Television Show Review – A New Day A New Chef

 

 

I was glad to be asked to review a new vegan cooking show; personally, I had been having some difficulty sticking to my vegan diet and watching this show helped.

As we are all aware, plant-based foods are fast overtaking animal-based foods in sales. Even those who are avowed meat eaters will occasionally have a plant-based meal. This is a boon to our bodies, our environment and, of course, the animals.

Because of this fast growing trend in taste and lifestyle, more and more guidance is needed for those who wish to try veganism. Cookbooks abound, but it is nice to watch someone actually cook that vegan meal, for you to watch and learn.

Of course, if you can cook animal-based, then you can cook plant-based. “A New Day A New Chef” fits the bill nicely and takes the “scary” out of trying something new.

The show itself is hosted by Jane Velez Mitchell, who is a best selling author, former CNN host, among many other accomplishments.

Each episode, Jane is visited by a different co-host; athletes, entertainers, as well as chefs, who share the plant-based recipes with the audience. There are also three taste-testers on board, who rate each recipe, “I can make this at home”, “I can make this in 10 minutes”,or “good for a party”. Personally, I would prefer it if the taste-testers rated the food on taste and presentation, instead of the present rating system.

The show itself is high-energy and everyone involved is enthusiastic in personality and in their genuine love for veganism and what it has done for them.

Currently, “A New Day A New Chef” is available on Amazon Prime and should soon be coming to PBS stations around the country.

All of the recipes, along with a wealth of other information, can be found on the website: https://newdaynewchef.com. The Facebook page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/newdaynewchef

If you are vegetarian or vegan, or just plant-based curious, I recommend this show. It’s both educational and fun. I can’t wait to try some of the recipes for myself.

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Below is my interview with Jane Velez Mitchell:

Susan Morgaine (SM): Tell me a little bit about yourself beyond your official bio please.

Jane Velez Mitchell (JVM): I was born and raised in Manhattan, growing up directly across the street from Carnegie Hall. The daughter of an Irish-American advertising executive and a Puerto Rican actress/dancer/writer mom, we had a very eclectic household, heavy on showbiz, cocktail parties and “only in New York” characters. We thought we were vegetarian, although we ate fish, dairy and eggs. But, I got the message that cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys and lambs were not food.

SM: How long have you been vegan and what was the impetus for you to do so?

JVM: After graduating from NYU with a degree in broadcast journalism and beginning my career, I started seeing the video evidence of the horrors of factory farming. Still, I didn’t make the dairy connection. Then, about twenty two years ago, while a news anchor in LA, I interviewed Howard Lyman, the 4th generation cattle rancher turned vegan activist. After the interview, he and his publicist approached my cubicle. “We hear you’re a vegetarian,” one mentioned, adding “do you eat dairy?” He had just finished outlining to our viewers the horrors of the dairy industry: cows forcibly impregnated, babies ripped from mothers, boys shot or stuck in veal crates. Shamefaced, I answered yes. “Liquid meat,” his publicist shot back, pointing her finger at my nose. I was startled, but I knew they were right. I went vegan on the spot and I’ve never looked back. Soon, it became apparent that I could speak out for animals in my chosen profession of journalism, which is what I’ve done ever since!

SM: How did you come up with the concept for the show?

JVM: When I had a show on CNN Headline News, I ran a weekly segment on animal issues. When the show finished its six year run, I was determined to continue speaking for voiceless animals in another journalistic form. After attending a few animal rights protests that got zero media coverage, I started JaneUnChained News to videotape and report on animal issues that were being ignored in the mainstream press, eventually turning it into a 501c3 non-profit. When Facebook made it possible to broadcast LIVE, I went live at a vegan BBQ and got a lot of comments and views. That turned into our daily vegan cooking show! #LunchBreakLIVE airs daily at 12:30pm pacific, on the JaneUnChained News Facebook page. Several years and hundreds of vegan recipes later, I was hungry to take it to the next level. A dear friend, actress Gianna Simone, introduced me to an amazing producer/director named Eamonn McCrystal. Together, we cooked up New Day New Chef. Dozens of people donated money and time to make it happen. It’s been quite successful and we are set to do Season Two through the JaneUnChained non-profit, which you can learn more about at JaneUnChained.com

SM: How do you find the people that you wish to showcase on the show?

JVM: The hardest thing was to winnow down the many amazing vegans who wanted to be on the show and who are fantastic chefs. We aim to show a cross-section of plant-based personalities to illustrate that we are from all walks of life. So, we featured a vegan Olympic medalist, vegan body builders, vegan restaurant owners, vegan yoga instructions. We even had a vegan accountant! The amazing thing about cooking with vegetables, grains, nuts and fruit is that you don’t have to be a Le Cordon Bleu trained chef to whip up fabulous dishes, although we had one of those on too! After the first season went live, we were inundated with tons of requests to be on the show from vegans around the world. We’re narrowing it down and invite anyone who wants to be on New Day New Chef to hit us up on our Instagram page. We hope to do many more of these shows down the road!

Thank you, Jane, and good luck with the show!!

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About the Author:

Susan Morgaine is a Priestess, Healer, Witch, Writer, and Teacher.

She is entering her 21st year teaching Kundalini Yoga and Meditation, being a Certified instructor through the Kundalini Research Institute.

She is a Certified Women’s Empowerment Coach/Facilitator through Imagine A Woman International, founded by Patricia Lynn Reilly. She has long been involved in Goddess Spirituality and Feminism, teaching classes and workshops, including Priestessing local Red Tents.

She is a monthly columnist with PaganPages.org Her writings can be found in The Girl God Anthologies, “Whatever Works: Feminists of Faith Speak” and “Jesus, Mohammed and the Goddess”, as well as Mago Publications “She Rises, Volume 2, and “Celebrating Seasons of the Goddess”. She is the author of “My Name is Isis, the Egyptian Goddess”, part of the “My Name is ” series of children’s book. She has also been published in Jareeda and SageWoman magazines.

She is a a Reiki Master and a proud member of the Sisterhood of Avalon. She can be found at MysticalShores.com