Interview with Emily DePetro

"Don't let the world bring you down, its amazing what people can accomplish when they join together," said Emily DePetro, a creative vegan film student that resides in Fullerton.

Down below is the interview on what inspired her to become a vegan, her favorite recipes and restaurants, and much more!


What inspired you to be a vegan? Were you a vegetarian before?
I had been a vegetarian for over 5 years and everyone always said it was "so difficult" to be vegan. In August of 2010 I went to the circus protest at the Honda Center and met a lot of really wonderful people and also some radical vegans. I ended up going to dinner with the radical vegans and they kept shoving veganism down my throat; basically chastising me for being "only" vegetarian while protesting. These are the type of people that give being vegan a bad name, however, they planted the seed in my mind. Why had I never tried it before? I decided to give it a go in the beginning of September 2010 and I haven't looked back since.


As a vegan, what do you do to maintain a healthy diet and are not deficient in any nutrient?

I believe I maintain a healthy balanced diet and I haven't had any physical problems since becoming vegan. It's very easy to get all the nutrients I need by just eating correctly.

What is the funniest or outrageous comment or response when you tell someone you're a vegan?

I can't think of any funny or outrageous comments anyone has said to me. Mainly I get saddled with the protein question. "How do you get your protein?". I'm also very sick and tired of answering this question. 

Are you part of any animal rights organizations? What does the organization do?

I'm involved with a company called APRL, Animal Protection and Rescue League. Check them out on meetup.com for events going on in Orange County. They raise awareness of animal cruelty acts that are in stores and restaurants in the OC. The two main groups they focus on are foie gras and puppy mills. APRL is leading fighter of foie gras in the U.S and have convinced 100% of the restaurants they protest to take it off the menu. They also have demos against Barkworks and educate the public on puppy mills and encourage consumers to adopt rather than buy from a pet store. 

What is your favorite vegan meal?

My favorite meal would have to be a sandwich I created. It consists of toasted sourdough bread, hummus, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, avocado and onions.

What is an amazing restaurant that has swept you off your feet that you would recommend to my readers?

My favorite vegan restaurant is the Vegan Joint in LA. Local places I enjoy are Veggie Grill, Mother's Restaurant (the new location off Associated and Imperial in Brea) and Rutabegorz, even though they are not vegan it's easy to make their recipes vegan.

What is a recipe you would recommend for my readers?

Scrambled Tofu is probably the easiest and best recipe I make very often. I make Isa Chandra's Scrambled Tofu recipe from "Vegan with a Vengeance." Since I am a pizza fanatic, I also recommend making homemade pizza. It takes a very long time but in the end it's worth every bite. 

You're going to Cal State Fullerton in the field of film, video and photography. What is your favorite work that you would like to share?

My favorite television show is Skins, the UK version. Please do not associate the MTV version with UK Skins. MTV Skins was the worst thing I've ever seen. I made a fan version of the opening credits featuring myself and my friends, which is probably my favorite and the most fun I've had making/editing something.

But then again the music video, "The O.C." by N'Tice, which was intended to be cheesy is probably number two on my list.

What is your main source of inspiration?

I would say photography is a main source of inspiration for my work. I love aesthetics and making a good image. I'm not a writer, it was never my forte, but creating or taking a picture of a great image is one thing that inspires me to keep going. The world is beautiful and full of wonder and I want to capture it. 

What inspired you to go into this field?

I've always been fascinated with movies and always thought "I could do that". One day I just decided to go for it and I've been having a great time ever since. 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

The only thing I can think to add is, if you are vegan or vegetarian don't let the general public bring you down. I've had times where I was so exhausted from hearing the negative comments from people that I stopped telling people I was vegan. Which is the wrong thing to do. We are doing something great here, we care about something so much we live that lifestyle, we want others to become aware of it and to change as well. Don't let the world bring you down, its amazing what people can accomplish when they join together.