The only kind of meat I eat is fish. The last time I had any kind of meat I was 18, which means I’m closing in on 20 years of vegetarianism. I went for about nine years without eating fish, and then I added that back. Going veggie was an ethical, political, social AND health decision for me. From every angle, I’m pleased with my choice. Technically I’m a pescatarian, but that’s so pretentious. I do think about jettisoning fish again as well. We’ll see.
I’m not one of those vegetarians, though, who says she never was a big meat eater anyway. I was a champ consumer, and I liked it rare. Still, it wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought it would be. Interestingly, for years I would crave meat when I was upset or hugely stressed. But that has passed now too.
Meat substitutes are an interesting question. In general, I’m not a fan of one food pretending to be another food. The worst offenders are banana- and cherry-flavored candies. A lot of meat substitutes are almost as gross. I wonder why I would eat that rather than just making up a nice pasta. But there are some exceptions. I’m inspired to write about them tonight because I just found another one I like okay.
Tofurkey is just a crazy name, hilarious. I’d never tried a Tofurkey product because, just give me a break. But the brilliant folks at Fairway put some Tofurkey-brand kielbasa right next to the saurkraut and reeled me right in. I love saurkraut, but it’s hard to work into a non-meat meal. So I just cooked it up and it wasn’t half bad. It would be better on a grill (I used the microwave) but I don’t have one of those. It would probably also be better in a skillet, but I’m lazy.
Probably my favorite sub is homely tvp, any brand. There’s nothing that sounds worse than texturized vegetable protien. But it’s got a good texture and is fantastically absorbent. I make a Greek chili with it that Damon absolutely loves. It’s, he says, better than the meaty version. And he’s right.
Most other fake meats are too mushy to be considered. The one exception is Morningstar products. I like their veggie dogs (hot dogs are all about the spices anyway), the fake ribs and the fake chicken nuggets. They’ve all got good bite to them, and are well seasoned.
I always hated Boca burgers, but Damon has come up with a way to fry them in the skillet that’s pretty good. If you can get them crispy at the edges it’s a whole new ballgame.
Interesting factoid: When I was a teenager I had debilitating environmental allergies. They were bad enough that I had to get steriod shots regularly and carry an inhaler. Even with those helpers, I was often locked shivering in a sealed room with the air conditioner blasting. Becoming a vegetarian was unrelated, but after a few months my allergies abated DRAMTICALLY. The steroids, inhaler and daily perscription meds went away. I still get itchy and sniffly when the seasons change (perhaps more on that in another post) but only like a normal person. Related? I can’t say. But if not, it’s an awfully big coincidence.
jaysaint 