Pase8_________________________________
^ìnrt lattò (Observer___________________
November23.2011
L o cal C h e f In sp ired by V egan C o o k in g
Encourages local, organic and plant-based meals
by M indy C(X) pek
R inaldi has co n scio u sly cJim i-
T he P ortland O bserver
nated al, anim al products from
As m enus are p repared for his personal life as vegan. “ I
the upcom ing holiday season, w as 12-years-old, and I had se ­
one renow ned V egan Portland vere asthm a and a lle rg ie s,” he
c h e f e n c o u ra g e s re sid e n ts to said. “ My m other and fath er
co n sid er a p lan t-b ased T h an k s­ d id n ’t know how to help me. I
giving this year.
c o u ld n ’t b re a th e .”
For 5 1 -years, restau ran t e n ­
Rinaldi said he remembers when
trep ren eu r and gourm et c h e f Bo his mom took him to see a Seventh
has inspired his dedication to share begun to say a vegan lifestyle is not
his personal plant-based lifestyle only the healthiest lifestyle, but a
Day Adventist doctor, who gave with as many people who will listen. way to eat good food at an afford­
him the book Back to Eden that told
As the founder of the Portland able price.
him to rid his diet of wheat, gluten, restaurant Blossoming Lotus, which
“I can teach people how to live on
dairy, eggs and meat.
provides a menu made up entirely of a dollar a meal,” he said.
“I read the book form cover to local fruits and vegetables, Rinaldi
In the past two decades, he said,
cover in two weeks time,” he said. is determined to help members of “I put a lot of my energy and re­
And after two weeks, Rinaldi said he the community eat local, organic sources to give a more positive
was cured.
and plant-based meals. "If people message for the movement.”
At 63-years-old, Rinaldi said he eat this way, we can grow our way
Throughout his lifetime, Rinaldi
has never been sick in his life, which out of all of our problems,” he said. has published multiple Vegan cook­
Veganism means we don’t use books, opened several restaurants
anything that comes from an animal, and traveled around the world pro­
he said. "What happens is by using viding cooking lessons and educat­
a plant based lifestyle you develop ing communities about the benefit
more compassion, health, sensitiv­ and importance of a plant-based
ity and intuition.”
lifestyle.
As a resident of southern Califor­
Modern science, he said, has
nia in the 60s, Rinaldi, who worked unveiled several dietary cures that
his way through high school and come from this lifestyle, which doc­
college as a vegan chef, said he was tors have found can prevent or re­
one of the founding members of the verse cancer, diabetes, obesity, or
organic movement.
heart disease.
“Food does not come out of a
supermarket or a package, but it
comes out of the ground,” he said.
“We don’t eat processed food, and
we don’t need drugs.”
According to Rinaldi, although
the term is fairly new, veganism re­
ceived somewhat of an unpopular
start with a radical group known in
the 60s as the Diggers, which
emerged in southern California with
roots to modem day organizations
such as PETA (People for the Ethi­
Bo Rinaldi
cal Treatment of Animals).
The group, which Rinaldi was a
part of, gave away food, medical
“I do it as a matter of survival,” he
care, transportation and temporary said.
housing; they also organized free
All kinds of individuals from
music concerts and works of politi­ throughout the city enjoy healthy
cal art in Haight-Ashbury in San plant based meals at the Blossom­
Francisco.
ing Lotus, which supports more than
“We believed a revolution can­ 300 farmers, he said. “By support­
not be run on an empty stomach,” ing these farmers, it supports about
he said.
10,000jobs.”
s
ve e
The Diggers envisioned a soci­
Although there are a number of
ety free from private property, and reasons residents visit the restau­
took their name from the agrarian rant, Rinaldi added many of his cus­
based English Diggers, who during tomers eat at the establishment to
the time of Napoleon believed in a become healthier or prevent dis­
bloodless revolution.
ease. “Doctors send them to us,” he
“Napoleon said he who feeds the said.
people controls the people, but we
“It wasn’t until the 90s that people
say he who feeds the people frees began to realize processed food and
the people,” he said.
drugs were being produced by large
Although often considered ta­ institutions,” he said. “And they
boo, the act of eliminating animal really didn’t care about our human
products from one’s diet has been welfare.”
practiced by great minds for hun­
However, after individuals be­
dreds of years.
gan to hear more about research
“It was made popular by Gandhi, surrounding meat and dairy pro­
Einstein, Di'Vinci, and Pythagoras,” duction, a shift of the middle class
he said.
occurred.
While people are currently tak­
“After that I no longer served
ing to the streets, Rinaldi said, “I just nature nuts, but also people
encourage all the brothers and sis­ with cancer, diabetes, and heart dis­
ters to feed each other, not just this ease,” he said.
holiday season, but throughout the
“It gave the movement legiti­
year.”
macy, and we now have hundreds
Although the peaceful practice of doctors.”
o f vegan food consumption has
A little over a month ago, Rinaldi
been demonized perpetually since said he opened a Vegan restaurant
the movement began in the 60s, at the Portland Adventist Medical
Rinaldi said in the past five years,
continued
on page IS
modem medicine and chefs have
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