Although I did not set out with a strategy to veganize, it is evolving slowly. I am trying many of the convenience foods out of sheer curiosity. I have to think it’s easier now than ever to be a vegan because all of our vegancestors (I just made that word up) experimented with egg, cheese, milk and meat substitutes and figured out a way to make most of it taste good and be better for you. The vegan cheese I tried goes in the same category as carob; it looked like cheese, smelled like cheese and tasted like toe jam or a refrigerator science experiment. Should cheese be spongy? In my experience, the only edible cheese that is spongy is cheesecake. I just had a Homer Simpson moment. Mmmmmmm. Cheesecake. Although I want to reduce my family’s meat consumption, it does concern me that there are so many ingredients in packaged meat-replacement products. As this vegan-venture continues, I still want to try prepared foods periodically, but plan on finding great cookbooks so I cook fresh ingredients and healthier dishes.
My very picky daughter loves Morningstar Farms chicken nuggets which I mistakenly assumed were vegan. But, she eats chicken or turkey most days so I am happy to find what I think may be a healthier option. Happily, she eats fruit and vegetables with gusto. I don’t give her very much packaged food but I do keep some on hand for emergencies or general lack of preparation on my part (you know – it’s 5:45 and you have no idea what dinner will be). Through our highly scientific testing (I eat one, my daughter eats one, the dogs each get one), not all “cheatin’ chicken” nuggets are created equal. I found some (brand shall remain nameless) which are vegan and no one could eat them. They had a grey, spongy (do you notice a theme about eating spongy food?) interior and there were not enough condiments in my house, even the hot buffalo wing sauce I put on everything, to cover up those bad actors. The dogs seemed to enjoy them, but they often eat inappropriate things. Including my daughter’s Easter basket (just the basket, not the contents.)-”Edamommy” Mary Talalay is a writer for KIWI Magazine
Tags: bad actors, buffalo wing sauce, carob, cheese milk, chicken nuggets, condiments, convenience foods, cookbooks, emergencies, fruit and vegetables, gusto, homer simpson, meat consumption, meat replacement products, meat substitutes, morningstar farms, prepared foods, science experiment, sheer curiosity, toe jam, vegan cheese
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April 9th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Sigh: The Path to Kale is Paved with Good Intentions.
Anthony Bourdain (man of my meat and travel-lusty dreams) once said that the single most disgusting thing he has ever eaten is a chicken nugget–and that was a REAL one. I know people love “food replacements;” I have been seduced by them myself–having eaten an entire Entenmann’s Fat-Free Coffee Cake on MORE than one unwise and empty occasion during The Fat Scourge of the late ‘80s–but as you’ve surmised, there are some dodgy bits necessary to prop up all these caloric mirages.
Did we learn NOTHING from Olestra (can you say “anal leakage” in a family magazine if it’s a consumer health warning?).
Replacement meat= Too many ingredients + Too little time to one’s self in a non-husband, non-“potty training friendly” bathroom = regret that can make a girl pray for the day they introduce a Morningafterstar Pill.
But, if meat were off the table, I would still consider the Easter Basket first (pure fiber), the Cheatin’ Lugnuts second.
PS: The only grey spongey food that is actually very good is that wonderful sour bread you get with Ethiopian.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
If you are still looking for great cookbooks, I enjoy Cynthia Lair’s cookbook titled Feeding the Whole Family. It is not entirely vegan, but a large percentage of it is vegan. Every recipe I have made from it is really, really delicious. There is a vegan recipe for Cream of Asparagus Soup that no one would ever guess is vegan. The best part? You’ll probably still use the cookbook (yes, it’s that good!) even after you go back to the darkmeat side. Not that I’m doubting your commitment, of course…
April 17th, 2008 at 8:36 am
I just got that cookbook and another one called From Farm to Table. (Manning). Thanks for the great tip, Annelies.
And, HHF, I think the Easter basket was plush (some sort of giraffe - tofiraffe? perhaps with the nutritional content of cotton candy but more filling (pun intended)). But, now we’re heading to my daughter’s school seder so those dogs will be stealing Matzo soon, I’m sure. As though the dogs weren’t stinky enough, matzo really amps it up so we avoid giving it them as much as verboten chocolate.
I still think my editor’s elimination diet of pink marshmallow peeps and vodka martinis might just be the way to go.
Edamommy