andamu

Urban Oregonians (and Washingtonians) have a reputation for being sandal-wearing, Grape-Nut crunching, espresso-swilling, tree-hugging organic food fanatics. This reputation was one of the reasons I thought that if any place in the country would 'get' vegetarians, surely this would be it.

Boy, was I wrong. Oh, it appears inviting, especially after living in the Midwest where frequently the only 'vegetarian' options on the menu are fries and dessert. Here you find some interesting dishes: Vegetable Lasagna baked with an Alfredo sauce, Forest Mushroom Risotto, Vegetarian Omelet, Cream of Leek soup, or Cheese and Jalapeno Tamales. The problem lies in trying to get what you ordered, without the addition of some 'complimentary' meat items like bacon bits or chicken stock.

Next time you walk into the cafeteria, imagine that you are a vegetarian, looking for something to eat.

• The salad bar seems a safe bet, except the person next to you has just used the broccoli tongs to serve themselves some ham cubes, then some grated cheese, and then returned the tongs to the broccoli. OK, skip that.
• Hmm, soup looks good, Tomato Florentine, with the V for Vegetarian proudly pre-pended. Let's have a look to see what's in the ingredient list: tomato, spinach.....chicken stock! Keep moving.
• Rice and lentils cooked with tomatoes in curry spices and cumin - sounds delicious, until you reach the counter and see that the chicken breasts are arranged on top of the bed of rice and lentils.
• Surely nothing can go wrong if you order a grilled cheese sandwich or a veggie burger then? Except the same spatula is used to flip the burgers, and the turkey sandwiches are fried in the same spot, while the fries and onion rings flank the chicken strips in the same oil.

Surely it is not too much to ask that vegetable preparations have only vegetables in them? Some of us are vegetarians for health reasons, some because of ethical and moral concerns, some for religious beliefs and some just don't like the taste of meat. Whatever the reasons that prompted our decisions, the fact remains that we are excluded.