about

Hello. I am Joni Marie Newman, self appointed QUEEN OF VEGGIE BURGERS!





I started a personal lifestyle blog in 2006, and before long my posts became increasingly focused on vegan food. So, in January of 2007, I started this blog, as a way to showcase my posts that were about, just the food. (see what I did there?)  As I kept experimenting with "food porn" and different recipes from others' cookbooks, bloggers, and, of course, veganizing old family favorites, it dawned on me that I could probably write a cookbook! Being a DIY type of gal, I set up a makeshift photo studio on top of my old pool table, and got to writing and testing recipes.  Cozy Inside was the self-published end result. It was a hobby.  Who could have known that little book would lead to so much more? 

I was testing new recipes for a new book all about veggie burgers (which got shelved until 2010! and was re-released in the summer of 2019!) and had hired fellow vegan food blogger and amazing food photographer Celine Steen to take the pictures.  As luck would have it, Celine was looking for a partner in crime for a little project known as 500 Vegan Recipes which was published by the fine folks over at Fair Winds Press.  After 500, the two of us went on to write The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions and Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites (now known as Home Cooked Vegan Comfort Food)  In between those books, I was finally able to put the finishing touches on the burger book, and The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet was released, which of course, is also filled with beautiful photos taken by Celine.  My next book, Vegan Food Gifts, came out in November 2012 and also features Celine's gorgeous photos and illustrations by Kurt Halsey. I stepped outside of my "comfort food" shoes (kind of) to write Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen which features some breathtaking photography by Wade Hammond.  Going Vegan, is a collaboration with Food Science and Nutrition expert, Gerrie Lynn Adams and features some more fabulous photos by Celine, next came, The Complete Guide to Even More Vegan Food Substitutions, which is a follow-up volume to the original, with new and improved techniques and recipes for turning any classic into a vegan favorite. And in the summer of 2016, another collaboration with Celine (Can you tell we love each other?) called Vegans Go Nuts! (Spoiler alert: It's all about nuts!) was released. A revised and updated version of The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet (Just Got Better!) is now available wherever books are sold! My recipes are also featured (along with other fabulous vegan cookbook authors and recipe developers!) in The Meat-Free Kitchen: Super Healthy and Incredibly Delicious Vegetarian Meals for All Day, Every Day and The Little Vegan Cookbook: 500 of the Best Vegan Recipes Ever.

But really, I am just a regular gal who loves to cook...ESPECIALLY for friends and family.  Self-taught, and always learning, I spend most of my spare time in the kitchen. When I am not in the kitchen, I really enjoy wasting endless hours scrolling, binging documentaries, hanging out with Dan and my girl, Annie, traveling, reading, and most of the other stuff regular gals enjoy. 

I am currently taking a break from cookbook writing (I have a few more in me, but 10 books in 10 years is a schedule I just can't keep up with!)  2019-2021 also marked my tenure as the Food Editor at VegNews Magazine! The pandemic, as well as some unexpected health issues, have had me taking a step back lately, but I am on the mend and am looking forward to getting back out there and focusing on grassroots vegan activism, volunteering for events, teaching cooking classes, and just getting back out there and spreading the vegan message!

I am currently residing in North Long Beach, California. Through my food, I hope to help people understand that it is not necessary to murder or torture another living creature in order to have a tasty supper.





This is my baby.  Ana Ng, (aka Annie, Ang Bang, Dannie, Banana, Booger Butt, Banana Girl, Bang Bang, Dang Dang, Ban Ban, Dan Dan, and Sugar Bear) a Terrier Mix, a stray who jumped into my car after I almost ran her over in the street.  This picture captures her personality perfectly.  Sweet and crazy.  I cannot imagine how anyone would not have wanted to have this amazing lover in their life. She is so sweet and loving and has the most amazing personality. Her love is unconditional. She's getting pretty old, walks with a limp, is deaf, and is starting to go blind. But none of that stops her from trying to steal my dinner off the table or waking me up at 2am for a treat. <3

4 comments:

Peter Bennett said...

Hi Joni,
Fab site! I'm cooking up vegan stuff to see how I get on with it. I have a bit of a dis-affinity with tofu and soya milk so might plump for vegetarian, another reason being...

I'm from Europe (now living in US) and grew up in small city in England surrounded by farmland with cows, sheep etc. Admitted these were mostly expecting grisly deaths, but if people just drank milk, ate cheese & eggs and had woolly jumpers, wouldn't that minimize the grisly deaths while letting us have trad farms and farm animals (all kept in humane conditions, of course)? Is the future of farmland discussed in the vegan community, do you know?

Thanks for the site, all the best, Peter

Joni Marie Newman said...

In theory, you are correct! Sadly, this is just not the case with 99.99% of farmland. Especially in the US. There is much talk about this subject in the community, for sure, yet as of this time there just hasn't been much progress towards the "happy farm" utopia you describe!

missrachel said...

I love this site and am so excited to keep up on it. I've spent a lot of years being a junk-food junky. It has finally caught with me and I have made up my mind to eat healthy.

Joni Marie Newman said...

Glad you found it, @missrachel!

2012 Copyright/Permissions/Disclaimers

All recipes written by me, Joni Marie Newman, unless otherwise noted. Please feel free to refer to or link back to any of my recipes, but please ask for permission, and remember to give credit when reprinting recipes in their entirety. I do provide links to affiliate programs (such as Amazon) in which I receive a small commission for items purchased. I do not provide paid reviews. All reviews done on products or books are of my own unsolicited opinion. On occasion I may receive a book or product to review. I will note when this is the case, but rest assured, it will not affect the authenticity of my review. Thanks!--Joni