Vegan Victuals: The Blog |

My Own Post-Punk Kitchen

I went vegetarian when I was 16 years old. At the time this decision was much like the color of my hair (swatch: n): a statement against societal norms. Both were a rebellion against what I, in the wake of my development as an young adult, chose not to support… in the case of my hair, the proposed standards of beauty; in the case of my diet, the exploitation and slaughter of sentient beings for profit. Proudly, these early radical notions remain the foundations to the everyday practices in my current adult life.

Ironically, I worked at Burger King at the time of my denouncing meat and had to stave off arguments derived in the logic of NOFX Liberal Animation songs while serving families, seniors and, one time, Chuck D of Public Enemy their burgers and chicken sandwiches. Two years (and many hair shades) later, appropriately employed as a records store clerk, I went vegan. Partnered with the then-boyfriend my father referred to as the Communist, equally zealous about the social/political/environmental issues surrounding veganism (who also wanted to Free Mumia, spent his free time at Revolution Books and later dumped me for an ambiguous collective revolution), we kicked dairy together.

In these early years as a vegetarian and vegan, my food choices were very poor. I overloaded on carbohydrates, greasy Chinese food take-out and refined grains. I still frequented eateries whose menus were predominantly meat-based and made do with side orders. I bought myself a mini-fridge and began shopping for my own groceries, veering towards easy, packaged, frozen and boxed mixes and meat analogs. Then there was Santosha Restaurant.

Flash forward to today. Over 12 years of practicing veganism and I’ve yet to get the tiny little restaurant in Amityville, Long Island out of my belly’s memory. It was at Santosha where I felt the texture of quinoa for the first time, tasted tofu seared in flavors I hadn’t the palate to decipher back then and revelled in the bite of a moist vegan cake far superior then the thick, bland earthy baked goods of Whole Earth bakery on St. Marks– the only vegan bakery in New York City at the time. This was before the many vegan treats institutions of today were born, including Vegan Treats. Geez, this was before the internet turned commercial!

Santosha is no longer in business. Their yoga studio and store on the upper-level of what was the dining room is still up and running. The only proof of the restaurant’s existence (in the cyber-world at least) is a short farewell on a message board from a heartbroken patron.

I often describe my eating as “in celebration” or “in homage”. I feel strongly that the simple act of ingesting nutrients is the opportunity for a rich, sensual experience, that food is never just food– but a glorious ritual of taking in the Earth. It demands care and attention. So, in celebration of what Santosha instilled in my belly so many years ago and my own journey in the kitchen…
Veganomicon‘s Almond-Quinoa Muffins!