Once in a while, you get an opportunity so surreal you have to pinch yourself if it were true. For me, that surreal moment is to be in the same show with one of the vegan pioneers, Miyoko Schinner. Others say she’s the queen of vegan cheese but I think she’s more than that. For more than two decades, Miyoko has been trailblazing with her vegan work and advocacy. Through the years, she has published reputable vegan cookbooks as well as vegan cooking videos, ran her own vegan restaurant (Now and Zen), launched the UnTurkey (the original Tofurkey), baked vegan cookies and pastries for the United Airlines, and now running her own line of vegan cheeses at Miyoko’s Kitchen. As if that’s not enough, she has also transformed and extended her home to an animal sanctuary called Rancho Compasion.
photo taken from facebook.com/miyokoskitchen
photo from facebook.com/miyokoskitchen
I’ve listened to her many inspiring talks at workshops and festivals, with topics ranging from how to make vegan cream cheese to how to become a successful entrepreneur. She doesn’t know this, but she is my mentor. She greatly inspires me as a woman of color, vegan entrepreneur.
One night, at a dinner party, my friend who happens to be part of Miyoko’s team asked me if I’d like to be part of Miyoko’s Facebook Live events. Without hesitation, I said yes! Looking back, I would say it’s a combination of hard work and luck that got me invited. I’ve built a portfolio for Astig Vegan as well as got lucky enough to be in NorCal (where Miyoko’s Kitchen is based), and to have a mutual friend to initiate the collaboration.
Miyoko’s Facebook event is a live cooking show with Miyoko and a guest. This Wednesday, that guest will be Astig Vegan (insert an emoji jumping and screaming “You guys! You guys!”). I’m ecstatic!
The Facebook live event will be this Wednesday, November 30, at 1:30pm Pacific Standard Time. It will be streaming live on Miyoko’s Kitchen Facebook Page. We might be holding a giveaway for some sweet prizes!
I thought long and hard on what kind of Astig Vegan dish I should feature that would go great with Miyoko’s cheeses. I came up with a few ideas but ultimately I decided to go with a Filipino holiday delicacy called Bibingka Espesyal (Filipino Coconut-Rice Cake, Special Edition). It’s similar to the dish I’ve already posted on the blog but with new touches.
If the air time might not work where you live, you could always go back to the Facebook page and watch the replay. It would be great to hear your live comments though, so if you could tune it, that would be wonderful. Wish me luck! I’ve done public speaking many times before but I still get cold feet. Your support and good vibes will cheer me on. See you then!