When you think of vegan cooking, do you imagine sprouted burgers that taste like cardboard and faux cheese resembling wax? Traveling vegan chef Mary Lawrence otherwise known as Well on Wheels could change your mind (and your mouth). Her repertoire includes Eggplant Rollatini, Toasted Almond Coconut Cookies, Chocolate Truffles and no rice cakes whatsoever.
Mary went vegan back in 1996, when an allergist told her that in order to get rid of her asthma and chronic cough shed have to get rid of her beloved dog and take steroid medication for the rest of her life. Not willing to do either, she found a naturopathic doctor who assured Mary that a cure was as easy (!) as giving up sugar, dairy, processed foods, refined flour and caffeine.
Those were basically my five favorite food groups, says Mary. But because the doc said I could keep my dog, I decided to give it a try.
The hardest thing for her to give up was cheese. At the time, she was what she calls a junk food vegetarian, subsisting mainly on pizza, pasta and bread. But a little research on battery cages and the treatment of dairy cows made it much easier to ditch the mozzarella.
Now, she helps newly conscious eaters all over Connecticut to incorporate more fruits, veggies and grains into their diets. Shell make you a meal in your own kitchen, give you a cooking lesson, act as a nutritional consultant and even host a healthy food prep party. And, fyi, her attitude is as humane as her cooking.
Im not a fan of the Hells Kitchen approach to cooking, she says. I just try to enjoy myself and put love into the food I make. Contact Mary at [email protected] or 860-985-1645.
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