Food Activism Through Vegan Fusion Cooking With Chef Mark Reinfeld (vegan), Part 1 of 3

On today’s program, we are delighted to introduce a multiple-award-winning vegan chef, author of many very top-selling vegan cookbooks, and vegan culinary consultant and trainer with more than 20 years of experience in developing unique and innovative gourmet vegan and raw food cuisine, including raw specialities. He is none other than the Celebrity Chef Mark Reinfeld.

“In 1989, I was on a Kibbutz in Israel, and I became vegetarian during that trip. I started seeing animals in their natural setting, and just experienced love and compassion for them, and that started me [on] becoming vegetarian. And then, shortly thereafter, I started learning about the practices of the meat, of the dairy and egg industry and especially regarding factory farming, and that led me to become fully vegan shortly thereafter.”

“I've brought my life into my career. I want to put my energy into helping the animals, helping the planet, and helping people live healthier. So, that's the most rewarding. I mean, as a chef, it's very satisfying to prepare food, serve it, and have people like it. You get a nice feeling from that. I like referring to it as food activism because we can say why it's important to eat plant-based or vegan, and everyone can say “OK, I'm onboard.” But then if they have foods that are not tasting good or satisfying, then it's not going to go very far. So, by helping people realize that they could have food that’s delicious and satisfying, good for their health, good for their environment, and can help protect animals, I think, it's a win-win all the way around.”

The remarkable vegan chef co-founded the Vegan Fusion Culinary Academy with his wife, Dr. Ashley, and friends Courtnay and Dave Dietz. The Academy opens in Boulder, Colorado, to train vegan chefs and also to provide vegan cooking classes for the public. Mark makes the following passionate opening statement on the Academy’s website: “The Vegan Fusion Culinary Academy is the culmination of my dream to bring mindfulness, passion and compassion to the culinary world by encouraging more people to discover the joy and benefits of plant-based cooking.”