This just in from God's (self-described) Direct Contact, the Supreme Master Ching Hai: You too can save the world. All you need is veganism.It's not generally SFR's practice to delve into weird, colorful press kits just because they're weird and colorful. But this one had some promise: direct contact with God (umm...?), the solution to climate change (finally!) and, best of all, a directory of vegan and vegetarian restaurants in every state.
Behind all this is the blond, Vietnamese-born Supreme Master Ching Hai, who preaches instant enlightenment and isn't afraid to publish a glossy brochure listing all the thousands of dollars she's given to international charities. For good measure, she also included a scarily apocalyptic DVD about how all the ice in the Arctic will melt by 2012—but fear not! All one need do is become vegan.
Fortunately, the veg directory makes that easy—unless you live in Santa Fe, which gets a grand total of six listings—five if you exclude Annapurna's, which closed recently due to a fire. That leaves us with Whole Foods, La Montañita Co-Op, Vitamin Cottage and the Tree House Pastry Shop and Café.
As a former vegan food columnist (in Texas, no less), I'm aware that with sufficient whining, you can squeeze vegan (or at least vegetarian) food out of almost any restaurant, excepting possibly a steakhouse. But Santa Fe, it seems, hardly makes you beg for it. From Body to La Boca, Aztec Café to MuDu Noodles to Vinaigrette, it isn't hard to find the meatless goods. And, you know, save the world.
Postscript: If you're not yet convinced, the Supreme Master offers a (partial) list of "Vegetarian & Vegan Elite in America." Some examples:
Meat Loaf (although according to IMDb, he's turned back to carnivorism)
The Captain & Tennille
Nikola Tesla (for a full history, hit play)
Prince
David Duchovny
Ready for the clincher? Ben Franklin. Because if Ben Franklin did it, you should probably do it, too.
Top photo courtesy Supreme Master Ching Hai.
