A nutritionist and 20-year vegan with a master’s of public health nutrition from New York University, Tracye is co-founder of BlackVegetarians.org and the Black Vegetarian Society of New York. She shares the message in her new book that a plant-based diet without meat, dairy or eggs, is the best for Black women’s health.

If you’re already thinking, “Forget it! I’ve got to have my meat, ice cream, butter, or cheese!” read on. Tracye has a message that everyone can benefit from. She busts the nutritional myths about protein and dairy, and will definitely have you thinking twice about your food choices. The fact is, our health is at stake and we may need to consider revolutionary changes to reclaim wellness … by any greens necessary.

Why do you think the vegan diet is the best choice for people, especially black women?

A vegan diet can help you live longer. It can help you prevent and even reverse chronic diseases. The world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals agrees that a plant-based diet is the healthiest. The information is not disputed; it’s just not widely promoted. A vegan diet is not just about living longer and disease free – it can also improve your quality of life, and it can help protect the planet.

Black women, we’re fabulous, but we have the worst health [among other demographics of women]. We’re in a crisis situation, so we can’t tip toe around this issue. Eighty percent of us are overweight and 50 percent of us are obese. We’re the heaviest group in the nation and we have the diabetes and other chronic diseases that come with that.

Also, I want to say something about children. The issue with our kids is that our diet or what we eat is not just about black women, but it’s obviously going to be about our families as well because we’re feeding them. So when black women improve our health, we’re improving the health of our families, our partners, our children, and our communities. Our health can be improved by something as simple and profound as eating a plant-based diet.

In the introduction of the book, you talk about “liberating the way one thinks about food.” Explain what you mean by that. Why do some of us need to change the way we think about food?

What I mean is that if you change your mind, your mouth will follow. What you eat starts not on your plate, but in the way you think. So people believe that they have enough information to make informed choices about what they’re eating, but the reality is we make choices based on food advertising.

The food industry spends more than $35 billion a year to dictate what we choose to eat. So, most of us are not making informed choices right now. We’re making choices based on increasing the profit of the food industry rather than to improve our health.

So what I want to do is provide information about what we know at this point is the healthiest way to eat — plant-based foods — so people can make more informed decisions. For me, it is not so much that I want people to be vegan, but I want folks to have the best information to decide what to do. It is absolutely crucial that we have the information to make those better choices. That’s liberating.

What would you say to someone who doesn’t want to be or isn’t ready to be vegan or vegetarian, but who still wants to eat healthfully?

I would say, start where you are and add more plant-based foods to your current diet. So for example, try to eat three pieces of whole fruit a day, and try to have vegetables on your plate at least twice a day. The majority of Americans don’t do that. You’ll see huge improvements just starting there. If you’re eating white rice or pasta, try brown rice or whole wheat pasta; eat whole grains instead of refined grains.

So often, those of us who are not vegetarian find it kind of odd to think about not eating animals because of animal rights or reasons of compassion. What can you say that will help people to consider a vegetarian or vegan diet for these reasons?

That’s a great question. Dick Gregory, who influenced me and thousands of others to become vegetarian, actually started being a vegetarian because of his involvement in the civil rights movement and his belief in non-violence. He extended that belief to animals. As I quote in my book from Dick Gregory’s memoir, Callus on My Soul, he wrote:

“Under the leadership of Dr. King, I became totally committed to non-violence, and I was convinced that non-violence meant opposition to killing in any form.”

For many people, vegetarian or veganism is a natural extension of being against violence, including the violence historically committed against black people.

Lastly, what are some of your favorite recipes from the book?

My favorite recipes in the book are the Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake, Spicy Black Beans, and All Hail the Kale Salad. The All Hail the Kale Salad, in particular, has been the most popular dish at potlucks I bring it to.

Check out these vegan and vegetarian recipes featured on FlavorDiva.com

(v) Vegan, (veg) Vegetarian and can be easily converted to vegan

Apple Pecan Salad with Cider Vinaigrette (veg)
Braised Cabbage (veg)
Butternut Squash Soup (v)
Chole Curry & Pulao (v)
Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup (v)
Fresh String Beans & Cherry Tomatoes (v)
Golden Couscous (v)
Papa al Pomodoro (Italian Bread & Tomato Soup) (v)
Quinoa Millet Hot Cereal (v)
Roasted Curry Spiced Pecans (v)
Sautéed Asparagus (v)
Spring Fresh, Summer Ready Pasta Salad (v)
Summer Fresh Marinara Sauce (v)
South African Mashed Pumpkin (veg)
Toasty Homemade Granola (veg)
Tortilla Soup (veg)
Tuscan White Bean Soup (veg)
Warm Fingerling Potato Salad (veg)

I’m sure the parents of the 3rd and 4th graders from two D.C. area public charter schools would be amazed by their children’s enjoyment of asparagus and cherry tomatoes, sautéed spinach, and fresh mint tea. Being that I only started enjoying asparagus last year, I was definitely impressed, but that just goes to show the power of fresh picked vegetables straight from the garden.

Last week and the week before, I had the pleasure of giving a cooking demo to students in the Washington Youth Garden’s Garden Science program. Located in the beautiful National Arboretum, the Washington Youth Garden provides environmental science and food education programs for D.C. youth and their families. These programs include teaching gardening and how food gets from farm to plate, how to start a school garden, how to be good stewards of the environment, and how to prepare fresh nutritious food.

All of the kids were very eager and happy to help me cut up asparagus, tomatoes, lemons and herbs. Some of them helped harvest the vegetables and herbs from the garden, while others helped to gather the scraps for the compost pile. In addition to the beauty of the garden and superior taste of freshly picked vegetables, the gratification that comes from eating something you helped to prepare was another big factor that likely contributed to the students liking the lightly cooked vegetables and even asking for seconds!

With the increased attention school gardens, childhood nutrition, home gardening, and local foods are receiving nationally from First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign and White House Garden, opportunities are increasingly becoming available for everyone to join in the efforts to improve our own and our children’s eating habits, food choices and awareness of how and what we eat.  Among national and local efforts to improve school lunches, establish community and school gardens, and advocate for better food policies, there are plenty of opportunities for you to get involved where ever you live.

Here are some resources to help you find such an opportunity, as well as a recipe for fresh mint tea, which the Washington Youth Garden kids definitely enjoyed!

American Community Garden Association
Let’s Move Campaign
Slow Food USA (Chapters nation-wide)
Time for Lunch Program (Slow Food USA)
DC Field to Fork Network
Google.com (Just do a search for your city and “community garden” or “school gardens”)

Fresh Mint Tea

4 quarts water
5 -6 single serving bags of black tea
1 bunch of fresh mint (about 1 to 1-1/2 cups packed), leaves removed (discard stems)
1 cup evaporated cane juice sugar, plus more to taste

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, turn off heat and add tea bags and loose mint leaves. Let steep for about 5 – 10 minutes. Strain the tea into a heat-proof pitcher and stir in sugar. Serve warm or allow tea to cool and serve over ice.

There are so many wonderful blogs out there on the web and Black, Latina, Asian and other women of color are boldly staking their claim on the net making their distinct voices heard and advertisers take notice. With sponsors like Disney, Suave, Mattel, Johnson & Johnson, GM, and many others, it’s clear that niche bloggers are important contributors to the blogosphere.

I represented FlavorDiva.com in full effect at Blogolicious09, but I was also inspired to step my game up. What an inspiration to see all of these sisters pecking away on their macbooks, netbooks and mobile phones – all being present at the conference while simultaneously taking the conversations online via Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites.

One of the wonderful bloggers present included Ananda Leeke of BAP Living who makes full use of video and podcasting. Ananda interviewed me for her YouTube channel – take a look! Other fabulous bloggers included Rosemary Jean-Louis of The Sexy Geek Files (pictured with me in first photo below), Lawanda Amaker of LA Beauty Beat (second photo),  Denene Millner of MyBrownBaby who also happens to be the writer who worked with Steve Harvey on his book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, and Ronnie and Lamar Tyler of BlackandMarriedwithKids.com. Believe me, the list goes on. Keep an eye on my blogroll columns to the right where I’ll be adding links to some of my favorite blogs from the Blogalicious crowd.

I definitely came away from Blogalicious with ideas and work to do to bring FlavorDiva.com to more readers and to offer you more flavor! Speaking of flavor, I didn’t want to leave you without a recipe this week so here’s a drink inspired by a smooth cocktail, Pure Silk, which I indulged in at the W’s bar. It includes elderflower liqueur (St. Germain), one of my new favorite liqueurs. Cheers! Here’s to Blogalicious 2010 in Miami!

Elderflower Grapefruit Martini
Inspired by the Pure Silk cocktail of Atlanta’s W Midtown Hotel

1/2 ounce vodka
1 ounce elderflower liqueur (St. Germain)
2 ounces fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1 Basil leaf

Add all ingredients into a stainless steel shaker with a few cubes of ices. Cover and shake for 15 seconds, then strain the cocktail into a martini glass and enjoy (responsibly of course)!

Thank you to everyone who voted and encouraged others to vote. Also, thank you to all of my regular readers who have been with me since I first started this blog one year ago, and to the many new readers who have since joined me in my quest and culinary journey to reclaim the all too rare flavor and art of great home cooking. I hope my blog inspires you with engaging photography and writing, and provides you with helpful tips, easy to follow recipes, cookbook reviews and interviews.

This blog has led me to meet new people all across the country and forced me to follow through on my own message by cooking more often despite my tight schedule. Maintaining a blog is a lot of work, but this past year has been very rewarding for me and I aim to bring you even more in the year to come. Your votes and my winning the 2009 Black Weblog Awards (challenged by four other nominated blogs including one of my favorites - The Duo Dishes) just help to encourage me further and let me know that there are folks out there who enjoy one of my passions and love what I’m sharing.

So thank you again, and continue to sauté, steam, simmer, roast, poach and bake away. Also, don’t be shy. Let me know your thoughts and comments here on FlavorDiva, facebook , or twitter.

Featured Recipe: Braised cabbage with sliced carrots

The end of January – it’s just about that time when many begin to back off those New Year’s resolutions, or at least lose a little of the gusto they had about making changes in their life during the new year. Whether or not you’re one to make resolutions or reflect upon your goals at the start of a new year, I’d like to offer some inspiration to keep you in the mood to do what’s best for you in 2009. Being that this is a food blog and my goal for FlavorDiva.com is to inspire more African-American women to reclaim our culinary legacy of home cooking, of course my words of inspiration have to do with what you eat, particularly what and how you cook.

I’ve been on the quest now for several years to cook more of the food I eat rather than rely on restaurants or “ready-in-minutes” packaged food for my meals. The main thing that led me to this change and back to my childhood love of cooking was my desire for great taste and more nutritious food. I’m a firm believer that if you cook well, homemade food is almost always better than anything you can buy ready-made from the store or most restaurants for that matter. However, the key to getting this result is to start with high-quality ingredients; second, is to cook often. Practice makes perfect. That’s one of my goals for 2009 – to cook even more regularly. 

If you’re inspired to prepare more of your own food in 2009 to nourish your body and share meals with family and friends, keep these principles in mind.

Get informed – Know what you’re eating and read labels. When it comes to our modern, industrialized food supply, there are more questionable ingredients and additives used than most consumers realize. From high fructose corn syrup to partially-hydrogenated soybean or partially-hydrogenated palm oil (trans fats) to additives you can barely pronounce, just because the FDA allows them in our food supply doesn’t mean they’re good for us or the best for making flavorful food. Go with foods that are additive-free and contain natural ingredients you’re familiar with.

Eat fresh as much as possible – In other words, buy whole fruits, vegetables, beans and grains and cook them yourself rather than, for example, buy canned soup (make your own soup instead). Now don’t get me wrong, time is always a factor and sometimes you have to get a little assistance from frozen or canned foods, but make it a point to try to eat fresh more often. The flavor is better, and the sooner a fruit or vegetable is eaten after it has been picked, the more abundant the nutrients.

Buy certain ingredients organic – I strongly advocate eating organic for certain conventional produce that are known to be heavily treated with pesticides. Also, I only buy organic dairy, and whenever possible, organic meat. Conventional dairy and meat often come from animals that have been treated with antibiotics and/or artificial growth hormones, which I don’t care to consume. See these 10 reasons to go organic.

Eat local and seasonal when possible – Eating locally and seasonally will add both more flavor and nutrition to the food you serve. When you eat foods out of season, you usually have access to them because they’ve been shipped across country or overseas. Not only is this shipment by plane or truck taxing on the environment and contributing to climate change, but fruits and vegetables shipped from far away places usually mean the food was picked unripe. As a result, the food is less nutritious and less flavorful. See these 10 Reasons to buy local.

In 2009 I look forward to sharing more recipes, cooking tips, reflections and insights with you on good food and cooking. Do you have any food/dietary/culinary goals for 2009? Leave a comment below and let me know. I’d love to hear them!

I served this braised cabbage with sliced carrots at a recent potluck dinner with some of my friends. Everyone liked it, and I promised my friend Tammy that I would post the recipe.

Braised Cabbage with Sliced Carrots
Inspired by my Aunt Sheryl’s cabbage recipe.

1 large head of green cabbage
2 medium sized carrots, peeled and sliced (on an angle)
2 – 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste 

Cut cabbage head into four quarters and cut the core out of each. Cut cabbage into thin slices (about 1/4 inch wide). Add cabbage and carrots to a colander and rinse well. In a deep sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add rinsed cabbage and carrots, still dripping with water, to the pan and place tablespoon pats of butter in several places over the cabbage.

Cover and cook for 25 – 30 minutes. After about 10 – 15 minutes, liquid in the bottom of the pan should be simmering. Salt and pepper cabbage and carrots to taste during the last five minutes of cooking. Feel free to add a sprinkle of an herbed spice blend for additional seasoning.

During this past Labor Day weekend, I made a trip out to San Francisco to attend Slow Food Nation – a gathering of farmers, cooks, writers, activists, policy analysts and foodies to celebrate and promote slow food. Slow food is about a sustainable food system. I know that’s an obscure phrase, sustainable food system, but it basically means the production and distribution of food that is “good, clean and fair.” It means a food system that provides:

• Delicious, nutritious, and fresh food that is often locally grown and organic;
• Food produced and distributed with a limited negative impact on the environment; and
• Food produced by workers who are paid fair wages and whose rights are respected.

The event included a speaker series featuring some of the prominent thinkers on food (Michael Pollan, Marion Nestle, and Vandana Shiva among others), a marketplace featuring artisan foods and heirloom produce, and a Taste exhibition with samplings of various foods from tea to chocolate to olive oil to organic wine to artisan breads. The food was absolutely delicious. I tried a vanilla and rose flavored ice cream, learned how to recognize quality olive oil, and saw varieties of apples, melons and green beans that I’ve never seen before.

I left Slow Food Nation (see my photos) with a deeper understanding of how our food choices impact not only our health and enjoyment of food, but also the environment and farmers at home and abroad. The issue of a sustainable food system can be kind of complex and arcane, but I sum it up by what it means in terms of action – cooking your own food more often and sharing it with family and friends, and shopping at farmers’ markets or planting a garden. It also means calling for good food and agriculture policy from our elected officials, but I’ll get into that some other time. It’s the feasible, everyday actions that I just mentioned that lead to reconnecting to the culture and flavor of real food and knowing where your food comes from.

Speaking of those green beans I saw in the Marketplace, they inspired me to share this recipe for Almond Cranberry Green Beans that I made with locally grown green beans I picked up last night at the supermarket. My recipe is based off of the dish often made by my good friend Steve Rollins.

Almond Cranberry Green Beans
Serves 4

1 pound of fresh green beans, rinsed with ends trimmed
6 cups of water
1/2 cup of sliced almonds
1/4 cup of dried cranberries
1 tbs of finely diced onions
2 tbs of extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbs of kosher salt, plus more to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Bring six cups of water and 1 tbs of salt to a boil. Fill a medium sized bowl (large enough to hold the green beans) with iced water and set aside. Add rinsed and trimmed green beans into the boiling water. Once the water comes back up to a boil, continue to cook green beans for 5 – 10 minutes depending on how tender you like your green beans. Then, drain the beans and place in the ice water for 1 – 2 minutes and drain.

In a skillet, heat the 2 tbs of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the diced onions for about one minute, then add the dried cranberries and sliced almonds and sauté (stirring frequently) for another minute. Then, add the drained green beans and sauté for about five minutes tossing with the onions, cranberries and almonds to distribute them throughout the green beans.

Taste for seasoning (remember you salted the water when you first boiled the green beans). Add salt to taste if needed. Add fresh cracked black pepper to taste. Serve.

 

If food has power, then so does the cook. When we prepare and share our culinary creations with loved ones, we can heal, express love and set the atmosphere (whether for a romantic dinner or a fun-filled party). But where have all the great home cooks gone? True, there are plenty of people who cook and cook well, but I think many would agree that the woman (and I don’t mean your mother or your grandma) who has the skill to whip up a variety of good dishes from scratch is becoming extinct. This is due to many reasons from women’s busy lives in and out of the workplace to the heavy promotion of convenience and packaged foods by food marketers. However, I refuse to let the great home cook die. She’s too important to our own health and the well-being of our families and friends.

Cooking, especially with fresh ingredients, is truly a legacy and a talent to be recaptured. If you already have the skills, great! Keep it up. If you aren’t so fortunate and have let some of the great culinary skills of past generations of Black women fade away, reclaim them. While I’ve always enjoyed cooking, there was a time when you wouldn’t find me in the kitchen except to heat up leftovers from last night’s takeout. However, my desire for true flavor and fresh, whole food called me back into the heart of the home to express my creativity and get back to an art and science that’s too important to let become a thing of the past. I’ve used a combination of cooking classes, cookbooks (I actually read the reference sections), cooking shows, a few tips from family members, and practice to get me on my way. The feedback from my family and friends has been positive. Not only do I cook well, but I also think I have a knack for it. However, with a little patience and practice, cooking is something I think anyone can learn to do well.

And so, I’ve started this blog to share my writing, recipes and culinary journey, as well as to inspire others to reclaim the legacy of the great home cook. In forthcoming posts I’ll share things I’ve learned in the kitchen, reviews of cookbooks and other books on food along with other food related tidbits. I also intend to feature a few guest bloggers on occasion (Flavor Diva friends of mine with great food knowledge) and interviews of other African-American foodies.

For this first post, I’d like to share my recipe for Tilapia en Papillote (tilapia steamed in a parchment paper or foil packet; I prefer parchment paper). This dish is light and easy to make for one person or more. You can substitute a variety of herbs and spices. Experiment with different ones to see what you like or use whatever you have on hand. En papillote recipes from Joy of Cooking and Mark Bitttman’s How to Cook Everything inspired this recipe.

Tilapia en Papillote
Serves 4

4 tilapia fillets
1 lemon
16 sprigs of parsley
4 pinches of dried thyme
¼ red bell pepper cut into thin strips (julienne)
¼ green bell pepper cut into thin strips (julienne)
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
4 12” x 12” (approximate) square pieces of parchment paper to make individual packets

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Salt and pepper one of the fillets on both sides. Center the fillet on the bottom half of a 12” x 12” piece of parchment paper. Next, sprinkle a pinch of the dried thyme over the fish. Then, drizzle about ½ tablespoon of olive oil over the fish. Lay a few slices of the red and green bell peppers, and 2 – 4 sprigs of parsley over the fish along with a slice of lemon. Lightly sprinkle salt and pepper over the top of the fish again.

Now fold the top half of the parchment paper over the fish. Beginning on one side, fold the parchment paper repeatedly along the edges (overlapping each fold) to seal the packet (see photo).  Prepare the remaining fillet packets as described above. If so desired, you can make one large packet and place all four fillets and toppings in one packet. Place the packet(s) on a cookie sheet and place in the oven.

After 20 minutes, open one of the packets to check for doneness. Fish should be white, moist and flaky. Serve packets individually and directly on the plate, or remove fish from the packets before serving. Remove the steamed parsley sprigs and lemon slice, and garnish with fresh parsley and a fresh slice of lemon.