Episode 123: “We should remember in our dealings with animals that they are a sacred trust to us…[They] cannot speak for themselves.”

Welcome to the 123^rd episode of Our Hen House, featuring professional basketball player (and vegan!), Milani Malik.

In today’s episode, we will tell you all about our experiences speaking at The Brooklyn Food Festival, including conversations that arose from Mariann’s panel, “The Ethics of Eating Meat,” and our – shall we say –– interesting… interactions with the “Milk Not Jails” table in the vendors’ area.

Joining us today is Milani Malik, a professor basketball player who has been vegan since birth. Milani will tell us all about her teammates’ reactions to her plant-based diet, her favorite foods that keep her strong, what it was like to be raised as a vegan – one of six kids, by the way, all raised vegan! – and what it’s like to be the only woman on a professional men’s basketball team.

For our review, Our Hen House’s reviewer Ari Solomon will give you the skinny on his favorite homemade vegan cheeses! They’re easier to make, and more delicious to eat, than you might think. (READ ON FOR HIS FAVORITE HOMEMADE RECIPE!)

All that, vegan banter, and of course, current events from the world of animal rights.

This week’s news items include:

• “Video Reveals Torture of Horses Trained to Win Championships” from ABC News 
• “Alleged abuse at GW Exotic Animal Park seen on tape” from CBS News
• “Pit bull opinion triggers protests” from The Washington Times 
• “Durbin, Vitter commend USDA rule to regulate online puppy sales” from CarmiTimes
• “Denny’s Moves to End Use Of Gestation Crates for Its Pork” from Huffington Post 
• “2012 A&L Poultry Sued” from Animal Place
• “We Could Be Heroes” from The New York Times
• “Betting Better Fake Chicken Meat Will Be As Good As The Real Thing” from NPR

“We should remember in our dealings with animals that they are a sacred trust to us…[They] cannot speak for themselves.” -Harriet Beecher Stowe 

Today’s episode is being sponsored by The Seed: A Vegan Experience, coming to NYC on June 16 and 17. Explore a compassionate and scrumptious plant-based world at The Seed: A Vegan Experience, featuring two full days of the finest food from New York’s famed vegan restaurant scene – the best in the world! Discover and delight in the latest cruelty-free products and services, world-renowned speakers, athletes and chefs, screenings of award-winning films, and eye-opening cooking demonstrations. Experience music and art that will make your heart sing, and enjoy stellar giveaways that will make your friends jealous.

You can listen to our podcast directly on our blog (below!) or you can listen and subscribe on iTunes. Also, if you like what you hear, please rate it on iTunes, and don’t forget to leave us a friendly comment!  Of course, we would be thrilled if you would also consider making a donation. If you’re a weekly listener, you might consider making a recurring monthly donation. Any amount is hugely appreciated, and Our Hen House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so it’s tax-deductible! Don’t forget — we’re reader and listener supported. Plus, we offer some fantastic thank you gifts for your donations. Thank you for helping us to create quality content, and for helping us bring you a new, hour-long podcast each week!

Bonus! 

On today’s episode, Ari Solomon will tell you about his favorite homemade vegan cheese recipes! These include raw rich cheddar cheese, and Ari’s very own Vegan Parmesan, a recipe he agreed to share with us!

Ari Solomon’s Vegan Parmesan
1 cup of walnuts
1 cup of nutritional yeast
1 tsp of sea salt
Put ingredients into food processor and blend until it’s the consistency of parmesan cheese sprinkles. For a tangy twist, add 1/4 tsp of lemon rind to the recipe!

Photo at top of blog: Ari Solomon’s homemade vegan muenster cheese! Photo by Ari Solomon. YUM!