Vegetarian Star

We told you to stick around and it paid off! Here’s part two of our interview with news anchor Nicole Lapin.

You’ve been involved with several charitable organizations and campaigns like the United Nation’s “Girl Up” initiative. Are there any vegetarian, animal rights, sustainable food or environmental organizations you’re particularly fond of?
You caught me! I can’t say no when a good cause asks for my help…I know, I know, that sounds so Pollyannaish, but it’s true. I have done some work for the Humane Society and am happy to help with any other organizations that need it.

I’ve read in some of your other interviews that you’ve mastered putting together a vegan meal in the most unlikely of places, including gas stations. Can you name some healthy vegan ideas from places where it’s hard to find vegan food like vending machines and convenience stores?
I have to say, I’ve eaten every meal at Starbucks more often than I’d like to admit. They have some really wonderful new options with Two Moms In The Raw and Peeled dried fruit.

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If you’re heading out to the Tribeca Film Festival that’s taking place in Manhattan until May 1, you might be lucky enough to catch of glimpse of Nicole Lapin, an anchor for CNBC’s Worldwide Exchange, the only global show on the network. This amazing journalist who attended Harvard University at the age of 15 and graduated at the top of her class at Northwestern, has covered everything from the 2008 presidential election to the Humane Society’s efforts to keep downer pigs out of the food supply.

Lapin’s schedule with the festival is keeping her pretty busy, but she found time to answer a few questions for Vegetarian Star in an exclusive two-part interview. Here’s part 1.

Tell us more about what you’re doing with the Tribeca film festival this year and how you were approached to be a juror.
I am convinced I snuck my way in. It’s definitely the best type of jury duty I’ve ever done.

Your family is Israeli so you obviously must have grown up eating a lot of Mediterranean and other ethnic foods. It’s been said that many other cultures have diets that are naturally healthier because they are heavily based on grains, legumes and vegetables instead of meat. What were some of your favorite plant-based foods you ate growing up even before you became a vegetarian?
A lot of colorful chopped salads. The staple, of course, is cucumbers, onions and tomato salad with just lemon, salt and pepper as dressing. But then, I have a great nostalgia for cumin cucumber salad and minced eggplant. When my grandfather used to visit, he used to use the salsa bar at Mexican restaurants as a salad bar. I used to think it was weird that he ate a bowl of pico de gallo– but that’s more traditional Mediterranean than any lettuce-based salad. And, oh how it’s come full-circle, I’m that girl at Whole Foods that buys the fresh salsa by the tub…And, um, no chips!

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A few weeks ago, we featured a catchy little song about vegan protein by Jonathan Mann, the guy who’s gained national attention for writing a song every day since 2009. Best of all, he gets PAID to do it, and his written jingles for the likes of people like Steve Jobs.

When he doesn’t have his hand in the vegan cookie jar, Mann is either writing, singing or uploading his creations to YouTube and his site, Songatron.com. Vegetarian Star was lucky enough to catch him when was wasn’t doing either! Here’s the exclusive interview.

Why did you decide to start writing a new song daily?
It started in 2009. I got a flyer for Fun-A-Day, which is a project where folks are invited to make one piece of art for everyday in the month of January. I decided to keep going because it’s been a great exercise for revealing the “good” songs that are inside of me, and it’s also been a nice, media friendly calling card. Also, I really enjoy the back and forth with my YouTube based audience.

A little technical question: RockCookieBottom.com and songatron.com have pretty much the same content. Can you explain more behind the two website names?
Rock Cookie Bottom was a tumblr blog that I had had just laying around for a while, and when I started Song-A-Day, I used it to post all the videos. It had a bunch of things lacking, however, so eventually I got songatron up and running. Which is better, but still lacks, I think!

I read you named the first site “rockcookiebottom” because you have a love for baking cookies. I’m assuming these are vegan cookies. Tells us your favorite vegan cookies to bake and eat.
Do. Bake. Too. Many. Cookies. Ivory said something like, “You’re going to reach the rock cookie bottom of your cookie making!” in reference to how often I make them. It’s a very emotion based thing for me, cookies are tied to being a kid and baking with my mom. I mostly go off of Colleen’s [Colleen Patrick-Goudreau] recipe in “The Joy of Vegan Baking”, though I’ve tried a bunch of others and have been known to…ahem…experiment.

Obviously, we really love the vegan song you sing with your girlfriend Ivory King, “Vegan Myths Debunked.” What was your motivation for writing this?
You know, I think it just kind of happened. We always get asked all these questions, so it seemed natural to turn them into a song.

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Phil Collen has been rocking with Def Leppard since the 80s. At 53 years old, he can still drive the band’s female fans into “hysteria” when he’s seen photographed with his shirt off. This weekend, you catch Phil giving a presentation on exercising and healthy eating at the Los Angeles Fitness Expo. Last week, we gave you a preview of our exclusive Q & A with Phil. Here’s the rest of his story.

On Reasons For Going Veg
I am a vegetarian for ethical reasons. The idea of eating dead bodies made me feel ill. With a simple progression towards being healthier and healthier now I’m currently ‘almost’ total vegan (no eggs or milk) although I do dip into the chocolates on occasion.

Green Living  At Home With Wife Helen
Well, we don’t drive a Prius, but we don’t go around spraying aerosols into the atmosphere and throwing cans and bottles down the gutter. It’s really a common sense issue. Recycling is a given—doing it and using recycled products. We use hemp products too.

Tofu, Tempeh Or Seitan
We [he and Helen] do them all.

Favorite Exercises
Muay Thai Kickboxing training and weight workouts. I also have a spin bike that I’m on all the time.

Eating Healthy On Tour
I eat pretty basic on tour. You can find great vegetarian dishes in different cities. I have a Panini grill which is great for grilling tofu and veggie burgers. I drink lots of water and eat lots of fruit and nuts too.

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The season finale of the Oxygen channel’s “Running Russell Simmons” airs Tuesday at 10/9c. Running’s had only six short episodes, but Simmons’ vegan assistant, Simone Reyes, has had opportunities to demonstrate her values about animals on the show. Vegetarian Star conducted an exclusive interview with Simone, learning this beauty looks just as good in a naked PETA protest as she does behind a desk and computer, as she’s also the author of two books on pets.

Tell us about your journey to veganism.
I joined the animal rights movement about 15 years ago by hooking up with a local, pretty radical group called Activists For Animals. We were small, but loud and powerful. AFA did a lot of on the street grassroots protesting. When I first joined I was still wearing leather shoes…that changed immediately. I became a hard core activist after my first “fur walk” with that group. We yelled at fur wearers and put stickers on their backs that said, “I’m an a**hole I wear fur.” Radical, yes, but it was a great introduction for me. I’m a Leo so we like to do it up big.

You’ve written two books on astrology for pets. That’s a different one! Tell us more about that. If my cat is a Sagittarius, what does this mean about kitty?
I love astrology and I love animals so it made sense to me to pair the two. Let’s see…typically a Sagittarius kitty is adventurous and playful. No animal enjoys being alone but cats born under this sign get especially lonely so definitely get him or her a rescued buddy or at the very least spend more time at home whenever possible. (Simone’s books, Astrology for Cats and Astrology for Dogs, are available through Amazon.)

How did you hook up with Russell Simmons? Did you know he was a vegan before you started working with him and did the fact that you both are ever come up before you got hired?
I was part of the Beastie Boys crew. We all hung out together…connected through David Scilken who we lost way too young. Russell was absolutely NOT a vegan when we met, nor was I. This was in the early days of Def Jam. We didn’t live our lives fully awake until much later. I became vegan way before Russell did.

Favorite eco-friendly fashion brands.
Yes! Cri De Couer , Olsen Haus, Stella McCartney. I also get great tips from www.girliegirlarmy.com that always has new designers showcased who are offering cruelty-free options.

Tofu, tempeh or seitan.
I love tofu! I love tofu sour cream and tofu cream cheese. I love tofu ice cream. I always add tofu to my salads. I’m powered by tofu, no question!

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Brandy Kuentzel

It’s down to the final three on The Apprentice and vegetarian Brandy Kuentzel has survived Donald Trump‘s ax by winning challenges and demonstrating her business expertise. Vegetarian Star was fortunate to get an exclusive interview with Brandy to learn about her motivations behind going vegetarian, her work with animal welfare and her idea of the ultimate green job.

Did your vegetarian diet come up at any time during The Apprentice, either among the contestants or the show’s staff?
I think that any time you make an effort to ask where you food comes from (whether that’s refraining from eating factory-farmed meat, eating vegetarian or vegan fare, not buying products that are tested on animals, etc.), it sparks conversation. Simple everyday choices can make you an advocate for animals. This certainly was the case while filming The Apprentice. I was pleasantly surprised by how accommodating The Apprentice film crew was of my dietary preferences. Since vegetarian food had to be brought in for me, others also ended up choosing the (often healthier) vegetarian option. Of course, some cast members did not consider it a “real” meal unless meat was involved. C’est la vie.

Describe some of your experiences working with animals or animal welfare issues.
I’ve personally volunteered at animal shelters for nearly a decade, and I currently volunteer each week at the SFSPCA. You can also find me at the SFSPCA/Macy’s holiday windows in San Francisco this December. For those individuals looking to get more involved, the HSUS offers amazing seminars on animal advocacy…and, of course, don’t forget to vote!

If you had the opportunity to be “hired” for the ultimate green job, what would it be?
If I could really shoot for the moon, my ultimate green job would be to host a television show with my best friend showcasing our common passion: ethical, conscientious eating prepared to perfection. By showcasing innovative restaurants, family farms, dairies, markets, orchards, vineyards, breweries and artisanal shops, the show would educate the consumer and provide realistic options for dining anywhere along the meat-eating spectrum. I think that consumers want to learn how to eat with the seasons, how to enjoy the perfect humane cheese and how to grow herb gardens in 600 square foot apartments. Urban homesteading and conscientious eating is not just a fad – it’s at our roots. If The Universe delivers on this wish, I guarantee that our lemon-carrot soup would bring all the boys to the yard.

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Ady Gil

Ady Gil is a successful entrepreneur who, as a founding partner of American Hi Definition (AHD) and Sweetwater Digital, has made contributions to digital services for film and television. This year, Ady is matching Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt-A-Turkey adoptions up to $50,000. Vegetarian Star had the opportunity to conduct an exclusive interview with Ady about animal welfare, the Thanksgiving holiday and his vision for former president of the United States Bill Clinton.

How did you get involved with Farm Sanctuary and the Adopt-A-Turkey campaign?
It was my ex-girlfriend who in 1999 told me that she was adopting a turkey. She was a vegetarian, and she told me for Thanksgiving she was adopting a turkey. I didn’t know exactly what it meant then, but she told me you had to send the fee. It was $20 at the time. It was sort of symbolic, but you get a card with the picture of the turkey. The year before I ate turkey for Thanksgiving, and that year I did not. It did not make my Thanksgiving any worse. Not at all did it affect my life to not eat turkey. I adopted the turkey, and I felt proud like I saved a life, without touching it. Not always can you save a life by touching it – sometimes you can, like with an injured dog or a bird you find you might bring it to the vet, but most of the time you can’t touch the lives you save and you need an organization that can touch the lives. I see Farm Sanctuary as an avenue to save farm animals.

Recently, two large chicken producers in the U.S, Bell & Evans and Mary’s, announced they’re changing the way they slaughter chickens. Instead of electrical stunning, they’ll be using methods similar to what many in Europe and the UK do by knocking the birds out with gas first. What are your thoughts on this more “humane” way of killing and do you view changes like this as real progress for animal welfare?
I cannot put the two words together – killing and humane. I do not believe they can really coexist in one sentence. Is it less cruel? I think it is. But is it still cruel? Sure it is. Is it more humane? Sure it is. But is it humane? No. Is it better? Sure it is. But is it still evil? Yes. But it’s less evil, and so less evil is better than more evil, right? If in the last ten seconds they don’t suffer, that’s better. If they suffer their whole lives and we can give them their last ten seconds without suffering, then that’s better. Any second counts. But I do not think that killing can be humane.

Learn Ady’s wish for Bill Clinton after the jump.

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Daphne Oz

Daphne Oz, author of The Dorm Room Diet, and daughter of the famous daytime television host and heart surgeon Dr. Oz, has accumulated a wealth of information from her father, holistic nutrition adviser grandmother and vegetarian mother over the years. Daphne took her knowledge and wrote a book aimed to teach people how to fuel their bodies with food that gives energy, fights disease, and is healthier for the planet. The Dorm Room Diet contains an entire chapter especially dedicated to thinking about the impact of food on the environment, in addition to a chapter filled with vegetarian recipes.

Throughout the book, you remind readers of the benefits of being vegetarian (discuss how you get your nutrients without meat, pitfalls of meat protein, only vegetarian recipes in the book) without actually telling people to go veg. Was this done on purpose as a way to promote a vegetarian lifestyle without being preachy or did it naturally fall into place?
It naturally fell into place, partly because I have no idea how to cook meat, and partly because it’s a lot easier to purchase, store and cook vegetarian dishes when living in the dorm room. I’m glad you saw it as a natural way to promote the vegetarian lifestyle, and introduce readers to flavors, textures, and substitutes they might never have considered before, because that was certainly a goal of ours throughout the chapter. So often, knowledge and a little nudge is all people need to change old habits.

What’s your favorite recipe from the book and why?
My favorite recipe is the Nuttier Butter, just because it’s so easy and versatile–I would spread it on whole grain toast for breakfast, eat a spoonful before working out for a powerful shot of protein, fiber and energy, and even used it as the base for a spicy thai peanut salad dressing for dinner sometimes. Plus, it’s such a cool variation on the average peanut butter that adds omega fats and fiber.

The Dorm Room Diet sounds like it’s aimed at college students. How can a regular, working adult benefit from some of the advice in the book?
The advice in the book is really targeted at anyone looking to break free of the deprivation of fad diets and establish a permanent, healthy lifestyle that puts you in total control. The tips and tricks are targeted at anyone short on time, space, and/or money who still wants to make an effort to establish healthy habits to last a lifetime, so it’s equally helpful to people spending their time in a dorm room or a cubicle!

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