Natalie is a resident of Chicago, where she shares her life with her husband Tony, their son Teno, and two adorable dogs, Lulu and Flapjack. In 2006, during her maternity leave, Natalie embarked on her journey with Bake and Destroy. With a background as a baker and a college student studying journalism, the concept of food blogging seamlessly blended her passions.
Bake and Destroy serves as a platform for her original vegan recipes, drawing inspiration from punk rock, heavy metal, indulgent snacks, and even a touch of pro-wrestling. Alongside her culinary creations, Natalie occasionally engages in interviews with chefs, indie designers, and other captivating personalities.
Meatless Movement recently had a chance to chat with her.
Natalie’s dynamic presence extends beyond her blog, as she has made appearances on noteworthy TV shows such as Food Network, The Cooking Channel, and WTTW Chicago Tonight. Her features have also graced the pages of respected publications like Time Out Chicago and Bust Magazine. Interestingly, Natalie’s resilience shines through as she has experienced her fair share of reality TV shows, both on and off the air.
Please tell us more about yourself
Bake and Destroy features original vegan recipes influenced by punk rock, heavy metal, junk food and maybe a bit of pro-wrestling
Natalie XVX | Vegan Blogger
My name is Natalie Slater, and I’m from Chicago, IL in the United States.
I grew up listening to punk rock and hardcore, and in the mid-to-late 90s when I was in high school a lot of the bands I listened to were vegan or vegetarian and played songs about animal rights. I got curious about what they were talking about and ended up watching an undercover investigation at a pig farm that really broke my heart. I became a vegetarian in 1998 and went vegan shortly after that.
At this point I’ve been vegan most of my life, so it’s just second nature. I’m proud of it, though. It’s better for the planet and certainly better for the animals
Natalie XVX | Vegan Blogger
What difficulties arise when searching for vegan/vegetarian food or dining out with friends? How do you effectively tackle and overcome these challenges?
It’s easier than ever, honestly. There are so many products available in stores now and resources like Happy Cow to help you find options at restaurants. My friends and family are all very used to my eating habits by now, and many of them are vegan themselves, so I don’t run into many issues dining with them. Lots of restaurants, including vegan restaurants, use cauliflower or mushrooms as meat substitutes and it can be tough to find tofu or seitan. I eat a high protein vegan diet, so it’s not always easy to find restaurant options that offer that.
People often tell me they’ve never tried vegan food and I ask, “Have you ever eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Hummus and pita?” Most people do eat vegan things all the time, they just don’t realize it. So I think normalizing vegan food in that way helps to make it seem less strange.
I live in Chicago where there are so many vegan options I haven’t even tried them all and I’ve lived here for 22 years. I keep a list on my website of my recommendations, but some of my favorites are Alice and Friends Vegan Kitchen, Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria, and Casa Yari.
The first two are fully vegan, one specializing in Asian cuisine and the other in Mexican. Casa Yari is omnivorous, but has some of the best vegan options in the city and they use ingredients from local vegan brands such as Cheeze and Thank You and Upton’s Naturals.
People become armchair nutritionists when they find out you don’t eat meat, and they ask a lot of questions about where you get your protein. But nine times out of 10 they have no idea how much protein or other nutrients they’re consuming, or if that amount is adequate or not. It’s just an antagonistic question.
What advice would you give to someone who is starting to explore a meatless diet?
Find a supportive community online – follow other vegan and vegetarian folks on social media and maybe join a Facebook group. If you let people in that community know that you’d like to become vegan or vegetarian they’re generally going to be really supportive and make recommendations to help you.
And remember why you’re doing it – whether it’s for your health, the planet, or for the animals. Those reasons won’t ever change, so if you keep them in mind it can help you to stick with it.
Natalie XVX | Vegan Blogger
Author of Bake and Destroy: Good Food for Bad Vegans 💪🏻 Making gains in my 40s. Coach = @belinda.l.o 💍 @xslateandalertx
💌 Natalie@bakeanddestroy.com
all images courtesy of Natalie XVX | Vegan Blogger