Yorke was selected for VegNew's May 2006 "Musician Spotlight", and has won numerous nominations for Peta's prestigious "World's Sexiest Vegetarian Alive" award. Okay, so we all know Thom Yorke is hot, so what's the deal?
Anyone who's been to any Radiohead show, or even seen or heard any snippets of live interviews or music, can see that this is a socially, ethically, and politically conscious band, so it shouldn't be surprising to learn that frontman Yorke has his head screwed on straight when it comes to dietary choices. Yorke has been known to refuse concerts that are notorious resource-burners, and for the last six months the band has proudly draped two Tibetan flags across their performance spaces. A staunch green party supporter, Yorke admitted to refusing to meet with British Prime Minister Tony Blair to discuss environmental issues because, "the difference between me and Bono is that he's quite happy to go and flatter people to get what he wants and he's very good at it, but I just can't do it. I'd probably end up punching them in the face rather than shaking their hand, so it's best that I stay out of their way. I can't engage with that level of bullshit. Which is a shame, really, and in a way it would help if I could, but I just can't. I admire the fact that Bono can, and can walk away from it smelling of roses."
In an interview with Animal Aid in May 2005, Yorke went public on his long-time vegan lifestyle. While he has always been a fair trade supporter and environmental advocate, adopting a vegan lifestyle came later in life--and unexpectedly. According to Yorke, his reasons for evolving to veganism during young adulthood consisted of, "A list of things I guess... first thing was Meat is Murder [a song by legendary band The Smiths]. The second thing was getting sick all the time every time I ate meat - getting sick a lot... and the third thing was I started going out with this girl and I wanted to impress her so I pretended I'd been vegetarian all along... and I immediately felt a lot better, a lot healthier. I was concerned, as many people are, about that 'you're not going to get all the things you need in your diet, you're going to get sick all the time', but the exact opposite happened to me, so I never looked back. It was never a problem straight off."
Yorke later went on to record a spot for Animal Aid's Eat This!, a documentary exposing the realities of factory farming. He believes that the public, "should care that society deems it necessary to create this level of suffering in order for them to eat food that they don't need, they should care about that. There is enough suffering in the world and if you choose to physically ingest it, then you should at least be aware of what you're doing rather than assuming that that's your right as a human being to do it." He emphasizes public education regarding large supermarket chains, the use of antibiotics in factory farms, and other ethically and biologically unsound practices employed by the meat industry worldwide.
Now all I want to know is....is he still dating that girl?
Inspired by Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World's chocolate mint cupcakes, these cupcakes juxtapose the sophisticated sexiness of cool peppermint against a backdrop of sweetly innocent chocolate to create a dichotomy reminiscent of some of the tracks on Radiohead's newest album. In Rainbows features the band's characteristic complex high-energy sound in songs like "15 Step" and "Bodysnatchers", while taking a bold experimental plummet into the collected mellowness of "All I Need", "Nude", and "House of Cards". And, not unlike the album's final track, "Videotape", the subtle flavors infusing these cupcakes will surely leave you with a fresh taste in your mouth. So grab a cupcake, an attractive baking partner, and rock out.
Yorke peppermint vegan cupcakes
suggested soundtrack: In Rainbows, Radiohead (October 2007)
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 20 minutes
yield: about a dozen cupcakes
ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
for the peppermint icing:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup non-hydrogenated spread (such as Earth Balance)
1/3 cup soy milk
2 tsp. peppermint extract
extra confectioners' sugar according to taste
directions:
1.) Preheat the oven to 350ยบ.Line muffin pan with liners.
2.) Combine wet ingredients (soy milk and vinegar) in a large bowl and set aside. The soy milk will begin to curdle, but that's okay--we want that to happen.
3.) Add granulated sugar, oil, vanilla and peppermint extracts to the wet mixture. Using a handheld mixer or your own brute strength, beat until the mixture is aerated and slightly frothy.
4.) In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt well.
5.) Sift the dry mixture into the wet mixture in small batches, continuing to mix the wet mixture while doing so. Once all of the dry mixture is incorporated, beat well until batter is smooth.
6.) Pour batter into muffin liners about half- to three-quarters full and bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
7.) Once done, transfer cakes to a wire rack or heat-resistant durable surface to cool.
cool peppermint icing:
1.) Using a fork, whip room-temperature non-hydrogenated spread until it is "creamed".
2.) Mix in about a cup of confectioners' sugar and a couple teaspoons of soy milk to get things going. Blend well.
3.) Continue to add sugar and soy milk until all are used up. Continue to add more confectioners' sugar if a thicker icing is desired.
4.) Finally, stir in the vanilla and peppermint extracts. Once well incorporated, drizzle over room temperature cupcakes.
5.) Consider decorating cupcakes with any one of the following (taken from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World): a mint Newman-O, dark chocolate pieces or sprinkles, a spearmint gumdrop (gelatin-free!), or a sprig of fresh mint.
Iced cupcakes may need to be refrigerated for 10-30 minutes to let the icing set, depending on the tropicality of your locale.
