by Lani "Gwen" Jones
Welcome to our 2nd installment of The View’s Gauntlet. For more information on this series, please check out Saegan's kick-off challenge.
The Inspiration: As many of our community members may know, I love to cook. I enjoy the challenge of creating interesting dishes with lots of flavor. However, as we have not seen each other in many months, many of you may not know that I’ve decided to follow a Pescetarian way of life. However, having spent many happy years as a meat eater, I often get cravings for traditional meat dishes and look for ways to recreate them, plant-style. And, unpopular opinion, I’ve just had a really hard time adjusting to the meat substitutes available on the market these days, so I really take pride in recreating these dishes with “real” ingredients--including homegrown mushrooms, legumes of all leagues, and whatever else I happen to have on hand in the house (I hate the grocery store these days!)
The Throwdown: I bet you, the community of the Realms, that I can create a delectable vegetarian version of your favorite comfort food, which traditionally includes meat.
The Parameters: The recipe I create should replicate the feeling and best parts of eating the traditional version of the dish. Additionally, although it will be plant-based, the recipe won’t be vegan, as cheese is one of my favorite things in the whole world. Whenever possible, I’ll try to use ingredients that are easy and inexpensive to source.
How You Can Help: Challenge me with one of your favorite comfort food meals, so I can put my imagination and food knowledge to the test. (Then, feel free to try the recipe and let me know what you think--or offer suggestions!)
We hope you are inspired to take up your own Gauntlet. If you have an idea for a challenge or skill you’d like to bring to the community for a View Gauntlet of your own, let us know!