Vegetarian/Vegan? | Fab forum

I went cold turkey around age 8 1/2.  I never liked meat (when I was younger I used to chew it until I could put it in my napkin to throw away,) so maybe that made things easier.  So I've been a strict vegetarian since then and aspire to go vegan w/ only one bump in the road--I can't eat tofu anymore, so most of my proteins come from dairy products and the rest come from beans/pulses. 

I have actually been to the local dairy from whence I buy to ensure they are as compassionate, caring and in the spirit of vegan compliance so to speak (none of that awful veal business, etc.  Their cows and calves are treated like family.) 

Some foods still *smell* good, but they repulse me…so I guess that makes it easier, lol (my dog does something similar--she'll smell what I'm eating, lick her lips and then walk away as if to say, "Well, it smells good *for you,* but I wouldn't touch the stuff."  It's funny, when I went veg it seems it was around a holiday b/c there was a fancy ham in the fridge, and whenever I'd be standing there looking for something to eat my pup back then would stand beside me.  So I'd say to her, "Point to what you want and you can have what would've been my portion."  She really loved the ham…esp. the candy coating on it!)

Shifting my family's beliefs--just to let me go veg so young--was a sticking point.  My mom tried the tactic, "You can be a vegetarian, but you'll have to cook for yourself," so I did and now I'm pretty alright at it.  I'd have to say it was harder for them than for me.  My best friend's family was all vegetarian and they lived maybe 6 blocks away, so a learned a lot from them.  My family doctor tried to bully me out of it…unsuccessfully; and despite kinowing I was veg, my Gram always offered me the best she had of whatever meat was around.  Then again it was with her that I had my last meat meal: an open-face turkey sandwich, so Gram and I always connected food and doting and love?  We eventually switched to tea, coffee and cookies as our "thing" of love. 

Advice…Surround yourself with positive people who support your choice if you can.  There have been *such* tremendous leaps in what's available for vegetarians since I started nearly 3 decades ago.  A lot of the tofu immitation foods are salty, but if you can handle the salt they can be absolutely craveable (I used to love Morningstar's collection, esp. their "saussage patties" and their faux ribs--on a bun w/ either wasabi or horseradish mayo was just so good as were their "corndogs.")  Amy's vegetarian food seems pretty dull-tasting and is stiff to eat.  I tried Linda McCartney's meals and, to me, they wern't too good.  Best advice: Learn to cook from good international cookbooks and make that a mainstay over the salty tofu products.  Smoked tofu has a much more pleasant texture than the rubbery, regular stuff…then again, you could always try tempeh, too.  My favorite cookbook is "World Vegetarian" by Madhur Jaffrey (sp?,) still, not everything in there is great.  Attend cultural fairs/festivals--that'll let you sample all kinds of flavors of vegetarian food done well (within the last month I've been to one festival--the Mid-Autumn Moon Festiva--so beautiful eating mooncakes by the koi pond!(Chinese), remorsefully I missed the Greek festival but now know of another great restaurant, there's a Middle Eastern festival coming up, maybe next week, then Dia de los Muertos at the end of the month.)  Even sampling other faiths can turn you on to otherwise unknown of foods (I did a stint for Anthropology with the Krishna's several years ago--my mouth's still watering, lol.)  The American diet is so much more meat-heavy than nearly anyplace else in the world.  Great snack foods: hummus w/ pita, dolmades and baba ganoush (although I'm allergic to eggplants now, but wow what can be done with them, esp. Szechuan!.)  Oh!  And Middle Eastern pastries make French sweets look almost predictable--imagine stepping into a world of scented honeys, rose water, orange blossom simple syrup!  Honestly, I think if there's such a thing as manna it'll come from a Persian or Lebanese bakery, lol!

(For a fun "let's try vegetarian" day out, if you're in the Tempe/Phoenix area check out Essence Bakery--seriously delicioius baklava and dolmades.  Besides, many of their menu items can be made vegan. http://essencebakery.com/  Also, down by ASU there's a little place just south of the pretty blue and white mosque--North of University-- that does some of the best lentil soup.  East and South vallly-ish there's The Flaming Kebob--a little salty (sometimes there's quite a wait, too) but good food at good prices if you're ever in a pinch.  In the north valley there's Persian Gardens (also a tiny bit salty, but exotic and well done.  Their rose-petal chai is charming.) http://www.persiangardencafe.com/

Sorry to overwhelm you with so much information, Skye.  Take the best of care and if you ever need a bit of encouragement or advise, feel free to drop me a line.