Japan Art and Horses (Zen Buddhism)

Lee Jay Walker

Modern Tokyo Times

The stunning print of a horse and sled by Kawano Kaoru(1916-1965)highlights the independent spirit of this esteemed individual.

His early childhood during the Taisho Period (1912-1926) impacted his thought patterns. Kawano belongs to thesosaku hanga(creative prints)movement that enabled individualism and creativity to a higher degree within the traditional settings of printmaking during the Edo Period.

Aoyama Seizan (print above) produced amazing Zen-style horses in the 1920s and 1930s. However, little is known about this unique individual.

He understood the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra. Henceforth, his art pieces of horses pertain to a different law of movement that transcends reality.

Nichiren said,Life is indeed an elusive reality that transcends both the words and concepts of existence and nonexistence. It is neither existence nor nonexistence, yet exhibits the qualities of both. It is the mystic entity of the Middle Way that is the ultimate reality. Myo is the name given to the mystic nature of life, and Ho, to its manifestations. Renge, which means lotus flower, is used to symbolize the wonder of this Law. If we understand that our life at this moment is Myo, then we will also understand that our life at other moments is the Mystic Law.

The final print is by Maekawa Senpan (1888-1960). He studied oil painting under Asai Ch and other instructors at the Kansai Art Academy. However, Maekawa moved on to thesosaku hanga(creative prints)artistic movement.

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Japan Art and Horses (Zen Buddhism) Modern Tokyo Times - Modern Tokyo Times

Glass flowers nestled inside hunks of glass finely shaven down with diamonds. A mesmerizing orb that appears to be floating, but is in fact just a two-dimensional acrylic painting on canvas.

At the entrance to "Fooling the Eye: Optics of Vasarely and Kuhn," visitors will notice an array of small glass orbs and paperweights that look like they have actual flowers inside. But it's all an optical illusion, an imaginary world embedded in glass created by artist Paul J. Stankard.

"[Stankard] is really known for hidden details, so if you look at the roots of some of the pieces, they have hidden figures and then the mirror helps reflect the bottom of them so that you see the faces and things like that," said Cafesjian Art Trust Museum Executive Director Andy Schlauch.

Inside the gallery, there are more than 40 works by two artists who are known for creating optical illusions in their art. Glass artist Jon Kuhn's laborious glass sculptures, many of which take several years to complete, often have geometrical designs embedded in them and reflect slices of rainbow-tinted light onto the floor and the walls, and are influenced by Eastern philosophies. Hungarian-born artist Victor Vasarely (1906-1997) is known as the grandfather of Op Art the 1960s movement where artists used geometric shapes and perspectives to create eye-bending visual effects.

The majority of the work in this show comes from the Cafesjian Art Trust Museum's collection, which houses more than 3,000 works of primarily glass art.

"Kuhn reveals things in his work, and Vasarely plays with your depth perception," Schlauch said. "I thought it would be fun for people to learn about how artists figure out how the brain works before psychologists even did in the 1960s, which led to the Op Art Movement, but artists have been doing it since the Renaissance."

A visual connection

Often, the two artists play off each other, even though they weren't necessarily in each other's lives, though this is the second time that Kuhn and Vasarely have been in an exhibition together. The first time was at the Dennos Museum Center in Traverse City, Mich., that also happened to be Kuhn's first museum show.

In Kuhn's rainbow-hued "Joseph Ribbon," 2019-2022, he shapes glass into a twisting line, creating various deep angles, then affixes it atop a silver stand that one can spin (but only in specific ways, lest the glass get scratched). Kuhn's sculpture feels like a physical manifestation of Vasarely's optical illusionary paintings "Gestalt MC," 1980, a checkered seemingly three-dimensional cube, and "Kezdi (Start)," 1990, a similar cube but with lines of color.

Kuhn, who speaks with a slight Southern accent and is based in North Carolina, got into glassmaking accidentally. He was originally a potter, then a furniture designer. He was working on a master's degree in furniture design and the department head was a glass blower, and he got curious about glass. After the first semester, he realized he was spending more time in the glass studios than the woodshop and switched to glass. At the time, he felt it better fit his personality.

"I am philosophical, but woodworkers seemed more philosophical than glass blowers," Kuhn said last week at the museum. "Glass blowers are more mercurial."

Kuhn's three-part series, "Untitled," 2012, "Blue Line," 2012, and "Grand Disruption," 2013-2015, a series of framed glass works, some of which look like sound waves made of tiny diamonds, was inspired by his divorce. He has since remarried.

"It was all chaotic in the middle, then going in opposite directions," Kuhn said, pointing to the triptych of framed artworks. "And then this one went in opposite directions but toward the end, there's order."

Despite being a glass artist, Kuhn is still interested in philosophy.

"I started with Zen Buddhism and moved to Confucianism and I Ching, and I've meditated for most of my life, and now I do a lot of breathing meditation," he said. "I don't follow any particular teacher or guru or anything. After a while, you realize that it's all in the breath."

'Fooling the Eye: Optics of Vasarely and Kuhn' |Where: Cafesjian Art Trust Museum, 4600 Churchill St., Shoreview When: Ends May 4. Info: cafesjianarttrust.org or 612-359-8991. Cost: Free. Hours: The museum is open for tours only at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Thu.-Sat. Make a reservation via cafesjianarttrust.org or 612-359-8991.

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Optical illusion art on display at Cafesjian Art Trust Museum in ... - Star Tribune

The Asian country was one of the last destinations to fully relax its pandemic travel restrictions, but is wide open once again

My elevated viewpoint is from my room at Hotel Groove Shinjuku one of two hotels in the new 48-story skyscraper (the other is Bellustar Tokyo), which has bars, restaurants and cinemas. Tokyu Kabukicho Tower opened in May in Shinjuku one of Tokyos liveliest areas, as I discover when stepping outside to explore. Everything hits all my senses at once. Its around 34C, and there are crowds of people walking in every direction many under parasols for shade from the sun. Every building has rows of colourful signs, and there are billboards high up playing noisy ads. The air is filled with tempting food aromas.

Theres so much to take in. The black and white pedestrian crossing is the widest Ive ever seen; the streets are spotless. Theres a sign for an Inu (dog) caf. You can rent an umbrella. Electronic music blares from gaming centres. Everything is huge Shinjuku is Japans largest entertainment district, with thousands of bars and restaurants. Its train station is so busy (around 3.6m people a day pre-Covid), its in the Guinness Book of Records.

Kabukicho tower in Tokyo. Picture: Y Kuronuma

Apart from the new skyscraper, Im interested to see what has changed since the pandemic my last visit was in February 2020, just before Japan closed its borders for two-and-a-half years (it lifted the last of its vaccination and testing requirements in April of this year).

On my first morning in Tokyo, I visit some of the citys most popular sites. The first is TeamLab Planets (teamlab.art), an art museum with live installations you can walk through.With your entire body, immerse, perceive and become one with the art reads a sign at the entrance. Some of the rooms are filled with knee-deep water where koi fish dart along the surface. Others have thousands of flowers. The Infinite Crystal Universe has thousands of LED lights. Its a thrilling experience and of course, an Instagrammers paradise.

Another Insta hotspot is Shibuya Scramble the famous pedestrian crossing which sees up to 300,000 people a day. Its fun to cross with the crowd. Viewing it from Shibuya Sky, on the top of the Shibuya Scramble Square skyscraper, the people look like tiny ants.

Its easy to get to and around Tokyo. I flew from Dublin to Haneda via Helsinki with Finnair, theres a direct bus from the airport to Kabukicho Tower and the subway system is efficient. But Tokyo is busy, so Im thankful to meet tour guide Kenji KJ Murakami from Inside Japan, who knows where to go. To get away from the crowds, he suggests Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine surrounded by forest in the city.

The executive room at Hotel Groove Shinjuku Tokyo

As we step through the Tori entrance gate, we bow to the deities as we pass symbolically from the ordinary world into the sacred one. We walk along peaceful tree-lined paths and KJ tells me stories of Japans emperors, Samurai and Shogun rulers. The shrine is dedicated to Emperor Meiji, who contributed much to the modernisation of Japan after the Edo period of seclusion ended in 1868. Thousands of trees and an inner garden with a lily pond and teahouse make it feel like a rural retreat.

KJ says more things are becoming automated in Tokyo because of the manpower shortage, especially since the pandemic. We see an unmanned convenience store and a sushi bar where the food circulates on conveyor belts. Theres a long wait for a table, so we go to Gusto restaurant, where you order on an iPad and a robot comes with the food. It whizzes around on wheels and doesnt interact with us, but its still a novelty.

KJ says there are pros and cons to automation. Automated things are not so expensive, but communication and conversations are gone, he says.

It can sometimes feel lonely if youre alone.

Most visitors to Tokyo go to TeamLabs, Meiji Shrine, and Sensoji Temple, Japans oldest which dates back to 628, he adds. Younger people love to go to the anime shops and Pokmon and Nintendo game centres.

We finish at an izakaya a bar which serves food after navigating a network of streets behind the railway track to find a tiny alley lined with bars. Over the music, the buzz of conversation, and the rumbling of trains, we order dishes of cabbage in seaweed, bonito (fish) with green peppers, skewers of delicious beef, and beers.

Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, Kyoto

After a whirlwind couple of days in Tokyo, I board the Shinkansen bullet train for Kyoto, two hours away. After Tokyos crowds, I am thrilled to arrive at Hotel The Mitsui to find a low-rise building on a quiet street. My room overlooks the peaceful central garden with a large pond and theres an underground spa fed by a hot spring.

Its my first time in Kyoto, so I plan to see some main sites and some quieter ones. I meet Inside Japans Insider guide Van Milton, a Kyoto expert who also leads two-week Japan tours. He talks me through the citys layout and history. With more than 1,200 temples and shrines, its regarded as Japans historic centre.

We visit Myoshin-ji, Japans largest Zen Buddhist temple complex with 46 temples. One of them, the Taizo-in Zen Buddhist Temple, dates back to 1404. Here, we stroll beautiful Japanese gardens, admire Zen art and marvel at rock gardens where pebbles are raked into patterns. Its peaceful and uncrowded.

Another temple, Horin-ji Temple, dedicated Daruma-daishi, the founder of Zen Buddhism, has 8,000 daruma dolls inside. Its fun to see the different forms of the distinctive round red dolls. In the late afternoon, we visit the famous Fushimi Inari Shrine, with its rows of red tori gates. There are lots of people at the start of the trail, but the gates stretch right up Mount Inari it takes around 1.5 hours to reach the top, so the crowds fall away further along the trail.

I ask Van about the problems of overtourism the citys population is 1.4m and visitor numbers reached 53.2m in 2019. He says that sometimes at the train station or at Fushimi Inari, its so packed he cant see the ground. Theres a taxi shortage many drivers left during Covid-19, others are ageing out and residents get frustrated when local buses fill up with tourists.

Van says an opportunity was missed to rethink tourism when Japan closed its borders during the pandemic, but just after my visit, Kyoto announced some overtourism countermeasures such as extra bus services and signage for visitors. The Japanese tourism ministry followed suit, announcing plans to draw visitors away from hotspots like Tokyo and Kyoto to lesser-known areas.

Van says the less touristy areas can offer just as much to visitors. People need to realise whats just beyond Kyoto, he says. The towns have the same history Kyoto has. Theres so much within two hours of the city. Farm stays, hot springs, sake breweries. And you barely see another foreigner.

Read our Japan travel bucket list here

Finnair flies from Dublin to Tokyo via Helsinki from 993 in economy, 1,127 in premium economy and 2,275 in business class return. The layover in Helsinki is about three hours. finnair.com

A seven-day Japan Rail Pass for travel anywhere in Japan starts from 336. japan-rail-pass.com

InsideJapan Tours offers private or self-guided trips to Japan. The 14-night Best of Japan self-guided trip costs from 2,340pps (ex flights) including accommodation, transport, some guiding and experiences. InsideJapantTours.com

Irish passport holders do not need a visa for tourist visits of up to 90 days.

Yvonne Gordon stayed at Hotel Groove Shinjuku Tokyo (hotelgroove.jp) and Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto (hotelthemitsui.com/en/kyoto).

If youre not staying in the Tokyo Kabukicho Tower, consider booking in for dinner at Jam 17 restaurant and bar on the 17th floor (hotelgroove.jp/en/jam17) for epic night views across the city.

Yvonne was a guest of Finnair, Hotel The Mitsui, InsideJapan Tours and Tokyo CVB. For more information on things to see and do in Tokyo, see gotokyo.org, and for Kyoto, see kyoto.travel.

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Big in Japan: My post-pandemic trip to Tokyo and Kyoto - Irish Independent

Art

Kettles Yard, Cambridge What happened when the Chinese artist Li Yuan-chia turned an old barn in Cumbria into a free-form space that attracted everyone from Delia Derbyshire to Andy Goldsworthy? Find out in this captivating group show

I can hardly think of a more uplifting show for the dying days of autumn than Making New Worlds at Kettles Yard in Cambridge. Everything about it is bright, beautiful, hopeful and as amiable as the subtitle suggests. For the Chinese artist Li Yuan-chia (1929-94) had many friends, and attracted so many more to his extraordinary museum in Cumbria in the 1970s that over 300 artists eventually came to work in Banks, a remote village beside Hadrians Wall. This show is filled with their spirit.

Li, as he was known, was born in Guangxi and studied in Taipei, where he co-founded the Ton Fan group, who found global fame as Taiwans first abstract artists. He was rapidly spotted by European curators and shown alongside Derek Jarman and Yoko Ono in the newly opened Lisson Gallery in 1967. He was much praised for his airy white panels of magnetic discs that could be moved in endless permutations, casting an infinite variety of shadows; objects of contemplation that are exquisitely made.

There is one here, in an opening gallery of Lis own works introducing his idea of the cosmic point. This is both Blakeian the world in a grain of sand and spiritual, drawing on Zen Buddhism and Taoism. The dot becomes a circle, embracing a world within itself. It becomes a disc, then multiplies, unfolding in delicate paint across watercolour scrolls: grey, vermilion, gold and night black in sequence, condensing the diurnal passage of time.

It proliferates on paper and canvas, in loops and bubbles, rising upwards like laughter; it is a disc hanging over an undulating line like the moon over evening hills. It is a drop of water, a second in time or a dark medallion, black on white, expanding like radiating sound.

Lis kind of abstract painting was at once poetic and conceptual, played out in sparse tones and elegant forms. Some of the earliest works here, from the 1950s, conflate overtones of Joan Mir with ancient Chinese watercolour. But with the move to the village of Banks, into a stone farmhouse with outbuildings on a patch of land loaned him by the painter Winifred Nicholson, the local landscape begins to enter, quite literally, with the bark and branches found on the ground.

Installed upright, in a vertical pageant, these fragments of a wood amount to a glade in themselves. A series of Lis discs, mirror-bright and suspended before them, turn the scene into a living, open-air day.

Lis art so lyrical, so condensed sets the tone for everything that follows. The young Andy Goldsworthy came to work at Banks. Photographs record his early land art, in which Goldsworthy walks the locale, collecting sticks around Hadrians Wall, which he then throws into the air above him like spillikins: dark fireworks against a pale sky. The young David Nash also arrived, turning twigs into drawings and sculptures, piling branches, ragwort and peat into sculptural forms on the floor.

Artists used humble shelves and cupboards for their installations at the Li Yuan-chia Museum and Art Gallery (LYC). Shelagh Wakelys array of fragile containers in transparent resin, unfired clay and papier-mache, conjuring the memory of a long-ago urn, are laid on a slab just above the floor. Lis own calligraphic abstractions, painted on hessian and given to friends, occasionally doubled as draught excluders.

There was no hierarchy at Banks. Rag rug workshops went on alongside high-end conceptualism, childrens print-making beside the most refined abstraction. Some of what you see appears timeless haiku carved into modest wooden tiles and some of it exactly of its time: a pair of clear Perspex cylinders, inside which pink and blue discs seem to multiply through their own dancing reflections.

Unlike the Bauhaus, with its academic programme, the community at the LYC was never doctrinaire. This art is always expansive in its notion of what could be made with, and of, the landscape. Here is a silver-leafed stone, dropping like some shining meteorite from the sky. Or a miniature ship nearly lost between towering waves, all made from shards of local slate.

The music of the spheres, as it seems, ripples through the galleries. This is a homage to Delia Derbyshire, pioneer of electronic music, composer of the Doctor Who theme, who went to live and work with Li in 1976. True to the LYC ethos, her work has been remixed with ambient sound from present-day Banks by the academic David Butler. You might hear a sheep bleating as you look at an image of the landscape.

Most works are by artists who visited the LYC the Benedictine monk Dom Sylvester Houdard, whose concrete poetry evokes the waves of time and tide; the light works of Liliane Lijn. Others continue what was there. An ephemerally beautiful film by the Taiwanese artist Charwei Tsai (b.1980) shows a dark circle, described with a Chinese watercolour brush, appear and then gradually dissolve: a storm sweeping in, then passing away.

The curators of this show have worked with exceptional dedication to present another story of art in this country, patiently rediscovering many works by Li that were scattered after the closure of the LYC in 1983. They even found an early stained-glass panel by David Nash among the relics of Lis great enterprise. It is suspended in a tall window at Kettles Yard, its beautiful blue disc rhyming with the clock of the Cambridge church outside.

And time, in the end, becomes the essence of this captivating show. Not just Lis own idea of time as constantly circling, and never linear; but of a time when the art world was open-hearted, nobody was restricted by museum and market structures, by whos in and whos out of this colossal money-spawning industry. When a spirit of generosity and curiosity prevailed, and everyone was invited to make something out of almost nothing, to make a new world of the imagination, as envisaged by this remarkable man.

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Making New Worlds: Li Yuan-chia and Friends review the open invitation of one remarkable man - The Guardian

Dutch companyWillicroft, Europes first plant-based cheese brand to achieveB-Corp certification, announces the launch of a crowdfunding campaign to support the release of its latest development at retail and food service in 2024: Willicroft Original Better, a vegan butter made using beans and fermentation.

Its like butter, but better!

Willicroft aims to raise 350,000 through a convertible loan agreement (CLA) via Seedblink. Individuals or investors will have two options to convert the loans into equity shares in the company:a valuation cap of 7.5 million or a 20% discount. As the company explains, the likely conversion date of the CLA is set for Willicrofts Series A in early 2025.

The campaigns goal is 475,000; however, Willicroft already has 125,000 committed offline by existing investors.

Regarding returns, the company believes it is well-positioned to continue expanding and is projecting a revenue of 1.85 million for 2024. 1.35 million will come from new customers, and 500,000 from existing customers. 60% of the income is expected to come from sales of the new plant-based butter.

According to the Dutch company, three Michelin-starred restaurants will use the product from January onwards, and it has secured listings with industrial bakers, caterers, retailers, and wholesalers.

Figures fromResearchAndMarketsshow that the vegan butter market is expected to grow significantly from 2023 to 2030.Health-conscious consumers are driving the demand, as it is considered a healthier alternative to butter.

Willicroftsbutter is described as a clean-label alternative to butter, but better, suitable for spreading, cooking, and baking. The company claims that it is Europes first vegan butter made using a traditional method called precise fermentation.

The process transforms beans into butter using non-GMO bacteria, while unlocking the beans nutrition into the butter and replicating butyric acid, a key element in butters flavor. The final product,compared to dairy butter, contains 10-15g less saturated fat per 100g, melts at the same temperature, and is seven times more sustainable.

Willicroft is an environmentally focused company. It initially made its products using cashews but later adapted its recipes to legumes, which are said to have a smaller carbon footprint than nuts.

In 2021, Capital V, the VC firm founded by prolific vegan investor Michiel van Deursen, invested in the company. In 2022, Willicroft raised 2 million to launch a spreadablebean-based cheese in the UK, Germany, and the Nordics. In the Netherlands, its range is available at retailers Albert Heijn and Jumbo.

Were bringing what we believe is Europes most delicious plant-based butter to market Willicroft Original Better. Its like butter, but better! says Willicroft.

The crowdfunding campaign will go live on the 20th of November, 2023.

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Willicroft Launches Crowdfunding Campaign for New Clean-Label ... - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine

College prepared Pinky Cole well to be the CEO of a $100 million company, she says just not in the way you might think.

Cole, 35, runs Slutty Vegan, an Atlanta-based vegan burger chain with 11 locations across Georgia, New York and Texas. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in mass media arts from Clark Atlanta University, one of the city's historically Black colleges and universities, in 2009 and says the classes she took don't really help her in her day job.

But that didn't make college worthless, she says.

"I'm going to be totally transparent with you. When I went to college, all the stuff that I learned, I don't remember [any] of it," Cole tells CNBC Make It. "What I do remember is the relationships that I built along the way."

Her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, for example, taught her leadership skills and professionalism, and gave her relationships with people she "still connects with to this day," she says. When she happens to see former classmates at conferences or business meetings, finding avenues for potential partnerships is easier because "we've already built a rapport."

"The people who I went to school with are now executives and CEOs of some of the biggest companies in the country, but I've been able to build those relationships before they became these big-time executives," says Cole. "So the relationship is organic, it's authentic."

Indeed, Clark Atlanta's alumni range from pop stars to politicians. Chance encounters at homecoming events can lead to business opportunities which is likely the case for many schools, not just Cole's alma mater.

That's valuable: Networking can result in higher quality job offers and help you climb the corporate ladder faster, according to 2016 research from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. And while it's certainly possible to connect with high-powered people without a shared academic experience, college graduates tend to have better career prospects and financial outcomes than high school-only graduates.

College graduates earned 75% more last year, on average, according to the San Francisco Fed, a research nonprofit. College graduates also reported a 2% unemployment rate last year, compared with 7% for their counterparts, the National Center for Education Statistics reported.

Cole's own college experience was worth every penny, purely due to those connections she's made, she says.

"If I could turn back the hands of time, I would do it all over again ... spend $200,000 to go to school, to make some relationships and network with those people," she says. "Because guess what, your network is your net worth."

Her advice to anyone on the fence, she adds: "By all means, I believe that you should go, because the relationships, if nothing else, will be the thing that will support and carry you [on your career journey]."

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35-year-old CEO of $100 million company: I 'dont remember' anything I learned in collegehere's why it was valuable anyway - CNBC

The Vegan Muva Experience (Sumpters Facebook tag) has been up and running for a little more than a year. A personal chef and small-event caterer, Sumpter offers a range of plant-based entrees and even homemade ice cream with a rotating menu that drops each Thursday and Sunday with deliveries throughout Berkeley and Dorchester counties.

Some of her clients favorites include the Buffalo Chickn Eggrolls, a sandwich made with Sumpters famous jackfruit-based Barbie Q, the Grinder Salad Sandwich and the comforting Veggie Pot Pie, not to mention her dairy-free ice creams, with flavors such as butter pecan, vanilla and oatmeal chocolate chip. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, The Vegan Muva is offering her Veggie Lasagna as a plant-based holiday alternative to turkey, at $50 a pan.

Sumpters favorite kitchen staples feature an array of mushrooms, including lobster mushrooms, many fresh peppers and an extravaganza of seasonings. Her Lobster Mushroom Pasta and "Lobster" Bisque almost always make it on her revolving menu, as do the Jerk Fried Chikn Pasta and Chikn Philly Fries. The signature pink-clad kitchen magician often says shes using 122 seasonings at her stove on any given day.

Sumpter said the two main concerns people have about a vegan diet are they wont get enough protein and it just wont taste good. Many vegetables and grains, and even some vegan condiments such as nutritional yeast contain protein, though. Combining them well, such as pairing chickpeas or black beans with sunflower seeds or spooning a little peanut or almond butter into your oatmeal, offers the complete protein and the amino acid chains the body needs to function, even at highly athletic levels.

Some well-known vegan athletes include tennis stars Venus Williams and Martina Navratilova, champion boxer Mike Tyson and Olympic track-and-field gold medalist Carl Lewis.

My meals are geared toward those who are afraid to step away from meat-based diets but are looking to transition into a vegan or vegetarian approach to food. My particular specialty is making dishes that are similar to meat-centered cuisine. I take the fright out of making that transition, Sumpter said. The Charleston area is just now gearing toward plant-based lifestyles, but Ive been doing vegan markets, so between that and Facebook, people are starting to recognize me, and I have made some converts to a plant-based life. Its been a very humbling and exciting experience.

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The Vegan Muva: cuisine with conscience | Business ... - Charleston Post Courier

Close your eyes and imagine the best dishes youve ever eaten. If youre anything like us, flashes of cakes, cookies, pies, and sundaes are swirling in your mind. The world of vegan desserts has never been more mouthwateringly diversefrom the ultra-comforting and familiar to the cutting-edge and innovativeand as hard as we may try, there never seems to be enough time to try them all. So VegNews editors scoured the globe for the best of the best and put together the ultimate bucket list of our dreams. Get ready for a world tour of sticky, syrupy, chocolaty scrumptiousnessand dont be afraid to order dessert first.

Serendipity3

When visiting the food-art-and-culture metropolis that is New York, theres much to see and even more to eat. But if theres one hallmark place to start, make it Serendipity3. Open since 1954 and boasting a steady stream of A-list patrons from Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly to Beyonc and Kim Kardashian, this two-story Upper East Side joint offers more than just a much-buzzed-about menu of Guinness World Record-holding diner fare. Ornate Tiffany lamps and disco balls hang high above minty green table tops that stand ready for the restaurants world-famous line of Frrrozen Hot Chocolates, including a newly minted, dairy-free version thats truly worth the trip. A secret mix of 14 cocoa powders, powdered sugar, and coconut cream are blended into a frosty, chocoholic concoction, poured into a massive glass goblet, topped with a mountain of coconut whipped cream, and showered with toasted coconut flakes. Its a classically sweet-and-kitschy soda fountain experience, modernized for todays dairy-free sensibilities, that feelsand tastestotally timeless. Find it here

Float Dreamery

When the pandemic forced Chef Jacob Livingston to relocate from Brooklyn to Philadelphiabringing his burgeoning, year-old vegan gelato concept in towthe City of Brotherly Love had no idea of the treasure that was about to befall it. The food obsessive had tinkered with his super-dense, rich gelato base and flavor combinations for four years, aiming to not only perfect something his plant-based community would love, but that would turn anyone into a vegan dessert convert. Fast-forward to today, and Livingston, along with partner Erica Knauss, has delved full-time into Float Dreamery, whipping up small-batch pints in mind-melting flavors that have garnered an instant cult following. One week, Philadelphians are treated to lemon-poppyseed gelato with swirls of lemon frosting, fried pecans, toasted coconut, and Golden Oreos. The next, they can experience peppermint gelato with pistachio swirls, marshmallow fluff, and chili chocolate cookie crumble. The creativity at this modern, walk-up window gelateria knows no bounds, and luckily, neither do our appetites. Find it here

Create With Gusto

Just 10 miles northeast of San Diegos glistening coastline, tucked away in a bustling outdoor mall, a pink-hued, bakery walk-up window is revolutionizing the world of vegan desserts. At SPLIT Bakehouse, buttery French madeleines dipped in chocolate hazelnut spread, flaky cruffins drizzled in strawberry-lemonade icing, and caramel pecan croissant bread pudding lure sweet-toothed San Diegans and tourists alike. But its their Mexican conchas, in flavors the likes of which only Willy Wonka could dream up, that shouldnt be missed. The newly all-vegan bakery revamps the fluffy, yeast-risen pan dulce with vanilla bean, Oreos, purple ube, and funfetti spins on the classic cookie-like craquelin topping. Theyre the perfect expression of co-founder Vanessa Corrales Mexican roots and creative spirit. For Corrales, who solidified her cool kid status growing up with trips to her grandmothers local panaderia, the pan dulce will always have a special place at SPLIT. And the bakehouse, named the best bakery in San Diego (vegan or otherwise) by San Diego Magazine, has already catapulted its way to our bucket list. Find it here

Mildreds

Its 1988, and beige soy milk, sprout sandwiches, and tofu rudimentarily fried by oiland not airare about the most exciting things vegans have to eat. That is, until, Mildreds stepped onto the scene. Founders Jane Muir and Diane Thomas opened the tiny, pioneering caf so that vegetarian eaters could indulge in the international cuisine that the worldly city of London is known for. Thirty-four years later, Mildreds has evolved into a vegan empire with five London locations. After tucking into a dinner of Chinese gyoza, Turkish kofte, and Sri Lankan coconut curried sweet potatoes, head to Italy for dessert. Mildreds White Chocolate Tiramisu is a tall, flawless slice of simple satisfaction: almond sponge cake is soaked in dark, fair-trade coffee and layered with thick white chocolate mousse before being blanketed in cocoa powdersweet and bitter notes balanced perfectly with a luxuriously creamy texture. Find it here

Alibi

There are countless things beckoning us to Australia: beautiful weather, incredible wildlife, stunning architectural marvels. But at the top of our list? This fine-dining take on halo halo at the chic cocktail bar-slash-restaurant Alibi in Sydney. Inspired by his Filipino heritage, Executive Pastry Chef and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree Michael Llamanzares-Aspiras untangles and distills the ingredient list of the popular shaved ice dessert down to a final course thats ber-refined, yet still packs a punch of fun and whimsy. On the plate, youll find a semicircle of frozen, lilac-hued ube custard, tangy-sweet pickled jackfruit, coconut-lime granita that instantly melts on the tongue, dollops of amber-hued mango sauce, chewy mochi, and cubes of coconut gelculminating in an artistic, deconstructed wonderland of shapes, colors, temperatures, and textures that evoke Australias famed coral reefs. find it here

Floozie Cookie

Born in 2020 when veteran pastry chef Kimberly Lin found herself mesmerized by the stuffed cookie craze dominating social media, Floozie Cookie began as a single London vegan bakery churning out Lins take on the addictive, soft-and-chewy cookies. An instant hit, Floozie Cookie soon opened a second location plus a pop-up (and soon-to-be brick and mortar) in Dubai, allowing sweet-toothed city dwellers across two continents to choose from options like Speculoos-stuffed, cinnamon cereal-topped cookies; pecan-studded butterscotch cookies filled with sticky date caramel; and pinkish-red vanilla cookies complete with rainbow sprinkles and a gooey, raspberry jam center. And a cookie is nothing without a glass of milk, so the dessert shops interpretationa dreamy line called Floozie Cremesincludes velvety oat milk poured over ice and swirled with syrups and sauces (think strawberry, hazelnut white chocolate, and mango-banana-passion fruit) before being topped with a tall spiral of whipped cream. Find it here

Sharp Sharp

A trip to Amsterdam may be vegan paradise for intrepid travelers, but staying strictly within the city limits of the Netherlands capital would be a mistake. Just one hour north in Rotterdam lies Sharp Sharp, a unique, plant-based bakery giving as much attention to eye-popping visuals as it is to tempting flavors. Both longtime designers before joining the food industry, owners Renate de Klein and Frank Hanssen were drawn to projects in the sustainability sector, but longed to make even more of an impact for the planet. So they combined their love of aesthetics and veganism with their baking hobby, and soon, Sharp Sharp was born. Bold, clean layers of everything from chocolaty ganache to fruity curds to cheesecake filling sit atop bases like shortbread, fudgy brownies, and date-and-cookie crusts in nearly 40 sweet, visually striking cake bar confections. Hanssen and de Klein are so dedicated to aesthetics, in fact, that theyll begin with a digital rendering of a dessert idea before even touching a stand mixer. After all, the eyes eat first. find it here

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Yes, You Should Travel the World for These 7 Vegan Desserts - VegNews

I tried this vegan cheese for a girls night inHearst Owned

If theres anything in the food world that both unites and divides a group of people, its cheese. There are the lovers who cant get enough of gooey camembert and chunks of cheddar, the haters who baulk at any kind of funky smell, and the plant-based or lactose-intolerant gang who look longingly at wooden boards laden with slabs of creamy brie.

Thankfully, the dairy-free dark ages are over, and there are a whole host of brilliant plant-based cheeses out there that claim to be just as flavourful as the real deal.

Honestly Tasty is one such brand. Started in 2018, sibling team Mike and Beth began creating vegan cheeses using modern technology and traditional cheesemaking methods. Their cheeses have won awards, and their vegan blue cheese is particularly acclaimed. Honestly Tastys mission is to put taste and enjoyment at the forefront of plant-based eating, so I decided to put this to the test by giving a selection of their best-selling cheeses to the test. But first, lets do a deep dive into what vegan cheese actually is.

Vegan cheeses can be made with a whole host of different ingredients, but youll most commonly find vegan cheese made with soy, nuts like cashews or macadamias, or coconut oil. In fact, some of the best vegan cheeses are made with coconut oil because it reacts to heat in the same way that dairy cheese does.

Both coconut oil and dairy-based cheeses containing casein (a protein found in cows milk) are solid at room temperature and melt when heated. So, if you spot coconut oil on the ingredients list of your vegan cheese, this means its likely to melt and create that glorious cheese-pull effect.

Vegan cheeses can also contain truffle to create an earthy flavour and other flavourings like garlic and herbs. Some vegan cheese producers also use fermentation techniques to create the funky flavour of blue or rinded cheeses without the usual ripening or maturation.

The jurys still out on this one. Some vegan cheeses are considered healthier than dairy-based cheese because they contain less saturated fat. However, vegan cheeses also tend to contain less protein than dairy cheese, which can make them less satisfying and represent less nutritional value in your meal plan.

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One of the most common ingredients in vegan cheesemaking is coconut oil, which while may seem like the healthier choice, is actually made from 92% saturated fat (more than lard or butter), according to the British Dietetic Association. Foods high in saturated fat can raise levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol and lower good (HDL) cholesterol, which can contribute to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

Thats not to say that you cant enjoy delicious vegan cheeses made with coconut oil in moderation, just as you would a dairy-based cheeseboard.

Vegan cheeses are also commonly made with cashew nuts, which are a source of fibre, protein and healthy fats. However, these cheeses can also contain high levels of sodium and other processed elements like gums, starches and powders to recreate cheeses unique texture.

Vegan cheeses are typically lower in saturated fat, protein and calcium than regular cheese and are likely gluten-free. Because vegan cheese is a processed food, it tends to be higher in sodium, so do as always check the back of the label.

Now, theres nothing quite like a little (or large) glass of wine with your cheese, so I opted to try the Cheese & Wine For Two set from Honestly Tasty. Everything you need for your wine and cheese-themed night in is delivered straight to your door for 37.50 plus shipping.

The set includes Honestly Tastys award-winning Shamembert and Blue as well as their Bree and Garlic & Herb. Every good cheese night needs top-notch crackers, so I was pleased to see a pack of St Peters Yard sourdough crackers included in the kit, as well as a caramelised red onion chutney for a bit of much-needed sweetness and tang.

Instead of a full bottle, you get dinky cans of wine from Canned Wine Co, which is a great option if youre transporting your cheese to someone elses house, or if youre having an al-fresco feast.

The packaging is so lovely that you could probably just whack it on your cheeseboard just like that, but in the name of *science* I obviously had to unwrap it and check that it all looked just as delicious unsheathed.

The Garlic & Herb was the first stop for me, as it was giving serious Dominos dip vibes. There was no mistaking the flavour was indeed garlic, so this is one for garlic lovers. The texture was great and it spread nicely on crackers, but Id recommend letting it come to room temperature first so you end up with creamy spoonfuls rather than chalky scrapes.

While the Shamembert was baking away, I tackled the Bree. It certainly looks like the dairy version, and Honestly Tasty did a brilliant job of recreating Bries classic rind. The creaminess was definitely there, and we cant fault the fudge-y texture. Top with a little dollop of cranberry sauce and youve got yourself a festive winner.

Theres no mistaking the Blue. As soon as I unwrapped it, this vegan beauty had the unmistakable whiff of blue cheese. Honestly Tasty says they mature their Blue over several weeks, so its no surprise that this one tastes pretty ripe. Its a strong flavour, so not one for the faint-hearted. Its also absolute gold with the caramelised onion chutney in the set.

And finally the Shamembert. Again, kudos to Honestly Tasty for creating an extremely good-looking cheese. You can peel off the top exactly like you would with Camembert, to reveal a super creamy interior. While it doesnt have the exact same pungency and cheesy texture as Camembert, the Shamembert offers something a little different truffle. The mushroomy, earthy flavours offer a luxury feeling that doesnt replicate cheese, but definitely gives it a run for its money.

My philosophy with meat-free eating tends to fall on the side of avoiding substitutes for the real stuff, instead choosing naturally plant-based foods. However, Honestly Tastys vegan cheese is a brilliant option for plant-based entertaining, as the cheeses look great on a board. They also work well in cooking, and I was really impressed with the melty texture of the Shamembert and the intense, creamy flavours of the Garlic & Herb (catch me using that as a pasta sauce soon).

If youve got plant-based guests, or just fancy something a little different on the festive buffet table this Christmas, youd be in safe hands with Honestly Tasty.

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I tried Honestly Tasty's vegan cheese and wine set and this is why it's a must-have for your next girls night in - Yahoo Eurosport UK

Plant-based nutrition brand Complement has announced that its launching a new no-purchase necessary campaign to help feed children this holiday season.

The brand has for the past year donated one meal for every product bought on its website. For this new campaign, however, you dont need to buy anything. All you need to do is sign up to Complements newsletter with your email address. With every email submitted between November 19 and December 25, one plant-based meal will be donated. According to Complement, the meals will be given to kids and families who need them most.

Its a simple act with a profound impact, says Matt Tullman, cofounder and CEO of Complement, told Plant Based News. There are countless children in developing countries who lack access to basic necessities like food and clean water. Our initiative is about coming together as a community and sharing our blessings with those who need them the most.

The new campaign comes in lieu of a traditional Black Friday promotion.While Complement wont be running a Black Friday campaign as normal, the brand will run a small promotion from November 19th November 28th.

Complement has partnered with a charity organization called Food For Life Global to ensure that every donated meal reaches a child in need. According to Complement, the initiative aligns with the companys core values of sustainability, compassion, and plant-based living.

Complement recently passed a milestone of donating 50,000 meals to people in need. It has a target of pledging 1,000,000 meals.

Complement is a plant-based brand that aims to provide nutrition products to support those on vegan diets. The brand states that it strives to encourage healthier eating habits and reduce the environmental impact associated with traditional food production.

For more information about Complements Holiday initiative or to sign up for their newsletter, please visit here.

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Plant-Based Brand To Donate Vegan Meals In No-Purchase ... - Plant Based News