To tempt potential pledges, dining services invited noted vegetarian chef Ken Bergeron, author of the award-winning cookbook Professional Vegetarian Cooking (John Wiley & Sons, 1999), to prepare meat-free (otherwise known as vegan) specialties in the college’s dining hall on the day of the Meatout.

Cooking at a station right in the main dining area, Bergeron’s vegan recipes included white bean cakes with peach tomato salsa, winter squash Afghani style and chocolate zucchini “Nanny” cake. The project was a striking success. According to PEP founder Alexis Curry, of South Salem, N.Y., 654 Bates students took the pledge. At $1.82 apiece, that means that $1,190.28 will be donated to the Trinity Soup Kitchen in Lewiston.

The day before the Meatout, Bergeron also held a cooking class with members of PEP that ended with a communal dinner. Bergeron, who became a vegetarian in 1982, says that confrontation is not the way to get people to consider a change in diet. “Let the food speak for itself,” he says.

His cookbook was awarded “Best Professional Book in English” at the 1999 World Cookbook Fair, Versailles, France. Bergeron’s other awards and honors include a Chef of the Year title from the Connecticut Chefs’ Association and three gold medals at the International Culinary Olympics.

With Bates students, Bergeron will prepare a vegan meal — that is, a meal containing no products derived from animals — with members of the student group People Eating Plants at 4:30 p.m. March 19 in the kitchen off Perry Atrium in Pettengill Hall, 4 Andrews Rd. PEP students, their guests and Bergeron will dine together around 7 p.m. in the Atrium, a strong visual setting with lots of glass, open sightlines and large ficus trees.

From 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. March 20, Bergeron will prepare vegan specialties in the dining hall, Commons. He will perform display cooking at a marché station from 4:30 until 8 p.m. He and acting head of Dining Services Christine Schwartz will be available for interviews Thursday morning.

Dining Services invited Bergeron in response to a PEP request that the college serve no animal products on March 20. While Bates was unable to honor that request, the college invited Bergeron to visit the college and share his expertise in vegetarian cuisine.

Bergeron became a vegetarian in 1982. His cookbook Professional Vegetarian Cooking (John Wiley & Sons, 1999) was awarded “Best Professional Book in English” at the 1999 World Cookbook Fair, Versailles, France. Bergeron’s other awards and honors included being named Chef of the Year by the Connecticut Chefs’ Association, receiving the 2002 gold medal for All Raw Foods Platter at that association’s Culinary Salon, and winning three gold medals at the International Culinary Olympics.

For every Bates student who pledges to eat no animal products on March 20, Bates Dining Services will donate a “plate cost” — around $1.85 — to a local charity to be selected by PEP.