Vegetarian Star

Aldo Zilli‘s wife Nikki says the death of her father prompted Aldo to change his diet.

Aldo not only changed his habits at home, but his services to others as well, relaunching one of his signature restaurants as an all vegetarian one, Zilli Green.

“Dad was very active and at more than 6ft tall he wasn’t overweight for his height,” Nikki Zilli said in the Daily Mail. “But he really liked his food and, looking back, he ate a lot of red meat, pasta and bread and not enough oily fish, fruit and vegetables. We know now how important diet is in reducing the risk of bowel cancer.”

Research has already shown that a diet high in red meat could result in you more likely to develop cancer. And according to the Cancer Project, one study published in the journal of Cancer Research found subjects who ate red meat had higher levels of compounds that damage DNA, which is why cancer develops in the first place.

When the subjects were placed on a red meat, red meat with high fiber or a vegetarian diet for just 15 days, the red meat dieters had the greatest levels of N-nitrosocompounds, which damage DNA.

The red meat with fiber dieters had lower levels of N-nitrosocompounds and the vegetarians had the lowest.

It’s thought that the fiber found in fruits and vegetables provides extra protection against cancer.

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"Top Chef Masters" Jody Adams

Top Chef Masters Lisa Adams wasn’t just competing when she made a vegetarian dish to honor The Simpsons’ Lisa Simpson during a recent challenge on the show.

This chef would actually eat what she made–and encourages others to do the same.

“I had just a small glance of Lisa’s personality and I knew she was a vegetarian,” Adams told Reality Wanted. “I loved cooking a dish that I would love to cook for myself. A mentor chef of mine once said to “cook for yourself first, then cook for your customer and lastly, cook for the press.” That is the key to authentic cooking.”

Adams and her husband are collecting vegetable based recipes for a cookbook or a website with a focus more on plant based diets.

“It is better for the planet, for the animals, and for our health,” she said.

In addition, she’s planning a trip to Washington, D.C. to talk to the Environmental Protection Agency about food.

“The word is getting out to the public that we need to eat differently, and communities are seeing the issues they face with eating,” Adams said, adding that vegetables need to be made “sexy” again.

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Jesse Brune can be seen on the Food Network Channel’s Private Chefs of Beverly Hills, where six chefs attempt to please and cater events for the rich and sometimes famous residents in Beverly Hills.

Many times, the requests involve lavish, unusual or unconventional food, so Brune follows the Boy Scout’s motto and is always prepared.

Being prepared means remembering some guests want meat-free, dairy-free or gluten-free, whether they’re “allergic” or not.

“I always make sure I have a vegan or gluten-free backup dish, because there’s always going to be someone allergic to something,” Brune told the Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.  “Usually if people say they’re allergic to something in Beverly Hills, that just means they don’t like it. There’s so much money in Beverly Hills, people have to get creative with their lives. I’m never bored.”

Although Brune attended culinary school and has plenty of experience as a private chef, what’s healthy doesn’t always turn out well, like his attempt to make a cake with organic ingredients.

“I did have one food disaster where I did sort of give up. My best friend’s daughter was turning 2…All she wanted was a Mickey Mouse cake. I attempted to make this cake…First, it was a healthy organic version that looked like crap. Second, there was so much store-bought frosting my stomach turned. I just went and bought a cake.”

Even a pro can mess up a good dessert. Sometimes store-bought frozen vegan cake is really the best option.

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Lisa Simpson "The Simpsons"

Last night’s episode of Top Chef Masters had the competing chefs making meals that would please The Simpsons.

As you probably already know, there are two characters that shun meat on the popular cartoon, Lisa Simpson and Apu, and the chefs who cooked for them whipped up delicious sounding vegetarian delights.

The judges included some of The Simpsons’ crew, like creator Matt Groening and Hank Azaria who voices Chief Wiggum and Apu.

Jody made a Cracked Wheat Salad with Goats Milk Ricotta and BBQ beets and baked kale chips for Lisa, which the judges thought she’d love, and Marcus created Tomato Soup with Rice, Chickpeas, Chutney, Melon and Nuts for Apu.

Unfortunately, it was Rick’s shrimp meal for Homer that won.

But hey, Jody and Marcus’ meals sure give you great ideas for dinner!

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Wolfgang Puck is set to voice the role of Chef Smurf in the upcoming The Smurfs movie, according to Entertainment Weekly.

If the producers follow the traditional character’s role, Puck won’t be talking about grilling any steak or broiling chicken.

According to Chef Smurf’s Wikipedia entry, he never uses meat, only eggs because Smurfs are mostly vegetarian.

In the cartoon series, he is also Greedy Smurf, who eats lots of cakes and pastries, even stealing  goodies from Baker Smurf, who ends up chasing him for it.

Hey, hey, hey now.

Vegetarian food may be free of a lot of things like trans fat, cholesterol and cruelty, but you still gotta pay for it.

Since it is 2010, it’s high time Baker Smurf incorporate some vegan pastries, including gluten-free varieties.

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After learning the plans of animal rights activists to protest outside his restaurants for selling foie gras, Thomas Keller issued a statement through his representatives.

From Grubstreet:

“The Thomas Keller Restaurant Group consistently endeavors to make extremely conscientious decisions regarding all suppliers with whom we work, and our chefs have specifically selected to source from the most ethical purveyors possible. We will keep within full accordance of all legal mandates should the states of California and New York pass future legislation regarding Foie Gras.”

As long as they’re being stuffed to (literally) death and killed, it’s probably not “ethical” enough.

The protests are taking place this Saturday at Keller’s California and New York restaurants as part of a campaign organized by several groups, including Animal Protection & Rescue League, Orange County People for Animals, In Defense of Animals, and Compassion Over Killing.

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The Animal Protection & Rescue League has organized a protest against celebrity chef Thomas Keller outside his three restaurants because he serves foie gras.

Several other animal rights groups, Animal Protection & Rescue League, Orange County People for Animals, In Defense of Animals, and Compassion Over Killing have launched a campaign about foie gras and will be outside Keller’s restaurants holding banners depicting the conditions inside Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Keller’s supplier.

Foie gras is produced by force feeding geese so much their livers swell several times their normal sizes.

The metal pipes placed in their throats for feeding often injure the digestive tract as well.

“As a veterinarian, I find foie gras to be a disease rather than a delicacy,” states Elliot Katz, DVM, President of IDA. “The liver’s function is to process toxins, and a liver in this grossly enlarged state from force feeding cannot function properly.”

The protests will be held at the following restaurants on Saturday, May 8.

Per Se, 10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019 – Time: noon
Bouchon, 235 N. Canon Dr. Beverly Hills, CA 90210 – Time: 7:30pm
French Laundry, 6640 Washington St., Yountville, CA 94599 – Time 7pm

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Here’s the perfect opportunity to use those FAQs Erin McKenna has  recently compiled for her BabyCakes cookbook.

As previously reported, McKenna has added about 20 of the most common questions or problems people have had with the recipes.

The owner of the famous bakery in New York City offering vegan, sugar-free, and gluten-free desserts has a blueberry muffins recipe that she made on Good Morning America.

If you’re out of coconut oil, don’t despair.

According to the FAQs, any other vegetable oil can be substituted in the batter. However, if you were making frosting, you’d have to use liquid coconut oil.

Grab the recipe here, and to learn where to get your Bob’s Red Mill flour, visit the FAQs.

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