GREAT article in yesterday’s Washington Post about Ellen DeGeneres’s vegan transition. I love that she doesn’t pull any punches about how difficult it was for her. It’s an extremely relatable and realistic position and one that is ultimately super useful for average American eaters.

However, I think the best info in the article comes from her personal chef, Roberto Martin (author of a new vegan cookbook):

…the key to helping people make the switch – or even simply reducing their consumption of animal products – is to think about creative substitutions. Break a recipe down into protein, acids, liquids and fat. Substitute plant products for the animal products like meat or milk or butter, then apply good technique, such as stir-frying or sauteing to produce deep flavors.

Right on, brother!

Although it probably wouldn’t please Alicia Silverstone (whom I adore), this is much more my style of vegan cooking – especially considering that my husband isn’t vegan – and I find it’s far more appealing to a mass audience to boot.

Just when I think I can’t love Ellen anymore…

You may have heard by now that Ellen DeGeneres has launched a newly expanded and revamped vegan section on her site. The new addition is meant to function as more of a stand-alone website and succeeds at being an awesome new resource for both newbie vegans and those of us who have been around the block for a while.

In addition to a great section on how to get started there is also a very useful and informative list of FAQ’s and some fun vegan tips to give you the inside scoop from the pro’s!

A couple other great sections also accompany my personal favorite – the recipe archive! This part of the site features vegan recipes from famous faces like Kim Barnouin, Tal Ronnen, Bethenney Frankel and Giada De Laurentiis. It is organized in several categories and very easy to browse and search. I’ve already snagged several recipes from here that I cannot wait to test out!

What is so, so fantastic about Ellen’s approach to vegan outreach is that she keeps it fun, inviting and non-threatening. This site is exactly the same way and I’m really excited about the scores of people who may not otherwise have been aware of or open to veganism that are certain to be introduced to it through such an appealing and charming site.

Three cheers for Ellen!