MERRIMENT IN MARYLAND
FASHIONABLE AND FUN SURPRISES IN HOWARD COUNTY
T
Story and photos by Robin Tierney alk about a whirlwind weekend: we modeled designer fashions, navigated a maze of illuminated bubbles and ate fabulous food
Our girlfriend getaway proved that big cities are not
at a place with an all-vegan menu that’s as long as
those willing to map a route and rent a car. And
I am tall.
in Howard County, those surprises included great
the only places a traveler can find great shopping, food and fun. “Suburban” locales hold surprises for
vegan fare. Where is this cool place? Howard County, Maryland, a land of countrysides with gently rolling green hills
ELLICOTT CITY: Lining this historic town’s leafy,
tucked between Baltimore and Washington, DC.
hilly Main Street are storefronts brimming with an-
VegWorld Magazine
Issue 42 - Sep/Oct 2017 |
18
VEGWORLDLY WANDERINGS
tiques, vintage jewelry, diva fashions and cafés. My
High atop a nearby hill are restored remains of
favorite find: fluttering dragonfly and bird “trem-
Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park. Between
bler” pins at Attic Antiques ‘n Things, which Bren-
1837-1891, the school taught botany, chemistry,
da Franz has run for 29 years. At the bottom of the slope, the B&O Railroad Museum is based in America’s first passenger train station close to early-1800s mills operating with water
languages, literature, math and music, molding elegant young ladies into engaged citizens. Now the Greek-revival architectural ruins make a terrific backdrop for weddings as well as productions of
from the Patapsco and Tiber Rivers. Exhibits include
the Chesapeake Shakespeare Theatre Company,
nostalgic blue and white railway china, some de-
an esteemed troupe performing outdoors here and
signed by the first female railroad engineer.
in downtown Baltimore. We saw “The Tempest.”
VegWorld Magazine
Issue 42 - Sep/Oct 2017 |
19
FEATURE - PRESCRIPTION FOR A PEACEFUL POTLUCK
of carnivores). I only brought enough for myself, since I’m sure none of these people would be interested in trying to save themselves, animals, and the planet. Contrast that to a completely different story. In this version, a friend calls to invite me over, and I never even mention my particular dietary habits. I simply ask her what can I bring to help out. Can I bring some side dish, or maybe a watermelon? I politely ask what she’s cooking, and no matter what her answer is, I respond with, “ Thanks so much, I can’t wait.” On the day of the party, I enter with a large casserole dish full of fragrant grilled vegetables – more than enough to share with everyone. I’ve also
This is one of the most common questions I get from patients. To some degree, how much we enjoy gatherings around food will depend on our own outlook. The first scenario above, while not “wrong”, may be off-putting to those who are not used to thinking about nutrition. Whether you’ve been vegan for years or recently began to transition to a plant-based diet, attending a dinner party can feel like running the gauntlet: between struggling to find something vegan to eat, and dodging Uncle George’s sarcastic barbs about the contents of your plate, you may be tempted to avoid the situation altogether. You need a plan. Keep reading, and navigate the waters of an omnivorous dinner party with grace and ease.
got a fresh watermelon cut up, and a big smile.
“IF I EAT A PLANT-BASED DIET, HOW IN THE WORLD AM I SUPPOSED TO SOCIALIZE WITH MY FRIENDS? WHAT ABOUT DINNER PARTIES?”
VegWorld Magazine
1) Develop an attitude of humility. Once we make a decision to get healthier through nutrition, the many positive effects make it is easy
Issue 42 - Sep/Oct 2017 |
52
FEATURE - PRESCRIPTION FOR A PEACEFUL POTLUCK
to forget that we were also once struggling to figure out the best dietary path. We enthusiastically encourage our friends and family to hop on board. Facing disbelief and skepticism from those close to us can be tough - don’t they want to feel better?! In his book, The Pleasure Trap, Dr. Doug Lisle reminds us that most of the people who respond negatively to our way of eating do so out of their own insecurity. They are insecure about two things: 1) that we won’t hang out with them anymore because of
our new way of life, or 2) that we are feeling superior, and judging them for their way of life. The best way to counter both of these beliefs is to keep our attitude, and our responses, humble. Every single one of us is still learning and evolving all the time. Although it is highly unlikely that new evidence will emerge to prove that a plant-based diet is actually unhealthy, a healthy mental attitude says, “I am doing the best I can for my health right now, with the current science and knowledge that I have right now. Who knows what new findings will bring?”
2) Develop your script - and keep it short. Practice a couple of scripted lines that you can learn to use automatically when you are pressed, hassled, or questioned about your way of eating. “My doctor thinks this might help me be healthier, lose weight, and maybe get off my medications. So I’m going to try it out for a while.” That’s really all you need to say. Any further specific questions about your protein, your calcium, or anything else, can just be answered with a general, “Yes, I am making sure all of that is in line. I don’t want to bore you with more details, if you want to chat more about it, give me a call.” We do not need to defend our way of life with multiple scientific references at a dinner party. If you feel yourself or hear yourself explaining and explaining and explaining, just. Stop. In fact, if you’re going with a supportive friend or spouse, make a pact between the two of you. If you hear each other defending and explaining and explaining, have a silent signal (pull your earlobe) to remind the other person to just stop. Change the subject. It is easy to become defensive with each and every question or comment about our plate or our lifestyle. It may even seem generous and helpful to answer the details of everyone’s questions. But in real-
VegWorld Magazine
Issue 42 - Sep/Oct 2017 |
53
RED BARON’S BEST BEET SALAD
W
hen you’re planning a fun gathering and need the perfect dish for the buffet table or to bring to a potluck, strike up a friendship with this eye-appealing and flavor-infused treat!
Beet-red and seasoned with a touch of spice, this salad is a showstopper perked with accents of sweet golden raisins and roasted walnuts. Unlike most salads whose freshness depend on same-day preparation, this creation can be made a day ahead and still retain its exceptional flavor--a real bonus for the busy party host. Double or triple the recipe as needed. Serves 10 to 12
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
• 1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely shredded
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl large enough to toss the salad easily. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 1 large beet, peeled and coarsely shredded • 1 large sweet red apple, diced • 2 cups finely chopped red cabbage • 3/4 cup golden raisins • 3/4 cup coarsely chopped roasted walnuts • 5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar • 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
To serve, line a large platter with the lettuce leaves and carefully spoon the beet mixture into the center. The salad can also be presented as individual servings by spooning the beet mixture into lettuce-lined salad bowls.
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne • Salt and pepper to taste • 3 green leaf lettuce leaves, chopped, for garnish
ABOUT THE CHEF Zel Allen loves to cook, a passion that led her to author two vegan cookbooks, Vegan for the Holidays and The Nut Gourmet. With her husband, she also co-publishes Vegetarians in Paradise, a vegan magazine appearing on the net for 19-plus years. The publication features tasty recipes, vegan resources, articles, and items of interest to the vegan community. You can find Zel blogging about the benefits of nuts and having fun creating recipes for the holidays from Thanksgiving through New Years. She also contributes articles and recipes to The Vegetarian Journal and Vegan Health and Fitness Magazine and teaches vegan cooking classes in Los Angeles. Visit her website at http://www.vegparadise.com for a banquet of delicious vegan recipes, a multitude of vegan resources, and intriguing articles. Visit her two blogs https://veganfortheholidays.wordpress.com and https://nutgourmet.wordpress.com.
VegWorld Magazine
Issue 42 - Sep/Oct 2017 |
84
BEST DAMN INSTANT POT VEGAN CHILI by Chuck Underwood
VegWorld Magazine
Issue 42 - Sep/Oct 2017 |
85
LOVE, LORI
the comfort and security of his big family gatherings
When I first embarked on this way of life, it was
and the spirit of his much-loved grandma.
almost inconceivable to me that I would never sit down to a bowl of chicken soup ever again. Irratio-
Food, as most of us have come to understand, is
nal as it sounds, it felt like a betrayal to my family,
not just food. Food is a reflection of our cultures,
my mother, her love - all the shopping, chopping,
our religious traditions, our deep-seated childhood
preparation and work she put into those huge vats
memories, our most cherished associations. Be-
of chicken soup, cooked up in my grandmother’s
fore we were even able to speak, the foods we
big silver pot with the black handles on that boun-
were given created emotional responses within us
tiful stove.
which became hard-wired into our brains. A chocolate bar meant the excitement of a favorite uncle
I venture to say that the cherished emotional asso-
sneaking us a taste before dinner. Appetizing meats
ciations we have with the foods we grew up with is
from the deli meant the celebration of a birthday or a new baby in the family. Pasta and sausages meant coming home from church and Sunday dinner with the family. Food is our link to the past. It is one of the most powerful ways we have of evoking a potent sensory experience which connects us to loved ones we have lost and treasured memories of bygone celebrations. Food is our identity and our heritage. Sitting down to a table of our favorite childhood foods is the surest way to trigger a bittersweet
one of the main reasons people continuously fail to transition to this way of eating. Few of us grew up in plant-based homes and have no cultural or traditional connection to these new dishes. It is why we seek each other out for support. For many of us, it is akin to a loss which must be mourned and dealt with and we need each other’s caring and
understanding
as we distance ourselves from the foods of our past. If we are going to replace all the foods that evoke the most powerful and poignant memories of our past, we’ve got some work to do. We have to conscious-
flood of loving memories and precious indelible
ly peel back the layers and think about all that food
connections.
and all that celebration and all that excitement. We have to painstakingly untangle all those intricate
And now we wipe clean that beloved aromatic ta-
associations and get to the bottom of it all. At its
ble and replace almost everything we knew with
most fundamental core, on the most basic of hu-
low-fat, plant-based foods.
man levels, what did those foods represent?
VegWorld Magazine
Issue 42 - Sep/Oct 2017 |
94
LOVE, LORI
Family, caring, feeling special, included, wanted
hard for her to articulate this - so she said it with
and loved - all the crucial elements of a satisfying
soup instead. But, it was really love. It was pride. It
life are what those foods were communicating to
was happiness to see me. I understand that now.
us on an unconscious level all along. It’s essential to go back to the basics, to acknowledge and have
Chicken soup does not have to serve as the mid-
reverence for these fundamental human experi-
dleman between myself and my mother’s love any
ences, not the foods which represented them. As we embark on our plant-based journeys, nobody is asking us to renounce these wonderful things. If anything, we are being asked to go back to what it all truly meant and to honor that instead. Our commitment to ourselves and our well-being is a beautiful way to do this.
longer. I’ve done the work. I’ve gone back and pieced it all together. I’ve figured out what it was all about, gotten rid of the things that were not helping me and held on tight to the best parts - the real parts - as I move along my journey.
Beyond that huge silver pot of chicken soup (with the black speckles) on my mother’s stove, there
It took a while, but I’ve gotten way beyond the
was another essential layer. It was the thing that
chicken soup.
got her out the door to buy that chicken and to
Love, Lori
create that soup for me in the first place, but it was
VegWorld Magazine
Issue 42 - Sep/Oct 2017 |
95