“Yes, but I really like vegetables,” I
continued, in the hopes of being served a
delicious vegetable stir-fry, or veg sushi that
he learned to make while he lived in Japan.
When the evening arrived and I walked into
his place, he poured me a beer and I sat
down at the table.
“This is so great – no one ever cooks for
me!” I said, bursting with curiosity,
wondering what fantastic dish awaited me.
After all that talk about vegetables and
beans, what does he make me? A cheese
omelette.
My disappointment ran deep.
I’ve only met one man in the recent past
who didn’t seem too shaken when I broke
the news of my diet to him. He was good
about it, asked me questions, and then
explained that he doesn’t eat red meat, but
fish and chicken. I liked that he tried to side
with me on the diet, that he made some sort
of effort to make things better for his body
and for the planet.
He asked me over and offered to cook for
me. I was flabbergasted. No romanticallylinked man in history has ever cooked for
me. I swooned!
This man’s saving grace is that he’s Italian,
and there are a lot of pastas and oils and
tomato sauces that pass as vegan. He made
me simple, authentic penne with tomato
sauce, served with some Italian bread and a
glass of wine. Nice. Tasty. Appreciated!
Unfortunately, things didn’t work out
between this fellow and I, but I will not
forget the meal and how much it meant to
me.
The Dating Vegan
Eating a vegan diet is great for my health,
but not so good for my social life; dating can
be just plain weird. Though things are
changing, I think that many people are
terrified of vegans.
My advice to gentlemen who find
themselves attracted to women who
happen to be vegans: have an open mind –
we do. Vegans are much more than salad
eaters – I regularly make delicious curries,
bean dishes, and versatile vegetable dishes.
Don’t dismiss a woman because you can’t
cope with her diet – you could be passing
up something very valuable – and tasty!
If I meet a man who I’m interested in and
tell him I’m vegan, often, he panics and
doesn’t know how to handle it. It’s as if I’ve
told him that I practice voodoo or
something.
42
The Perfect Lady