Everyone loves food! But let’s face it; dietary restrictions are never any fun. Following are some vegan tips that have worked in my relationship where we each eat in completely different categories?
It can become a source of conflict when the person preparing half the food follows completely different rules than you do. According to my husband it can be an infringement on freedom, but sometimes my attitude is ‘My kitchen, My rules!,’ especially since it is the only area in the house where this applies. My husband is a typical meat, potatoes, and soda guy. I, on the other hand, am 90 percent vegan. I prepare 100 percent vegan meals at home, but cheat occasional when dining out. Here are some over our real-life solutions for peace-keeping at the dinner table.
Vegan Tips for finding a Happy Medium at Home
Basically, I do 98 percent of the cooking, but I do take his taste buds into consideration. He likes things with a great deal of sugar, so I make him healthy sweet salads (spinach, peaches, walnuts and a dash of organic orange marmalade). He likes almost everything I make as long as it’s seasoned real food. He does not like what he calls “fake meat” products (veggie hot dogs or burgers). His favorite dish is orzo mixed with kidney beans, chickpeas, spinach, green and red peppers, basil, and capers. He could eat this every day. I prefer to make the fore-mentioned dish with quinoa instead of orzo for a better organic choice. He will go for this, as long as there is garlic bread.
A Compromise for Date Night
Our date night is usually on a Thursday (which is a compromise within itself since it’s also football night on TV). This past Thursday, my husband agreed to honor our date night as long as he could watch the game and get a decent burger. I wanted to go someplace sexy, with a good vegetarian selection (not just salad and bread). We agreed to eat at Ivy Bar and Grill in New York City. My city is known for restaurants with sexy décor and specialty food, but it’s also known for great Irish Pubs (cold beer, great burgers and sporting events on multiple televisions). 
Ivy is a merge of both worlds, making it ideal for date night out, while watching the Giants game, and Derek Jeter’s emotional last night as a Yankee. The owners own several Irish pubs in the city, each with a different vibe ranging from traditional to upscale. The Ivy Bar and Grill hosts several televisions behind a long bar, and a separate candle-lit dining area. The best part is that I was able to look across the candle-lit table at my husband, and he was able to look at me (and above me) at the sporting events going on and it didn’t take away from the vibe. We did this over appetizers of chickpea fritters, steak spring rolls and a beet and goat cheese salad. The main entrée was a char-grilled burger (for him) and pumpkin ravioli with sage butter sauce (for me). The Giants and the Yankees both won, and I had dinner by candlelight, making this our best date night ever.
Try New Food
I have introduced my husband to several types of food, such as Malaysian, Indian and Ethiopian since we have been married. My favorite food, hands-down, is Ethiopian.
My husband had never had it but has become a huge fan. I have been eating at the same the Ethiopian restaurant, Meskerem in New York City, for over 10 years. The food has a variety of vegetarian dishes as most Ethiopians eat vegetarian only at certain times of the year. Mike the owner explained that out of 365 days in a year you eat vegetarian for about 165 to 200 of them, due to religious holidays such as Easter.
The food is considered some of the healthiest food in the world, and Washington D.C (with a huge Ethiopian population) is considering serving it in public schools. The food is very well seasoned with exotic spices such as berbere (similar to paprika) and awaze, which they mix with wine. It is traditionally not eaten with silverware but scooped up with a fermented bread called Ingera, which is made from the grain Teff, which is being hailed as a new super grain. It’s very unique and can grow where many other crops can’t, from sea level to very high altitudes.
It is gluten free, low in sodium, a blood sugar regulator, as well as high in fiber. You traditionally also eat the food with friends and loved ones from one plate. This particular visit, we ate a combination of vegetables, and special tibes, a boneless lamb sautéed with Ethiopian honey wine, onions, tomatoes and awaze, and yes I ate the lamb (again live and let live). If you’re ever in the New York area you must visit Meskerem.
All and all, my husband and I enjoy good food and each other’s company. And let’s face it, that’s the best recipe!
