New Tampa Vegans Teach Cooking Class

Posted Apr 13, 2007 by Suzanne Schmidt

Updated Apr 13, 2007 at 12:56 PM

SAMPLE NEW RECIPES

By SUZANNE M. SCHMIDT
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For most people, when they think of vegans, they think of people who only eat rice, beans and vegetables.
Joan Zacharias and Brenda Hay, co-founders of the New Tampa Vegans, are trying to change that perception. 
“We got this group started last summer because we felt we needed a group like this in New Tampa,” Zacharias said. “We have had a lot of people ask us how to cook vegan, so we decided to start a series of cooking classes.”
The first Super Easy Vegan Cooking Class will be at Zacharias’ house April 15 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Students in the class will sip organic wine, eat appetizers and learn to cook various vegan foods including a meal, salad and dessert. Everyone will receive copies of the recipes and samples of the food to taste.
“There are a lot of people who still think eating vegan is bad for you,” Hay said. “They think they need to eat meat for the protein. We try to show people how to cook vegan and see what it tastes like. Even food people have enjoyed all their lives can be veganized.”
Zacharias and Hay said they meet people all the time who think that vegans only eat rice, beans and vegetables.
“The foods we eat are so big and broad,” Hay said. “We eat everything except for animal products.”
Zacharias said she became a vegan first because of the ethics behind it, but has since learned about the health benefits.
“I became a vegan because I was horrified about the cruelty to animals,” Zacharias said. “Eating vegan helps to restore the human connection with nature. It is also a much more healthy diet. A more plant-based diet can help people who are overweight or people with heart disease or diabetes. There is no cholesterol at all in plant foods. In some cases, a vegan diet can reverse diabetes, or at the least ease the symptoms.”
Both Hay and Zacharias said the main goal of the cooking classes is to show people how to cook vegan in a quick and easy way while keeping it flavorful and tasty.
“Vegan food is so good for you, you just have to learn how to cook it,” Zacharias said. “We want to make it super easy because people don’t have a lot of time to cook anymore.”
The New Tampa Vegans have various activities revolving around cooking and eating a vegan diet.
“We are not trying to make it a membership-only group,” Zacharias said. “It is an open organization for people in and around New Tampa. The food is the message. We don’t lecture people or try to turn them vegan. We just want people to come and try out the food and we can provide them with recipes.”
Hay said the group will be planning more events in the future including a series of more cooking classes.
“We try to plan unique events based on a vegan environment,” Hay said. “It is all just for us to have some fun and eat some great vegan food.”
The class costs $5 per person. All are welcome whether they are vegan or vegan curious.
For information or to register for the class, call 476-6436 or visit http://newtampavegans.googlepages.com/cookingclass1.

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