Happy World Vegetarian Day!
October 1, 2024 9:00 AM Subscribe
America's Hidden Meals: The History of Vegetarianism in the U.S. (Arc GIS StoryMap from the Vegan Museum). "In 1970, a group of friends in Canoga Park, California turned a juice bar into a vegan restaurant named Follow Your Heart. The owners soon concocted a vegan mayonnaise called Vegenaise, which the restaurant first sold in 1977." Two important books in the timeline are Helen Nearing and Scott Nearing's book Living the Good Life: How to Live Sanely and Simply in a Troubled World (1954) and Dick Gregory’s Natural Diet for Folks Who Eat: Cookin’ with Mother Nature (1973).
Canoga Park? How strange.
For those not up on LA Geography - Canoga Park isn't a hip hotbed. It's the middle of the frying pan of the West Valley and best known for being home to Rocketdyne and the mall.
(Meanwhile, one "town" over at about the same time - my friends were kicking off America's oldest homebrew club to help jump start the microbrew revolution. What was in the water?)
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:21 AM on October 1
For those not up on LA Geography - Canoga Park isn't a hip hotbed. It's the middle of the frying pan of the West Valley and best known for being home to Rocketdyne and the mall.
(Meanwhile, one "town" over at about the same time - my friends were kicking off America's oldest homebrew club to help jump start the microbrew revolution. What was in the water?)
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:21 AM on October 1
the middle of the frying pan of the West Valley and best known for being home to Rocketdyne and the mall.
Sorry... None of that means anything to me. Can you please eleborate for those of us who aren't in the US?
posted by Too-Ticky at 9:25 AM on October 1
Sorry... None of that means anything to me. Can you please eleborate for those of us who aren't in the US?
posted by Too-Ticky at 9:25 AM on October 1
I bought a series of '70s vegetarian cookbooks for fun (Vegetarian Cookery is the title) and the oddness of them is a joy. So many "loaves" and a strange obsession with combining tomatoes with peanut butter. There is also still a lot of dairy and eggs in the ingredient lists (which is also something I remember from early Moosewood cookbooks & the ever-classic The Vegetarian Epicure).
I feel like things have almost swung the other way -- most vegetarian options I see on restaurant menus are vegan ones and clearly cookbooks -- even ones saying they're vegetarian and not vegan -- tend to be heavily plant-based with maybe a bit of cheese or such here and there.
I'm happy with that for the most part. More options are good!
I've been vegetarian for more than 30 years (although now I occasionally eat seafood). I have dabbled with being vegan and definitely enjoy doing a lot of vegan cooking.
It was fun to read the history.
posted by edencosmic at 9:34 AM on October 1 [1 favorite]
I feel like things have almost swung the other way -- most vegetarian options I see on restaurant menus are vegan ones and clearly cookbooks -- even ones saying they're vegetarian and not vegan -- tend to be heavily plant-based with maybe a bit of cheese or such here and there.
I'm happy with that for the most part. More options are good!
I've been vegetarian for more than 30 years (although now I occasionally eat seafood). I have dabbled with being vegan and definitely enjoy doing a lot of vegan cooking.
It was fun to read the history.
posted by edencosmic at 9:34 AM on October 1 [1 favorite]
Sorry - Canoga Park is in the west San Fernando Valley area aka north of the Santa Monica mountains that form the basin around Hollywood, Beverly Hills and "LA Proper".
It's further west than the "valley valley" of Sherman Oaks (the home of the Valley Girl) It's about as suburb as older suburb can be in the LA area. Flattened the orange groves and put up rectangular blocks of tract homes.
It's also hotter than hell during the height of summer - I think the high there was 119°F (~48°C) this summer.
There's not much to recommend it as a unique and hip place. Rocketdyne, a massive defense contractor was one of the main employers and there's a big mall that always seems to be in the process of getting re-invented in hopes of bringing crowds back. There's every chain restaurant known to man when you get north of Ventura Blvd.
All of this is to say, it's not exactly the sort of place I'd expect to see this sort of culinary development from.
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:36 AM on October 1 [6 favorites]
It's further west than the "valley valley" of Sherman Oaks (the home of the Valley Girl) It's about as suburb as older suburb can be in the LA area. Flattened the orange groves and put up rectangular blocks of tract homes.
It's also hotter than hell during the height of summer - I think the high there was 119°F (~48°C) this summer.
There's not much to recommend it as a unique and hip place. Rocketdyne, a massive defense contractor was one of the main employers and there's a big mall that always seems to be in the process of getting re-invented in hopes of bringing crowds back. There's every chain restaurant known to man when you get north of Ventura Blvd.
All of this is to say, it's not exactly the sort of place I'd expect to see this sort of culinary development from.
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:36 AM on October 1 [6 favorites]
I can tell you, as a mostly 99% of the time vegan (my weakness is desserts whilst traveling), I absolutely love it when restaurants and cookbooks have thoughtful delicious recipes or dishes.
I will also recommend The First Mess cookbook by Laura Wright. She lives in the Niagara area of Ontario and thus has access to amazing fruit and veg. It is probably one of the fanciest vegan cookbooks I own though I don't think she intended it to be fancy.
posted by Kitteh at 9:37 AM on October 1 [1 favorite]
I will also recommend The First Mess cookbook by Laura Wright. She lives in the Niagara area of Ontario and thus has access to amazing fruit and veg. It is probably one of the fanciest vegan cookbooks I own though I don't think she intended it to be fancy.
posted by Kitteh at 9:37 AM on October 1 [1 favorite]
My ex lived a block away from Follow Your Heart when we met. It was our regular brunch spot in the earliest days of our relationship, as well as a great place to pick up vegan-friendly snacks. It's definitely a quirky little haven in the midst of a whole lot of boring Valley sprawl. The fact that their food now seems so nondescript in the world of vegan dining is probably a testament to how ubiquitous their innovations have become. (I still crave their pancakes, though.)
posted by mykescipark at 9:41 AM on October 1 [1 favorite]
posted by mykescipark at 9:41 AM on October 1 [1 favorite]
I've been binging on recipes from Derek Sarno lately.
Inspired me to make Vegan Pastrami last week which I used in Reubens and a Mission Chinese inspired Kung Pao Pastrami.
posted by art.bikes at 9:42 AM on October 1 [1 favorite]
Inspired me to make Vegan Pastrami last week which I used in Reubens and a Mission Chinese inspired Kung Pao Pastrami.
posted by art.bikes at 9:42 AM on October 1 [1 favorite]
Quietly, they supplemented this with income from inheritances and trust funds. The independent nature of Vermonters thwarted their ambitions for collective labor and mutual aid among neighbors.
ಠ_ಠ
This reminds me of Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer, where the author laments that after all her efforts, she concludes that it just isn't possible for her to feed herself on what she could grow. (This is where I inject my, "you don't hate industrialization, you hate capitalism" note.)
But aside from that, Happy World Vegetarian Day!
posted by AlSweigart at 9:52 AM on October 1 [1 favorite]
ಠ_ಠ
This reminds me of Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer, where the author laments that after all her efforts, she concludes that it just isn't possible for her to feed herself on what she could grow. (This is where I inject my, "you don't hate industrialization, you hate capitalism" note.)
But aside from that, Happy World Vegetarian Day!
posted by AlSweigart at 9:52 AM on October 1 [1 favorite]
Here's another history of Vegetarianism and it's California roots from Erewhon to Robert Bootzin aka **** Boots.
posted by Xurando at 10:27 AM on October 1
posted by Xurando at 10:27 AM on October 1
Thanks!
I don’t proselytize as a vegetarian, and I get cranky about being teased with somebody’s meat order as if I give a shit. I don’t! I grew up in the South, I’m not going to pay any attention to your steak.
It’s been a tendency for me since I was a child, and only a rule later. Now that I’ve come to understand neurodivergence, I think it was an acceptable way (if just barely) to avoid horrible textures and emotional overwhelm. I saw a pig cut in half when I was four and never really ate ham again. The only meats I would ever really eat were fried, crisped, or jerked out of all recognizance.
Frankly, it’s probably made me less healthy because I can’t stand so many good protein sources. But it’s also probably saved me from a lot of food poisoning opportunities, and on the whole, I’m glad I do it.
posted by Countess Elena at 12:33 PM on October 1 [8 favorites]
I don’t proselytize as a vegetarian, and I get cranky about being teased with somebody’s meat order as if I give a shit. I don’t! I grew up in the South, I’m not going to pay any attention to your steak.
It’s been a tendency for me since I was a child, and only a rule later. Now that I’ve come to understand neurodivergence, I think it was an acceptable way (if just barely) to avoid horrible textures and emotional overwhelm. I saw a pig cut in half when I was four and never really ate ham again. The only meats I would ever really eat were fried, crisped, or jerked out of all recognizance.
Frankly, it’s probably made me less healthy because I can’t stand so many good protein sources. But it’s also probably saved me from a lot of food poisoning opportunities, and on the whole, I’m glad I do it.
posted by Countess Elena at 12:33 PM on October 1 [8 favorites]
I am happy to talk about why I'm a vegetarian if people ask & I will tell people I meet I am one if, say, they're inviting me somewhere and I want to check the menu first or whatever. But you'd be surprised at how little it comes up. I find non-vegetarians get defensive about what they're eating without me saying anything about it. I really don't care what anyone else eats. I care about what I eat. That's it.
Yeah, sure, there are some vegetarians/vegans that make it their entire personality, but there are also people who make liking the MCU or Wes Anderson movies or craft beer or whatever their entire personalities. I put those vegetarians/vegans in the same category.
posted by edencosmic at 12:52 PM on October 1 [8 favorites]
Yeah, sure, there are some vegetarians/vegans that make it their entire personality, but there are also people who make liking the MCU or Wes Anderson movies or craft beer or whatever their entire personalities. I put those vegetarians/vegans in the same category.
posted by edencosmic at 12:52 PM on October 1 [8 favorites]
I've got to the point of essentially zero tolerance for proselytizing vegetarians. You want to not eat meat, I don't really give a shit one way or another, but please gods don't harangue me about it. You're not morally superior. I promise not to try to get you to eat meat or give you a hard time for not wanting to.
It's only a matter of time before vegetarian or vegan posts have the one poster who blusters HAR HAR VEGGIE FOLKS ARE DUMB. But hey, 10 comments in before it happens is better than it used to be on the Blue. I mean, if you honestly don't give a shit about vegetarians, you probably could have given this whole thread a pass.
posted by Kitteh at 1:11 PM on October 1 [19 favorites]
It's only a matter of time before vegetarian or vegan posts have the one poster who blusters HAR HAR VEGGIE FOLKS ARE DUMB. But hey, 10 comments in before it happens is better than it used to be on the Blue. I mean, if you honestly don't give a shit about vegetarians, you probably could have given this whole thread a pass.
posted by Kitteh at 1:11 PM on October 1 [19 favorites]
Anyway, want to hear a good joke?
Q: How do you tell if a Steak Bro is insecure about the existence of vegetarians?
A: Don't worry: they'll tell you!
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 1:16 PM on October 1 [11 favorites]
Q: How do you tell if a Steak Bro is insecure about the existence of vegetarians?
A: Don't worry: they'll tell you!
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 1:16 PM on October 1 [11 favorites]
Q: What do proselytizing vegetarians and unicorns have in common?
A: Despite having never met one, a lot of people are fully convinced they exist.
posted by box at 1:39 PM on October 1 [12 favorites]
A: Despite having never met one, a lot of people are fully convinced they exist.
posted by box at 1:39 PM on October 1 [12 favorites]
I've got to the point of essentially zero tolerance for proselytizing vegetarians. You want to not eat meat, I don't really give a shit one way or another, but please gods don't harangue me about it. You're not morally superior. I promise not to try to get you to eat meat or give you a hard time for not wanting to.
It's inevitable whenever there's a vegetarian party that some non-veggie is gonna show up and stick their dick in the mashed potatoes.
posted by haileris23 at 1:46 PM on October 1 [5 favorites]
It's inevitable whenever there's a vegetarian party that some non-veggie is gonna show up and stick their dick in the mashed potatoes.
posted by haileris23 at 1:46 PM on October 1 [5 favorites]
Thanks for the cooking links!
I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years. Most days I'm vegan, but sometimes I hear the pizza calling to me.
posted by freakazoid at 1:53 PM on October 1 [2 favorites]
I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years. Most days I'm vegan, but sometimes I hear the pizza calling to me.
posted by freakazoid at 1:53 PM on October 1 [2 favorites]
The first link in the post makes mention of Grahamist boarding houses, which served vegetarian meals. I found an article about them which includes an image of a small newspaper ad for one in New York City:
“Graham Temperance House, No. 21 Beekman Street, kept exclusively on the vegetable system. Those wishing to become acquainted with this system, are invited to call.posted by larrybob at 1:55 PM on October 1 [1 favorite]
New York City, April, 1839.”
Hey, it me. Vegetarianism and the house just about the only things I kept after the ex-husband became history. (He got his half of the house value, never fear.)
posted by humbug at 5:58 PM on October 1
posted by humbug at 5:58 PM on October 1
I've been a vegetarian for decades. Currently, I do eat moderate amounts of fish.
Being a vegetarian used to be a lot harder than it must be now; there's vegan and vegetarian food all over the place. It's somewhat funny to me that the idea of being a vegetarian was so far outside of the mainstream for a very long time, and then the Overton window jumped all the way to veganism.
I'm not complaining, I like having so many new options. And I eat vegan several days a week without even trying.
posted by Too-Ticky at 4:33 AM on October 2 [2 favorites]
Being a vegetarian used to be a lot harder than it must be now; there's vegan and vegetarian food all over the place. It's somewhat funny to me that the idea of being a vegetarian was so far outside of the mainstream for a very long time, and then the Overton window jumped all the way to veganism.
I'm not complaining, I like having so many new options. And I eat vegan several days a week without even trying.
posted by Too-Ticky at 4:33 AM on October 2 [2 favorites]
spamandkimchi, thank you for posting about my favorite day of the year!
larrybob, thank you for the article! just wanted to send an update that the restaurant which was not veg-friendly closed. the new place has a vegan breakfast option :-)
posted by HearHere at 6:42 AM on October 2 [1 favorite]
larrybob, thank you for the article! just wanted to send an update that the restaurant which was not veg-friendly closed. the new place has a vegan breakfast option :-)
posted by HearHere at 6:42 AM on October 2 [1 favorite]
I'm consistently amazed at how weirdly bent out of shape some of the dudes I know get about vegetarians/vegans.
Are there annoying preachy holier than thou vegs out there? Yes, particularly the younger and closer you get to a college campus, but lord have mercy I run into far more "hurf durf - I'm vegetarian because I eat cows and they eat grass" than the uptight vegan.
It feels like a form of reflexive defensive posturing - like "oohh... these people think they're better than me because they don't eat beef" (seen the same thing from folks about drinking like a presumed moral judgement is inherent in abstinence when most people couldn't give a good damn)
No surprise that I see that same reflexive posturing in their commentary about politics and societal concerns like racism, gender, etc.
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:00 AM on October 2 [6 favorites]
Are there annoying preachy holier than thou vegs out there? Yes, particularly the younger and closer you get to a college campus, but lord have mercy I run into far more "hurf durf - I'm vegetarian because I eat cows and they eat grass" than the uptight vegan.
It feels like a form of reflexive defensive posturing - like "oohh... these people think they're better than me because they don't eat beef" (seen the same thing from folks about drinking like a presumed moral judgement is inherent in abstinence when most people couldn't give a good damn)
No surprise that I see that same reflexive posturing in their commentary about politics and societal concerns like racism, gender, etc.
posted by drewbage1847 at 9:00 AM on October 2 [6 favorites]
I've flirted with veganism in the past, and may still have a copy of the Moosewood cookbook knocking around; I especially liked this thing that incorporated beans and cornbread into the same dish. And even though I'm probably not going to go back to it in a big way--at most, I might go for a "lessmeatarian" approach--I'm fine with people choosing to, and wouldn't complain about going to a vegan restaurant to accommodate someone who's serious about it. There are dumb fad diets of all sorts, and people willing to be obnoxious about them.
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:54 AM on October 2 [1 favorite]
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:54 AM on October 2 [1 favorite]
Eating is a political act.
posted by pepcorn at 11:02 AM on October 2 [1 favorite]
posted by pepcorn at 11:02 AM on October 2 [1 favorite]
I've been a vegan since 2020 and haven't looked back.
But was delighted to finally visit and eat at the Moosewood restaurant this spring, after years with their cookbooks.
posted by doctornemo at 2:07 PM on October 2 [3 favorites]
But was delighted to finally visit and eat at the Moosewood restaurant this spring, after years with their cookbooks.
posted by doctornemo at 2:07 PM on October 2 [3 favorites]
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Six Seasons is great if you're fancier than me and more blessed with free time.
posted by Jeanne at 9:09 AM on October 1 [3 favorites]