And I agree-most of the meat substitutes are pretty lame nutritionally…many have TVP and autolyzed yeast extract and other questionable flavorings…not so bad on occasionally, but somevegans/vegetarians eat them daily. One more reason to stick with the real thing, baby! (that’s not meant to be anti-veg in any way, btw!)

Since I’ve been transitioning to a diet of raw, unprocessed plant-based foods, I’ve noticed there’s this whole faction of folks within the raw community who try to recreate “cooked” food. It’s crazy.

I think what it comes down to is that our food memories are highly emotional and most of us are looking to recreate those happy, comforting memories, whatever our dietary choices.

Here is an easy vegan pate (I used to call it mock chopped liver until a longtime vegan freind said “you want me to eat something that tastes like a liver?”

The secret of the authentic taste is onions, sauteed very slowly, first in water and then in a bit of olive oil so that they carmelize. Do this while the lentils are cooking. Cook about two cups lentils, until soft. Add a piece of the sea veggie kombu for minerals, creaminess and reduction of gas. (good for all dried beans)No salt until they are done. In a food processor add the onions, drained lentils and walnuts (about two thirds lentils to one third walnuts). A large red onion and some shallots are a good combination. Process until smooth, season with sea salt, a bit of pepper if you like and a dash or two of good soy sauce. Simple and spectacular. Looks kind of plain though, so figure out an interesting garnish. Ring with olives, put parsley, red pepper slices or something else colorful on top. Serve with crackers, celery or romaine or endive “cups”.

And – thanks, mom!
Delilah

A lot of people have called meat analogs “transition foods for vegetarians,” and this makes sense for the routine-bound simple cook — just make a slightly altered version of your standard meal, and the initial adoption of a vegetarian diet becomes easy as can be. There’s merit to this.

But my dependence on processed soy-based mock meats shouldn’t have lasted a decade, as it did — that’s a long transition. I’ve cut back on them DRASTICALLY in the wake of reading Michael Pollan’s books, following The Jew & The Carrot, discovering a local farmers market, etc.

Still, there are times when I crave processed soy imitating meat. I rationalize to myself that it’s far better (from an ethical standpoint of what happens to animals) to have processed faux meats maybe twice a week than to eat animals, even if there are nutritional, environmental, etc., consequences. Plus, one of the arguments against dependence on soy-based mock meats is having variety in your diet, and I think that’s not an issue for me right now.

Why am I drawn to it? I think it’s habit, routine, taste preference, and familiarity. It brings back memories of the tastes I enjoyed in childhood. The texture is very appealing too.

So long as I don’t eat the mock meats too often, I think it’s a decent compromise (even though I sometimes say “Sorry, Michael Pollan!” when I do it). :-)

For what it’s worth … I’ve been in vegetarian advocacy circles for quite some time, and I’ve long noticed that male vegetarians tend to miss meat (and crave mock meat substitutes) much more than women do.