Hosting Compassionate Holiday Meals

As the winter holidays approach, many of us get overwhelmed as we prepare to host parties and formal dinners for family and friends. I think one of the reasons we become overwhelmed is because our expectations are so unrealistically high. We project these expectations onto our guests and are afraid that if everything isn’t absolutely perfect, we will be judged as inadequate.

Add to that the pressure that this one vegan meal represents all vegan meals and better be extraordinary, lest your guests leave with the false impression that vegan fare is mediocre or inferior.

One of the ways we can take some pressure off is by re-thinking what we have been taught about what a meal – or a plate – should look like.

The foods we choose, the way we construct our plates, our perception of what a “complete meal” looks like are all based on what we have been taught within our culture and within our families: that meat is the centerpiece of a meal, along with some token side dishes.

What I have learned in my many years of observing people is that it’s not the lifeless animal that sits as the centerpiece that people are attached to as much as they are attached to having a centerpiece, a focus on the table, a focus on the plate, and this can be accomplished in so many ways using beautiful, compassionate plant-based foods.

In fact, a spread based on plant-based foods is so much more aesthetically pleasing than one based on animal products. Taking advantage of the huge variety of colors, textures, sizes, and shapes of plant foods, here are some suggestions for creating a focal point out of a main dish.

STUFF IT: Stuff eggplants, bell or jalapeno peppers, mushrooms, winter or summer squash, potatoes, olives, pea pods, or corn husks.

CONTAIN IT: In the spirit of serving food in something else, create a main dish using ramekins, custard cups, or individual bowls, or make miniature pot pies for each person.

MAINSTAY IT: Tofu, tempeh, seitan, and portabello mushrooms are all great options to serve as the “main dish.” They are hearty, “meaty,” and protein-rich, which is one of the criteria by which people tend to judge “main dishes.”

MOLD IT: Anything made as a loaf, patty, timbale, mold, or burger also serves as great main-dish items.

And remember it is your intentions that your guests appreciate. They do not expect perfection – and neither should you. It is about creating a compassionate center around which you and your loved ones can gather.

After I finished writing The Vegan Table, my publisher and I began throwing around ideas for titles of this book. I insisted that we not use the phrase “vegan entertaining.” To me, that phrase implies that vegans employ some special method of entertaining unique only to them, when in truth, they are just normal folk who want to celebrate holidays and gather with friends – just like everyone else.

It would be disingenuous, however, to say there isn’t something special about a gathering where no animals are harmed for the sake of our pleasure. When a sense of consciousness informs our actions, when our intentions reflect kindness and nonviolence, when our thoughts turn to someone else’s needs rather than our own desires, there is no denying that something profound takes place.

In the absence of suffering, there is peace. In the presence of compassion, there is joy.

That is vegan entertaining.

Whether you are hosting an intimate gathering of close friends or a large celebration with an open guest list, may you have a blessed and healthful holiday. May you make choices that reflect your deepest values, and may you find abundance and joy in a life lived simply so that others may simply live.

Holiday Meal Survival Tips

Gatherings that revolve around food can be – to say the least – stressful for vegans. Navigating the tricky waters of family dynamics, traditions, and expectations is not easy, and it can cause waves in an otherwise calm sea.

Anyone who has transitioned from an animal-based diet to a plant-based diet knows that it is so much more profound than simply making new food choices. It’s about questioning assumptions, reexamining our values, aligning our behavior with our principles, and shifting the paradigms with which we grew up. All of this seems to happen very spontaneously once you’ve had a consciousness shift, and it can be a little unnerving – not only to ourselves but to those who are the closest to us.

As we go through this transition, we are at once incredibly excited to see the world through a different lens and devastated to recognize the dauntingly huge scale of meat-, dairy-, and egg consumption in our society. It is a painful awareness for those who know the suffering the animals endure.

But vegans have to remember that as much as we have experienced our own transformation, not everyone around us necessarily has. Even though we may feel completely changed, we cannot forget to look at how our changes affect those around us – especially our parents, no matter how old we are.

Most likely, they have been cooking the same thing for us year after year, night after night, holiday after holiday. They have gone through our picky phases, they have cut the crusts off our bread, they have slaved over our favorite “holiday roast,” and now we tell them that it has all changed.

On a very practical level, their less-than-enthusiastic reaction may be due to the fact that they absolutely have no idea what to feed you. (This is when you slip them a copy of a fantastic vegan cookbook!) Short of that, provide them with recipes, help them create a menu, offer to cook with them and for them. And all the while, let them have their reaction. Let them have their time to process it, just as you had to do. Give them time.

I think that one of the reasons parents take our transition to veganism so personally is because food is used from the day we’re born as a way for them to express their love for us. They’ve used it to nurture us and be close to us. When we reject the things they have fed us, it may feel like we’re rejecting them.

Holiday meals are an opportunity to demonstrate that we are not rejecting their traditions but rather embracing our values. Be clear that it has nothing to do with them. It is also a wonderful opportunity to show them that nothing need be sacrificed – not a beautiful centerpiece, not a filling meal with all the traditional fixings, and not the true meaning of the gathering.

Here are some helpful tips on how to make meals fun, delicious and compassionate this holiday season:

*Offer to host the holiday dinner. By hosting the meal, you can show off the endless array of options and treat your family to a vegan feast.

*Offer to make the main dish and bring it to the person hosting.

*Communicate with the person hosting the event, and introduce them to some easy ways to “veganize” the standards: Earth Balance instead of dairy-based butter, nondairy milk instead of cow’s milk, vegetable broth instead of animal-based broth.

*Be clear. Do not expect family and friends to know what “vegan” means, and do not expect them to bend over backwards to accommodate you – without any help from you.

*Be true to yourself. Though we need to weigh the consequences of our decisions, if you are uncomfortable attending an event where a turkey is displayed on the table, you do not have to go.

Time and time again, I have heard from people who panic around the holidays because they think their families won’t understand, that they will have nothing to eat. If that is our expectation, then that will be our experience. But time and time again, I see the opposite take place. When we stand up for what we believe in, with grace and humility, incredible things take place.

As much as we want our family members to be understanding and compassionate, we have to provide the same compassion and understanding. By giving compassion, understanding, respect, and patience, that’s what we create and receive.

Two Essential Kitchen Tools

The tools we use in the kitchen are essential to making it fun, making it easy, making it successful, and making it safe. I absolutely think people would cook more if they had the right tools. People think they don’t need the right tools since they aren’t cooking a lot, but what they don’t know is that they’d be cooking more (and properly and more quickly and with more pleasure) if they invested in a few good tools.

Though there are gadgets galore at your local kitchen store, let’s start with the basics: a good knife and a good cutting board.

ONE GOOD KNIFE
When you’re eating a plant-based diet, because there’s no need to de-vein a shrimp, disjoint a chicken, filet a fish, carve a turkey, or de-bone, butterfly, or cleave anyone, none of those “specialty” knives are necessary. Essentially, you need just one good chef’s knife, whether it’s a 6-, 7-, or 8-inch blade. (The 8-inch blade is my personal favorite.)

Cleaning Knives
In terms of cleaning knives, never put them in the dishwasher. The very high temperatures can damage the blade. Never let them sit around with food stuck to them, hand-wash them with a little soap and water, and dry them right away with a soft cloth. Then store them properly.

Storing Knives
The main thing is that they’re not just thrown in a drawer. Aside from the fact that is dangerous, the blades can also become dull when rubbing against one another in the drawer. Use a knife block, a magnetic knife holder you hang on a wall, or a special case for your knife, but keep it protected to prolong its life. As you have no doubt heard: it’s not sharp knives that cut people. It’s dull knives.

CUTTING BOARDS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY
What to avoid: Glass cutting boards. Not only is glass the WORST thing you could cut on because they absolutely ruin your knives, they’re also so dangerous because the knife could slip so much more easily. And then you’re left with a non-vegetarian dish as little bits of your finger wind up in your favorite casserole!

What to avoid: Slippery, flexible plastic “cutting boards.” They’re not “boards” – they’re slippery, flexible, plastic things. They’re dangerous because they slip around so easily, and I just avoid them.

What to avoid: Plastic boards in general. Though you may find some “experts” who recommend non-porous cutting boards (such as plastic and acrylic), I flat out disagree. If you’ve ever had a plastic cutting board, you’ll notice that though they’re not porous, every cut and slice is visible, and bacteria can definitely get into those grooves. I also think these cuts and slices reduce the efficacy of the cut, and I just feel like I’m cutting plastic up into my food.

The main reason, however, that “experts” recommend against using porous cutting boards is because of food safety. It’s true this is a concern if you’re cooking and cutting up animals. If you keep a vegan kitchen, you don’t have to obsess over contaminating your knives and counter and cutting boards! After all, the foodborne illnesses we’re susceptible to are animal-borne because we’re animals. We’re not susceptible to plant diseases, because we’re not plants. So, you don’t have to keep two different cutting boards and fear for your safety when you’re not cooking with raw animal parts and secretions. In a vegan kitchen, the worse thing you might find is aphids in your kale and a borer worm in your corn, and they pose no health risk.

What to embrace: My favorite cutting board is bamboo, though you can use wood, too. They’re both hard and solid and great to cut on, though bamboo is even harder and of course more sustainable a crop. Now, even though it would be easier to just say “buy wood or bamboo,” it’s not that simple (Lord I wish it were!) – there are a few things I want to say about that.

a) The first thing is to look for a cutting board made out of a solid piece of wood or bamboo. I’ve seen too many cutting boards crack where two pieces come together, so get a good solid piece.
b) Just because you find a wood or bamboo cutting board doesn’t mean you’ve gotten the right size. Avoid any cute shapes, and make sure it’s nice and big – at least 12 inches high (and my favorite is 18 inches long).
c) Don’t leave veggie scraps and water sitting on your cutting board. Clean and wipe it dry right away, and never immerse it in water. The wetter it remains, the higher the chances it will become warped.
d) If you have stains on the board (like from beet juice, for instance, try using a little white vinegar on a soft cloth. Wipe, wash, and dry. That should do the trick.
e) When you first get your wood or bamboo cutting board, you can prolong its life by seasoning or oiling it. You can use an oil like walnut oil (it doesn’t go rancid as quickly as other oils, so it’s a good option) and a soft cloth, and apply it in the direction of the grain. Warming the oil allows it to penetrate even deeper into the wood. Apply 4-6 coats before using the board. After awhile, you can also oil it again if it looks dry. Dry boards crack more easily.
f) Another way to prevent cracking and drying is by avoiding placing hot pots and pans on the boards right off of the stove or right from the oven. It might not happen right away, but over time, it can dry out your board and cause cracking.

When we stock our kitchens with the proper tools, we’re more inclined to cook – and cook healthfully and safely.

Eat Your Vegetables!

Before introducing our super duper guest blogger today, I want to give a shout out to the Goddess Group fasters! xo, Kris

“If we don’t have time to be sick, then we have to make time to be healthy.” ~Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard a thousand times: “Eat Your Vegetables!” From the day we moved onto solid foods until we moved out of the house, we heard this culinary command at least three times a day. Yet at some point, we tuned it out.

A new study confirms this: Americans are eating fewer vegetables than ever. Researchers recently evaluated data from two large national health surveys and reviewed how many people ate three or more servings of vegetables a day. (French fries counted!).
In the first survey, 35% met the goal; in the second survey, 10 years later: 32%. So, why are we ignoring the most consistent message of our childhood? I have a few ideas.

I teach vegan cooking classes, and many of my students have no idea what to with a head of broccoli or a bunch of kale. Most of us were raised on a meat-centered diet, where vegetables played a minor role and either came from a can, were boiled to death, or were drowned in cream sauces and butter. It’s no wonder we didn’t get hooked on veggies.

We’re also ridiculous creatures of habit. Many of us rotate the same dishes over and over, and as the researchers discovered, most people demonstrate very little diversity when choosing vegetables. Here’s a secret: when I switched to a plant-based diet, I actually found more options. With meat, dairy, and eggs out of the way, a world of plant foods opened up.

Here are some recommendations I give to my students:

~ We should never decide what to eat for dinner at dinnertime. That will set us up for failure every time. We should know each morning (at the latest) what we’re having for dinner that night. Ideally, we should know the night before so we can plan in our brains what to prep when we awake and arise!

~ Aim to eat a pound of raw and a pound of lightly cooked fresh vegetables per day. Even if you fall short, you’ll be way ahead of the curve.

~ When you get home from the grocery store, never store all the veggies in the bin right away. Take a few minutes to chop them up and store them in the fridge before doing so. That way, when it’s time to eat, you’ll actually eat the food instead of complaining that it will take too long to chop them up.

~ Shop by color! All of the bright and beautiful hues of plant-based foods contain the powerful healing phyto (i.e. plant) nutrients!

~Celebrate the flavor of the vegetables themselves! The flavor in food comes from plants – not animals! The flavor is in the herbs and spices!

As people incorporate more plant-based foods into their diet and transition to a plant-based diet, questions and challenges often arise. Here are some tips for easing the process:

~ Identify the craving. I’ve heard people say they tried giving up meat but really started craving it. In response, I assure them that they were not craving meat. We’re not true carnivores. We don’t start salivating when we see a deer or a cow or a squirrel. We’re not lions. Lions would die without meat. We, however, thrive without it. It’s not the flesh of the animal we crave, but we do tend to crave fat, and we tend to crave salt. More than that, we crave texture, familiarity, and flavor – and all of these things are found in abundance in plant foods.

~Give your palate time to adjust. The more you leave off these fatty, salty foods, the less you actually crave them. Your palate definitely changes, and your body adjusts.

~ Repeat after me: “There is Life After Cheese.” Related to what I said above about identifying the craving, when it comes to cheese, it’s really about the salt, the fat, the texture, and the familiarity. So for instance, when people sprinkle a little parmesan on their pasta, it’s really about the salt and the fat. Instead, toast some pine nuts or walnuts, and mince them up with a little salt. This is just one example of identifying the craving and satisfying it through plant foods.

~ Get to know your spices. Most people have adorable spice racks lined with cute jars of spices and dried herbs that they never use. First of all spices and herbs do have a shelf life (about 6 months for dried herbs and 1 year for spices), and though eating stale herbs and spices won’t kill you, but they will have lost their flavor. Don’t be afraid of the herbs and spices. Don’t be afraid of experimenting with them. That’s how you learn. Experiment, and have fun.

I’ve found that eating healthfully does not necessarily take more time. Rather, it takes just a little more thought. Venture forth, and enjoy!

For the animals, both human and non-human,

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Colleen is a sought-after and inspiring public speaker on the spiritual, social, and practical aspects of a vegan lifestyle. She has appeared on the Food Network, is a columnist for VegNews Magazine, is a contributor to National Public Radio, and her first book, The Joy of Vegan Baking, won VegNews Magazine’s “Cookbook of the Year”; her second cookbook, The Vegan Table: 200 Unforgettable Recipes for Entertaining Every Guest at Every Occasion is due out in June 2009. www.compassionatecooks.com