如何使豆腐美味可口,以及给素食主义者的建议

Veganism has gone from a niche lifestyle choice to a mainstream diet in just a decade, with a 360 per cent spike in the UK since 2006.

英国至2006年起，仅仅十年，就以360%的增长率使素食主义从一种特殊的生活选择变成了主流的饮食方式。

But separate research suggests that those who choose a plant-based diet can struggle to commit, with one US-based study showing that 84 per cent turn back to meat. Despite its popularity, the vegan diet is understandably tricky to stick to in a world where practically everything seems like it is dripping in melted cheese (thanks, Facebook food videos). When faced with a plate of bland, badly-cooked tofu or a comfortable, failproof burger, it can be hard to stick to the plant-based diet you were once so set on.

然而，一项单独研究表明那些选择以植物为基础饮食的人正极力地抗争，避免犯错误(指吃肉食)，其中一项以美国人为调查对象的研究表明84%的人会再次回到食肉的状态。尽管素食主义很流行，然而在一个任何食物似乎都会融化在奶酪的诱惑里，以至于严格的素食主义饮食方式很难坚持下来(感谢脸书的食物视频)。当你面对一盘乏味且烹制不佳的豆腐和一个精心制作的美味汉堡时，坚持你曾选择的素食主义会变得非常困难。

Luckily, Chicago-based food writer Ashley Mellilo is here to help. A former meat-eater, she is now a committed vegan who recently released her book Blissful Basil.

幸运的是，芝加哥的美食博主艾什莉·梅利洛能够提供一些帮助。她之前是一个肉食主义者，如今已是一个坚定的素食主义者了，并且还在近日出版了她的《极乐的罗勒叶》一书。

While she went cold-turkey overnight to become a vegetarian in 2010, it took her six months to gradually reduce her dairy and egg consumption and turn vegan. Of course, she has the expected "veganism changed my life for the better" story, but she says it not only improved her physical health, but her mental well-being, too.

在2010年，她一夜间戒掉了自己的肉瘾并成为一个素食主义者，期间她花了六个月的时间逐渐地减少奶制品和鸡蛋消耗量并变成越来越典型的素食主义者。当然，她有期待中的"素食主义使我的生活变得更好"的故事，然而她却说(成为一个素食主义者)不仅使得身体变强壮了，也使心理更健康了。

"Not only do I feel much more at peace, energised, and sharper than ever before, shifting my eating habits has also been instrumental in managing anxiety.

"(成为一个素食主义者)不仅使我变得更平和、精力更充沛，也使我变得比过去更敏捷了。另外，改变饮食习惯也在控制焦虑上起了作用"

She adds: "Just as there isn't a quick path or permanent route to happiness, there isn't a quick fix or magical pill to dissolve anxiety. Rather, the solution has been an ongoing, ever-evolving process of shifting several of my habits and voting in favor of myself one small choice at a time." Mellilo is a persuasive devotee to veganism, and has an appetising and varied diet.

她补充道，"就像没有快速或不变的路径抵达幸福一样，也没有即刻生效的药方或药丸能够消除焦虑。与此相反，解决问题是一个不断改变习惯，在关键时刻投自己赞成票的过程，并且这个过程是持续进行，不断发展的"。梅利洛是一个极有说服力的素食主义迷恋者，并且有开胃、多变的素食菜单。

She even knows how to make tofu taste like more than rubber: "Tofu needs a little more love than most foods," she explains.

她甚至知道如何将豆腐烹饪地远比橡皮脆滑可口。"豆腐比一般的食材更需要认真对待"，她解释道。

So, what does a hardcore vegan actually eat day-to-day? "I'm a smoothie lover, so that's often my go-to breakfast, but lately I've been enjoying a warm bowl of oats with almond butter and berry compote or coconut yogurt topped with homemade granola and a drizzle of maple syrup," says Mellilo. So far, so delicious.

那么，一个绝对的素食主义者每天吃什么呢？"我是一个冰沙爱好者，所以它是我的经典早餐。然而近来，我开始享受一碗伴有杏仁酱的热燕麦粥、浆果酱或椰子味的酸奶并且顶端还有自制麦片和细雨般枫糖浆的早餐组合"，梅利洛说道。这到目前为止都很美味。