If I am what I eat...

you might not recognize me.

I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to post when such big things have developed in the clatter universe in the last few days. It’s hard to imagine that I’ve left many of my readers in the dark when a transformation beyond your imagination has occurred. Drum roll please…................

clatter has gone VEGAN!

Did you gasp? Shriek? Throw your laptop out the window? Lose all faith in yours truly? I’m sure your reaction wasn’t nearly as dramatic as I would hope (I’d sure be flattered if you sent me a bill for your computer replacement), but I still have little doubt that at least some of you are taken a little by surprise. After all, how can a girl who loves to talk and write about, and yes, sometimes even eat all types of food suddenly go from her meat and cheese-centric existence to animal and dairy-free living? Well, as the child of one who claims I’m not afraid to try anything, I wasn’t about to ignore my curiosity (and slight boredom) tugging at me to give veganism a shot, even if only for a couple of weeks.

I really never gave a second thought to veganism over the years, except for the occasional sneering (“Who’s crazy enough to give up cheese voluntarily?”) and celebrity associations (whatever happened to Alicia Silverstone?), but since moving to Portland, I feel like the word VEGAN and all of its constituents keep popping up everywhere. Of course I’m residing in a place where devoted bicycle-riding, Birkenstock-wearing folks run the show, so the vegan presence is to be expected, but even so, the signs seemed to be everywhere. So I decided that instead of making fun of the granola lifestyle, I could learn a thing or two from it in one of the cities that knows it best.

Like any new adventure, I knew I needed to do my homework before I could take on such a challenge. After perusing the shelves at the Hollywood branch of the Multnomah County Library earlier in the week, I grabbed a stack of vegan cookbooks and headed to the checkout. I wasn’t standing there 30 seconds before the older man behind me struck up a conversation. “Oh, are you a vegan?” he asked me. Without enough time to decide how I wanted to approach his inquiry, I stumbled over my words and ended up muttering something about doing an experiment. “Ohhh, I see. Are you a chef?” Geez, am I that transparent? “Not exactly…” I replied, again, unprepared to answer. He ended up telling me about a great vegan place close by, what I should order, and how I’d probably see him there for lunch, as he frequents the place three to four days a week. Who needs Yelp when you can receive unsolicited restaurant recommendations while at your local library?

Beyond the books I checked out, I also did some internet research to clear up a few questions I still had about the vegan philosophy. Funnily enough, upon reading about The Great Honey Conundrum (who knew it was such a point of contention?), I came across a whole series of articles from an Oregonian food writer who recently did a similar month-long vegan challenge. And so, for the record (once again) take note that I am not trying to steal someone else’s idea and pretend like it’s my own. However, the idea and motivation behind this challenge was purely conjured up on my own and the fact that Portland’s own Grant Butler has written about veganism this year is coincidental. Promise. I only wish I had the discipline and tenacity (oh, and the time) to write about it daily like him. I suppose it'd also be nice to be getting paid to do it...

My kitchen well-stocked with various beans, lentils, grains, and soy products, along with lots of fruits and vegetables, fast forward to what is now Day Three of the challenge and just know this: not only am I still alive, but I feel great (cue Flashdance’s "What a Feeling")! I’m wondering how long my elation and enthusiasm for my healthiest. eating. ever. will last, but I’m going to [soy] milk this feeling for as long as I possibly can. These next couple of weeks will test my willpower and culinary creativity like I’ve never known, so be sure to stay tuned. Things could get interesting.