Vegan Food = Real Food

I know I've at least thought it before, if not said it: vegan food is normal food. No matter how many times you say it, some people never accept or believe it. I know I used to hear "vegan" and I'd curl my lip at the word. I'd think of fake meat, bland and just plain not normal foods. I used to fall victim to the evil fast food society that has become the norm for those of us in the US. Talk about ironic; the vast majority of food we eat here IS that not normal food. Highly processed, overly flavored, molded and shaped into unnatural forms: the menu of a regular US American consumer.

So why isn't vegan, or even just vegetarian, or even just natural and whole food, eating more common? I don't know how many times I've talked to someone who is eating his or her McDonald's hamburger and agreeing with me that it's hardly real food. That has to be one of my biggest pet peeves. If you are consciously eating crap, why do you continue to eat it? Don't act like you know it's bad for you and commiserate with me about its terrible quality if it's not going to change anything. Don't say "Oh yeah, I know this is disgusting, but I just don't care." And especially don't criticize me for eating meals that don't contain meat or cheese because "that's just not normal." 

I'm getting off track. I didn't write this to complain; I wrote it to plug a new book I got: Veganomicon.

This cookbook is, from what I can tell so far, a great collection of recipes and an outstandingly feel-good piece of healthy cooking literature. Written by two brazen New Yorkers, Veganomicon is fantastic for both seasoned chefs and those just starting out. The nearly 300 pages detail everything from how to cook practically any vegetable, to how to prepare an entree that'll take you 1.5 hours to make, to how to put together a 5-course meal using a variety of their seemingly delicious self-concocted recipes. From Mexican to Asian to Southern home-style cooking, the recipes are all void of animal products but don't skimp in the flavor, aroma or texture departments. 

I don't expect everyone to turn to veganism; I know I can't do it just yet. I don't even expect everyone to become vegetarians. I just want people to think about what they eat. The Veganomicon may be extreme for many people, but its ideas and purpose are good: eat meals with tons of flavor (not the kind you get from MSG please), tons of nutritious veggies and grains, and try to make your own food as often as possible. Sometimes (usually) it's the last thing you want to do when you get home from work in the evening, but I really believe it will make you feel much better.

The End.