All Wrapped Up

For those who know us well, you know we're both fans of the plant-based diet. But what many don't know is that I adopted this diet 21 years ago. Before cooking blogs, before faux cheese, before most veg cookbooks and way before Beyonce and Bill Clinton made plant-based cool in the mainstream media!

Back in 1995, there weren't many learning opportunities out there for vegetarians or vegans, but I found one - the Vegetarian Resource Group.

These folks published cookbooks and a quarterly magazine - both then and now - and provide resources for individuals, chefs, nutritionists/dietitians, doctors/nurses, schools and food service industry about veg eating. Their books and magazines were my early guides and a big part of how I re-learned food and cooking on my personal path.

So imagine how amazing it was to meet the directors, Charles and Debra, YEARS later! Turns out the Vegetarian Resource Group has its headquarters in Baltimore! And imagine how exciting it was to shoot the cover for their new pamphlet, Vegan Diets in a Nutshell. The VRG and their staff/volunteers will hand out thousands of these flyers, helping folks learn more about plant-based eating. I'm so proud to have a balance photo image on the cover!

There were quite a few set-ups for the cover before a winner was selected. We tried different backgrounds, table settings and side dishes. All to create the ideal image representing a healthful and tasty vegan meal.

We liked several of these as well - I mean, hello, who doesn't want to chow down on any one of these stuffed black bean burritos, brimming with veggies and mango salsa? Yum!

Craving that kale on the square plate. Kale... so hot right now! But this one didn't make the cut either...

To make all even more fun, VRG featured the shoot in a "behind the scenes" column in their magazine, Vegetarian Journal. Love it! That's me, Nathaniel and Jess. Or at least it's the back of our heads.

I'd like to put a big thank-you out into the world for Charles, Debra and the whole crew at the Vegetarian Resource Group. 21 years ago, you made my transition to plant-based easier, and to this day, Nathaniel and I still read your magazine and use the cookbooks your group has published. Thanks for all you do! And thanks for trusting us to shoot the cover of your pamphlet.

Ready for more? Be on the look out, we've done more pics for VRG and they will come along soon enough... Nom nom nom!

~ Rissa