March 24th, 2010 marked the second vegan potluck of the series upon which I am embarking. This week we had 13 total attendees, as opposed to the seven of last week, which shows a definite improvement. We had five returning guests apart from myself, which is also a good sign. People like the potlucks, despite the fact that they are vegan and it puts them out of their food-comfort-zone.
I hope to use these potlucks to help defeat the view that vegan food is tasteless, unsatisfying, and restrictive. Having vegetarians, omnivores, and vegans all in the same room together enjoying the same food is a great atmosphere. It lifts the persistent itch of the vegans to ensure their food is animal-free, making it less awkward for everyone, and it makes it infinitely less awkward for all three groups because the omnivores don't have to feel awkward eating meat, the vegetarians don't have to feel pressure because they're eating dairy, and the vegans don't have to see/smell or having pressure to comment on the nature of their surroundings.
I generally don't comment on what other people eat, but other people seem to have a guilt fest when they eat with me if they eat cheese or meat, always making a point to mention how sorry they are. I enjoy the vegan dinner evening because not only did every person step outside of their box to contribute, they all can feel safe from criticisms and harsh realities for a couple of hours. The food is also delicious, which usually surprises people!
The next potluck will be in two weeks at my house, and I might have an impromptu one sometime during next week. It's spring break and many people will be out of town, but a vegan friend who's in college at the moment is visiting and came last night and I wish for her to come again, so I will make another one happen next week.
Overall, it was smashingly successful. Falafel, Meximosas, corn and edamame salad, spiced apples, lentil soup, leafy greens with fruit and loveliness, strawberries, fruit salad, potato pastries, and frijoledillas were on the menu for the evening. Photos? Of course:
Click on any of the above photos to see a larger version.
I made "Meximosas," of sorts, and I borrowed the idea from Just the Food. Instead of using Soyrizo and Tofutti cream cheese as the only filling, I used Soyrizo mixed up with sauteed jalepenos, quinoa, and refried beans. The dough was 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 all purpose, but I could have afforded to to 1/3 whole wheat instead. Either way, they were delicious and tasted like little burritos in the shape of a samosa.
The corn and edamame salad was made at my suggestion by someone who didn't want to make another complex dish this week because she was crunched for time. It's a recipe from Veganomicon, and it's boiled corn and shelled edamame mixed with toasted sesame seed oil and sesame seeds essentially. The corn:soybean ratio doesn't make much of a difference in my opinion, and it's a quick, easy, and delicious side.
I was unable to photograph Erik's Frijoledillas, but they are a mixture of beans, salsa, and sauteed peppers between two flour tortillas. Much like quesadillas, sans the queso.
The potato pancakes were a potato mixture between phyllo dough, but I am not sure whether it was store-bought and I also don't know the recipe. It was also delicious though.
The one other thing I was unable to photograph was the falafel. So. Delicious. Josh, who claims to only know how to cook spaghetti and Jewish food, made the most authentic, restaurant quality falafel. It was phenomenal! He basically told me the way to get the perfect falafel is to use a lot of oil and heat very high. I'm not so big on the tons of oil, but for a holiday treat I would definitely make another attempt at falafel (and maybe with Josh's advice, not fail).
I have a photo of our whole group except for Cassie, who was taking a call from Chile at the time.
And one of most of the people at the table:
Everyone enjoyed it, thankfully. I step out of my comfort zone also, now, because I have such a diverse group of people around that I don't really know all that well. The two in front, James and Mila (seated) are the only friends I have there that I talk to outside of high school.
It's a great thing though, and a step in the right direction for all 13 of us in attendance. Once a week, sit down and have a meal with friends, conversation, and food that's healthy and cruelty-free. Everyone should try at least once in a seven day period to do that, if they have the resources and opportunity.
See you next week?
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