Vegans vs. Anthony Bourdain?

I think the opposite is clearly a bit closer to the truth if you look at this quotation from chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain:

“Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans, are a persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn. To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living. Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, and an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food.”

Don’t get me wrong—I like Anthony Bourdain as much as any vegan really can. I read Kitchen Confidential, and I enjoy No Reservations and his bad attitude in general—just not when it’s directed at me.

In reaction to ole Tony’s disdain for those of us who avoid animal products, a blog appropriately titled Hezbollah Tofu has started up to prove that there’s nothing lacking about vegan recipes, even when they’re based on Bourdain’s own recipes.

But wait! It gets even better. Now we can see how these veganized versions are stacking up against Tony’s originals. Endless Simmer lets visitors vote in its regular “Who Cooked It Better?” series, and this time it is Bourdain’s French onion soup vs. Hezbollah Tofu’s veganized version.

Thanks go out to Brendan for the tip on this great story.