“What is food to one, is to others bitter poison.”- Lucretius

Soybeans!

When I was 16 or so, I decided I wanted to be vegetarian. At this moment I can’t really recall why, and it sounds bad to put it this way but it may have just been some strange teenage whim. I “got it out of my system,” so to speak, after a couple of years.. Again, I don’t mean to sound so dismissive of this lifestyle but in retrospect I can’t help but think that it was just another fad for me. Sort of like the Sublime tattoo that I used to swear I was going to get one day. (Thank heavens I never did. No offense to any readers who may have a Sublime tattoo. If it makes you feel any better, I proudly sport a Morrissey tattoo. There, now you all know.)  I didn’t really understand why I was doing it, or the sort of committment it requires to dedicate oneself to a decision like that.

Food is a big part of our every day lives, whether we realize it or not. I assumed that if I just stuck to veggie foot-longs from Subway and lots of starches, it would be easy stuff. While vegetables and starchy foods are both delicious, when that’s all you eat.. well, they get old very quickly. Ultimately it didn’t work out for me, but I remember that when I would mention my self-imposed dietary restrictions at any event where food was present I would inevitably get the “What the hell is wrong with you?” look from 3/4 of the people present. Obviously I never really had a good explanation for why I decided to stop eating meat when even I didn’t know the reason for it, so it was hard to explain to people why I’d give up all that delicious dead flesh in favor of “rabbit food,” as I’ve heard it called.

I spent this past weekend in the company of one of my best friends and her husband, both of whom are vegan. I have another long-distance friend (whose photography and mad culinary skills are featured in this post) who is vegan. I greatly admire their dedication to their lifestyle, just like I admire pretty much anyone I come across with that sort of passion and conviction, no matter what their reason is for sticking to it. This isn’t because I don’t think I could do it. It’s because the more I’ve learned about vegan and vegetarian cuisine and cooking, the more I’ve come to realize just how complex it really is. A steady diet of salads and starches it is not, more or less any non-vegan dish can be turned into a vegan one with a little creativity and some specialized ingredients. For instance, this vegan Cincy-style chili mac.

Cincy-style chili mac. Photo courtesy of D.B. Ruzak, used with permission.

I always get excited about hanging out with the local friends because I always eat myself silly and don’t feel bad about it; aside from the occasional fried seitan or Tofutti sundae, it’s all healthy! And contary to what most people seem to believe, it is also absolutely delicious. I accompanied said friend on a run to the health foods store to purchase nutritional yeast once we decided that we wanted vegan mac n’ cheeze for dinner, and along the way we got to discussing what it is that most people have against vegan and/or vegetarian food. I’m of the opinion that 9 times out of 10, you could put a plate in front of someone and they would never know that it didn’t contain any animal products until they were done inhaling the food. There’s a definite stigma against this type of cooking and cuisine, and I just don’t get it.

And let’s be honest.. even if they DID know what was in it, what’s so weird about tofu? It’s just BEANS, for Pete’s sake! Admittedly they are in an entirely different form than the beans most people are familiar with, but so are the refried beans you get at Mexican restaurants, and I have yet to meet a person who won’t eat that. As for the vegan mac n’ cheeze that I am oh so fond of, the list of ingredients definitely contains a couple of names that will be unfamiliar to most. For example, nutritional yeast.. Which, at the very least, is self-explanatory. Anyone care to explain to me exactly what sodium stearol lactylate (an ingredient in Twinkies) is? Anyone? Bueller? Most people I know would sooner dig into a box of snack cakes than they would a bowl full of tofu.

I think a lot of the hesitation to welcome vegan cuisine with open arms is that food is such a source of comfort to people, myself included. Food brings back memories of the cookies your mom made when you were a kid, your grandmother’s heirloom beef stew recipe, that little bistro you visisted on your honeymoon.. It’s a powerful thing and when presented with something unfamiliar, most people are going to shy away. Then again, there is also the misconception that since it’s generally healthy food, it’s going to be tasteless and boring. As a non-vegan who regularly gorges herself on vegan food, I am here to tell you that misconception could not possibly be farther from the truth.

Vegan raspberry-balsamic cupcakes. Photo courtesy of D.B. Ruzak, used with permission.

As I’ve stated already, the mac and cheeze is my favorite. There is a depth of flavor present in the sauce that makes you all but forget that you’re not eating something terribly unhealthy. It is rich, it is filling, it is delicious, and it is completely free of animal products. It is also, dare I say, better than its non-vegan counterpart. (If you’re going to throw anything at me for this statement, make it broccoli, it’s my favorite.) I could honestly go on for days about all of the dishes that I love to stuff myself on but as a starting point for the curious, I think this is the way to go. And for as good as that sounds, vegan baked goods look even better.. I’d take the Pepsi challenge with these things vs. “regular” cupcakes any day of the week.

In contemplating the subject of this post, and in the process of writing it, I’ve been inspired to re-examine my reasons for why I think I wouldn’t eat certain things. (Fermented cabbage and monkey brains come to mind immediately.) I would encourage others to do the same, whether it be with vegan food, Indian cuisine, sushi.. Conquer your fear of the unknown! While I believe it’s true that veganism stems more from a choice to dedicate one’s lifestyle to cruelty-free living, rather than a simple preference for that type of cuisine, I don’t judge anyone’s reasoning for adhering to it. By the same token, I don’t judge anyone who doesn’t adhere to it, either.. But strongly suggest that the next time someone invites you to a vegan potluck, you consider taking them up on the offer. They say that variety is the spice of life, and I personally agree. Don’t be afraid of something just because it has some ingredients in it that sound funny or bland. As long as it doesn’t make you sick, you’ll be no worse for the wear after trying it.

And who knows, you might even find a new favorite food.

[Where noted, photos were posted with permission from D.B. Ruzak, the long-distance vegan friend mentioned in this post. Thanks for the support and all the help, I appreciate it more than you know! All links open in new windows.]