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Vegan Sweetheart: Baker Danielle Konya
The Web site for the award-winning alternative weekly, the Philadelphia City Paper.
Vegan Sweetheart: Baker Danielle Konya
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| Express-Times Photo |
| Danielle Konya at Vegan Treats |
You've seen them wrapped in cellophane, their names scrawled with the specials on menu chalkboards, "We have vegan desserts!" From the Royal Tavern on Passyunk Ave. to Milkboy Cafe in Ardmore, Danielle Konya's Vegan Treats have been "making people happy for 10 years."
Danielle's Vegan Treats retail bakery opened last year in Bethlehem, inspiring veggies from afar to make the trek just to bow down before the woman and her doughnuts. We caught up with the mistress of cruelty-free cake for a chat about eating your way toward justice.
Meal Ticket: How did you get your Vegan Treats into Philadelphia restaurants like the Royal Tavern?
Danielle Konya: I feel very fortunate that my foray into vegan baking actually began in Philadelphia and then flourished with word of mouth. I have found that when you work extremely hard and have passion the size of Texas, people hear about it and want in. I wanted to make cruelty-free desserts that look fantastic and taste even better. When I started this bakery, I set out to do the impossible � change the way people view what it means to be vegan and make an alternative that's better than its egg- and dairy-filled nemesis. After a decade pursuit against animal injustice, I feel like I'm working toward a foreseeable goal every day now which makes me work even harder. We're always excited when we get such loyal, dedicated clients like the Royal Tavern.
MT: What are the biggest challenges of vegan baking? How do you adapt to baking without classic texture-builders, like eggs and butter?
DK: The second question is easy. I've never had to adapt to baking without eggs or butter because to be honest, I wouldn't even know how. I have never in my life baked a non-vegan cake. It's a classic question for the vegan cook or baker. How does it work? There are some very good, and getting even better replacements for just about everything in the animal product world. It's just a matter of playing the chemist and figuring out the right combinations. But if you've tried the treats, there's no difference.
The challenges have surpassed trying to make the products taste the exact same as their counter part in the non-vegan realm. I feel like the past 10 years I have been really mastering that. My main goal was always trying to produce the best product possible in appearance and taste, but now it's the challenge of the message. In addition to always dedicating myself to produce every counterpart in the dessert world from complicated truffles to fluffy doughnuts to creamy cheesecakes and wedding cakes, I want people to understand why. Why eating vegan equates to saving rain forests, and ultimately over 100 lives per year. That people start with treats, and move to researching why they're eating what they're eating and what a huge impact it makes.
It began as treats, but it moved into something much bigger, infusing my life's goal with an easy introduction: sweets!
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| Photo l Mike Panic |
| A variety of vegan cheesecakes |
MT: Are there many vegans in the Bethlehem area? It seems that your customers are more than willing to travel to your bakery and fill up an ice-chest of Peanut Butter Bombes!
DK: Many vegans everywhere, and growing!
I am fortunate to have very dedicated customers, as well. Yes, I have seen many ice chests. People travel hundreds of miles (and even thousands) to come to the bakery. People have camped out, freaked out, gotten on their knees bowing ... it's incredible. The uniqueness and quality of my treats draw people in. I'm proud to own a company that possesses so much energy and captivates a national audience all through dessert. It's a labor of love that continues to exceed my expectations every single day.
MT: What is your dream for your business?
DK: My dream is to change the way people think about their food choices one slice of cake at a time. Opening people's eyes to the dramatic impact eating a vegan diet makes on wildlife, rain forest, other living beings. The whole reason why I am doing what I am doing, trying to expand, always challenging myself to push the company to higher levels is all for the animals. Just last night I was driving home from NYC and it was almost 2 a.m. and I passed a cattle truck on the highway. I tried to look away but of course couldn't. Packed in by the dozens, scared, confused ... I looked down at the temperature gauge and it was a chilling 31 degrees. I felt sick that in 2009 we are still a human race blind to the other species of animals that inhabit this planet and what a disgrace we have been in respecting these life forms. It is my goal to make a small difference in the fight for animal injustice.
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| Photo l Mike Panic |
| The famous Peanut Butter Bombes |
Vegan Treats, 1444 Linden St., Bethlehem 610-861-7660, vegantreats.com; info@vegantreats.com
The blog Philly Vegan Life has a fairly complete list of caf�s and restaurants that sell Vegan Treats. See it HERE.
Interesting Q&A. I've had her baked goods-they're pretty tasty. But I'm still not 100 percent sure I want my baker to be "playing chemist."
They all play chemist, Joy. It's just a matter of not using synthetic chemicals. Vegan Treats is the BEST. Bethlehem is my hometown. If I lived there now I would probably be a barge because Vegan Treats is SO good. Now it's even more of a treat to go back because a trip to Vegan Treats is always included. Who needs animal products? No one!! Try Vegan Treats and you'll see.
best fucking deserts on the planet earth and romulan . I love the fact that Danielle has enought balls to play chemist . Rock on veganizzle
Go, Danielle! Vegan Treats rocks the house!
what is cooking/baking if not a form of playing chemist? the question is whether one presents it as scientific or not.
Vegan Treats are amazing!! This is a great article, thanks for giving us some insight into the mastermind behind these awesome desserts!!!
[...] - Vegan Treats founder Danielle Konya sharing what keeps her oven burning. To check out the whole interview, visit Citypaper.net! [...]
[...] Meal Ticket wrote a fantastic profile on Danielle Konya, the mastermind behind Bethlehem’s Vegan Treats, which has been serving Philadelphia for more than ten years with decadent veg-friendly desserts. I have been guilty of hoarding those famous peanut butter bommes in my apartment. So sue me! They’re delicious! [...]
Thanks for doing what you do, Danielle! You make the vegan world so much sweeter. :)
Joy, you Tight Ass... I think Konya was speaking in a joking, tongue in cheek manner..... She is an amazing person and her Discipline and Determination should be the envy of all Americans. The Treats are Phenomenal much like the Baker Herself.
[...] PREVIOUSLY ON MEAL TICKET: Vegan Sweetheart: Baker Danielle Konya [17Mar09] [...]
Cooking IS chemistry, dumbass. This happens to be organic chemistry. Baking of any kind requires mastery and the vegan creations at VT are masterful! I am one of those who has driven for hours to get to this place. I bought a bunch of cakes for my (meat-eating) family at Christmas and they were all gone in minutes! The chocolate glazed donuts are beyond amazing and the strawberry shortcake (with or without chocolate) is my most favorite dessert of all time!
[...] Philadelphia City Paper’s Meal Ticket section ran a great article and interview yesterday with Vegan Treats owner Danielle Konya and featured some of my photos. I feel so honored [...]
Wish there were more people like Danielle - just had my first taste of your cheesecakes at The Red Bamboo (my kids have raved about them - they attend college up in Boston - we are down in Houston) and hands down the best cheesecake!!! Keep baking for the animals - we think you are awesome.
[...] gets its 15-ish minutes of fame on the menu at award-winning Vegan Treats Bakery in Bethlehem (Felicia D chatted with the bakery’s Danielle Konya back in March �09). If Bethlehem seems like a hefty distance to travel for snacks, remember that you can look for [...]
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