Veg Out – Details, episodes & analysis

This is the third episode in our restaurant series.

On this episode, Barbi and Jeanette look back on all the veg places that put the vegan scene in Toronto on the map, plus we offer some current places that may become your new favourites.

Links:⁠

Sprouty Cafe⁠

⁠⁠Best Veg Restaurants in the City⁠

Smiley Drop Bakery⁠⁠⁠

Vegan-Owned Business Directory⁠

Credits:

Hosts: Barbi and Jeanette

Editing: Jeanette

Episode Summary: Jeanette

Theme Music: Matt Judge

Join us for an eye-opening conversation with Amy Symington, M.Sc., a nutrition expert, researcher, and plant-based chef. Discover the cutting-edge study she's leading on DHA metabolism and supplementation in vegans and vegetarians. Tune in to learn about the intriguing insights from her research and how you can get involved!

Contact Amy to participate in the study, by email dhatrial@unityhealth.to or via Instagram @ameliaeats

Links:

Toronto Animal Rights March, September 14, 12-5 - https://www.facebook.com/events/1462311944450383/?active_tab=discussion

Peterborough VegFest , September 15, 11-4 at Millennium Park - https://ptbovegfest.ca/

Plant-Based Cookbook Club: Gaz Okaley's "Vegan 100", Fresh at Young at Eglinton, Sunday, September 15 · 12 - 2pm - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/plant-based-cookbook-club-gaz-okaleys-vegan-100-tickets-958094525517?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&keep_tld=1

VegFestTO September 21-22 at Nathan Phillips Square, from 11-7 on Saturday, 11-6 on Sunday - https://www.veg.ca/veg-to-fest

Credits:

Hosts: Sweta

Guest: Amy Symington, M.Sc.

Editing: Sweta

Theme Song: Matt Judge

Does cooking for others make you a bit nervous? Are you looking for simple recipes to make? Are you low on time or cooking space? Don't worry; we've all been there! On this episode we reveal our tips, tricks, and some pet peeves too. Whether you're cooking for yourself or other people, you'll want to have a listen.

Links:

Baklava recipe: https://cardamomandtea.com/12572/vegan-baklava-the-easy-way/

Animal Justice Defeats Ontario Ag Gag Law in Court: https://animaljustice.ca/blog/animal-justice-defeats-ag-gag-law

Credits:

Hosts: Jeanette, Jen and Sweta

Editing: Sweta

Episode Summary: Sweta

Theme Music: Matt Judge

We’re keeping the celebrations going! In Part 2 of our special 75th Anniversary episode, hosts Sweta and Steve dive into some of the early days of the TVA with guest Michele Brennan, who has been with the organization for many glorious years. The TVA may have an official office and Resource Centre now, but, true to its community ethos, its first and long-time office was actually in the home of the first president, Barbara Jackson. Listen on for more blasts-from-the-past, including how much the vegan and vegetarian restaurant scene here in the GTA has evolved over the past decades. We round out key moments in the organization’s history with updates about Bill 156 (which would essentially criminalize the act of investigating animal cruelty practices) and a new ice cream from Perfect Day (they make cow milk from bacteria – talk about innovative!), and of course, restaurant updates. 

Did you know that the TVA is turning 75 in on June 19? Tune in for a special Anniversary edition of Veg Out, where we chat with John Graber, a long-time volunteer with the TVA, about the history of the resource centre and the creation of the podcast as a slice of TVA’s history. Toronto’s veg*n landscape has changed dramatically over the past 10-15 years and it’s always fun to take a look back at how things used to be (i.e., needing to go to Seattle to find a good vegan donut). Plus: who, or what, is Gonga? And what is one staple you’ll (almost) always find at the Resource Centre? Listen to discover more fun facts about the TVA’s history.

This week we’re talking PLANTIFY: a short documentary available on CBC Gem that explores how one dynamo couple introduced plant power on Newfoundland’s Burin Peninsula. Here in the GTA we’re lucky to have access to a plethora of resources to support plant-based diets, but that’s not always the case in urban, suburban, and rural locations across Canada. So how did a small community on ‘The Rock’ develop shifts to support culturally appropriate plant-based eating? Hear Sweta, Steve, and Sarah’s thoughts on the community-building power of food – because being plant-based is just as much about emotional well-being and social connection as it is about physical health. Plus: updates on the outbreak of COVID-19 cases in several Canadian slaughterhouses and the troubling issue of workers being directed to return to work – even when they feel unsafe.

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvCka-tfZvg

We’ve made it through seven weeks of COVID-19 lockdown here in Toronto and we wanted to check in and talk about how we’re coping. On this episode of Veg Out, Betsy, Sweta, and Sarah talk about finding ways to get some fresh air (and maybe even get a whiff of blooming magnolias), stay connected to our communities, appreciate our urban surroundings (7:30PM healthcare worker choruses FTW!), and of course – cook! Plus, the devastating effects of slaughterhouses are being amplified during this crisis, and we discuss the myriad problems with worker conditions on both human and animal health. Will COVID-19 lead to more awareness of the environmental and social impacts of meat consumption? Only time will tell, but for now, we’ll keep sharing ways for both veg*ns and the veg-curious to shift some of their food choices given the limitations of accessing fresh food (hint: dried legumes are the powerhouse ingredients that just keep giving).

On this episode of Veg Out, Sweta, Sarah, and Steve discuss Red Meat Republic, a hard-hitting and informative book that illuminates the troubling practices of America’s cattle ranching industry. From the complexities of land ownership to the blunt power of the assembly line to workers’ rights, there is so much to consider when it comes to ‘big meat’. A lot of the issues we see with modern industrial agriculture have entrenched histories, and it’s important to understand these histories as we continue to advocate for healthier, more environmentally sustainable, and more just food systems. Plus: get essential updates on some of our fave vegan businesses and find out how you can support them over the coming weeks.

On this episode of Veg Out Sarah, Steve and Sweta speak with Tanya from the restaurant Animal Liberation Kitchen. We get into how it all started and how they’re dealing with the struggles of maintaining a restaurant in these times.

On this episode of Veg Out, Barbi and Sweta speak with Samita Sarkar about the science of baking. Samita is the daughter of two chemistry PhDs and is quite knowledgeable about science herself. She shares her expertise and offers advice about how to make good desserts. At the end of the podcast, Barbi shares some online events that TVA has for all of us staying at home.