Native Foods Blog

Meatless Mondays are Here to Stay!

by Christopher Arnett

Native Foods Cafe Tribe Member

A recent Yahoo News article listed some food trend prediction for 2011. One of them was actually a prediction for a trend that will grow readily over the next decade: vegetarianism! This isn’t just good news for vegetarians because more food options are likely to spring up to cash-in on the growing market, but good news for our bodies, animals, and the planet! The Meatless Monday movement has played a big part in helping spread the green word.

Chef Tanya agrees!  The Native Chili at Native Foods Cafe is chocked full of white beans and homemade seitan.

The precedent for Meatless Mondays actually began decades during the terms of Presidents Wilson, Truman, and Roosevelt, who encouraged voluntary meatless days during both World Wars to help conserve food for the war effort. In 2003 the movement was revitalized in the interest of American health. The ultimate goal of the current campaign is to reduce American meat consumption by 15%, and the movement is even endorsed by Oprah—wow!

President Roosevelt: Paving the way for government-sanctioned vegetarianism. We have a dream at Native Foods Cafe!

 

Going meatless on Mondays (or any day, for that matter) will result in a number of benefits for your health, and the planet. Among the health benefits are lowered risk of cancer, reducing heart disease, reducing risk of diabetes, curbing obesity, and longer life. Benefits to good ole mother Earth include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing water usage, and helping to reduce fossil fuel dependence.

Here are some general dietary benchmarks offered by the USDA (isn’t government-endorsed vegetarianism a beautiful thing?):

• Eat 2-3 servings of lean protein (legumes, nuts, soy products, seitan)
• Eat 4-5 servings of vegetables and 2-3 servings of fresh fruits
• Eat 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy or calcium-enriched dairy alternatives (Native Cheese, anyone?)
• Choose whole grains like brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa or popcorn, instead of refined grains like white bread, pasta, crackers and sugary cereals
• Limit added fats to 2-3 tablespoons
• Limit sweets, sweetened beverages, fried foods, salty snacks and foods made with hydrogenated oils

So start Meatless Mondays this week! And don’t stop there. Make Tuesday meatless, too. Or, for that matter, everyday of the week! Visiting your local Native Foods Café makes this a snap. Everything on the menu is meatless everyday. But if you are going to drop by and see us on one day of the week, make it Friday from 3-6 p.m. That’s our weekly Happy Hour, where all appetizers, soup, and chili are 50% off! And so is alcohol! Going meatless was never easier or tastier ;)

For more info on Meatless Mondays and including recipes and starter kits, visit: meatlessmonday.com

Mark your calenders friends!  Or come by Native Foods Cafe any day of the week....

 

The Great Month of Grapefruit... Let Your Liver Rejoice!

by Holladay Allen

Native Foods Cafe Tribe Member

It’s no secret that am deeply enamored with any fruit or vegetable that aids and abets in detoxifying my liver.  Cause my liver is soooo rad.  It cleans me out and produces a ton of very important compounds that my body needs.  So when I found out that February is National Grapefruit Month, my heart leapt with joy.  I can exploit this fabulous fruit in the name of health, love, taste, and the fact that it has its very own month!

Chef Tanya from Native Foods Cafe loves fresh grapefruit right off the tree in her backyard.

The grapefruit is a hybrid fruit first grown in the Barbados (what a magical birthplace) and was initially nicknamed the “forbidden fruit,” and later became known as one of the seven wonders of the Barbados.  It is thought to be a hybrid of the Jamaican sweet orange and the Indonesian pomelo, with a few other variations in existence as well.

 
Count Odet Phillipe... The great importer of grapefruit!

The grapefruit was first brought to America by Count Odet Philippe in 1823, where it landed in Florida and has not left since!  The primary varieties in Florida are Ruby Red, Pink, Thompson, Marsh, and Duncan…. And grapefruit season usually lasts from October to June.  The grapefruit also took up residency in Texas where the Ruby Red grapefruit is often looked upon as the symbolic fruit of Texas.  Yee-haw grapefruit!  You’ll find really BIG grapefruit in Texas… hint, hint, wink, wink…. Cuz everything is bigger in Texas. Ha!  Something to beware of though…radiation was often used to trigger mutations to amp up and retain the bright red tones in Ruby Reds.

Texas Reds... Say no to radiation!  And yes to detoxification!  Native Foods Cafe would ratify this amendment.

Grapefruit is loaded with Vitamin C, pectin (which has been shown in studies to reduce cholesterol… which is produced in the liver!), liminoids (a phytonutrient that has been shown to inhibit tumor growth), lycopene, and it boosts liver detoxification enzymes exponentially!  There is a two-phase process in liver detoxification, which clears out toxins and carcinogens.  Some foods amp up the activity in Phase I but do not follow through in Phase II, which can actually be quite dangerous… “enzymes belonging to the cytochrome P450 family, work on the toxin to make it more attractive to enzymes involved in the second part of the process, Phase II. Unfortunately, the action of Phase I enzymes often renders the toxin not only more attractive to Phase II enzymes, but even more dangerous, and some foods contain compounds that only increase the activity of Phase I without also turning up Phase II.” (www.whfoods.com) Grapefruit enhances the liver’s detoxification ability in both phases, which makes it awesome!

Due to its hepatic detoxification amazingness and the fact it contains a polyphenolic compound that inhibits a certain enzyme used to process certain drugs, the medical community often prohibits grapefruit consumption with certain prescription drugs.  It ups the effect so much of certain drugs that it has led to some deaths.  So read your labels!  (and look into yoga, Chef Tanya recommends Iyengar for its restorative benefits, as an alternative to certain drugs and medical treatments… with a doctor’s supervision of course). 

My grandfather always served fresh grapefruit halves with fresh sugar sprinkled on top and he always had those funny grapefruit spoons with the spike part. 

No it's not some sort of a subtle medieval torture device... it's a grapefruit spoon!  Don't worry we don't use them at Native Foods Cafe.

 

Grapefruit is great as is, in juices, or the juice blended with some ice like a slushy, with vodka, in salads, as sorbet, and even in cakes!   We got this recipe from the Chef Tanya's good friend, the lovely Evelyn Gray, cat rescuer extraordinaire… We love you Evelyn.  Check it out… you will not regret it.

 

GLAZED VEGAN GRAPEFRUIT CAKE

 Ingredients

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 cup soymilk

1 cup vegan margarine

2 cups sugar

3 egg replacer for 3 eggs

3 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons grapefruit zest

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Oil a 10-inch bundt pan.

 Add apple cider vinegar to soymilk. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the margarine and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg replacer.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the margarine mixture, alternating with the soymilk mixture. Stir until smooth. Fold in the grapefruit zest, grapefruit juice, and poppy seeds. Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Cool cake in pan 10 minutes then (carefully!) remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

Combine confectioner's sugar and grapefruit juice and mix until smooth. When cake has completely cooled, drizzle with glaze.

You can also try a layer cake making an icing out of Tofutti cream cheese, Earth Balance, powdered sugar and grapefruit juice and zest, with pieces of grapefruit between the layers.  Yum!!!

 
Grapefruit Cake... Get in my mouth!  That's a hint all you peeps in the kitchen at Native Foods Cafe...

 

 

Mama Said Knock You Out—After I Eat My Veggies!

by Christopher Arnett

Native Foods Cafe Tribe Member

A recent Yahoo News article focused on professional MMA ( Mixed Martial Arts) fighters that are embracing vegetarianism. When one thinks of MMA fighters one does not usually think of this way of eating. While recommended diets for this type of athlete usually include healthy portions of fruits and vegetables, seldom do the athletes do without meat altogether. The article focused on four athletes, in particular: Jon Fitch, Nick Diaz, Jake Shields, and Mac Danzig. 

Jon Fitch, who is considered the No. 2 or 3 welterweight in the world, has given up his heavy meat-eating to embrace a vegetarian diet. His vegan wife, Michele, largely influenced his change in eating. He also drinks plenty of plant-based protein shakes and amino acids. He says the biggest change he noticed was faster recuperation from training. 

 
Thanks Michele!  Chef Tanya approves.

Unlike Fitch, Jake Shields grew up in a vegetarian household. His 15 consecutive winning streak helped convince his fellow athlete to try a meatless diet. In his younger days as an athlete, coaches would pressure him to eat meat. But he stuck to his guns and the way he was raised. Jake’s successful performance put an end to any doubts regarding his diet. 

Staying true to your beliefs!

Jake Shield’s diet has influenced that of his training partner, Nick Diaz. Commenting on the benefits of a vegetarian diet, Diaz says “It’s healthier. You recover faster. Nobody trains as hard as we do.” 

 

Mac Danzig became a vegetarian in 2004. Three years later, he was the Season 6 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter.” He is the most vocal MMA professional concerning vegetarianism, and is an advocate for PETA.  He firmly believes that “You don’t need any kind of animal products to be an athlete in this day and age.” Unlike the other fighters mentioned, Danzig’s turn to vegetarianism was done for ethical reasons. He is currently committed to a fully vegan diet. 

The ultimate vegan poster boy!

 

And if any of these guys happened to walk into a Native Foods Café, what would be Chef Tanya Petrovna's recommendation? Hands down, the Greek Gyro Bowl has the most protein bang for your buck. With protein-packed peppered seitan, hummus, and quinoa, this certainly is a meal for champions. So watch out, ‘cause these vegetarians will kick your you-know-what! 

 
Chef Tanya's protein powerhouse: The Greek Gyro Bowl at Native Foods Cafe

Hey Bright Eyes! Orange You Glad I Brought Some Carrots?

by Holladay Allen

Native Foods Cafe Tribe Member

Did you know that eating a lot carrots will make your eyes greener, your skin more golden, and your hair more flaxen?  Well, I don’t know how true it all is… but carrots are really good for you.  In high school, my friend’s older brother went through a major change in eye color. For real!  His eyes transitioned from a light brown to a hazel green over the course of a few years.  When asked what he did different or changed in his diet, he responded, “Oh, I just eat A LOT of carrots.”  Well we chalked that up to him being a longhaired vegetarian hippy, with his Birkenstocks and tie-dyed shirts, trying to hawk his healthy, ethical lifestyle onto us.  Though I brushed him off at the time as my friend’s kinda-smelly-but-in-an-earthy-way older brother with long hair, something was planted deep in the folds of my cerebral tissue… which resurfaced when I reached nineteen and finally became vegan.  What in the heck took me so long? Unfortunately, I don't think that hippies are the best poster children for the vegan movement.... But alot has changed in the past thirty years!

Chef Tanya is going to change the way you think about vegetarian food!  Hippie redefined.

Back to carrots!  So I can’t seem to find any confirmation that a diet high in carrots will indeed cause those brown eyes to turn a lovely shade of green, but there is no doubt that they improve vision, more specifically NIGHT VISION!  Heck to the yeah.  So load up on carrots before the next zombie invasion, hardcore hide-and-seek midnight match, or (my personal fave) the 1 a.m. run through the dark and desolate hills of West L.A. 

Zombie Carrots are no match for Chef Tanya at Native Foods Cafe... She'd slice and dice em' and put em' in a cake!

 

Well just how does Mr. Carrot assist the eyes in such a fashion you ask… The high concentration of beta-carotene in carrots is converted into Vitamin A in the liver, after which it is transferred to the retina where it forms rhodopsin, which is a purple pigment necessary for night vision.  The antioxidants in beta-carotene also help prevent senile cataracts and macular degeneration. 

Some people say that cooking carrots (just a lil’ bit) actually raises the nutritional content because it breaks down the dense fiber in carrots, which can block the beta-carotene from being fully absorbed into the body.  I think either way you chomp the carrot, you are golden!  And for those of you who think you don’t like carrots…. HA!  Try this recipe on for size and then report back.  I like to spread this on my Ezekiel toast in the morning…

 

Roasty Toasty Carrot Spread

 

2 large carrots, washed and chopped into a few pieces

2 TBSP tahini

1 tsp olive oil or toasted sesame oil (for a more nutty taste)

1 TBSP brown sugar or maple syrup

½ tsp salt or liquid aminos (more to taste)

Pinch of cayenne pepper

(Sometimes I add powdered ginger and spread on rice crackers)

 

Preheat oven to 375.

Place carrots in aluminum foil, sprinkle with salt (or aminos), and wrap up in foil.

Place in preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until they are soft and fork tender.

Let cool and place in food processor with other ingredients and process until smooth.

Add more seasoning if necessary.

Store in airtight container in fridge.  Will last for a few days… Or not!  Cause it is so delicious.

And check out this cool dude!  He makes musical instruments out of carrots and other vegetables.  Far out!

  

Going Native in the Blogosphere with Anja, Abigail, and Chef Tanya

by Holladay Allen

Native Foods Cafe Tribe Member

Over here at Native Foods Café, we absolutely love it when someone prepares a recipe from the Native Foods Restaurant Cookbook, or one of Chef Tanya’s cooking demos, then posts a picture on our Facebook wall or better yet makes a video detailing the whole foodie affair!  So we pretty much fell in love with Anja Marie Brydum making Gandhi’s Curry Sauce on her Valentine’s video contribution to Abigail Wick’s super wonderful blog Eating with Abs.  And she mentions homemade seitan which makes us weak in the knees every time.

Check out the video below with Anja and be sure subscribe Abigail’s blog.  She features lots of delicious food, local farms, important issues and so much more….  You ladies are awesome!

 

Gandhi would definitely approve!

Be the change!  We love you Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.

Fall in Love for your Health...

by the Native Lovebug

Native Foods Cafe

Valentine's Day has come and gone, but love lasts forever... so they say.  While love is in full effect, it can have amazing benefits on your mind and body.  The feeling of love can reduce stress, reduce pain, increase blood circulation, lower blood pressure, enhance mood, and increase healing capabilities to name a few...  So let it happen, no matter how fleeting... it's for your health for crying out loud!

This video will probably make everyone want to fall in love, at least once.

 

Super Foods that Fight Cancer (All Plant-Based, of Course!)

by Christopher Arnett

Native Foods Cafe Tribe Member

It may be common knowledge in healthy-conscious circles that fruits and vegetables contain an assortment of cancer-fighting properties, but for those of you that don’t know or aren’t quite sure, the following is hopefully some helpful information. According to Richard Béliveau, PhD, chair in the prevention and treatment of cancer at the University of Québec at Montreal and author of Foods to Fight Cancer "All the studies on cancer and nutrition point to eating plant-based foods for their phytonutrients and other special compounds."  Broccoli, tomatoes, and garlic are among the top cancer-fighters, and readily available in your fridge, grocery store, or farmers market.

 
All cruciferous veggies contain cancer-fighting properties. They are also high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This family of veggies includes broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale, among others. However, broccoli is the only one with a sizable amount of sulforaphane, a particularly potent compound that boosts the body's protective enzymes and flushes out cancer-causing chemicals. Broccoli is particularly effective in fighting breast, liver, lung, prostate, skin, stomach, and bladder cancers. So load-up on the broccoli!

 

Tomatoes are the best dietary source of lycopene, a carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red hue, Béliveau says. Lycopene was found to stop endometrial cancer cell growth in a study in Nutrition and Cancer. Endometrial cancer causes nearly 8,000 deaths a year. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research website, lycopene has been shown to greatly reduce the risk of prostate cancer, and also cancer of the breasts and lungs. Just remember to eat cooked tomatoes for the full benefits, since the processed form releases more natural compounds that are easily absorbed by the body. So be sure to enjoy this fruit (yes, it’s technically a fruit) on a regular basis!

 

Phytochemicals in garlic have been found to halt the formation of nitrosamines, carcinogens formed in the stomach (and in the intestines, in certain conditions) when you consume nitrates, a common food preservative, according to Béliveau. According to nutritionist Gloria Tsang, a large-scale epidemiological Iowa Women's Health Study looked at the garlic consumption in 41,000 middle-aged women. Results showed that women who regularly consumed garlic had 35% lower risk of developing colon cancer. Garlic also contains the compound allyl sulfur, which aids in preventing and inhibiting cancer development. Garlic is an all-around winner, as it is a natural antibiotic, and causes your body to produce endorphins (ever notice how you seem to be in a better mood after eating a meal with lots of garlic?)

 
At Native Foods Café, you can find all these cancer-fighting super stars in an assortment of Chef Tanya's tasty items:

• Broccoli and its cruciferous cohorts can be found in the steamed vegetable mixture which includes carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, kale, and (of course) broccoli. Enjoy this anti-cancer extravaganza in the Hollywood Bowl, Gandhi Bowl (Chef Tanya's fave), Greek Gyro, or as a side item.
• Cooked tomatoes and all their precious lycopene can be found in our marinara sauce. Try this on the Spicy Meatball Pizza or (my personal favorite) the Stuffed Eggplant Rollatini Bowl. Mmm, mm, mm.
• Enjoy the antioxidant splendor of garlic in such savory dishes as the Portobello and Sausage Burger or Verdi’s Roasted Veggie Pizza (I ask for extra garlic on my pizza).

Chef Tanya Petrovna's classic Portobello & Sausage Burger at Native Foods Cafe

Clara in Veganland: The Interview

by Holladay Allen

Native Foods Cafe Tribe Member

Have you checked out our latest newsletter?  If not, you should!  It is chocked full of facts, fun stuff, and recipes from Chef Tanya's secret stash.  In our February Newsletter, we featured 13-year-old blogger, vegan cupcake baker, and lovely lady Clara Polito.  Her and her mom Colleen swung by Westwood for a leisurely lunch with me and some delicious pizzas and I really got to pick Clara's super-smart brain. Unfortunately, we could only fit so much on the printed newsletter so I wanted to share the entire interview with you guys.

Where are you from?  Moorpark, CA

What is your sign?  Pisces

What inspired you to become vegan?  I’ve been vegetarian my whole life.  A couple of years ago, I read about how eating eggs and dairy really wasn’t vegetarian at all.  The baby cows are taken away from their mothers and it is terrible… that just really struck me and I decided to become vegan.

What inspired you to start your blog?  Originally, my blog was mostly about fashion and music.  But when I became vegan in 2009, I started focusing more on vegan issues.  Ideas for my blog come from my monthly playlist of music, politics, and the news in general.

How old were you when you started baking?  I have always baked my entire life.  When I was younger, I mostly used boxed mixes… But when I became vegan , I started baking from scratch and found it to be just as easy!

What is you favorite cupcake flavor?  Neopolitan, Tiramisu, and Ding-Dongs!

If you were to come back as an animal what would you LIKE it to be? A Grizzly Bear

If you were to come back as an animal what do you THINK it would be?  Probably a Pig!  I love pigs… and I am kind of messy, I like to eat a lot, and I can be moody.

Do you have any pets?  Yes! Dogs: Rosa, Juan Pablo, Luna, and Liberty

What do you want to be when you “grow-up”?  Journalist, Filmmaker, Record Label Owner, Head of the Native Foods Café Baking Department

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?  Brooklyn, NY

What is your favorite menu item at Native Foods Café?  Chicken Run Ranch Burger

What is your favorite dessert?  Definitely the Pumpkin Pie during the holidays.

What are your favorite bands?  No Age, Best Coast, La Sera & Radiohead

What was your first concert ever?  Gwen Stefani

 

Check out Clara’s website: www.claracakes.com and order some of these crazy delcious cupcakes!

Hello Daddy, Hello Mom.... I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb flavored cupcake!

and her blog: www.clarainveganland.blogspot.com

Stay tuned Chef Tanya Petrovna and Clara Polito interviewing each other... It's gonna be a hoot!

And just cuz Clara likes No Age so much and Dean from No Age has been a long time friend of Native Foods... here is one of their videos.  Enjoy!

  

 

Ocean Tails

by Holladay Allen

Native Foods Cafe Tribe Member

Growing up in Key West, the ocean was an integral part of my everyday life.  The island is approximately 3 by 4 miles… you can pretty much walk around the entire island in 2 hours or so, depending on how fast you walk.  So that leaves infinite miles of ocean surrounding us… which is amazing and completely overwhelming at the same time.  I spent every weekend on a boat and in the ocean with my father growing up.  And a lot of times, there were after school boat rides.  In Key West, around the age of 14 before you could drive a car, you usually got a boat… a small boat on which you could jet out to Snipes Point with your friends, and hang out in the shallows for the afternoon (until the Marine Patrol came and busted the party up).  Many of my friends parents made their living out on the ocean, but my father just had an extreme hobby, i.e. he sailed, he built boats, he cruised to Cuba with friends on boats… he lived and breathed boats, when he wasn’t practicing law from 9 to 5.  I don’t think he ever owned more than one brand of shoe… can you guess?  Sperry Topsiders, which he wore to the office as well.

There are hundreds of uninhabited islands to explore surrounding the Florida Keys.

I learned a lot of oceanic “stuff” from him.  And I had some amazing experiences in the waters surrounding Cayo Hueso (another name for Key West) that shaped who I am today (including my intense obsession with sharks).  One Saturday morning, we pulled up to one of the isles of the Marquesa Keys, which are located about 30 miles west of Key West.  We noticed something sticking out of the shallow waters surrounding the island… it appeared to be a large object attached to the marker denoting the shallow waters for boaters.  As we came closer, we realized it was a small bull shark that somebody had killed and stabbed onto the marker.  It was awful.  I stared at it for a long time and tried to go closer and investigate but the smell was pretty terrible.  How could someone do this?  Just to kill an animal and place it on display… take it out of its environment and let it die a slow death, suffocating in the sun.  After this, I had a whole new mindset when I walked into friend’s homes and saw giant preserved fish mounted on wall above couches and mantles, and there were a lot of them. 

Small bull shark cruising in the Atlantic.

Just a few years ago, when Katrina struck New Orleans, Key West was hit three times by hurricanes… Katrina, Rita, and Wilma.  Wilma was the worst.  The entire island flooded, leaving homes and cars destroyed.  And the flooding was not because of massive rains… it was a storm surge.  The ocean just kept rising until it covered practically the entire island.  This was a very scary thing.  It was a very helpless feeling… where do you go?  Up.  The cats and dog were holding fort on the kitchen counters while we tried to figure out how we were going to get downtown to my parent’s warehouse, which was on higher ground and had a very large generator.

My car in the street in front of my parents' house during Hurricane Wilma. The ocean is our front yard!

The ocean is a powerful entity with a delicate infrastructure.  It is a billion times more powerful than any corporation or government.  The ocean could wipe us all out.  It has managed to survive billions of years and continues to thrive despite the horrible things we are putting into it and doing to it, like over fishing.  Seeing the arbitrary acts of cruelty and indifference that humans exhibit toward the ocean (like the poled bull shark) and then the sheer magnitude power the ocean has to just rise up and create billions of dollar in damages, has left me with nothing but the utmost respect and humility.  There are countless issues to be addressed such as pollution, over fishing, shark-finning (evil, evil), oil –drilling…. And the list goes on.  Sometimes it starts to seem irreparable and too overwhelming… Where do we even begin?  But we can change and greatly improve the oceans’ health and reverse a lot of the damage already done.  The Surfrider Foundation is a wonderful example of people effecting change on a daily basis by donating their time and actions to cleaning up coastlines and educating people about the GREAT importance of the waters that surround us!  Chef Tanya holds them near and dear to her heart, as the ocean is one of her favorite places to be at any given time.  For more information on the Surfrider Foundation and how to get involved in your local chapter… or start a local chapter, check out their website… and come eat at Native Foods today!  All day today (for Native Days), February 9^th, we are donating 25% of profits to our local Surfrider chapters at all 7 locations.  See you soon!  

Love this PSA from Surfrider Europe... You get what you give!

 

 

Native Days in February: Cupcakes, Critters & Coastlines

by Holladay Allen

Native Foods Cafe Tribe Member

February’s Native Days are going to be the best yet… I have a funny feeling.  And usually my funny feelings are right on.  First of all, as if you need more of a reason to come and support local animal rescue and environmental groups just by chowing down, Chef Tanya has also come up with a crazy delicious Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake.  Now if you are familiar with our other cupcakes, you know that the frosting is light, whipped sweet creamy lovestuff… very good indeed.  Well in the raspberry frosting, Chef Tanya folds in vegan cream cheese, which gives it an added rich texture and really compliments the fresh raspberries.  This is an excellent cupcake people!!!  Did you know that there are more than 200 varieties of raspberries?  They come in 4 different colors too: red, black, purple, and yellow! 

Chef Tanya Petrovna's Radical Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake at Native Foods Cafe!!!

On Tuesday, February 8^th, we will be spotlighting local animal rescue groups and donating 25% of profits from the entire day to each one.  In Los Angeles, our Westwood and Culver City locations will be working with the Lange Foundation.  The Lange Foundation was founded by Gillian Lange in 1993 and their mission is to save impounded companion animals and prepare them for a journey to a new loving home where they will be safe and happy.  Gillian Lange started her animal rescue work in 1974 and since then she has helped to save the lives of more than 20,000 animals.  So wonderful!

This is Chantilly!  She is hanging out at the Lange Foundation in Canyon Country waiting for her new friends to adopt her.  Get more info on Chantilly and the other little love bubbles at the  Lange Foundation. 

In Orange County, our Tustin, Costa Mesa and Aliso Viejo locations will be teaming up with the German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County… big dogs rule!  They are very regal and large so this can intimidate some people… but not to fear!  Their hearts are often just as big.  Growing up, my aunt had a German Shepherd named Chablis.  Chablis was so sweet and patient with my cousins, but also very protective of the family.  She was an amazing dog.  GSROC was founded to help reverse the growing homeless pet population, and they wanted to focus on a niche they knew… giant German Shepherds!

This is Baron!  He is a beautiful 7 year old German Shepherd looking for a comfortable home.  He does not have a high tolerance for small dogs!  He likes em' big like himself. For more info on Baron and other Shepherds looking for homes check out German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County.

The two desert locations will be spotlighting Friends of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, where Chef Tanya sits on the board.  Friends of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter is raising money to build a brand new shelter to house those little critters until they find a forever home.

Volunteer Carol Newton grooms a happy little guy in our shelter dog park.  Oh he looks very happy!  Check out more info on Friends of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter.

On Wednesday, February 9^th, we are joining forces with our local Surfrider Foundation chapters and donating 25% of profits from all seven locations to these three local chapters: Surfrider Newport Beach,  Surfrider West LA/ Malibu, and Surfrider South Orange County.  Surfrider is an awesome foundation with chapters all over the world that are dedicated to preserving our oceans and coastlines. 

One of the most amazing things about Surfrider is that each chapter is completely volunteer-run.  These are people with full-time jobs, families, school and everything else that still make the time to protect the oceans.  Surfrider does everything from beach clean-ups to water testing to community outreach programs in order to really educate people on the ecosystems of our oceans and coastlines.  

So come on over Tuesday, Wednesday or both days and eat (ALOT) for the animals and the oceans of the world!  Have a cupcake while you're at it... it's on us actually (if you purchase an entree, side and drink)!