Tag: magazine

Letter From The Editor

For a kid that hated writing, I grew up into an adult that does a whole lot of it.

Words, the basic building blocks of language that used to torture and taunt me, are now my primary creative currency. Writing doesn’t always come easily and certainly not effortlessly, but after all of these years, I’m amazed that I still haven’t exhausted my supply of them. Looking back on 2,500 blog posts to date, it’s stunning to think that I had so much to say. What’s more, I’m not even close to being done yet.

Vegan Journal has been the home to many of my articles, but since spring of 2023, my connection has grown infinitely stronger. As the new senior editor, the very first issue assembled under my watch is hitting mailboxes and newsstands as we speak. It’s a surreal feeling of both pride and terror, knowing full well that I was completely clueless at the start. Contributing a piece and compiling multiple topics from different authors, proofreading and laying them out, designing the spreads and also shooting many of the photos, are entirely different tasks. Editing wasn’t a concern, but there’s much more that comes with the title.

It’s an honor and a privilege to join this team of brilliant, compassionate, and inspiring minds.

For those that haven’t been following this publication since its birth in 1982 as Vegetarian Journal, allow me to introduce you. It’s different from the rest as a part of a non-profit educational organization, which means there are no paid ads. None! Just pure, unbiased content about vegan recipes, independent product reviews, nutrition notes, activism, scientific updates, current events, and so much more. You can subscribe and get printed copies delivered to your door, or dig into the free archives right away, containing full PDFs that span the decades.

I’m still up to my old tricks, sharing new recipes and photos, of course.

In this edition, my take on the new wave of plant-based sushi also joins the fray with five unique fishless recipes. From convincing eggplant eel nigiri to affordable caviar made from chia seeds, these plant-based renditions challenge the notion of luxury associated with traditional sushi. Shake up the routine with variations like temari, where round sushi balls surprise with shredded enoki mushroom crab salad. Even dessert gets the sushi treatment with a sweet dragon maki, featuring rice paper and naturally sweet fruits, providing a showstopping grand finale.

This is only the beginning. Wait until you see what else is already in the works for the next issue.

Hannah (BitterSweet)8 Comments

Season to Taste

At a time when traditional publications struggle to maintain relevance in a largely digital world, there hardly seems to be room on the shelf for existing magazines, let alone new titles. Diving into this highly competitive field without prior experience, or a serious investment, or full-time staff would be sheer insanity. Only someone so blindly passionate about telling their story, so deeply, ludicrously smitten with print, so ravenous to share something better than a fleeting shorthand tweet, could be crazy enough to start up the presses now.

That someone is me.

The way I see it, the time has never been better for an upstart publication to squeeze its way into stores. Dwindling options have left us with whitewashed magazines, splashing only generic, dull articles across flimsy pages, trying to appeal to the widest audience possible. I want to speak to those already in the know, the informed readers craving new ideas for life in the kitchen, at the table, and beyond.

Introducing Season to Taste, a monthly magazine focusing on the very best food found in your backyard and farmers markets, everyday. Luscious photography accompanies every mouthwatering piece, training a lens on the full glory of plant-based cuisine. Recipes will be a staple of course, but so will DIY projects, advice for growing your own garden, features on the people growing your vegetables, and making your favorite artisan goods.

There is so much to celebrate in the world of food that keeping it all digital would be the greatest injustice of all. Tree-free editions will naturally be available for instant download worldwide, but the ultimate goal is to revive the lost art of print.

Don’t you want to see the glossy pages of a magazine in the checkout line that actually speak to you? Rather than idly browsing through another meaty or cheesy publication with the need to veganize any promising concept, start with what’s always been good. Celebrating vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains, Season to Taste is all about good food, period. It just so happens to be healthier, easier, and more vibrant than the SAD diet subtly pushed by mainstream media.

If you want to join me in the print revolution, all you have to do is subscribe. Sign up for delivery of printed copies, or instant digital downloads today, and you’ll get your first year of 12 issues at 20% off cover price. This deal is good only though midnight, so don’t sleep on it. A bold new world of fresh inspiration awaits.

Subscribe today!

Hannah (BitterSweet)9 Comments

The Premier

The first few days of a brand new year seem ripe with possibilities, inspiring a fresh start in new ventures or revived inspiration for forgotten pursuits. There couldn’t be a better time to introduce a brand new magazine, starting what could be an entirely new chapter in many lives.

Laika, named as a tribute to the first dog in outer space and all other creatures treated unjustly, takes on a huge responsibility right off the bat. Serving up vegan content that anyone could happily digest, it takes the positive reinforcement approach that won me over so many years ago. It feels like a stroke of pure luck that I had the opportunity to be a part of the premier issue, and in a far bigger way than I could have imagined.

Based in Brooklyn, it was an easy hop, skip, and jump over to the site of Chef Merida’s Vegan Secret Super Club, an event that I had initially only planned to photograph. I hadn’t planned on becoming such fast friends with Julie, the magazine’s founder and editor, nor did I have any intention of writing a single word to grace those pages. Long story short, I ultimately submitted my first ever “real” article to the project, spanning numerous pages and delving far deeper than a mere recipe introduction ever could. Accompanied by my own photos, I feel almost as proud as Julie herself must be of the whole first issue. Of course, my penchant for creating and sharing is never satisfied, so I also was overjoyed to share a few thoughts on new, innovative vegan products, along with a recipe and photos.

It’s not at all a single-focus, food-only publication, despite my own edible additions. It’s the vegan lifestyle magazine that has been absent from news stands, that I’ve wanted all along. It’s about awesome, inspiring people, exciting events, innovative fashion, compassionate beauty and personal care, relationships- All that just happen to be vegan. This may just be the first issue, but it’s far from the last. Like 2013 itself, this is only the beginning of something great.

Hannah (BitterSweet)21 Comments

Coming to a Newsstand Near You

A new pair of months means a new VegNews, and for the March/April issue, it also means a new My Sweet Vegan column! After what felt like an inordinately long break, it’s time to break out the sugar and salt shaker, because I’m bringing the sweet and and the salty together for two easy, palate-pleasing candies.

Potato Chip Chocolate Truffles may steal the show, their intense, dark chocolate centers covered in crunchy shards of crushed potato chips, but Buttery Popcorn Brittle is not far behind in the lineup. Like kettle corn in one thick plank, it’s a new way to enjoy that classic theater snack with less muss and fuss. Both could be whipped up on a whim, and let me tell you, they make for excellent gifts… If you can bear to part with either treat.

In addition, I had the pleasure of shooting more savory delights by the lovely and talented Allison Samson. Bringing Cheesy Twice-Baked Potatoes to the party this time around, these rich spuds are not to be missed. Stuffed with creamy mashed potatoes and smothered in gooey “cheese” sauce, it may be tough to go back to plain baked potatoes after trying these tempting tubers.

Have you gotten your issue yet?  Of course, it’s packed full of other recipes, too, so there are plenty of equally attractive dishes to choose from.  What do you plan on making first?

Hannah (BitterSweet)23 Comments

A New Year, A New VegNews

One week of silence passes by with such ease in real life, each day barely even registering before the sun begins to recede once again. In blog years, it feels interminable, as if I’ve been a bad blog parent and terribly neglected my poor baby. Fully immersed in book writing, it’s hard to stumble out of my cave and into the blinding daylight, back into the usual routine. In my absence, 2011 has come to pass, and now we can only work to get the most out of this new year. The cycle begins anew. Top 10 lists or “best of” countdowns are not my cup of tea, so let’s dive right in, shall we? After all, you can’t move forward if you keep looking back [-Or else be prepared to walk smack into a wall sooner or later.]

Kicking off 2012 on a high note, the January/February issue of VegNews has got to be one of my favorites yet. I may not have contributed a column, but things came together beautifully from a design standpoint, featuring my photos in the best way possible. Focused on a fresh and clean theme, with sights set on a dietary fresh start for those who many have overindulged over the holidays, it’s exactly my speed. Bright, clean… And of course, undeniably mouthwatering compositions. Each recipe was a winner by all accounts, but here are just a few choice shots.

Banh Mi, by Robin Robertson, is sure to please aficionados of this popular Vietnamese sandwich. Strikingly simple and fresh in flavor, it definitely has the edge on the competition, skillfully blending contrasting elements into a perfect harmony. “Spicy and sweet, soft and crunchy,” but let’s not forget simple in preparation and complex in flavor!

Raw Pad Thai, by Gena Hamshaw. My first time ever working with kelp noodles, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy they were to work with, and enjoyable to eat. A bit more toothsome than the typically wheat-based pasta, they do soften quite nicely after a few minutes of marinating in any acidic sauce. Though I feared it would be a nightmare to style this odd, translucent strands, they impressed me from start to finish.

Dark Chocolate Truffle Tart, by Beverly Lynn Bennett. A sure-fire hit with any audience, this dessert pulls out all the stops without any effort. Versatile to a fault, it’s a snap to dress it up with any accompanying flavor you fancy, too. Peanut butter, mint, or orange; Any pairing is pretty much fool-proof.

Based on the initial evidence, there’s no doubt in my mind that this is gonna be a good year.

Hannah (BitterSweet)26 Comments

Cover-Worthy

Upon spying the November/December issue of VegNews, I couldn’t help but beam when I saw my photos on the cover! Yes, they are rather miniscule, but they’re still front and center all the same, and such a place of honor should mean a whole lot to any budding photographer.

Above image borrowed from Vegnews.Com

Some of my favorite shots from this issue include…

The surprisingly savory Dill Waffles with Beet Compote, by chef Jesse Miner, whom I finally had the pleasure of meeting a few months back. Let me tell you, this nontraditional breakfast or brunch offering will really cause a stir with early morning guests- I couldn’t stop eating them! Though I typically make big batches of waffles in advance and freeze them for later, these babies barely had a chance to even cool down before they were all devoured.

Gena Hamshaw brings the raw goodies as per usual, this time in the form of crunchy Almond Crackers and a very unique Orange Carrot Dip. The best part about this recipe is that it’s all-inclusive, providing an alternate low-temperature baking method in addition to the standard dehydrator approach. Both easy and elegant, they make for an excellent appetizer before a festive meal, or just a satisfying snack to tide you over on a busy day.

The real show-stopper recipe for this round was the Lasagna by Allison Samson, hands down. Layers of rich, homemade vegan ricotta and Parmesan, smothered with lovingly slow-simmered tomato sauce and all assembled in a towering noodle construction, it was a sight to behold. Though lasagna is one of my photo styling nemeses due to its often messy, unruly nature, this was a dream to capture, slicing beautifully, and showing off each layer with pride. This is the sort of recipe that would make anyone thrilled to eat lasagna instead of a grand roast on Christmas, even.

And that’s not the end of it, but before I go ahead and post the photos for the entire magazine, you’ll just have to check out a copy to see the rest. Don’t miss the holiday candy feature in particular! Though the photos came out looking fairly simple, it was quite a journey to get there. A highly worthwhile effort, I’d say!

Hannah (BitterSweet)45 Comments