Vegan Pie Wins 2nd Place Ribbon at National Pie Championships

My love, Susan, has been entering cooking and baking contests for the past few years, always with vegan recipes.  Her goal has never been personal recognition, but rather to do her small part to help show that vegan food can stand on its own.  She never competes in vegan-only or health-food categories; it’s always against non-vegan food.

Last year, she won eight ribbons in various categories at the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa, California, including Best of Show (ALL baked goods, vegan or not!) for her Vegan Coconut Lime Cake.

This year, she travelled to Orlando, Florida, to compete in the 2011 National Pie Championships.

Vegan Blueberry Cranberry Pie with Pecan Streusel Topping

I was so proud of her when she brought home a 2nd Place Ribbon in the Fruit/Berry category for her Vegan Blueberry-Cranberry Pie with Pecan Streusel Topping!!  This was her first award at the national level, competing against some very talented bakers from around the country.

2nd Place in Fruit/Berry Division

Susan’s not very competitive or outspoken; she’s actually quite reserved.  She puts herself out there for just one reason – her love of animals.  Many of the people she meets at these competitions aren’t even sure what “vegan” means.  And when they find out, some are skeptical, as they can’t believe something could taste good without things like butter or eggs or cream.  But when they taste her food, and more over, see that her vegan creations are winning awards against non-vegan competition, she hopes that it might help open their minds toward more compassionate choices in the food they eat.

--Ryan