Defeating Self-Doubt with Kim-Julie Hansen.

Entry deadline is April 12 at noon PST.

“And at that moment I felt about my whole life. Look at all these animals I’ve eaten all my life. Oh dear Jesus, what on earth have I done? But I was, this is why I am on this planet. Like, I needed to tell people, because at the time, I thought, if I like meat, and I like cheese, and I like dairy, and it only takes a moment of awakening for me to change everything in my life, that’s the only thing that’s different. What holds people back is that they don’t know.” – Kim-Julie Hansen.

This week, I’d like to introduce you to Kim-Julie Hansen, author of two outstanding vegan cookbooks and creator of one of the most popular vegan accounts on Instagram: @bestofvegan. You’re probably thinking, “Oh no, not another story about an ‘influencer'” but, before scrolling through this episode, indulge me, because I want to tell you that, despite knowing her for almost seven years, I love Ms. Hansen’s story in one word. Found:

Riveting

There’s a reason this episode is the longest yet, and, after all, I could listen to Kim-Julie unpack another hour’s worth of her story; I only ended our chat because our backs were getting numb from sitting on a pair of hard hotel chairs. Whether she left home without finishing high school, was convinced to go vegan after writing an essay on why veganism was stupid, or accidentally started her business, I felt like I was reading a novel I hadn’t read. Never want to put down. But even beyond these well-worn milestones on the Alpine trail, discerning listeners will discover a story laced with both sadness and resilience, and through it all the deep respect and hope that make any of it worthwhile:

Love.

Listen to my conversation with Kim-Julie Hansen

This week’s recipe inspo.

For this week’s recipe inspiration, I’m giving you three sandwiches! I love sandwiches, but, not gonna lie—they can be a little more challenging when you’re vegetarian. But challenge = opportunity. Here are three delicious sandwiches I make all the time:

Focaccia and tomato sandwich

Grilled cheese and onion sandwich

Pesto Egg Sandwich

You can find the full recipe for each of these delicious sandwiches on my YouTube channel!

Updates and random stuff.

• What I see. i’m done Diary of a Prosecutor, A Korean drama that follows the story of a small county prosecutor’s office and can now fully recommend it. It’s well written, funny, provocative and completely wholesome. Meanwhile, we’re slogging our way through black list (We’re on Season 6!), with a discount for its season premiere legacy. We got to see exactly what we’ve missed from TV since the season 3 finale (we missed episode 2 on Sunday night because of the book event I did with the incredible Michelle Jauner. More on that next week!).
• What I’m cooking. In case you missed it, I had vegetarian activist Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed of Saudi Arabia over for dinner last week. I made teokboki, potato pancakes, braised mushrooms, and kimchi dipu for the royal event, because the prince has hinted that he loves gochujong a lot (but who doesn’t…?). It was, not gonna lie, a little stressful cooking for His Highness, but he’s as smart as he is and he’s a big fan of Korean food. All in all, it was an era in my cooking career!
• The best vegan podcasts. Guess who won VegNews’ Veggie Awards The best vegan podcasts…!? Yes!! Are you ready with Joan Molinaro? Voted Best Vegan Podcast!!! What a ride it’s been—less than a year under our belts, and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, the podcast is one of the things I’m most proud of, and as a result, I couldn’t be more grateful for the recognition!
• New plant-based food brands. I recently had the opportunity to visit the largest tofu manufacturing factory in the world. And, among other things, I learned that they recently launched a brand, Monterey Gourmet, that includes two plant-based pastas, a penne bolognese and a fettuccini alfredo! I haven’t had a chance to try this yet, but have any of you? Do you like them? Would love to hear your thoughts!

And that’s a wrap man! Until next week, have a wonderful day!

– Joan