Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with vegetarian and vegan

Leather-free fashion in Paris?

nicoleincanada — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:21:59 -0800

Where can I find leather-free clothing in Paris? Specifically, I'm looking for boots and shoes, but bonus points for jackets, belts and the like. I'll soon be spending a week in Paris, and it seems reasonable to expect that one should be able to buy stylish, leather-free footwear in one of the world's fashion capitals. But so far I've had zero luck on Google in finding any Parisian store that sells leather-free or vegetarian clothing (granted, I'm Googling in English due to minimal French language skills.)

I'm willing to spend some money - though not crazy amounts - for reasonably well-made non-leather footwear, casual or dressy. Stores that advertise as vegan/vegetarian would be awesome, but not necessary. Ideally I'd love to go to a store that specializes in this sort of thing, but I know of only Stella McCartney, and I suspect her flagship store will be trop cher for me.

As a runner-up, I'd be interested in any stores that typically sell some non-leather footwear. (Runner up b/c in my experience, the token synthetic pair of boots in any given place is usually frumpier and more cheaply made than the leather stuff. And then there's the offgassing...)

To narrow things down further, I'm aware that there are good options available for online ordering - I've resisted because I have wide and weirdly shaped feet, and don't feel like dealing with the hassle of shipping shoes. But if you've had great experiences at any given online store, I'd love to hear about it.

And finally, I've found a lot of thorough lists of vegetarian restaurants in Paris online. No concerns there. This is just about fashion.

vegan junction city KS - "No results found"

mezzanayne — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 06:24:45 -0800

Vegan eats in Junction City, KS? I'll be in Junction City, KS today around 10am. I'm looking for a place with vegan options. So far (via Google) I've found 2 coffee shops that aren't open on Sundays, a Mexican restaurant that no longer exists, and a Chinese restaurant that doesn't open until 11:30am. I won't be in town long and I'll want to eat shortly after arriving. Fast food is always an option (I know that I can easily eat at Subway or Taco Bell) but a local sit-down place is preferred. Bonus points if it's got good coffee and/or is close to I-70 highway.

Happycow.net has nothing. Google is failing me. Please help me to find a decent vegan meal.

Thank you!

How can I eat more protein within a vegan diet?

jfricke — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:43:07 -0800

I was shocked how little protein my current diet consists of. How can I make sure that I get enough protein? Problem: I am almost vegan I have been a vegetarian since I am twelve and I have been almost vegan for two years now. Almost vegan means I eat vegan at home but when I am invited or eat outside I also eat cheese from time to time.

Last week I started a nutrition log at gyminee.com. I was quite shocked about the little amount of protein in my current diet. My questions are:

(1) How much protein should one eat daily? The gyminee.com suggestion of 150 to 200mg seems extremly high to me. Do you need more or less protein, when all your protein sources are non-animal?

(2) What is the best vegan food to increase my protein intake besides soya milk and tofu? If you are vegan, how do you make sure to get enough protein?

(3) Is soya protein powder a good alternative?

What're your favorite vegan recipes?

GilloD — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:45:54 -0800

Vegans: Your favorite recipes? Entrees and desserts, more inside. I am cooking for 8 regular folks and one vegan tomorrow. Many, many years ago I was a vegetarian myself, but I was also unmarried and young and broke, so the majority of my meat-free catalog is "Veggieburger" or "Meat dish minus meat plus fake meat".

I'd like to be modestly more ambitious than that- A lentil dish I had planned contains a good deal of yogurt and so I am out of ideas. Rather than plumb the depths of vegan eating forums, I figured I'd check in with the Hive mind to see what Vegan or veggie loving MeFites could vouch for.

To that end, I'm looking to conjure an entree and a small dessert, but I'm willing to take a listen on anything. I'm ready to be adventurous, but I'm also short on time. I'm just looking to avoid recipes that are little more than "substitution" recipes. (i.e. Vegan Cake! Take regular cake, minus butter, plus soybutter!)

(I hope this makes sense. My brain is fried. I worked like a 16 hour day yesterday and then got up at 5AM and I am onyl now catching up on my life. Save me!)

All we are saying is give meat a chance.

Item — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:48:59 -0800

After 13 years of vegetarianism - my entire adult life - I've decided to start eating meat. Looking for advice in the form of books, websites, and personal anecdotes. I stopped eating meat for a number of reasons. Rebellion was certainly one of them, as were health and the fact that I was never crazy about meat to begin with. Though I told myself that politics came into play in my decision, I'm not sure that they ever really did. I flirted with veganism for a few periods as well, but could never really buy into it.

As time wore on, my vegetarianism became mostly an issue of discipline and self control, and I was damn good at it. I never cheated. I actually let myself go hungry a few times rather than eat what was available to me at the time when it contained meat, which, looking back, was not only rude but also a bit dangerous (I'm hypoglycemic).

I've done a lot of thinking about it lately and have had some interesting conversations regarding veganism/vegetarianism being a privileged choice, something that is keeping me from experiencing the whole of cultures I'm interested in. I've also been ridiculously low on energy and my hypoglycemia's not getting any better. For these reasons and a few other personal ones I've decided that I want to try giving meat a place in my diet. I broke the barrier last night in a way that I don't plan on making a habit of - with a cheeseburger from a local chain. Damn. I still feel full today, though not sick or nauseated. I don't plan on eating meat again for one full week, at which time I already know what I'm going to have - BBQ. After that, a few times a week at most. I have no desire to eat it every day and seriously doubt I'll develop one. I really dislike fish, for what it's worth, though some other forms of seafood might end up appealing to me.

What I'm looking for is personal stories of going back to meat to gain some insight. I'm also interested in books or other resources that'll help me maintain a healthy diet integrating flesh and non-flesh.

One last thing: currently, I am a manager of a very strict vegan restaurant, a successful place that is employed by carnivores and herbivores alike. They know I'm not vegan - should I mention my new, carnivorous ways if it won't hurt my job security? I know, you can't answer that unless you knew every last detail about the place and the people involved, but throw me an opinion if you'd like. Though it hasn't really played into my decision, I've always been for personal choice and have never approved of militant vegans, something I come into contact with now on a daily basis. Any suggestions as to what to say should I 'come out' other than 'it's a personal matter' are also welcome here.

VegetarianFilter

bad grammar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:07:48 -0800

Can I call myself a vegetarian if I only eat meat 10% of the time (approximately 10% of total calories)? I realize, AskMe and Metafilter being what they are, this question is possibly redundant and likely to summon forth the political vegans and the unrepentant, obligate carnivores.

Attending a work-related barbecue party, I was turned off by the huge amounts of grilled dead animals and had a vegeburger instead. When asked, by someone I don't know well, I said that I was a vegetarian. I did this because I didn't feel like explaining why I didn't want to eat an entire hamburger, a hot dog, and an entire half of a chicken, besides all the sides, that day.

I now feel morally put on the spot and obliged to convert the partial lie into truth by becoming a vegetarian. (I feel guilty over lying to this person. I do not fit in well at this workplace, and intend to leave in two years.)

Overall I would say that meat comprises no more than 10-15% of my total consumption. I already don't eat meat at my routine breakfasts and lunches. My breakfast is usually cereal, and for lunch I have nuts, cereal bars, fruit, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

However, I am currently living with and cooking dinners for people who do eat meat, and who would be quite unhappy were it taken off the menu, though many of our dinners use meat Asian fashion, more as a condiment in small amounts than a large staple. Once or twice a week we have steak, but I don't eat more than the recommended 4 ounces.

I don't think I could become a total vegetarian without causing disruption in this living situation and without feeling deprived and climbing the walls. Am I effectively a vegetarian by American standards and hence I don't have to eat my words?

Help me fly the vegan skies

amtho — Sat, 24 May 2008 17:38:38 -0800

Vegan airport/airline dining - connect and lunch in Dallas (DFO) or Chicago (ORD)? Somewhere else? How long to allow for a connection to assure we can eat at the restaurant you recommend? We're traveling from Raleigh-Durham to San Francisco and it's looking kind of grim for in-flight meals; it's > 7 hours overall travel time but broken into two segments; best advice for not-having-to-pack-lunch? I can't tell if the (currently American Airlines) flights that I'm looking at offer a meal - everything involves a connection, so the individual flights may not be long enough. There's an icon of a dollar sign + knife + fork; I'm guessing that means I can purchase a snack/meal, but none of the purchasable options look even vaguely vegetarian.

The Continental flights I've seen offer no meals. Anybody know of a way to get a vegetarian/vegan meal in the air between Raleigh and San Francisco?

I'd really like to not have to carry food with me and pasta/bread/crackers will not give me the energy I want for starting our trip!

Any advice on dining in airports on the way? I'm currently looking at flights that connect through Dallas (DFW) or Chicago O'Hare (ORD), but if you know of a good food airport en route between Raleigh and San Francisco, please let me know.

I found restaurant listings for ORD - didn't look good. The Dallas airport looked like it might be slightly better, but the listing is broken up into four or five different terminals and nothing leapt out at me.

High-protein diet makes me less prone to depression. Why?

deeper red — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 08:01:39 -0800

I've started a high protein diet and my mood has stabilised a lot. I feel more balanced. What's likely going on? Read on for important info. I'm a vegetarian and, up until four months ago, ate a carbohydrate-heavy and mostly low-fat diet. I was almost vegan -- no eggs, very little cheese. Mostly grain-based food (bread, cereal, pasta) and beans/pulses.

Now I eat a high-protein diet, eating cheese, Quorn, soya (in various forms), eggs, and so on. I limit myself to around 40-60g of carb a day, which allows for vegetables with meals, and a slice of wholemeal bread for lunch.

I've always wrestled with mild depression in the form of mood swings but, since starting the diet, I've been a lot more balanced. It's almost been a miracle cure. I gave up caffeine a year ago for this very reason and that also helped, but a high protein diet seems to have been the finishing touch.

I've been researching what might be going on. Most obvious is that this is a low-GI diet, so I'm not prone to mood swings caused by rushes of glucose in my blood.

But I also read that having too little cholesterol in your blood can made you depressed, and I wonder if eating a higher quantity of eggs and cheese means I now have more cholesterol.

I'd love to hear anybody's opinions on this, especially if this is something you've experienced too.

Leather, etc: Animal product, or byproduct?

explosion — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:57:29 -0800

How do I know if something is an animal product, or a by-product that exists only because the animal was killed for other reasons? I am a vegetarian, and while it's partially because I just don't want to eat meat, it's also due to the huge impact that the meat industry has on our environment and economy.

However, I'm not particularly upset by the notion of animal products, and so long as animals are dying for meat, the use of the whole is a positive notion to me.

What I'm wondering though, is whether animals are killed for these products, or if these are byproducts, additional bonuses to be harvested.

For instance: Meat & fur are obvious primary products. Gelatin is an obvious byproduct.

Needing clarification:

Leather: are there leather cows, or is this just made from the hides of meat cattle?
Rennet: are animals killed for rennet, or is this just harvested from calves and lambs slaughtered for meat?

Am I forgetting any other major products? For instance, hunting whales for oil seems abominable to me, but use of gelatin seems like just plain common sense given the booming meat industry.

make me an old school vegan foody for one weekend

brinkzilla — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 21:47:24 -0800

I'm having vegans over for dinner. Vegans that know how to cook. Foodie vegans. Hip, cool, foodie vegans. Did I mention that I am not a vegan, vegetarian or hip? I can cook a great porkloin, My seafood dishes come out delicious. I can even think of some great vegetarian pasta dishes, but the world of vegan cooking is very scary to me.

It seems that vegans build skills through the years in finding the perfect tofutti sour cream substitute, egg replacements non-dairy yummos.

So, how do I make a yummy meal for a wonderful couple that is a bit above serving them a plate or grilled vegetables and tofu. I'd like to give the impression that I am versatile in the kitchen, which I might be, I've just never tried before.

Extra credit for recipes that taste great, are easy, but look way beyond my ability.

Points taken away for obvious links to vegan food websites. I've done that google search already.

Make me a old school vegan foody for one weekend.

Help me be a warm, fashionable vegan in NYC.

Ash3000 — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 15:32:43 -0800

I need help getting dressed - but it's a little more complicated than that. If you're a vegetarian/vegan in NYC, especially with one with fashion sense, please read on. For the vast majority of my life, I've had no interest in dressing myself well. At all. The reasons for this is a whole story in and of itself. But I'm trying to change that now.

I live in New York City as a full-time resident now, in my first year out of college. I'm trying to find winterwear in particular. And I'm an vegan for ethical/health reasons.

I'm having a particularly hard time with vegan winterwear. MooShoes is great for shirts/belts/shoes, not so much on coats/jackets - and I have NO idea where to start, what is nice winter clothing, etc.

So, to review - if you are a vegan in NYC, or know any vegans in NYC, or know what you would do if you were a vegan in NYC - what the heck should I wear? ESPECIALLY for the winter, now that it's getting cold as anything.

If it makes any difference, I'm 5'11, male, 23 years old, 225 pounds, black hair, blue eyes, big frame, broad-shouldered, really need to lose 30 pounds. I currently wear lots of hoodies, early 80's punk t-shirts, and old jeans. I'm happy to answer/explain anything in further detail below.

Is my almost-vegetarian diet making me fatter?

Unicorn on the cob — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 09:03:23 -0800

My boyfriend is an avowed vegetarian, almost vegan. Out of respect for him (and the desire to live healthier), I have switched to an almost completely vegetarian diet. Now I've gained weight... why? I'm thinking that it's the switch from eating meat to eating lots and lots of soy products, which I know can affect estrogen levels in women. I also had a wicked sweet tooth before (imagine eating half a pound of candy in one sitting... that's me!) and have just recently cut back significantly on sugar in an effort to drop the unwanted weight (the past 60 days I have only consumed sugar for about 6 days total, and you can guess when). A few more tidbits:

1. I am a 35-year-old female.

2. I work out at least 4-5 times a week, with a minimum of an hour cardio, preferably 90 minutes of cardio with 15 minutes of weight training, should I actually make it to the gym. At the gym I use the elliptical, stair climber, recumbent bike and treadmill, and vary my times/workouts each time I go to avoid stagnation in my workouts. Otherwise, I use my elliptical at home and hand weights.

3. In the year we've been dating, I have cut back to eating meat maybe 3-4 times per week (usually in a sandwich or soup form), and our typical meals consist of such things as: tofu and veggie stir-fry, veggie burgers, Quorn fajitas with beans, falafel on pita with baba ghanoush, fake-lunchmeat sandwiches and low-fat cheez-its (I know, I know... sodium!).

4. I only drink alcohol once a week and drink coffee maybe 3-4 times per week, one cup or less. I drink regular sodas at the movies maybe twice per month and mostly drink spring water or sparkling, and avoid fruit juice and sweetened tea.

5. I am on birth control pills.

6. Over the course of the year, I tapered down on eating meat until I now no longer eat meat at all in his presence, nor do I keep it in the house, unless it's in a can of soup. At the same time, I worked out LESS at the beginning of our relationship due to the honeymoon factor, and now work out probably twice as much as I did six months ago.

7. The majority of the weight gain has been in 3 pound increments, very suddenly, over the course of, say, a two-week period when I notice it and then can't get it to budge.

8. I still drink regular, 1% milk and eat regular 2% cheese, but have subbed out Quorn or soy-based products for virtually every dinner meal where I would normally have eaten meat instead.

Now, a co-worker of mine recently gave up meat and dairy in an effort to curb her food allergies and she ALSO gained 10 pounds in 6 weeks. She is a woman in her mid-40's. She and I were commiserating over this fact on Friday, and we both thought... hmmm, is it all the soy? Could the extra estrogen be making me gain the weight? I'm trying like hell to lose the weight and I just... can't.

I have reduced the number of calories I eat, I'm pretty sure, because I no longer eat sweets or snacks (except things like birthday cake if it's a special occasion). I realize that over time, cutting out the sweets will probably help me lose the weight, but for right now, I'm beyond frustrated. The most I can get my weight down is like maybe 3 pounds, and I want to fit in my clothes again! I know this is a time in my life when my metabolism slows down, but this seems really sudden to me and not gradual at all. I searched previous questions and didn't see this exact issue addressed. Hope me, hive mind!

What is a vegan dessert that tastes like real food?

BobbyDigital — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 10:57:35 -0800

Help me make a vegan friendly desert that doesn't taste like substitute food! Hi, I am hosting a dinner party tonight and unfortunatley one of the guests is a vegan, but he is still my friend so I want to feed him. My spagetti sauce is vegan on its own, so that is not a problem. But, I am stumpted as to what to feed this poor unfortunate for desert. I am aware that there are many websites that offer presumably delicous vegan alternative dessert options, but I personally do not like substitions, and would strongly prefer something that is vergan naturally as opposed to something that has been modified to be vegan.

Also in case any of you have been offended, I am just teasing, I think that fact that I am not just giving him a granola bar shows that I want to be considerate .

Give me your awesome recipes so we can see whose cuisine reigns supreme.

Vege Oktoberfest

jasonspaceman — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:32:54 -0800

I LOVE beer but feel left out during Oktoberfest. Any good ideas for a vegetarian and/or vegan Oktoberfest? Many Oktoberfests have meal pairings with beer that are no where close to being vegetarian, let alone vegan. Please post your beer pairings with a vege-centric meal.

A quest for answers on fruit

Gordion Knott — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 04:04:32 -0800

Is fruit absolutely necessary to a wholesome, healthful vegetarian diet? My meals these days are primarily vegan, larded with an occasional bite of cheese or a weekly fish dish. I aim for a good balance of raw and cooked veggies, soy milk, nuts, lentils, water, brown rice and whole wheat. The soy, nuts and raw veggies give me more than enough fiber, along with protein and other nutrients. So far so good.

Problem is, I'm not much for fruit. Okay, I enjoy a cantelope on special occasions, or a handful of grapes. But on a day to day basis, I end up eating half a banana for breakfast, if that. Some days I'm fruitless.

Compounding things, I've found that the "fullness/calorie" ratio of juice is on the low side, so I'm cutting back on juices as well. I'm not much of a juice or smoothy person anyway.

Questions:
-Am I harming myself by not including fruit in my primarily vegan diet?
-If the answer to the above is "yes," what's the best "go-to" fruit for vegetarians? I'd be looking for a fruit that maxes out the nutrients I'd be missing otherwise.

Cheap milk replacement for cereal? In a bulk dry mix?

loquacious — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 07:53:41 -0800

Wanted: Extremely cheap non-milk replacement for cereal eating. Part A: I'm tired of milk. It's gross, it's expensive, it's not portable.

I would like to know if there are any milk replacements suitable for hot and cold cereal eating that cost less than cheap generic milk.

I like soy, rice and almond "milk", but I find it too expensive for the sheer bulk quantities of grains that I eat in the form of hot and cold cereal. I prefer rice and almond milks over soy milks.

I have eaten plenty of oats and cold cereal with what amounts to plain water, or water with a dollop of yogurt, but that usually was just because I was out of milk and too lazy to go get some or I was broke, not because it was tasty.

Part B: Why can't I buy bulk dry "mix" for soy, rice or almond milks like I can buy powdered milk? Is there any way to get a tolerable milk-replacement mix? This would be incredibly awesome for things like travelling, camping, and living good and cheap.

I list all of this to indicate exactly how far away from "milk" I'm willing to go. It doesn't have to taste like cow-milk. It should just taste much better than water and be cheaper than milk, hopefully with equitable nutritional values, with huge bonus points if I can buy powdered mix in bulk.

Tags: Milk Soy Almond Rice SoyMilk AlmondMilk RiceMilk Breakfast Cereal Vegan Vegetarian BachelorChow

becoming vegan...sloooowly.

mecran01 — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 21:46:27 -0800

I'd like to gradually remove meat and dairy products from my diet, primarily for health reaasons. Are there good books that talk about how to systematically do this with a high likelihood of success? I'd like to make the change over the next two years. I'm motivated primarily by what I've been reading about The China Study, hitting middle age, and just taking better care of myself. So I'm looking for some good books that emphasize the empirical advantages and behavioral modification tips, not so much naked Peta members doing guerilla street theater or anything to do with crystals, etc.

Vegan Cookies

ITheCosmos — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 13:40:39 -0800

Anyone have an especially good recipe for vegan cookies? OK, so there are good recipes for vegan cookies, but far more that produce inedible lumps of plant matter. Do you have a tried and true recipe that is awesome?

Can one ease from a vegan diet to vegetarianism?

Ash3000 — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 15:36:06 -0800

Say you're basically a vegan, and needed to prepare for an extended dairy/eggs-included period... I call myself a strict vegetarian, but my diet is essentially vegan - I eat dairy/eggs rarely, and then usually only if there's no other easy options. However, in a few weeks I'm going on a volunteer trip to New Orleans, where the food (along with, incidentally, the housing...check out www.opportunityrocks.org/springbreak) will be provided for me on my behalf, and while I'm sure there'll be vegetarian options, I've also been made pretty certain that there won't be a serious vegan alternative. I really, really wanna do this, and, as such, I need to get myself used to eating a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet for about five days or so.

The only problem is, sometimes when I DO eat something with substantial dairy/eggs, I tend to feel a little sick afterwards, and I FEEL like my concentration and just general "with it"ness kinda lags...granted, I've never done this for a while, so I don't know if I can build up a temporary tolerance. Has anyone ever dealt with a situation like this before? Should I start including little bits of dairy/eggs in my diet for the next few weeks, building up to the point that I don't find myself feeling ugh in the middle of New Orleans? Any other general advice?

Can a meat lover and a vegan ever be together?

nakedsushi — Fri, 16 Dec 2005 11:44:56 -0800

Can a meat lover and a vegan ever be good for each other? I'm currently in a relationship with a guy who's been a vegan for almost 15 years. I love meat. I don't want to change his dietary habits and he's very tolerant of my love of meat, but because of our dietary differences, our dining options are a bit limited. Luckily, I'm pretty lactose intolerant, so we both have soy ice-cream and cheeseless pizza. While I love tofu and soy in all its forms, I'm afraid I'll never be able to go with him to some of my favorite restaurants because of their lack of vegan-friendly choices.

Lately, when we go out, we usually go to a vegan/vegetarian place where sometimes I don't feel satisfied after my meal, or we go to an omnivore place where the only thing he can have is a baked potato or fries. There are only so many safe places where he can eat, and I'm afraid of getting tired of going to the same place over and over again.

Any advice?

Beef and guns

saysthis — Sun, 20 Mar 2005 06:31:44 -0800

I am: vegan, mildy exercise-induced asthmatic, non-car owning & often-biking, slightly scoliotic (not visibly, but there's back pain here and there), have virtually no access to exercise equipment other than a set of ancient free weights, weight bench, and mat, without much money. I desire hulking guns and beefiness all over. It's high time I started exercising. I look sturdy, I'm not noticeably plush, and I've been told by various people that a larger upper body would complement me nicely (these are not understatements/I am not a pear/I am however vain). Since I don't eat meat, protein intake can be a problem. I tried a regimen recommended by the dude at the health club a few eyars ago and it made me lose muscle. Another issue is that with my back and lungs the way they are, I'm limited in how XTREEM I can make my exercise. Neither are a problem so long as I'm not moving especially fast for long periods of time or lifting three times my own body weight. I'm looking to accomplish mainly more toned legs, bigger shoulders & chest (without losing too much fat in that area), and a tighter jawline (I hear face exercise exists?). There's a Mr. Universe in all of us (with steroids, even the ladies). Help me make mine visible.

Best Vegan places in San Francisco?

shirobara — Tue, 15 Mar 2005 09:41:07 -0800

Help us celebrate a joyous reunion! What are some of the best restaurants for vegetarians and vegans in San Francisco? One of our best friends just moved out there to be with his beloved girlfriend, and we want to get a gift certificate for them to go out to dinner somewhere nice. They're both vegan, so anywhere with mainly vegan options (or easily veganized vegetarian options) would be most welcome. I'd like to spend $30-$50, so places that aren't too expensive but aren't too cheap would be best.

This has been a long-awaited dream for two of the most special people we know, and we really want to help them celebrate in style!

Vegan Greek Snacks

livii — Sat, 03 Jul 2004 19:42:08 -0800

Tomorrow we'll be cheering for the Greeks over the Portuguese. As such, we want to serve great Greek snacks and/or desserts (things we can put out and then forget about the kitchen for the rest of the game). Problem: two guests are vegans. Googling hasn't returned anything interesting or trustworthy. What I'd love is a recipe someone has made before and trusts. I don't want to get burned, since our budget is tight, and then we'd have no snacks. In a pinch, we're willing to make generically Mediterranean food instead, and I'll probably have hummus, at least. Any tips?

Visitors from the Planet Vegan

majick — Tue, 29 Jun 2004 08:41:02 -0800

Ack, I'm not vegan! But I've got a friend with three kids under 9 who is, and they're coming to stay a few days. This hapless carnivore and starchivore needs your culinary assistance to feed adults and kids. I know the basic rule of vegan cooking -- use no animal products whatsoever -- and will have a chance to make one grocery run before the horde descends upon me, but this is a dietary restriction fundamentally incompatible with my cuisine. What can I make that my (also carnivorous) and her (also vegan) children will all eat, but that will also delight adults? I need breakfast and dinner ideas, since lunch isn't my problem.

Please share your vegan-friendly ideas for family meals that won't cause a couple of carnivore kids to start throwing food at me! I realize I can probably squeak by with pasta and some clever saucework, but I'd like to try a little harder than that.