Going Vegan With Brian Hernandez

GOING VEGAN

PMQ snoops through Brian Hernandez’s vegan journal as he embarks on a plant-based odyssey that could change his life (or not).

Brian Hernandez, PMQ’s test chef, coordinator of the U.S. Pizza Team and Star Wars buff, is giving the vegan diet a whirl for three months in 2022, and we’re all going to tag along through his vegan journal and posts on PMQ’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Read below to see how it all got started and stay tuned to see how it ends!

September 23, 2021

All of the best journeys start unexpectedly: Howard the Duck, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, and, of course, Star Wars. Driving home today, I was listening to some random talk radio show and heard a story about an unnamed famous person who was challenged to a bet: He simply had to “go vegan” for a month, and a certain charity would get a donation. Unfortunately, he turned it down, but I can’t stop thinking about it. Would I do that? Could I do that?

October 27, 2021

This vegan thing is still on my mind. I’m gonna do it. But I think 30 days is probably not enough time to see any major change. Let’s do three months! January through March 2022. I’ve picked these dates based on the mere fact that I want to eat a nice, robust Christmas dinner before I try this. Also, the U.S. Pizza Team is returning to the World Pizza Championship in Parma, Italy, on April 1. I know I won’t be able to resist all the local cuisine, and I don’t want to set myself up for failure. But I would be remiss if I didn’t hold fast to the green guns as best I could. Italy has plenty of delicious vegan options, BUT THE MEAT!!!

November 11, 2021

Let’s go! You can do this, Brian! Step one! Start thinking about what I need to get a head start, so I’m not jumping into the deep end. Equipment, ingredients, etc. I bought Making Vegan Meat by Mark Thompson today. I’m very interested in seeing how I can make vegan proteins at home. It looks tricky but fun. I realize this will take many attempts, tests and trials to get the vegan meats the way I like them. But, with that in mind, I want to see what’s better for my pocketbook—to make this stuff at home or buy it premade.

December 15, 2021

The jury is still out. While amassing the vast number of required unique grains, proteins and extracts to make my own vegan meats, my technique is that of a rookie. Vegan meat seems at times to be more food science than culinary art. But I really want to see how much product I can get out of the ingredients versus buying premade. It took a while to get all the ingredients from several sources, but they are here, and I’m ready to get started on this journey. I had no idea listening to a random radio show in the car would lead me down this path. Now, where’s my lightsaber?

For more detailed info about Brian’s journey, shopping lists and recipes, visit pmq.com/bvj.