What is more luxurious than killing an animal and then processing its skin to use on furniture, bags, coats, shoes and car interiors? Its a complete apex predator power move and its what makes them animals and us people.

Which is why I was very concerned for the well-being of my fellow humans today. At this point, I had always thought leather interiors were a basic human right. Everyone had them. And now there were some peopleveganswho thought they were better than leather. Is this what evolution has come to?

This morning, I took a break from rearranging my Harry Winston collection and came across this story in Auto Express, where the Bentley director of design Stefan Sielaff was looking into vegan... interiors... for... Bentleys... ?

No, Im not shitting you, these are words he actually said, look:

You cant sell an animal-containing product like a Bentley, with 20 leather hides, to someone with a vegan lifestyle, Sielaff said. Weve been talking to these customers, in California especially, and theyre asking us what can we give them. We do a lot of custom-made and coach-built solutions, in conjunction with our colleagues at Mulliner, and therefore we want to satisfy these customers because they are the peak of a trend.

We will shortly present a Bentley with a vegan interior; itll give you a luxury sensation but with a different way - protein leather, mushroom leather, jellyfish material.

As soon as I finished reading that, I hurled my laptop into the pool in a fit of rage. A butler immediately brought me another.

Stupid... limp dick... fucking... California... I snarled under my breath while booting up the new machine (my third this week!). Youre already whining about the air, the water and the food and now youre bitching about leather interiors?

By the way, what the fuck is mushroom leather? That sounds disgusting and like something theyd grind up and put in my foot bath at the spa.

Nobodyand I mean nobody, enlightened eating habits or notis above a leather interior.

Tomorrow, Im going to call the huntsman and have him create me a new interior, just to spite these people. Fuck the leather, Ill have him make it out of raw flank steak. Ill park it outside of the farmers market, or wherever the hell they shop, and just let it ooze. Thatll teach them.

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Bentley's Vegan Interiors Idea Is A Hot Crock Of Bullshit - Jalopnik - Jalopnik

Forbes

The Vegan Fugitive, Done In By Domino's Pizza, Takes A Plea Forbes Sometimes you just want pizza. That turned out to be the rather cheesy mistake made by vegan chef Sarma Melngailis and her now estranged husband, Anthony Strangis, when the pair were on the run last year from law enforcement. While holed up in a ...

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The Vegan Fugitive, Done In By Domino's Pizza, Takes A Plea - Forbes

Being vegan isnt just about what you ingest; what you put on counts, too. Kat Mendenhall, owner of vegan boutique, MendRT, has been reminded of this on several occasions.

At vegan-centric events, vegans regularly mistake the cruelty-free designers cowboy boots for leather. We were at a vegan event in Portland last fall, Mendenhall says. People came up, and they were like, What are you doing here? They cant tell the difference.

After selling her boots online for a few years, Mendenhall opened her brick-and-mortar vegan boutique last month at1130 Dragon, Suite 240C. (Itsin the same building as Laura Rathe Fine Art.)Inside, youll find everything from polyurethane purses to bath and body products like soap and lip balm made without animal products or animal testing.

My mission is to have high-end products in a place where vegans dont have to check the labels, Mendenhall says. Im a hat person. I always have to read the label, and it usually says wool.

Mendenhall, a Texas native, grew up around cattle ranching and has always loved cowboy boots. Seven years ago, she committed to a vegan diet for health reasons and quickly became passionate about it, leaving a 28-year career in sales management and taking a course at New York Citys Main Street Vegan Academy.

Mendenhall admits she would have worn cowboys boots to the academy had she not found herself stuck behind a cattle trailer while driving. I had seen it a million times before, she says. But this time, I made that connection, and then I learned about all the ill effects of the production of leather at the academy.

But she couldntgive up on cowboy boots, so she decided to learn how to make them animal friendly. Four years ago, a Google search for vegan cowboy boots produced no results. Inspired, she started creating boot designs. But it took considerable effort for Mendenhall to find a boot maker in Texas with an interest in producing a vegan cowboy boot. She contacted 25 different companies and five responded, mostly to advise her against pursuing the idea in an industry that some call a dying art.

Tomasso Arditti, an El Paso-based handmade boot purveyor, was interested, and they started working on the first prototype two years ago. Determining the right material was the greatest challenge. Mendenhall knew of European fabrics used for hats and shoes overseas but wanted something nationally sourced. She dismissed PVC material as a cheap alternative to leather and eventually decided on a specific texture of synthetic organic material with a polyurethane base.

Durable, pliable, and breathable as animal leather, Mendenhall calls it vegan leather. With prices below leather boots customized and handmade with similar high levels of craftsmanship, she hopes to appeal to customers who are not vegan. Sustainable, environment-friendly products are a better choice, Mendenhall says. But you dont have to sacrifice quality and luxury.

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Get a Pair of Vegan Cowboy Boots in the Design District - D Magazine

Vegan activists from throughout the world come to say their beef to LAUSD.

Always with an appetite for dishing upsomething new for school meals, LA Unifieds school board unanimously approved a pilot program to test vegan options on their school menus.

At least one school in each of the seven regional districts will get their first taste of a non-animal-based school lunch, and the program is being prepared for this August. Vegan activists see interest across the country heating up for similar programs, and because its the second-largest school district in the nation, this could provide a raw recipe for similar programs to duplicate.

Yet even before the pilot program takes off, a few school board members seemed to sour on the idea, especially when it comes to milk, and expressed worry about how the program could slice into the budget. Board member Mnica Ratliff said she was lukewarm aboutsoy productsand didnt see that as a safe substitute for milk. And 76-year-old board member George McKenna said he likes drinking his cows milk no matter what the activists said to the board Tuesday night, as they spewedhorror stories of bovines having their calves taken away and being over-milked.

I like my milk and Im not going to stop drinking it daily no matter what you tell me, said McKenna, who poured over the vegan-friendly recipes that the activists presented to the boardfor the district to add to their menu. There are people who dont care at all what you care about, and its probably a majority.

The resolution was cooked up by school board President Steve Zimmer, a self-avowed vegetarian, who said he was careful not to foist his eating habits on others but wants to beef up healthy options for students.

Im not trying to make everyone vegan, but there is a growing demand for this, and once again our district could lead when it comes to nutrition for our children, Zimmer said.

Zimmer championed a resolution last month that trashed some school fundraisers involving fast-food restaurants, and the district became the largest in the country to use only antibiotic- and hormone-free chicken.The district also stirred up a plan to return to flavored milkwhichcould stop waste and save money;it has adopted a voluntary Meatless Monday option at schools, and itholds contests with student chefs to whipup palatable and low-costmeals.

Our breakfast in the classroom program has the highest participation anywhere in the nation, and we have the statistics that may soon show that we have the highest level of supper and lunch participation in the nation, Zimmer gushed. What our kids eat matters.

It will take a bite out of the budget in the long term, especially since soy milk, for example, costs 40 cents a carton more than regular dairy milk, warned Joseph K. Vaughn, the director of the school districts Food Services Division. Vaughn, who is taskedwith hatching the vegan plan within 90 days, said he hoped to launchthe pilot program small. He is looking for schools that are enthusiastic about participating. And he noted that the federal government wont allow him to substitute water or juice to replace milk for every student.

Milking more cheers from the 100-plus activists, Zimmer condemned the dairy lobbyists. The dairy lobby is strong, we cant even get water in our schools. Zimmer also recalled, There was a time when we banned soda and that was viewed as radical and we had to fight the beverage interests at the time.

Leading the large herd of cheering vegan supporters was Lila Copeland, 15, from Paul Revere Middle School, who started the Healthy Freedom campaign. She was thrilled after the school board vote, carrying a sign that said Give Peas a Chance and said, We will not stop until we have a full vegan campaign. There are a half-million children in their care, and they have the right to choose foods that wont make them sick.

The last time Lila came to the school board she broughtBaywatch actress Pamela Anderson, who wasnt there for Tuesdays vote but sent her regards from France, where she now lives.

But there were plenty of other vegan celebrities such as three-time world record-breaking vegan marathoner Fiona Louise Oakes who flew in from England, vegan chef and restauranteur Babette Davis, social media starTim VeganFatKid Moore,author and health expert Neal Barnard,and Cedars-Sinai doctorJay Gordon.

Zimmer also presented a letter from a coalition of local clergy asking to support his resolution.

I think its an academic issue because when our kids are healthier they can focus better and achieve the way we know our students can achieve, Zimmer said.

Student board member Karen Calderon said her vegan friends celebrated the resolution, and she read a letter from a friend who said, The only thing I could ever eat at the school cafeteria was having a yogurt, and that isnt vegan. We welcome this finally.

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LAUSD serves up a taste of vegan menu options after a healthy debate - LA School Report

Cashews have changed the game for vegan cheeses. They add a creamy, decadent flavor that cookbook authors and chefs have adopted in almost every new recipe I come across.

Vegan brands like Miyokos Kitchen offer up artisanal flavors like Mt. Vesuvius Black Ash and Aged English Smoked Farmhouse as cashew-based options.

Unfortunately, if you have a sensitive gut or suffer from irritable bowel syndrome you may have a hard time digesting these nuts. Those who cant tolerate cashews are often sensitive to FODMAPs sugars and fibers that arent digested by the small intestines. (If you find you also have a problem with onions and garlic, low-FODMAP options might be worth a try.)

My other irritation with cashews is they have to be soaked sometimes up to two hours before they can blend into a cheese sauce.

Extensive prep time is fine on a Saturday afternoon but not on nights when both my husband and I work late. Or, lets be honest, when Ive decided were having nachos for dinner and I forgot to soak the nuts in the first place.

Thankfully, there are nut-free recipes out there that are simple, healthy and delicious. Americas Test Kitchen the Emmy-award winning cooking show includes a nacho cheese recipe in its new book, Vegan for Everybody (Americas Test Kitchen, $29.95).

I was dubious when I looked at the ingredients alongside the picture in the book. I thought there was no way a mixture that blended boiled potatoes and carrots along with vinegar and nutritional yeast would come out anything like nacho cheese. Plus, the vinegar sounded gross.

I was completely wrong. The sauce came out smooth, tangy and with an unmistakable nacho cheese flavor and texture. Processing the potatoes released starch that gave it a gluey, stretchy consistency. Sauteed adobo peppers and onions added a Tex-Mex kick.

Use it as a chip dip or a topping on your taco salad. Reheat on the stovetop, or microwave in 30-second spurts, adding water when needed.

If youre in the mood for a mac-and-cheese style topping, check out the velvety cheez sauce in Vegan Vittles, by Jo Stepaniak (Book Publishing Co., $19.95).

I got the original version of this cookbook in 2000 my first year as a vegan. I remember flipping through the pages on multiple trips to the college bookstore, trying to justify the $13 purchase on my 19-year-old budget.

This is still my go-to topping for macaroni almost 20 years later. Like the nacho recipe, it has a potato and carrot base that you blend after boiling. But this one adds firm silken tofu and lemon sauce to give it a creamier texture.

Be cautious when blending the potato, carrot and water mixture in both recipes. If the liquid is still hot, it can force the lid on the blender or food processor to pop open. I know this from experience. If you want to blend while the ingredients are still hot, only fill up the container halfway.

For a tangy salad topper or sandwich filling, try the Greek tofu feta recipe in Stepaniaks latest book, Low-FODMAP and Vegan (Book Publishing Co., $17.95).

The brine which mixes apple cider vinegar, water, miso and oregano takes about 3 minutes to make. Cut some extra-firm tofu into cubes and let it soak overnight. I ate the cubes solo, but crumble and toss on top of pasta to get a more realistic feta feel.

NACHO DIP

Prep: 25 minutes

Cook: 5 minutes

Makes: 2 cups

From Vegan for Everybody, by Americas Test Kitchen, which suggests serving with corn chips or crudites. To rewarm cooled nacho dip, microwave, covered, in 30-second bursts, whisking at each interval and thinning with water as needed, or rewarm on the stovetop, whisking occasionally and thinning with water as needed.

12 ounces russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 small carrot, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1/3 cup)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1/3 cup minced poblano chile

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon mustard powder

1. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add potatoes and carrot, and cook until tender, about 12 minutes; drain in a colander.

2. Combine cooked vegetables, 1/3 cup water, 2 tablespoons oil, nutritional yeast, vinegar and salt in a blender. Pulse until chopped and combined, about 10 pulses, stopping to scrape down sides of blender jar as needed. Process mixture on high speed until very smooth, about 2 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and poblano, and cook until softened and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chipotle, cumin and mustard; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; remove from heat.

4. Stir potato mixture into onion-poblano mixture in saucepan and bring to brief simmer over medium heat to heat through. Transfer to bowl and serve immediately.

Nutrition information per tablespoon: 25 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g carbohydrates, 0 g sugar, 0 g protein, 208 mg sodium, 0 g fiber

GREEK TOFU FETA

Prep: 20 minutes

Brine: 24 hours

Makes: 4 servings

From Jo Stepaniaks latest book, Low-FODMAP and Vegan: What to Eat When You Cant Eat Anything.

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons light miso

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

12 ounces superfirm or extra-firm tofu pressed and cubed

1. For the brine, put the water, vinegar, lemon juice, miso, oregano, oil and salt in a large bowl, and whisk until well combined and the miso is fully incorporated. Add the tofu and gently toss, using your hands, until each piece is well coated with the brine. Take care not to break the cubes.

2. Transfer the tofu and brine to a glass storage container, cover and refrigerate for 24-48 hours before using. If all the cubes arent submerged in the brine, gently tilt the container every few hours to ensure all pieces stay well coated. Store the tofu feta in the brine in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition information per serving: 76 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 g carbohydrates, 1 g sugar, 9 g protein, 184 mg sodium, 1 g fiber

VELVETY CHEEZ SAUCE

Prep: 25 minutes

Cook: 12-15 minutes

Makes: 2 1/2 cups

From Vegan Vittles, by Jo Stepaniak. Pour this velvety, cheddar-style sauce over vegetables, pasta, rice or toast points.

1 medium potato, peeled, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup mashed silken tofu

1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Put the potato, water, carrot and onion in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Transfer the vegetables and the cooking liquid to a blender. Add the remaining ingredients, and process until completely smooth. Depending on the size of your blender, this may need to be done in several batches.

3. Rinse out the saucepan, and pour the blended mixture into it. Warm over low heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce is hot. Stored in a covered container in the refrigerator; leftover sauce will keep for about 3 days.

Nutrition information per tablespoon: 14 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 g carbohydrates, 0 g sugar, 1 g protein, 61 mg sodium, 1 g fiber

Excerpt from:

Love vegan cheese but can't eat cashews? Nut-free recipes come to... - MyAJC

Photos by Asia Morris.

Rainbow Juices co-founders Dawna Base and Chrissy Cox are changing perceptions of what a plant-based diet can be through Under the Sun, Long Beachs first raw vegan food eatery. Whether you subscribe to a vegan, vegetarian, raw food or ravenously carnivorous lifestyle, the pairs creative take on preparing satisfyingly healthy meals for everyone has been the talk of the town since their soft opening in late April.

Take the Spicy Papaya Roll (pictured below) as an example. The papaya mimics the texture of fish meat, and also provides a subtly sweet and sometimes tangy flavor. To focus on both the flavor and texture may seem like a no-brainer to any chef, raw vegan or not, however, the pairs extensive experience trying out other raw vegan food restaurants has not always been up to par, ultimately giving them the confidence to try out their own culinary venture.

I can see a photo of a veggie roll and know that doesnt have any flavor, nothing in there is seasoned, but [for] some people thats enough for them, but thats not enough for me, said Base. Its not ever going to be enough for me for my food to just be decent.

Its also a little technical to try to make something we dont want to taste like meat, because its not meat, but we want people to have an experience of being fulfilled and full and like its not just a bunch of lettuce on a plate, Cox added.

The Celestial Rose smoothie.

From the bread, to the pates, to the kale chips, to the cheese everything is made inhouse and nothing is prepared over 118 degrees, in order to keep every nutrient possible within the food. Its a similar concept to their first business, serving cold-pressed, nutrient-rich juice, as opposed to using a more common and heat-producing method which doesnt retain as many nutrients within the produce-turned liquid. At Under the Sun, the food youre eating is still very much alive.

Everything takes a lot of time and care, Cox said. Its holding it to the highest standard. Its selfless and selfish, we want all the people around us to feel good and its nice to be around people that feel good.

The LBC Sandwich and the Tu-Nah Wrap.

Its certainly not inexpensive to maintain a raw food diet, especially if youre paying experts to prepare your meals every day. Ordering the LBC Sandwich and a Solstice supercharged smoothie will cost you about $25. However, obtaining the best quality, organic, local and regional ingredients, and not to mention, when everything is hand crafted to the enth degree onsite, like how Under the Sun does it, your meal ought not to be cheap. Comfortingly, its an investment in your health and well being, and a delicious one at that.

We have hard times that we have to live with a lot more stress [...] on our bodies that we dont even realize, Cox said. We need the most vital medicines to protect us and thats the super foods. And you get more nutrients in a smaller dose, you get some help with your cells and you get some energy and the flavor is there and all that vibrancy tells you how potent the food is.

In the near future, the two look forward to having Under the Sun be a place of education, where demos will be held, such as simple culturing and smoothie-making classes, said Cox. And as far as the empty shelves you see to your right when entering, those will soon be filled with health-minded products from local makers and business owners (those interested should contact the owners).

[...]I want people that arent vegan or vegetarian or raw foodist or whatever to still feel like they want to come here and eat the food, said Base. I dont want people to [think that] vegan food tastes basic. Thats not what were about. I want to get it out there that its another type of cuisine, its just Italian food, or theres Mexican food or theres raw food. Its another type of cuisine, and I want people to realize that they can try it and not have to be vegan.

Under the Sun is now open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00AM to 7:00PM. For more information on the grand opening celebration, set for May 28, visit the event page here.

Under the Sun is located at 244 East 3rd Street.

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Under the Sun Cafe Makes Raw Vegan Food Taste Good, and Not Just for Vegans - Long Beach Post

After months of mulling a plea deal, New York Citys most infamous vegan has admitted to taking part in a scheme to defraud investors in her popular, star-studded Gramercy eatery.

Celeb restaurateur Sarma Melngailis steadied herself at the defense table Wednesday as she agreed to plead guilty to charges of grand larceny, criminal tax fraud, and a scheme to defraud in exchange for five years probation and a split six-month sentence.

Per the sentencing guidelines, she will only serve four months behind bars.

Melngailis voice quivered as she hid behind her shimmering golden hairwhile copping to the various charges before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun.

Chun said that even sympathetic investors in the now-shuttered Pure Food and Wine who were swindled by Melngailis and her estranged, career-criminal hubby, Anthony Strangis submitted letters asking the judge to spare her from jail.

The restaurant was once a hot spot frequented by the likes of Alec Baldwin and Chelsea Clinton.

Melngailis and Strangis were nabbed in May 2016 after allegedly stealing $844,000 from investors, failing to pay $400,000 in sales tax, and shortchanging employees by more than $40,000 in wages, prosecutors said at the time.

The couple then flitted off on a yearlong spending spree that eventually landed them at a Tennessee hotel, where they were discovered by cops after placing a decidedly non-vegan order at a nearby Dominos pizza.

The jurist admitted Wednesday that, after poring over case material, it was clear to him that there was evidence the 44-year-old had been trying to run her business in good faith while becoming further entangled in her abusive marriage.

She was badly abused and controlled by a lifelong predator and fraudster, defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman, referencing Strangis, said as a quivering Melngailis stood nearby.

Calling the purported gambling addict a complete maniac, Lichtman added: There is not a cage big enough, literally or figuratively, that can hold [Strangis]. His only concern upon getting out will be finding his next victim, so he can go on, not working, preying upon someone elses hard work.

She must surrender to court on June 21, when she will be transported to state jail. It was not yet clear which penitentiary she would be housed in. If she runs, she could face up to 15 years in prison, Chun reminded her.

Melngailis declined comment as she left court accompanied by family, her eyes red.

The hefty Strangis, who also goes by the name Shane Fox, is scheduled to walk free May 22 after a year behind bars, per the terms of his plea deal. Strangis, who claims Melngailis threw him under the bus, pleaded guilty in March.

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'Vegan Bernie Madoff' takes plea deal for swindling investors | New ... - New York Post

Guiness, now no longer made using fish bladder. Yumi Kimura/CC BY-SA 2.0

A version of this post originally appeared on Tedium, a twice-weekly newsletter that hunts for the end of the long tail.

Meat is in the news a lot these days, it seems.

One study claims that animal fat might lower your cholesterol level, while a completely different one suggests meat affects your gut bacteria or causes blood clots.

And there are always stories about meat being where it shouldnt benotably, when the startup Clear Foods analyzed a bunch of hot dogs and found that many veggie dogs had remnants of meat on them due to the production processenough to make any vegan lose his-or-her you-know-what.

And earlier this month, Guinness finally finished its years-long process of getting the fish out of its beer. When this news first gained notice a couple of years ago, a number of folks had a specific reaction: Wait, they used fish bladders to make Guinness?

They know, they know, and the folks at the Guinness factory in Dublin have been working on cutting back their use of isinglass, the fish bladder long used to filter its iconic Irish beers.

All brewers want to use the latest and the best technology, weve been researching for a decade about how we can reduce the amount lost in the filtration process so we were excited that this might work, Guinness master brewer Stephen Kilcullen told The Times of London. Its great though that it means people who havent had a pint in a while can have one now.

The announcement that the company was moving away from using isinglass in 2015 mostly had the effect of shocking lazy vegetarians concerned about things such as ethics, but even when Guinness was still using it, the amount was minute.

The isinglass is retained in the floor of the vat but it is possible that minute quantities might be carried over into the beer, the company explained in 2013. You can read more about Isinglass over at Smithsonian magazine.

Of course, Guinness is far from the only thing that vegans have had to worry about over the years.

For example, many vegetarians dont take the full plunge towards veganism because they feel like theyd miss cheese too much. Problem is, some kinds of cheese happen to be made with a certain part of the cow that cant be acquired without killing said cow.

The material, rennet, is procured from the lining of a cows fourth stomach, and is often used as a way to encourage cheese to curdle. Thanks to the declining cost of artificial or plant-based ways of doing the same thing, major food-makers have slowly moved away from relying so heavily on a material that must be acquired by killing a cowand the list is growing.

However, there are a few kinds of cheese out there that require rennet to reach their full potential. One of those cheeses is Parmesan (formally known as Parmigiano Reggiano), one of the most popular kind of hard cheese there is.

Like a number of other traditional foods originally made in Europe, it has a protected designation of origin, meaning that it can only technically be called Parmesan if its made in a certain part of Italy, using a traditional production process. And sorry to tell you, eggplant Parmesan fans, rennet is part of that traditional production process.

Even without keeping the vegetarians in mind, this can create unusual complications for those that have diets that vary from the norm. For example, that traditional production process makes it difficult to make a kosher variation on Parmesan, because it has to go through two separate processes to ensure that it follows traditional standards as well as religious ones. It was so complicated, in fact, that it wasnt until 2015 that a kosher variation on Parmesan debutedcomplete with Star of David on the cheese block.

But if youre vegetarian and hankering for some of the hard stuff, make sure youre looking for vegetarian Parmesan or Parmesan-style cheese on store shelves. Youre not getting the real thing, but youll at least be able to live with yourself the next day.

The concerns with unexpectedly non-vegan options arent just limited to foods, either. Take the outer layers of paintball capsules, which are generally made of gelatin, a form of collagen generally derived from animal bones. (If you like Jell-O, geltabs, or marshmallows, youre also a gelatin user.)

Tattoo ink, traditionally made of bone char, falls into the same category, and animal products are often used in maintaining that tattoo. However, there are some vegan-friendly alternatives out there, so you can still get an ugly tattoo if you would so like.

More surprisingly, guitars are made from animal parts in some cases, especially in the case of acoustic guitars. The nut and saddle of the guitar, two parts that hold the strings in place, are often made from bone, often not limited to one kind of animal. All of which is actually an improvement from the days when instruments were made using ivory.

And if youre wearing Converse All-Stars, you may be skipping the leather, but you may not be out of the woods with your canvas shoes. Converse has traditionally shied away from calling its footwear vegan. The reason? Simply put, theres a chance that the glue they use may be of animal origin, though they cant be sure. Sounds reassuring, doesnt it? The issue Chucks and their animal-derived glue has long been a matter of online debate. (The debate hasnt stopped PETA from recommending Chucks to people.)

Of all the surprisingly non-vegan options out there, the most surprising might be fabric softenerwhich contains animal fat. No, really. Wired reported in 2008 that Downy uses dehydrogenated tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride, a material derived from the rendered fat of cattle, sheep, and horses, to keep your clothes silky smooth.

Or take condoms, another object known for not necessarily being vegan, though one thats also made some strides in recent years, even if some folks, like the author Aine Collierwho literally wrote the book on condomsremain skeptical.

It wasnt about the quality of the condom. Many were absolute crap, she once told NPR of the phenomenon. But people were buying them with the eye. They loved the packaging, because it fit the lifestyle they were trying to lead. And I think thats exactly what this fair trade, biodegradable, green, vegan condom sales thing is all about. Its just marketing.

All of this is to say that veganism is challenging and hard to get perfect even in the best of circumstances, meaning that when it comes to manufacturing food or other products, were probably never going to get it 100 percent right. Were already too far down the rabbit holea rabbit hole probably filled with many rabbits that have been turned into random chemicals for human consumption.

So maybe Guinness going vegan isnt that big of a deal in the scheme of things, though consider the plight of folks like Paul Vogel, a founder of the Vegan Society of Ireland. He hasnt been able to drink a pint of Guinness for nearly two decades. He recently got another chance, after he became one of the first people to drink a vegan pint of Guinness.

Its nice. I remember what it tasted like because its so distinctive. Its creamy but has that bite, Vogel told The Times of London. I remember what it tasted like because its so distinctive. Its creamy but has that bite.

Still, Vogel later admitted that hes probably going to stick with wine.

A version of this post originally appeared on Tedium, a twice-weekly newsletter that hunts for the end of the long tail.

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The Surprising Challenges of Making Things Vegan - Atlas Obscura

Written by Katherine Sullivan | May 10, 2017

During a school board meeting on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education approved a pilot program that will introduce vegan lunches at select Los Angeles schools beginning in August.

In 2013, the LAUSD introduced the Meatless Monday program, in which school cafeterias served only vegetable-based foods on the first day of each school week. In March 2016, the school board committed to serving only antibiotic- and hormone-free chicken products, the first large district to do so in the U.S. Then, in May 2016, PETA supporter Pamela Anderson and Lila Copeland, a 14-year-old student at the time, lobbied for Healthy Freedom, a campaign that aims to introduce a daily vegan meal option at every LAUSD school.

Fast-forward to one year later, and the LAUSDthe second-largest school district in the U.S.is inching closer and closer to providing plant-based lunches districtwide.

LAUSD Board President Steve Zimmer told KPCC, We have had a demand and when we get a demand like this from our community, we institute a pilot to find out is this something that we really could implement district wide. Zimmer, who is a vegetarian himself, believes that schools should offer plant-based meal options and that doing so could help ensure that students develop healthy eating habits.

In a similar move, the board agreed last month to ban school participation in McTeachers Night fundraising events, which are hosted by McDonalds. This resolutionalso supported by Zimmersought to distance LAUSD schools from corporations, like McDonalds, that market unhealthy products.

The boards decision is a significant one. School districts in California and across the U.S. look to large districts like the LAUSD for direction and may soon take similar steps to prioritize students health and wellness.

But students and school districts arent the only ones who can make a positive change for themselves and the world. If youre inspired by the LAUSDs decision to support plant-based diets, click the button below to order your own free vegan starter kitjoin the movement!

Order Your Vegan Starter Kit

Have you heard of TeachKind, PETAs humane-education division? It offers free resourcesincluding lesson plans, classroom materials, and presentationsthat are designed to help K12 schools and educators teach kids to be kind to animals. Click the button below to learn more.

Learn More About TeachKind

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Second-Largest School District in the US to Start Vegan Meal Pilot Program - PETA (blog) (press release)

In this episode of Dining on a Dime, host Lucas Peterson heads to the East Bay, where Oaklands finest vegan cuisine awaits alongside a multitude of classic cars. Confused? The vegan restaurant, Hella Vegan Eats, was originally a pop-up inside Classic Cars West, a car showroom for vintage automobiles. It was so successful that it became permanent: The restaurant occupies a great outdoor space and is staffed with a welcoming (and fabulously dressed) group of people.

Not everyone who works at Hella Vegan adheres to any dietary restrictions. One staff member shares that although she eats meat, shell often choose the food at Hella Vegan because its so good. To put that claim to the test, Peterson stocked up on chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy, and a tofu scramble (all free of animal products, of course). As he digs into breakfast, Peterson gets a little philosophical: If you look at it from the perspective of, well, the goal is to stop suffering, then I think that there is a very strong argument to vegetarianism [...] there are good vegan options; I for one welcome our new vegan overlords.

Watch the full video about to see how items like fried chicken and waffles match up to the non-vegan equivalents.

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Watch: Vegan Fare and Classic Cars at Hella Vegan Eats - Eater