Café VegNews

Spicy Peanut Pasta

2012-01-30T14:19:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: Savvy Savories Spicy Peanut Noodles with a side salad of romaine, kale, grape tomatoes, cucumber, orange bell pepper, red cabbage, and fennel.

The Goods: Friends, it's Monday. Finding leftover salad from Friday's potluck lunch in the fridge ensured that some greenery made it into today's lunch, and the peanut pasta added a nice warm element. If eating balanced meals is something you struggle with, even as a vegan, don't miss out on tomorrow's Twitter Chat! We have a truly awesome lineup, including Michael Greger, MD, Gena Hamshaw, and Julieanna Hever, RD, to help answer all your healthy-eating questions. The fun starts at 6pm PT, so don't be late!

Friday Staff Potluck (s'mores!)

2012-01-27T14:19:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Colleen & The VegNews Staff!

The Menu: Vegan mac 'n' cheese, kale and fennel salad with a poppyseed vinaigrette, biscuits, white chocolate chip cookies, s'mores, and satsuma oranges

The Goods: It's Friday, we've gone to press, Vegan Drinks kicked off for 2012 last night at a fab new location, and it's gorgeous outside. Time for a VegNews staff potluck! It all started when Associate Editor Jennifer noticed that a box of dark chocolate bars had arrived to the VNHQ, and immediately thought "s'mores." S'mores then turned into s'mores plus one of Jenn's new favorite mac 'n' cheese recipes, and before we knew it, several staffers were on board to bring in food for lunch today. Voila! A full-fledged staff potluck. And since it's 70 degrees in San Francisco today, we enjoyed our meal al fresco on our sunny rooftop deck. Have a great weekend, everyone!

We pulled together a quick batch of s'mores using MI-DEL Ginger Snaps, Dandies air-puffed marshmallows, and Nibmor 72% dark chocolate.

Celery Soup and Spinach Salad

2012-01-26T15:56:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Hilary, Whole Foods Market, and Gracias Madre

The Menu: Cream of celery soup, with a side of spinach salad studded with red onions, walnuts and crispy shiitake mushrooms.

The Goods: As we trudged through the final trenches of the editing process for our mind-blowingly, brain-meltingly, hair-fryingly, skull-pulverizingly cool March+April Issue, wacky California's indecisive late-morning sun emerged, then hid, then winked from beneath a sky-wide pallor of wispy clouds. Unsatisfied with my initial feast of spinach salad, I had no choice but to seek warming soup from cashew-cheese quesadilla palace extraordinaire Gracias Madre. While filling, my lunch was still light enough to not interfere with this evening's inaugural SF Vegan Drinks event at its brand-new location, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, a boozy top-shelf pub a mere half-block from our headquarters. Beer-battered fried pickles, sweet potato tater tots, my heart is aflutter in anticipation of our union after dusk falls.

Kale-Edamame Salad with Vegan Lemon-Herb Dressing

2012-01-25T15:52:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Rashida and Trader Joe's

The Menu: Kale-edamame salad with lemon-herb dressing, almonds, tomatoes, and dried cranberries, topped with some Garlicky Green Parma.

The Goods: Kale salad seems to be a lunchtime fixture here at VNHQ, so it was only a matter of time before I hopped on the kale-salad train. This one from Trader Joe's was a healthful midday meal that tasted especially delicious covered in a heaping spoonful of Parma. Admittedly, my tummy was rumbling soon after the meal was over, but that may have more to do with my failure to eat breakfast this morning than the salad's level of satisfaction. If you're looking for a satisfying read this afternoon, check out 10 Reasons We Need Dennis Kucinich in Congress!

Vegan Sushi Lunch

2012-01-24T14:34:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Anna and We Be Sushi

The Menu: A classic seaweed salad and a veggie tempura-mango roll.

The Goods: After a morning spent looking over the touching, exciting, and fun applications for this year's wedding feature and chowing down on some sauerkraut-spinach dip I brought to the office, I needed a walk and some lighter fare for lunch. I convinced Associate Editor Jennifer Chen to accompany me on a short walk to our nearby sushi place, and she gladly obliged (I mean, come on. It's sushi). The tempura veggie and mango roll was admittedly not light, but the scrumptious and healthy seaweed salad created the perfect pairing. In other news, I would like to wish you a very happy National Peanut Butter Day! As I nurse my overly full stomach (and dream of vegan fluffernutter sandwiches), head on over to our Facebook page to let us know how you love to eat the tasty spread.

Coconut Noodle Soup

2012-01-23T15:14:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Herbivore

The Menu: A delicious bowl of coconut noodle soup, with spinach, grated carrots, tofu, pineapple, and broccoli, all topped with Organicville's Sriracha Sauce.

The Goods: It's cold. Though I managed to escape to Los Angeles this weekend and dodge most of the torrential downpour that took place in the Bay Area, today's chill meant that there was only one option for lunch: soup. I pretty much love anything that involves rice noodles and Sriracha, so this bowl from Heribvore was perfect. Continuing the theme of perfection this week, we'll be editing the final proofs of our March+April issue on Thursday (so help me, they had better be flawless!), and directly after that we'll be heading out the door and down the street to Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem for the first SF Vegan Drinks of the year! I'm really stoked about the new location, and here's why: the owner, Mark, is super nice and awesome; the drinks specials (vegan White Russians!) rock; and these four life-changing little words: sweet potato tater tots. Yeah.

Veggie Sausage Sandwich

2012-01-20T14:53:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: Veggie sausage sandwich with hummus and avocado on a focaccia roll

The Goods: You've probably seen this sandwich before, as it's one of our favorites from Valencia Whole Foods (not the chain) right around the corner. They make this baby in-house, and it's nothing short of divine. And what you see above is only half of it; I ate the other half for lunch yesterday! So it's a great deal at just $6.50. If you find yourself in San Francisco and want a guide to some of the best vegan eateries around, don't miss either our gorgeous veggie food map in the January+February issue featuring all the must-try meat-free fare within a two-block radius of the VNHQ, or our own Hilary Pollack's brilliant story on VegNews.com, "The 20 Best Vegan Dishes in the Mission District." We have you covered, friends. In other news, we're going to press today with our March+April "Man" issue. Get ready, because it's AMAZING! We're all pretty excited around here (and exhausted), but we can't wait for this very-special edition to start hitting mailboxes and newsstands. Have a great weekend!

Chickpea Piccata and Kale Salad

2012-01-19T14:01:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Jennifer

The Menu: Chickpea Piccata over a bed of orzo with a marinated kale salad with carrots and mushrooms.

The Goods: I love chickpeas. I think they are the perfect bean. So when I made Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Chickpea Piccata for dinner a few nights ago, I was in love. Instead of arugula, I added in a big pile of spinach. She suggests pouring them over Caulipots (a combination of cauliflower and potatoes), but instead I cooked up some orzo and poured my piccata on top. I just learned from VN Editorial Assistant Hilary Pollack's online article, 11 More Must-Have Vegan iPhone Apps, that Moskowitz has a free vegan cupcakes app. I think it's best if I pretend that doesn't exist.

Half Soup, Half Sandwich, Half Pig

2012-01-18T17:33:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Herbivore

The Menu: A delicious cup of coconut noodle soup with half a grilled soy chicken sandwich. In other words, perfection in a lunch.

The Goods: Friends, it's been downright freezing here in SF. No, literally the temperature has reached 32 degrees, and frankly, I'm just not a fan. So, soup was definitely going to happen for lunch today, and though my fears were baseless, I worried that it might not be filling enough to just have a cup of soup. I opted to also get half of my all-time favorite sandwich, the grilled soy chicken. Mushing a bunch of things that don't necessarily fit, ala ManBearPig, can backfire, but today's was a definite case of two great things going great together. Not to toot our our horn, but much like VegNews and Pinterest. See what I mean?

Lentil Soup

2012-01-17T14:12:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Rashida and Trader Joe's

The Menu: Lentil and quinoa soup topped with Garlicky Green Parma.

The Goods: I originally trekked to Trader Joe's to track down some of the famous Cookie Butter with which, thanks to my VegNews colleagues, I'm now completely obsessed. Since unfortunately Cookie Butter on its own doesn't count as lunch, I also grabbed a generous cup of TJ's Lentil Soup with Ancient Grains. This warm soup was the perfect antidote to San Francisco's brisk weather, which has been going strong this week despite deceptively sunny skies. My soup-topper, Garlicky Green Parma, is a mostly raw parmesan substitute that pairs well with just about everything. If you're interested in the raw food movement, check out Associate Publisher Colleen Holland's interview with raw-foods pioneer Victoria Boutenko, who dishes about her decision to bring cooked foods back into her diet.

Celebratory Pizza Party

2012-01-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Hilary and Patxi's

The Menu: Two fat slices of vegan deep-dish pizza stuffed with vegan cheese, spinach, and onions, and topped with zesty red sauce and garlic.

The Goods: Today is the best! After a rousing design meeting of putting the finishing touches on our March+April issue—including our amazing cover idea—I scored tickets to Coachella Music Festival after hovering in an online queue for upwards of an hour. Might I mention that this year's lineup is loaded with vegan artists, including Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Jeff Mangum (formerly of Neutral Milk Hotel), Cedric Bixler of At the Drive-In, and Dennis Lyxzen of Refused. If you're as stoked as I am, check out Global Animal's post about veg-friendly Coachella. Celebration was in order, so we decided to indulge in some insanely good vegan deep-dish pizza. If the meat-lovers in our lives could taste a slice of this stuff, we're pretty sure they're convert on the spot. Want to help a loved one check out the vegan life? Check out the VegNews Vegan Starter Kit for the five easy steps to cruelty-free splendor.

Roasted Vegetable Salad

2012-01-12T17:57:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Herbivore

The Menu: A big green salad with grated beets, grilled vegetables, soy chicken, and chunks of avocado.

The Goods: It's exciting times here at the VNHQ, as we begin to wrap up the design of our March+April issue. Basically, we get to enjoy this magical process by which ideas turn into words that then turn into a magazine. It's pretty rad. Since it's January and all, a big, bright salad was just the thing to power me through design meetings today. You know what's totally ingenious? Adding roasted vegetables (which are warm) to salad (which is not!). I know; I understand if your mind is significantly blown. Here's hoping that something as exciting as a warm element in your salad is going on in your world today! (And if there isn't something yet, try checking out the news that meat consumption is expected to decline. That should do it!)

A Giant Sushi Buritto Roll

2012-01-11T13:52:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Jennifer and Sushiritto

The Menu: A sushi/burrito roll filled with Hodo Soy Spicy Tofu Strips, roasted garnet yams, shiitake mushrooms, shaved cabbage, avocado, green onions, crumbled rice chips

The Goods: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the best fusion meal I've ever eaten—sushi and a burrito rolled into one delicious (and massive) bite! Sushiritto is the home of these giant rolls and while the location is not close to VNHQ, I happened to be visiting the Mother Jones office today, which is near this famed eatery, known for its incredibly long line of customers. Sushiritto offers one vegan roll, the Buddha Girl Roll, and it's packed with all sorts of goodies, specifically local artisan tofu maker Hodo Soy's Spicy Tofu Strips. If you want to make your own rolls at home, try VN columnist Robin Robertson's spring rolls, a less massive alternative to a sushi-burrito combo.

Super-Topped Baked Potato

2012-01-10T16:50:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: A baked potato loaded up with freshly made guacamole, chopped tomatoes and red onions, and a dollop of Vegenaise—plus an organic salad with carrots and olives

The Goods: Another lunch, another baked potato. I'm on a roll! I just can't resist the allure of a topping-loaded potato at lunch, and it's a super simple meal to make at the office. At 11:30am, I pop in a potato into our convection oven, and at 12:30, it's done! I then just add a few toppings, whip together a salad, and I have a homemade, healthy lunch in no time flat. Although we have a bevy of restaurants to choose from here in San Francisco's Mission district, I like to keep it simple during lunch and save restaurant outings for special occasions. Speaking of San Francisco, have you seen Editorial Assistant Hilary Pollack's list of the 20 best vegan dishes to try near the VNHQ? It's amazing, and has us clamoring to try every single one. Hilary has, and this girl knows what she's talking about. Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Vegan BBQ Chicken Sandwich

2012-01-09T15:05:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Rashida and Rhea's Deli

The Menu: A faux-chicken sandwich smothered in chili-garlic sauce and loaded with cabbage slaw and pickled onions

The Goods: I accidentally slept through my alarm this morning, which means that my plan to bring lunch from home was unfortunately foiled. Rhea's Deli to the rescue! I had been daydreaming about Rhea's Vegetarian BBQ Chicken sandwich ever since VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig endorsed it in the VegEscape section of the January+February issue. The mouthwatering faux-drumsticks drowning in sweet-spicy chili glaze were so satisfying that I may 'accidentally' sleep through my alarm tomorrow morning too! In non-sandwich news, tomorrow is the deadline to subscribe to VegNews in time to get the action-packed March+April issue. I won't give too much away, but let's just say that Potato Chip Chocolate Truffles may be involved...

"Krazy" for Kale

2012-01-06T14:39:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Hilary and Herbivore

The Menu: A ginormous kale salad loaded with herb-crusted soy chicken, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, and onions, and a sprinkle of pink Himalayan sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

The Goods: This is my third kale salad from Herbivore this week, and I'm not sorry. I'm on a pretend health kick wherein I eat kale salad for lunch almost every day and use the notion of its nutritional benefits as an excuse to eat limitless chocolate for breakfast/dessert/a snack. That makes sense, right? While my New Year's resolution to cut back on sweets (as seen in the January+February issue masthead) has been progressing questionably, those who resolved to ditch meat and dairy in 2012 will get tips and support from the VegNews Vegan Starter Kit, free to download now! In the meantime, I'll be at my desk, trying as hard as possible not to get thirds of the vegan Snow Balls from Source that Editor-at-Large Laura Beck brought to the office today. Resistance is futile.

Grilled "Chicken" Sandwich

2012-01-05T14:25:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Jennifer and Herbivore

The Menu: A grilled soy chicken sandwich with roasted potatoes and side salad

The Goods: When people tell me they think it must be hard to be vegan, I simply tell them I love food and I eat all the time. Seriously, I'm the food editor. It's part of my job. Yes, I do eat vegetables but I also eat awesome soy chicken sandwiches. A friend once said to me that she just pictured vegan restaurants serving plates of broccoli. And while eating healthy is important, vegan eating is just as decadent as my omnivore friend's diets. Heck, just last week I ate a vegan black-and-white cookie from Champs Bakery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and an eggplant parm hero at 3 Brothers Italian Café in Long Island. So maybe a plate of broccoli is a good idea right about now. If one of your new year's resolutions is to go vegan and you need some tips, check out the VegNews Vegan Starter Kit. Trust me, friends, it's easy!

Hot Dog!

2012-01-04T15:04:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Rodger's

The Menu: A delicious hot dog with sauerkraut and a spinach and kale salad with hummus.

The Goods: You know how sometimes you have leftover salad waiting for you in the fridge, but when lunchtime rolls around, the idea just doesn't strike as appetizing? That's precisely what happened to me today. I know, it's a pretty good story. But wait, there's more! Thankfully, my craving for something more satisfying than soggy salad was sated after a quick jaunt across the street to Rodger's to pick up a nice dog on a toasted bun. If there's anything better than the combination of bread, mustard, and sauerkraut, I don't even want to know about it.

Cheese-Topped Baked Potato & Salad

2012-01-03T14:06:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: Baked potato with avocado, WayFare cheddar cheese, and WayFare sour cream—plus an organic salad with Romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, olives, and yellow pepper

The Goods: After a week off to celebrate the holidays with our families, we're back at the VNHQ! We hope everyone had a wonderful week, and our team is so excited for 2012 (just wait to see what we have in store for you!). And after a month of what seemed like endless amounts of chocolate and cookies, I am craving healthy lunches—like this baked potato and salad. It's simple, but it's my go-to staple when I want something filling and delicious. Just starting out on the veg path? Don't miss our Go Veg Guide from our team of editors. It's fun and packed with everything you need to lead an amazing veg life. Happy New Year!

Final Salad of the Year

2011-12-23T15:09:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Herbivore

The Menu: A big, gorgeous green salad.

The Goods: You guys. You GUYS. It's pretty danged near impossible to describe the incredible day that we're having here at the VNHQ. Our staff is what you might call extra-double-super excited about our upcoming holiday break (this is our last day in the office until Jan. 2, 2012!), and the presents have been coming fast and furious. It's intense. The day started with Assistant Editor Anna Peraino bringing in cookies within cookies for Associate Editor Jennifer Chen, then progressed to a couple dozen candy cane brownies from Sticky Fingers for the staff from our publishers. If ever there was a day to feast on salad, it's today. We've had holiday music blasting all day, and things just basically couldn't be more festive. Here's to an amazing holiday season for everyone! We'll be back next year!

Roasted Vegetable Tamales & Black Beans

2011-12-22T15:25:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Colleen and Hella Vegan Eats

The Menu: Roasted vegetable tamales with a verde salsa, black beans with vegan sour cream, and an organic salad with lettuce, carrots, olives, and cucumber

The Goods: A few weeks ago, I went to a holiday party which had the most amazing vegan spread. An array of dips and appetizers, vegan tamales with 10 different fillings, and a beverage bar that only vegans could appreciate (think hot rum-spiked soy nog with all-you-can-top vegan whipped cream). It was a good night, let's just say that. And what made it even better was that the fabulous hostess (VN Editor-at-Large Laura Beck) sent me home with a bag of Hella Vegan Eats' tamales. Today, I steamed up a batch for myself and a few of my colleagues and served them with a spicy tomatillo-avocado salsa. Delicious! This savory meal provided a nice antidote to all the sweets we've been inhaling this month. There's been chocolate, cupcakes, peppermint bark, truffles, soy nog, soy nog cheesecake, cookies, bars, and the lists goes on. Here's to a happy, healthy New Year!

Roasted Tomato Soup & Giant Kale Salad

2011-12-21T14:56:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Jennifer

The Menu: Roasted tomato soup and a kale salad.

The Goods: Yes, my co-workers (they shall remain nameless) teased me about the size of my kale salad. The leaves were literally falling off the plate. But I have a good reason for eating half of a bunch of kale. After baking/eating the top cookie in our Holiday Cookie Contest—chocolate sugar cookies with peppermint candy cane frosting—I needed to eat my weight in greens. The tomato soup, my friends, is one of the best I've ever had and it's the Veganize It! recipe from the January+February VegNews. As Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria aptly described it, "This soup is a great grilled cheese dipper." I'm lucky that my husband is the king of vegan grilled cheese sandwiches. Thanks, Daiya! If you're running low on your favorite vegan pantry items, enter our $100 Pangea shopping spree giveaway. Now, I'm off to finish the rest of my salad.

Soup and Spring Rolls

2011-12-20T14:18:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Hilary and Whole Foods Market

The Menu: Savory, comforting mushroom-barley soup and fresh, crunchy tofu spring rolls.

The Goods: Between last week's cookiepalooza and the final push of holiday parties that inevitably strikes the week before Christmas, I've had my fair share of crazy-heavy meals in the past few days. It's soup and salad or bust for the next few days, until I am reunited with my family and inevitably dive headfirst into Cake-and-Mashed-Potatoesville, USA. Not pictured above: the Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe-Joe's that I might have scarfed in the kitchen post-soup and spring rolls. They taste just like the scent of the Scent of Scandal candle that is This Week's Must Have! My obsession is boundless. Speaking of obsession, to see the other events of 2011 that had us full-blown captivated, don't miss VegNews' 10 Biggest Trends in Veganism for 2011, which rounds up all of the year's hottest stories that had us as buzzed as the sugar high I'm working through as we speak.

Oatmeal and Fruit

2011-12-19T16:42:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Anna

The Menu: Oatmeal with blueberries and an orange on the side

The Goods: The holidays are the best—dinner parties, soy nog, so many cookies you can't count—but all those parties and treats can also wreak havoc on your stomach. Case in point: moi. After a week filled with four holiday parties and taste-testing for the VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest, I woke up over the weekend feeling less than ideal. Enter: oatmeal. Simple, tasty, and filled with fiber, this meal, while boring, will hopefully get me ready for round two of holiday eating, i.e., my parents' house. But until then, it's oatmeal time!

South Indian Staff Lunch

2011-12-16T18:36:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Colleen and Udupi Palace

The Menu: The amazing Spinach Masala Dosa with a bowl of sambar soup and trio of housemade chutneys (coconut, ginger, and spicy tomato)

The Goods: There isn't a single person at the VNHQ who doesn't love South Indian food. Heck, we could probably eat it every day if we had to. And the best South Indian restaurant in the city is just around the corner from our offices, so our entire team ventured over for a delicious lunch of dosas, uthappams, idlis, and curries. The occasion, however, was bittersweet, as today marked the final day of our wonderful Editorial Assistant Joni Sweet's internship with VegNews. Joni actually studied abroad in India during college and can often be found diving into a dosa during the noon hour, so it was a fitting place to toast her amazing contribution to VegNews. Immediately following lunch, we headed back to the VNHQ for the official judging of our 2011 VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest (hundreds of entries! 10 finalists! incredible vegan cookies!), for which we'll be announcing our three prize winners on Monday (hello, KitchenAid mixer). We were all in a bit of a food coma due to the excessive sugar intake, but we need to shake it in time for tomorrow night's annual VegNews Staff Holiday Bash. We'll be shakin' up this town if you need us!

Pesto Pasta

2011-12-15T14:35:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Jennifer and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: Savvy Savories Vegan Pesto Pasta with sun-dried tomatoes

The Goods: I blame Editorial Assistant Hilary Pollack for my addiction to this pesto pasta. She bought it all the time, and she made me try it to understand her obsession. Now, I'm hooked. The roasted cashews add a nice cheese-like taste to this pesto. I could eat it every day. Stop me. Immediately after eating this savory dish, all I really want is something sweet. So it's a good thing I'm baking up the Chocolate Sugar Cookies Iced with Crushed Candy Cane Topping recipe from our Holiday Cookie Contest. I'm not the world's best baker so I'm glad I'm chatting with some of the best vegan bakers tonight at 6pm PT during our VegNews Twitter Chat to get some help.

Spicy Peanut Noodles

2011-12-14T15:32:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: What started out as just a salad, but turned into a salad of mixed greens, olives, carrots, tofu, kale, and sunflower seeds, served with a side of Savvy Savories Spicy Peanut Noodles.

The Goods: Who can resist the siren song of awesome pasta tossed in a spicy peanut-butter sauce? Not this gal, and not today. As someone who's been stricken with the freaking stupid cold that everyone I know seems to currently have, today marked the first time in more than a week that I was actually hungry for lunch, which made these two yummy dishes even more enticing. I'm just hoping that my appetite returns full-force before Friday, when we'll be testing the 10 finalists in our first-ever Holiday Cookie Contest!

South Asian Leftover Mash-up

2011-12-13T14:15:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Joni

The Menu: A mishmash of leftover Thai, Burmese, and Indian foods—spicy tofu, glazed eggplant, yellow veggie curry, and coconut rice

The Dish: I had family in town recently, which means lots of dining out (no complaints here!). I’m pretty sure we ate at every South Asian restaurant in San Francisco, hence the assortment of leftovers for lunch today. While South Asian cuisine occupies a large portion of my love for food, so does dessert, and I’m ready for some cookies! We spent much of yesterday sorting through the myriad of recipe entries to the VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest and our top 10 finalists sound amazing. We’ll be having a bake-off on Friday to determine the winners and I can’t wait to bake the Peanut Butter Blossoms. It will surely be the perfect end to the week.

Kale Can't Fail

2011-12-12T15:30:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Hilary and Herbivore

The Dish: A generously sized kale salad with cucumbers, carrots, onions, tomatoes, avocado, and soy chicken.

The Goods: After a week (and weekend) of holiday indulgence, a kale salad with hearty soy chicken and buttery avocado was the perfect Monday-lunch antidote. Even better, after a rousing game of Bananagrams, we got to review the amazing recipes submitted by readers for the VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest. I wish that I could offer a sneak peek, but the deliberation was top secret. Keep a close eye on VegNews.com early next week for the results of our difficult (and delicious) decision-making process!

Baked Potato with Vegan Cheddar & Guacamole

2011-12-09T14:32:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Colleen

The Dish: Baked Russet potato topped with WayFare Hickory Cheddar cheese, homemade guacamole, and sliced scallions—plus organic greens and cherry tomatoes tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sea salt

The Goods: After a week of mind-blowing food on the VegNews Vegan Yoga Retreat to Mexico (seriously, it was amazing), I focused on really simple lunches this week. This meant lots of salads, rice bowls, and, today, a baked potato with a few key toppings. And since the WayFare fairies dropped by our offices on Wednesday with a cooler full of vegan cheese, pudding, and sour cream, a smear of the cheddar spread made the perfect condiment to my Friday meal. It was delish! But I am already fantasizing about the 10 recipes we'll be testing next week for the first annual VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest. It's going to get crazy here at the VNHQ, I can promise you that. Still haven't entered your favorite cookie? The deadline is tomorrow at 5pm PT, so enter as many recipes as you'd like for a chance to win a KitchenAid mixer, a cupcake kit, and two dozen cookies from Allison's Gourmet. In other great news, we just announced our Holiday Gift Subscription Sale, where subs are now just $15. Stock up while it lasts!

A close-up of my baked potato with WayFare Hickory Cheddar cheese, guacamole, and fresh veggies

Cozy Cheesy Farfalle and An Apple a Day

2011-12-08T14:22:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Hilary

The Dish: Bow-tie pasta smothered in mozzarella Daiya and marinara sauce with shallots, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes, plus a delightfully crunchy and sweet Honeycrisp apple.

The Goods: With temperatures dropping, I find my urge growing to crawl into a cave with a barrel of hot cocoa and knitted things to hide for the remainder of winter. Due to various social obligations and physical logistics, my dream scenario is unfortunately not feasible. However, I find that a hearty, Daiya-laden pasta dish here and there provides a sufficient dose of cozy to help me beat the winter blues. Now all I need is the aroma of fresh-baked cookies from the VegNews Holiday Cookbook to keep me feeling toasty. Submit your best cookie recipe to the VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest today! The deadline is Friday for showing us how brightly your baking skills shine.

Vegan Avocado Rolls

2011-12-07T15:58:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: Delightfully avocado-filled spring rolls with extra avocado, cucumber, shredded carrot, and romaine.

The Goods: After spending last week in Mexico for the utterly phenomenal VegNews Vegan Yoga Retreat to Mexico, I am just beginning to come to terms with the fact that I can no longer just show up at the retreat's gorgeous restaurant at meal times and wait for a stunning plate to magically appear. The readjustment has been trying, at best. Thankfully, our trusty corner store came to my rescue by putting even more avocado in the fresh spring rolls. Extra avocado perks up any day, but today was made even brighter by the fact that it's Bestie Day, and I was the extremely lucky recipient of these awesome flowers from my very own bestie. Gah! So many great things are happening all at once! It's almost enough to make a gal forget to mention that entries for the VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest are due by Saturday. Almost!

Bolani

2011-12-06T15:52:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Joni

The Dish: A bolani—traditional Afghan flatbread—stuffed with potatoes and a side of pesto for dipping

The Goods: When I saw this Afghan specialty at the grocery store, I knew I needed to try it—I’m always on a quest to incorporate international flavor into every meal I eat. Adding worldy pizzazz to food would definitely be a good tactic if you’re considering entering the VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest. We’re looking for the most inventive and delicious cookie recipes known to the holiday season, so send them our way for a chance to win fabulous prizes, like a KitchenAid stand mixer.

Peanut Butter and Jelly, Part Deux

2011-12-05T14:15:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Anna

The Menu: A peanut butter and jelly sandwich on Ezekiel bread, an apple, and a peppermint patty from Allison's Gourmet

The Goods: It's a little déjà vu all over again: As you might have noticed, a week ago I essentially ate the same lunch. What can I say? I can never get sick of a good ol' PB&J. And, well, I didn't feel like cooking last night and didn't have time to make a salad this morning. But really, I can't get sick of a PB&J! Some might call it boring, but I like to think of it as classic. If you need ideas for classic—and not in any way boring—holiday meals (you know, like Seitan Roulade with Oyster Mushroom Stuffing), be sure to buy our Holiday Cookbook, available for instant download in the VegNews Store!

Vegetable Platter at Gracias Madre

2011-12-02T14:09:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Joni and Gracias Madre
The Menu: A yummy veggie platter with refried black beans, rice, warm kale salad, and fried plantains.

The Dish: Most of the VN staff is saddened by the fact that Gracias Madre is currently for sale, so we’ve been heading there for lunch this week to say our goodbyes to this beloved establishment. This is probably one of the last meals I’ll have here, as I’ll soon be heading back to Upstate NY to spend the holidays with my family. Right now, the VN team is currently working on web stories for the month of December. Get ready for the hottest articles to revive your holiday spirit, starting next week on VegNews.com. Happy Friday!

**Thanks for the photo, Lyndsay! I was way to ravenous for lunch and forgot the camera. While I didn't have exactly that meal, it is a great representation of Gracias Madre's amazing hearty Mexican food.**

Triple Tacos

2011-12-01T14:59:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Jennifer and Gracias Madre

The Menu: The stellar taco plate, with black beans, fresh tortillas, sautéed greens, plantains, summer squash, and extra cashew cheese.

The Goods: As Café VegNews readers know, the VN staff are regulars at Gracias Madre. In fact, counting today, we've blogged about our lunches there at least 30 times. With the news that Gracias Madre is up for sale, I met VN columnist Jesse Miner ( the High-Tech Chef) there who graciously took me out to lunch. I always love the taco platter because the fresh veggies are delicious, and the mashed black beans are my favorite. Jesse and I chatted about his regular columns and his recent trip to Hawaii. If you're dreaming about vacation like I am right now, let us know where you'd like to go and you'll be entered in our $100 shopping spree to Alternative Outfitters, a vegan boutique, so you can buy flip flops for your impending trip to Hawaii. A girl can fantasize, right? Thanks to Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria for this photo. I was too saddened by the news of GM's possible closing to remember to take one.

Couscous Mania

2011-11-30T14:29:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Hilary

The Menu: My favorite couscous with mushrooms, broccoli, baked tofu, carrots, rosemary, and thyme.

The Goods: Things are a little quiet in at the VegNews HQ with Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria and Associate Publisher Colleen Holland on the VegNews Vegan Yoga Retreat in sunny Mexico, but the rest of the staff is keeping it cool between yesterday's Thanksgiving—Round 2 and a taste-test of Genuto vegan gelato. I made my favorite couscous to nosh away the early winter blues, since we're too busy for a hot-toddy break. Gear up for the holidays by entering your favorite recipe in the VN Holiday Cookie Contest. Peppermint-stick sugar cookies? Butterscotch gingerbread bars? The sky's the limit! We can't wait to read—and eat—what you come up with.

Thanksgiving—Round 2

2011-11-29T13:31:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Jennifer and Native Foods

The Menu: A slice of vegan Wellington from Native Foods, mashed potatoes with gravy, and cornbread stuffing

The Goods: It's Thanksgiving, round 2. Thanks to leftovers from Publisher Joseph Connelly, the VN staff had yet another lunch eating the amazing Native Foods' Wellington. Personally, I'm a Tofurky gal, but now that I've tried this stuffed Wellington (kale! turkey seitan! sweet potatoes!), I know there's room for more on my Thanksgiving plate next year. Now that Thanksgiving is over, I can't wait for the holidays. Specifically, Christmas cookies. My mother-in-law and I bake up a batch together every year, and if I could enter the VN Holiday Cookie Contest, I would veganize her almond and raspberry jam thumbprint cookies. But since I can't enter (hello, KitchenAid mixer), I hope you will.

Peanut Butter (and) Jelly Time

2011-11-28T14:17:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Anna

The Menu: The classic PB&J and a big-as-your-fist orange to go with it

The Goods: After an entire weekend of stuffing my face with delicious, rich food (Do I restrict my gluttony solely for Thanksgiving? Goodness, no!), it's time to get back to basics. This sandwich-and-fruit combo has weaved itself throughout my entire dietary life, and I was happy to once again dig in today. As happy as I am to have a respite from stuffing and pie, I can't wait until its time to head back to my family in Denver for Christmas cookies, soy nog, and a whole lot of baking. Do you have a stellar vegan holiday cookie recipe that wows taste buds year after year? Enter the VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest for your chance to win a KitchenAid stand mixer! And in case you already have one, I have that very mixer on my Christmas list. Just saying.

Pesto Pasta and a Leafy Green Salad

2011-11-23T15:18:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Joni and Valencia Whole Foods

The Dish: A healthy green salad and pesto pasta with sun-dried tomatoes

The Goods: See that pesto pasta? I’m obsessed—as my go-to lunch, it costs less than $4 and really showcases the earthy flavor of basil. After yesterday’s amazing feast, I wanted a light lunch so that I’ll have plenty of room for feasting this weekend! If you still don’t have Thanksgiving plans, check out this handy guide for event ideas across the country, and don’t forget to save some time to come up with the perfect recipe for our first annual Holiday Cookie Contest! Have a great weekend (also, isn't it great to be able to say that on a Wednesday?)!

VegNews Thanksgiving Feast 2011!

2011-11-22T16:03:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Hilary, Colleen, Jen, Elizabeth, Lyndsay, and Native Foods

The Menu: A feast fit for a voraciously hungry staff: a vegan Wellington and mushroom gravy from Native Foods, Elizabeth's mashed potatoes, Colleen's brussels sprouts and signature winter salad, Lyndsay's biscuits, nog, cider, and three kinds of pie from Sidesaddle Kitchen!

The Goods: It's not easy to write this right now. My intelligence has plummeted since lunch due to a rush of blood to my digestive system. The VegNews Thanksgiving feast was truly scrumptious this year, tickling my tastebuds with every seasonal flavor imaginable and subsequently rendering me immobile. Our talented staff pulled together an array of amazing holiday dishes—from Colleen's winter salad with spiced pecans, sliced apples, and tangy dressing to Lyndsay's perfectly flaky, buttery biscuits. Behold the spread.

And why didn't anybody ever tell me that the Native Foods vegan Wellington is life-changing? Oh wait, they did, and they were right. Come Thursday, I'm going to be consulting the VegNews Holiday Cookbook to dazzle anyone (mostly myself) with all of the mouthwatering Thanksgiving recipes contained therein. Pumpkin Cake with Vanilla Buttercream and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes are just the beginning. Think your recipes will impress us? Enter the first-ever VegNews Holiday Cookie Contest now!

Pre-Thanksgiving Greens

2011-11-21T14:19:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Anna and Herbivore

The Menu: The ever-constant, ever-tasty green salad, topped with beets, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, avocado, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, mint, and a healthy dose of grilled soy chicken.

The Goods: I'm not sure about you, but I always think about Mondays as a fresh start to both the work week and to healthy eating: hence, the salad. This healthy week, however, is to be short-lived, and by that I mean will end today. Why, you ask? Tomorrow marks VN's annual Thanksgiving luncheon, where we will be stuffing ourselves with Native Wellington, mashed potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, apple pie from Babycakes, and tons of other stuff that I'm so excited to eat, I will most likely wake up three hours early tomorrow morning, à la a kid at Christmas. Speaking of the holidays: Do you have a holiday cookie recipe that blows people's minds? Then enter our first-ever Holiday Cookie Contest for your chance to win a KitchenAid Stand Mixer!

Many thanks to Lyndsay for this photo—I was too distracted by hunger to capture my lunch!

Plain Ol' Soup & Salad

2011-11-18T15:11:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Lyndsay

The Menu: Some homemade tomato soup, salad greens, and a persimmon

The Goods: I've gone out to lunch almost everyday this week, so today I decided to keep it simple and cheap. The tomato soup is courtesy of VN contributor Jesse Miner, and the salad and persimmon is courtesy of my Farm Fresh To You produce box. I've never tried a persimmon before, so I am grateful to my produce box for sharing such a delicious, natural treat with me. At first, I wanted to do something really fancy with them, but my busy life got in the way, so I decided to eat them just as is, and I'm happy did. Here at the VNHQ, we're gearing up for the Thanksgiving holiday next week, about which we're very excited. Hours remain for you to win your own feast in our Thanksgiving giveaway, so get on it!

Fantastic Falafel & Protein Shake

2011-11-17T14:08:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Jennifer and Ali Baba's Cave

The Menu: A giant falafel wrap filled with roasted eggplant and potatoes, tahini, hummus, hot sauce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onions, and a Svelte chocolate-chai shake.

The Goods: This $6 falafel wrap is huge so I asked for it to be cut if half so I could make two lunches out of it. I love that they add roasted potatoes and eggplant right into the wrap. All my favorite foods in one bite! I made myself a Svelte protein shake combining the chocolate and chai flavor. Yum. I admit this is a decadent lunch, especially when Thanksgiving is right around the corner and a Native Foods' Wellington is in my future (and could be in yours too if you enter our giveaway). I'm excited that we just launched our first-ever Holiday Cookie Contest, so if you're a baker, submit a recipe and VN editors will choose finalists and one winner. I look forward to all of the decadent cookie recipes (hint: how about a cookie within a cookie?!).

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

2011-11-16T14:37:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Herbivore

The Menu: A half-homemade, half-take-out lunch! Herbivore's grilled chicken sandwich with added avocado and seasoned potatoes perfectly complimented my salad of romaine, fennel, hearts of palm, and tomato.

The Goods: Sometimes salad just doesn't cut it, and today was one of those times for me. When Assistant Editor Anna Peraino offered to go halfsies on one of my all-time favorite sandwiches, my lunching fate was sealed. Though today's meal totally hit the spot, I'd be lying if I said it was my favorite food fate. The Native Foods Cafe Wellingtons arrived today (both for our giveaway, and for the annual VN Thanksgiving Feast), and I could pretty much not be more excited about next week's party. Wellington, I'll see you next Tuesday.

Burrito—Round Two

2011-11-15T14:39:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Joni and Taqueria Cancun

The Dish: A super veggie burrito with rice, avocado, black beans, tomato, and onions, complete with a side of chips and salsa.

The Goods: This photo may look familiar to you because I literally had this exact same meal less than two weeks ago. Hey, for $5, there’s no better place to grab a cheap, quick, and filling lunch. You know what’s even cheaper than burritos? A free vegan Thanksgiving feast, which could be at your door next week! As part of our holiday giveaway series, we’re ready to ship an amazing Thanksgiving dinner package, complete with a Native Foods Wellington and a luscious apple pie from Babycakes NYC, to one lucky participant. All you have to do is tell us your favorite Thanksgiving dessert. Woot! Free food!

A Little of Everything

2011-11-14T14:07:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Hilary and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: A conglomo-salad of mixed greens, Kalamata olives, beets, couscous, hummus, white beans with sun-dried tomatoes, kale, and tofu.

The Goods: After a highly nutritious (...) breakfast of a So Delicious coconut-milk ice cream sandwich, greenery was in order for lunch. My salad-bar strategy is to take a scoop of every single vegan thing and then throw some lettuce on top in attempts to aesthetically homogenize everything. The result is a salad that's like seven salads in one. Yippee! I've also got to start saving up my eating mojo for our holiday Thanksgiving table—if it's half as mouthwatering as the VegNews Holiday eCookbook, I'm going to be full for a week. Salad today, Pumpkin Cake with Vanilla Buttercream next week.

Deadline Day Tacos

2011-11-11T15:56:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Colleen and Taqueria Cancún

The Menu: Warm corn tortillas filled with black beans, rice, avocado, and chopped tomatoes, onions, and cilantro—plus some chips and spicy salsa on the side

The Goods: It's no secret that we love Mexican food at the VNHQ, especially the very-affordable (and delicious) south-of-the-border fare from nearby Taqueria Cancun. There is so much great vegan food in the Mission District (we've actually devoted a whole piece to our 'hood in the January+February 2012 issue), but sometimes we need something fast. Given today was our deadline for going to press (we can't wait to reveal our new cover!) and time was of the essence, a quick run to TC was in order. Heading to the San Francisco Green Festival this weekend? I'll be on the Earth Balance panel discussing a plant-based lifestyle on Saturday morning. Hope to see you there!

Comforting Curry

2011-11-10T14:47:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Hilary and Udupi Palace

The Menu: Aloo matar (the vegan version!) with potatoes, peas, and curry spices, enjoyed with rice and fluffy poori (a flatbread)

The Goods: When a craving strikes for Indian food, nothing will suffice but the warm, spicy flavor of curry. Fortunately, vegetarian South Indian restaurant Udupi Palace and it's awesome aloo matar are only a block and a half away from the VNHQ. Between finishing our January+February issue cover earlier this week (!) and looking ahead to the holidays, there is a lot to be happy about this Thursday afternoon. Even better, VN contributor Jasmin Singer of Our Hen House dropped by the office today and brought us all smiles with her bright wit and infectious sense of humor. More reasons to grin: this week's giveaway of Sticky Fingers Cowvin cookies! Only a few days are left to enter, so tell us your favorite holiday cookie now for a chance to win, and indulge, in a dozen of these decadent treats.

Pizza, Pasta, and Salad

2011-11-09T17:34:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Elizabeth, Valencia Whole Foods, and Amy's Kitchen

The Menu: Amy's new vegan margherita pizza, plus a big spinach salad from the corner store topped with pasta salad, mixed veggies, and hummus.

The Goods: You know how there are days on which you really just can't decide what to eat for lunch? (Yes, this is definitely a #firstworldproblem.) Today, I answered the question of what to eat with: everything in sight. Who can resist a freshly baked pizza (thanks to Editorial Assistant Hilary Pollack!), or a big gorgeous salad, or tangy pasta salad, or the world's best hummus? Not this gal, and especially not today.

Roasted Stuffed Squash

2011-11-08T14:54:00.000-08:00

The Chef: Joni

The Menu: Roasted acorn squash baked with a wild rice & apple stuffing

The Dish: If this dish looks familiar to you, it’s because I got the idea from this week’s Recipe Club. If you don’t recognize it, it’s probably because it’s a not-so-pretty (yet totally delicious!) leftover from the Recipe Club photoshoot my boyfriend and I held over the weekend. If it’s because you haven’t yet signed up for the Recipe Club, you totally should! I swear, while this photo doesn’t do it justice, this meal would make for a gorgeous Thanksgiving centerpiece. If you need more Thanksgiving recipe ideas to complete your menu, check out these 12 mashed potato recipes or whip up some Stuffed Maple Tofu. Or, be smart and just head to one of these amazing cruelty-free Thanksgiving events and call it a day!

Tacos, Part Deux

2011-11-07T15:02:00.000-08:00

The Chefs: Anna and Taqueria Cancun

The Menu: Rice and bean tacos (one black, one pinto) topped with salsa and avocado, plus a heaping handful of tortilla chips

The Dish: I've been craving tacos ever since since last week's taco-filled celebration of the 1,000th Café VegNews post, and I'm happy to have caved into my craving. These tacos are totally delicious and super cheap to boot—I got everything for less than $5! After a weekend of rain and temps in the 40s, the sunny 60s have returned to the City by the Bay, so I enjoyed my delicious, cheap meal on the deck with my coworkers, where we discussed ways to make our dollars stretch at our favorite neighborhood lunch spots. Want more money-saving tips from the VN editors? Check out Savvy Vegan, our blog for smart vegan penny pinchers.

Marinated Kale Salad

2011-11-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

The Chefs: Jennifer and Herbivore

The Menu: A marinated kale salad with grilled soy chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocado.

The Dish: I have eaten my weight in Sticky Fingers treats, which they sent us early this week. So Herbivore's marinated kale salad was exactly what I needed. One kale salad erases the pumpkin whoopie pies I ate, right? Great! Last night, I went to a book party for Bust's new book, The Bust DIY Guide to Life, at one of my favorite local craft shops, Serendipity. Surrounded by yarn, I realized it had been a long time since I picked up a pair of knitting needles. If you've been itching to learn how to knit (trust me, it's easy!), join VN correspondent Jasmin Singer who shows you how in our VegNews TV Vegan Knitting 101 video. And don't forget to enter our holiday giveaway! This week we're giving away one Tofurky feast, perfect for making leftover faux turkey, cranberry, and mashed potato sandwiches.

Vegan Burrito!

2011-11-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Joni and Taqueria Cancun

The Dish: Veggie burrito stuffed with rice, black beans, avocado, salsa, and more

The Goods: The best part about living in California is the vast abundance of inexpensive, fresh, and delicious Mexican food, found on nearly every city block. The Mexican restaurants in my home state of NY pale in comparison, and I’m not sure I can stomach another flat, boring quesadilla when I go back to visit my friends and family in December. If you’re like me and can’t head back home in time for Thanksgiving, consider checking out one of dozens of other cruelty-free celebrations occurring all over the country this month. From feeding rescued turkeys at farm sanctuaries to veganizing a classic dish for a community potluck, it’s easy to feel right at home for this holiday, no matter where you actually are.

A Symphony of Salads

2011-11-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Hilary and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: A big ol' salad with kale, grilled tofu, white beans, onions, peppers, sundried tomatoes, and pasta.

The Dish: Following up our 1000th (!!!) Café VegNews post yesterday, I went back to basics with a heaping salad from our favorite corner store, Valencia Whole Foods. It's been an exciting week with meetings, decisions, and holiday content-making galore, so I opted for brain food. I'm also still in recovery mode from a Halloween weekend that may have bordered on (okay, dove right into) in excessive candy snacking. I've got to start making room for all of the undoubtedly amazing Thanksgiving cuisine heading our way in the coming weeks. I've already started getting pumped by fawning over Turkey Tuesdays! Be sure to check out our homepage every day this month for more of the season's best dishes, events, and activities.

Café VegNews' 1,000th Post!

2011-11-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Colleen and Taqueria Cancun

The Menu: Soft tacos with black beans, rice, onions, cilantro, and avocado—plus a healthy side of chips and salsa

The Dish: It was Taco Tuesdays here at VegNews, complete with melon aguas frescas and streaming salsa tunes. And why the festive celebration? IT'S THE 1,000TH POST OF CAFE VEGNEWS! Yes, we're excited, as that's a lot of posts, a lot of lunches, and a lot of delicious vegan food. Café VegNews debuted on October 27, 2007, when Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria decided it was time VegNews had a blog. And, back then, we were still in our old offices where we served a staff lunch every day to the VN team, so a blog chronicling our meals was the perfect foray into the world of blogging. Over the years, we've featured every type of cuisine imaginable, entertained guests from around the world, ate very healthfully (kale salad!) and very unhealthfully (deep-dish Chicago pizza), and enjoyed many a memorable moment with fellow VN staffers. And we've blogged about it every single (business) day since that October day four years ago. We hope you'll help us toast this milestone for VegNews, and cheers to all of our wonderful Café VegNews readers who've made penning this blog so gratifying. Here's to 1,000 more posts!

The full Mexican spread at Casa VegNews to celebrate Café VegNews' 1,000th post

Whole Foods Halloween

2011-10-31T14:33:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Anna and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: A salad of carrots, tomatoes, beets, sweet corn, peas, fava beans, and hummus, topped with Bragg's Liquid Aminos and balsamic vinegar

The Dish: After a decadent Halloween weekend in Vegas, I arrived home last night with some extra money in my pocket (craps! sports betting! more craps!) and a stomach full of junk food. Needless to say, I was in need of a clean, whole-foods meal to get myself back to healthy—well, until tonight, when I'll be stuffing my face with Halloween candy! Print out our handy guide to vegan Halloween candy to make sure the goodies you're giving (and getting!) are cruelty-free and ready for noshing. Happy Halloween to all!

Lemongrass Tofu Lunch Special

2011-10-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

The Chefs: Lyndsay and Sunflower Restaurant

The Dish: The lemongrass tofu lunch special, which included Vietnamese hot and sour soup, a vegetarian imperial roll, and a salad.

The Goods: Editorial Assistant Joni Sweet and I wanted a lot of food for cheap when it came to be lunchtime, so I suggested Sunflower, which is one of my favorites. As you can see, there's a whole lot of food on this plate, and it cost us less than $10 each. That's a total success, in my book. It's a beautiful Friday, and we're looking forward to a fun-filled Halloween weekend. Just in case you're not stocked up on candy for this festive holiday, be sure to pick up a bag of Dandies, which are on sale at the VN Store. Happy weekend!

Veggie Sausage Sandwich & Salad

2011-10-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

The Chefs: Jennifer and Valencia Whole Foods

The Dish: Veggie sausage sandwich with avocado and hummus and a side salad of kale, broccoli, tofu, chickpeas, and falafel

The Goods: I woke up on the early side this morning since an earthquake hit Berkeley around 5:30am so I wanted a hearty lunch to carry me from 5:30am to 5:30pm when I head over to SF Vegan Drinks tonight. It's our last gathering for 2011 so it's a must-attend event. I love the veggie sausage sandwich at Valencia Whole Foods. And since it's a beautiful sunny day, I ate my lunch outside with the rest of the VN staff as we discussed Halloween costumes. If you're joining us tonight at Vegan Drinks, we'll be handing out vegan Halloween candy and sipping Trick-or-Treat martinis. Boo!

Tofu Scramble

2011-10-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Joni and Boogaloos

The Dish: Tofu scramble with peanut-ginger sauce, crispy home fries, sourdough toast, and orange juice

The Goods: Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig and I headed over to Boogaloos for brunch. This little diner reminded me of my hometown of Saugerties, NY, where 24-hour diners are sometimes the only place to hang out with friends late at night. I’ll be heading back to upstate NY for the holidays to visit my family. Can you believe the holiday season is coming up so quickly? In fact, Halloween is Monday! Get the inside scoop on all the best vegan Halloween candy via the handy VegNews guide.

Ikepalooza!

2011-10-25T14:42:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Hilary and Ike's Place

The Menu: A vegan version of the "Not Tonight Honey, I Have a Headache" sandwich: vegan chicken, fakin' bacon, soy cheese, "dirty sauce," lettuce, tomato, pickles, mustard, and barbecue sauce.

The Dish: Earlier today, a total frenzy broke out at the VNHQ when we found out that one of our favorite sandwich joints, Ike's Place, was giving away free sandwiches today to tweet-happy fans (namely, us!). After what seemed like hours of salivating over the ample options from the online menu, Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig, Editorial Assistant Joni Sweet, and I headed over to pick up our decadent order. We were greeted by Ike himself!

We waited until we got back to the office to wolf down our sammies like banshees. Hopefully our appetites will recover in time for the post-Vegucated dessert reception—come join us tonight for Obsessive Confection Disorder treats, So Delicious ice cream, and Honest Tea refreshments!

Surprise! It's Kale!

2011-10-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Anna and Trader Joe's

The Menu: A kale salad topped with tomatoes, edamame, slivered almonds, dried cranberries, and some of Dharma's lemon-tahini dressing

The Dish: After a weekend of parties, late-night vegan cheesteaks, and the most decadent brunch I've ever attended (check Press Pass on Thursday to find out more), a kale salad was the only thing I could possibly think of eating. And it's going to be a very short respite from decadent eating. Tomorrow night, the VNHQ will play host to the after-party for the San Francisco premiere of Vegucated, a charming and funny documentary about three New Yorkers who go vegan for six weeks. Post film (and Q&A session!), we'll all be noshing on treats from Obsessive Confection Disorder, So Delicious, Earth Balance, and Honest Tea. While I'm pretty darn excited to taste (OK fine, devour) these treats, for now, I'll stick to the kale. Want to join us tomorrow night? Buy a ticket today!

Pre-Party Kale Salad

2011-10-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Chefs: Lyndsay and Herbivore

The Menu: A kale salad with grilled tofu and avocado

The Goods: We've been screaming it from the rooftops for the past month now, and it's finally here—the VegNews Book Bash with Spork Foods! The event is now sold out, and we are just bustling around the VNHQ to get everything done before the fun begins. Hence, the salad, which I ate within five minutes—I literally scarfed it down. And later, I will be scarfing down appetizers inspired by the Spork sisters' new Spork-Fed cookbook, as well as mini cinnamon rolls from Cinnaholic. It shall be a delicious and fun time!

Dharma's Brunch!

2011-10-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

The Chefs: Jennifer and Dharma's Restaurant

The Menu: A huge Greek tofu scramble topped with kalamata olives, spinach, green onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and a side of grilled red potatoes

The Goods: Tofu scramble is the perfect meal, day or night. I love every iteration of this brunch staple. So when our gracious Associate Publisher Colleen Holland offered to bring us breakfast from Dharma's Restaurant in Santa Cruz, I choose this Greek Tofu Scramble over the Tofu Rancheros. Did I make the right choice? Yes! I love olives and spinach. Also, as Assistant Editor Anna Peraino asks, how do they make the tofu scramble so good? It's a mystery to me. You know what would make a good accompaniment to my lunch? An apple pie milkshake. The lovely ladies who wrote the recently released Spork-Fed cookbook are the genises behind said drink. If you're one of the lucky ones who will be joining us tomorrow at our sold-out book bash with Spork Foods to celebrate their book, I'll be the one covered in Cinnaholic frosting. See you there!

The Joy Frittatable

2011-10-19T14:56:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: As always, a big salad of romaine, tomato, and avocado, plus a heaping helping of frittata made with leftover pasta, kalamata olives, capers, fresh basil, and tons of garlic.

The Goods: You know what is really amazing? Tofu. Last night after a long workout, I got home wanting something hearty for dinner, but the leftover pasta in my fridge was just not super appealing. The solution? Whirring half a block of tofu in a food processor with a little olive oil, veggie broth, and nutritional yeast until it was totally smooth, then putting the whole works under the broiler for a few minutes. So simple, so yummy. The workout-frittata combo was good, but the evening I really can't wait for this week is Friday, when we party with the lovely gals from Spork Foods. Champagne, delicious appetizers, and two of the cutest cookbook authors on the planet? That's heaven. See you there!

Broccoli and Coconut Rice

2011-10-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Joni

The Dish: Steamed broccoli over coconut rice with soy sauce and sesame oil

The Goods: I spent this past weekend in Los Angeles to participate in the Urban Food Crawl. After spending Saturday afternoon sampling creative vegan food from six restaurants, I thought I’d be stuffed for days. Being the bottomless pit that I am, I still couldn’t help but pull over at The Whole Enchilada on my drive back to San Francisco. This produce stand was incredible, satisfying both my appetite and my wallet with 10 artichokes for $1, five avocados for $2, three pints of fresh strawberries for $5, and other amazing deals. This pit stop made dinner easy at 10pm, hence the leftovers you see here today. As if that wasn’t enough, today our caterer brought in samples of hors d’oeuvres to be served at the VegNews Book Bash. Seriously, these little bites were so delicious, you’d be crazy not get your ticket before they’re sold out. The party is happening this Friday and we can't wait to see you then!

Mexican Torta & Garlic Chard

2011-10-17T21:16:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: A Mexican-inspired torta sabrosa—a toasted tortilla wrap filled with potatoes, onions, eggplant, and spices—plus sautéed organic Swiss chard with sliced garlic

The Goods: A local company, Las Cascada, sells these sabrosas at my neighborhood market, and they make great lunch fare at the office. I also brought in a head of chard, sautéed it up in our handy electric wok, and voila: Lunch is served. I find it hard to eat any meal without a fresh salad or cooked greens, as both give me the balance I want during a meal. Too bad the pound of chard resulted in a tablespoon of greens! It's going to be a busy week here at the VNHQ, as we've got our Isa/Terry Twitter Chat tomorrow night, our big Spork Foods party Friday night, our November+December Veggie Award issue arriving to subscribers everywhere, and lots of design and editorial meetings in between. We hope you'll join us somewhere along the way!

Spork Foods Book Bash Taste Test!

2011-10-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

The Chefs: Hilary and vegan personal chef/caterer Rebecca Dienner

The Menu: Barbecue tempeh mini-pizzas, Lilliputian black bean burgers, twice-baked pearl potatoes, chickpea cakes with truffled sauce, and corn cakes with smoked-paprika spread. (Pictured: not even the tip of the iceberg. Good things come to those who attend!)

The Goods: Oh happy day! This afternoon we got to to taste-test some nifty little appetizers that may or may not be making their way to the tables of our eagerly anticipated Book Bash with Spork Food s next Friday. Vegan chef Rebecca Dienner whipped up a variety of Spork-inspired bites for us to sink our teeth into and appraise the noshability of—it was a hard job, but someone had to do it. Between the smoky mini-pizzas, cheesy twice-baked pearl potatoes, and perfectly fluffy corn cakes, to name just a few of the contenders, it was a tough call, but we narrowed our options down to three perfect bites that are sure to make a splash. Buy your tickets today for a chance to experience the culinary magic of our final selections. Spork on!

Lentil Soup Win

2011-10-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Joni

The Menu: A bowl of homemade lentil soup, made of brown lentils, veggie broth, carrot, onion, mushroom, ginger, garlic, sage, rosemary, oregano, basil, and fresh kale, and scented with a sprig of fresh rosemary

The Goods: No shame—this is literally about the fifth bowl of lentil soup I’ve eaten this week. I regret nothing, as this soup is ridiculously amazing. I spent all day on Sunday cooking up a soup storm because the weather forecast predicted cold, damp grossness. Fortunately for me, those consistently incorrect forecasters were true to form and now I have my favorite soup and my favorite weather—a huge win. Speaking of wins, have you seen the beautiful cover of the Veggie Awards issue of VegNews? It’s only the prettiest thing that will ever sparkle on the newsstands. But you don’t have to wait for that; advance copies are available for pre-order right now. Today is a day full of victories, so perhaps I should challenge my office-mates to some Bananagrams in hope that the trend continues…

Post-Workout Salad

2011-10-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Herbivore

The Menu: A big, hefty salad containing quinoa, Napa cabbage, grilled tofu, romaine, shredded beets, cherry tomatoes, grilled vegetables, cucumber, and avocado, all topped with a delicious Dijon dressing.

The Goods: You know how sometimes you bring a simple Napa cabbage and quinoa salad to work, and then by the time lunch rolls around you just know that it won't be enough? This tends to happen to me specifically on Wednesdays, aka the day after my big workout for the week (a 90-minute cycling class + 90-minute boxing class = one hungry editor). Thankfully, Herbivore came to the rescue with a highly customizeable salad (adding grilled tofu and veggies is always a good idea). You know what else is a good idea? Partying. We could not be more excited about the VN Book Bash with Spork Foods, which is just nine days away!! All we're saying is that a) the Spork gals are just about the two cutest humans on the planet, b) the finger-food menu looks totally incredible, and c) there will be both a Cinnaholic cinnamon roll bar and a photobooth. Any of those would be reason enough to come celebrate with us, but the all three together are the perfect party trifecta.

Back to Basics

2011-10-11T15:42:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: Organic brown rice bowl with raw kale, avocado, julienned carrot, and green onions—all drizzled with toasted sesame oil and sea salt

The Dish: After two weeks in Thailand eating incredible food on the VegNews Food Lover's Tour of Thailand, it's time to get back to basics. And by basics I mean brown rice, raw veggies, and avocado (how I missed you!). I love this simple rice bowl, and it always provides great nourishment and balance to my day (read: we have a chocolate bark taste test scheduled for 4pm today). We're gearing up for the holidays here at VegNews, and our November+December Veggie Award/Holiday edition ships today! Subscribers, you'll have it in the next 10 days, and newsstand readers can pick it up at their favorite store after November 1. It's a great one, so don't miss it!

Soup and Salad

2011-10-10T14:16:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Anna and Noe Valley Whole Foods Market

The Menu: Homemade butternut squash soup and salad topped with fava beans, carrots, cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers, water chestnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette

The Dish: You know what's great when autumn showers descend upon Monday like VN staffers on a birthday cake? Soup, that's what. This tasty bowl of butternut-y goodness is blended up with some local apples that were freshly picked by my roommate yesterday—I was watching the Raiders beat the Texans while she was out, so I was only able to be present for the eating, as opposed to picking, portion of the meal. I'm very excited, however, to be present for the VegNews Book Bash with Spork Foods taking place at the VNHQ October 21. Want to join us for Champagne, hors d'oeuvres, a cinnamon bun bar, and more? Buy your ticket today!

Veggie Pizza

2011-10-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

The Chefs: Lyndsay

The Menu: A slice of pizza topped with red onion, olives, mushroom, green pepper, and Daiya, with a side salad made with romaine lettuce, slow-cooked beets, and Parma—actually, there's Parma on everything.

The Goods: After having some issues with a recipe last night, my partner and I had to make a decision, and that decision was pizza. An hour later, our local pizzeria delivered our cheeseless pie, which I quickly topped with my own supply of Daiya. Sometimes you do what you gotta do, I say. I also say that you should hurry and purchase your tickets to the VegNews Book Bash with Spork Foods before they sell out. Happy Friday!

Thai Curry With a Side of Bananagrams

2011-10-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Joni and Osha Thai restaurant

The Menu: I ordered a side salad, samosa, and yellow Thai curry with onions, potatoes, tofu, and red peppers.

The Goods: Thai food: the can’t-get-enough-of-it, punched with coconut-curry flavor, best-leftovers-ever cuisine. Seriously, Asian food is probably the best stuff on this earth and I would love nothing more than to have masala dosa, ginger-garlic stiry-fry, and Burmese veggies in my life every single day. While some of our staff are getting to dine on authentic Thai cuisine on the VegNews Vacation in Thailand right now, the rest of us are finalizing the details of the articles to appear in our January+February issue. But, not until we duke it out in a mid-lunch Bananagrams competition. Editors playing word games—that should count as work, right?

Secret Feast at Weird Fish

2011-10-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Hilary and Weird Fish

The Menu: A formidable feast for two, with fried pickles, seitan buffalo wings with vegan ranch dip, a farm-fresh salad enlivened with orange and white carrots and Chioggia beets, and a deconstructed "Caprese" with heirloom tomatoes, crispy basil, and seasoned tofu.

The Goods: A mere two blocks from the VNHQ lies Weird Fish, a tiny eatery that has been a longtime favorite of local vegans for its impressive array of meat-free options. A friend of mine, Mark Amezquita, recently became its head chef, and treated me and my friend Jackson to a few favorites—and off-the-menu creations—during my Wednesday lunch hour. We started with the requisite "buffalo girls" and "YoYos", made with spicy seitan and crispy super-dill pickles, respectively.

Next, we were presented with the aforementioned gorgeous—and very colorful—salad, overflowing with tasty beets and carrots, fresh from Roshambo Farms, followed by the refreshing but hearty tomato-basil-tofu creation pictured above. It pays to have friends in high places. Want to rub elbows with some of your favorite chefs? Pick up a ticket to the VegNews Book Bash with Spork Foods, where you can celebrate the launch of Spork-Fed with the authors themselves on the VNHQ's very own rooftop deck.

Spring Rolls and Salad

2011-10-04T15:21:00.000-07:00

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: A pretty standard sampling of veggie-filled spring rolls and spinach salad with cherry tomatoes, fava beans, grated carrots, and hummus.

The Goods: Though the weather outside is dreary and bleary, I opted for this combination of mostly raw delights from our trusty corner deli for lunch today. Perhaps the recent infusions of bread, chocolate, and pumpkin pie had something to do with my desire for fresh veggies, but it's hard to say for sure. One thing of which I am completely, 100-percent, totally, and unflappably certain is that days like today make me even more excited about our Vegan Yoga Retreat to Mexico. I can't wait to stretch out on the beach in November!

Sushi Galore

2011-10-03T14:59:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Anna and We Be Sushi

The Menu: Three sushi rolls: grilled tofu, vegetable tempura, and spinach with toasted sesame seeds.

The Dish: You know what I love? A good Groupon. And sushi. And when the two combine it's nothing short of magical. I met one of my roommates for lunch today and we gorged ourselves on a tableful of tasty sushi, seaweed salad, and veggie tempura for half off! All I can say is this: If gorging yourself on delicious food for half off is wrong, then I don't want to be right. The VN staff has also been throughly enjoying* This Week's Must Have—Dave's Killer Bread's Sin Dawg cinnamon roll bread. I will obviously have my eyes peeled for any Groupons regarding that delectable loaf.

*I didn't think I should use "gorging" a third time even though it's totally appropriate.

Bountiful Bowl

2011-09-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Lyndsay

The Menu: Some salad greens topped with tomato, avocado, quinoa pasta, and the slow-cooked eggplant casserole with cashew ricotta dish from The Vegan Slow Cooker by Kathy Hester

The Goods: Lately, I've been obsessed with my new slow cooker. Actually, I have three. I recently acquired these appliances in preparation for my recipe testing for Robin Robertson's new slow cooker cookbook coming out in the not-too-distant future. Kathy Hester's new book is also superb, and this casserole was the first recipe I've cooked from the book—it is delicious, to say the least. It made a wonderful topping for my salad, which I enjoyed on the sunny and breezy deck at the VNHQ, where we will be holding the VegNews Book Bash with Spork Foods on October 21. Be sure to secure your ticket before they sell out!

2011-09-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Jennifer

The Menu: A salad with cherry tomatoes, broccoli slaw, and spinach in a tahini-miso dressing and a tofu veggie burger on brown rice topped with broccoli slaw

The Goods: I am a sugar addict. I love anything sweet and vegan ice cream is my downfall. So in anticipation of Halloween (candy), Thanksgiving (pumpkin pie), and all of December (everything), I decided to go on Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Diet cleanse and give my body a break from sugar and gluten for 21 whole days. Today is day two and it's going well so far, considering I work in an office overflowing with vegan goodies like the boatload of bread we got in yesterday (you've got to see it to believe it). And even though alcohol is off limits during the cleanse, I'm still heading to our monthly SF Vegan Drinks tonight because I always love chatting with the wonderful folks there.

All Green

2011-09-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Joni and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: Pesto pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, tofu and green beans glazed with ginger, and iced green tea

The Goods: Seriously, think twice before sampling this pesto pasta sold at Valencia Whole Foods—it’s so good that I have to it nearly every day. Why is something so delicious located just a block away? Speaking of delicious, check out this huge delivery of bread that arrived today, courtesy of Dave’s Killer Bread. After all this pasta and bread, you can certainly find me happily snoozing on our sunny deck. Thank you, post-lunch, starch-induced coma. For a more exciting event on the deck, come to the VegNews Book Bash with Spork Foods on October 21. Tickets are selling out fast!

Salad In a Roll and Salad In a Salad

2011-09-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

The Chefs: Hilary and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: Refreshing salad rolls stuffed with avocado, cucumber, and shredded carrots, a spicy medley of curried tofu, eggplant, and potatoes, and a side salad of mixed greens and cherry tomatoes.

The Goods: After a decadent Monday, during which I gorged on homemade chocolate-raspberry cupcakes, courtesy of Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria, and shared about 30 menu items during a highly indulgent lunch with my roommate at vegan Japanese restaurant Cha-Ya, I decided that today I was going to go green—not in the carbon-footprint sense, but in the "salad day" sense. Sometimes a big pile of lettuce and veggies is all it takes to feel like, in the words of Lil Wayne, a milli. Plus, with Vegan Drinks this Thursday and party season just around the corner—I'm trembling with excitement for the VegNews Book Bas h with Spork Foods—I've got to keep things balanced with a fresh, wholesome lunch here and there. Grab your tickets today for the aforementioned bash, and I'll see you at the Cinnaholic cinnamon roll bar!

Gracias, Allison!

2011-09-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Gracias Madre

The Menu: A tempting trio of tacos, filled with refried black beans, grilled zucchini, roasted eggplant, and sauteed Swiss chard, all topped with cashew cream.

The Goods: Today I got a surprise call from Allison Rivers Samson, VN columnist extraordinaire and owner of Allison's Gourmet, saying that she was in town and would be at Gracias Madre for lunch. Associate Editor Jennifer Chen and I were out the door and down the street faster than you can say "almuerzo." We enjoyed a lovely lunch with Allison and her two right-hand gals Tessa and Jada. Since they're all in the desserts business, we had extra, professional incentive to order the out-of-this world desserts at GM, including the flan, nectarine crisp, and chocolate cake. The last two there come with softball-sized servings of ice cream (dulce de leche and toasted coconut, respectively), and you know, there's nothing that brightens up a Monday like phenomenal ice cream shared with great people. Here's hoping that your week is off to a similarly great start!

A Salad, Sandwich, and Guacamole

2011-09-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Anna and Valencia Whole Foods

The Menu: A random smattering from the salad bar (lettuce! hummus! rice!) and half of VWF's beloved veggie sausage sandwich, filled with hummus and avocado. Bonus: homemade guacamole!

The Dish: I was super jazzed to go to VWF today for some spring rolls, but after the last package was stolen from me (ahem, Jennifer Chen), I had to improvise. And you know, I think improvising with one of our office favorites is a good way to go. The office feels a little empty today, with Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig off to Virginia for Charlottesville VegFest and Publishers Joseph Connelly and Colleen Holland in Thailand with VegNews Vacations, but we're coping the best way we can (with guacamole and delicious sandwiches). Want to travel the world with VegNews? Our trips for Bali and India are sold out, but there are a few spots left on this November's Vegan Yoga Retreat in Mexico. Sign up today!

Hello, homemade guacamole. Won't you get in my belly?

Celebratory Pizza Party!

2011-09-22T13:50:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Hilary and Patxi's, courtesy of Publisher Colleen Holland

The Menu: All of the melty, saucy goodness that Patxi's Chicago-style vegan deep dish pizza has to offer—oozing with Daiya and bursting with the flavor of tomato sauce, onion, and garlic—enjoyed with Champagne and Sjaak's peanut butter cups!

The Goods: The VNHQ is a place to rejoice this afternoon, as we just got our first look at the final draft of our amazing November+December issue, which is almost-literally bursting at the seams with mouthwatering recipes, gorgeous photos, and other amazing content—including the results of the 2011 Veggie Awards. Naturally, a good old-fashioned pizza 'n' Champagne party on our sun-drenched, tanning bed-esque deck was in order.

Furthermore, we've unveiled the details of the VegNews Book Bash with Spork Foods, guaranteed to be the party of the century, the millennium, the party that will reign supreme for ETERNITY. Endless Champagne, tasty appetizers, a photobooth, and a cinnamon bun bar, all in celebration of the unrelenting cuteness of the Spork girls? You would be crazy not to buy a ticket today.

Fancy Salad!

2011-09-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Elizabeth

The Menu: A salad! But, fear not, dear reader(s). This is not just your average everyday normal guy salad. Oh no, the compelling compendium of comestibles includes romaine (boring), kale (boring, but addictive), hearts of palm (what?! Delicious!), chopped basil (pow!), chopped up leftover seasoned potatoes (très fancy!), cherry tomatoes fresh from the garden of our Associate Editor Jennifer Chen's mother (bursting with flavor, no joke), Parma! (a necessity), and avocado, which needs no explanation.

The Goods: Today is a lull at the VNHQ. Tomorrow the proofs for our November+December Veggie Awards issue come in, and just as soon as we get done going over them and sending them to press, Joseph and Colleen head out on our first-ever Food Lover's Tour of Thailand. We've been working like maniacs on the Veggie Awards issue, and pretty much totally can't wait for it to be in our hot little hands. To take advantage of today's slightly slower pace, we enjoyed lunch al fresco on the deck, where it was roughly 115 degrees, aka the perfect temperature. (Yes, the actual temp was more like 75, but that's clearly beside the point. This is what we call "summer" in SF!)

Burrito for the Broke and Busy

2011-09-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Joni and Amy's Kitchen

The Menu: Pinto bean burrito topped with spicy tomato salsa and corn tortilla chips

The Goods: Amy's burritos topped with salsa are my go-to lunch during busy weeks. They cost significantly less than going out to eat and I just pop them in the over 40 minutes before lunch time. What could be easier? Despite this busy day of finalizing the cover for our November+December issue, lunch was spent lounging on the deck with the ladies of VN, dishing about celebrities and soaking up the sun. Ah, the life. If you're interested in finding out about cruelty-free fall threads, join us on tonight's Twitter chat for a discussion on compassionate fashion.

Vegan Chili Mac 'n' Cheese

2011-09-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Jennifer

The Menu: A big bowl of mac 'n' cheese topped with red beans, veggie chili, and garlic roasted salsa

The Goods: I just got back from Kauai, Hawaii, yesterday (I miss you, taro smoothies!), and I luckily had the ingredients in my fridge to make VN columnist Robin Robertson's Chili Mac 'n' Cheese from Vegan on the Cheap for dinner. After a five-hour red-eye flight, this quick meal was perfect. Even better, I had leftovers for lunch. While vacation is sweet, it's nice to be back at VNHQ, just in time for tomorrow's Compassionate Fashion Twitter Chat at 6pm PT. We'll be talking with vegan stylemakers about cruelty-free fashion. Join us!

Eggplant and Sundried Tomato Sandwich

2011-09-16T14:19:00.001-07:00

The Chef: Hilary and Herbivore

The Menu: A hearty eggplant sandwich with tangy sundried tomatoes, herbaceous pesto spread, and fresh side salad with avocado and mustard dressing.

The Goods: After Publishers Joseph Connelly and Colleen Holland were generous enough to bring in a smorgasbord of bagels for the staff this morning (complemented by Office Manager Lyndsey Orwig's amazing butternut squash butter—like apple butter, but to reiterate, butternut squash!), I didn't foresee my appetite springing back into action for hours. However, due to a lively brainstorming session for the cover of the November+December issue, which will contain the eagerly awaited results of the 10th annual Veggie Awards, I needed something majorly nourishing by lunchtime. Sorry to brag, but having an all-vegan café right around the corner comes in really handy sometimes. Keep San Francisco in mind when you plan your next road trip, as we're launching our own Ultimate Vegan Road Trip on VegNews.com this month. Follow us as we cruise the country finding all of the best veg eats that America has to offer.

Ginger-Garlic Stir-Fry

2011-09-15T13:38:00.000-07:00

The Chef: Joni

The Menu: Stir-fried carrots, string beans, sugar sap peas, water chestnuts, red peppers, tofu, and mushrooms atop brown rice.

The Goods: This summer, I moved to San Francisco from Ithaca, NY, and donated anything that wouldn’t fit in my Honda CRV to my previous roommate. The most depressing things to give up were all of my kitchen items, including my beloved wok. But, a recent trip to Ikea has provided me with a replacement, and now I’m stir-frying everything in my kitchen, with more garlic and ginger than my roommates can probably stand the smell of. While I’m passionate about cooking, it’s nice to have a night off once in awhile, which is just one more reason why you’ll find me at the VegNews Book Bash on October 21, featuring the writers of Sporkfed. Take the night off and party with us—ticket sales start next week!