Good Musings
My Beliefs
- In my Perfect World, humans would eat only plant-based foods. But I’m a realist. My intent is to encourage you to discover new plant-based recipes you love, wherever you are on the omnivore-vegan spectrum.
- Instagram, Tik Tok, Pinterest, and YouTube are exploding with plant-based recipes and sublime, mouthwatering photos of the finished product. My role as Recipe Explorer and Tester is to share the best of this with you. (I do the trolling, so you don’t have to).
- I’m grateful that products made by companies like Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat exist, but I don’t eat them.
- People who say “I hate kale” have not tasted these kale chips.
- Plant-based cheese that is served on a cheese platter rarely tastes like cheese. It often tastes good, but calling it “cheese” is likely to lead to disappointment. (At least for now. Many folks are working on this).
- I’m grateful that restaurants like Slutty Vegan and Plant Pub exist, but junk food is junk food, whether it involves animal products or not. As a treat, yes, as a habit, no.
- People who say, “I hate tofu” have not tasted air fryer crispy tofu croutons.
- Happiness is a prolific summer garden that produces too many tomatoes.
- Eat food. Not too much. Only plants. (Hats off to Michael Pollan).
Just Say No! to Cold Turkey
January 1st kicks off yet another Vegan Holiday, this one a monthlong celebration, Veganuary. (We’ve barely had time to recuperate from World Vegan Day, celebrated a mere two months ago!). Vegans are considered by many to be joyless and dour, yet we certainly have busy holiday calendars.
Veganuary is intended to make our New Year’s resolutions lists, up there with Dry January.
I’ll say it loud, and I’ll say it proud: I’m vegan, and I’m anti-Veganuary.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’d be thrilled if hundreds — even dozens — of Good News Veg readers went vegan this month. A good place to start would be the Epicurious 5-Day Comfort Food Meal Plan. Or, read why chef J. Kenji Lopez-Alt (who unapologetically hunts, cooks and eats meat) decided to take the 30-day vegan challenge, how he felt about it halfway through, and the 60 Great Vegan Recipes he created for the task.
Why am I against Veganuary?
Entering a Preach-Free Zone
I’m often asked why my husband Max and I chose not to have children. Most people have kids, just as most people enjoy a Thanksgiving turkey, pizza with cheese and perhaps pepperoni, and, on a hot summer night, a barbecue with hot dogs, burgers and chicken. We are not among those people. Opting out of cultural defaults; e.g., deciding not to have kids and not eat animals, raises eyebrows and demands explanations.
There’s no single reason Max and I stopped eating animal products. And over time, the reasons have changed. (The same is true for not having kids).
Preaching belongs in churches (or if you are Joaquin Phoenix, at the Oscars), not here. So I won’t preach you our reasons, I’ll inform. Succinctly. And I won’t bring it up again. I promise.
Top 4 Reasons to Eat Fewer (or No) Animal Products:Read More