Maybe Kermit wasn’t referring to veganism, but it’s just as true for vegans as it is for frogs. The majority of the restaurant world heavily depends on diets of dairy, eggs, and meat, so unless you’re willing to cook for yourself, veganism is tough.
But it’s well worth it. In just over a month, I not only branched out and tried new dishes at a few vegan-friendly Asian and Indian restaurants, but I also prepared foods like tempeh and seitan that I’d never even seen before in grocery stores. And I even baked an elaborate four-layer, fondant-covered vegan birthday cake!
Funny enough, the highlight of the adventure came once the month ended. After only 2 days in France (be patient, the France stores will come soon, I promise!) spent eating chocolate croissants, ham sandwiches, and bread and cheese, I actually craved tofu. Yes, me. The self-proclaimed tofu hater. I had tofu withdrawals after only 48 hours spent without. There’s just something about the crispy outer skin and creamy interior that you can’t achieve with meat.
Yet I don’t think I could stay vegan. The other night, I woke up panicking from a nightmare where the person in front of me at the grocery store bought the very last Greek yogurt, and none of the other stores in town had it in stock. (I must be an addict…)
I still want most of my meals to be meat-free though. I hadn’t realized just how satisfying legumes and soy products are, so I’m really going to make a conscious effort to incorporate them into my diet more often.
But cows, you better watch out… I’m coming back to the land of milk, cheese, and yogurt, and I’m definitely hungry!
Welcome back!! And I love the Greek yogurt nightmare… it made me smile, and think some people are looking at me weird… oh, well! =)
Thanks! You’re so cute, it’s hard to imagine people giving you weird looks. :] And I had a conversation with someone after work today with someone who’s just as into Greek yogurt as we are… Hard to believe!!