November 21, 2007
Walking a Mile in Someone Else's ChappalsMusings
I’m waiting in line at the “secret” coffee place I mentioned in a post once, on the phone with one of my closest friends.
“How are you? How’s the ankle?”, he asks.
“Blue and mediocre.”
“Wait, WHAT?”
“Well, I’m wearing a blue dress and it still hurts. Actually, I officially sound like an Ammachi/Naniji now, because my hip hurts constantly. Apparently, three months of limping will do that to you!”
“Smartypants, here I was worried you were ‘blue’ as in sad.”
“Tiny bit. Always am around the holidays.”
“Are you going home for Thanksgiving?”
“No. Mom’s traveling, no one’s there.”
“What timing for a trip!”
“Well…we never really celebrated the holiday. My parents had that typical snarky comeback, you know, ‘only Americans would need a special day to be thankful for everything. Hmmph! We’re thankful daily!’…like that. So it was just a regular day at our house…with slightly different TV programs.”
“So you have not had this…tofurkey you sent me, on Facebook?”
“No. I don’t eat tofu.”
“You sound sad.”
“I guess I am, a little bit. Everyone’s rushing off with a suitcase and while I don’t really want to travel THIS week, it reminds me that they’re going to be with their family, and that does make me miss home. This is my first Thanksgiving when I’m not going anywhere. It’s a little depressing.”
“Well, now you know what a FOB feels like.”
anna on November 21, 2007 11:34 AM in Musings · T·r·a·c·k·b·a·c·k address · Direct link · Email post
I went down that road once. After cleaning the effluvium off my bathroom sink (never did make it to the commode), I reconsidered my veggie lifestyle and it's various implications.
Tofu is fine when you control the prep, but tofurkey is an abomination.
Yeah, I do feel somewhat guilty about the lifetime of hippie-spun thanksgivings in which i've been privileged to take part. I can almost hear that obnoxious Lee Greenwood song (that Young Republicans are taught to memorize at birth ;) every time I tuck into some stuffing.
Anna, come to my house! We have open "Indian" Thanksgiving, which is basically anyone who doesn't have somewhere to go comes to our house and eats whatever we decide to make. This year, I'm in charge and I'm making vegetarian Italian, but last year my mom was in charge and it was vegetarian Mexican, vegetarian Indian, and vegetarian Thai. I think she just uses tomorrow as an excuse to make all the weird recipes that she finds in those little cookbooks they sell in the checkout aisle at the grocery store. :P
don't be depressed! own your thanksgiving! invite some ppl over and do a small party potluck style? or go rent every movie you've wanted to watch in the last 6 months and have a movie marathon! or start an art project?
tofuturkey? has anyone actually eaten it? b/c i have a fundamental problem with taking soy and shaping it into meaty things.
My fam never celebrated Turkey Day either (and it wasn't just b/c we were veggie...well most of us). Mostly it was b/c the women were tired from all the cooking from Diwali. We had so many family gatherings that by the time Thanksgiving came around...it was a nice day off to relax. Sometimes we did potlucks...the cousins are starting to do a potluck thanksgiving but mostly its a day off to have fun. :)
As for that ankle....you should get it checked out by a good PT. :)
Happy Turkey Day!
Awww, Lusterbee! You are too sweet. :) Thank you. I don't want people to think I'm angling for an invite, like I said, this wasn't a big holiday for my fam...I just wanted to put the post up, to show solidarity with all the other browns/exchange students/singles/orphans/misanthropes who aren't having a Hallmark Gold Crown holiday. ;)
I actually was planning on starting a long-put-off art project! You're psychic. :) I didn't include the last part of this conversation, which is when I was told my friend that had I known, I would've organized something like a "Hey, everyone in DC who isn't going anywhere for TG...let's go see American Gangster, or some other movie!"-thing.
It was just such a jarring moment, to realize what it must be like for all those grad students/exchange students/newbies who also aren't doing anything, for whatever reason; my friend graduated a few years ago, and he was telling me how he spent every TG alone, since it's not like you can go back to India for a three-day weekend. I had a taste of what my parents probably felt like in the early 70s. Well...they didn't grow up marinating in this "Thanksgiving is SO IMPORTANT!"-culture, but still...
Seitan tastes so much better than soy.
Happy Thanksgiving y'all! [from the frozen tundra]
I don't know what the rest of you are talking about! Tofurky is delicious!!
P.S. Anna, if it weren't for your ankle, I would suggest volunteering at a soup kitchen this Thanksgiving. Believe me, nothing makes you appreciate the blessings of your life more, than seeing those who have less...
I prefer traditional veg to meat simulacra. Soy based chorizo is an insult to pigs. The potato based burger pattys in Indian fast food is far better,but perhaps not as healthy, as the veggie patties they sell here in the US of A
Anna, I hope you feel better and enjoy your art project.
If it's any consolation, 1/2 of my family went to desh. The other half went to the Northeast. Lifelong's better 1/2 had a last minute business trip to a country that does not celebrate Tgiving (!). It's just me at home with the toddlers. But, we will have finger paint and cheerios, so it's not all bad. :-)
I sent you an email, and you never responded. :-(.
All cyphers are insults to the original. They stink, quite frankly.
Seitan tastes so much better than soy.
Check out RealFoodDaily, if you're in the LA area.
"Hey, everyone in DC who isn't going anywhere for TG...let's go see American Gangster, or some other movie!"-
Interestingly enough, the opening (almost opening) scene of that movie is Bumpy Johnson handing out turkeys in Harlem.
(reverse shot from inside the truck, then wide push in on denzel)
Thanks HMF, been there, love them, got the t-shirt (over long sleeve shirt, natch). Their faux caesar rocks...
All the fellow FOBs I know are quite excited for Thanksgiving because they get all these great deals at Best Buy and Circuit City. Honestly, I can't think of a single one who is depressed at this time of the year. They're too busy spending their hard earned rupeez.
Hilarious...
Lets see.. over 5000 miles from home.... 40% discount on a new hard drive. yeah that balances out.
Thanksgiving has always been a time for road trips for me :) have fun trying to find open restaurants on thanksgiving day!
No road trip this year though.
Hmmm....most of the DBDs I know like to do Vegas on Thanksgiving. And a lot of CBCs (China born Chinese)too
Ok, so what are the plans for Black Friday. Best place to buy a kick ass plasma tv? Circuit City? HHGREGG? Ideas? Strategies?
I vividly remember my first time in US at Thanksgiving. I was studying at Virginia Tech and opted not to go visit my relatives since I had all these exams just the week after thanksgiving and it was my first semester and I was anxious to do my best. I didn't realize/anticipate how deserted the campus got during Thanksgiving. I felt really really alone and almost cried myself to sleep. When I forced myself to wake up the next cold morning, I saw snow for the first time. It was beautiful.
When you empty your savings account, it ultimately depresses you dawg.
bfads.net, they have ad scans of most major places. The other advice to shop, get together with your friends and make one common list. Each one hit one store, that way you can get everything (at least in theory) you want.
Sunflower, that was beautiful. I'd love it if this turned in to a thread where people shared similar. :)
“Well, now you know what a FOB feels like.”
I was lucky to be invited to different Thanksgiving feasts in homes of friends and relatives, and relatives' friends - for each of the first four years of graduate school, back in the late 80s-early 90s. One year, I was invited home by my then room-mate, who was descended from a family that arrived on the Mayflower, and celebrated it quite traditionally! I was a very special 'FOB' then.
In the fifth year, I would have been by myself, but the Foreign Students' Office sent my name to the Campus Catholic group - they invited me, and there I met many other people who would also have been alone - both from the US and abroad, both graduates and undergrads, and we cooked our own Thanksgiving dinner from scratch - including a vegetarian option too. I think I might have baked and mashed the sweet potatoes myself, in addition to stirring the stuffing to make it just right!
Ever since then, I've always contributed to Thanksgiving Dinners at local soup-kitchens, both cash and time. As TigerYogiji mentioned upthread, it can be greatly fulfilling, especially if you're otherwise going to be alone, though again, not necessarily with an ankle that is still healing :)
To all, best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving!
You need to expand your DBD circle in that case. I am DBD, a decent number of my friends are DBD and none of us has bothered to ever wake up at some godforsaken hour and gone shopping so that we could save a few $$ Most of us either travel to meet whatever family we have in the US or else get together, cook some good food, drink beer and watch football. The kind you refer too is usually students in their first 1-2 years or H1-Bs who just got here.
I love the idea of Thanksgiving and make the whole Thanksgiving meal with the turkey, sweet potatoes and the works!
Of course I marinade my turkey with Indian spices put chipotle in my mashed sweet potatoes and make cranberry achar instead of the sweet relish.
I remember my first Thanksgiving in the US, I was invited to one of the professors' house
for dinner. The said professor lived out in the country and I didn't have a car and someone (who I didn't know very well) was good enough to give me a ride. I was not too thrilled with the meal but I appreciated the gesture.
I am thankful for my family and my friends who have been like my family, in all of these years away from my family at birth.
And thanks to everyone at Sepia mutiny for putting up this great blog.
I may not agree with you guys at times, but I always find your blog worth reading. Keep up the good work!
Most of us either travel to meet whatever family we have in the US or else get together, cook some good food, drink beer and watch football.
Ridiculous. when you can get a 500 Gig Maxtor Firewire/USB2.0 for half price? what are you on.
Is this a generalized naming convention: xBx, where x is first character of country name?
I think our fellow UberDesi was being jocular...well, I hope. ;)
Chachaji, love the reminiscing. :)
Yogi, that's very kind of you. Thank you for reading. :D
Facetious is the word you're looking for.
In response to #23 Ardy, my idea of thanksgiving does extend beyond best buy and circuit city.
Thanks for the nod to FOBs, ANNA. I usually am not depressed around Thanksgiving: nice short break right before the end of the semester, to catch some extra sleep. I am more unhappy around diwali.
While we're making a nod to "FOBs" , let's not forget the history of the first Thanksgiving, as it was a holiday introduced, by the very first "FOBs" - the 'pilgrims'.
Turkey and Yam are so 20th century. Cook Somali or Salvadoran for Thanksgiving this year. Besides yam sucks.
My parents, who came to the US in that late 60s early 70s, really took to the holiday. Thanksgiving is sacrosanct in our house. For my family Thanksgiving represents a holiday where new immigrants (the Pilgrims) were thankful to be in a new land and were well received by the locals (the Native Americans). Our family tradition is to invite new immigrants to our house, to celebrate their first thanksgiving. Through the years Chinese graduate students, Serbian engineers, and Indian bachelors have spent their first thanksgiving with us, albeit turkey free.
The vegetarian menu is a fusion of traditional thanksgiving vegetables (green beans, sweet potatoes, cranberries, pumpkin) with some Indian twists. The main course is Indian (things like wild rice pilaf, baby onion sambar), the sides and desserts are more traditional American. My mom has been making these Thanksgiving recipes for the last 30 years, so they are family tradition at this point. I'll probably cook the same things for my children. We even have a set of dishes, centerpieces, and cornucopias just for thanksgiving. (like I said, my parents really took to the holiday)
There are also some great fusion recipes on sepiamutiny contributed by mutineers in previous thanksgiving posts. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!
As a student I remember on the day of Thanksgiving (and Christmas break in fact) the parking lot's in our apartment complex used to empty out. It was a very eerie feeling, like everyone in the complex (and the city) had disappeared overnight. The only cars left behind were the ones that were rusted and could not move, or they were owned by the desis.
The first couple of years, we did go shopping, then we started getting together and eating at one persons place or another. But still as a FOB it feels weird when you see a "dead" city for the first time and then it hits you.
Also living in a small college town, where restaurants and shops close, does not help.
Btw #24 Yogi, care to share the cranberry achar recipe with us?
Thanksgiving represents a holiday where new immigrants (the Pilgrims) were thankful to be in a new land and were well received by the locals (the Native Americans). Our family tradition is to invite new immigrants to our house, to celebrate their first thanksgiving. Through the years Chinese graduate students, Serbian engineers, and Indian bachelors have spent their first thanksgiving with us, albeit turkey free
Did those new immigrants proceed to murder and rape you & your family after the feast?
Sorry, I dont mean to be so pedantic on a fluff post. However, it's very important to at least know the true history of how this holiday came to be, and how its shrouded in 'nobelization' I think it's fantastic your parents have this tradition - but I think its quite problematic the 3rd grade "the pilgrims came over and had dinner" narrative of Thanksgiving is perpetuated.
I'd love to find a soy or veggie version of Goan sausage. It shouldn't be too hard, if they can do a soy chorizo, which is the closest thing I've found.
I've been vegan for about four years now and always bring some vegan dishes and desserts to our family Thanksgiving dinner. For us it's just another reason to get all the kids together and eat. Some of my family eats meat, so there's a turkey, much to my dismay, but otherwise the food is a mix of South Indian staples and a few veggie side dishes. I don't mind fake meat because, at the end of the day, IT'S NOT MEAT. And it has convinced some family of mine into reducing their meat intake---why have fatty, cruel, expensive and environmentally-degrading meat, when you can have fake stuff that often times tastes just as good and is far healthier and better for the planet?
Somali and Salvadoran at thankgiving is like eating paella instead of pulao at Diwali, A_C.
I went off the beaten path once. I decided on a game theme and made individual cornish game hens and wild rice and to this day, our friends laugh about the "Son of turkeys".
BTW Cornish hens taste like Indian farm-raised chickens, if anyone has a hankerin. Plus they cook in a flash.
A hearty thanks to HMF for keeping it real. Happy Bloody Thanksgiving.
A hearty thanks to HMF for keeping it real. Happy Bloody Thanksgiving.
I plan to celebrate by making a visit here.
Did those new immigrants proceed to murder and rape you & your family after the feast?
Sorry, I dont mean to be so pedantic on a fluff post. However, it's very important to at least know the true history of how this holiday came to be, and how its shrouded in 'nobelization' I think it's fantastic your parents have this tradition - but I think its quite problematic the 3rd grade "the pilgrims came over and had dinner" narrative of Thanksgiving is perpetuated.
Thanks HMF.
Also, the Pilgrims were not the first to settle here. Another canard. Oh, and make sure to check these links before you dig into that turkey. Yummy indeed!! :D
For me, the holiday is simply a day to share a meal with friends - socializing rather than participating in any "Thanksgiving" tradition.
Amit,
Now you're being pedantic. I think you knew the underlying gist of my statement.
Did those new immigrants proceed to murder and rape you & your family after the feast?
Sorry, I dont mean to be so pedantic on a fluff post. However, it's very important to at least know the true history of how this holiday came to be, and how its shrouded in 'nobelization' I think it's fantastic your parents have this tradition - but I think its quite problematic the 3rd grade "the pilgrims came over and had dinner" narrative of Thanksgiving is perpetuated.
Why him I not surprised about these comments by HMF.
Santosh at # 34
This is a bit difficult since I don't have a written recipe, it is pretty much like you make any achar.
Ingredients
Two 10z packs fresh cranberries.
Ready made achar masala (2 to 4 tbsp depending on how hot you want your achar, this is usually a mixture of coarsely ground mustard, cayenne and turmeric)
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 lime
Chop up one bag of cranberries in the food processor, don't overprocess and make a paste, mix it with the whole cranberries keep aside.
Use a thick bottomed pan, heat a couple of table spoons of oil.
When the oil is hot add mustard and cumin seeds, when the seeds begin to pop add the rest of the oil.
Lower the heat to simmer, add the cranberry mixture, keep stirring at low heat, till the whole cranberries begin to get a little mushy.
but are still intact. Taste for seasonings, add more salt if necessary (the achar masala sometimes has salt and sometimes not).
Add juice of one lime and stir.
Cool to room temperature pour into a glass battle.
The top layer in the achar bottle should be oil, add more oil if needed. Keep in a cool place for 3 to 4 days, a week for the best results.
This should keep for several months if you store your bottle in a cool dark place.
Why him I not surprised about these comments by HMF.
because they happen to be true, inciteful, and chock full of clues.
My mom makes cranberry pickle which is so hot, I almost can't eat it. It's the spiciest pickle she makes and it's gloooorious. ;)
Clueless, HMF...to your respective corners, please. It's a holiday.
If you ever find yourself in Chattanooga, TN, check out this restaurant, run by Seventh-Day Adventists (also have some other locations, but the Boston one closed :( ). They make one of the most delicious and healthy foods I've ever had. You're more likely to find a soy/veggie version of sausage here.
Recipes! I'm gleeful. Thanks, Yogi B.
And, hey, quit picking on HMF, he plays a vital role in keeping it real for everyone....else.
:)
Yes, I did.
I wasn't so much contradicting you, as adding more information/refining. :)
The US is a new country, so its mythology is more open to historical reappraisal. Its interesting the kind of tensions that creates. Michelle Malkin had a post some time ago about the war against Thanksgiving.
Who knows what the true story behind holi or diwali is.
sakshi, did I seem tense? I was teasing HMF.
Whoa whoa whoa. Michelle Malkin is no authority on.. well, really anything.
The US is a new country, so it's 'nobelization' of its past, is much easier catch out (for those that go just a little beneath the surface - that already elminates 95% of the US population). James Loewen's book, "Lies my teacher told me" has a great chapter on the first thanksgiving, and the mythology that surrounds it.
There's another event that happens in Plymouth.
Apologies to Santosh, did not realize you were joking :-)
And ANNA, that is a great site, I love the game and seemingly it helps in a small way.
Good for you, go get it man!
I have to disagree on this. I have a client that is a Seventh-Day Adventist School and so for lunch I would go to the cafeteria, which was my only choice as this school is very remote and I couldn't cook because it was a client I have to travel for. It was some of the most disgusting food I've ever had. Everything had this fake meat in it that seemed to be made out of Gluten or something, it definitely wasn't soy.
And when I say everything, I mean everything had fake meat: fake chicken chunks in the soup, fake meat chunks in the nachos, a fake hamburger that had the texture of the real thing and the worst was the Chik'n - their word, not mine. It was breaded and shaped and had the texture of a chicken breast but we weren't sure what is was made of and caused a lot of stomach pain the rest of the day.
My thing is, if you are going to be vegetarian then why eat things that are fake meat? There are so many better vegetarian food/options out there, especially Indian food. I am not a vegetarian btw and am very much looking forward to turkey with all the trimmings tomorrow.
Ardy,
My apologies too. My brand of humor and sarcasm often does not translate well over Al Gore's invention.
Yogi,
Thanks for the recipe. I'm going to try it over this weekend, if I can get hold of the materials tonight.
BIG, the one in Boston had some fake meat, but much of their food was vegetarian/vegan. So it's fine to disagree since your experience is different from mine :)
As for eating fake meat, I don't really see what the issue is. It tastes good and is healthy. If it reminds some people of real meat, so be it - for them, it's better than eating real meat.
I think it's super-useful to feed omnivores, but some of it is so realistic, I can't partake. :) I've purchased it, bravely stared at it when I opened the fridge, and then shuddered. I just couldn't.
The only exception to this is the Gardenburger that has feta mixed in...THAT I love...but it also doesn't look much like a hamburger, to me at least. The sausages, fake bacon, pepperoni et al? Not so much. I'll eat the soy protein bits that are in veggie chili, but that's because when I was small, they seemed no different than all that ubiquitous shredded coconot which was in everything I ate. ;) It looks like thenga, not the ground beef (??) it's impersonating.
Amit @ 60
Yeah, this place had hardly any "real" food. You would think they would offer at least veggie burgers everyday. But I guess the rule holds true that dorm food is bad pretty much everywhere.
As far as vegetarians that eat fake meat, most of the vegetarians that I know who do this are prior eat meaters and most often not brown. Most of the brown people I know that are vegetarians have been so for life.
But I have to say the morningstar breakfast patties are awesome! If you used to eat meat, these would definitely satisfy your craving.
My first thanksgiving and christmas amazing (best sex ever). Later ones were so-so.
Christmas down under - one looks forward to the Boxing Day Test at the 'G :) Plus lots of backpackers who laze around in the sun.
My favorite game on Thanksgiving is "Let's find which fast-food restaurant is open right after Thanksgiving". You can drive for miles and miles and miles and..
Anna, I didn't grow up eating sausages, deli slices, pepperoni etc., so I used to get amused when I first came across the vegetarian versions of those products. But every vegetarian to him/herself. I don't think there's any one version of vegetarian behavior or act that every vegetarian has to adhere to. If some have found a way to enjoy the taste without the cruelty, more power to them. I see no reason to make them feel guilty/bad about it. And if others don't like fake meat, more power to them too. Otherwise, it becomes a game of "my version of vegetarianism" is better than yours, which is the sum total of human story in any "-ism". :)
Thanks for sharing your story.
First thanksgiving I spent in US was indeed depressing. That day is etched in my memory as I spent whole day HUNGRY!! Was in a small Oregon city on assignment all alone surviving on Burger King, McDonalds - having arrived few weeks before Thanksgiving - and all of them were closed. Had no clue what TG meant - there was no orientation for US trip / US customs unlike now. Had never cooked before in life so had no clue what to cook/eat either. Just drank water whole day. And damn phone card did not work to talk with ANYONE!
Next year was spent jostling the crowd in Fry's for some cheap hard drive (512 MB or 1GB HDD was big deal then -- woooo!!!) or something. Went to buy hard drive but ended up with some cheapo keyboard.
Thankfully with time social circle has grown and now TG is spent eatingTurkey Curry :) (can't miss curry you see - hey once a FOB, still a FOB)
BIG, I'm actually not that into the fake meat - I enjoy it once in a blue moon, and do fine if I don't get it. But it doesn't bother me if other vegetarians are really into fake meat. :)
The Country Life restaurants may have different food/menu from the school cafeteria you visited, and I haven't been to their restaurant in TN, or UK. I'm extrapolating it from my experience in Boston, their philosophy and their excellent cookbook. Their home-fries were to die for!!
Okay... thanksgiving is beginning to lose its luster for me. i just spent 4 hours in rainy, cold michigan running around to different grocery stores. i'm freezing and wet. boo! And now i have to cook 2 pasta dishes and homemade minestrone for 17! what was i thinking?!?!?!
I'm confused though... why was everyone spending thanksgiving alone? when i was in law school and i didn't go home, i went home with friends... didn't other people do that?
I love food, veggies, fruits, beans, fish, shell fish, poultry, beef and will try everything at least once (well may be not insects)
I respect people's choice regarding what they eat. I don't try to preach what they should or should not eat.
I wonder why some vegetarians/vegans have an almost evangelical zeal when it comes to converting people to their way of thinking.
about food and making condescending and some times down right insulting remarks about people who don't eat what they do.
Ducking and taking cover against the verbal brickbats of kind and gentle vegetarian folk that are surely going to follow.
Re: #69 Yogi
If you want some insight into the sometimes irrational (but not therefore necessarily wrongful) relationship we have to food, including in-group, out-group behavior, check out William Miller, The Anatomy of Disgust.
I am a bit schizy about food myself, at times.
It doesn't bother me either. I guess I'm still not over the bad food I had at the university. And I thought it was ridiculous that being vegetarian is part of their religion but they were seemingly obsessed with meat because all the food items were composed of some fake, albeit very realistic looking, meat. The only vegetables were the pathetic salad bar. But as you said, the experience you had was much different. Plus we're comparing restaurant food to dorm food in which there really is no comparison.
I have been thinking about going vegetarian for awhile now and if I do, will prolly supplement my diet at times with fake meat products as I won't be able to eat dal everyday.
Where did I ever say that there was? :) All I said was that I couldn't bring myself to eat things which looked meat-y. I know I'm a mediocre writer, but if that's the impression I gave you with my comment...wow. ;)
Oh Anna, always the pugilist/opponent. ;)
I was simply presenting my views. You read more into them. :)
Yes, every vegetarian I know/am related to respects other people's choices, too. My sister, who is vegan, even COOKS meat for her friends.
I wonder the same about meat-eaters who keep insisting, "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE MISSING", re: steak, calamari, sushi etc etc. ;)
Whoa, who was doing that? People need to stop assuming the worst about their fellow commenters, myself included. This was supposed to be a relaxed thread!
Don't make me get all Claire Huxtable/Elyse Keaton/Cindy Walsh on your asses and make you hold hands while you state what you're thankful for. ;)
Yogi, I talk about food and sustainable issues for the same reason I protest the Iraq war - my tax dollars are being wasted on subsidies to CAFOs and for land+air pollution. I'm not an evangelical vegetarian, but I am for sustainable practices. And yes, if there is a discussion on food, I will present my view (backed by facts hopefully) - what people do with those facts is totally up to them. :)
Damn, now I miss Family Ties...and my wee crush on Alex P. Keaton. Sigh.
Okay, to head off any future confusion, here's the way veggies are usually segregated:
Vegans--generally no dairy products, wheat and other stuff that makes life worthwile ;)
lacto-vegetarians: dairy products allowed. No eggs, meat or seafood.
ovo-lacto vegetarians: dairy and eggs allowed. No meat or seafood
chicken vegetarians:...just kidding.
"I often wonder why people sometimes cut me off on the highway. Then I realize that there are bad drivers and good drivers."
-Jack Hamsapaksha
yeah, i have no problem with the fake meat products as I'm not eating them in the hope that I'll get nostalgic about the pork butt I ingested earlier in life--not ever having experienced the butt certainly helps.
protein is very hard to come by if you bypass soy and wheat gluten.
I cured my friends of this most annoying behavior by giving them the "I'm seriously angry and will terminate this years-long friendship if you continue to express astonishment at my avoidance of tripe, tongue and deep-fried bull testicles after 15 years in an Ashram and and many more in a veg household" look.
Muralimannered, thank you on this thanksgiving eve. ;)
But I meet people all the time who tell me they are vegetarian. And then I ask them if they eat chicken or fish and they say yes. Most often they usually only say yes to the fish. But still, in my mind if you eat chicken or fish then you are not vegetarian. I have family in India that won't even eat egss unless it's in bread or cake as they can't see it or smell it. All of them think the smell of eggs cooking is disgusting, even those that eat eggs.
But I've never had a brown person tell me they are vegetarian and then say they eat fish or chicken.
I remember reading a hilarious blog post (long time ago, possibly through a link on SM) by someone who presented his responses to such people in a Seinfeld-like script, with Kramer playing the meat-eater. If anyone knows the URL, will appreciate the link. Tx.
The only time that being veg or non-veg can be tricky is when you go out to eat and the restaurant is family style. When I go out to eat with friends that are strictly vegetarian then I always suggest a place that serves entrees. That way everyone is satisfied with their meal and there is no problem in ordering.
And please let's not start on the price difference between veg and non-veg entrees, we've already discussed that previously.
But I am thankful that I live in the SF Bay Area and that there are really great vegetarian options at many restaurants so that when I feel like going veggie I can without having to eat a lot of cheese or carbs.
I try. Has anyone been low on veg options and slumped into a Hare Krishna restaurant? Whilst dodging the homeless people streaming in for the promised free feeding, one is left with little time to truly evaluate the cuisine. I did it a few times in OZ and wasn't really disappointed.
Somewhat related, but when I was in Brazil in February, I stayed at a Hare Krishna ashram-type place in the mountains North of Rio, and they served veggie food that wasn't half bad. I had nothing to do with the planning; the (white) friend I was visiting found the place and picked it. She is a vegetarian, and loved the food. The strange thing about the entire experience was that there were all these non-brown people there, including the Brazilians who were all wearing kurtas or saris, and there was all this Krishna-related stuff everywhere. I sat through one of the guys telling my friend all about Krishna, but he was speaking Portuguese so I didn't understand a word of it. It was odd to feel like the one who least belonged there, almost like I was the least in touch with a culture that was actually "mine."
I tend not to get preachy about what others should eat (unless it is veal), and heck I eat non-red meat myself and even eat red meat on rare occasions, but there IS a moral argument to be made against eating meat. Apart from the sutainability point that Amit made in #76, there is also the fact that some people consider killing animals for food to be a moral wrong. Like anything else, it comes down to an issue of how preachy one wants to be about it, and certainly being too self-righteous can be annoying, but that shouldn't obscure the actual argument that underlies these beliefs. An analogy would be, say, people criticizing those who drive Hummers vs. people saying "hey, some people like hybrids and some people like Hummers, to each their own, I don't try to preach what other people drive."
But anyway ... Happy Thanksgiving! (I will be eating Turkey tomorrow.)
wow- can't believe its been a whole year since I delurked on one of Mr. Kobashi's threads about Thanksgiving last year. I will be away from home for the holiday as well, but I'm planning a potluck with friends- spotted dick sans suet on the menu.
That really looks interesting, I'm putting it on my to do list. Virtual smorgasbord of information on SM that you don't have to be "brown" to get down with.I've had great vegan meals at the Chicago location of this "chain"-(photos at bottom of page) If you check it out- go for the prince salad dressing; nutritional yeast=sooo good. It's traditional "soul" (e.g.southern) food w/o the meat. Interesting back story to the owners(?)- ,seem a bit 'out there' apparently they have a community based in Israel since 1969. The restaurant is the perfect set for a blaxploitation film,--- you feel like you are walking on to a sound stage for the 1960's-- style of dress- diashikis/Afros etc. of the wait staff.
At any rate the food is top notch- the clientele- ranges from everyday blue collar workers,young men of questionable means, U of Chic. students, bougie types, up and coming posers- everything. - not just your typical vegan/vegetarian consumer "I will spend 3x more than average" for organic ,humane, etc you normally see in a whole foods, vegan cafe etc in the US. carnivorous types dine there literally because the food is delicious.
if you are like me and don't find too much time to cook (though i enjoy it when i can), it is a good idea. it helps if you live in, for eg., new york or sf bay area (especially the latter, from personal experience)---you will get things that don't taste like cardboard at prices that are not ridiculous. but you need more planning than fake meat products. protein is the easy problem (it is not very hard to eat even upwards of 80+g a day if you are tolerant to lactose). iron intake will be an issue, especially for women, even more so if you are an athlete. balancing out is what you need to worry most about. i have seen some close friends of mine who tried the veggie option, but soon gave up---they kept thinking that so long as they keep protein intake in mind, they should be ok. that is not true.
the thing is, if you follow a desi diet or any traditionally veggie diet (in this re: tofu/soy doesn't count since it has never been the exclusive protein source in any part of the world), you are pretty much safe. but since you are deviating from a time-tested dietary plan, lot of planning is necessary. use supplements as necessary initially, but get off them as soon as you can. talk to people like you who have been veggie, find out what they are doing. if you have friends who don't mind, cook and eat together when you can. that imo is the best approach.
best of luck. do it right, you will feel better---just as you would with any healthy diet. but never ever combine a veggie diet with ones such as atkins/southbeach and what not. it is a "recipe" for disaster.
I have to agree with post #8 (Tiger Yogiji). Tofurkey is excellent stuff. The vegetarian stuffing that goes with it is also out of this world. Products like these make it a little easier to be a vegan. (Although it isn't necessarily easy on the wallet.)
If you are so full of the milk of human kindness, how many tofurkeys are you sending off to Disney World to spend their dotage? Me, I repay the kindness shown my eponymous ancestors by inviting three of my white neighbors and presenting them with smallpox blankets.
I just caught myself wishing this thread to turn into this.
Happy Turkey Day mutineers, I'm thankful for you all.
Comment #89 "If you are so full of the milk of human kindness, how many tofurkeys are you sending off to Disney World to spend their dotage? Me, I repay the kindness shown my eponymous ancestors by inviting three of my white neighbors and presenting them with smallpox blankets."
Huh?
TY - I don't get the Disney World part of the quote. But I do remember learning in history class that beside malaria and other diseases brought over by the Europeans, that many Indiginous people were killed by smallpox that was on blankets given to them.
I don't know what's more obnoxious-- trying to advertise your site while flaming or being negative on a holiday thread where others are being thankful and thoughtful. Either way, take it somewhere else. Deleted.
Guru Purab de lakh lakh vadhai hovey.
Which means? :)
Guru Nanak's birthday according to Indian calendar falls on Nov 24th this year
My punjabi is rusty, but here goes
Guru Purab de lakh lakh vadhai hovey. = Millions of greetings on Guru Purab
Hugs, Anna! Don't be blue-- you throw a great Thanksgiving online!
What a great idea!
I do love fall veggies in soups and mashed with stuff and too much cream and butter and black sa;lt and kosher salt. Sweet potatoes mashed with finely chopped browned onions, cauliflower with three cheeses, carrot and dill soup, brussels sprouts quartered and microwaved with zucchini instead of water and lots of butter and kali mirch, wild rice and apple and red onion and portobello mushroom stuffing, Yukon potatoes au gratin, creamed spinach with actual cream and nutmeg, pumpkin mousse with brown sugar and Grand Marnier,pecan brittle with whipped cream.....Sonoma wines, not Bordeaux, but maybe Sancerre anyway...
The wholesale coast to coast slaughter of turkeys is a Bad Thing, it is true-- what TC Boyle says, but I have to admit one good thing about turkey meat is all that tryptophan that sends you off to sleep better than anything. Turkey and brown basmati? Kumbhakarna time!
Alright, time for some outcry from the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) camp - albeit a little late in the game, but seriously? Who cares if the meat looks real (a valid musing, for I wondered the same when I was about 10)if our "ridiculous" belief is promoting a healthier lifestyle? Studies have shown that the SDAs that stick to the guidelines of clean living (in addition to vegetarianism they do not use alcohol or tobacco) have a longer life expectancy than average. Anyway, you clearly have not sampled the wonderful flavor in many a Desi SDA aunty's 'Fry-Chick' curry. Scrumptious! Having said all of this, I am doomed, for I eat meat and drink, making me one very Bad SDA Indian Girl.
P.S. I also secretly wonder if the "remote university" you went to was mine. The food was not great.
Of course, she is a nut. I was just remarking on the two extremes to this conversation.
The fact that Thanksgiving has been mythologized, "nobelized" and shape-shifted towards some kind of "the pilgrims shared their feast with the backwards Indian out of kindness" is not an extreme position.
However, if people use it as a time for self-reflectance/atonement/etc.. more so than just "pigs feeding at the trough" then I'm all for it.
Not quite, according to this though, if it is a conclusive study:
TRENTON, N.J. - Feel sleepy after the big Thanksgiving meal today? Contrary to popular thinking, it's not the turkey's fault.
While there is an amino acid in turkey that induces sleepiness, specialists say it's much more likely that you're tired after having Thanksgiving dinner because you ate and drank too much and didn't sleep enough.
So don't blame the turkey.
"The poor turkeys have enough problems on Thanksgiving," said Dr. Carol Ash of Somerset Medical Center's Sleep for Life Center in Hillsborough, N.J.
Turkey gets blamed for making people sleepy because it contains tryptophan, an amino acid that produces the brain chemical serotonin, which promotes calm and sleepiness. But as part of a big dinner, the tryptophan has a hard time reaching the brain.
Even if it did, "you'd have to ingest quite a number of turkeys" for it to have an effect, she said.
If the tiredness has anything to do with dinner, Ash said, it would be because of carbohydrates, which studies show are more likely to make people sleepy. Even that would only be a small factor, she said. There's the travel, working longer days to get things done, and lack of sleep, along with the carbs and alcohol, she said.
Overeating also contributes to feeling tired at Thanksgiving, said Joan Salge Blake, a nutrition professor at Boston University. [Link]
It is important to make smart, healthful and sustainable food choices this thanksgiving. For those considering a different way to celebrate thanksgiving, we recommend the St Canut porcelait [Porcelet + lait]. It is a piglet reared on a diet of warm milk and vitamin rich supplements. The resulting meat is succulent, incredibly tender and lacking in the sometimes overwhelming "porky" taste one might associate with industrially raised pigs. The recipe for a slow roasted st canut piglet is given here. Enjoy.
thanks, A N N A, for this timely post. my family has been in the states for three decades and my parents still thumb up their noses at the concept of thanksgiving..."we're indian and we only celebrate indian holidays". late november was always a sad time growing up and i remember feeling intensely embarrassed trying to explain to my friends (2nd geners from other countries, including india, who did in fact celebrate with their families) why i did not go home for a big feast with family.
each thanksgiving i would end up at my best friend's house (persian) and the holiday came to signify a feast of kabobs, baghali pollo, tadiq, toorshi...with some cranberry sauce and gravy on the side...and definitely a pie of some sort. so not all was lost :-)
today i have my fiance's family...who celebrate the holiday in a big, traditional way...even though the mother is an immigrant herself...i still feel some remnants of embarrassment when i try to awkwardly explain why my parents are not vying for my presence on the holiday. i guess it works out well for the future in-laws, because they'll see their son each thanksgiving and christmas...versus other families with children who alternate holidays between two sets of families.
i woke up this morning again feeling kind of down about the whole thing and your post made me realize it's okay, there are others who are feeling similarly...i'm not alone in feeling this way.
Anna,
That cranberry pickle sounds so enticing. Do you think your mom would share her recipe?
Awww, you're not alone, at all. :) There are more of us than you realize.
.
When Mom is back, I'll see about recipes...not that she's ever written anything down or measured, but what the hay.
My mom is in India for a funeral so I don't get pullau, raitha, and chicken korma like we usually have on Turkey Day! Just some Indian takeout and a movie with my dad and sister. It could be worse. Happy Thanksgiving, guys :)
HMF, Here's today's CounterPunch article on Thanksgiving. It doesn't disappoint!
Turkeys to the slaughter.
Amit, please don't wreck mu placebo sleeping pill-- so far, turkey works for me whenever I gobble some, even when I'm low carbing.
What about Thanksgiving (and christmas, for that matter) as an ex-pat in India? Much more sad than holidays like diwali or holi. I never felt the urge to go come for a few days for diwali, but the urgings to return for American holidays was intense. (and not just in India...I spent last christmas in Vietnam, went to church, heard familiar christmas carols being sung in vietnamese, and I think a tear fell.) One Thanksgiving I was dragged to the Oberoi in Bombay (or maybe the one across the street) for their dinner...I thought the idea was dumb but it was actually great; and good Turkey. But it didn't replace home cooking in the slightest....
Daniel, read the CounterPunch article by Mike Ely that I linked to above to see why other countries do not celebrate American Thanksgiving, and count yourself well catered to in Mumbai if you could eat turkey there that day. Perhaps Desi parents who refuse to observe it (and I know a Swedish woman who won't either) are right. I'm all in favor of harvest festivals, but this one needs an update. It's a bit much to expect the Vietnamese to celebrate Thanksgiving, given what it celebrates.
Khoofia: I have done the homecooked-potluck thing in India a few times before, and its amazing some of the things that American friends managed to cook up (and that in much more provincial places than Khan Market, Delhi). But I was traveling that Thanksgiving in Bombay, and there wasn't much for doing. And I don't know if I've just lived in bad apartments and houses, but I've never had the devices necessary to bake yams, or anything else for that matter.
Amrita: I'll check out the aritcle. But I dont understand why you think I am saying that everyone should celebrate Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or any other such holiday. In fact, I thought it a little strange that the vietnamese christian community would be interested in singing the Little Drummer Boy or Deck the Halls at all.
Daniel, Christmas isn't American, but about Thanksgiving, I suspect most Americans can't tell you why it's so much bigger than Octoberfest. It certainly makes it seem to other peoples that Thanksgiving is a straightforward celebration of gluttony, which lends a comic air to the spectacle of Americans setting all else aside to eat like no tomorrow as a national holiday, see this article. I learned the Pilgrim myth as a child at The American International School in Delhi (later sold to the U.S.Embassy), so I kn