NEW HAVEN >> If you want to eat healthful foods, but you’re cowed by kale and turned off by turnips, you just may need a little help learning how to prepare them.
Mary Lawrence of New Haven, known as the “traveling vegan chef,” is just the one to come to your aid. She’s the owner and founder of Well on Wheels[1] — and not only will she come in and tame your tofu, she’ll cook it for you, put it in your refrigerator, and even teach you to make it yourself, if you want.
Lawrence, who used to live in East Hartford in the middle of “fast food heaven,” knows what it’s like to go from being a junk food addict to a vegan.
It all started about 17 years ago when she was suffering from allergies, rashes, breakouts, headaches and a constant feeling of exhaustion.
“I went to my regular doctor and to an allergist, both of whom said I needed to get rid of my dog and to carry a steroid inhaler with me at all times,” she said. “But I didn’t want to get rid of my dog — so I went to a naturopathic doctor who said I could keep the dog, but that I needed to change everything I ate. She said no caffeine, dairy, refined sugar, refined flour, meat — pretty much everything I lived on.”
Lawrence spent the first three months detoxing. “I figured I’d do this until I felt better, and then I’d go back to my real food,” she said. “But then once I did feel better, I was surprised by the amount of energy I had. I felt more energetic than I had my whole life.”
Instead of going back to burgers and fries, Lawrence started figuring out more and more recipes she could make. And as she fed these new dishes to her friends, people were enthusiastic and wanted to know more about them. She started teaching adult education classes and helping people who were overwhelmed learn how to go vegan.
Then, 10 years ago, Lawrence started her business of being a traveling vegan personal chef, and Well on Wheels was born.
Sandy Resnick of New Haven has been a devoted customer for the past five years. A health care worker, she’s away from home from about 5 a.m. (which is when she leaves home to go and work out) until about 6:30 p.m. She comes home each day to a vegan meal, all prepared by Lawrence and ready to heat up and eat.
“I love Mondays the best,” said Resnick. “That’s the day she comes to my house and cooks for the week. She makes three different entrees of two servings each. When I come home from work that day, I can smell the food from the hallway of my condo. She’s cooked, put the food in the refrigerator all labeled and ready, and written out a menu which is on the kitchen counter. She’s done all the shopping, brought over all the ingredients, cooked it, and cleaned up. It’s the absolute best.”
Resnick said she’s never felt better. Gone are the days when she’d arrive home hungry and end up eating a bag of popcorn just to keep from starving. “I don’t enjoy cooking,” she said. “So I don’t want to spend what little free time I do have available doing something I don’t enjoy, when Mary brings over such delicious meals. Last night I got up from the dinner table and emailed her, ‘God, this is good!’”
Lawrence also loves showing people how easy a vegan diet can be, by preparing foods alongside them while they learn, either one-on-one or in a group.
“Sometimes people are so unhealthy or hopeless because of their past experiences and they’re afraid they’re going to have to be on medication their whole lives,” she said. “And when we start working together, they’re so grateful when they see how easy it is and how delicious the food is, that sometimes they actually cry.”
As for Lawrence, even though she’s busy planning menus and cooking nearly all the time, she said this job has truly helped her exercise her creative side.
“I’m always focusing on what ingredients are fresh and in season and how the colors, tastes and textures are going to go together,” she said. “I’m all about how it’s going to look and how it feels when you’re eating it.”
The common misconception about vegan food, she said, is that it’s boring.
“I’ve had boring vegan food, too, but it doesn’t have to be that way,” she said. “I show people how to select the ingredients, and point out that many of them can be grown in your own garden or in a sunny window right of your house.”
To find out more about her services, call her at (860)985-1645, email her at mary@wellonwheels.com. Or visit her website at www.wellonwheels.com[2] .
No comments :
Post a Comment