In a perfect world—which for me right now would be one without excruciating (at times) back pain—plant-based foods would be ubiquitous. But alas, I live in Maine, where snout-to-tail cooking and meat necklaces abound. Don’t get me wrong, Maine has some great food, it’s just not the greatest place to be a plant-based vegan.
I love tacos. I’ve even managed to develop a couple of my own versions that don’t rely upon meat fillings. One is made with tempeh, the other with a plant-based crumble that’s readily available in most Maine supermarkets (including Shaw’s and Hannaford’s).
Vegan tacos are the bomb! (The Minimalist Baker)
The reason why I’m talking tacos this morning is entirely due to the New York Times’ California Today newsletter that I’m signed up for and receive weekdays. As California goes, so goes the nation.
When we were out in Los Angeles in 2017, you could throw a rock and pretty much hit a vegan eatery in most parts of town. Some of them were absolutely amazing. In a city of 10 million people, economies of scale are a big factor in food options and variety. Instead of menus with minimal options nearly invisible due to burgers, chicken, and fish, you have chefs like this one, transforming native foods from her home country of El Salvador, offering more than 40 ethnically-authentic dishes.
Just an aside here. When I was in Buffalo, I discovered Root + Bloom Café, 500 feet from my Airbnb. Buffalo, folks! So, if there’s an eatery in Buffalo, not known as a foodie Mecca, why can’t Portland, Maine offer more than The Green Elephant, Boda, and perhaps Empire for sit-down eateries that vegans aren’t considered an afterthought? Just asking.
California-caliber food in Buffalo, NY (Root + Bloom Cafe)Mai
According to Technomic, which tracks global food trends, plant-based food are still hot. In fact, their recent Global Trends report indicates that countries with entrenched meat-eating cultures are adopting vegetarian, vegan, and health-focused concepts—places like Brazil, Australia’s Hog’s Breath Café, a steakhouse chain, now offers an avocado and vegan schnitzel wrap. In the U.K., the Temple of Seitan offers the vegan equivalent of chicken nuggets with a deep-fried, wheat protein-based “chicken” served up with French fries. Even McDonald’s is testing plant-based, meat-free dining with a McVegan burger in Sweden and Finland. Come on, Portland, get with it!
But back to California and tacos.
According to the editor of L.A. Taco, Daniel Hernandez, which posts daily stories on LA’s food, history, and subcultures, tacos are the “unit that binds,” the “most natural unit that represents who we are as a city and a culture.”
Is America fractured? I’d say “yes.” What can heal us? Perhaps the taco. Hernandez describes as a “unifier at a time when we’re so fractured as a country and we’re in a city that is so structurally fractured.” That’s pretty evident driving around and across the city on it’s ribbons of freeway.
There’s been much written about millennials not being interested in the news, or relying on decentralized sources for their daily updates. Hernandez said the site is particularly popular with Latinos and Asians in their 20s and 30s, the children and grandchildren of immigrants who grew up in the city and are comfortable with a multiplicity of cultures. In California, the multiethnic demographic is mainstream, not maligned.
I’m down with the taco being our symbol of reunification. I bet Trump likes tacos. But, maybe not.
Here’s a taco meal I’ve modified and made plant-based:
½ an onion minced.
½ red or green pepper chopped.
Saute your onion and pepper in olive oil or other oil.
Add a plant-based crumble; there are several varieties around. In Maine, I’ve found that Smart Ground® Original works well. You can also use tempeh. If you’ve never cooked tempeh, work on your tempeh-cooking skills, first.
Add as much (or as little) hot sauce as you like. I’m a fan of Frank’s RedHot® Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce. You can also add chili powder, but Frank’s makes it easy.
Once your mix is heated up and mixed, remove from the stove top and set aside.
Prior to cooking your mix, assemble these options (and this list is a matter of taste: remember, it’s not prescriptive:
Black olives, chopped
Jalapeno peppers, chopped
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Salsa
Sliced avocados
Kimchi, sauerkraut, or slaw (optional)
Tortillas
Plant-based Mexican cheese (I like Daiya)
You can set up your taco accouterments on the bar or table and let people fix the taco the way they prefer.