Vegetarian Star

Nellie McKay is basking in the glory of being a mom these days. Best of all, she didn’t go through hours of labor to take the credit. She simply went to her local shelter and adopted a pit bull named Bess, who she was walking during our exclusive interview with her. 

On her new bundle of joy
Her name is Bess. I’m on an email list that lets you know when animals are about to be put down at the local shelter. I never took in an animal because I travel so much. It didn’t seem fair to them and it seemed kind of impossible for me. But I just couldn’t say no to her. They had pictures of her still lactating. She had just given birth. They [former owners] had taken her puppies and dumped her. She was a throw away mom.

At first she pretended like she didn’t know how to sit. It turns out she just needed the incentive of a treat. She was pretending and she knew all along. She’s the greatest thing that ever happened. She’s the light of my life. She makes life worth living.

On the Obamas not choosing a shelter dog
I think he definitely made the wrong decision. The pressure should be on them for the next animal they get. All this pure-breed stuff…We should all be going after mutts. There are hypoallergenic mutts as well as breeds. We have to get rid of the whole breed mentality. It’s animal racism. Just don’t go for it.

It isn’t hard. The hypoallergenic dogs are available as we speak. The Humane Society and other animal rescue groups offered to help with that search. And the argument that it’s a personal decision-well, so is meat eating but it hurts others.

This seems like something that could have helped so many animals. It could have drawn attention to the plight of so many animals in shelters. They are so influential. It could have saved so many lives and made so many lives better for animals that are just languishing there waiting to be seen, let alone be adopted. I’m disappointed and I just hope that their second dog or cat they will get from a shelter.

Learn why Nellie loves Kevin Eubanks after the jump… (more…)

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Rory Freedman got a PETA package in the mail in college that prompted her to go vegetarian, then vegan. She and co-author Kim Barnouin have already transformed the diets of thousands of women with their popular Skinny Bitch series. Now they’re out to give men a spanking for eating meat, dairy, and too much sugar with their new book, Skinny Bastard.

How did you go about tailoring Skinny Bastard to create a more manly appeal?
The language is written in a way to cater to men more. I’m from New Jersey, so I have a naughty streak in me when it comes to the way I talk. The language is really bawdy and irreverent. There’s a chapter called “No Girls Allowed.” We talk about prostate cancer. We also talk about erectile dysfunction. And how what you eat can affect your performance in bed and it can affect your Johnson. There are a lot of fun euphemisms- a lot of fun to be had.

Some people continue to stereotype vegan or vegetarian men as being wimpy or lacking testosterone. Do you address these issues in Skinny Bastard?
We do address those issues. Basically, we talk about professional athletes who are or have been vegetarian or vegan. And how they’re at the top of their game and they’re high performers. There’s certainly no shortage of manly men who are living a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. We talk about protein and how there’s a myth that you need as much protein as you think you do. How vegetarians get plenty of protein and they can still be strong and manly. And also we address the animal issues and how’s there’s nothing manly about contributing to the slaughter and torture of animals.

Learn what new vegan cheese Rory can’t get enough of after the jump. (more…)

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Lauren Bush is an ethical fashion designer, model and the niece of former President George W. Bush and granddaughter of former President George H. W. Bush. She’s best known for being the CEO and co-founder of Feed, and designing those cool reusable FEED shopping bags you’ve seen at Whole Foods. Lauren spoke to the Veg Star about her latest fashion collection, future fashion plans, and ordering food in too much instead of cooking.

For your Lauren Pierce collection, you’re partnering with a different women’s group each time a new collection is launched (Spring, Summer, etc.). You’ve recently partnered with Women for Women International, working with women from the Democratic Republic of Congo. What made you decide to partner with this particular group? Can you give any hints as to what organizations you might be working with in the future?
I’d heard about all the great work they’ve done around the world-their job training for women in the DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo] Africa, specifically, and in many post-conflict regions around the world. So I kind of wanted to focus on the DRC.  And the fabrics they [dye]-the end product is wonderful. It was the perfect partnership in a way that I could support them by buying the fabric as well as 10% of the profits go back to them.

The one for my Fall Collection I worked with is called the Artisian’s Association of Cambodia and then 10% of the line goes back to benefit this amazing women’s charity called the Somali Mam Foundation. It was started by this amazing Cambodian woman named Somali Mam and she created these centers, safe havens for women who are involved in the sex trade and human trafficking.

When did you decide to go vegetarian and why?
Since I was four. So for about 20 years now. I was so young. It wasn’t a fully conscious thought out decision, but once I realized what meat was, I couldn’t really bring myself to eat it anymore.

If you had to pick a member of the Bush family that would most likely go vegetarian in the future, who would it be?
I’d have to say my little sister Ashley only because she did try it when she was little.  So I can see her maybe eventually being swayed back into being a vegetarian.

So you couldn’t see Laura or Jenna…?
A lot of my family’s pretty Texan. I don’t know if that would work.
Note to self: It can happen. Send Tofurky sausages and Boca Burgers to win over George, Laura, Jenna, and Barbara.

Find out what Lauren’s new favorite vegetable is after the jump. (more…)

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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.

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Photo Credit: Jill Fehrenbacher of Inhabitat

Peter Rojas is the co-founder of the popular tech blog, Engadget, which he later sold, along with other blogs, to AOL. He’s currently spending his days on RCRD LBL, a digital music site he created.

On Accidental Veganism
I became vegetarian when I was 15 or 16 in high school. I think in the early 90s there was a general upsurge in consciousness about issues related to environmentalism. That was my primary reason for going vegetarian.

Becoming vegan was a little different. I didn’t even know any vegans until I got to college. I’d eaten mostly vegan, but occasionally would have something not vegan, but vegetarian, at the dining hall on campus. [After awhile] I realized I had gone probably six months without eating anything that wasn’t vegan and I was like, “I think I’m going to keep doing this.” That was about 12 years ago. There isn’t anything about being a vegan, for me, that feels like a hardship at all. I don’t feel like I’m sacrificing anything.

I read your wife’s (Jill Fehrenbacher) blog over at the Inhabitat and she said one of her New Year’s resolutions was to stop giving in to non vegan sweets. Does it ever upset you when she eats non vegan and gives into the cookies?

It’s a tough life if you’re going to be really judgmental about other people. I tease her about it a little bit. And she’s actually been sort of off and on vegan for awhile. Let’s put it this way, if she would start eating meat, then I’d have a serious problem. I’d probability be really judgmental about that because when we got married she was a vegetarian. I’ve always encouraged her to continue to be vegan. But it wasn’t anything worth getting upset over. That’s not really the way I operate in the world.

A decade ago you had a job for a media planning agency which involved a lot of numbers and because of that, you felt  you didn’t do well. I found that to be a little strange, given the fact that you’re a techie and into gadgets. I kind of imagined someone who is into that as being a good number cruncher.

I’m much better about writing about technology and thinking analytically about technology and the industry and trends. The media planning job was, like, you have 50 thousand dollars to spend in this market and it was really about doing the kind of distribution of funds for ad buying.

It’s actually very different skill sets. Talking about technology and being able to be insightful about technology is very different than being good at crunching numbers.

When you look at Engadget and things that I’ve done, it’s really been about trying to humanize technology and thinking about technology as another form of pop culture and less about hard nose science and engineering.

On Being A Famous Role Model For Veganism
Even though I’m  known to gadget fanatics, I don’t have any delusions as to how well known I might be [to others]. I look at someone like Moby who obviously is very well known. And having him be a presence and spokesperson for vegans does have an impact that obviously I’m not going to have. 

(Joking)Would you ever consider getting naked for PETA?
I don’t think anyone would necessarily want to see me naked. I think I need to start going back to the gym before I do that.

Find out what famous vegans Peter admires, after the jump.

(more…)

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Terence Gerchberg was the “veggie half” of the Amazing Race couple Terence and Sarah this past season. During a challenge, Terence, a vegetarian for 15 years, tried to eat sheep butt to further the couple in the competition. It was the most delicious meal he ever had. Ha, just kidding. It was nasty, he barfed, they fell behind and were eliminated during that episode. He agreed to talk to Vegetarian Star about his experience on the show as well as his personal experience with vegetariansim.

On the eating challenge where he had to eat sheep butt

I wish more than anything I would have said this: “I will not compromise my beliefs.” And turned around and walked out. I didn’t say that. Am I mad at myself for that? I’m mad at many things. They probably wouldn’t have even conveyed that because they definitely portrayed me as being a bit of a little whiner on the show. I’m really not that big of a complainer. Being a competitive person, for a million dollars, would you have tried to eat sheep’s butt?

I could not chew it. I was gagging. It was literally repulsive. And Sarah was like, “Eat the potatoes.” It wasn’t potatoes. It was chunks of ass. It was fat from the [sheep] ass. It was seriously the most repulsive thing I’ve ever in my entire life tried to eat. What bothered me about the whole process was in front of us, there was like a cow’s head or lamb’s head and they were peeling the meat off of the head and eating it in front of us.

And if you look at the video, I’m throwing it up outside. (Take a look at the video after the jump below.)

Were you aware during the time you were chosen or anywhere in the process before you had the eating challenge that there were different types of eating challenges? Did you ask ahead of time if you would have to eat cow testicles or something disgusting like that?

We’ve [he and Sarah] watched previous episodes, so in previous episodes there was a meat eating challenge. They knew from my application, it clearly says, she’s kosher and it clearly says that I’ve never in my life hid the fact that I’m a vegetarian. I clearly and proudly state that I’m a vegetarian at all times. I’m the vegetarian that asks, “Ok, is your veggie burger cooked on the same grill as your meat? I don’t do that. Like, is there beef stock?” I take pride in it-I know about the gelatin. Certain cheeses are vegetarian. I really am an educated vegetarian. I’m competing at a fairly competitive level (Terence runs marathons) without eating any meat. There’s so much that the world has to offer in terms of grains. Every once in awhile I do have some dairy and eggs, but as a whole I can practically be vegan. I take complete pride and it’s something that I’ve never shied away from. So they did know it. They asked, “What would you do if you had to eat meat?” I said, “You’re asking me a tough question;-I don’t want to compromise my beliefs.”

Watch video where Terence throws up sheep butt, and read the rest of the interview after the jump (more…)

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