Category: Practice
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Ways to be imperfect
Ever since I started my project on imperfect veganism, thinking of it more as a practice than as a theory, I’ve been reflected on the various ways a practicing vegan, who is vegan for ethical reasons, might be imperfect. I mention ethically-motivated vegans in particular because I think that someone who is vegan for health…
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My Favourite Vegan Cookbooks
It’s not true for all, but many people who become vegan start prepping more of their own meals than they did before. There are lots of good reasons for this. Here are a few: There are lots of amazing recipes online these days, to be sure. But a great cookbook is indispensable because in addition…
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Kindness Matters
kindness noun /ˈkaɪnd.nəs/ the quality of being kind kind adjective /kaɪnd/ generous, helpful, and thinking about other people’s feelings (from the Cambridge Dictionary) When vegans talk about their stance towards non-human animals, they often offer thoughts about the importance of kindness and compassion. The slogan “Kindness Matters” comes up a lot, and it is not…
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Three cheers for “accidentally vegan” foods!
Did you know that Oreo cookies are accidentally vegan? Most people who have been vegan for awhile are aware of this fact and it remains a wonder to me. I think I like Oreos more now, knowing they are not just classics but VEGAN classics, than I did when I was younger and gave no…
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Forward Food: best event ever!
This week I was one of the fortunate few on my campus who got invited to be a guest at the Forward Food Culinary Training program. It’s a collaborative program among several universities in southern Ontario, co-sponsored by the Humane Society International | Canada and the host University. I have worked at Western University in…
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An Invitation to Be Imperfect
Really I don’t need to invite you to be imperfect. We are all already imperfect in so many ways. A frequent rejoinder these days is “don’t be so hard on yourself.” Few people are harder on themselves (or frankly on others), than people who have strong ethical convictions that they sometimes fail to live up…
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Dining with omnivores: It takes some finessing
I belong to a local vegan group on Facebook, and people are forever asking for input about where they can go out for a meal with omnivores — “nice” restaurants, family restaurants, special occasion restaurants, kid-friendly restaurants that don’t break the bank. Almost as often, someone will name a particular restaurant that they are going…
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Why “Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace Is My Favourite Essay
In 2003, Gourmet Magazine sent David Foster Wallace to do a story on the Maine Lobster Festival (MLF). The resulting article, “Consider the Lobster,” appeared in August 2004. In my view it’s one of the best pieces of non-fiction writing to question the ideology of eating animals, in this case lobster, ever written. It starts…
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Vegan for Earth Day
Happy Earth Day. I love Peta’s initiative “Stick a Fork in the Climate Catastrophe by Going Vegan.” Today they suggest going vegan for the planet, even if just for today. Something that seems impossible to do forever could be possible for a day. And maybe if it is possible for one day, it is possible…
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Have you tried vegan cheese lately?
Among the most frequent comments people make when the subject of veganism comes up is, “I could never give up cheese.” Indeed, for some people this is the number one reason that makes the very prospect of becoming vegan unthinkable. I used to feel that way, too. Convinced that the transition from vegetarian to vegan…
Vegan Practically 