How does a drag queen keep her figure? For Mistress Ginger, vegan does it
GINGER GRANTS | Adding vegan options to a diet — even if it’s not every dish you eat — doesn’t have to be a drag, according to cabaret performer and cookbook queen Mistress Ginger.
SCOTT HUFFMAN | Contributing Writer
scott_in_dallas@yahoo.com
Pink-haired cabaret performer Mistress Ginger proudly proclaims herself a rare and rather elusive quadruple threat — singer, dancer, actress … and vegan know-it-all. She combines showgirl glamour, bawdy humor and a broad knowledge of plant-based cuisine in a new cookbook, Mistress Ginger Cooks!: Everyday Vegan Foods for Everyone.
There is some controversy, however, as to whether credit should go entirely to Mistress Ginger — who earned the title “mistress” as a dominatrix in a 2006 BDSM-meets-song-and-dance revue called Broadway Bound and Gagged — or should be shared with Justin Leaf, a 2001 Juilliard graduate with a BFA in dance and Ginger’s alter ego.
“Justin Leaf is, shall we say, my creative advisor,” Ginger explains. “He is sort of behind the scenes, giving me little ideas now and then.
But, of course, I am the true author of Mistress Ginger Cooks! You can read it right there on my cookbook — by Mistress Ginger. So there you go.”
One of Mistress Ginger’s primary motivations for writing the glitzy, photo-laden cookbook was to introduce the notion that a variety of plant-based food alternatives are readily available for vegans and non-vegans alike. And a recurring theme in the book is the romantic notion that food and passion are inextricably intertwined.
“You just have to discover new options for yourself and fill your plate with those things,” she advises. “Most times, people don’t know all the variety of things that exist out there. And the same applies to dating — sample all you like.”
Indeed, it was through her dating experiences that Mistress Ginger discovered veganism.
“My vegan lovers introduced me to plant-based cookery and the wonder of that world,” she says. “I just saw a new way that I could fuel my singing and dancing that was in alignment with my compassion for animals and the relationship that I want to have with them.”
Easy food preparation is another of the cookbook’s themes. “A lot of the dishes I prepare in the book are geared towards those who are living a fast-paced — what I like to call a snazzle frazzle — lifestyle,” she says. “So I’ve really created a number of recipes that pack in a lot of flavor and a lot of nutrition and, at the same time, are easy to make.”
The recipes —including tasty creations like Gingersnatch Cookies and Pound Me Cake — often have suggestive if not downright scandalous names.
“At one point, my editor said to me, ‘Ginger, we cannot have the words ‘seminal emissions’ in a cookbook,’” she recalls, admitting she sometimes has problems understanding boundaries. “Who knew? But they didn’t have a problem with Pop My Cherry Scones, Drizzle Me
Dressing and Sloppy Gingers. Then there is Mistress Ginger Dressing. I think I’m going to include the recipe for Mistress Ginger Undressing in my next cookbook.”
While Mistress Ginger has sworn off animal flesh, she still has the occasional craving for meat — a hunger which she now satisfies in alternative ways. “I’ve been vegan for about 12 years now, and I’m quite committed to that,” she says. “I haven’t had meat per se, but I eat meaty things — A nice tofu steak, for example, is quite meaty or a nice Portobello mushroom has a meaty texture to it. So I still get all the flavors and the textures that I may miss from time to time.”
And lest you assume Ginger acquired her creative cooking skills at a renowned culinary institute, the truth is much simpler. “I learned on my own,” she says. “I enjoy cookbooks. I got a lot of practice making other peoples’ recipes. I haven’t gotten any kind of certification to be a chef or anything — although I sometimes hear people say, ‘Wow, she should be certified!’”
Despite being a cabaret performer with a wardrobe full of slinky sequined gowns, Ginger doesn’t believe in skipping dessert. She actually considers dessert mandatory.
“Oh, no, I never skip dessert,” she says, touting her vegan alternatives. “I actually have to have dessert. It’s a must — everything from my Barbarian Torte to my Babushka Bundles.”
Mistress Ginger even uses one of her favorite dessert pairings — the union of peanut butter and chocolate — to make a political statement.
“They’ve been married since the beginning of time,” she exclaims. “Who are we to say who should be married?”
With its animal-friendly attitude, has Mistress Ginger’s cookbook had a positive impact on readers’ love lives? “It’s possible,” she says, though perhaps not in ways you’d expect. “They haven’t told me yet, but I make lots of recommendations. For instance, in my recipe for Scantily Clad Squash and Tofu, I suggest serving this scantily clad combo with only three things: an apron, bobby socks and a big smile. It is bound to improve one’s love life in unexpected ways.”
While a strict vegan lifestyle works well for Mistress Ginger, she understands it may not work for everyone. But something is better than nothing.
“I’m not saying everyone needs to go 100 percent vegan,” she asserts, “but each step that we take can have a positive effect, both on the environment and ourselves. Taking a few steps in that direction can be a wonderful thing.”
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Food fit for Fido … and his folks
Everyone knows gays treat their pets like members of the family, pampering them like only children even when there’s a pack of dogs under the same roof. Well, Gayle Pruitt feels the same way. That’s why she developed Dog-Done Good Cuisine (St. Martin’s Griffin 2014), a follow-up to her Dog-Gone Good Cookbook. This collection of recipes and photos teaches you not just how to cook a feast fit for a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, but for yourself as well.
What?! Giving dogs people food? Isn’t that a no-no? Well, look at it this way: When if comes to your dog, who really adheres to that rule? Or think of it more like humans eating dog food. Maybe that makes more sense to you. With tons of inventive and healthy recipes for pooch and person alike (she explains the spices, herbs and other ingredients safe for both species), Dog-Gone Good Cuisine gives a fresh spin on the idea of “cooking for two.”
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition July 4, 2014.