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Sierra reveals more about her background and food experiences.
The Unqualified Culinary Critics is a podcast that centers around young adults discussing food and culture.
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Unknown Speaker 0:00
The content of this episode contains language that may not be suitable for all listeners, mature audiences recommended. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 0:08
Hello, we're the unqualified culinary critics, a podcast centered around food and cultural experiences. We want to not only share our own perspectives, but hope that these stories connect in some way to each one of you as well.
Unknown Speaker 0:21
So today, we're going to be talking about Sears upbringing. She has a vegan plant based diet, and she will be talking about it throughout this episode. So without further ado, I'm going to now let Sierra have the spotlight.
Unknown Speaker 0:33
Yes, so I haven't been vegan for too many years. That's probably like the most standout thing about my upbringing and diet. I have been vegetarian for probably like 15 years now, that basically came from my mom, she's been vegan, or excuse me vegetarian since she was 16. And then recently, I think she's been vegan for about six, seven years. I used to eat meat a lot, but I was just an extremely picky eater, I would never really eat more than like, fast food, chicken nuggets, or the little frozen white castles that you can buy. So extremely processed crap, but I kind of switched over to being vegetarian when I was like, seven or eight, mainly out of influence because of my mom. And some people might, you know, disagree with that or have their opinions on it. But I honestly didn't mind because I just didn't eat too much meat anyway, it was never really in my household. My parents wouldn't really cook it, my dad would, but mainly for himself. Anyway, I just didn't really care for like the factory farming aspect of it. I didn't really understand that when I was a lot younger. But as I grew up, I understood it a lot more. But yeah, that's basically how I got into that. And then when I just a few years ago, I think it's about three years now I became fully vegan, I was eating a slice of pizza. And then all of a sudden, I just felt immense guilt. And I don't really know why. And then I just kind of stopped. And thankfully, there are so many options now that I can substitute like meat and dairy for so I can actually like keep it that lifestyle. I remember back when there was like one vegetarian, maybe vegan restaurant in town. And it was like the best thing that I had ever had. But now it's like, you can get an impossible Whopper. Like, you can go to Carl's Jr, and get a plant based burger like it's insane. But yeah, even back then I never really just consumed me. But I think that I liked that diet. I mean, not think I know I like that diet. It's great. I would never change it again. But yeah, it's very different. None of my other friends are vegan or vegetarian. I've had a few friends who tried it, but they just don't really care for it. And that's fine. I don't bully people into changing their diet. I really, to each their own. But yeah, also, I think that Las Vegas, I will say not to be rude doesn't really have its own huge culture of food, like other places. But I do think that we're lucky enough to have so many like big restaurants, chain restaurants, so many things that have so many options for everybody. But yeah, that's mainly my upbringing and diet and everything.
Unknown Speaker 3:24
I like what you're going with in terms of the diet, I think it's pretty cool that you are doing something that's a little more, I don't want to say different from everybody. But I would say unique in a good way. But if there's a better word than unique, if somebody wants to just say it in here, I'm fine with it. But I admire what you're doing. I mean, I will admit I don't I do feel the guilt of eating meat at times, but not a lot. I mean, I gotta I gotta eat too, you know? So
Unknown Speaker 3:50
with that whole guilt thing, like I don't feel bad about eating it. I feel bad about the way that it's processed. Like that whole industry is so bad.
Unknown Speaker 3:59
Well, that's the thing too, that upsets me the most is my issue with it is the factory farming. And like, I mean, now you can pretty much find inside like behind the scenes people going undercover into slaughterhouses. And it's like, disgusting. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 4:17
but the mass production part of A is wrong,
Unknown Speaker 4:20
because they just want to get as much meat out as they can. But the thing is, like, the meat isn't really that good. It's got a crap ton of hormones in it, like in their diets that they're eating. And I forget what animal it was, it might be kind of universal for all those animals, but they just feed those animals kind of like anything. And there's, I mean, we have a lot of microplastics in our body anyway, not to get all like environmental, but we do but we're also consuming the animals that eat so many microplastics too, and that's not good. Yeah. And it's true. Yeah. So it's that part of it. I understand that, you know, people do hunt for their own food, but the thing is, they also use the whole All animals. They're respectful about it exactly. And I mean, I'm not going to come for certain cultures who do that, because that's their culture. I mean, we don't eat dogs, but in other countries, people may do we eat cows, but in other countries people have may not. It's all different. And I mean, I just keep my opinions to myself about it. But I will say like, Factory Farming is the worst part for me, but some people do it more humane.
Unknown Speaker 5:26
Yeah, no, I was gonna say, because there's like, the, like, free range chickens like that sort of stuff, which is, I think is fine, because it's like, they get to live their lives. Get to be chickens don't aren't just like stuffed in cages and stuff like that. Yeah. But um, yeah, I, I'm glad you answer that. Because I was going to ask you about, like, how you felt about other people who do eat meat, because I know sometimes a lot of like vegans or vegetarians are, are very staunchly against anyone doing that.
Unknown Speaker 5:54
Yeah. Well, and I will say, I mean, I disagree with it. But I'm not going to be like, You need to stop eating meat right now. Or, like, you'll go to hell or something like that. Just like, make you feel so bad about eating meat, because I wouldn't really want somebody to do that to me. But I also do have a very Italian family. So I have I have received my fair share of you so skinny, meaty me don't do this, because you don't eat me like, yeah, so many comments, my dad will still get on my case today, and he'll get pissy with me, because I don't eat all the things that Italian should eat, quote unquote, Italian should yeah.
Unknown Speaker 6:34
Well, I mean, personally, I just think people shouldn't be judging, because there's issues with both even with veganism and like, you know, definitely. Farmers in the Global South. Yeah, treated badly. But yeah, that's a whole nother conversation.
Unknown Speaker 6:48
Yeah, that would be a different more environment. Yeah, conversation. I think that there definitely should be a balance between you know, people who eat meat and people who don't because yeah, I mean, not everybody can or wants to be vegan or even vegetarian, which is fine. Yeah. But also there are the people who like we're just talking about do it humane. I think it's the kosher meat, I think. Yeah. Where they have them blessed. And then they Yeah, kill them humanely. Yeah. Which is a lot better than what factory farmers do. Yes, definitely. It's more respectful to definitely, but yeah, there's a good balance, but that's just what I chose. And I don't I feel better like physically, I was never really a fan of a hated milk cheese. I did love but there's so many options for me now. And it really kind of just tastes the same to me. But you know, that's fine. I grew up on it and I'm good.
Unknown Speaker 7:49
So those are like well cheeses like the only like dairy foods that you miss
Unknown Speaker 7:53
that yeah, that was probably like the one that took me the longest to part with eggs I never really ate but like sometimes before school when I'd have to get up at like 536 in the morning, I'd just make scrambled eggs and then be good. But milk eggs most meat like I just never really had a hard time parting with but cheese I really enjoyed. And I will say that I used to like slip sometimes and have a little bit of cheese. But I'm getting I've been much better about it now. But yeah, I mean back even a few years ago when there's only like one brand of vegan cheese really sucked. It smelled and tasted terrible.
Unknown Speaker 8:34
Well, like now that there's more do you have like a favorite brand or one that you would recommend to people who like are looking for substitutes
Unknown Speaker 8:42
or I do I will say there's one Oh, I can't think of the name. Chow. They have cheese slices that I've put on like burgers before to see a or Whoa, see I A Oh, you can get it at like Target Walmart Whole Foods all that and then so delicious is probably my favorite for everything. I mean, like dairy wise, they've got great cheese. Their ice cream is super good. And I'm not really a fan of coconuts too. So I don't really like when ice creams are made with coconut milk. I'm pretty sure that they use cashew or almond. But meat wise Morningstar I love beyond burger and Impossible Burger beyond burger I like a lot more impossible kind of makes me nauseous. I'm not sure what that is. But I think it's like a reoccurring thing because I've heard of one or two other people who have gotten sick off of it. But yeah, those are my go twos.
Unknown Speaker 9:38
If I may ask, what caused or influenced your mom to go into vegetarian veganism? I don't know if you had addressed that as you were speaking
Unknown Speaker 9:49
I want to say I didn't but I want to say it's because I think she may have seen or not witnessed herself but maybe seeing like I don't know what it was, but I know that she saw something or heard about something on like the mistreatment, and she just didn't really, she kind of just went cold turkey. Luckily, her family would just, if they were making pasta, they would just make a separate marinara sauce for her that had no meat in it. And everything that I do, I'm pretty positive that it was because she saw something that kind of made her just stop right away,
Unknown Speaker 10:25
I would understand that I know some people that have either seen or witnessed or heard something that caused them to just withdraw from eating meat. I was not I don't know if I can say almost completely, but they did withdraw. And I just want to be clear, like I do, like I said, I do admire what you're doing. I mean, I do eat meat, and I'm guilty of it. But maybe one day, you know, I'm just thinking maybe I might go into vegetarianism or veganism, or both, you know, I'm thinking about doing that. It's just like me, kind of, I can't confirm anything right now. But it's just a matter of standing in solidarity with people who just choose to, you know, kind of just say no to this kind of treatment of animals in general.
Unknown Speaker 11:06
See, well, and that's the thing, too. It's like, you can do it in your own time. And I mean, you're you're aware of like how things are, and you kind of want to adapt that lifestyle. It's okay to not be fully vegetarian. People will shame you for that. Yeah, those people are ridiculous. And they think that they're better than everybody. I understand that it's not easy, because I had a hard time. But I mean, even cutting down like red meat that you eat makes a crazy difference, just cutting down any kind of the I'm not here to preach to anybody. But I'm just saying, yeah, like even you don't have to fully cut it out of your diet, but maybe weaning off something, you'll notice a change whether it's good or bad. You'll notice something. I mean, it's not for everybody.
Unknown Speaker 11:53
Yeah, I want to agree on that too. Because it Yeah, like you're like you're saying it is hard. And I mean, I've been I grew up eating meat. I grew up eating beef and stuff. But my mom, she grew up not really eating pork, because I think because it smelled or something. But it's not because of the way it was treated or stuff because she grew up in another country. But me I just don't want to eat pork anymore, because she just doesn't want to eat pork. So it's like, that's just my reason. I don't want to eat pork because I don't want to eat
Unknown Speaker 12:18
pork. So Exactly. Yeah. Well, and it's how you're brought up to I mean, my mom never ate meat. My dad did. But it would be a lot of process things. Like, I never really cared for steak or anything. So because it was never made. And I just guess I didn't like it. But yeah, I mean, it's all also just like what you could have in your home. Like, if you couldn't afford a certain thing. It because I will say sometimes that the diet that I do have can be very expensive. It depends what you kind of got to know what you're looking for and just make maybe do your research a little more. But some things are pretty expensive. And I don't know, I don't like that.
Unknown Speaker 13:06
And I have another question. So there are some other products and I'm looking at him too. When I'm on the market. There are some products that are they say plant based or it's beyond? Do you trust a lot of the brands? Because I think you had mentioned some brands earlier, but how do you feel about them? Still not really being kind of honest, or do you suspect some sort of dishonesty in the way that the product was being made like false advertisement.
Unknown Speaker 13:30
Um, I will say sometimes, because there is a good example at Trader Joe's they had I don't know if they still have it, but they had a brand of like mozzarella cheese, right. And I'll read the label for the most part just to see because sometimes it'll say may contain like soy, wheat milk, egg, something like that. Or it'll have like produced in the factory with milk and eggs. And they advertised for some mozzarella cheese at Trader Joe's. And in the ingredients. It said that it contained milk, but it was advertised as like fully plant based and vegan. So I don't know how that got through. It was very odd. But yeah, I will double check unless I know what I'm consuming already. I usually do double check. Also, I just want to see how long that ingredients list is. But I don't really get to know about those things. Okay, but I always do check to see if it will contain like milk or eggs or any of those. Oh, of
Unknown Speaker 14:32
course it's better to check because don't just buy it and put it just don't don't look don't get it and put in your cart. No, it's always important to do your research and Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 14:41
exactly. And cuz I haven't consumed any meat or really dairy in the past few years. Like I really do not want to get sick. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 14:49
it'd be like a shock to your system. Exactly.
Unknown Speaker 14:51
Because I can't really digest that kind of meat anymore. So yeah.
Unknown Speaker 14:58
So you were saying that You were like a very picky eater Do you feel like since you've converted to like vegetarianism or vegan vegan veganism? Sorry? Do you feel like that's kind of opened up your tastebuds a little more? Are you still like a picky eater?
Unknown Speaker 15:14
I think it has. Honestly, I can get lucky sometimes and have more of the process foods that I know that I like also, because I work 40 hours a week. So I'm looking for the quick and easy route. But it definitely has made me broaden my horizons with the options that I choose for food. I mean, I was always kind of made to eat like vegetables with my dinners as well, too. So I didn't really have to worry about that. But like some fruits and veggies that I didn't like a few years ago, if I make them a certain way, I mean, like people's taste buds. Taste buds change, too, I think as well, because I used to hate tomatoes, and now I love them. But I will say that it's made me venture out a lot more, especially when I make my own stuff more. That's what I'm trying to do. Now. I'm making myself eat more vegetables that I used to not like or was too scared to try. But it's it's given me a push that I needed, especially now, like I had mentioned previously, there's a lot more options out there. So there's a lot more options to choose the processed route. I'm trying to stay away from that. But it's hard because it's so easy and convenient. And it looks good. So I want to eat it. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 16:29
So I was just kind of wondering, what is the kind of food that you didn't like to eat but now you're okay with eating like you mentioned tomatoes, but is there one? Like, is there another like otter examples too, that you wanted to kind of like bring out if you want
Unknown Speaker 16:45
asparagus I used to hate extremely. Now I really like it, especially when it's properly seasoned and cooked. I really enjoy it. Um, risotto. I used to hate that as well. What Yeah, I know. Well, now I know. Yeah. But back then I was like, so rude. so disrespectful to my mom who made it, but I do really enjoy it. Now. I just don't make it often, especially because it's a longer process. Let me think, trying to think of foods that I never really liked prior.
Unknown Speaker 17:22
So with some of those foods, you ended up liking them, like you ended up liking the vegan version or the vegetarian version of them.
Unknown Speaker 17:29
Yeah, well, I mainly so when my parents divorced and then me and my mom moved in with my stepdad. He became vegan, I think maybe like six years ago as well too, because they watched some documentary and he's like, Well, I can do that. And then he one day did it. And he's really happy with that too. But before he ate meat a lot but she would have him cook his own food because number one she didn't really know how to cook meat number two, she just didn't want to, I guess enable it for lack of a better term but made mainly the food that I ate was vegetarian thanks to my mom, but I don't I think it stressed I grew up and I stopped being like Ill all my food is touching and I it just doesn't look like pasta with red sauce on it or pasta with pesto. Like I need to have normal looking food. I think I was too scared to try a bunch of different foods that weren't like the normal like chicken tender and fries kind of thing. Yeah, I think I was just a little scared too.
Unknown Speaker 18:32
Yeah. Well, did you ever like I mean, you can answer this rare like before you turned vegan or vegetarian. And like even now, did you ever try anything outside of like Italian food American food, like?
Unknown Speaker 18:45
Definitely, I mean, one of my favorite things to make is like a stir fry with tofu. So I'll get like, I'm not a huge fan of cauliflower, but I will add some in. But I'll get like snap peas I love. I'll put some peppers in there. Onions occasionally. And Rice, a bunch of soy sauce, broccoli, like pretty much everything and I'll make tofu. And the way that I was shown how to make it is like the only way that I will make it now that's my favorite Mexican food. I'll make fajitas I'll just take out the meat. Or I can always you know, get substitutes, but I haven't tried that yet. Or I'll just get like crumbled up fake meat and then I'll make tacos out of that. I mean I've made like burgers before sloppy Joe's all that stuff. The American food.
Unknown Speaker 19:34
Yeah, well do you enjoy cooking?
Unknown Speaker 19:37
I do. I just don't have the time right now. Nor do I like it's hard because sometimes I don't know if you guys do the same thing but I'll buy food that is very perishable. And then it'll sit in my fridge because I forget about it or you're too lazy to make it and then it goes bad. So I I really try to stick to frozen veggies. Or if I make a whole meal, I'll try to make it and then just it'll last throughout the week. But I do enjoy cooking. It's just when I have the time for it is the question. Because I never know my shifts until like a week before for working.
Unknown Speaker 20:16
Yay, it makes life so difficult. Exactly.
Unknown Speaker 20:19
So I never really know when my days off are unless I have one reserved like a month earlier. So I kind of if I can't cook, then I'll just slum it with little snacks to keep me fed throughout the day. But I mean, last night, I just made a huge thing of pasta with pesto. And then I'll probably put veggies in there soon. Just so I can not just eat carbs, because I do do that a lot. It's the Italian in you. Exactly. Yeah. All the starches, pasta, rice, all that those are my favorites. But I'm really trying to make myself not eat too many. Just because I know eating. If you eat all protein or all carbs, like it's not really much for you,
Unknown Speaker 21:04
ya know, like, regardless of what type of diet you have, if you eat too much of one thing, it's not good. Exactly.
Unknown Speaker 21:08
So I'm trying to wean away from like, I mean, I still will eat processed things, especially if I get home at 11 o'clock at night from work. Yeah, and I don't feel like making something. I don't have leftovers ready, then I'm just going to eat something processed. But if I do have the time, I will make an effort to make the better option. Even if I did eat meat. I would still try. Yeah, because I'm all over the place.
Unknown Speaker 21:35
Well, I was going to ask what are some of your favorite dishes?
Unknown Speaker 21:39
I would say my first one would probably be that stir fry. Like I just mentioned, I don't know how much how legit it is to call it stir fry but to me to be stir fry. But yeah, tofu a lot of people get I get a lot of mixed reactions from the tofu. But if you season it, put the right sauces on it. I think it's great. Especially mixed in with certain things. Another one is tacos. Those are probably my favorite. It's really simple to the only real substitute is the meat. Yeah. And then I love adding like tomatoes, lettuce. And then I have gotten before those, I guess talk about sells like their sauces and actual stores. And I'll buy that. I'll put the spicy stuff on.
Unknown Speaker 22:25
Nice. So good. Wait, I have a question. So I have to ask this as Mexican. Do you use soft shell or hard shell for your talk?
Unknown Speaker 22:33
I use the flour. Okay, the flour tortillas. So I guess it'd be more of a burrito? Yeah. But yeah, I don't know why I call it tacos. I just always say I'm making tacos, because I mean, I'm pretty white.
Unknown Speaker 22:46
It's the same ingredients. It's fine. Just yeah, default,
Unknown Speaker 22:49
I guess. Taco would be the better term. Yeah. But yeah, I really wanted to try to make some hardshell tacos as well, because I really only eat like soft shell ones. But I just haven't had the time to spend the day at the grocery store trying to stock up on everything. Yeah, but yeah, sorry, that was so Caucasian.
Unknown Speaker 23:11
Don't worry about it. We're just, you know, say
Unknown Speaker 23:17
you're good. We're here to share our cultures exact or mix them to I mean,
Unknown Speaker 23:23
I grew up in InDesign household, but that's still pretty, pretty white.
Unknown Speaker 23:28
As long as you're not being disrespectful,
Unknown Speaker 23:29
I try not to be that's why I'm I call things what I do, just because that's what I've heard. And it might not be completely accurate. But, you know, I'll just if anything, I'll be like, bah if I attempted some burrito taco thing. Yeah. Or what I thought was stir fry. But yeah, but those are definitely my favorite two to make the Go twos.
Unknown Speaker 23:53
So you talked about how you don't like drinking milk. Have you had tried any alternatives? Like oat milk or almond?
Unknown Speaker 24:02
Yes. I'm getting a coffee. I will always go with soy milk because I do kind of like sweeter coffee. I like the bitter taste of coffee, but I do like it kind of balanced. If we're talking just like drinking milk out of a glass. I will usually choose cashew milk. I think. I think the brand would also be so delicious for that one or it might be Almond Breeze. Okay. I don't know. But Almond Breeze has such good milk. If you ever want to try it. It's so good. And even if you don't like like the nutty taste, they have it sweetened like vanilla chocolate, whatever. I think what's that brand? It's the soy milk. Silk silk. Okay, yeah, that one's good. It's not my favorite. But I mean, I think just with all the other options now, it's like I have so much to choose from oat milk was never my favorite. Okay, I know it's super popular now, but it was just never my thing.
Unknown Speaker 24:59
I feel like Hey, it's okay.
Unknown Speaker 25:01
I feel like oat milk just overpowers, whatever it's in. It's good, but you can't taste anything else but the oat milk and Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 25:07
exactly. And I think that's the issue I had with silk. Because that was like one of the only ones when I was younger, especially like I'd have it with cereal and I just did not like it. I think because it was too sweet. Especially when you're eating sugary cereal. That's the last thing I need at 6am. But yeah, I definitely like the cache cashew milk. I definitely recommend because you can't it doesn't taste too crazy if that makes any sense. Like it's a good balance of like the sweet and like the actual cashew nut itself. But yeah, I never really mess with milk. I never loved it. I would eat it with cereal, but I could never drink it. I don't know why. It just I think the consistency of it maybe grossed me out something like that. But yeah,
Unknown Speaker 25:54
it's okay. No, no issue with that. We're, we're just all listening with open ears. Yes. Okay.
Unknown Speaker 25:59
I will say though, to that I did have a friend who used to put ice in her milk. And I found that very odd, but I don't know. Maybe it's like a no, that's weird to try it. I'm just trying to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Unknown Speaker 26:13
I'm sorry. Yeah, I just came on the attack, but I know somebody else who used to do that.
Unknown Speaker 26:19
Yeah, yeah. Well, I just don't understand why you'd want to water down the milk. Yeah, but I'm, I'm just gonna be nice. I'm not.
Unknown Speaker 26:31
I'm just being open minded. I'm not gonna judge. I'm just trying not to judge. So yeah,
Unknown Speaker 26:35
I'm trying to be nicer about it. But I won't. I probably will never try it. I would try it. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 26:43
But right now, I'm just I don't drink milk. Anyway. I'm lactose intolerant, so I can't try it. Yeah, there you go. Yeah, I'm just trying to be a hater. For fun. I don't actually mean it.
Unknown Speaker 26:54
Understood. But yeah, we're good. Yeah. Well, we appreciate that you are very respectful towards people who may not eat vegan food and vegetarian food. Because, you know, like, we had all said that there are people that just are judgmental and pretty snotty. So yeah, I mean, like I say, I really do, we really do appreciate you for being very respectful and for being just open about talking about your upbringing and stuff. So is there anything that you would like to say?
Unknown Speaker 27:22
Um, yeah, just one quick thing. I will say that I think not to be playing victim. But I will say that there is like kind of a stigma which it does live up to its stereotype that a lot of hoity toity like rich white people can come off condescending to because you don't adapt to that lifestyle. But not everybody can maintain that lifestyle. Luckily, I found something that works for me, especially financially, because I'm a broke fresh out of college kid. But I do think that a lot of people think that they have a better life because they can afford that lifestyle or because I don't consume animal. So I'm better than you. I mean, everybody has their own opinions. But I just think that, you know, it's kind of To each their own. I can't change anybody's mind. If they want to. That's awesome. If not, okay, but yeah, that I will say that, because that's something that bothers me. Yeah. So
Unknown Speaker 28:18
basically just say, like, or not, not you particularly but anybody just in general, it's just more of be yourself and don't force people to be on your side. Let them do what they want to do.
Unknown Speaker 28:30
Exactly. I mean, of course, there's always a better way to do things. Yeah, with me eating wise, but I can't really control that. I can't control what you eat or what you eat. But yeah, everybody's different. So I kind of just mind my own business. If they asked me, I'll tell you if you want help, I'll help you. But yeah, alrighty. Well, thank you guys for listening to me rant on about my vegan lifestyle. If anybody does want to get into it, then that's awesome. If not, well, then hopefully you learned a thing or two or just enjoyed listening to us talk about it. But yeah, thank you and we will see you next episode. Thank you.
Unknown Speaker 29:11
Thank you.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai