Gloriamarie,
I think the answer to your question:
>
>My question was: those of you who have successfully made the switch to a
>vegan diet, how do you live without butter, Parmesean cheese and extra
>sharp cheddar, feta, yoghurt, buttermilk?
>
is that you don't try to substitute; you just find other things you like as
well. Once you've gone a short while without the dairy products, they
won't haunt you so much. I still have a taste for cheese, but that's
because I've been having some now and then. DON'T DO THAT! It only makes
you crave it more, and a couple of minutes of cheese ecstasy is really not
worth 3-4 days of cravings afterwards. After you've gotten used to doing
without dairy, other foods will begin to move into those empty "favorite
spots". Although it's never tasted enough like cheese to fool me,
nutritional yeast flakes in many foods will satisfy my need for a richer,
rounder flavor, and learning to use once unfamiliar herbs and spices has
opened a whole new world! The best strategy for me, however, has been to
quit trying to adjust old favorites; instead, I make tantalizing new dishes
and combinations that are just as wonderful in a different way. Before
long, you'll like the lighter taste and textures of the new foods and
wonder why you ever wanted that heavy, bland stuff. Good luck!
Jane
PS--has anyone else noticed that red lentils have a curiously buttery
aftertaste? Or is it just me?
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Jane Smith
mjsmith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Special Collections, Pickler Memorial Library
Truman State University (formerly NMSU)
Kirksville, Missouri USA
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