Animal Advocate Wields Wooden Spoon - on the Food Network

In the days when the Center for Disease Control and Prevention attributes two-thirds of worldwide deaths to diseases associated with diet, Compassionate Cooks empowers people to make informed food choices and demystifies healthy, vegetarian eating.

Oakland, CA (PRWEB) December 22, 2004 -- Oakland-based Compassionate Cooks™ (www.compassionatecooks.com) was founded by Oakland resident Colleen Patrick-Goudreau in order to empower people to make informed food choices and to debunk myths about vegetarianism. And it’s working. Her monthly vegetarian cooking classes, which focus on delicious and familiar dishes in order to take “vegetarianism out of the box,” have inspired hundreds of people. And that audience continues to grow – with a brand new cooking DVD and a Food Network segment that will air on December 29th.

The new DVD, Vegetarian Cooking with Compassionate Cooks, was inspired by the popular classes, a successful combination of demonstrative cooking, nutrition information, and light-hearted fun. “In every class, someone would raise her hand and ask when we would be on TV or have a video. I realized thousands – even millions – of people could be reached by creating a DVD.” So that’s what she did. Truly a first-of-its kind product, it is a feast for the eyes as well as for the palate – packed with good food and sound nutrition information.

“It’s remarkable that in the days when the Center for Disease Control and Prevention attributes two-thirds of worldwide deaths to diseases associated with diet, no other product like this existed,” says Patrick-Goudreau. “It’s the only vegetarian cooking DVD at Amazon.com.”

Featuring six cooking demonstrations, including two scrumptious dairy-free desserts, and a show-and-tell segment of the wide array of vegetarian products in the grocery store, the main portion of the DVD would be enough to inspire and empower any viewer. But the special features offer even more – a video segment of eight Frequently Asked Questions about vegetarianism as well as a short 5-minute documentary about a farm animal rescue organization dedicated to providing lifelong sanctuary to those victims who were lucky enough escape being turned into dinner.

“People are so confused about what to eat and are bombarded by advertising campaigns masked as public service announcements. They want to know how to control their health and prevent disease. I seek to provide people with the tools and resources they need to choose food that benefits their health, the earth, and of course the animals, whose treatment goes unnoticed and unseen by the public. Food is so incredibly personal, and we’re very habit-oriented creatures. It is such a pleasure to watch people’s perceptions and experiences change when they realize that “vegetarian food” is food they’re already familiar with – vegetables, fruit, nuts, grains, seeds. Most people eat vegetarian – they just don’t call it that.”

About Compassionate Cooks
Compassionate Cooks is dedicated to empowering people to make informed food choices and to debunking myths about vegetarianism through cooking classes, nutrition workshops, supermarket tours, and a cooking DVD. Compassionate Cooks gives people the tools and resources they need to prevent disease, optimize their health, and create new habits that benefit the earth and all its inhabitants. For more information, please visit www.compassionatecooks.com.

Contact:    
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Compassionate Cooks
(510) 531-2665
colleen@compassionatecooks.com
Video Available for Media

###