There are probably as many answers as veggie/non-veggie couples. Sure, some so-called "vegansexuals" draw a hard line, with the mantra "Lips That Touch Liver Will Never Touch Mine." Others prefer to jump into the fray, mix it up and see what happens.
South Jersey's Anne Dinshah is one of those adventurous souls. You could say she wrote the book on this topic, because she did. It's due out at the end of this month.
Dating Vegans (American Vegan Society) grew from Dinshah's column in American Vegan magazine and is largely a chronicle of her matchups over one dedicated year with men, some of whom were not quite vegan, and others who were wayyy not vegan. She talks about how they reacted to her veganism and what foods they found as common ground. She even interviews her exes to get their take.
One ex, Brad Holdren, told her, "On the grand scale of 'squeezing the toothpaste' issues, vegan is not huge. Other topics, like kids or religion, seem tougher. I gotta believe it's just a learning process that involves cooperating together."
Across the board, Dinshah said, "what worked best was asking a guy what are his three favorite vegetables, then I would craft a delicious entrée using those."
Sometimes she worked the other way, though. "One guy dared me to make him like brussels sprouts. I made him three dishes and he liked all of them, including a fruit pie that has brussels sprouts in it!
"It always impresses a man if you can make a dessert he likes," she added. "Everybody likes dessert."
The book includes recipes for treats like easy vegan fudge and almost-as-easy brownies (See recipes at Philly.com/veganchoc) that even those who are not as handy in the kitchen can make. "If you really want her," Dinshah advised male readers, "make her some chocolate. You're going against the stereotype."
