SoulVeggie

Video/Audio Clip: "Thinking Outside the Pizza Box"

I've posted a short video clip with audio. The audio was the 1st (and only) practice take for the big DC pizza demonstration/presentation I did back in late January with VSDC (Vegetarian Society of DC).  This is my practice Intro, and I thought even unedited, it might be interesting to people.  I call it "Thinking Outside the Pizza Box."  The team and I made 9 16" pizzas from my cookbook to serve to 30 people. Wildly successful!

A quick bit of effort to also practice using the video/audio editing application I'm using.  It's limited (I'm used to higher end stuff), but I learned a few more things and that's part of the reason I spent the afternoon playing with it.

Note: I've no real control over the poster frame chosen, quite irritating). Here's the video embedded.

03/14/13: Mark's Interview w/ Dr. Don Wagner (stream/audio download)

"This is our second interview with Mark Sutton, author of Heart Healthy Pizza “Over 100 Plant-based Recipes for the Most Nutritious Pizza in the World”.  Dr. Don and Mark discuss many of the healthy alternatives to eliminating animal fats from your pizza and still making great tasting pizza.  The combination are almost endless. Treat yourself to a copy of this book direct from the author here."

How cool!  Dr. Don Wagner (who's interviewed close to 500 people over the past two years, on radio, such as Dr. Esselstyn, Dr. Goldhammer, Chef AJ, Dr. Fuhrman, Chloe, Dr. Pam Popper, Dr. Neal Barnard, Victoria Moran, Kathy Fisher, and the list is just too long to be complete here), asked me back for a another interview!  Am honored.  We had a great time, much more relaxed this time (we chatted for a long bit the night before).  As usual, Dr. Don asked some insightful questions and forced me to be serious for a few minutes...

They've built a new website (looks marvelous) and here's the page where you can listen to the audio stream or download the audio MP3:

http://www.drdonshow.info/2013/03/14/heart-healthy-pizza-cookbook-with-guest-mark-sutton/

Enjoy!  And, ahem, remember you can order autographed copies of the 1st Vegan Pizza Cookbook here.

 

"...Freaky Awesome Sauces & Pizza Amoebas..."

Love this FB post from Lori. Helps keep me working hard to get the word out about what my 5+ years of research into writing the 1st Vegan Pizza Cookbook (self-published) has accomplished in helping people to make the penultimate comfort food in a heart healthy way.

Here's the part of the quote/comment (among others), the link to it on Facebook (so damn cool to see a my book in the photo!) that's the source of photo and comments.

"...they turned out awesome, im not afraid to try the more complex ones now. This was the confidence I needed for some of those freaky awesome sauces I saw in the book (Heart Healthy Pizza)."

The photo she posted (click on for larger version):

Love that she called them "pizza amoebas" as I used that term, if memory serves, in describing the many shapes pizza can be.  You can see sample recipes, articles I've written ("in The Media"), the Foreward, Introduction, and Recipes index here. Among the recipes in the book, of course, there's some 60 "freaky awesome" cheese-like ones...

"Hooked on it:" The "Healthy Librarian" Makes More Pizza

It's alway gratifying to get positive feedback from people trying my recipes. Many have been skeptical that you can actually create "Heart Healthy" cheese-like sauces without expensive, nutritionally vapid, and fatty faux dairy cheeses.  Imagine my delight when the Healthy Librarian posted this on Facebook today:

 

@2012 by the Healthy Librarian (click for larger image)

 

"Friday night "Dinner & a Movie" & a home-brewed beer. Last night we streamed, "Bernie" http://tinyurl.com/c8whr6t Jack Black & Shirley MacLaine in a hilarious black comedy based on a true small Texan town's murder. Thoroughly enjoyed it, along with homemade pizza schmeared with "Heart Healthy Pizza's" millet, cashew, mustard sauce, & our fave toppings. I'm hooked on it. Great cheese substitute."

So so cool... she interviewed me last month, and it'll be neat to see it published soon.  A long time champion of a no-added oil plant-based diet, she's one of the most knowledgeable people regarding diet and nutrition I've ever interacted with. A real blessing. You can learn more about the 1st Vegan Pizza Cookbook, "Heart Healthy Pizza," here. Around 60 different "cheese-like" sauces amongst the 112 recipes. Namaste!

ADDENDUM:  1500 est:  Ms. Librarian added another comment of note:

"We were 100% happy & used to cheese-free pizza. But, after Mark Sutton asked me to try one of the toppings in his "Heart Healthy Pizza", I decided to give it a try. Oh baby, it really added a delicious creamy dimension to the pizza. No cheese WAS fine--but, this is BETTER! Worth a try & very cheap & easy to make. I'm going to try it on tacos or a taco salad."

1st Int'l Study of Heart Disease & Diet, a Heart Healthy Pizza Fix/Justification

I get a lot of questions about calling my book, “Heart Healthy Pizza:  Over 100 Plant-Based Recipes for the Most Nutritious Pizza in the World.”  Primary among them are “why are they “heart healthy” and something about the arrogance of calling them the “most nutritious pizza in the world.”  To that end, it’s gratifying to read of this new international study of some 30,000 people in 14 countries, that states, in summary:
“A new study shows older people with established heart disease who ate the most heart-healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, and nuts had a much lower risk of dying or having another heart attack or stroke than those who ate the unhealthiest diet.”  
From: “Healthy Diet Helps Damaged Hearts:”
...wouldn’t it be wonderful it they went a step further, following the 20+years of peer-reviewed research by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., that demonstrated that following a no-added oil/fat plant-based diet could not only reverse heart disease, but in theory, prevent it? Unfortunately, the study only recorded what people ate and not tested what would happen if they eliminated any animal proteins, dairy, or oil in their diet (for people without heart disease issues,eliminating nuts for those who don't).  As such, the study was, “gee whiz, this is what transpired” rather than any advance in nutritional science by attempting to determine what would happen with deliberate changes in diet, specifically, eliminating all animal products, dairy, and oil.
Still, it’s comforting to see the phrase “heart healthy” in the context of the dietary descriptions they used.
Back to my cookbook, the 1st vegan pizza cookbook.  Why did I call it “Heart Healthy Pizza?”  Simple.  It was inspired by and follows Dr. Esselstyn’s dietary recommendations.  He PROVED they work.  He reversed and, in theory, prevented heart disease.  In the study above, the researchers but noted that people approaching a no-fat plant-based diet, who’ve had heart issues in the past, had less future occurrences.  Wonderful, but by no means any solution.  They ate fish and consumed free oils.  The survival percentages would have been higher without the fish and added oil.
Now, the “most nutritious pizza in the world” phrase has gotten me some flack, but, without going into great detail, let me excerpt Dr. Michael Greger’s opinion in his review of my book as defense:
“Although it might seem arrogant and pretentious to call these the "most nutritious pizzas in the world," one would be hard pressed to think of any others that would be as healthy and beneficial to one's diet.  Mark takes full advantage of the abundance of phytochemicals in fresh vegetables and whole grains in these recipes to raise the bar on vegan cooking and demonstrates a unique and creative approach to making one of the most popular foods in the American diet not only a nutritious experience, but a enjoyable and tasty one as well.”
--- Dr. Greger’s review is here:
I’m comfortable knowing that the recipes in my book are heart healthy, mostly gluten-free, and enable one to make the most nutritious pizza in the world.  Studies like the one mentioned above are encouraging, despite their narrow and conservative approach. Here’s an excerpt from a review of my book by someone who died, and is now following Esselstyn’s recommendations:
"I dropped dead on a tennis court (and was lucky enough to be playing against a team with a cardiologist who did world class cpr for 12 minutes until a rescue squad arrived to shock me back to life). It took me about 30 seconds post-op from my bypass to adopt Caldwell Esselstyn's vegan cardiac disease reversal program. Though I ate a "good" diet most of the time, I was addicted to cheese pizzas for my whole (almost foreshortened) life. This book is a treasure. The visuals of the pizza are appetizing and valid relative to the finished product. The taste of the recipes I have undertaken is great. The nutrition is miraculous for a so-called comfort food. Thank you, Mark Sutton, for your tour de force collection of no oil vegan gourmet pizza. Incidentally, I run 10 k's, complete duathlons, and play USTA team tennis at the age of 64 on the Esselstyn diet.
- R.S. (Amazon book review)
I wrote this book, with over five years of research and experimentation (would have been years less if I hadn't interviewed Dr. Essy and decided to go "no oil"), to help people be heart healthy and vegetarians or "normal" people get over the "I'd miss pizza" whine."  So cool that it has.  Over half of men in the US will experience heart disease issues, over one-third of women.  It’s about diet, and the sooner the government and mass media recognizes and promotes that realization, the less the number of future deaths.  As Dr. Esselstyn notes, “heart disease is a food-borne disease.”  This number one killer of people in the world is not just expensively treatable by modern science, but CURABLE and preventable by a dietary no-oil plant-based science approach. 
And, you can still have your pizza fix.
Namaste, Mark  
(yeah, going to have to make the spine text title text on my book larger.... oh well...)
[Note: The photo above is a shot taken today of the first time I’ve seen my book in a health food bookstore.  Wow.  In good company!

Mad Cowboy Newsletter, Discounts for Holiday Vegan Pizza Cookbook

The latest issue of the Mad Cowboy Newsletter is now available online with a Holiday Discounts for purchased copies (autographed) of the 1st Vegan Pizza Cookbook, "Heart Healthy Pizza." Check out the discounts for 1 to 4 copies of the book at this link.

Here's the Introduction and Table of Contents to this edition:

"In this edition we are proud to announce the winners of last issue's Vegan Mind-Bender Contest and the Heart Healthy Pizza Cookbook Giveaway. There's also a gift-link for readers who want to purchase autographed copies of "Heart Healthy Pizza" at a Special Holiday discount. You'll also find a scathing and detailed rebuke of the "Paleo Diet" by Dr. John McDougall, disturbing historical statistics on soda and food serving sizes, and learn about internal concerns about outside food corporation's influence on Registered Dieticians.

Francis Moore Lappe weighs in with a fine rebuttal on the recent Stanford study that disses organics, Paul Shapiro on why meat consumption in the US is falling, what several vegan nutritional experts think about specific food products, and how a vegan first ran a 100 mile brutal ultramarathon. Further down you'll marvel at a recent Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness that essentially equates humans and animals, how SHARK is using drones to video illegal pigeon shoots, Hurricane Sandy's impact on companion animals, and about the "microflora" inside you. And don't miss our Vegan Digital Media Theater where there's a plethora of interesting media links.

 ... as always, a tip of the hat to our new subscribers: y'all can browse/search through past issues at the Mad Cowboy Newsletter Archives at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mad_Cowboy/

Best regards, Mark MC editor/webmaster

 

Table of Contents:

00: Quote(s) from Howard

01: The Vegan Mind-Bender Contest Winner/Challenge!

02: Heart Healthy Pizza Cookbook Winner & a Special Holiday Discount!

03: Mad Cow Info Round-Up

04: Paleo Diet Cruel, Soda & Food Serving Sizes, Dietician Dilemma

05: 15,000 Weather Records, Reckless Organics Study, Seasonal Food Map

06: Vegan Digital Media Theater

07: Giving Up Meat, Meat Sales Fall, Veg. Nutrition Experts, Run 100 Miles

08: Human=Animals, Animal Rights Drones, Sandy & Pets, Bugs Inside U

09: Quick Bytes

10: Closing Thoughts

 

Photos: "Vegucated," VSDC, and Compassion for Animals Event

Gary Loewenthal, of "Compassion for the Animals" Introduces the Veducated Documentary

One of the "perks" of having self-published my own cookbook, is that I make the decisions on whom to give complimentary copies to. I enjoy donating autographed copies for worthy causes (any other groups listening?). It's even more enjoyable when I can attend the event itself, meet with the raffle winners, and also get to know a bunch of people interested in a plant-based diet.

The Vegetarian Society of DC (via MeetUp) and Compassion for Animals sponsored a free showing of the marvelous documentary "Vegucated" this recent Sunday in Arlington, VA. I was fortunate enough to be in the DC area and have the time to stop packing for my trip back home for the Winter, to thoroughly enjoy this film with around 120 or more other people. Particularly cool, since I'm a life member of VSDC and haven't been around much the past several years (da Farm and creating/writing the book!).

Moreover, "Vegucated" is an impressive piece of work (and everyone involved should be highly commended for a 1st class effort). Writer/Director/Editor Marisa Miller Wolfson selects three people who've responded to her Craig's List Ad in New York, to be filmed as they go "vegan" for a month.  Impressively staged and photographed, the personal growth and understanding of the participants was wonderful to watch evolve over time.  Moments of humor over what to eat were laced with the horror of these people beginning to understand more about the terrible way animals are being treated as they are raised and then slaughtered for food (the later was not a major emphasis and shouldn't defer bringing impressionable children to view the documentary, imho).  This film covers statistics, medical information, helpful hints, and gives real insight to what veganism is (and isn't).  One of the best films I've seen in awhile that takes on the issue of being vegan, activism, and watching the growth of these three individuals was at times, riveting.

Kudos also go to VSDC and C4A for their dedication, hard work, and the incredible array of food and munchies available. The Arlington Library location had a superb parking facility and a fine room in which to meet, mingle, and watch. As Howard Lyman's webmaster and special projects guy (Howard wrote the Foreward to my book), it was also an unexpected delight to see him featured towards the end of this clever and very effective documentary. Highly recommended!  Much more enjoyable to watch with like (and soon to be like?) minds and such great company.  For me, a special end to several months of healing from an injury (staying in the DC area), and being able to return to marketing my cookbook a few months ago.  The experience gave me a lot to think about and I thoroughly loved the people interactions. A special event, a special film, and a special group of people.  Couldn't ask for much more (well, a few more of those evil vegan cupcakes...).

Here's some of the photographs I shot that night as a thumbnail matrix with imbedded links.  Enjoy!

College Exam #2: Heart Healthy Pizza Gets Another "A"

As noted in a previous post, I've always felt that one of the Ultimate Tests of a good pizza (plant-based, plant-strong, or not) is what College Students think of it. Having accomplished their 1st test, the infamous (and plant-strong) College Greens graciously sacrificed their intensive late-night weekly Saturday Night Study Period and Angry Bird Marathon (kidding... a fowl joke), to try another recipe from my book, "Heart Healthy Pizza."

A couple of days ago, via e-mail at the Engine2Extra Online Community, the results came in, with photos as well!  Here's what Tara had to say (unedited, and with her permission):

--------------

"WE MADE ANOTHER PIZZA THIS WEEKEND!!!! And once again... SUCCESS!!!!

This time, we made the whole wheat black bean crust with the quick italian tomato sauce. We loaded the pizza with spring mix greens, red cabbage, orange bell pepper, portobello mushrooms, and green peas. Then we topped it off with tofu and lemon sauce.

Yum yum yum YUM!!!! A deliciously delightful Saturday night treat :)  

We took pictures this time!! [Note: click on photo for larger version]

College Greens Photo of Pizza Before Topping Sauce

   

Just showing the veggie-licious toppings before we added the un-cheese sauce :)

College Greens Pizza w/ Tofu Lemon Topping

Fully prepared and cooked!!! READY TO EAT! yaaaaaaaaay :D

College Greens Pizza After Being Visciously Assaulted

Forty minutes later....

I don't know whether you saw or not, but Craig took a slice with him as his lunch the next day when he went hiking at Rickett's Glen. His friend took a picture of the half-eaten slice of pizza over the waterfall and I tagged you in the picture on facebook :)

Anyways, it was another weekend of plant-strong pizza yumfest!!! Thanks SO MUCH for letting us play around with this book, it's been so much fun and so deliciously scrumptious :) We plan to make at least one more pizza before doing the full review. But I don't think you have anything to worry about. We're already sold :)

Hugs, happies, healthies,

  Tara :)" 

-----------

So cool!  I did tell them that plant-strong people are advised by the Engine2 Diet Team, and rightly so, to use tofu sparingly and as a treat as it's high in fat (and being processed, lacks fiber).  Regardless, I was intrigued by the toppings the students chose. Am very proud of their ingenuity and continued dedicated efforts to eat a healthy no-added oil plant-based diet. They are setting a high bar, but still taking the time to share the results (and their advice) with others.  Here's some of their articles.

After feeling a tad cantankerous with a recent birthday, it's refreshing to see such well-placed optimism, creativity, and joie de vivre!

Namaste... Mark

 

Heart Healthy Pizza Passes 1st College Exam!

What is the ultimate test of a good vegan pizza?

"The South American" Sweet potato, quinoa, corn "cheese-like" topping, collards, tomato slices, + Trader Joe's Mix: chopped broccoli, carrots, green cabbage, red cabbage, jicama, green bell pepper, radish, celery.

I've often wondered about this serious and sociologically earth-shattering issue while spending close to six years researching alternatives to the fatty, saturated dairy and non-dairy cheeses used with abandon on what could be a very nutritious meal, but in the United States has degenerated into a savage nutritional orgy of calories, animal flesh, fat, salt, and general dietary undesirables promoting a biological descent into the ravages of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and Type II diabetes... and that's just the watered down summary of what I think (trust me, it's not a pretty picture inside)... moving on...

Still, the Big Questions kept arising during my research: would a meat or dairy-eater enjoy one of my vegan pizzas?  Would someone of native Italian descent relish one of my recipes?  What would Oprah think?

But the test that had me worried the most, The Ultimate Eval (pun intended) that had me wake up in a cold sweat at night, trembling with anxiety in the wee hours of the morning as I drifted, ghost-like through my internal house of fears was:  college students.  That unique and feral species of energetic quasi-humans destined to eventually guide us into assisted living and run the planet.  What would THEY think?

Even now, I can remember the anxiety of wondering whether or not one of my heart-healthy plant-based pizzas could pass an examination by carnivorous and/or plant-strong college students, well known for their highly discriminate palettes (unless the food is free or cheap or is food).  Would it pass muster?  Would they show up at my door, pelting me with left-over globs of "cheese-like" sauce, chanting "Daiya! Daiya!?"  Would a big red "F" replete with a dripping font, be plastered across my book's website, and an animated giff show up of Guy Fawke's smiling face, taunting me? Laughing?

Well, I'm proud to say that the first test results are in.  Below I've posted, with permission, a letter I received from the newly and growingly infamous "College Greens." 

The College Greens (Ann Esselstyn in red) from "Engine2Extra.com"

This idealistic group of plant-strong college students have vowed to "get healthy while their warranty is still valid" through following the recommendations of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Rip Esselstyn, and the whole Engine2 Diet team:  a no-added oil, plant-based diet.

 

A few weeks ago, intrigued by what I read about them (as part of the fantastic Engine2 Extra online community) and their dedicated efforts to encourage other college students everywhere to eat a healthy plant-based diet.  I tempted fate, rolled the Dice of the Gods, threw RDA's of salt over my left shoulder, and sent them a copy of my cookbook.  Part of me giggled, part of me was wondering "WHAT HAVE I DONE?"  

Patiently I waited, day pages from printed calendars flying in front of me like in an old black'n'white cartoon (just got to get that window fixed)... then, the word came back, October 4th, 2012 A.D.  The first test results were in.  Shaking and stirred, I opened the e-mail.  And... 

"Hi Mark!!

Craig and I (Tara) did end up making a pizza last weekend for the party. And it was a HUGE hit!!!! We made the oat crust, with raw tomato sauce, then onions, mushrooms, spinach, and artichokes, and topped with the cannellini bean, oregano, and walnut sauce! :) Herbies and Omnivores alike were impressed :) We had a number of different people ask about the recipe, and we told them about your awesome book!!! 

One critique that we got, as cooks, was to make the pizza crust thinner. It wasn't overly thick, but a couple of people mentioned that they would have preferred a crispier crust. I don't know whether these crust recipes have the potential to be crispy or not, but we will experiment with crust thickness in our next attempt :)

I'm not sure when the next pizza-making extravaganza will occur, but we will keep you posted!!! :)

And as for your black halloween pizza... how about olives and carrots? :)

Wishing we had more pizza leftovers,

Tara, -The College Greens"

That's just so [expletive deleted] cool! Survived mid-terms. Hot [short series of very disturbing juvenile expletives deleted].  Of serious note, too, is that the C.G.'s  are planning to run some more tests and do their own review of the book to be published online (I did tell them that reducing the water in the gluten-free oat crust might enable it to be "rolled" thinner (between wax paper sheets, but in general, getting a thin crust with some GF recipes isn't easy). Experimentation is always advised.

But, so far, so good.  Now onto the Finals!  Maybe I can finally sleep again... for awhile...  (huh? what's this "pizza leftover" concept they speak of?"... I keep wondering and mumbling incessantly in the wee hours of the morning...).

Who ARE these people, you ask??  Find out more below:

ABOUT THE COLLEGE GREENS • ARTICLES BY THE COLLEGE GREENS

My 1st Radio Interview Audio is Now Available Online!

My interview on the Dr. Don Wagner Show (09/27/12) is now availble as a streaming and downloadable mp3 audio file (http://bullheadurgentcare.com/archives/playfiles/09262012p.html).

It's about 50 min. in length.  Dr. Don was great. The audio quality deteriorates a bit due to Skype issues, so I had to live with audio artifacts (echo/reverb) in my ears most of the time and my vocal level gets a bit uneven as a result in 2nd half).

Definitely check out his mp3 Archives of previous interviews (http://bullheadurgentcare.com/archives/). Some very interesting people! Honored to have been asked, and my appreciation to Dr. Don for the opportunity and experience.