Board of the LA Veg Society, which brings organizations together to work on large scale projects. They created the L.A. Animal Advocacy Leadership Council to unite all the local animal rights groups. He serves on the Board of Directors for Towards Freedom and on the Advisory Board for Compassion Over Killing.

“To be one of the leaders to help get this passed is by far one of my proudest moments as an activist,” said Prabhat.

He’s assisting VegVids.com to complie all animal rights videos onto one site. People will be able to find many undercover investigations, along with hundreds of presentations and recipes, on this ‘YouTube for vegans.’

The list continues:  he’s consulting on bringing Meatless Mondays into schools across California, and in L.A., on an upcoming vegan bar and the world’s first animal rights museum. Believing L.A. is the best vegan city in the country, he is working to connect the key people. He enjoys his city by dining at veggie restaurants including: Veggie Grill, Doomie’s Home Cookin’, Sun Cafe, and Native Foods.

If you own a veggie restaurant, please give this man a meal on the house for his nonstop efforts. He deserves serious recognition, and every city seriously needs someone with the drive and positive energy of Prabhat!

Raw T and Modu

At her home in Whittier, Southern California and around the country, Teresa Jordan, known as Raw T, holds events to help others make health changes in their lives. She recently hosted MODU’s BootCamp/FERNANDA’s Brazilian Booty Class/ & RAW T’s Cuisine to inspire friends interested in taking the best care of their bodies.

The group ran the length of the backyard to “warm up” for Modu Seye’s Bootcamp. His exercises were easy to follow, but challenging at the same time; Modu was very encouraging. In between classes, Keya March, who specializes in herbal tonics, treated all to an energizing “shot’ of an herbal blend!

Next was Fernanda Rocha’s Brazilian Booty Class. She appears on OC HOUSEWIVES/ BRAVO TV and beyond her looks, has a talent for instructing a wonderful workout that concentrates on the gluteus maximus muscle group — fun and very effective.

Raw T’s yoga, stretch and short meditation class ended the workout, and then came her Veggie Pizzas, Kale & Wild Green Salad, plus Strawberry Parfait for dessert. The remainder of the blissful day was spent lounging at the saltwater pool, or soaking in the saltwater jacuzzi.

“I have been very fortunate to have lots of free time in my adult life to read books, visit holistic spas and retreats, join private gyms with some of the best trainers in the world, and attend such events as The 7 Day Juice Fast with world-leading holistic Dr. Gabriel Cousens,” Teresa said.

It only seems fitting to help others along at her spacious property which is a perfect setting for the events and Juice Fasting Retreats. They plan a liver/gallbladder flush every year when apple trees are in season, because the Malic Acid in the apples softens any stones. They hike in the nearby hills, forage for wild edibles, do yoga stretching, share stories and challenges.

This lovely lady has also co-written a juice fasting ebook. See Raw T’s Recipe Page or contact her at Toeresa@gmail.com

Lucky for me and some friends who also found themselves in Los Angeles and wanting lunch on the famous Dec. 25 holiday, Golden Mean Vegan Cafe, an organic restaurant, welcomed us with wholesome organic vegan cuisine and friendly staff. Owner Aaron Glassman started the place in Santa Monica about two years ago to “create a place he’d like to hang out, with like-minded people and great tasting healthy options that are free of animal products.” He says balance is important in our life, and on the menu “golden mean” is defined as “divine proportion, balance and harmony.”

I got the dish they are known for – the “Lean Mean” Veggie Burger, made of beans, grains and veggies, with added avocado, tempeh bacon and vegan cheese. It was a great, satisfying meal and the kelp noodle salad was a fun addition.

My non-veggie friends chowed down on their Portobello Mushroom Panini and Pizza of the Day with pesto and spinach on cornmeal crust.  I wouldn’t have minded trying the Vegan “Chicken” Pesto Panini, the salads, or something from the brunch menu!

Desserts, made in house and definitely health-conscious, are either gluten-free or made with spelt flour, and sweetened with agave or Sucanat (SUgar CAne NATural). I can’t say we delved into cakes and pastries, but we devoured a few coconut shakes, mine of course being the chocolate flavor. The shakes include one of my all-time favorite vegan products — Luna and Larry’s Organic Coconut Bliss.

We were grateful to find somewhere open on Christmas, and I would definitely go there again to peruse not only more of the menu but the spiritual books and art.

Photo from Golden Mean Vegan Cafe website.

Karen Dawn

It was fun in the sun at the second annual Veggie Pride Parade put on by Animal Acres today. While San Diego was gray and rainy, in nearby Los Angeles the clouds moved out of the way for the event held near the Victorian Hotel in Santa Monica. In honor of Halloween tomorrow, or just for fun, some people dressed as carrots and broccoli, and others wore  t-shirts with vegan slogans like “Peace starts on your plate” and  “Vulcans are vegans.”

Guest speakers included Karen Dawn, author of Thanking the Monkey, Rethinking the Way We Treat Animals, who was also signing books. A few of the other speakers were Julieanna Hever, the Executive Director of EarthSave International, who is a plant-based dietitian, and Daniel Hauff of Mercy for Animals.

The food always adds to any veggie event, and One World Vegetarian Cuisine was selling nachos, topped with avocados, vegan sour cream, hot peppers and more. Fyi, One World is offering a full Thanksgiving Feast Special with veggie turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and other sides. Animal Acres had veggie dogs and Gardein “chicken” filets, and a few other tables were filling up event-goers with nutritious chow including baked goods from C’est La V Bakeshop.

Nutritious Nachos

Educational tables included info on World Vegan Day to be held Nov. 1, feral cats, and more. Interestingly, I met someone running the country’s first Vegan Toastmasters, a public speaking group in L.A. teaching people to be better activists. I also learned about the L.A. Veg Society, which is aiming to centralize all things veggie for the very active Los Angeles area. They plan to be the go-to site for restaurants, events, a business directory and more.

As always, veggie events are great for networking, trying new foods, and learning more, whether you are a new veghead or a longtimer!

I grew up in Los Angeles and left just after high school, never looking back other than visiting loved ones. Recently, however, I have been enjoying a new side of L.A. through sampling regional vegan cuisine and attending events.

This weekend I had a great time at the Spork Foods West Hollywood Grand Opening Party, co-hosted by Rory Freedman of  New York Times #1 bestseller Skinny Bitch fame. Freedman is also the humble author of many other books and workout videos who has converted many people to veganism through exposing the horrors of the food industry and encouraging healthier eating.

Spork Foods, a vegan business run by two sisters, moved into the West Hollywood space less than two months ago, where they will host cooking classes and parties along with yoga, and offer their space to the vegan community. Upcoming projects include an October culinary trip to Italy and online cooking classes.

The Spork sisters and many other people I met at the packed event were friendly and active in the veggie community, including Lex who organizes the rapidly growing Los Angeles Vegan Drinks meetup, for which he assures drinks to be consumed are vegan by researching on Barnivore. Prabhat Gautam of Positive Television always has many exciting vegan events up his sleeve. Eco-friendly face painting (some avocado-based) by The Compassionate Clown Company was fun, and it’s nice to know they do not work fairs that exploit animals.

The food was of course a highlight — a tasty sundried tomato dip (pictured) and corn fritters with truffle aioli, followed by great Mexican chocolate almond bark and a vanilla spiced cupcake with whipped cocoa frosting. With a growing contingency of passionate people networking at events like this, vegan cuisine is not only becoming increasingly mainstream but more delicious.

Scrumptious Scoops

Do you remember the early 80s when vegan ice creams like Rice Dream and Tofutti were cutting edge? Today we have many more choices for satisfying customers who seek vegan dessert that is eco-friendly, dairy-free and often which caters to food allergies.

Along those lines, KindKreme, a new raw ice cream place in Los Angeles, is said to be pricy but to have great soft-serve. I am looking forward to going there. Scoops in L.A. has highly creative ice cream for vegans and non-vegans, and welcomes new flavor requests.

A few years ago when in San Francisco I made a special trip to MaggieMudd and it did not disappoint.  Their Mudslinger’s Freestyle  dairy-free ice cream is made from soymilk or coconut milk.  The Coconut Pecan Praline and Banana Rum Brownie flavors sound great. Count on them for vegan ice cream cakes and sundaes too.

Putting Almonds to Good Use

So far my favorite vegan ice cream bought off the shelves of natural foods stores (and hopefully making it into mainstream stores soon)  is Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss — organic, agave-sweetened heaven. It is creamy and coconuty and all the flavors are superb, made with Fair Trade ingredients.

Turtle Mountain is a favorite too,  with soymilk and coconut milk ice creams and ice cream sandwiches. I especially like their Purely Decadent Cookie Dough (gluten-free). They have a new coconut water sorbet.

Almond Dream’s Chocolate flavor was rich and delicious and not too almondy. I tried the Vanilla Bean flavor of Living Harvest Tempt ice cream made of nutritious hemp – it feels healthy going down and does not make me tired. Same goes for Tomberlie’s, a yummy raw ice cream made locally in California.

With summer coming, here’s to continually trying new vegan dessert – we all love ice cream!

Lewin and Goldberg (right)

I recently got to meet Bob Goldberg, one of the founders of Follow Your Heart (FYH), which began in 1970 simply as a food concession with seven seats in a health food store.  Coincidentally I was born the same year, also in Canoga Park. Along with Michael Besancon, Paul Lewin, and Spencer Windbiel, Goldberg created one of the first all-vegetarian natural food markets and restaurants still popular today in the Los Angeles area. All the founders remain vegetarians and virtually everything on the menu can be made vegan.

Today, Goldberg and Lewin own FYH. They also run Earth Island, a global company, which manufactures and distributes their beloved vegan products like delicious Vegenaise and Vegan Gourmet (one of the first tasty cheeses making it possible for vegans to have pizza).

In 40 years of business, the company has vastly exceeded their expectations.

“We believed that we were pioneers in a movement which would ultimately fundamentally transform the way people eat.  Today, it is difficult to imagine what a different world we lived in at that time . . .whole grain breads were viewed with skepticism, and organic food was very difficult to find. Vegetarianism was uncommon, and generally viewed as extreme,” Goldberg said.

Besides FYH — a warm, friendly place to enjoy great vegetarian food — they now have a gluten-free retail and wholesale bakery called The Sensitive Baker which proves they are still following their hearts.

The bakery has been very well-received. They are baking vegan products wherever possible, and appealing to customers with gluten intolerance related to Celiac disease and Autism.

This Labor Day weekend, Follow Your Heart is celebrating a big 40 year reunion. Many items are on display in the restaurant including menus from throughout their history. Let’s celebrate this important part of Southern California veggie history!

L.A. Veggie Activists

A group of about 15 volunteers met on Feb. 20 to discuss their newly formed Advisory Board of Compassion Over Killing (COK) in Los Angeles.  Over lunch at SunPower Natural Cafe in Studio City and guided by Prabhat Gautam of Positive Television, they discussed online marketing,  outreach to restaurants and schools, fundraisers, and more.

Devin Murphy, a COK Board member, explained that in L.A. there was a vacuum — more outreach and focus on farm animal issues were needed. The group will build a strong vegan community by bringing people from different areas of L.A. into one place, and tapping into the existing vegetarian community that is not yet active.  They also want to connect people from different high schools, colleges, universities and meetup groups. The L.A. region has many vegetarian and vegan restaurants, but the Board plans to increase vegan options at non-vegan restaurants.

Kale Shakes!

They’d like to do entertaining video outreach that entices people with vegan and vegetarian foods rather than depressing factory farm footage.

As we finished our meal, we had fun talking with Ronald Jackson, one of the owners of SunPower Natural Cafe, open less than a year. Everything but two menu items can be made raw, and they make sure nothing tastes like being deprived, since the food is super flavorful, he said. Surprisingly, more than half the customers are meat eaters, and 25% of them follow the raw foods diet.

The waiter said people come from all over for the sweet kale shake.  It was an enormous serving rich with cashews, agave, and banana.  Jackson told us one customer came in 52 days in a row for that shake!

People enjoyed their veggie burgers and other meals too. SunPower Natural Cafe made a great meeting place for inspired veggie people to come together and create change.

Brilliant Broccoli

The veggie movement is growing fast, with numerous innovative people making their mark, and I wanted to point out a few businesses in L.A. specializing in preparing and delivering vegan cuisine, as well as educating others.

One such creative person is Christy Morgan and her business called The Blissful Chef. They prepare vegan macrobiotic food for eco-friendly Los Angeles celebrities, and air cooking videos. In addition they hold vegan cooking classes and private consultations. Learn how to prepare  weekend brunches (crepes without egg or dairy are not something vegans find every day!) or tempeh, the healthy protein-rich soyfood. Meal delivery is another part of the Blissful Chef’s service.

Also in Southern California is an affordable weekly meal delivery service called Vegin’ Out and owned by two brothers. Each week they’ll deliver 9-10 meals to your home or office – if you live outside the greater L.A. region, they can ship next day. The food is about 75% organic. Doesn’t the Ziti Bolognese — using tofu instead of ground beef — sound amazing, with a White Bean Salad, followed by Orange Chocolate Chip cookies? Vegin’ Out also caters events.

There seems to be a trend in sibling-owned vegan businesses in L.A. Spork Foods, run by a couple of sisters, also offers catering, and gives cooking classes on gluten-free recipes, aphrodisiac cuisine, and homemade pizza, among others. I would probably drive from San Diego for The Grilled Portobello, Spinach, and Pine Nut Cheese Pizza on a Spelt Crust! With a focus on local, organic and seasonal foods, Spork also does food consultations, so if you are new to veggie food and need someone to help shop and replace your pantry with healthy goods like nutritional yeast, spelt flour, coconut water and such, call Spork Foods.

Salad Time

For L.A. restaurants serving vegetarian or vegan cuisine, a comprehensive listing can be found at the Vegetarians in Paradise site, along with information on L.A. vegetarian events and natural foods stores.

Photos by Jeremy Pearl.