Sequestration Meal #385

 

This is a study in contrasts, and perhaps so am I. I had this on New Year's Day. It is nothing like anyone's traditional New Year's Day meal I've ever heard of. But it was what I wanted, and it made me happy, so it's good.

First, I had a hot dog. This was a Field Roast frankfurter in a bun with Vegenaise. As rumored, Field Roast does seem to have changed their franks formula somewhat, and if you want a more traditional hot dog most say you should go with their Stadium Dog. I've never tried that, and I look forward to it. But this was delicious in its own right and filled my hot dog craving. (Why did I have a hot dog craving in winter? Who knows.) The major difference I can discern is that this hot dog isn't quite so firm, and I would guess that most people who eat omnivore hot dogs would be able to tell that it isn't meat, whereas before I don't think anyone would have been able to tell. As I've grown into my veganism, that's no longer something that bothers me either way, so I'd probably keep buying these franks (I just probably wouldn't use them in hot dog fried rice or other things that needed them to hold their shape with vigorous stirring).

The more typical sides for a hot dog might be chips or potato salad, but I wanted something fresh and raw and green because I had finally been to the store and that's apparently what I needed. So I made a variation on the (omnivore) orange pomegranate salad recipe at The Recipe Critic. I used a clementine rather than an orange, pecans instead of almonds, and a vegan feta (Follow Your Heart), and I also cut it down to serve one. It felt like a wintery salad somehow, like it was the sort of thing you ought to eat in January, and I enjoyed its sweetness. I tried to artfully arrange the center slices of clementine for a garnish, and it wasn't perfect but I think it does kind of look pretty anyway. I think it could have used more of a salty flavor, but that is probably my fault for not adding enough feta or something, and I could have added more black pepper. But it was good.

Lately I'm just getting through, but I suppose it's fortunate, at least, that I am still here, after all this. I guess being still here is the most we can truly ask for. Here's to us.

And hot dogs. Because hot dogs are delicious.