Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I haven't eaten meat in five and a half years, so I never crave it, though I do remember enjoying it. That said, I now crave some meat analogs, or faux meats, or meat substitutes, fake meats, call them what you will. My favorite are the Gardein line of products. They are non-GMO, and a mix of soy protein and grains. Do they taste like beef or chicken? No, they taste like Gardein, and totally delicious. Yes, the packaging (zippered freezer bags) is atrociously horrible for the environment, and I've written to tell them this. If they could come up with some sort of "enviro-bag" packaging I'd be all over it. But for now, it's an admitted weakness that I keep purchasing, and discarding those bags. *guilt*

As for burger substitutes? For me, those were transitional. I rarely eat a veg burger anymore. But give some Gardein Chipotle Lime Crispy Fingers and I am in heaven!

After 45 years of blissfully happy (albeit ignorant and animal-loving) omnivorism, I became a vegetarian, and two years later graduated to vegan. As a former bacon lover who once told a PETA rep it would never happen for me, I surprised myself with a staunch and irreversible conviction based on ethics and morality, and now feel as if I found a new religion. Which is exactly why so many hate vegans. We seem born-again, evangelical in our beliefs. What makes me unique is that I can understand that burger with extra cheese and bacon, though the foie gras on top will always remain a mystery to me (I never got that far).

That said, I LOVE this piece you've written here! It's open-minded, it's understanding, it displays a healthy culinary curiosity as well as a compassionate desire to jump in and "figure it all out".

I've just started reading your adventure, but I have to thank you for embarking on it. At the very worst, maybe some people will open their minds too. At the best, maybe some will realize there is a whole world of delicious food out there that's compassionate too. "Cruelty-free", as they say. Thank you!

My Tabouli recipe has tofu in it, so it's a good vegan main dish, and cold, so it's perfect for a summer barbecue:

Tabouli

Serves 8 to 12

1 cup bulghur wheat (use quinoa if you want/need it to be gluten-free)
1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
8 oz. firm tofu, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup black olives, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

Place the bulghur in two cups of boiling water, turn off heat and soak for one hour. Drain well.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Despite the chopping, it's a very easy recipe. It's important to drain the tofu well - I use paper towels, or a good and clean absorbent dish towel for this, and the bulghur. I also cover the bulghur for the hour it soaks, though the recipe doesn't specify.

You could use Kalamata olives, but I use regular black pitted olives. And I sometimes add more olive oil and lemon juice than recommended. Use your own taste for the seasonings.

I saute in olive oil, or steam. Steaming for potato salad, sauteing for everything else really. But then again, roasting is really good too.

I used to love Land 'o Lakes unsalted, then I switched to Kate's, but really it wasn't as good. Now it's Earth Balance, and I don't miss butter at all.

Erm, I hate to say it, maybe, but I once used to buy these White Castle things, the cheeseburger variety, and snarf them semi-regularly, en masse... purchased from Wal Mart even! Years ago, but still. In the realm of trashy junk food, these were a win, as i recall.