Innholdsfortegnelse for Holiday 2025 i VegNews Magazine

THIS YEAR, VEGNEWS CELEBRATES a very special birthday. On July 1, 2000, VegNews was born. What started as a monthly newspaper for the vegan community has evolved into a global media brand with an award-winning magazine, daily digital content, a thriving social media community, and even international vacations. Back on that hot summer day in the year 2000, I never could have imagined where we would be 25 years later. While I’ve cherished every moment, the journey hasn’t been easy. At the time, I was a five-year vegan who couldn’t believe a vegan publication didn’t exist (there was Vegetarian Times, but it was loaded with dairy and eggs). So we started one, knowing very little about publishing (remember, there was no social media, Google had just launched, and my…

ACTRESS, SINGER, AND AUTHOR Bellamy Young remembers the exact moment she decided to stop eating animals. It was 1988, and she was a sophomore at Yale University, where she double majored in English and theater. “One night, I was in line at the dining hall and I ordered the baked breast of chicken. The way [the server] plated it, with the underside up, made it look like the little Chihuahua mix dog that my mom had at the time when she would roll over and want her tummy rubbed. I never looked back,” she says. The reality of the food system fell into place, and Young made her choice then and there. She says she got a lot healthier in a variety of internal and external ways and “it became clear…

FROM DELICATE MEATBALLS FLOATING IN BROTHY wedding soup to mile-high layers of two-cheese lasagna to espressosoaked tiramisu served in thick slabs, this cozy collection of plantbased Italian classics is made for chilly evenings, holiday feasts, and family get-togethers that stretch long into the night. With signature recipes from chef TARA PUNZONE—founder of West Hollywood’s award-winning Pura Vita plant-based restaurant—and her debut cookbook Vegana Italiana, this is Italian food at its most soul-warming. Cesare Salad This kale-forward salad features a rich dressing, crispy croutons, and a nutty Parm-style topping. Don’t skip massaging the kale—it tenderizes and lessens the bitterness of the tough leaves and makes all the difference. SERVES 2 For the salad: 4 cups kale or romaine lettuce, or mix of both3 tablespoons Cesare Dressing (see recipe)¼ cup canned chickpeas¼…

Staff Fave DOUBLE THE DESSERT COOKIES by Lunchbox Cookies When a somethingsweet craving strikes and you can’t decide between cakes, cookies, or candy, Lunchbox Cookies has just the fix. At this queerand immigrantowned bakery, decadent desserts are transformed into hockey puck-sized cookies infused with all the flavors of strawberry shortcake, birthday cake, fluffernutters, and caramel. Why settle for one dessert when you can have two? NYC’S VIRAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES by Levain Bakery There’s a reason New Yorkers continue to line up for these softballsized, walnut-studded chocolate chip behemoths. Levain’s signature monster cookie launched the bakery into the stratosphere, and 28 years later, the iconic treat has been given a vegan makeover. Decadent, cashew-based butter, velvety chocolate, and crunchy walnuts make this reimagined classic worth the decades-long wait. SUPER-THICK STUFFED…

HOLIDAY FEASTING calls for a drink to match the rich, festive flavors of the season—and no one understands that better than Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby. The James Beard–nominated chefowners of Philadelphia’s vegan fine-dining restaurant and bar Vedge literally wrote the book on it with The Vedge Bar Book: Plant-Based Cocktails and Light Bites for Inspired Entertaining, and now, they’re serving up tips for creating holiday sips worth toasting. 1/A glass of bubbly is the best hello Greet guests with champagne or prosecco, every time. Bubbles automatically tap into a sense of joy and celebration—when you hand someone a glass, it’s a true expression of hospitality. 2/Always sip with the seasons The drink has to suit the season and the mood. This time of year, we go for jazz, a…

FOOD 1 CHARCUTERIE MADE FROM PLANTS ➽ Made in California with the same fermentation and curing processes used to produce traditional salami, Renegade Foods’ Artisan Vegan Genoa Salami is an absolute game changer for hors d’oeuvre platters. Crafted from high-protein wheat gluten and flavored with roasted garlic, rainbow peppercorn, red wine, and a touch of brown sugar, this special-edition salami hits on all the rich, tangy notes needed to elevate any cheeseboard—but don’t hesitate to pile into your favorite hoagie, either. bestiesveganparadise.com, $15 2 VEGAN CHEESE WHEEL GIFT BOX ➽ Rebel Cheese—Austin, TX’s celebrated vegan cheesemonger—is packing the party into one generous box. The “Let’s Have a Party” Gift Box delivers seven artisan-crafted, plantbased cheeses (including truffle-infused Brie, Honee Pistachio Chevre, and a secret, rotating seasonal cheese), plus sourdough crackers…

THE VEGAN CULINARY WORLD HAS CRACKED THE CODE on cashew cheese wheels and cream sauces. Now, it’s time to truly upgrade the dairy game. Enter Miyoko Schinner, the queen of plant-based dairy and founder of famed cheesemaker Miyoko’s Creamery. From her new cookbook The Vegan Creamery: Plant-Based Cheese, Milk, Ice Cream, and More comes this wave of ultra-milky recipes that mimic creamery classics with old-world technique and plant-based intention. Yes, you’ll need a few special ingredients, but the result? Tangy yogurt, silky sour cream, and luscious ricotta that’ll transform everyday fridge staples into something extraordinary. High-Protein Coconut Yogurt With an ultra-creamy texture and dessert like richness, this high-protein yogurt strikes a balance between indulgence and nutrition, thanks to the addition of protein and antioxidant-dense mung beans. MAKES 4 CUPS 2…

Stepping into Twelvemonth feels like walking onto a movie set. A broad, glass-walled façade gives way to a grand dining room where soaring ceilings of Douglas fir meet skylights, letting light pour onto warm, red oak floors. In the saloon, hovering overhead the marble-and-emerald bar top, glowing bottles of California wines and international spirits line an illuminated glass display. Erupting from either side of the vast dining room are two lush, towering trees—artificially crafted from preserved oak but styled to resemble local olive trees—that both underscore the room’s dramatic scale and create a sense of continuity as diners move from outdoors to in. This isn’t the pared-down café you might expect to find during a stressful time for the restaurant industry. Nor is it the edgy loft space or minimalist…

CHEF GUY VAKNIN’S interest in cooking started, as it does with so many food obsessives, in a kitchen making meals under the guidance of a family matriarch. In Vaknin’s case, he was lucky enough to have not one, but two grandmothers who left an indelible influence, handson training, and a deep appreciation for food and cooking. As a child of divorce, it was a natural, expected, and fun part of life to cook with his grandmothers. Vaknin—founder of New York City’s City Roots Hospitality, which operates seven unique vegan restaurant concepts with eight locations under its umbrella—grew up in a Moroccan-Jewish family and traces his love of the culinary arts to preparing shabbat dinners with one or the other grandmother every weekend. Shabbat is a 24-hour day of rest in…

Chocolate Caramel Crêpe Cake Paper-thin French-style crêpes form the foundation of this dessert layered with a chocolate buttercream and finished with a vanilla bean-infused cashew-coconut caramel sauce. by Richard Makin For the caramel: ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon raw, unsalted cashews1 cup boiling water⅓ cup cold water⅓ cup coconut cream1 cup baker’s or superfine sugar½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste¼ teaspoon salt For the crêpes: 6 cups all-purpose flour5½ cups soy milk6 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying3 tablespoons baker’s or superfine sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract For the buttercream: ¾ cup vegan dark chocolate, broken into pieces¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons vegan butter, at room temperature (see Chef’s Tip)¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons vegan margarine, at room temperature (see Chef’s Tip)¼ cup cocoa powder2¾ cups powdered sugar 1. For the…

TORONTO’S CULINARY SCENE has long been a melting pot of global flavors, but the ever-evolving world of vegan cuisine is what keeps even longtime locals on their toes. With chefs constantly reimagining what plant-based food can be—drawing from diverse cultural influences and seasonal ingredients—the city offers a fresh, exciting take on vegan dining that’s anything but predictable. 1/Contemporary classic The original location of a growing family of restaurants, Planta Yorkville is renowned for its upscale dining in Toronto’s chic Yorkville neighborhood. Signature dishes burst with creativity and bold flavor: cult favorite Bang Bang Broccoli is lightly battered, perfectly crispy, and drenched in a spicy-sweet chili glaze, while the Kelp Caesar reinvents the classic with briny, mineral-rich kelp noodles, smoky mushroom bacon, and a creamy, umamipacked dressing. Pushing the boundaries of…