Have you had the opportunity to enjoy all the vegan dining options in Maryland? If not, Maryland Vegan Restaurant Week(s) is the perfect time to enjoy different types of vegan cuisine including soul food from Land of Kush in Baltimore (we recommend their combo platter so you can try several dishes); Koshary in Clarksville serving up Egyptian street food including soups, salads, and bowls; Harmony Bakery in Baltimore caters to the gluten-free market with delicious baked goods and savory dishes; Stem + Farm and Kitchen located in RHouse in the Remington neighborhood of Baltimore offers healthy bowls, salads, fresh juices, and more; and also located in Remington Sweet 27’s vegan menu includes gluten-free items such as Orange Tofu, Garlic Tomato Tofu, Cauliflower Manchurian, and Ginger Cilantro Tofu.

See: https://www.mdveganeats.com/

The Vegetarian Resource Group is a vegan activist non-profit organization that does outreach all-year-long. For example, VRG has been participating in numerous virtual events by providing speakers on a wide variety of vegan topics. We also send literature free of charge to other groups/individuals doing educational activities in schools, hospitals, camps, restaurants, libraries, offices, etc. Our ability to continue doing this depends on people like you! Your donations allow us to promote the vegan message whenever we’re called upon for assistance. Please consider becoming a monthly, quarterly, or single-time donor to The Vegetarian Resource Group.

Thanks so much for your support. You can make a donation online here: www.vrg.org/donate    

Once again VRG staff members ate a delicious lunch at Franchia located at 12 Park Ave. in Manhattan, NY. We were able to dine outdoors (indoor seating is also available) and greatly enjoyed their Asian fusion dishes including Mango Salad, Penang Noodles in Spicy Curry & Coconut Broth, and Soy ‘Meat’ & Wonton with Noodles in Vegetable Broth.

More information on this restaurant can be found here: https://franchia.com/

Also, see VRG’s online guide to veggie restaurants throughout the USA and Canada: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

Have you ever wondered if an ingredient listed on a food label is vegan or not? The Vegetarian Resource Group has an online guide to food ingredients that lets you now whether a specific food ingredient is vegan, vegetarian, non-vegetarian, typically vegan, typically vegetarian, may be non-vegetarian, or typically non-vegetarian.

You can search through this guide here: https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

To support this type of difficult research, please consider making a donation to The Vegetarian Resource Group: vrg.org/donate

Are you searching for vegan sporting goods? If so, you might want to check out Eco Sports. Here you’ll find items for both children and adults including basket balls, soccer balls, and volley balls.

Share this handy poster with family and friends. You can also print it out and post it on your refrigerator. See: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/VeganDietsinaNutshellPoster.pdf

If you have an opportunity to visit Chinatown in New York City, you should dine at Bodhi at 77 Mulberry Street. This vegan Chinese restaurant serves a wide variety of vegan Dim Sum along with soups, sushi, and main dishes. VRG staff members recently enjoyed their wonton soup and vegetable chicken and corn soup, along with braised soybean skin with vegetables and chow fun with vegan chicken.

They are open daily for lunch and dinner. Further information can be found here: https://buddhavegetarian.com/

Also, see VRG’s online guide to veggie restaurants throughout the USA and Canada: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

By Gene Sager, Palomar College

A colleague of mine, a philosophy professor, sat me down to listen to an allegory which he said sheds a great deal of light on the vegan way of life. Since the time of Plato, allegories have been used to convey insights about important issues and problems.

This allegory begins with a massive number of extraterrestrials arriving on the earth. Since these ETs are more intelligent than humans and have far superior technology, they easily take control of the planet and suppress the human population.

The invaders sample the various foods and resources available on the earth and, unfortunately, the aliens develop a taste for human flesh. What is more, they begin to consume “human products,” considering them richer and more nutritious, even though the aliens do not need human flesh or milk for their physical health.

A delicacy for the ruling class is the soft, pink flesh of 18 week old humans who are separated from their mothers at birth and confined singly in small stables so their flesh is tender. Human females are subjected to intense control so that their breeding and lactation suits the perceived needs of the aliens. Women are forced to endure the breast vacuum machines every day. Human skin is the preferred upholstery material, especially for spacecraft.

Confinement is the most efficient way for the new earth rulers to insure access to humans for their various uses. Random mating, lactation, and feeding would disrupt the rulers’ economic and cultural values. To produce the preferred taste of human meat, CHFOs (concentrated human feeding operations) are built, especially for the final year before slaughter. Quality control means strict control of diet for the right taste and texture.

I became uncomfortable listening to the allegory and asked the philosophy professor about the interpretation of the story. He said the interpretation focuses on the listeners. Everyone naturally feels sorry for the humans. Especially interesting are the two types of individuals who hear or read the story: omnivores and vegans.

     An omnivore who feels sorry for the humans has a problem. If you feel that the alien beings should not treat human beings as in the story, then you yourself should not treat other beings in this way. But in fact, omnivores treat animals the same way that the aliens treat humans in the story. The omnivores violate a form of the Golden Rule of ethics: “Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you.” The positive form of the rule is more familiar: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

The heart of the Golden Rule is compassion. It is based on both feeling and logic. If I myself would feel harmed or violated by someone’s action, then I should have the sense (compassion) to avoid performing that action myself.

The allegory is effective in teaching us lessons about the real world we live in. Who knew that consuming animal products is a violation of the Golden Rule? It is sometimes said that the vegan way of life is a compassionate way. The allegory helps us understand this aspect.

If you find yourself walking through the heart of Little Italy in New York City, quite honestly you might pass by a family-owned vegan Italian deli/market and not realize that you’ve done that. Galioto’s serves up a wide variety of vegan Italian dishes including sandwiches, pasta, salads, and bites from their deli case, as well as desserts (zeppole, biscotti, etc.) and coffee. No where do they mention that it’s a vegan or plant-based deli.

For more information, see: https://www.galiotos.com/

For information on veggie restaurants throughout the USA and Canada, see: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

The Vegetarian Resource Group is celebrating its 40^th Anniversary this coming fall and this year we have changed the name of our quarterly magazine to Vegan Journal. You’ll find the same type of articles and recipe pieces in an updated format. Enjoy in-depth original research, product and book reviews, scientific updates on veggie nutrition, delicious vegan recipes with gorgeous photos, plus so much more. Both long-term vegans and those new to a vegan life-style will enjoy this magazine.

To subscribe in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php