I have some friends who like to entertain in their home. They're very considerate of my diet and quite gracious hosts. It's not a sit-down dinner, usually but a very good selection of fruits, vegetables, multi-grain breads with dipping oil and other finger foods. I am generally considerate of their diet as well, but sometimes questions arise.
Last night, the topics of marshmallows and rennet came up. The hosts had made a healthier version of Rice Krispies Treats with a Kashi cereal and some dried cranberries. Nonetheless, it was made with marshmallows, which contain gelatin. Gelatin is, unless otherwise noted as "vegetarian," derived from animal connective tissue. And it pops up in the craziest places, including local favorites, Moon Pies as well as Starbursts and Altoids. So I politely declined the treats, but was pushed a bit so I decided to just say that I don't eat marshmallows and why. The wife was surprised, but the husband, who is from Georgia and familiar with the marshmallow plant knew exactly what I was talking about.
I then indicated how I'm trying to phase out some other things from my diet that aren't very vegetarian, including most hard cheeses. I love cheese (they know this) and they served some very good sharp white cheddar for dinner. I had a few bites, but I'm still trying to cut back in hopes of cutting out animal rennet cheeses altogether. I've already cut out Parmesan (real Parmesan; Kraft parmesan--in the green can--is not real Parmesan but is vegetarian), but it's going to be really difficult to cut out artisanal cheeses, particularly European cheeses. I don't know that I'll ever be 100% rennet cheese-free (mostly due to eating away from home), but it'll be a goal. In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy my favorite vegetarian cheeses at home: Sargento (most types) and Tillamook (all but the two-year aged cheddar).
You know, I never did get around to telling my old neighbors back in Memphis that I was a vegetarian. Though they did eventually stop asking me if I wanted a hot dog or hamburger when they were cooking out after a couple of years of declining without too detailed an excuse.
3 comments:
Hey girl, you totally can do it! Phasing out is a good way, just like you are doing. I think it is great that you gave a marshmallow example. I think most people didn't know that marshmallows have animal-based gelatin (including me until now). It proves that it is really important to de-construct highly processed food to see what is in it.
I gotta questions, so that means butter and milk are out too? How about honey and eggs? Are they off the list too?
Thanks for the moral support, Lannae!
My intent is not to go vegan, really. I just don't want to ingest anything that's got dead animal in it. But I still wear leather shoes and wool (which is a gray area with regard to cruelty). I don't wear silk because I just don't like it. Vegans don't consume any product that is animal-based.
As for milk, I only drink soy milk thanks to a passage in "Garden Cuisine" by Paul Wenner that details some of the things that get into milk. I just can't do it any more. But I still eat butter, but only from organic co-ops such as Cabot. No factory farm butter for me.
Honey is also a gray area. Many people have indicated that bees are harmed during production, but I've talked to a honey-maker about the process and I'm not concerned. I buy only local honey. As for eggs, I don't eat them straight. I only use them for baking and only buy the organic, cage-free eggs. There's still some cruelty in egg production, I'm sure, though.
Some other problem areas are sugar and alcoholic beverages. A lot of white sugar is refined through bone char from animals. This is why vegans eat only raw sugar. I rarely eat products with refined sugar in them anyway as part of my blood sugar and weight management routine. And many wines and beers (and even apple cider!) are manufactured with animal products as well (generally for clarification and coloring). This is why vegan food blogs are so popular, I think. They don't seem to be able to eat much outside of their homes. Animal products are everywhere!
I have spoken with some "bee farmers" and they say that it is a common practice to kill of a bee communities in the winter in hopes of a "fresh" hive for the next year. It doesn't get much crueler than that regarding honey.
It helps you to give up cheese if you were to visit a cheese plant (there's one near me). Vats of molding, rotting, smelly bovine secretions sitting around have great motivational qualities!
Even cage-free chickens are subjected to slaughter after force-molting.
I'll be as supportive as possible to get you to go vegan. It isn't nearly as hard as you make it sound.
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