Episode 92 – Icelandic Vegans, Part 1

Episode 92 (Air Date: March 17th, 2017) Okay…  It’s been quite some time since our last episode!  And you’re wondering why.  Right?  Of course you are. And you deserve to know: IT’S BECAUSE BEN IS A BAD PERSON! There.  I feel better now that I got that off my chest.  I’ve been putting it off…  and then …

Episode 92 – Icelandic Vegans, Part 1 Read More »

Episode 92

(Air Date: March 17th, 2017)

Okay…  It’s been quite some time since our last episode!  And you’re wondering why.  Right?  Of course you are.

And you deserve to know:

IT’S BECAUSE BEN IS A BAD PERSON!

There.  I feel better now that I got that off my chest.  I’ve been putting it off…  and then having put it off so long made me feel bad…  so I hid from feeling bad about putting it off…  which meant I put it off longer… and longer…

*sigh*

…and LONGER.  Until FINALLY (today) I decided “No more!”

And I grabbed my microphone and I did what I was born to do.  Talk about veganism and animal rights!

So today’s episode is one I’ve had in the works for quite some time.  Having returned from Iceland last summer, I really wanted to interview a bunch of vegans in Iceland, considering veganism is hugely on the rise there and — in my opinion — Iceland is becoming one of the countries with the highest percentage of vegans.  Seriously, it’s got to be in the top 12 or 15 at this point.

And so instead of waiting until I had a whole bunch of interviews done, I started with two very dear friends of mine — and ended up with two whole hours of content.  And I said to myself “That’ll do, Ben…  That’ll do!”

So let me tell you a bit about today’s guests:

Ársæll Hjálmarsson is a fellow drag queen (a member of “Drag-Súgur”, the only drag house in Iceland) who went vegan this past Autumn.

You can find him on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/saelihjalla

Oh and since he didn’t mention it, I will…  here is his drag alter-ego, Aurora Borealis:

https://www.facebook.com/DragAurora/

You can also see Aurora Borealis (Ársæll) and Drag-Súgur in this commercial for Gló, the healthy, vegan-friendly restaurant in Iceland.  I am SO proud of them, AND of Gló for using drag queens to promote their restaurant and store!!!

https://gayiceland.is/2017/drag-queen-star-new-ad-campaign/

Our next guest is my dear friend Bára Halldórsdóttir.  Hers is an interesting journey to veganism, as it started with chronic illness (Behcet’s Disease) which at first seemed like a barrier to going vegan — and in going vegan ended up bringing her much relief from some of her symptoms!

Here is the Vegan Ísland (Vegan Iceland) Facebook group we mentioned, and the exposé (all in Icelandic) that was on the news about egg laying hens.

…along with an UPDATE on the company Brúnegg going bankrupt!!! (YAY!)

You can follow Bára’s social media here:

SNAPCHAT: barahalldors

Instagram

Facebook

Facebook group for Icelanders with Behcet’s: Behcet’s á Íslandi

Also, I talked a lot about food in this episode since I did a lot of cooking for both Ársæll and Bára, so I figure I may as well link you to the two recipes we talked about the most:

Isa Chandra’s Chickpea Cutlets:

http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/double-batch-chickpea-cutlets/

and

That Coconut Peanut Satay

So… this is a recipe I’m still kind of developing…  So don’t be mad if this doesn’t turn to gold. Just experiment and make it your own.

15oz can of unsweetened coconut milk

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave

3 teaspoons fresh ginger

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons sesame oil (maybe more???)

2 teaspoons lime juice

1/2 tablespoon molasses

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon each:

– ginger powder

– garlic powder

– cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon fennel powder

Feel free to substitute things if you lack certain Ingredients. Make this your own.

And I like to serve this over noodles with some kind of vegan (duh) meat, pineapple, broccoli, and freshly roasted cashews!

Please be in touch and let us know what you thought of this episode!

– CALL US: (315) VEGAN-01, that’s 315-834-2601

– EMAIL US: [email protected]

-TWEET US: @BigFatVegans

-FACEBOOK US: Search for “Big Fat Vegan Radio”

SUPPORT US!

Oh, and…

BUY A T-SHIRT!!!

(Did we mention we now have T-Shirts???  Cuz we do!)

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER & INSTAGRAM!

@HoneyLaBronx and @Larayaz

Check out our YouTube shows!

3 Minutes About a Movie by Laura Yaz

and

Honey LaBronx’s Vegan Drag Queen Cooking Show

Buy some famous Medieval Oil!

AND AS ALWAYS

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR FRIENDS

Michael Harren

and

Kelly Huffine

MUSICAL GUEST:

Song: Flesk

By: Katrín Helga Andrésdóttir

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPa2Px2NMAM&feature=youtu.be

Be sure to watch the video (above) — it’ll add to your enjoyment!

And incase you’re wondering what the heck the song is about, here are the lyrics — first in Icelandic, then in English:

ICELANDIC LYRICS:

Litla sæta lambið

komdu nú með mér,

ég skal finna gamlan hrút

og láta nauðga þér.

Þú ert orðin eins árs,

það þýðir ekkert jarm

og þegar það loks fæðist

mun ég drepa þitt barn.

Úrbeina og húðfletta

og pakka inn í plast,

beint á útsölu í bónus

markaðssett í drasl!

Litla lambalíkið

er bútað niðrí búta,

sem útataðir sósu

rata oní mallakúta.

Verði þér að góðu.

Það er kirkjugarður inní þér.

Dýr í búrum

drepin á færiböndum

dauð í búrum

læri á búðarstöndum

framleidd til að vera framreidd

framleidd til að vera framreidd

Öss hættu þessu væli, annars verð ég brjál,

Helgi Björns mættur til að tækla þetta mál.

Já, ég borða lambakjöt!

Já, ég púlla leðurföt!

Og gjörsamlega hata ykkar tómatasalöt!

Með því að kaupa kjötið rauða

ert þú að kaupa þeirra dauðaþ

Þau geta ekki varið sig og tekið til máls

gætir þú skorið þau sjálfur á háls?

Fæ mér börger og bjór þegar ég fer á prikið

og þegar tjellinn fær sér flesk, þæ fær hann sér mikið!

Kjötveisla á Domino’s og beikonristað Dorito’s

skola ég niður með pulsum og kók í dós!

Pepperóníið á pizzunni þinni

var grís í búri einu sinni

sem lifði um skeið

í kremju og neið

til að enda sem álegg á þinni sneið

en Hey!

Ég vil beikon, burger og steik

og mér er sama þó ég sé að styðja þennan leik.

Kótilettu ket og smjer

það er krikjugarður inní þér

Kótilettu ket og smjer

það er krikjugarður inní þér

Við pínum svíni í allt og litlum stíum

hvað eru mörg lík í ísskápnum þínum?

Jó! Þið hafið snúið mér með tali og tónum

fer á Gló og fæ mér nóg af grænmeti og grjónum.

Þamba gómsæta sojamjólk, og muncha fræ

og grænmetið á garðinum, er alltílæ.

Æ, hlustið á Helga, dætur og synir:

öll dýrin í skóginum eig’að vera vinir!

ENGLISH LYRICS (TRANSLATED)

Sweet little lamb

Now come with me

I’ll find an old ram

And let him rape you.

You are now one year old

Beh-omg doesn’t help

And when it finally is born

I’ll kill your baby.

Take out the bones and rip off the flesh

And wrap in a plastic wrap

Straight to a sale in Bónus

Marketing it to pieces!

Little lamb corpse

Is cut into pieces

Which, covered in sauce,

Go straight to the belly.

Bon appetite

There’s a graveyard inside of you.

Animals in cages

Killed on a conveyor belt

Dead in cages

A leg on the store’s shelves

Produced to be served

Produced to be served

Ah! Stop whining, or else

I’ll go mad.

Helgi Björns is here

To tackle this issue.

Yes I eat lamb!

Yes I pull off wearing leather!

And totally hate your

Tomato salads!

By buying the red meat

You’re buying their death

They can’t protect themselves or

Speak up

Could you cut their throats yourself?

Grab myself a burger and a beer when I

Go to Prikið (bar/Restaurant)

And when the man gets himself some bacon,

He gets a lot of it!

Meatparty at Dominos and

Bacon toasted Doritos

I drown with hotdogs and

Coke in a can.

The pepperoni on your pizza

Was once a piglet in a cage

That lived for a while

Crammed up and in need

To end up as a topping

On your slide.

But Hey!

I want bacon, burger and steak

And I don’t care if I’m

Supporting this game.

Lamb chops, meat and butter

There’s a graveyard inside of you

Lamb chops, meat and butter

There’s a graveyard inside of you.

We torture pigs in a way too small

Pen

How many corpses are in your

Fridge?

Yo! You’ve converted me with your talks

And tones

I go to Gló and grab enough of

Vegetables and rice.

Drink delicious soy milk, and

Munch on seeds

And the vegetables in the garden, is

Quite okay.

Ay, listen to Helgi, daughters and

Sons:

All the animals in the forest are supposed to be friends!