Last night I came across an interesting article on about.com. It deals with a woman who is annoyed by the fact that she was invited to a vegan couple's party, and she feels slighted because she'll have to eat beforehand because she won't like the food. Can you say stuck up? Miss Manners tells the woman to not go to the party, but mainly because she believes that if you can't behave properly at someone else' gathering, then you shouldn't go. Right on, Miss Manners! I wouldn't want that woman at my party anyway!
Of course in the comments section there are all sorts of vegetarians and vegans who have ruffled feathers over this, because it's really quite a shame that some people can't just suck it up for one evening and try something outside of their comfort level. Trying new foods is an adventure, and should be viewed as such and if you're only avoiding a party because of the food being served, then I'm sorry, but you're a jerk and incredibly narrow-minded.
What has me really confused is why someone wouldn't go to a party due to a lack of animal products being served. Whenever someone asks me, "You don't eat animal products? Well then, what do you eat?" I think that people who ask that question either have no idea that they eat vegan food every day, or they have a really crappy diet because all they are consuming are animal products. It's time to think outside the boxes we've been placed in and embrace food for what it is - food! After all, if you're invited to a vegan dinner party and you refuse to go because of the fare, you could be saying no to seitan roulade with chestnut stuffing or Pan-fried tofu with kale and stir-fried noodles.
The best tip for going to a party is to go to socialize with other people, not to chow down on their food. If you're only going for the food, then you're rude! On the other side of the spectrum, if you're a vegan and throwing a dinner party for people who aren't vegan, show off your cooking skills as much as possible and let the dinner speak for itself. No one really wants to sit through hours of bitter lectures about the effects factory farming has on our planet, our bodies and our animal friends.
The photo is of the seitan roulade, and came from my favorite vegan cooking blog, veganyumyum.
1 comments:
I have often been asked the same question about my vegetarianism - so what exactly do I eat? I prefer to try to educate than preach, and tell them about the huge variety of foods that are available. Most people are genuinely interested.
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