Something Vegan, Something Not

A lovely friend I adore read my offer to bring the amuses-gueules to our Francophile/Francophone group and responded, "I would also prefer to contribute amuses-gueules. Tina, maybe you bring something vegan and I bring something not?"

Oh, how I wish people didn't think they had to offer something NOT vegan!

This is how I responded--only to her, not to the whole group:

You're always so thoughtful, but I have a fear:  If people think of what I'm bringing as vegan, they won't like it.  If they think there has to be an alternative, that's evidence that vegan stuff isn't good enough.

I went to a dinner party and offered to bring the ice cream and cake--both were vegan.  The hostess (Talat Jabbar) told me that we would not let the guests know it was vegan, and we didn't.  They loved the ice cream, and they loved the cake.  They had seconds.  There was a non-vegan dessert too, but the vegan one went faster.

But I'll bet if they had known it was vegan, it would have colored their taste.  They might even have avoided it in the first place, and if they'd tried it, they would have detected some under-taste that wasn't very pleasant.

My diet really isn't about me.  I can eat anything.   It's about  getting people to think outside the box--the box being the cages and the confined spaces  cows and other animals are kept in--causing them suffering and posing environmental problems.

I plan to make an almond cake and buy cinnamon rolls and fruit.  I'll also bring either Miyoko's chive cheese or the kind of cream cheese you brought last time--but I'll bet if anyone sees the words "Tofu" or "vegan" on the box, they'll avoid it or detect a taste they wouldn't detect if they hadn't seen those words.  

It's so important for us to enjoy our food.  It's one of the great joys of life.  

That's what I think of you too, that you're one of the great joys of life.

I hope you'll understand my concerns.  

Je t'embrasse (comme j'embrasse  le régime végétalien)

Tina