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meat is for pussies book release party in los angeles
29June 24th, 2010vegan eventslast night, i was fortunate enough to attend the “meat is for pussies” release party, with food provided by david anderson and tal ronnen. i was already super excited about john joseph’s latest book, so when i heard that two of the best vegan chefs in the world would be catering the event, i knew i had to be there.
here’s a re-cap of the night.
finger foods were being served all evening, and while it was impossible to keep track of (or even taste) every dish, all the ones i tried were spectacular. my friends and i stood gathered around a table savoring the appetizers as they were brought out, and trying to figure out whether each one was created by tal or dave. there was an incredible mini-pancake/mushroom appetizer topped with some sort of cream (pictured above), as well as crackers topped with vegan cheese…
little jacket potatoes…
some kind of insanely tasty pot pie thing (i have no clue what was in it, but it ruled)…
sushi…
bigger maque SLIDERS!!!!!!! (these alone were worth the drive to downtown)…
cheesecake tarts…and several other desserts i don’t have pix of!
there was a very good crowd in attendance as well…
vegans
it was bustling, but not uncomfortably crowded…
more vegans
a nice intimate group.
john joseph was wandering around, mingling with folks and chatting with fans. we snapped a pic of him with molly from madeleine bistro.
john joseph and molly anderson
moby was even there! and boy, was he shocked to see me!
moby
later in the evening, chefs david anderson and tal ronnen took the stage to introduce john joseph…
chefs david anderson and tal ronnen
of course the crowd went nuts cheering the chefs, because their food was so awesome.
john joseph treated us to a brief talk on veganism and a reading from his book, “meat is for pussies.” john’s presence on stage was awesome and his words were beyond compelling. his no-nonsense style was motivating and i could tell that meat is for pussies would be both an entertaining and informative read.
overall, the party was fantastic, and i’m so glad i went! incredible food, great company, inspiring words, and a worthwhile cause. just another night in the life of a vegan!
be sure to pick 2 copies of “meat is for pussies”—one for yourself, and one for your favorite omnivore. also, buy tal ronnen’s cookbook, and eat at madeleine bistro as often as possible!
Tags: david anderson, john joseph, meat is for pussies, party, tal ronnen
29 responses to “meat is for pussies book release party in los angeles” 
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Never heard of any of these people but this all looks lovely!!
I didn’t even know vegan cheesecake tarts existed but now after seeing that photo with the little strawberries I simply must try one as soon as possible 😀
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Avistrange June 24th, 2010 at 09:25
I’m so bummed we missed this! I stayed home because I wasn’t feeling so hot. I’m loving the Moby shot and your PH style signature. 😉
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Schramm June 24th, 2010 at 09:30
event was so rad! pics are awesome (all of ’em)
15% of book proceeds from http://meatisforpussies.org/ go to feeding NYC homeless healthy vegan food, so don’t go to (schr)ammazon or borders, pay full price cheapskates!
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John Joseph is/was the frontman of the legendary New York hardcore punk band, The Cro Mags, whose album “Age Of Quarrel” is considered a classic both within the “hardcore world” and in the world of “heavy music,” overall. (This is a band that guys in bands like Metallica, Slayer, etc give massive props to.) He has an AMAZING frontman. He’s probably solely responsible for bringing Krshna-consciousness into underground music and was one of the first very vocal proponents in American hardcore/punk of vegetarian lifestyles.
His autobiography, “The Evolution of a Cro-Magnon,” is a great read; covers his life growing up in foster homes in the northeast, then his stint squatting in and around NYC as a teen, his exploration of religion, vegetarianism, fighting in the streets, selling drugs, quitting drugs and being a cornerstone of the vibrant 80s NY Hardcore scene. I highly recommend it. -
Laura June 24th, 2010 at 09:37
Super great time! Didn’t realize it was YOU there taking pics. I should have known when I saw the beauty shots being taken of the food. A vegan fantasy–amazing food, lots of tatoos, positive people trying to change the world!
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What?! I didn’t even see those pot pie thingies! And I totally missed out on the sliders. My god the food was amazing. Those twice stuffed fingerling potatoes had a wasabi kick and the smoked mushroom crepe/pancake thing was out of this world. I can’t get my mind of that food.
Everyone should go to the website and order the book. It is hilarious and really gets the message across.
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Oh! aAnother thing you guys should know. The owner of 2nd St. Jazz, Chef Ko, once had a vegan supper club there with Tal Ronnen. Chef Ko has bad ass skills in the kitchen and makes the best gardein carne asada tacos I’ve ever had. He has quite a few amazing vegan items on his menu. If you are in Little Tokyo and not in the mood for ramen or sushi, you gotta get some tacos. Seriously.
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Greg C. June 24th, 2010 at 10:13
Alright, how do I get in on shit like this!? …aside from stalking Dave Anderson.. 😉
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I just ordered my copy and can’t wait to read it. As a new vegan blogger, how do you get involved in these sorts of events?
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Wow I can barely recognize the place without People diving off the stage. Lol. The food looks damn good though!
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Screwdriver June 24th, 2010 at 11:39
I am an old punk…well still am, since 1979. Saw the Cro-Mags many years ago….funny how many references to veganism there is within the old punk scene.
Anyhow, looked like a cool event….wish I could of attended.
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PhilG June 24th, 2010 at 13:14
Moby was in a Punk/HC back in the early 80s as well. I forgot the name, but they were from Connecticut.
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Chicken June 24th, 2010 at 14:46
Screwdriver, Cro-Mags still play shows! Also, Moby’s old band was called The Vatican Commandos.
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Yep, Vatican Commandos. There’s also some “discrepancies” as to whether he may have played w/ Flipper for a short time, too.
The current Cro-Mags is technically called “Cro-Mags Jam” (due to the owner of the name not being involved, but it’s rarely billed as that) and only has John and Mackie from the original line up. Regardless, it’s fantastic.
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Cortney June 24th, 2010 at 15:04
While I love the fact that more books on veganism are being marketed to men to try and counter the cultural stereotype that “real men kill things and eat meat and don’t give a shit about their health or animals, rawr!” the book title kind of makes me cringe a bit. I have no objection with using the word pussy, but I do have an objection with toppling one gender stereotype by using another- aka, you’re a pussy, or have a pussy, or, in general are “weak” or “lame”. Calling a dude a pussy is a huge insult, and as the owner of a pussy it kind of grates on me as going right back down the road of defining what it means, i our cultural to “be a man” or to “have a pair” or whatever. This isn’t a “this book is sexist!” comment, just an observation that my happiness at the book being released was *just a bit* deflated by the cringing at the title.
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Cortney June 24th, 2010 at 15:05
*in our culture, not “i our cultural”. Who knows where that came from!
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Those of you that went to this event…
any one come across a pair of dark purple sunglasses with a silver accent/trim? I think I lost them there. I’m so picky when it comes to finding a pair of frames that fit my face. I am heart broken and too poor to buy a new pair.
🙁
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Gregalor June 24th, 2010 at 18:55
“John Joseph is/was the frontman of the legendary New York hardcore punk band, The Cro Mags, whose album “Age Of Quarrel” is considered a classic both within the “hardcore world” and in the world of “heavy music,” overall. ”
Age of Quarry?
eh? eh?
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Ms. Stephanie June 24th, 2010 at 18:59
I’m with Cortney…actually, I feel more strongly about it than Cortney, I think it’s a stupid, uncreative title. Why does one progressive movement have to undermine another in order to be successful? Because it’s trying to be hip and cool? That’s where the uncreative comes in – there are other ways out there. That’s also why I think PETA is lame, because of their uncreative, going for the T-and-A sex appeal ads.
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HA! Reed loves that you used his “Perez that shit up!” suggestion 😀
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That was an AWESOME event! The little pot pies were puff pastry shells stuffed with spinach artichoke dip (a Tal creation). I thought the strawberry tartlettes were the best of the desserts! Oh, and of the savory items, the one Bigger Macque slider I had was delicious and I loved those spicy spring rolls…YUM.
John Joseph made some very important points and he has a way of speaking that will reach a diverse audience. I’m looking forward to reading the book.
I am so grateful to have been a part of that celebration of veganism!
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Stephanie and Tatum- I’m glad you see where I’m coming from 🙂 And, specifically Stephanie, I have a huge problem with PETA for the very same reason.
Gauri Radha June 24th, 2010 at 09:18