Congrats to my parents who have been plant-based for 9 months!
They've been busying cooking out of my cookbooks and taking pictures to share their thoughts with all of you. After I asked them to comment on each recipe (you'll quickly realize their favorite word is "excellent"!) this is what they said when I asked them to reflect on the last 9 months:
"We're finally really enjoying what we are eating. Before it was like "oh we're eating this now, and it's good, but it doesn't taste like what we were used to. Now, it's like, this is how we're eating now. This is what we want."
What my parents are trying to say is they've come to a point where they love and are deeply committed to eating a plant-based diet (vs. initially they were like "we have to do this, try to make the best of it.") They're not looking at the old foods they used to eat or thinking about them longingly. What was once familiar is now foreign to them and what was once foreign is now familiar.They've totally changed and now they're really enjoying their new lifestyle.
Now for their critiques! (p.s. I typed word-for-word as these conversations were happening)
Shepherd's Pie (p. 157, EHH)
Mom: We've made the Shepherd's Pie 3 to four times now. We LOVE it especially because we get two meals out of it. But, I must confess, we like it better with white potatoes.
Dad: Lindsay uses a lot of sweet potatoes.
Mom: We usually eat this once as a main dish with a vegetable side then we eat the leftovers with chips like nachos.
Crustless Pumpkin Pie (p. 218 HHC and on the blog)
Mom: Forget about that pumpkin pie. (Note: Imagine an Italian saying this with hands flying around in the air). The pumpkin pie and the cheesecake (also in HHC)... If I had MY way I'd make them all the time. Oh my god I love that pumpkin pie and cheesecake. Recently Aunt Connie and her friend Sharon were over and they COULD. NOT. BE-LIEVE it was vegan pumpkin pie. They are our top desserts with dinner bar none.
Me: So it's your favorite recipe?
Mom: The Mexican Chowder (p. 112 EHH) is our ultimate. In fact we just made it again tonight.
Me: Not the Baked Beans (p. 199 HHC) Really? You make that all the time.
Mom: OH no. wait a minute. The baked beans are our favorite -- oh. hold on. your father puts the sausage (Spicy Sausage p. 150 HCC) first. He's telling me to tell you that. Daddy could love on the baked beans, sausages, mexican chowder and "tuna" salad.
Cheater Pad Thai(p. 117 HHC)
Me: Did you want to say anything about this dish?
Mom: Yeah it was delicious. (she said, very, matter-of-factly).
*pause*
Mom: Any kind of Asian cuisine I just love. I love noodles. So does Daddy. Never had Thai food until we started eating your recipes. Your cookbooks opened us up to a lot of Asian cuisines we like. Now it's our favorite.
Dad: We added baby corn. That's not in the recipe.
Rice Pudding (on the blog)
Mom: Excellent. Very creamy. Had the right consistency. Love the cinnamon. [To my Dad:] You ate it too! You tell Lindsay what to write! [To me:] He's over there laughing at me because I can't come up with anything to say. Oh now he's saying he likes anything with raisins.
Garden Chowder (p. 71 HHC)
Mom: That was excellent. A comfort food. I'm going to make it again soon if the weather stay cool. It's a good old fashioned comfort food. Easy to make.
Chocolate Spice Muffins (p. 51 EHH)
Mom: Those were very good. The chocolate that I love and the spice that Daddy loves so the best of both worlds. He likes all those spice cakes. I like chocolate.
Sweet Potato Dal (p. 114 EHH)
Mom: Indian food, which I NEVER thought I'd enjoy the taste of but now I do. This is another delicious meal... good flavors of the... what do they say? The far East? Can't get enough.
