Kirly-Sue is helping to change the image of vegan food from being boing and bland to beautiful and bold. We caught up with her to ask her how she is contributing to this shift in preconceptions about plant-based eating.
Kirly-Sue
You were a veggie for over 25 years before making the switch to veganism- so please can you tell us what prompted the final push?
What prompted me was reading books like;
- Counsels on Diet & Food by E.G White
- The China Study by T. Colin Campbell
And also watching films like
- Vegucated
- Got The Truth About Milk
- Forks Over Knives
What also prompted me was learning that the amount of fat consumed by meat eaters and vegetarians was roughly the same but the amount consumed by vegans is significantly lower.
I learnt this when watching "Forks Over Knives" and this was the "Ahh Haa" moment for me and led me to take action to become a vegan
I loved being vegetarian and have now never looked back being vegan - I love it! It isn't as hard as you may think, there are vegan versions of everything and I am a huge foodie so if I can do it everyone can!!
You were born and raised in London to Jamaican parents so how much has this influenced your style of cooking?
As a child, I was taught how to cook Jamaican food at home and occasionally British food. At school I was obviously taught how to cook British food and that's how I was able to learn both types and styles of cooking (which are quite different by the way :0)
As an adult, I have also lived in Crete and Thailand for a year and that has also influenced my cooking styles.
I was born and raised a Seventh Day Adventist which is a Christian religion the upholds (but does give you the option to choose) eating a plant-based diet so I have always been exposed to a plant based diet.
I am passionate about cooking and understand that we are all very busy people so a lot of my recipes are not too time consuming as you can see from my books (new one coming out shortly!) as well as from my videos and my TV show too.
What is your favourite vegan dish to cook at home?
I love to cook soooo many things and it's quite hard to choose. But if I have to choose I would say stew peas and rice with plantain.
Stew peas is a Jamaican dish that consists of kidney beans (which are called red peas in Jamaica) cooked in seasonings and coconut milk served with rice and fried, baked or boiled plantain
And I just love using coconut oil in my recipes too. More of this is noted below!
Why do you feel the image of veggie food needs changing?
To be honest the traditional image is that of a crystal powered, Birkenstock wearing, tofu eating, long haired and unshaven kind of person - I always have to laugh when I say that as it's so not true anymore. Celebrities have made veganism much more glamorous. However, we still have a way to go in order to drop the old image.
It is now a very outdated view point - being vegan is fun, healthy and at the moment trendy too! And I don't mind this. As long as people are made aware that they can be healthy and have energy being vegan - not to mention it being better for animals and the planet that that's a good thing!
What can someone expect from one of your workshops?
My informal interactive seminars answer questions like:
- Do you want to be a vegan but don't know how?
- Are you bored of eating the same thing over and over again?
- Would you like a list of ten things to know before becoming vegan?
- Do you need a meal planner and some tasty recipes?
- Want to know how vegans get their protein?
I get great feedback as people say that I make vegan cooking accessible not to mention with the Jamaican twist too. Everyone has a good time and enjoy tasting the food as well. I do have more planned and lots more things so best to keep in touch via Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Kirly.Sues.Kitchen
Please tell us a bit more about your column in Pride magazine.
I have a food column in Pride Magazine, which is one of those glossy women's consumer magazines.
I get to write about all kinds of food and health topics which is really enjoyable and a great way to voice my opinion and also share helpful information with my readers
I love writing and it's super to write for such a high profile and much loved magazine.
You are also an expert vegan speaker- so what are the most commonly asked questions when you do one of your talks?
The most common questions are
- "How do I become a Vegan"
- "I want to be a vegan but I don't know how to begin changing over the food in my kitchen, so where do I begin?"
- "Can babies be brought up vegan?"
- "Are you a vegan because you think it's wrong to milk cows? As it's like molesting the cows?
It is interesting hearing people's questions and answering the misconceptions about veganism. It is interesting and in some cases quite sad too as they have the wrong information. People all over the world are thriving on a plant-based diet - it really is the best way for health, the planet and for animals too. The food is delicious and there is a vegan version of everything now!
You have had many media appearances- so which has been your most memorable and why?
Oh wow that's a tough question, yes I have done a lot and I so enjoy doing them. I don't have one favourite so I have to give you 3, which are :
1- BBC Radio London on The Vanessa Feltz Show - it's such a lovely show and I also got to record a video clip for them talking about vegan food which was so fun to do.
2- 3ABN TV is the Channel for which I have a cooking show in the USA. I love travelling to the USA to record the shows and also getting to share new hints and tips too.
3- The Voice Newspaper- they ran a 3 page special on me and included my recipes and a full interview etc. Was so nice to share vegan food and info with lots of people
And of course being interviewed by you too! I love speaking with the media and feel blessed to have the opportunity to share my passion.
To what extent do you think vegans have a responsibility to pass on their knowledge and get people excited about veganism?
I think everyone has a right to share or not share as they choose. I choose to share but wouldn't want to say that everyone has or should do. Do what is right for you. It doesn't have to be talking with the media or giving a talk however. It could just be talking with a friend or even asking if the local coffee shop serves soya milk. There are all sorts of ways of talking positively about veganism and it is about what is best for that individual.
What is next for you?
I have a new book coming out that will be a viable via Amazon. The new book will be available in print and on kindle and is entitled ""Vegan Cooking Made Easy".
I am super excited about this! The recipes are some of my best yet! All vegan and super delicious. I am looking forward to doing more talks - you will find me at VegfestUK, doing more radio interviews, which I love and of course I am so pleased to have brought out my own coconut oil: Kirly-Sue's Raw Organic Virgin Coconut Oil. I just LOVE cooking with coconut oil and not only that it's amazing for your skin, hair and much more.
My little recipe booklet is given away free with every jar too and this has some exclusive recipe in using the oil. I have had great feedback and looking forward to experimenting with even more coconut recipes!
http://ksk.empoweredskills.co.uk/shop
http://kirlysueskitchen.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/Kirly.Sues.Kitchen
Tagged in Vegetarian Vegan