Vegetarian Star

Marco Antonio Regil is a popular Latin TV personality who has hosted Spanish language versions of shows such as The Price is Right, Family Feud, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader and Miss Mexico. He’s also a vegan and very vocal about animal welfare issues. This is the first of a two-part interview.

Latin food consists of so many diverse cultures. Are there certain regions where the dishes are more vegetarian and vegan-friendly than others?
The original Latin American foods were mostly vegetarian. The Incas, Aztecs, Mayas and other ancient cultures ate corn, pumpkin flower, huitlacoche and many other vegan dishes. It was when the Spaniard Conquistadores came that the culture started changing and more meat was included in their diets. So, actually going vegan or vegetarian is just going back to our roots.

Do you have any favorite traditional Latin dishes, meat-based or not, that you make or enjoy as vegan?
Sure! Sage Vegan Bistro in Culver City has a Mexican Chef from Oaxaca. He is the co-founder of the restaurant with his wife. They cook the most delicious Chilaquiles I’ve ever had, vegan or not vegan. Every time I take fellow Mexican friends there, they love it, although they are not vegan. It just blows their minds!

(more…)

Possibly Related Posts:

• Chrissy Teigen Failed Vegan Experiment
• Mia Evans Is A “Masterchef Junior” Vegetarian Star
• Holly Madison Enjoys Vegan Smoothie From M Cafe In Beverly Hills
• Controversy Over Pro-Vegeterian Curriculum In Schools
• Ellie Goulding Creates Protein Bar “Everlasting Joy” With GoMacro

Photo Credit: Clarke Tolton

As if you really need another reason to enter our contest to win a copy of Erin McKenna’s BabyCakes cookbook as part of our one year anniversary giveaway. Isn’t the picture of the cupcakes on the book cover enough?

The lovely lady who founded the New York city bakery that is so popular among celebrities and mere non Hollywood mortals like ourselves answered a few of our questions about herself, the bakery, and some of her favorite recipes from her recently published cookbook, BabyCakes : Vegan, Gluten-Free, and (Mostly) Sugar-Free Recipes from New York’s Most Talked-About Bakery.

How did you determine which of your recipes to include in the BabyCakes cookbook?
I chose the recipes that people seemed to favor. I wanted to offer a collection of the greatest recipes.

What are a few of your favorite recipes from the cookbook?
I think my favorites are the volcanoes and the macaroons for sure.

You used to work in fashion and you said the one thing that really relieved stress at the end of the day was experimenting with baking and that prompted you to change careers. What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs who may still be stuck in a day job and want to get out and have a successful business?
I would tell them to live fearlessly and go for what is in their heart. It will work out and nothing beats doing what you love for a living. It’s what life is about.

There are several celebrities that have their personal stories in the Baby Cakes cookbook like Natalie Portman and Pamela Anderson? What was either your first or most memorable experience learning a celebrity was so fond of your desserts?
The first time a celebrity made it known how fond he was of BabyCakes was Jason Schwartzman. He came in once by himself the first time and then brought a whole gang of friends with him and had an eating contest in here. He was going crazy over everything–it was really fun!

Guess how many siblings Erin has? Four, five, six, seven? Higher than that! Find out after the jump… (more…)

Possibly Related Posts:

• Mia Evans Is A “Masterchef Junior” Vegetarian Star
• Ben And Jerry’s Launch Vegan Ice Cream
• Best Vegetarian Stories Of 2015
• Moby Opens Little Pine Vegan Restaurant
• Tal Ronnen Brings LA Restaurant To Everyone In “Crossroads” Cookbook

When we found out actor and brother of Kyra Sedgwick, Rob Sedgwick had co-founded a vegan ice cream parlor in New York, we got on the phone pronto begging for his attention. Actually, we didn’t have to beg, as he happily agreed to talk to us about Stogo, which currently offers 20 dairy free flavored varieties.

On his Steak and Egg Eating Habits
That was joke [what was mentioned in the New York Observer]. I eat very well. I eat salads and I never eat fried stuff. But I’ve certainly had a more “conventional diet.”

On being a non vegan running a vegan ice cream shop
It’s valuable to have someone like me [non vegan] because I’ve eaten a lot of ice cream in my life. I think it tastes better than conventional ice cream. You don’t have that same sort of “blah” afterwards because it’s soy based and much lighter.

Everyone wants to have their own business. I think it’s a great idea. It’s a unique idea. In the beginning it took awhile to get the formula down, but now that we’ve got the formula down…You start off with one perception and then you’re expectations change and your goals change as you get further involved with something. Where I’m at now with this stuff, it’s the best stuff out there. It tastes sensational.

And people are genuinely happy. It’s wonderful seeing people that aren’t just, “Oh good it’s a dessert fix.” It’s more of a lifestyle thing.

Do you personally know any vegans or vegetarians?
Sure, we had vegan investors. My business partner is a vegan.

His favorite flavors
I love the chocolate fudge brownie. I love the mixed berry. But that’s like choosing among your kids.

Plans for future acting?
If the acting comes along [I’ll do it]. I’m having more fun writing (he recently completed a book on his memoirs) and doing the ice cream now, frankly. The nice thing about the ice cream thing that I wasn’t anticipating is it’s making people so happy, which is really quite wonderful. I think it’s also getting into that particular lifestyle. It’s not just vegan or health food people, it’s people who are lactose intolerant. We get a lot of people in here who just really dig the product.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Ben And Jerry’s Launch Vegan Ice Cream
• Best Vegetarian Stories Of 2015
• Moby Opens Little Pine Vegan Restaurant
• Jesse Einsenberg Celebrates “Thanksliving” During The Holidays (Video)
• White Castle Goes Vegan