Cherise Grifoni

Cherise Grifoni is the author of“The Part-Time Vegan: 201 Yummy Recipes that Put the Fun in Flexitarian”.  Recently I had the opportunity to interview Cherise about her book (which, by the way is not only full of quick meals, but humorous as well).

The narrative to your book is infused with your personality and wit. Is the humor to remind the reader to not take cooking too seriously?

The humor is definitely there to remind the reader that this should be a good time, nothing stressful. I only want to emit feel-good vibes! My personality is very relaxed and low-key, and I tried to transmit that acceptance and warmth through my writing. I know sometimes people can be intimidated by trying new things if they think they might fail or it might be too difficult. I just want every reader to know that it’s perfectly fine to mess up and not to take anything too seriously! Cooking is about fun and relaxation and enjoying yourself. It’s so much easier to venture into veganism when the pressure to be the “perfect” vegan is off!

I could easily imagine a “Your Vegan Zombie” graphic novel would you do one for a cookbook?

Oh man, too cool! I never thought of a graphic novel, but that idea is awesome! I’d absolutely do it if someone with the artistic prowess could help me out. I think it would be really funny: this zombie girl squinting at a tempeh recipe while a bunch of zombies outside are carrying a poor piglet down to the graveyard.

The concept of dinner plans is a great idea, do you use them personally?

Thank you! Yes, I do use them personally. As much as I like being of-the-moment with what I’m going to eat, I also like to have some stand-bys that I can go to when I’m in a crunch. Sometimes when I get back from the gym or a really long day, I just don’t want to think about inventing anything. From there, it’s easy to adjust those tried-and-true recipes with whatever you have in the cabinets.

You used the word “flexitarian” as a part of the title for the book, what does that mean?

“Flexitarian” means vegan or vegetarian curious, but perhaps not completely able or ready to commit to the lifestyle 100%. Are you crammed with work, tuckered out by family responsibilities or strapped for cash? Sometimes it’s extremely difficult to rigidly stick to being a vegan or vegetarian because of any of these things. I’m here to let people know that even small changes in your diet towards veganism can help you lead a happier, healthier life. There’s no need to feel guilt about not “committing” – do what you can! That is the most anyone can ask for. I love flexitarians because so many of them are open and interesting people. I don’t want to alienate anyone just because they aren’t ready or positive they want to be “pure” vegan. I say, bring on the curiosity! It can only lead to something good. Good habits stick when they made you feel as great as eating this way does.

How do you address the use of honey in your book, considering a lot of vegans don’t use it?

A lot of vegans don’t use honey because it is considered an animal product just as surely as milk. Bees are seen as being treated unfairly during the harvesting process. The way I look at it is, thousands upon thousands of bugs are killed in the harvesting of many vegan products and regular produce. Bees are not necessarily killed in the process of harvesting honey. If a vegan is someone who does not harm any living creature, even insects, does that mean all vegans must eat purely organic all the time? I don’t personally see honey as non-vegan, but of course the reader’s decision up to their own interpretation. I let my readers know both sides of the argument and present them with alternatives (maple syrup, agave nectar, or plain old vegan sugar!) to use in any recipe that calls for honey.

You’ve listed recipes whose ingredients are pretty accessible and simple enough to fix for any novice without a lot of effort, did you write this book with your friends in mind as you came up with the concept?

I definitely had my friends in mind when I was writing this book and basically anyone who is new to the concept of veganism or cooking in general. It can seem pretty daunting to pick up on such a new style and I wanted to the pressure to be completely off! It’s not hard to learn to cook vegan at all, you just need to start simple like with anything else. I also had my mother in mind while I wrote. She is a tremendously talented cook and someone whose gift in the kitchen is a rare thing. When I became a vegan, she almost couldn’t accept that I would no longer be able to consume milk, cheese, or other non-vegan ingredients. I wanted to show her that vegan cooking could be just as delicious as anything else… and I must say, with the help of my raw vegan cheesecakes, I’ve proven it to her.

The narrative behind the taste of recipes and how one can modify them was cool to include as a preface, did you do that because you wished other authors could give you an idea as to how something might taste? Or was it kind of subconsciously?

This was a subconscious action. I totally always try to “picture” what a dish tastes like in my mouth before I cook it. That way I can “feel” what side dishes might compliment the dish or what cocktail I should include. I like the whole plate to come together as a coherent unit, and it’s always easier to do that when you can “see” the flavors you are cooking with!

How hard was it for you to go vegan after being vegetarian for 7 years?

I was lucky… It was extremely easy for me to go vegan after being a vegetarian for seven years. I became interested in raw veganism through an accidental web search that led me to some raw vegan blogs. After experimenting with some of the recipes and coming up with amazing, colorful, unique dishes and flavors, I just knew there was something special about this food movement. I gave myself a one-month veganism trial to see how the diet made me look and feel. I never looked back. As a vegetarian, I never drank milk (I stuck to almond milk) and never ate eggs, so the only thing holding me back was cheese. After discovering cheese contributed to my migraines… it was bye-bye blue cheese, hello vegan queen!