The Punk Rock Vegan
I’m suppose to be writing a short story right now. I just can’t seem to concentrate, so I took a break and started googling vegan recipes, again. In my quest to find eternal healthiness (my, wasn’t that deep) and since I was fifteen, I have went from carnivore, to vegan, to vegetarian, to semi-vegetarian, back to vegetarian and now once again back to vegan. It’s been six months now since I switched back and I’m still trying to re-educate myself on ways to cook healthy, yummy, interesting meals. Don’t think that being Vegan means all you eat is tofu and veggies. There are many unhealthy foods out there that can still be consumed. I’m guilty of eating loads of bread and hummus when I am too lazy to cook.
Over the last six months I have become a Vegan recipe research junkie. I always have a ‘oh I wonder if I can find this recipe on the web?’ idea in my head. As I have been searching I have come across many amazing websites, but the ones that kept making an impact are the ones either written by or inspired by Punk Rockers.
When I first started searching recipes I came across and very informative website called the Vegan Society. In gives a great history of how Veganism actually began. In 1944 Elsie Shrigley and Donald Watson created the UK Vegan Society. They were frustrated with the fact that the label Vegetarian had dairy and egg attached to it. Hence where the term Veganism began. I suspect that the Hippie Movement of the 1970’s made North America more aware of it, but I think the Punk Rock culture helped put it in forefront world wide.
In today’s society of eColi, radioactive run off, mad cow disease and bird flu, I think people are becoming more aware of the benefits of Vegetarianism and Veganism and once again Punk Rockers are helping to get the information out there and make it cool!
So back to the ultra cool ‘Punk Rock Vegan’ websites. Far and wide this one is the best of them all ‘The Post Punk Kitchen’. After checking out the website for the first time, I was once again reminded why I need to live in New York City. Ever since that fateful day I have become a die hard user of their killer forum. The forum that has categories like ‘food porn’, ‘the bedroom’, the library’ and of course ‘the kitchen’. I have used ‘the kitchen forum’ often when I have cooking questions. You definitely have to check out ‘food porn’ the photos of food are to die for, trust me, I am salivating thinking about it.
I’ve also turned into a cookbook whore and now have all of Isa’s cookbooks, as well as those by Sarah Kramer. When you are first learning about something such Veganism, I think it is very important to have great resources and for me cookbooks are very important tools.
Punk rockers aren’t just about kick ass music, cool tattoos and fabulous tees. They are about making us aware of a healthier lifestyle, animal rights and the environment. If it wasn’t for a punk rocker named Isa, I would have had to live a life without cupcakes and that would have made me very, very sad.
Here are some additional links to books/reference on being Vegan/or information on Punk Rock and Veganism.
http://www.myspace.com/postpunkkitchen
www.govegan.net
http://veganbooks.safeshopper.com/3/1079.htm?587
http://vegweb.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=55334543a441a5c7b306d2c2fa1ac6c1&topic=12899.msg79352
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2006/09/michael_imperio.html
veg.ca
http://www.satyamag.com/jan05/chandna.html
http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podcasts/8336
http://www.veganfreaks.org/
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