Featured Veggie: Mitch
Posted on | August 27, 2010 | 1 Comment
Name: Mitch
# of Years as a Veggie: I’ve attempted veggiedom for a year and a half now.
Website: http://www.mitchapalooza.org/
Twitter: @msprout
What made you decide to become a veggie?
Around January of last year, I convinced a few friends to participate in what would arguably look like the worst idea ever on paper. I met a girl on the Internet, and after about 3 months of conversing, we decided to meet. She was from Minnesota, I was from Philadelphia; we needed a middle point to meet in. In a haste, we decided on meeting in Toronto, which in retrospect, definitely wasn’t the middle point between those two places. I somehow convinced my best friend and his girlfriend to load up his 1992 Ford Tempo and drive with me 9 hours to Toronto. We encountered every terrible circumstance imaginable: a snowstorm, a whiteout, sleepiness, stalling, tunnel-vision. Long story short, I met up at a hostel in a sketchy part of Toronto with a girl I met on the Internet, and things couldn’t have gone better.
Needless to say, we entered into a long-distance relationship after that first date. She was a vegetarian (and had been for most of her life), and like the lovestruck fool I was, I decided to be a vegetarian too out of solidarity. Over the course of a year and a half, I retweaked my diet and kept it as straight-and-narrow as I could. By force of habit alone, I kept with the diet even after our relationship ended.
What foods do you miss the most (if any)?
Though I do only eat meat when it’s prepared, super convenient and is without an alternative, I do occasionally get an unbearable craving for those trashy meat meals – hamburgers, bacon, lunch ham. I was as skeptical as any reluctant veggie to try fake meats, but much to my surprise, some of them filled in for their parent ably (for instance, Morning Star’s Chik’n Nuggets!), but there are certain foods that fake meats simply cannot replicate. Soy bacon sucks. A lot.
What has been the easiest part of becoming a veggie?
Finding replacements for hamburgers. The veggie patty / soy patty alternatives out there aren’t just independently delicious, they’re fun as heck to try out. There’s such an array of choices, it was a joy to have an excuse to try every style that Morning Star, Boca and Gardenburger offered. I also got way into making homemade patties, which was a fun exercise in cooking creativity. But, I guess it’s a lot easier when you have to cook for a girlfriend who is too far into not eating meat to change now.
What’s been the hardest?
Heading out to restaurants on a whim with friends. I was honestly surprised at how many restaurants didn’t offer vegetarian options (such as Primanti Brothers) and even more surprised at how many restaurants seemed hostile towards those that chose to do something as insubstantial as not eating meat.
Famous last words?
Bacon. Sorry pigs of the world, but you’re delicious.
The Disappearing Microwave
Posted on | August 16, 2010 | 1 Comment
well, techinically, it didn’t disappear. we just put it in the garage. and replaced it with a massive countertop oven {aka kick-arse toaster oven}.
if you follow me on twitter, you probably know that i was experimenting with not using the microwave for one week. 5 days into the experiment, the hubster said that we should just get rid of it. and so we did. well, he technically did. and surprised me with the change.
some of the benefits of no microwave:
- double the counter space {we have a tiny kitchen}
- less rubbery food
- better tasting food
- more nutritious food
don’t believe me? this article from natural news talks about the impact that microwave ovens have on our food, and the rise in obesity in this country. if nothing else, it’s an interesting read.
there is also an interesting {read: thought provoking} chapter in allergies: disease in disguise that focuses on “energy allergies” and the impact that microwave ovens have on our system.
the final verdict: we don’t miss the microwave. one. little. bit.
Featured Veggie: Liza
Posted on | August 13, 2010 | No Comments
Name: Liza
Blog: Vegetarian Cooking for Busy People
Twitter: @LIZAC1217
Number of years as a veggie: About 14 years
What made you decide to become a veggie?
I originally became a vegetarian at the age of 16 to try and eat healthier. However I have stayed a vegetarian because I am a big animal lover and just can’t think of animals as food. I remember as a child my family went to a restaurant and I saw veal on the menu for the first time. I asked my mom what it was and she told me it was beef. I asked her why it was called something else and she explained it was baby cow. I just remember being horrified at the idea of eating a baby anything. I think it was my destiny to be a vegetarian.
What foods do you miss the most (if any)?
I honestly don’t miss any. I was never a big meat eater and my mother said I used to ask for peas for dessert as a child. Imagine that!
What has been the easiest part of becoming a veggie?
Well certainly the most fun thing about becoming a vegetarian is learning to cook all these amazing meatless meals and sharing them with my meat eating friends. In fact I have become such a good cook, that I partnered up with a very close friend of mine, Justin Fuller, and we are writing a cookbook. It will be all inclusive, but have an entire section of meatless main courses and many of the appetizers/soups/salads etc will have a vegetarian or vegan alternative.
What’s been the hardest?
I must admit in the beginning eating out was quite difficult. However now I do find that most eateries offer at least a few vegetarian options so it is getting easier.
Famous last words?
Check out my blog, Vegetarian Cooking for Busy People!
Bread, Glorious Bread.
Posted on | August 12, 2010 | 1 Comment
i’m trying to ignore the fact that it’s been a ridiculously long time since i’ve given you something besides a featured veggie post. i have no excuse, other than life being hectic. and…i’m okay with that.
the past month has seen an increase in bread making. partly because we were trying to save some money, and partly because i wanted to play in the kitchen.
this month’s kick: whole wheat bread from artisan bread in five minutes. i’d post the recipe, but think you should buy the book instead.
this month’s other kick: the hubster’s camera. makes me feel all professional, and stuff.
Featured Veggie: Justin
Posted on | August 6, 2010 | 1 Comment
Name: Justin Kownacki
Blog: justinkownacki.com
Twitter: @JustinKownacki
Web Sitcom: Something To Be Desired
Social Media Un-Conference (founder): PodCamp Pittsburgh
Number of years as a veggie: 20
What made you decide to become a veggie?
My mother turned vegetarian when I was 12, so that caused me to remove most red meat from my diet simply by association. Since then, although I still eat chicken, turkey and the occasional slice of bacon or piece of pepperoni pizza, I’ve been “mostly vegetarian” for 20 years.
In the end, I chalk it up as a choice to eat as little dead & decaying animal matter as possible. For some reason, dead & decaying vegetable matter doesn’t seem to be nearly as disease-riddled or gastronomically problematic.
What foods do you miss the most (if any)?
Since I still dabble on the meat-eater’s side of the table, the only thing I really miss is a good steak. I grew up eating steak at least once a week, and the smell of a grilled steak still captures my attention. But having tried to eat steak once or twice over the past 20 years, I realize I no longer have the stomach to digest it comfortably.
What has been the easiest part of becoming a veggie?
Eating less meat definitely helps me feel better about myself both physically and mentally. Not only do I not feel weighed down by the food itself, but I don’t have to make as many conscious choices about ending something else’s stay on the food chain, just so I can have something to nibble on. It’s made me more conscious of the way my choices impact the ecosystem in the long run.
Also, restaurants do a much better job of providing vegetarian options than they did 20 years ago, which makes life much easier for a conscientious eater.
What’s been the hardest?
Even today, most people still assume everyone they meet is an omnivore. But I’ve never eaten seafood, and I always avoid hamburgers, steak, roast beef, etc., so there are often awkward moments at family dinners or business lunches when someone (usually me) has to explain that he can’t actually eat the course being served. (Of course, since I’m not actually allergic, by “can’t” I really mean “won’t,” which sometimes creates a different sociopolitical issue altogether.)
Famous last words?
Eat anything you want, but you owe it to yourself to understand where your food choices are coming from, and how those choices are affecting your body and your environment. And since everyone has an opinion and an axe to grind, get your information from numerous sources. Then consolidate all that information into a food lifestyle you can feel good about.
Featured Veggie: Enrica
Posted on | July 30, 2010 | 1 Comment
Name: Enrica
Twitter: @artemisofmars
Number of years as a veggie: 9 months
I’ve been vegetarian for 9 months now, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it. I live in Zurich, Switzerland and am a 16 years old high school student. One thing I really love about being a vegetarian is the skeptical comments I get when someone finds out I’m veggie (It’s not very common here).
What made you decide to become a veggie?
It all came pretty suddenly last summer. I started following the posts of Peta more closely and watched some videos of how animals are treated on meat farms. I was quite shocked, although I had already watched a documentary on it (“We feed the world”, I highly recommend it!). Peta also has many great tips about how to go veggie and so I pledged on their website to go veggie for 30 days. I thought: “Hey, if I don’t like it, I still can quit after those 30 days.” And that was when I quit it cold turkey. Every day since then it has gotten easier, and I enjoy it more and more every day.
What foods do you miss the most (if any)?
I don’t really miss anything. I still like the smell of bacon in the morning, but I couldn’t eat it anymore. Recently, I’ve been to Paris, and they had a market with a stand of fresh meat. That was the first time it actually grossed me out, just the thought of eating meat. Also, I have found many good alternatives, even for barbecuing.
What has been the easiest part of becoming a veggie?
The easiest part of becoming a vegetarian was quitting, I don’t really know why. I just stopped from one day to the other and never ever thought about touching meat again. My mom also backed me up greatly, which made everything even easier. From the beginning on she would just cook meals where the meat is separate, so I wouldn’t have to take any. She has since then also begun considering going vegetarian, which I think is really awesome.
What has been the hardest part of becoming a veggie?
The hardest part was and still is eating out, because where I live, people seem to love meat so much, they put it in everything. Eating at our school cafeteria is ok, they have vegetarian meals, but in restaurants, I often encounter problems when they only serve two or three vegetarian choices.
Famous Last Words:
Becoming vegetarian is the best thing you can do for your health. Staying vegetarian stealths your self-control. Live as a vegetarian and you will have no regrets.
Featured Veggie: Paige
Posted on | July 23, 2010 | 4 Comments
Name: Paige
Website: PaigeLysaght.com
Twitter: @howunremarkable
Number of years as a veggie: on and off (mostly on, with occasional brief “breaks” in between) for about ten years now.
What made you decide to become a veggie?
I got braces when I was about twelve years old and quickly found that I was no longer comfortable eating a lot of the meats I’d eaten before. Things like steak and pork were the first to go because I felt they were hard to chew, but once I got the idea of vegetarianism in my head, most other meats soon followed. I remember some random foods that stuck around for much longer because of emotional attachments to them…Weird things like chicken flavored ramen and Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup (yeah, I know, eww). Eventually, though, these got weeded out also.
In the past ten years, I’ve more or less continued as a vegetarian, though there have been times when I’ve gone through short phases of eating poultry or fish. Though I tend to generally stick to a meat-free diet, I try not to put too much pressure on myself to eat “perfectly” all the time. I have moral inclinations around meat (especially regarding factory farming), but I also realize that I don’t want to let my food decisions completely rule my life. 95% of the time I choose vegetarian foods, but I try not to give myself a hard time about that other 5%.
What foods do you miss most (if any)?
I have occasional cravings for like…chicken nuggets? Or chicken strips? But really, I think I’m just craving foods that are breaded and/or fried and have delicious dipping sauces to go with them. It’s probably best that I’ve mostly cut out these foods or I’d be well on my way to a heart attack. 
What has been the easiest part of becoming a veggie?
For the most part, the entire experience has been relatively easy for me, perhaps because I allow myself a degree of flexibility. I rarely have trouble finding something to eat in even the most meat-centric restaurants (even if it does end up just being a salad or some plain pasta–regardless, I can usually make substitutions in a meal to make it work for me) and I find that a majority of people are interested and accommodating when it comes to my food preferences.
I do find that I have to be incredibly specific when I request changes to restaurant dishes. Once I was dining at a steakhouse that even served meat on all of the salads. When I ordered, I said, “Could I just get a salad with veggies–anything is great–and no meat?”. The server enthusiastically responded, “Of course! Would you like bacon on that?”. I thought he was joking!
In general, though, as long as I’m clear and polite about my requests, I don’t have much difficulty.
What’s been the hardest?
I definitely have some hang-ups when it comes to explaining my preferences to others. I suppose I’m uncomfortable with having to “defend” my food choices to anyone (or any of my beliefs, for that matter–I’m just not one to debate!), so I tend to shy away from explaining what I do and why in an effort to avoid a possibly challenging conversation.
I’m working on it, though, because I realize that many people are genuinely interested in vegetarianism and really just want more information. I’m learning to be more articulate about my preferences and trying to avoid jumping into a defensive position every time I field a question.
Famous last words?
Be patient! Not only with other people, but with yourself too–don’t expect yourself to be perfect all of the time. Even small steps are good.
Featured Veggie: Shoshana
Posted on | July 16, 2010 | 1 Comment
Name: Shoshana
Website: Veggie 101
Twitter: @Veggie101dotcom
Number of years as a Veggie: 8 years and counting!
What made you decide to become a veggie?
I was exposed to various things in college (a vegan roommate, plus a health/exercise class) that led me to start doing my own research on vegetarianism. My grandmother had recently passed from heart disease, so suddenly health and diet were very much at the forefront of my thoughts.
What foods do you miss the most (if any)?
Shrimp and tuna (although I have made decent tuna subs using chickpeas and/or artichoke hearts). Of course, I have yet to go down the vegan path, so I can still eat my guilty pleasure: cheese!
What has been the easiest part of becoming a veggie?
Everything! It’s really expanded my creativity with food, and I’ve greatly improved my cooking skills. Even going to non-veg-specific restaurants and finding the veggie menu options is a pretty fun challenge!
What’s been the hardest?
Dealing with a few ignoramuses here and there, or being somewhere surrounded by food that I can’t eat (and knowing I have to wait until I can leave to get something veg!).
Famous last words?
It’s not as hard as you think!
