A lot happened in 1994.
Tonya Harding had figure-skating rival Nancy Kerrigan kneecapped.
Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump hit theaters.
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And I, reporter Pam Cowan, stopped eating meat — pretty much cold turkey (no pun intended). It never really appealed to me anyhow.
In the past decade I've gone from being a bagel- and iceberg lettuce-eating vegetarian to being a healthy protein- and calcium-conscious one.
Going vegetarian made me feel better than I ever had, and I wondered why anyone would choose to eat unhealthily.
Then eight months ago reporter Tim Karan joined the insider staff.
I instantly realized I had met my nutritional polar opposite.
Tim eats Laffy Taffy and drinks pop for breakfast — if he consumes anything at all. His idea of lunch is as many cupcakes and processed meat sticks as he can carry from the vending machine.
Frankly, everyone in the office had become concerned about Tim's “diet” and curious about what might happen if something that wasn't sugar-coated entered his system.
Although he's a staunch carnivore and deathly afraid of trying new foods, he agreed to take a trip with me to the prepared foods section of Wegmans Food Markets in Pittsford so I could prove there are enough vegetarian options to satisfy his hunger.
Here's what we found:
Sushi — picnic combo
Main ingredients: cooked rice, carrots, cucumbers, vinegar, pickled ginger and seaweed
Price: $3.70 for 8.25 oz.
Pam: I saw no reason to ease Tim into unfamiliar territory, so I jumped right in with sushi. All I asked was that Tim try one roll with carrots and one with cucumbers.
Was that so difficult?
Tim: Horrifying, actually. I don't like rice. I'm not a fan of vegetables. And I can't be sure, but I'm pretty certain that sushi — whatever it is — will, in fact, kill me.
Eating this was like a stunt in my own personal episode of Fear Factor . I closed my eyes, pinched my nose and shoved one in. But that's when the horror truly began. I bit through the tough exterior, and it was like a fish-flavored explosion. I won't be eating sushi again.
Pam: Sorry to burst your bubble, Tim, but there was no fish in this dish.
Caprese salad with toasted pine nuts and rosemary dressing
Main ingredients: grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, mixed greens and romaine lettuce, red onion, toasted pine nuts, fresh basil leaves, black pepper and rosemary dressing
Price: $5.99 for 8 oz.
Pam: We each piled some salad onto our plates and poured some dressing on top. I suggested that Tim try a little bit of everything in each bite, but, of course, he wanted no part of that.
Tim: Here's my definition of a salad: iceberg lettuce covered with a staggering quantity of bacon bits, croutons, cheese, pretzels, those little french fry things and whatever else will help me pretend that it's just a warm, really weird ice cream sundae. So when I saw all of the craziness that Pam said constituted a salad (I didn't know you could eat pine nuts and straight-up leaves, stems and all), I was a little hesitant to dig in. But it really wasn't bad.
Pam: Tim didn't hate it, so all things considered, this salad was a success. Straight-up leaves and all.
California salad with fat-free honey Dijon dressing
Main ingredients: mixed greens, romaine lettuce, orange slices, red onion, cucumber, roasted red pepper, sunflower seeds and fat-free honey Dijon dressing
Price: $3.99 for 8 oz.
Pam: I was shocked when Tim told me he liked all the ingredients separately. Orange slices. Check. Roasted red peppers. Check. Wow. I was pretty confident he'd enjoy this salad.
What I found most surprising was that Tim really liked the dressing — which was fat-free. Did you know that, Tim?
Tim: Not at the time, no. And I'm mortified.
Aside from that, although I know that fruits, like oranges, and vegetables, like red peppers, aren't all that different from tomatoes, I've always grimaced when people combine them in salads.
But it turned out that I didn't keel over.
Eggplant rollettes
Main ingredients: eggplant, ricotta cheese, water, soy oil, bread crumbs, eggs, cornstarch, Romano cheese, salt, spices and tomato sauce
Price: $3.99 for two
Pam: Since Tim's a fan of chicken parmesan, I wanted him to try the meatless version of the Italian classic.
‘Is that marinara?' he asked me.
‘Yes.'
‘Well, I like marinara. I like everything but the eggplant.'
‘Well, you don't know you don't like it,' I said, knowing full well that he had never tried it.
‘I'm pretty sure I don't.'
See what I had to deal with?
Tim: A few years ago I learned that I needed to eat at least one dish that I'd find in a fancier, nonfast-food restaurant — you know, in case I had to entertain foreign dignitaries. So I chose chicken parmesan and have stuck with it. In theory, I should have enjoyed the eggplant version. But it was smooshy. And not meat. And frustrating.
Spicy red lentil chili
Main ingredients: water, red lentil beans, tomatoes, onions, green bell peppers, celery, butter, vegetable base, salt, sugar, corn oil, garlic and spices
Price: $3.99 for 16 fluid oz.
Pam: I'm not usually fond of spicy foods, but during the winter, one of my favorite meals for a quick protein fix is vegetarian chili. That's the main reason I suggested we try it.
Tim: I've never understood why people willingly eat things like this. When I see someone downing a bowl of brown grossness, I want to say, ‘There aren't any grown-ups around! You don't have to eat that!'
Focaccia with pesto and cherry tomatoes
Main ingredients: dough, cherry tomatoes, grated cheese, spices and pesto sauce
Price: $4.79 for 16 oz.
Pam: I had high hopes for this dish, and I think, judging from Tim's reaction, that we can call it the only sure victory.
Tim: This I can deal with. It looks, smells and tastes like white pizza. And, on occasion, if I'm just hungry, half-asleep and confused enough, I've been known to heat up a roommate's white pizza and almost enjoy it.
Of all the dishes I had thrust upon me today, this is the only one I would've chosen to eat more of.
Tim's overall verdict
As badly as I know everyone here wanted to see a complete change in my diet, I'm fairly certain I'm going right out for a Philly cheese steak.
Yeah, I had a few surprises. And there's definitely more to vegetarianism than just salad.
I can see how Pam actually survives, and even (don't tell anyone) why she likes it.
But I'm not going to stop eating chicken wings by the bucket.
Maybe from now on, though, I won't throw out the celery that comes with them.
