It’s All About Food

It’s All About Food - Miyoko, Now and Zen

Miyoko, Now and ZenMarvelous Miyoko has been let go from the beloved vegan cheese company she founded and her many vegan fans are shocked and saddened. As this unfortunate situation unfolds we hope for the best for Miyoko and her delicious creations. Caryn Hartglass presents three excerpts of IT’S ALL ABOUT FOOD interviews with Miyoko from 2012, 2014, and 2016 showing the evolution of what is today, Miyoko’s Creamery.
During the 1990s, she taught vegan cooking classes, and in 1991 The Book Publishing Company published her first vegan cookbook The Now and Zen Epicure. In 1994, she opened the vegan restaurant Now and Zen in San Francisco, which eventually expanded into a natural food company of the same name, which was sold in 2003. Schinner has launched a number of vegan brands, such as UnTurkey, which she exhibited at the 1995 Natural Products Expo alongside competitor Tofurky, and Hip Whip.
In 2014, Schinner launched vegan cheese company Miyoko’s Kitchen, later renaming it Miyoko’s Creamery. Tofurky founder Seth Tibbott was the company’s first investor. In 2016, the Specialty Food Association reported the company had “grown 300% year over year,” and “they recently signed on to a new 28,000+ square-foot headquarters in Petaluma.”
Miyoko has authored these cookbooks:
The Now and Zen Epicure, Book Publishing Company, June 1, 1991 (as Miyoko Nishimoto)Japanese Cooking: Contemporary & Traditional [Simple, Delicious, and Vegan], Book Publishing Company, Aug 19, 1999 (as Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner)The New Now and Zen Epicure, Book Publishing Company, September 1, 2001 (as Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner)Artisan Vegan Cheese, Book Publishing Company, Aug. 8, 2012 (as Miyoko Schinner)The Homemade Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples, Ten Speed Press, June 16, 2015 (as Miyoko Schinner)The Vegan Meat Cookbook: Meatless Favorites. Made with Plants, Ten Speed Press, May 11, 2021 (as Miyoko Schinner)Miyoko has won many awards including:2015, Veggie Award Product of the Year, VegNews Veggie Awards2016, Sofi Award, Sofi Awards2016, Nexty Award, Natural Products Expo West 20162016, Vegetarian Hall of Fame, North American Vegetarian Society2017, Best Bite Award, Delicious Living’s Best Bite Awards2017, Animal Equality Compassionate Company, Animal Equality2018, Next Generation Industry Pioneer Award, North Bay Food Industry Group
In 2021, Miyoko was included in the inaugural Forbes 50 Over 50 list.

It’s All About Food - Hartglass & De Mattei, Happy Palentine’s Day

It’s Palentine’s Day and we are here to spread some love. In this episode Caryn and Gary talk about eggs: rising egg prices; the cruel egg and chicken industries; and vegan egg alternatives. They also discuss hormone replacement therapy and menopause.
Links mentioned in the program:
I Hope Egg Prices Never Come Down. Chickens Deserve Better.
Eggs prices drop, but the threat from avian flu isn’t over yet
Mung bean omelet, anyone? Sky high egg prices crack open market for alternatives
This poached egg has a perfectly runny yolk—and it’s vegan
The Game Changers
The Bird Flu, A Virus of Our Own Hatching
Women Have Been Misled About Menopause
What Big Oil knew about climate change, in its own words
New Vegan Podcast in French! Parlons Peu, Parlons Bien, Parlons Vegan

It’s All About Food- Jonathan Leighton, The Tango of Ethics, Intuition, Rationality, and the Prevention of Suffering

Jonathan Leighton is an ethics strategist and social change advocate. He is the author of The Battle for Compassion: Ethics in an Apathetic Universe (2011), in which he takes a methodical approach to answering the question “What matters?”, tying in findings from physics, biology, psychology and philosophy. Since June 2016 he is the Executive Director of the Organisation for the Prevention of Intense Suffering (OPIS), a Swiss think-and-do tank he founded to promote the application of compassionate ethics to societal decision-making. OPIS has been advocating for better access to effective medications for people in severe pain, including patients with terminal cancer or cluster headaches, and more generally, for governments to prioritise the prevention of intense suffering of all sentient beings. Originally from Montreal, Canada, Leighton trained as a research molecular biologist, obtaining an AB from Harvard University and a PhD from the University of Basel. He has worked as a scientist studying the molecular basis of olfaction, as well as in global health and biotech communications. He is one of the leading proponents of a contemporary approach to ethics that focuses explicitly on the prevention and alleviation of suffering.

It’s All About Food- Kim and Nelson Campbell, Plant Pure Comfort Food

Kim CampbellKim Campbell is the author of The PlantPure Nation, The PlantPure Kitchencookbooks. She developed more than 250 delicious whole food, plant-based recipes using no processed oils. Her newest cookbook, PlantPure Comfort Food, offers comfort food recipes to satisfy a wide range of palates, making a healthy, plant-based lifestyle more accessible than ever. Kim is also the director of culinary education and development at PlantPure, where she develops new food products and delivers educational programming. Kim graduated from Cornell University with a BS in human service studies and a concentration in nutrition and child development. She taught in elementary and middle school classrooms for over ten years. Her passion has always been nutrition education for children, families, and adults. Kim has been a plant-based cook for more than thirty-five years, cooking for her family and friends. Her love of culinary arts goes back to her early childhood growing up in a large traditional family. Kim is gifted at creating traditional American cuisine using 100 percent accessible plant-based ingredients. She builds flavors and textures that arefamiliar to most people, helping to make the transition to a plant-based diet easier for people.
Nelson CampbellOn the heels of writing and directing the 2015 documentary film PlantPure Nation, Nelson Campbell founded PlantPure Communities (PPC) in early 2016. Released in theaters in over 100 cities, the PlantPure Nation film (now on YouTube and Amazon Prime) examines the political and economic factors that suppress information about the benefits of plant-based nutrition, and makes connections to public policy, medical practice, food deserts, and farming. As the Chair of the Board at PPC, Nelson continues to drive the strategic direction of the organization. This includes ongoing support of an international network of local support and advocacy groups called “Pods,” now involving more than 250,000 people, as well as an initiative to bring the plant-based nutrition message into underserved communities. Nelson also founded PlantPure, Inc. to launch a grassroots strategy that empowers people in local communities to share the message of plant-based nutrition. This strategy utilizes food, education, and a social action platform to support local outreach initiatives, as well as plant-based food products provided at highly affordable prices in underserved neighborhoods, made possible by PlantPure’s decision to waive 100% of its profit margin on these sales. Prior to his involvement with PlantPure Nation, Nelson worked for 25 years as a socially conscious business entrepreneur. He graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, and a Master’s Degree in Economics.

It’s All About Food- Rebecca Cappelli, SLAY

Rebecca is an award-winning French filmmaker and animal rights activist based in Switzerland. She is the producer and director of SLAY. Rebecca’s work aims to create cultural change and to empower people to become advocates for animals, the planet and vulnerable communities. She also directed and produced Let Us Be Heroes (2018), an award-winning short exploring the impact of our food and lifestyle choices on our health, our planet and our values.
WATCH Slay on Itunes, Amazon or for free on Waterbear.
ALSO WATCH Let Us Be Heroes, The True Cost of Our Food Choices, a short film by Rebecca Cappelli

Hartglass & De Mattei, Kimchi, ChickP, Veganuary 2023

Caryn and Gary start 2023 with a full menu of topics that include reviewing new vegan products and more reasons to go vegan. Links mentioned in the program: This Is Your Body On A Hangover
Nutritional Composition and Estimated Iron and Zinc Bioavailability of Meat Substitutes Available on the Swedish Market
Nestlé develops plant-based foie gras alternative for European markets
Be Better My Friend, Vegan Butter
Philadelphia Cream Cheese launches plant-based spread
ChickP Raises Dairy-Free Ice Cream to New Heights
Cannoli Recipe, vegan, gluten-free, baked not fried

It’s All About Food- Moby, Punk Rock Vegan Movie

Moby has been a vegan and vegan activist for 35 years. He grew up in and around New York City and played guitar with Connecticut and NYC hardcore band, The Vatican Commandos. He also sang with Flipper for two days, even though none of the remaining members of Flipper actually remember this. He loves making music, but his life’s work is helping to create a world wherein animals and all sentient beings simply are free to live their own lives.

It’s All About Food- Shilpa Ravella, A Silent Fire

Shilpa Ravella is a gastroenterologist and author. She treats a range of general gastrointestinal ailments and has unique experience in managing complex rare diseases, including intestinal failure and intestinal or multiple-organ transplantation. She is an expert in the field of nutrition and is particularly interested in the interactions between food, the microbiome and the immune system. A Silent Fire: The Story of Inflammation, Diet & Disease is her first book. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, New York Magazine, Slate, Discover and USA Today, among other publications, and she has appeared as an expert on ABC’s Good Morning America and in print media outlets including Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Food and Wine, Glamour and Women’s Health. Her Ted-Ed lesson, ‘How the Food You Eat Affects Your Gut,’ has garnered over five million views. Ravella earned her B.S. in Biology from MIT and an M.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center. She lives in New York City and in Hilo, Hawaii, a certified “blue zone.”

It’s All About Food - Hartglass & De Mattei, Slaughterhouse on the Rise, Stay of Execution for Foie Gras

Caryn Hartglass and Gary De Mattei cover two unfortunate news items: the preliminary injunction issued on enforcing the foie gras ban in NYC; and the 26-story pig skyscraper in China. They will share a bit of philosophy on life and death along with some of their favorite holiday recipes. 
SupportRESPONSIBLE EATING AND LIVINGand theIT’S ALL ABOUT FOOD podcastwith a tax-deductible donation

Hartglass & De Mattei, Food and Farmland

With Thanksgiving coming up this week, Caryn Hartglass & Gary De Mattei express gratitude for the farmers and all the people involved with bringing food to our tables. They cover concerns about farmland ownership and control. They discuss GMOs; the UN Climate Summit; Climate Activists; Banana Peel Bacon. Caryn shares a story about being interviewed on News 12 about 25 years ago on Thanksgiving Day.
Below are links mentioned during the program.
COP27 Day 12: A Breakthrough Decision For The Most VulnerableCOP27 Reaches Breakthrough Agreement on New “Loss and Damage” Fund for Vulnerable CountriesClimate conference serves up lab-grown meat — and a clash over foodClimate Protesters Throw Soup Over van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’