My Vegan Friend

Guy and I were both vegetarians for about 10 years (me) and 20 years (Guy). Why we "switched over" is a very complex, long story - longer even than these blogs - but we try to eat a vegetarian meal every week. It's not hard at all.

When we were younger, in the 80s, vegetarianism was not the "in" thing that it is now, and it was much more difficult. Nightmarishly difficult was going "one step further" and going vegan. Not using any animal products whatsoever was too hard, even for someone like me, who would live in the kitchen if he could. I had the books, including "Ten Talents," a book about which I have VERY mixed feelings, but I just couldn't do it. ("Ten Talents," for those who don't know it, is the OFFICIAL cookbook of Seventh Day Adventism. You don't get the recipes - which are pretty solid, for the most part - without the philosophy, which is repulsive to me).

As an observer, it seems to me that as vegetarianism has become more accepted, it has become easier to be and to stay one. Veganism, however, still seems to be a very, very difficult regime. Ironically, trying to eat locally and seasonally makes it even harder, at least from my point of view.

People who do in fact choose to live as vegans have a difficult road in front of them. Some become very, very defensive. For example, one of my work colleagues, who is a vegan, insisted that I take her to Carnegie Deli for lunch. Nothing I could do or say changed her mind. So we went. Her lunch was kasha knishes, french fries, a green salad and a cream soda. It didn't seem to be healthier than my tongue and swiss sandwich.

Not all vegans are that way, however, which brings us to my vegan friend, Mark. This is a friendship that developed slowly, and literally out of nowhere. About a year and a quarter ago, Mark sent me a letter, thanking me for a gift I had made to the chorus . (Yes, another chorus buddy. ). Guy gave him the "thumbs up," and I said "let's invite him to dinner." I remember Guy saying "well, you can but he'll turn you down. He's a vegan, and he means it."

And yes, that was a problem. Trying to adapt a meal for a vegan friend, when making a meal for seven non vegans, was just not something I was up for. But over the last year plus, I have gotten to know Mark much better. We only invite people whom we truly love to our monthly dinners, and it's Mark's turn. Soon. And so, for weeks, or more correctly, months, I have been thinking about what I would do. It wasn't easy. But I have a meal in mind, and I want to provide two of the recipes.

The first course would be a trio of winer salads. Beets, carrots, and leeks. I will forego my beloved golden beets for red ones, since the carrots bring orange to the plate. These are all winer vegetables. I would serve them at room temperature. The beets, marinated in orange juice, red wine vinegar and olive oil; the c arrots, tossed with cumin , cider vinegar and a bit of nut oil, and leeks poached in a simple salt water bath, then anointed with olive oil and black pepper. I can think of few vegetarians or meat eaters who would turn this plate down.

To the main course, and here I smile. This is the dish that "turned the key" so to speak on this meal. Last summer, Mark Bittman published an article in the Times on "101 twenty minute meals." Most of them were variations on themes that every good cook knows. One, however, stood out in my mind as something new. I had never thought of the combination, but once we tried it, it's a winner. It's fried tofu in a ketchup sauce. To make it, you cut extra firm tofu into cubes, and pat them dry. Then you toss them in a bag with seasoned flour and then separate the excess flour. Fry the tofu in a pan , preferably non stick, using about three or four tablespoons of vegetable oil to a pound of tofu. Turn the cubes gently until they are nice and brown. Now, here is the part that will make you think "is he sure?" Yes, I am. Remove the tofu and drain it on paper towels. Then, dump a full bottle of a very good quality ketchup right into the pan. Add the tofu, and stir gently until the ketchup is bubbling, and you're done.

Every single person I've made this for has looked at me with a raised eyebrow until they tried it. I imagine people over time reacting that way to many things. I would serve this with white rice. I know, brown rice sounds better to people, but it's one of those foods that I have tried, very hard to like. I don't dislike it, but ... NO

Serving a side vegetable with this is easy. Yes, you can go the Asian route and serve bok choi, or Chinese broccoli, but I would suggest sweet and sour cabbage using a savoy cabbage, or green cabbage, perhaps with a few chestnuts tossed in.

There's no crime to having more than one salad course in a meal, and perhaps one with winter lettuces and chicories, like radicchio would be good, with a simple oil and vinegar dressing.

Dessert would follow a symmetry. Remember the first course, with red, orange and green on the plate? Well, how about a selection of three sorbets: lemon lime, orange, and pomegranate?

Ain't that brilliant? Mark, who is a designer, may very well appreciate that. Pomegranate sorbet is well worth knowing how to make. Take three cups of pomegranate juice (you can use the standard kind, instead of the expensive stuff you find in the store these days), and combine it with a cup of simple syrup, made with a cup of water in which 3/4 of a cup of sugar has been dissolved. Mix this with the pomegranate juice, and taste it. If it's too sweet, add a little lime juice. And then process it in your ice cream maker.

While I would miss the cheese plate, I think that anyone would be happy with that meal. Mark, I hope it sounds good to you, because I plan to call you about it real soon.