I Dream of Greenie "Because vegetables are the new black"

Before I start this post, it needs to be said that Sunday morning Farmer’s Market trips are a necessity in my life. In addition to delicious produce, I pick up favorite meal staples like soy-free tempha, Bolanis, succulent cranberry walnut bread and delicate rosemary garlic fettucine.

Last week, while on my focused trip to the FM, I happened to look through my peripherals and catch a glimpse of a NEW vendor, selling of all things vegan cookies!! I tried a sample and was instantly a fan and being the chatty Cathy I can be, immediately began talking to Bergen, the co-founder of these delicious, chocolate filled, moist cookies. I found out that this was not only her first day selling her cookies, but it was her PUBLIC PRODUCT debut! I also found out these cookies have no added oil and I am flabbergasted as to how she gets them so moist.

I went back yesterday and in addition to the 2 assortments I had already sampled, she had a new “cookie of the week”, a moist, gluten-free flavorful holiday riff on an oatmeal raisin cookie, with the inclusion of cranberries…I would eat these for breakfast (and I probably will!) She also has a cookie of the month club in the works…I do have a birthday in a few weeks, I’m just sayin’!

I knew I wanted to feature her on my site, especially because she has a really fascinating story AND offers gluten-free cookies too! Yes, Alicia and other GF readers, I got yo back!

And of course, I loved the EatMe name since it harkens back to one of my favorite animated movies, as well as one of my top recreational activities:

In addition to being a master vegan baker, Bergen also plays “Big Alice Gunderson” on General Hospital…which in this town means, you’ve “made” it.

Check out her awesome story as well as a giveaway below!

What is your favorite “splurge” ingredient in cooking?

Well, that’s hard to isolate because I kind of splurge on all my ingredients.  I tried using inexpensive vanilla but really, Nielsen-Massey makes the best in the world and I am trying to make the best in the world cookies so how could i do without it?  I looked and looked for the best tasting vegan chocolate chips around and I got them but they’re not cheap.  Everything that goes into my food is the best I can find.  Why bother, otherwise?

What inspired you to make the shift to veganism?

In 2002 i was diagnosed with Carcinoid Cancer and told I had 2 – 5 years to live and would have to do monthly chemo until the day i died.  Now that alone wasn’t enough for me to find an alternate method to Western Medicine’s “Roast and Toast” approach to cancer.  It was when they told me that my final days would be spent sporting a colostomy bag that I knew I had to cure myself.  Life already seemed like a bag of poo to me at the time and I wasn’t about to have to carry one around with me too.  So, my wife and I did a bunch of research and we discovered “The China Study”. A wonderful book that should be required for all high school students. In it we read about all these studies that prove cancer eats Animal Protein.  Cut out Animal Protein from your diet and your cancer will have nothing to eat and it will stop growing.  So, we did it.  We cut out all animal protein and within a year my cancer was gone.  No more chemo.  No bag of poo.

What are some of the health benefits you have noticed since becoming vegan?

I feel wonderful.  I have a better outlook on life.  I make better decisions.  I lost over 100 pounds.  I became ADD with all the extra energy I gained from a high starch, low fat vegan diet.  I became a runner and have run 4 marathons so far and am training for the upcoming L.A. Marathon in March. Additionally, I have a genetic liver disease and was told I would need a liver transplant by the time I was 50.  But during my last scan my Dr. said my liver is regenerating and I won’t need that transplant after all.

What was the biggest food myth you were fed (pun not intended) as a child?

We get our protein from Meat and Dairy.  What a load of bull (pun intended)!  We MAKE our own protein like cows and elephants and all other large mammals.  We eat plants high in amino acids and form protein strands in our bodies and that is the protein that sustains us.  People should be worried about fiber, not protein.

Describe the process of fine-tuning your recipes. What were the biggest trials and errors? How did you know you were finally “on board” with your recipe?

Oh it took batches and batches of mediocre cookies and cupcakes before I figured out that I had to look at food like a chemist would.  What were the chemical reactions eggs and butter were providing?  What are the taste buds really looking for?  How is the brain reacting to the food?  Once I turned my kitchen into a lab, the food started turning out better until finally, one day, my wife tried one of my cookies and she got a crazy “crack-like” glow in her eyes as she chewed and I knew I hit gold.  So now, that is how I test all my food.  I keep having Elender try them until she gets that scary intense look.  And then I know I am done.

You are also launching a new line of gluten free taquitos. Is this due to a lack of healthy “convenience” foods on the market?

Absolutely.  All the vegan convenience foods I’ve seen are high in fat and low in flavor.  It’s pretty easy to take out all the meat and dairy and just replace it with oil.  That seems to be the modus operandi of most vegan convenience food.

My taquitos are vegan, no added oil, yummy and just happen to be gluten-free.  Kids LOVE them and they cook up right out of the freezer in 10 minutes.  I will be selling them in frozen packs of a dozen.   My sister is a single mom and i have her in mind as i develop more healthy convenience foods that kids will eat. Look for them in early 2011.

Do you have any new products in the works?

Every day I am working on something.  My mind is like a holodeck kitchen and I am always working on the nuance of some dish or other.  I am looking forward to releasing my Chocolate Peanut Butter Pies.  They are like bon-bons and come in frozen packs of a dozen.  Kids love these more than anything I make.

I’m sure your cookie recipe is top secret but do you have any other favorite recipes to share with my readers?

Oh yes!  Please go to my personal website and see the recipes I have online.  You can Check out my before and after pictures too!  I can’t believe I was that fat!  Also more on my website about my battle with cancer and with life.  But if it’s yummy cookies you’re wanting, come on down to the Farmers Market in West Hollywood on Sundays or check out  eatmecookies.com

Even more exciting, Bergen was so kind as to offer a DOUBLE giveaway. One lucky reader will receive an 8-pack of the original chocolate chip cookies and another reader will be the recipient of an 8-pack of the Sara Brown gluten free chocolate chip variety.  Also, even if you don’t win, the cookies ship nationwide so check out the website!

Giveaway will run until 2pm PST on Friday and you can enter by doing the following:

-“Like” EatMe Cookies on Facebook (and let me know you did so via comment as well as your FLAVOR preference) TRIPLE ENTRIES

-Follow EatMe Cookies on Twitter DOUBLE ENTRIES

-Tweet one of the following (TRIPLE ENTRIES) I want to win the @eatme_cookies giveaway from @dreamofgreenie. Get me #vegan choc chip cookies NOW! www.eatmecookies.com

OR (for the GF version): I want to win the @eatme_cookies giveaway from @dreamofgreenie. Get me #vegan GF choc chip cookies NOW! www.eatmecookies.com

Comment on this post with your favorite holiday cookie flavor.