Showing posts with label vegan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegan. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Slippery Slopes. Slippery Slopes Aplenty (3 weeks in).
Furthermore, when Dave from eatbufordhighway.com (great Atlanta food blog) posted this video (a while back, but I revisited it), I knew that I would be powerless to the cheese's awesome power:
Other than my concession to dairy (shamefully, I don't like eggs, so they're a non-issue), I've been pretty good. Once I dropped vegan and went vegetarian, things got a LOT easier. Since the now-infamous "CarnivoreFest" debacle, the eating has been pretty spartan, devoid of pork, beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, duck, and Rodents of Unusual Size. That being said, a slippery slope manifested itself on one of my latest (of many) beeswax trips to Mobile, AL.
"If it can't run away from you, fly away from you, or swim away from you, then it's a vegetable. Think about broccoli...there it is, just sitting there. Oyster? Same thing." -quote from a very convincing co-worker of mine
The oyster po-boy is a regional delight of the gulf coast...deep fried gulf oysters on a french roll with lettuce, tomato, and remoulade. And on that last trip to Mobile, there was a Wintzell's right around the corner, so I had to act on impulse...and excellent reasoning on the providence of oysters.
Okay, and I also at a lobster. It was amazing. And some canned tuna. So, an oyster po-boy, a lobster, a can of tuna, and some cheese. Other than that, I'm still on the path of righteousness. By next week, I'm sure I will have rationalized that all seafood does not count as "animal". Can someone provide more folksy wisdom to bolster this concept?
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Curry
To all the fans of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue, and- of course- Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, I apologize. This is not a post about actor Tim Curry. Sorry to lead you astray in your quest, and I wish you luck in finding more info about Tim Curry. I'm not here to judge. While I have no idea why you would be searching for Tim Curry, my presumptions about your interest in Tim Curry are none of my business.
Rather, I meant to talk about curries...found all over the world; a generic term for spices mixed into a sauce with vegetables or meat. Oddly, as curry powders and pastes are combinations of said spices, the word from which "curry" is derived translates to "sauce" or "gravy", instead of "spice".
In any case, when meat is not an option (an update on that later), intense flavors are critical. Furthermore, many Asian curries employ coconut milk, a tasty, fatty base for sauces that is very filling.
Making this one was incredibly easy (outside of the endless chopping...get a good knife and it's actually fun). I quickly wokked the veggies in hot oil, mixed in curry powder and coconut milk, and served over steamed jasmine rice. Totally satisfying, and not nearly as creepy as Tim Curry.
FYI: While I didn't have any wine with this meal (cries of "HERESY!" are heard in the distance), I think the perfect pairing would be a Gewürztraminer. "Gewurtz" often has aromas and flavors of exotic spices, and the off-dry versions will have enough sweetness to temper the peppery heat of many curries. Look for great ones from Alsace, Germany, Washington State, and Oregon.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Countdown to Ground Round: 1 Week Down
I've looked on a lot of women with lust. I've committed adultery in my heart many times." -Jimmy Carter, during his 1976 Playboy Interview
Nose through any number of detox and rehabilitation websites out there (done for research purposes, kids), and you'll notice a trend: the first week is always the toughest. And in this week, I've looked on a lot of chicken with hunger-lust. I've committed meal-adultery in my stomach many times. But, have I fallen off the wagon?
Well, 'tis the week for apologies. I started off great. Ambitious. Determined. A two day trip to Mobile, AL (on the gulf coast and home to some of the tastiest seafaring critters around) concluded with a belly full of vegetables, breads, and hummus. One accidental taste of cheese, but I'm gonna chalk that up to a rusty palate for the vegan persuasion. I was on a roll. I'd resisted Neptune's sultry song, as nary an oyster (debatably, an animal) passed my determined lips.
And then...Saturday. I was invited by some old friends to their annual "CarnivoreFest"...twelve hours of grill jockeying. NO vegetables allowed. My contraband Smucker's Uncrustables were smuggled in with the care of Cuban cigars through U.S. Customs. Alas, drinks were poured. Wine was consumed. As plate after plate of baby back ribs, smoked spareribs, BBQ'ed pork loin, roast lamb, and bacon-wrapped smoked chicken crossed my alcohol-weakened gullet, animal instinct took over. By the time the slow-grilled pork belly hit the table, I was more animal than man.
So, beloved audience: like Tiger admitting his problems to his fans, or former President Clinton unsuccessfully wriggling out of questioning, [sigh]....[cracked voice]...
[Random Police Investigator interjects in the middle of this post]: "Son, I know this is tough, but can you please point out on this doll where the pork belly touched you?"
I point to the mouth. I ate some of the pork belly. As it went down, I felt as if God was rubbing my tummy. Mind you, it was only a taste, but it snowballed into a taste of the chicken, a taste of the ribs, a taste of the lamb. No, I didn't get it full-on with the CarnivoreFest, but I definitely went to second base. I felt I needed to admit this to you, the readers. If good blogging is about transparency and open communication, then I must come clean.
I spent the rest of the night in the shower, cowering and trying to scrub the filth of shame off my body.
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Okay. Pork demons exorcised, I can move on. Damn, this is tough. Especially since I've been traveling, and I haven't exactly been going to organic food meccas and forward-thinking food cities. However, I have learned that you can eat surprisingly poorly while "vegan". I had a whole basket of fried pickles for dinner the other night. Just fried batter (in vegetable oil) and salty pickled cucumbers. That can't be healthy. I've also learned that fast-food chains (the only options on I-65 between Montgomery, AL and Mobile, AL) are NOT very friendly to non-meat-eaters. A large fries and a wilted side salad is often the only option. Eat that many fries, and you do not feel like taking on the world.
However, I've also discovered the secrets to filling up. Hummus, guacamole, coconut milk, peanut butter, and other fatty, veggie-based goos are very satisfying. The experience has been enlightening towards my views on world hunger. Rice, potatoes, and pasta are very cheap, and they are the substantial base for many meals. We can feed a lot of folks with these economical staples.
That's it. Here I am, one week in, already humbled, humiliated, not-that-healthy, and thinking about how I can change the world. Perhaps vegetables are breaking me down before building me back up. Maybe they're developing character. Will they keep me 100% honest? Probably not (there's another meat-fest on the horizon). But, in those moments of weakness, the veggies are holding me- with their tendrils and leafy bits- accountable to you, and humility towards a disappointed audience, just maybe, is part of the growing pains...
...39 days to go. I apologize in advance for my transgressions.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
What the @#%&*!! have I gotten myself into?
Call it dogmatic obligation. Call it spiritual vision quest. Call it personal challenge. Call it health ultimatum. Call it bat-shit insanity.
Whatever you want to call it, I've decided I will eat no animal product for the next 48 days. During Lent, I always try to sacrifice something. As a pretty lax Catholic, it's probably not buying me a whole of lot equity in the afterlife, but it's a challenge I always try to accomplish. For some reason, I make it pretty tough. I've done sweets. I've done red meat. I've even done booze (see Mom, I'm not really a "wino"). But this is an undertaking of stupefying proportions.
Let's say it's "modified vegan". I don't really care about any of the philosophical doctrine of veganism (you may just see me flossing a fur coat while drinking my green drink at the local smoothie shack). I just want to stay away from animal product, including meat, fish, and dairy. Furthermore, I want to accomplish three things:
1) Sweep some of this pesky cholesterol out of the pipes
2) Challenge myself
3) Learn how to cook more tasty, satisfying vegetarian dishes.
So, no meat, no dairy for 48 days. I'll drink wine, and I don't care if it's vegan-approved. I may even- in a moment of great weakness- scarf down some fish if desperate. But, I'm going into this challenge open-minded. I respect those who stick to a vegetarian diet for the health benefits or religious obligation, and I hope I can get some help and advice along the way. I'll probably try to post some recipes and even wine pairings if I scare up some winners.
And where will you find me April 4th? Probably at a churrascaria, scarfing down animals, both dangerous and delicious.
Wish me luck!
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