CHEW in the LOU Feature
1. If you could only bring one dish/item to Thanksgiving dinner, what would it be?
My kale tahini salad. I have been making this thing for years and I specifically make it for the kale haters (of which I used to be)! I'd prep it all, but then make it in front of people so they knew how to correctly prepare kale. I win people over all the time with this one. I'd add some of my smokey coconut "bacon" & walnuts too for texture.
2. What does a plant-based Thanksgiving look like?
Just a lot of sides and severely lacking in protein. HAHAHAHA! Noooo! I'm Kidding!! It's colorful and beautiful and you want to eat all of it. If we eat with our eyes first and we gravitate toward color, you'll want to dive right in! No bunny food for me - I like big bold flavors, I love comfort food and I will not put up with a lot of stupid processed vegan food crap.
3. What advice would you pass along to others hosting avegan or vegetarian for Thanksgiving?
Unless all others around your table also eat like the host, I'd say this is not the time to experiment with your latest crazy concoction. Bring your tried and true [recipes] to the table and make sure everyone can recognize the ingredients on your dish. Shoot, even the most hard-core carnivore can identify corn, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, rice, etc. K.I.S.S.
4.What does Thanksgiving mean to you?
Don't we all love gathering around the table together and sharing a meal? Isn't that why so many of us all go out to eat with family and friends as often as we are able? When we go out to eat, we order different items, but we are all sitting around the table together - this is how Thanksgiving is to me, we are all cozied up in someone's home, gathered around a big table eating, perhaps different things, but enjoying [being] together.
5. What are must-haves or unique dishes that you have on your Thanksgiving table?
Not uncommon, I grew up with green bean casserole on the table and I salivate just thinking about it. It's on the table every year!
I'm also a huge sucker for stuffing and I just play around with it until it's right. This year I'm adding a "sausage" that my husband loves. Give me a crock of that and call it a night! This year I have created my own turkey loaf with mushroom gravy, which I don't expect others to try, but it's out there if we have any takers.
“The holidays are tricky for all the obvious reasons, but when someone is changing their diet for ANY reason, it can really cause a lot of anxieties, for everyone,” added Dugan. “Shoot, I'm 13 years into this plant-based diet and I still feel it sometimes! The key is to talk with the host and ask what to bring to the table. Bring enough for you and more to share, you just never know who may take a bite and be pleasantly surprised!“
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Caryn Dugan just celebrated her ten year anniversary as STL Veg Girl. She started her journey on a plant-based diet after a diagnosis with cancer and losing her father to cancer as well. Her initial mission was to understand the plant-based world. This mission then evolved to sharing what she had learned with others. In the span of the last ten years, she has collaborated with local restaurants to provide plant-based options, developed online classes to teach others about plant-based living, and teaches at local cooking schools in St. Louis like Dierbergs, and Kitchen Conservatory. Her training and dedication to plant-based living led to her opening the nation’s first center for plant-based and nutrient education with the hope to create a community for individuals seeking support during their transition to a plant-based diet. They celebrated their two year anniversary in 2021.
