To Whom It May Concern:I have often been disappointed in the Food Network's lack of interest in Vegetarian Cuisine. Being a vegan, I have yet to see a show devoted to cooking veg*n meals. Sure some chefs feature a vegetarian dish once in a while, but a show chock full of ideas would be great. Believe it or not, veg*ns LOVE to cook, and I love to cook with things other than stereotypical veg*n ingredients (i.e. tofu, tempeh, seitan, etc.).
Recently on the Food Network, Dinner Impossible featured a vegetarian rodeo bbq. It was A HORRIBLE representation of vegetarian cooking. Chef Symon was cynical and cranky the entire show - complaining about everything. He made it look like vegetarian cooking was uninteresting, flavorless & frustrating. Veg*n cooking is NOTHING of the sort! But after that show, I can't imagine anyone would ever believe that it's a great way to eat.
Therefore, I am requesting a couple of things from the Food Network:
1) please read my blog The Vegas Vegan: http://thevegasvegan.blogspot.com/ There I review restaurants in Las Vegas. My mission is to find veg*n foods at the most unlikely places. When one veg*n gives the thumbs up to any establishment, more veg*ns are sure to follow. It's not about being afraid to go out to eat, it's about learning how to eat out.
2) please check out Colleen Patrick-Goudreau at Compassionate Cooks: http://www.compassionatecooks.com/ She teaches cooking classes in San Francisco and around the country. She has published a wonderful cookbook: The Joy of Vegan Baking. She would make a great addition to the Food Network line-up, offering veg*n choices not only for veg*ns, but for those interested in making healthy changes to their diets. Some omnivores are actually interested in adding vegetarian meals to their weekly menus, she would be a great person to help!!
3) I would like to see less grunting & groaning from the on-screen personalities when it comes to "having" to make a vegetarian meal. My impression is that they need to be enlightened on what veg*n cooking actually entails. It's not about bulking up with cheese & eggs for vegetarians or just eating tofu & seitan if you're a vegan. It's about discovering the wonderful rainbow of flavors available in the produce section of the grocery store. I rarely cook with tofu and have actually never used seitan. I've been vegetarian for 18 years... there is no need to portray veg*ns as ONLY eating those foods. Some research into the actual diets of veg*ns, and not just listening to chefs regurgitating stereotypes, would be helpful.
Please contact me via email lsj521@gmail.com.
Thank you for your time,
Sincerely,
Lisa Smolen-Jenkins
http://thevegasvegan.blogspot.com
