Many people equate a vegan diet with deprivation, thinking that recipes prepared without eggs, butter, meat or other animal products are certain to be tasteless and boring. But the reputation of vegan eating got a much-needed public-relations lift this summer from an unlikely place -- the Food Network's popular new show "Cupcake Wars." The program, which each week features four of the country's top bakers facing off in three elimination challenges, recently pitted a 22-year-old vegan chef, Chloe Coscarelli, against three bakers of traditional high-end cupcakes. The judges were skeptical at first. "I was surprised at the bravery and boldness to parade four different flavors of vegan cupcakes in front of the judges when everyone else was clearly going to be working with butter and eggs," said one judge, Candace Nelson, the owner of Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills, Calif. "I thought it was possibly working at a disadvantage."
Many people equate a vegan diet with deprivation, thinking that recipes prepared without eggs, butter, meat or other animal products are certain to be tasteless and boring.
But the reputation of vegan eating got a much-needed public-relations lift this summer from an unlikely place -- the Food Network's popular new show "Cupcake Wars."
The program, which each week features four of the country's top bakers facing off in three elimination challenges, recently pitted a 22-year-old vegan chef, Chloe Coscarelli, against three bakers of traditional high-end cupcakes.
The judges were skeptical at first. "I was surprised at the bravery and boldness to parade four different flavors of vegan cupcakes in front of the judges when everyone else was clearly going to be working with butter and eggs," said one judge, Candace Nelson, the owner of Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills, Calif. "I thought it was possibly working at a disadvantage."
