Transition to veganism - tips when cooking for others?!
Does anyone have any words of wisdom on getting around this issue?
Answers:
As a vegan who loves cooking for others, the only thing I accommodate are food allergies...not a desire for meat. If I'm cooking at someone's house, they're welcome to make meat but I'm cooking vegan food. I do this for three reasons:
1. Meat is nasty and no one should eat it or smell it cooking.
2. I want to show people that there's nothing weird or wrong with vegan food.
3. I'm not going to cook something I can't eat or taste along the way to check seasonings.
I love cooking and have done it for 22 years as a hobby (I'm not a chef or anything). I have never had a single complaint about my food, and I don't typically include meat replacers. I even hosted an all-vegan Thanksgiving and all-vegan Christmas dinner and my guests happily took home leftovers.
Hearty, well-seasoned, rich foods win people over all the time. Tasty tomato sauces, sweet and spicy stir frys, rice dishes, chili, casseroles...these are foods people already eat and won't miss the meat or dairy in. I have some recipes I post here: http://dailyveganeats.tumblr.com and I'm happy to veganize anything if you just contact me.
Personally I would offer guests what I eat myself. Stuff'em if they don't like it. They can go to McDonald's after! Just be prepared for that to happen.