Why Guerrilla Vegetarian?

Welcome to "Guerrilla Vegetarian," my blog on my vegetarian culinary adventures. After floating the idea of the blog for more than a year and a half, it is finally here!

I am not a complete vegetarian yet, although my diet is more than 90% vegetarian. I choose to eat vegetarian because of health, environmental, and humanitarian reasons, plus it's just delicious! In the Bay area where the quality of produce is superb, I hardly miss meat at all. I love cooking and experimenting with different cuisines, so it's never boring to eat vegetarian because there are millions of ways to prepare vegetarian food.

I like eating out too, and I've found that if you are willing to do some research beforehand, there is often an unexpectedly wide range of vegetarian options in any US city. Exploring vegetarian restaurants is one of my must-dos whenever I travel, and even in the Bay area, I have a long list of places I've yet to try.

So why do I call myself a "guerrilla"? I certainly don't sound like a weapon-toting crook, do I?

My approach to vegetarian eating is "guerrilla" because:

1. I love to try new cuisines, restaurants, recipes, etc. I almost never repeat a recipe unless it's really good.

2. I always seek the best quality AND value. While a bargain-hunter at heart, I'd rather pay more for good-quality organic produce than have a so-so meal at a restaurant.

3. I am an impromptu cook. Except in baking, I rarely follow a recipe word-by-word and measure out ingredients. I enjoy the freedom of improvising and this often gives me the greatest satisfaction.

4. I tend to opt for the offbeat and unconventional. I sample obscure, hole-in-the-wall places as well as ingredients not on the typical dinner plate. Think Jerusalem artichokes or watermelon radishes, not broccoli or green beans.

5. I am an avid researcher and consume food media voraciously. Vegetarian Times, VegNews, NYT Food Section, Bon Appetit, Food Network, Martha Stewart's publications, and multiple food blogs are all my go-to sources of information.

I've much to share with you in the days ahead, and I hope you'll have some fun too when reading my posts. Welcome aboard!