Books: "Eat What Elephants Eat," By Dominick Thompson

Eat What Elephants Eat: Vegan Recipes for a Strong Body and a Gentle Spirit

By Dominick Thompson 

S&S/Simon Element; hardcover, 304 pages; $29.99

Dominick Thompson, an Ironman triathlete and social entrepreneur, is a leading voice in the ethical vegan and No-Meat Athlete movements. Dom completed in endurance races, including marathons, triathlons, and ultra-races, after he reentered the workforce following his imprisonment. He eventually became an executive at a leading healthcare company, where he saved enough money to launch Eat What Elephants Eat, which is an online nutrition and wellness program that gives its subscribers a personalized plant-based plan with daily meal recommendations.

Dominick Thompson.

In the new cookbook, Eat What Elephants Eat: Vegan Recipes for a Strong Body and a Gentle Spirit, Thompson has created a no-fuss guide, infused with his personal narrative, to invite people to embrace veganism. 

Thompson offers eighty simple, vegan recipes and meal plans for a vegan lifestyle that anyone can follow, while also connecting the dots among the social and environmental perils of the industrial food system and our health. 

The ingredients that go into an Eat What the Elephants Eat (frequently referred to as EWEE throughout) include water, salt, oils, flours, grains, and plant-based swaps for eggs, dairy, meat and fish.

Recipes include Bold 'N' Beautiful Beet Waffles, Loaded Chipotle Chili, Buffalo Cauliflower "Chicken," Lentil Sloppy Joes, Mega Tofu BLT, and a Lemon Loaf with Lemon Icing. 

Thompson defines plant-based as people who, historically, have had that diet 100 percent of the time, whereas now it could include people who work in small servings of meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy. He also writes that veganism refers to both diet and lifestyle. The diet part is one that excludes animal flesh, animal by-products, including dairy and eggs, and any services or products that come from industries that harm or exploit animals. The lifestyle component is people deciding to be vegan if they are motivated by animal protection, health, and ethical, environmental, and social justice issues.

Thompson writes in the introduction, "I have a sign in my kitchen that says 'THIS KITCHEN IS FOR DANCING.' I hung it to honor my late fur-daughter, Soca, who was named for the upbeat Caribbean dance of the same name. Soca came into my life when my mother, Maria, brought her home after a trip to St. Thomas with her husband, Ken, a native islander. Ken's three chihuahuas (bitter and grumpy, each of 'em, probably 'cause Taco Bell wasn't hiring, and they were out of work!) couldn't stand the new addition to the family. And so, Soca came to live with me.

At the time, I was on house arrest and from the moment I laid eyes on that little white and brown fur ball of energy with the most beautiful brown eyes I've ever seen, she opened my heart in ways I never dreamed imaginable. I'd often hold her in my arms, getting our groove on. Or sometimes, it would be just me, dancing for her while cooking. 

While that sign reminds me of Soca, who has since transitioned on, and whose loving energy still fills my home, it has also taken on new meaning. 'THIS KITCHEN IS FOR DANCING' is a reminder that here, in my kitchen, where I cook, eat, and share delicious vegan food, I am engaged in the most upbeat dance of all, the one called life.

Today, when you opened this book, you were transported to my kitchen. And I opened my heart to find you here. I named this book for Earth's largest herbivore, the mighty African elephant - an intelligent, gentle, curious, strong, and peaceful creature that fuels its massive body with plants. They are a reminder and inspiration that we, too, can move through the world as protectors, strengthening our bodies by 'eating what elephants eat.' Our hearts and minds will expand, too, with plants.

I am honored to share with you my story and how my do no harm mantra - 'If It Requires Harm, Then Nahh' - set me on course for healing physically, mentally, and emotionally. By eating what elephants eat, I am on a path toward a healthier and more just world for all living things. I hope you will join me on my journey."