"Tafathalo"

Food is for sharing. There is no point cooking unless you have someone to cook for. The Arabic word "Tafathalo" translates to something along the lines of "do me the honour" and is used as an invitation to come to the table. I love the ceremonious implication of that word; the idea of inviting people to share your food with you.

I believe the best meals for sharing are those that can be eaten with the hands, and middle eastern dishes are perfect for this. To me there is nothing better than using a piece of khobez as a utensil to pick up wonderfully fragrant mouthfuls. So I set myself a challenge last night: I wanted to create a veggie meal that was perfect for sharing, inspired by middle eastern cooking, where the meat would not be missed.

Eat with your hands

Falafel Chick

I came home from work the other day with an overwhelming desire for home-made falafel balls. You know those funny round balls that they give to vegetarians at kebab shops at 2am on a Saturday night? Yep, those are them. 

But contrary to urban belief, falafels were not invented in kebab shops to satisfy the late-night hunger of pissed vegetarians; rather, they are traditional middle-eastern snacks purported to have originated in Egypt. Which wouldn't surprise me as it was in Egypt in 1997 that I had my first ever taste and I don't think I have had a better falafel since. 

Anyway, I digress. So back to the night I came home with the overwhelming desire: I made my falafel balls, tucked them into warm pita pockets, garnished with grilled veggies and thick yogurt and settled down on the sofa in the living room with my supper. To which my flatmate exclaimed: "you're eating meat!". Noting my quizzical expression, she elaborated: "I know those things...they are like chicken falafs or something. At least that's what they taste like...". And so, I share with you my first veggie recipe for meat lovers...

The Quest

I am on a quest fueled by the conviction that even the staunchest meat-lovers can love veggie food too. Considering the standard vegetarian fare offered on most restaurant menus, I don't blame most meat-eaters for thinking that vegetarian food is boring, bland and uninspiring. Most of the time, it is. But it doesn't have to be. 

The question that vegetarians get asked most of the time is simply "why?", which usually invokes a lengthy oratory on the virtues of vegetarianism with the implicit message that meat-eaters are evil, planet-killing, careless, heartless offshoots of humanity. Which only confirms to the meat-eater that all vegetarians are tree-hugging, smelly, hippie, do-gooders with no finesse or affinity for the Good Life. Or so the story goes. As a vegetarian for going on fifteen years I do not subscribe to this "othering" mentality. And likewise, I have to say that most meat-eaters are indifferent to vegetarians too. 

There are some, however, who vehemently despise vegetarian food simply for being exactly that: meat-free. They cannot comprehend the notion of a meal sans the meat; in their minds it just doesn't rate on the satisfaction scale. They fear they will be left waiting for the main course, even after they've polished off the cheeseboard. But to them I say fear not, my carnivorous skeptics, for I am to show you that it is possible to eat veggie-style without missing the meat. I promise.   

To continue the theme of dispelling stereotypes, my mission is absolutely not to convert the masses to vegetarianism; I firmly believe that we need meat-eaters in this world. My humble mission is merely to demonstrate that vegetarian food can be just as flavourful, satisfying, complex and refined as meat (and in some cases, even more so). All you need is imagination, intuition and nature's beautiful bounty. 

So next time you scour the menu at a restaurant pitying the poor vegetarian opposite you for her one insipid option, remember that somewhere out there is vegetarian food for meat lovers.