Non-meat Meat

This blog has turned into more of a conceptual stream of cooking consciousness rather than an actual learn-how-to-cook project, but I think that's okay.  Because really, I'm never going to commit to this if I don't understand what it is I'm committing to and why I'm committing to it. 

As I mentioned in my first post on this blog, my darling roommate is a staunch vegan, which I appreciate and respect. The amazing kale and avocado salad I made yesterday never would have happened if it weren't for her, because why on Earth would I try kale at all if our fridge wasn't half-full of it all the time?

But other things come with the vegan territory - like tempeh, seitan, tofu, and other various plant-based substances that often resemble jello.  These foods usually makeup the "fake meat" category of the vegan diet.  Even if you go to an all-vegan restaurant, the menu will day "sesame chicken", "bbq pork", "meatball sub", etc.  This has always been a strange concept to me, because I feel as though a lot of people are missing out on some awesome food.  Let me explain.

My father, a born and breed redneck from the back country of North Carolina, kills multiple deer every hunting season and has a year's supply of meat in his freezer at all times.  He will not even try a food if it's labelled "mock" or "vegetarian".  There's some sort of block in his brain that tells him it will taste horrible (and sometimes it does, especially compared to an endless supply of venison).  But one time I introduced him to seitan, a juicy, flavorful ingredient made from wheat.  "It isn't "mock" anything - it's just seitan," I said.  He said it wasn't terrible, which I counted as a success.

You see, I think we should all start thinking of these "alternatives" as actual foods and not just as substitutes for something we can't have.  I mean, I can have chicken, and I do, often.  But I also like tempeh, especially when fried.  I'll even eat both at the same time.  Thus, by having a vegan roommate, my dietary options have basically doubled, and it's a wonderful thing.

So don't think of seitan or tofu or tempeh as fake anything - just accept it as it is.  DELICIOUS.