Organizers describe the Meatout, held each spring since 1985, as "the world's largest grassroots diet education campaign." Twenty-fifth anniversary events celebrating vegan (no animal products) eating are planned in every state and two dozen countries on or around the first day of spring tomorrow.

Here in Pittsburgh, the new Three Rivers Vegan Society will host a big potluck from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the Nuin Center, 5655 Bryant St., Highland Park. The event is free. Just bring a list of the ingredients in your dish. There'll be lots of literature and a raffle, too. For information, call 412-371-0384.

That's the number of organizer Anne Lynch, a vegan personal chef in Swissvale who co-founded the society with Pennsylvania Wildlife Center volunteer Sally Stewart of Brookline. This is the group's first event, but they expect it to be near or over its capacity of about 100.

Ms. Lynch, who dubs her side business "The Vegan Goddess," works by day at the Three Rivers Community Foundation in Homewood; Ms. Stewart works for an insurance brokerage. The two met at the Pittsburgh Vegan Meetup, a social group on meetup.com, and the new group sprang from that as well.

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Hear Anne Lynch and Sally Stewart of the Three Rivers Vegan Society on the "Dining In, Dining Out" podcast.

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"The aims of the Vegan Society are to kind of combine a social group and an activist group," says Ms. Lynch. They hope to fill a void left by the demise of the Pittsburgh Vegetarian Society and other groups by offering up members who work in a wide variety of fields as speakers and compiling information on local restaurants and other resources. Through literature and otherwise, they hope to dispel lingering myths about what vegan is and is not.

For instance, you aren't a vegan or a vegetarian if you eat fish. Or, as Ms. Lynch puts it, "Fish is not a vegetable."

The society's Web site-in-progress, veganpittsburgh.org, notes that the word vegan was coined in 1944 by England's Vegan Society founders Elsie Shrigley and Donald Watson, who were frustrated that vegetarianism had come to include the eating of dairy products. "They combined the first three and last two letters of vegetarian to form 'vegan,' which they saw as 'the beginning and end of vegetarian.' "

While vegans eat no animal products, and many don't wear them either, Ms. Stewart says there is room in the group for vegetarians who do eat and wear some and for others who want to learn more about veganism.

In fact, they're offering a "BOGO" offer at the potluck: "Bring [an] Omnivore, Get [an] Opportunity" to win a prize.

"Part of the goal of the group is education and outreach," says Ms. Stewart, who has been a vegan for two years after three years as a vegetarian, which started with her gradually eating less meat.

She says she didn't even know any vegetarians. "I think if you're going to make a transition like that you need a support group."

Mrs. Lynch, who became a vegetarian 10 years ago during Meatout and a vegan a few months after that, said "We acknowledge the fact that veganism is a process -- almost like a pathway. ... Some aren't as far along on the path."

The Meatout's sponsor, Farm Animal Rights Movement or FARM, has a program called Meatout Mondays (meatoutmondays.org), to help people give up meat at least one day a week.

While some are eating less meat for concerns about health and even finances, Ms. Lynch says, "I think as more of the environmental toll of animal agriculture is becoming known, more people are going to become interested in this."

FARM describes itself as a nonprofit group advocating plant-based diets to save animals, protect the environment and improve health. Its Web site is meatout.org.

These easy recipes that Anne Lynch shared are in her "The Vegan Goddess: The 'I Don't Feel Like Cooking' Cookbook" that she published in 2006. Copies are $10. E-mail her at palathena@hotmail.com.

-- Bob Batz Jr.

Pasta Mediterraneo

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This pasta dish is that it is ready to eat in about 30 minutes, making it perfect for weeknight meals. -- Anne Lynch

• 1 pound shaped pasta (I prefer penne)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
• 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or to taste)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• Juice of one lemon

Cook pasta according to package directions, to al dente.

While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, then add garlic and saute another minute or so.

Add zucchini and saute until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Add diced tomatoes with juices, and chickpeas, and cook another 2 minutes. Add white wine, mint, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Cook until liquids reduce by about half (roughly 3 to 5 minutes).

Drain cooked pasta well. Put in serving bowl and top with zucchini mixture and toasted pine nuts. Add the lemon juice, toss to combine, and serve.

Serves 4.

-- Anne Lynch

Moroccan Couscous Salad

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This dish can serve as a hearty side dish, or as a meal when you add some of the optional ingredients. -- Anne Lynch

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 1 cup couscous (we used whole wheat)
• Zest of one lemon, minced
• Juice of 2 to 3 lemons
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cumin and dried mint to taste
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 slices red onion, finely diced (optional)
• Several green olives, halved
• 14-ounce can navy beans, drained and rinsed

In a small saucepan, heat water over medium-high with one tablespoon olive oil until simmering. Add couscous, stir, remove from heat, and cover tightly. Let stand for 5 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed.

In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and mint. Add bell peppers, onion, and olives. Stir in couscous and the beans, and toss to combine. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Optional add-ins: grape tomatoes (halved), chickpeas (for extra protein), steamed and chopped asparagus, sliced cucumber, sliced carrot.

Serves 8 to 10 as a side dish or 4 to 5 as a main dish.

-- Anne Lynch

Chocolate Pies

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"Even people who swear they hate tofu love this pie!" says Anne Lynch. "I believe the original recipe I based them on only made one pie, but I found they disappeared so quickly it just always made sense to make two."???I halved it and made a single pie. The filling did not quite fill my 9-inch shell. Ms. Lynch says the filling is a better fit in the 8-inch shells, but any space "can be made up with vegan whipped topping, fresh fruit (strawberries are particularly good), and maybe a line or two of chocolate sauce!"

-- Bob Batz Jr.

• 2 12.3-ounce packages soft, silken tofu, drained (I use Mori-Nu)
• 12-ounce bag non-dairy semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli)
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 8- or 9-inch graham cracker crusts, or 12 mini-crusts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In blender, puree tofu until smooth (you may have to add a touch of soymilk to get it going). Transfer pureed tofu to a medium saucepan and add chocolate chips. Cook over medium heat, until chocolate has melted (about 5 to 7 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in maple syrup and vanilla extract. Divide mixture equally between the crusts. Set on baking sheet and bake until the tops are bubbling and appear fairly firm (about 35 to 40 minutes for full-sized pies, 20 to 25 for mini pies). Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 3 hours, then serve.

-- Anne Lynch