This Vegan Still Longs for the Forbidden

As this week comes to a close, I have completed three weeks as a vegan. A few weeks ago I wrote about the experience of launching myself into this new journey—the expense, the new words to learn and the sink full of dirty pots and pans. This week I decided to report on my progress by sharing a letter I wrote to someone I love.

Dear Cheese,

How are you? It’s been a while since I last ran into you. I just wanted you to know how often I think about you. I saw you last week at Luigi’s when I was buying a whole wheat pizza crust. (Did you know that these doughs do not rise or get all chewy and soft inside? It’s more like a piece of cardboard to put you sauce and veggies on.) But anyway, Cheese, you looked great all melted on top of that pizza. I was going to get a slice of the salad pizza, but then I spotted you, you sneaky Cheese! There you were as “Feta Cheese,” all intermingled in the salad and then I had to look away. Gosh, you really are EVERYWHERE. You are kind of like the “high fructose corn syrup” of the dairy products because now that I am looking out for you, I notice that you are in a lot of food products.

In case you are wondering about me, Cheese, I am ok. I have lost 7 lbs since our breakup. I cheated on you the other night when I used soy “cheese” on a homemade pizza. I was definitely going through the motions when I was in the company of soy cheese. It wasn’t like in the old days when you and I was a couple.

I guess I am struggling with the puzzle of why something as delicious and awesome as you could be so bad for me. It just doesn’t seem just.

Well, that’s about it for now, Cheese. I know that we will be running into each other a lot over the holidays and I hope you understand when I don’t come over to chat. It hurts too much.  But I am looking better in my jeans!

Warm Regards,

Carole