This is Tuesday, so you can't change your answer, but did you have a Meatless Monday?
Last Monday, I had 2-3 oz. of crab for lunch, no meat for breakfast, and absolutely no meat at dinner. How do I know? I went to a Meatless Monday dinner.
This was one of those dinners that foodies love to talk about; great chefs doing marvelous work with food. Fresh, vibrant colors, smells, and tastes dancing on the table. How could you not have a meatless Monday dinner if they were all like that?
We had mashed potatoes, maple sugar sweet potatoes, pickled vegetables, green and white asparagus, and roasted cauliflower. Dessert was Southern trifle (no, I didn't know what that was). And the entree was fried "chicken."
As regular readers know, I have been sampling fake meats and growing more frustrated as time went on. I certainly like the idea of a meatless day, maybe even two, but give me more vegetables.
I had reservations about this latest fake meat, so much that I did think about Chick fil-A if the dinner went really bad. And when I saw all the great vegetables, I thought, "well, I could fill up on this."
Breaded, fried "chicken" pieces. We were offered hot sauce with this, but thought trying it without any condiment would be the true test.
In most of my tests, I had the luxury of being alone or not having anyone watching me. I was at a long table with place cards; this better be good enough.
I chewed it, ate it. It was good. Not great, but way better than seitan. After all, I was able to properly chew this. For those who go, "it tastes like chicken," this didn't taste like chicken. With the fried coating, and a wonderful coating it was, almost anything could have worked. Well, maybe not tofu or seitan.
Barbecued tofu was in one of the appetizers, and I ate that just fine. But a small amount of fake meat followed by lots of other ingredients; even I could eat that.
I did try some hot sauce with the second piece of "chicken." That's right, two pieces. That tasted closer to fried chicken in hot sauce.
So what was this "magical" fake meat? Well, before we go into that, a few points. Full disclosure: I did not have to pay for the meal, and the meal was designed in part to promote said product. And to even approach the idea of writing favorably about the product, I would need to try it under more typical circumstances, like in my kitchen without fancy breading. Okay, that being said, Gardein was the product.
I am clearly in the minority of needing something that acts like meat to be a substitute for meat. I do like things between two slices of bread, but that could easily be mushrooms or spinach or roasted red peppers. But I do like beef and meat and enjoy eating it, though well-grown is the best way to go, and I do like eating that between two slices of bread. So even in giving this product another shot at a later time, still not feeling the strong passion for substitution.
The other purpose for the dinner was a dialogue about improving the overall food supply. The credentials of the attendees was amazing, each with their own take on where we are and where we should go. Some are fighting for local awareness and food justice. Others are fighting for political support, ranging from reducing antibiotics in farm animals to improving the Farm Bill, up in 2012.
The primary person who mentioned the Farm Bill is former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun (D-IL). I noted to her afterward that the Farm Bill might not get much help since the GOP would be in charge. Braun replied that they have children, too.
We didn't expect to have solutions; the dialogue is ongoing. Smart, caring people want to find answers — myself included, even if I have more questions than answers.
And some of those questions are still linked to the theme behind meatless days. Are we better off reducing our meat intake or eliminating it completely? And if meat intake is reduced, will that make it easier to raise better-grown meat for those who choose that option? Am I better off eating more vegetables or things that look like meat or both?
Comments