Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 29, 1993 TAG: 9401130003
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Almena Hughes
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
During the celebration several experts, including Mark Messina, former program director at the National Institutes of Health; Howard Lyman, former cattle rancher and founder of the environmental group Beyond Beef, and Clifford, will talk about cancer prevention, food labeling and the link between diet and the environment. It's pretty weighty subject matter, but vegetarian advocates say the lifestyle's impact on moral, ethical, aesthetic, scientific, health, ecological, economical and humanitarian issues is the observation's whole point.
Clifford, who organized the event, promises there also will be lots of nonweighty things, such as free magazine subscriptions, books, informational handouts, beverages and snacks. In her more than a decade of being a vegetarian, Clifford says she's learned that she can attract more people to her lifestyle with fun than with fanaticism. Besides, fanaticism is definitely not her style.
That's why it doesn't faze her that one of the event's co-sponsors is PYA/Monarch, Salem, an institutional foodservice distributor that does big-volume business in meat.
"You can't change everything overnight," Clifford reasons. "Maybe 10 years from now, trade shows like Monarch's will only have a small section of meats. You've got to start somewhere."
Until a couple of years ago, the spunky woman with the short, spiky hairstyle lived in New York. When she and her husband, Kevin, "grew tired of the city's crime and filth," they searched and eventually found Roanoke, where Clifford says,"the people are friendly, it's clean and civilized."
In January, Clifford founded the Virginia Vegetarian Society, which meets at 6:30 p.m. every third Tuesday of the month at the Roanoke County Library Headquarters on Electric Road and can be reached at 772-3316. Clifford also edits Issues In Vegetarian Dietetics, a newsletter directed at dietary professionals; serves as an advisor to the nation's largest nonprofit vegetarian organization, the Vegetarian Resource Group; and is on the board of directors of the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-Op, which also will co-sponsor the World Vegetarian Day observance.
At her workplace, Clifford has been instrumental in getting more nonmeat foods on the menus and in implementing classes and programs such as Cardiac Cuisine and Brown Bag Vegetarian Cooking. In both professional and private capacities, the question she says she's most frequently asked is, "But what in the world do vegetarians eat?"
It's much easier to say what they don't eat: Meat. And in some cases, such as her own, no eggs or dairy products, either. But the possibilities of what they do eat are infinite. A sampling is shown in today's main food story.
A good overview of vegetarianism, including health and nutritional benefits as well as recipes, is found in the North American Vegetarian Society's free booklet, "Vegetarianism: A Diet for Life." NAVS, incidentally, takes credit for founding World Vegetarian Day in 1978. To order the booklet, send a self- addressed, stamped, legal business size envelope to NAVS, Box 72 CW, Dolgeville, N.Y. 13329.
Food writer/cook Nancy Maurelli throughout October will present a series of demonstrations at the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-Op on cooking with tofu and tempeh. For schedules, call 343-5652.
There also are numerous cookbooks and instructional videos available on vegetarian cooking. Clifford recently co-authored with North Carolina nutritionist Sue Havala a self-explanatory cookbook called "Simple, Low-Fat and Vegetarian" that will be available in January in both paperback and hardcover through the Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, Md. 21203.
The recently released "Bean Power," by Tamara Holt (Dell), though not exclusively vegetarian, creates 85 diverse dishes (most of them meatless) from a vegetarian diet staple. The low-fat, low-cholesterol, high-fiber dishes are touted as helping to prevent cancer and heart disease, manage diabetes, reduce cholesterol and aid weight loss. Clifford says increasing numbers of studies show that not only beans but vegetarian eating in general has these beneficial effects.
"James McNairs' Vegetarian Pizza" by James McNair (Chronicle Books), which was released in August, does extraordinary things with both another vegetarian food staple and with the photos of it. Photographer/food stylist McNair pairs fresh vegetables, herbs and spices, homemade doughs and assorted cheeses to come up with imaginative offerings such as Herbed Flat Bread with Roasted Garlic and Sun-Dried Tomato Cheese; Salad Pizza with Balsamic Vinaigrette; Mushroom and Brie Calzone; Pepper, Leek and Gorgonzola Pizza; pizzas with spinach, with eggplant, with summer squash, curried vegetables, you name it - not to mention several sweet offerings with fruit. McNair is savvy enough to recognize that people don't always have the time to start from scratch. So he also offers options using frozen dough, take-out pizzeria dough, prebaked shells, pita bread, tortillas and French bread.
For people who want their pizza faster and with even less fuss, Pizza Hut on Sept. 20 introduced a new Chunky Style Veggie pizza, featuring chunk-cut fresh mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and red and green peppers. It can be made without cheese upon request. Pizza Hut area manager Bill Ralkovich said the medium-sized pizzas will be offered through Oct. 17 for $9.99.
Speaking of vegetarian food staples, two are the basis of cooking contests whose deadlines will soon toll. Quaker Oatmeal is offering prizes ranging from $1,000 - $10,000 for original recipes for cookies, desserts and breads/muffins. The entry deadline is Oct. 23. For details, write Quaker Oatmeal Recipe Contest, P. O. Box 530, Dept. B, Barrington, Ill. 60011.
A favorite potato recipe for dinner that can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, along with a personal tip or strategy for dealing with all the responsibilities moms of the '90s typically bear could garner the winner 20 home-catered meals and $3,000. For an entry blank and complete instructions for this contest co-sponsored by "Working Mother" magazine and the National Potato Board, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to "Real Mom of the 90s" Entry Form, 55 Union St., San Francisco, Calif. 94111-1217. Entries must be postmarked by Oct. 29.
As for Oct. 6, Clifford has high hopes for the day's success and possibly even for a visit from birthday man Khalid Jones. The celebration will last from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., with speakers' presentations taking roughly one hour apiece. Everything is free, but registration is required. To sign up and receive schedule information, call 985-8229.
by CNB