Remember when Oprah went vegan for three weeks? To make her transition to a vegan diet as delicious as it was healthy, she had vegan chef Tal Ronnen whip up all her meat-free meals—and now you can have Chef Tal in your kitchen. How? By entering to win his new cookbook!

In The Conscious Cook, Chef Tal, who also catered Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi's vegan wedding and prepared the first vegan dinner at the U.S. Senate, offers a diverse menu that goes far beyond veggie burgers and pasta. Recipes include Pine Nut and Basil-Seared Gardein Chicken With "Lobster" Mushroom Beurre Blanc and Artichoke and Oyster Mushroom Rockefeller, just to name a couple.

Head on over to PETA.org now through October 30 to enter the contest!

Anyone who has a soft spot for sauerkraut, relish, or even kimchi will certainly be a fan of chow chow. It's a Southern condiment (not just a dog) that's often used on greens and beans.

Black eyed peas topped with chow chow

Chow chow can be made from a variety of bases, such as tomatoes or a combination of peppers, but the most common main ingredient is shredded cabbage. Most recipes call for canning the condiment, which comes in sweet and spicy varieties, but that seems just a bit too complicated for me.

The chow chow recipe I use is one of the few "canning-free" options I've found, and it comes from a barbecue cookbook at SeriousEats.com.

Enjoy!

Flipping through the pages of a classic by M.F.K. Fisher or James Beard—or even a recent issue of Gourmet—might be an upsetting experience for some vegans. It can be easy to feel left out if you focus more on what you won't eat than what you will—but I don't have that problem.

Immersing myself in the gourmet food world, regardless of whether I'd eat the items mentioned, is always enjoyable, and that's partly because I'm holding out hope that plant-based cuisine will one day be a bigger part of that world. I think that day is finally here.

For the first time ever, a vegan chef will cook an animal-free meal at the James Beard House in New York City.

The James Beard Award
Picasa/Creative Commons

Chef Rich Landau, co-owner and chef of Horizons, a vegan restaurant in Philadelphia, has the honor of creating the first cruelty-free meal at the James Beard House on November 3. Tickets are available to the public and can be ordered online.

James Beard was known for turning American food into a cohesive and gourmet cuisine. Finally, vegan recipes will be recognized as a significant part of it when Chef Landau takes advantage of this prestigious opportunity.

Landau says, "It has always been my mission to create interesting and delicious food that just so happens to be vegan," and I can't wait to see what he cooks up at the culinary mecca. If you are lucky enough to attend the event, please let me know what you think!

I'm not sure where the tradition comes from, but in Louisiana, Mondays are reserved for red beans and rice. The dish is a Creole staple in my home state—and for good reason. The beans are simmered for hours until they reach an almost creamy consistency, and the combination of vegan Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and a touch of spice gives this simple dish a complex flavor.

Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

The longer you cook your pot of beans, the creamier the outcome, but no matter what consistency you achieve, the beans are perfect served over a heaping scoop of white rice and a big piece of crusty French bread. Enjoy!

Many people, myself included, are guilty of using food as merely a vehicle for condiments. If you're known to use a tablespoonful of ketchup per fry, then, yes, I'm talking about you. One of the most addicting condiments (OK, some say it's more of a sauce) is gravy.

Pan-Seared Seitan With Mushroom Gravy

Mushroom gravy can easily be made using the margarine, vegetables, and herbs that are left over after pan-searing seitan—and this method will result in more flavorful gravy.

The key to getting the gravy right is to make a roux out of margarine and flour, cooking until it begins to brown. Then slowly add vegetable broth and additional seasonings to taste.

The pan-seared seitan is delicious, but the gravy is definitely the star of the show. Enjoy!

To thank PETA's hardworking interns, we often fill them up with free vegan food—lots of free food. With Halloween right around the corner, we decided to thank our current team with a haunting Halloween cupcake party, hosted by Mylie.

Everyone had a chance to decorate their own masterpieces, as you can see here:

Haunting Halloween Cupcakes

To help you host your own cupcake party, I've compiled a few of my favorite recipes for the cake and icing. You can mix and match the cupcakes with different types of icing using these recipes or go the easy route and use store-bought icing.

Cupcakes

•Chocolate Stout

•Basic Vanilla

•Horchata

Icing

•Easy Chocolate

•Creepy 'Cream Cheese'

•Fluffy 'Buttercream'

And if you're in need of decoration inspiration, check out these ghosts, spiders, mummies, and skeletons. Happy Halloween!