Neighborhood Vegan Food Sharing Week
A few years ago some curious omnis asked me “what do vegans eat?” They didn’t just want to know food groups and ingredients, they were interested in hearing specific examples of what I eat for meals. When I mentioned that I had a great and easy recipe for chili, and that it had won 2nd place in a work chili cook-off against non-veg chilis, it sparked the idea for a routine (if not regular) get together where we’d choose recipes and make a vegan feast together.
It was an exploration for all of us, many times the recipes we chose used ingredients none of us had ever used, or made things none of us had ever tried. It was a fun social experience for us to explore grocery stores and cook together; we always had a good time, learned quite a lot, and they were always impressed with the food we made. I’d gotten into the habit of photocopying the recipes we’d use to make it easier on us in the kitchen, and so they always had copies of the recipes we’d made at the end of the night.
This particular couple did not go vegan through this experience, but it did introduce vegan dishes into their routine. They often would recommend vegan food to their friends, and when their church did a chili cook-off, they brought the vegan chili both because it is delicious, and also to make sure that any vegans or vegetarians would have something to eat. Several people tried the chili before they even had labels out, and they were shocked to learn that the chili was vegan. They had never (knowingly) had vegan food before, and would have expected it to be bland and tasteless. Instead, the vegan chili won the cook-off!
It’s just one meal, right? These friends didn’t go vegan after our vegan cooking adventures, and their friends didn’t go vegan after eating the vegan chili. That goal hasn’t been reached, but all those people at the chili cook-off would still think that chili has to have meat in it if I hadn’t shown my omni friends how good vegan chili is, and if that hadn’t inspired them to show other people. It’s just one meal, one day, but it’s one meal on one day that could lead to other meals on other days. It’s a tiny step, but it’s a step that can be a breakthrough, a game changer, and it’s something that can ripple from our friends to theirs, and on out into the world.
Food activism is an important tool to use. There are some who don’t want to learn about veganism because they’re afraid that if they feel compelled to go vegan they will be stuck living a life of deprivation. We know that it’s actually the opposite, that our world of food expands as we explore vegan food – what better way to prove it than to feed people?
That’s the idea behind Gary’s latest idea – a week of sharing vegan food with friends, family, neighbors. This is a personalized version of a feed-in, as elaborate or as casual as you like, and as big or small as you’d like. It’s a chance to show people just how tasty vegan food is, to help them take that tiny step. And when it’s with someone you know and see regularly, there’s the chance for future interactions, future conversations, future vegan food sharing. And though my friends didn’t go vegan upon eating tasty vegan food, there are some people who do.
A friend of a friend, in fact, invited her neighbors over for a vegan meal. She found out several months later that the entire family began the process of going vegan after that. I’m sure there is more to the story – conversations, information sharing – but that vegan meal was a breakthrough for that particular family.
So, think about joining in the Neighborhood Vegan Food Sharing Week, and feed your family, friends and/or neighbors some vegan food sometime the week of June 18 – June 25. And then share your experience!
Stephanie Ernst
Marji
Kelly G.
Deb
Mary Martin
Hi Deb
One meal may be all it takes. And if veganism ends at that one meal it’s still a meal that was had without cruelty as an ingredient.
My folks are out from South Africa and spending 5 weeks with us; every vegan meal we make they ask us for the recipe – tonight I made a pumpkin risotto and they have never even had risotto before! Their diet back home has changed too – after spending time with Avondale’s animal family (their third visit here) they are finding it harder and harder to be omnivores. No pressure. No preaching from us. Our animal family speak best for themselves.
Vegan food sharing week – sounds tasty if nothing else!!!
I agree Harry, it’s 100% positive!
Always so inspiring to hear how Avondale’s residents (and all sanctuary’s) have such a impact; just being themselves, they really can open minds.
I’m having a bake sale in my office on the 23 – lots of cookies! They always sell out, people are always surprised to learn the cookies are vegan. No converts yet, but I’ve had people tell me they think more about their food choices.
You are always sharing vegan food! It’s really great. Which reminds me – did you send Brian (BOW) the recipe for the BBQ Soy Curls that he tried and loved last weekend?
BBQ soy curls? I’d be interested in the recipe too. :)
Great idea! Will think about what I can make and share.
Excellent! Let us know what you do and how it goes! I know that Gary would love to collect the stories! And of course we all love to hear it. :)
Awesome! Yes, the stories I hope will be part of the fun, and maybe will inspire others next year…
What a great idea, Gary — and thanks for passing it along, Deb.
Last weekend a new guy showed up at our vegan meet-up with a big casserole dish of vegan chili. It was incredibly yummy — and chewy!
This fellow told us he’d gone vegan in NYC some years back, but after three years of living in a city in the South had found the pressure to conform unbearable, and had reverted to carnism four years ago.
He said that after chowing down on all kinds of BBQ-ed flesh products over Memorial Day weekend, he felt impelled to return to innocent eating, and searched the web for a vegan group. He found us.
Voila. He now has a new batch of friends, and we have a new member of our ever-expanding “family.”
But here’s the point: He is now determined to bring the vegan way to the folks at his college (where he’s returned for two advanced degrees) and in his neighborhood. So I can’t wait to tell him about this terrific idea of a sharing week! I’ll be seeing him Saturday….
What an awesome story! Not the returning to carnism part, of course, but what a positive story about the importance and impact of community, and the way it can inspire people to go further! Best of luck to him!
Deb, thanks so much for writing about this!! I haven’t had much time to promote it and this really helps!! Also, now I know one more person who may want to contribute to our next vegan chili feed-in at Roots Market! :)
Ha! I could definitely try to contribute – I always worry about Jake hair (he’s everywhere! And so is the evidence!), but I could be extra careful, lock him into the bedroom temporarily, and cook up a batch of chili….