Exceptional Women in Publishing Luncheon

The Chefs: Jennifer and Parc 55

The Menu: Layers of potato and eggplant on top of a bed of red quinoa and mushrooms.

The Goods: It's a busy but amazing week for the VN team. Five of us—Associate Publisher Colleen Holland, Managing Editor Elizabeth Castoria, Online Editor Anna Peraino, myself, and Art Director Sutton Long attended the Exceptional Women in Publishing Conference. It was a wonderful day of learning, networking, and connecting with other professional women leaders in the publishing and media world. I went to some fantastic panels such as Publishing for Women by Women and Content Execution from Pioneers in the Field (with our very own Associate Publisher on the panel). During the lunch, which honored Dwell President Michela O'Connor Abrams with an award, the VN team dined on an eggplant and potato stack over red quinoa. Tomorrow, the five of us and the rest of the VN team are flying down to Anaheim for the Natural Products Expo West. We'll be back in the office on Tuesday, March 13 and Café VegNews will resume to its regular schedule then. In the mean time, follow our Instagram account for all the latest new vegan products from Expo West! 

Onion Soup, Mashed Potatoes

The Chef: Chas

The Menu: A rich, flavorful onion soup of kale, seasoned tofu squares, carrot, celery, kidney beans, garlic, thyme, and lots of savory, crisp onion paired with a complementary comfort food classic, mashed potatoes and gravy. Chas took a samosa-filling inspired take on this standard side by adding peas, almond milk, veggie broth, and seasoning, and literally took a page from American Vegan Kitchen for the gravy recipe. Despite our assertion that a carb-filled meal was exactly what we always want, Chas also busted our one of his signature salads tossed with avocado dressing.

The Goods: Oh yes, this meal was a big, heaping helping of awesome. If there's one thing that the VN staff can rally around it's vegan mashed potatoes and gravy. The only thing more exciting than indulging in this satisfying fare is finishing off our meal with dessert from Sticky Fingers. During a weekend trip to Washington, DC, VN Art Director Sutton Long visited the capital city bakery and was gifted a box of dairy-free desserts by Sticky Fingers' Manager Ben Adams. Lets just say we're not complaining about any of it.