The Four Seasons LA Goes Green and Vegan!

chef Ashley James with his vegan creations at Windows Lounge

I have a soft spot for The Four Seasons - about 5 years ago my family started a tradition to go to their Boston location for dinner every Christmas Eve. Since we've become regulars, the staff quickly learned about my vegan diet and now has an option for me each time I'm there - what started as a plate full of vegetables has turned into delicious dishes like creamy risotto, which you can see in this video. Thus, I was thrilled when a friend of mine told me that The Four Seasons Los Angeles was adding vegan items to their restaurants' menus - I knew I was in for a special experience but boy were my expectations exceeded. 

In this video, follow along with me as I try every healthy vegan dish (most of which were organic and/or gluten-free) at The Four Seasons LA's Windows Lounge and Culina restaurants, get an organic massage at their spa and try out their new green hotel room features:

How to Have A Green and/or Vegan Valentine's Day

photo and cookies by Kristin Kolnacki

I wasn't planning on writing about V-Day this year because there's already so much coverage on other sites/I haven't had time, but decided to do a quick video summarizing my thoughts and tips. Additionally, I asked the Eco-Vegan Gal community for their advice and got some great responses, so here are some resources for you:

Review: M Cafe de Chaya

Haven't had time yet to do a write up, but this video review of M Cafe de Chaya in Los Angeles should speak for itself (for now).

Vegan Donut Shop Opening in NYC?!

image from Dun-Well

Despite all of my passion for health and gluten-free, sugar-free living, I admit I can not resist a vegan doughnut. Perhaps it's a good thing that they're hard to find, but that's slowly changing. San Francisco has Pepples, Las Vegas has Ronalds, Seattle has Mighty O', New Jersey has Cinnamon Snail, and now New York may have Dun-Well.

Video Reviews: Las Vegas Restaurants with Vegan Options

I'm one of those people who loves Las Vegas, aside from the environmental disaster it is. Fortunately, the vegan options are growing - since my first time there in 2006, several great places have opened and others have expanded their menus to accommodate the plant-based diet. In 2007 and 2008 my vegetarian sister and I made a few videos documenting our dining experiences, which I've finally edited. I've changed a lot since then, in appearance and eating habits, but want to share with you some of the delicious food the city has to offer (vegan donuts anyone?)

Video: How to Get Vegan Protein & B12, Give Up Caffeine, Achieve World Peace, And Win Free Food!

Sorry for the delay on this weekly roundup (usually get them up Monday mornings) but better late than never!

Video Interview: Hail Merry Raw Vegan Gluten-Free Snacks & Desserts

There are a LOT of great products at Expo West each year - it's pretty overwhelming. But one of the most memorable foods I tried in 2011 was without a doubt Hail Merry. If you live in certain parts of the country - like Colorado, Texas or Virginia - you may have spotted their raw tarts in the refrigerated section and drooled over their descriptions and affordable price; if you didn't buy them you're a fool! These vegan tarts are mind blowingly good - in fact, they don't even taste raw or gluten-free. They're sweet and creamy - thank goodness they're small because if they came in a regular pie size I'd likely eat it all in one sitting. And I'm not alone - Veg News agreed and awarded Hail Merry the Best New Veagn Product of Show!

Video: Natural to Eat Meat? Bras Cause Cancer? Vegans Can Be Bodybuilders? Organic Mexican Food? Another Giveaway?!!

It's Weekly Roundup video day!! As usual I had a ton of things to share, but there one ran a little longer than I had hoped - but don't worry, it's worth your time (though I'm biased)!

Video: Easy, Cheap, Healthy Vegan Meals That Take Less Than $2 and 15 minutes to Prepare

I get a lot of questions about and requests for me to do videos on cheap and fast vegan meals - so here it is! I was pretty shocked myself when I compared prices at Kroger, Trader Joes, and Whole Foods and found that you can make many meals for $2 or less and spend 15 minutes max preparing it. And that's in San Francisco, which is likely more expensive than most areas of the country/world. Prices depend on whether the ingredients are local, in season or are organic, but you'd be surprised how cheap food can be even if all of the above. 

Check out the video for 13 meal ideas under $2 that take less than 15 minutes to make. I give options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, then mention some cheap foods you can have for dessert and snacks.  Most of them are gluten and soy-free and are low in oil, salt, and sugar, or can easily be adapted to fit any dietary preference.

Video Recipe: Mint Chocolate Coconut Tapioca Pudding

Head over to Eco-Vegan Food to learn how to make one of my favorite desserts: Mint Chocolate Coconut Tapioca Pudding! It's made with chia seeds and this is the perfect way to start using them if you're not already. This recipe is gluten-free, soy-free, sugar-free, and is raw if you sweeten it with dates instead of stevia. If you do use stevia, it's anti-candida friendly if you take out the coconut products. And best of all, it's easy and quick to make - you're welcome!

Video Review: Paleta - Organic, Sustainable Meal Delivery in LA - The Ultimate Way to Diet and/or Get Healthy

Yet another video has finally come out of the Eco-Vegan Gal vault! Just over a year ago I tried out Paleta's meal delivery service, which offers vegan and gluten-free options that are organic and locally sourced.

Video: Being Vegan is a Breeze at Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles

In April I was invited to try the new vegan menu at the beautiful Breeze restaurant, which is part of Hyatt's Century Plaza hotel in Los Angeles. Despite being on a strict anti-candida diet at the time, I thought it was worth going to have a few bites of the promising dishes. And it was well worth it! A handful of non-vegan food bloggers and I were presented with a private, upscale, 7-course vegan meal, and we all loved it.

Video: Fashion Giveaway, New Vegan Movie, Man = Meat, Gluten-Free Bagels & More!

What better way to beat the Monday blues than with a weekly roundup?! Here's what I share in this week's video (hint - I'm giving something away worth $50!!):

Video: Vegan Zombie, Healthy Meals Under $4 A Day, Gluten-Free Advice, Sugar-Free Ice Cream, & More!

Time for another healthy and sustainable weekly roundup video!

Bi-Rite Creamery: One of the Best Vegan Ice Creams I've Had

One of my favorite aspects of living in a new city is exploring all vegan options, even at non-vegetarian establishments, and San Francisco is full of them! I would say at least 50% of the time I check out a menu I spot the word "vegan" and almost every time I see something I can easily veganize. Tonight after spending some time in Dolores Park I decided to stop by Bi-Rite Creamery and see if the vegan option I read about was worth getting. The flavor was Chocolate Coconut and since the line to order was out the door I figured I had pretty good odds. Boy was I right.

Who Needs Hostess? Moo-Cluck's Vegan Cream Filled Cupcakes

I admit it, I'm a sucker for packaging, so when I saw Moo-Cluck's cute cupcake label in Whole Foods Framingham (MA) and discovered that they are vegan, I couldn't resist. Even though they contain gluten and sugar and they're not organic, I was willing to make an exception and share it with my sister - all because of the packaging. Who can resist a cute cow and chicken advertising dairy and egg free treats? I certainly can't.

Eco-Vegan Daily Download: Race Car Drivers, Yummy Chocolate Dessert, and Free Yoga!

Vegan Food

Coconut Milk "ice cream" at Trader Joes. Gluten-free & vegan, but not organic and contains sugar, as opposed to name brands that are organic and use agave nectar. But it's really delicious - tastes like creamy chocolate frozen pudding!

EVG Q&A: Vegan Bakeries & Wedding Cakes in San Francisco/Bay Area

Mocha Brownie from Sugar Plum

Question:
 Do you happen to know a good vegan bakery in the SF bay area that would be willing to do a vegan wedding cake?  A girlfriend of mine is getting married and is having trouble finding a reputable bakery.  It doesn’t have to be a vegan-only bakery, just one that’s willing to do a vegan cake.

Answer:

Yes, You Can Buy Vegan Girl Scout Cookies!

It's that time of year. Little girls in cute uniforms are at every corner, every store front, every office building asking you to help them raise money by buying their famous cookies. Before you break the news to them that you can't help because you're vegan, you should know that there are a few varieties that don't contain dairy or eggs!

Animal Acres' 5th Annual Compassionate Cuisine Event

Back at the end of October I attended Animal Acres' 5th Annual Compassionate Cuisine Event in Long Beach. Since that occurred right at the beginning of the holidays, I'm just bringing the coverage to you now. Thank goodness for my amazing intern Rachel for editing it!



This was my second time at Compassionate Cuisine and it was a lot like the 2009 event - same location, same setup, and many of the same vendors. I was thrilled to finally try food from the Seabirds truck (beer battered avocado was amazing!), Margo's Bark root beer was excellent, and Kamal Palace had some of the best chana masala I've ever had. My favorite vegan dessert goddesses were there: C'est La V Bakeshop and Luscious Organic Desserts - they each had some gluten-free treats that were incredible, plus some glutenous desserts I indulged in.

The event benefits Animal Acres and they had a huge turnout of hungry supporters. This was a great example of how delicious and fun vegan food can be. Hope you enjoy the video!