Hi Everyone,

Well, I’m still in Italy, thanks to Hurricane Sandy! My flight was cancelled, so I will be recording my radio show with Jeffrey Smith from Torino, where I have been for the past 5 days, while attending the Slow Food exposition Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto. Of course, there is the slight possibility that the Progressive Radio Network is without power, in which case, we will have to re-schedule. We will let you know.

Jeffrey Smith is the executive director of The Institute for Responsible Technology, and the author of the book, Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies about the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You’re Eating. His new documentary, Genetic Roulette, is a powerful exposé on the dangers and health risks of GMO’s and is an important film for everyone to see. I have invited Jeffrey on my show, so that we can talk about California’s Proposition 37, and help get the word out to vote “yes” on Election Day, to secure our “Right to Know” what’s in our foods!

My 11 days in Europe has been incredible so far! I started my trip in Paris, where my husband and I, along with our dear friends, rented an apartment for the week. The only research I managed to do before leaving home was of the “Best Restaurants in Paris.” After a few days of expensive meals that were just OK, I set out on a search for the best vegetarian restaurants in Paris. I must say that this was a disappointment too!

We wanted to return to the Latin Quarter, so I made a reservation at Le Puit de Legumes, which was vegan, vegetarian, and macrobiotic friendly, but also served fish.  The macrobiotic plate, which had beans, greens, and rice, was very bland, and the vegetables were over cooked. The pumpkin soup was watery and void of flavor, and they were out of the seitan dish I wanted. I ordered a Stuffed Zucchini instead, and it was not bad, but the presentation was lacking. All in all, I would not recommend this restaurant, although the waitress was delightful!

A Vegetarian Plate from Sattgruen

When I arrived in Dusseldorf, after checking into the hotel, I headed out to the vegetarian restaurant I discovered 4 years ago, called Sattgruen. Finally, I was sitting down to a beautiful plate of vegetarian food, and it was delicious!

The restaurant has gone through a renovation sometime in the last 2 years and they expanded both their cold salad bar and the hot buffet. The restaurant is self service, and you have a choice of a small or large plate for a flat fee.

Everything is vegan, fresh, and very flavorful, and I was able to sit outside and enjoy a little people watching. I heard they now have a second location, but I didn’t get to that one.