SUE ANDRESEN never saw herself as a vegetarian, but Saturday she found herself having a vegan dinner party at her Clarksville home.
"I never thought I would become a vegetarian or vegan because I don't like that many veggies," Andresen said. However, she learned that eating vegan is more a way of life than a love of vegetables.
In July, Andresen's daughter, Amy Smith, and Smith's boyfriend, Chris Bolt, both 18, moved to Clarksville. They had recently become vegans - meaning they eat no animal products, including the hidden ones, such as whey and casein, as well as the obvious ones such as cheese and eggs, Andresen said.
Andresen said she began cooking vegan much of the time for her family - which also includes a son, Mark, 14 - because it was easier than cooking two meals. "I found that vegan cooking isn't nearly as difficult as I had assumed," she said.
But she was disappointed in the limited options for vegan eating, aside from cooking in her own kitchen.
After Andresen and her husband, Brand Fortner, attended a Thanksgiving dinner held by the Vegetarian Resource Group in Baltimore, the couple had the idea of holding a monthly vegan potluck in their home.
"We anticipate it as being an opportunity to meet people, socialize, share food and recipes, and promote a healthy lifestyle," Andresen said.
So she posted notices in health food stores and newspapers inviting people to her dinner. Vegans, vegetarians and others met Saturday to share recipes and exchange ideas about healthy eating. Dinner guests gave ethical and health reasons for their interest in being vegan.
Rebecca and Dave Pille and their son, Chris, 16, of Laurel, dined with Andresen and her family that night. "There are a lot of ethical overtones to veganism," Rebecca Pille said.
"Modern food industry practices are harmful to the Earth and to the animals, and to the people who eat the animals," she said. "It's not like the olden days when we were pioneers. There are many foods around now to choose from."
Others are concerned with the negative health aspects of eating animal products.
Adrienne Trost of Baltimore attended the dinner with her daughter, Robin Bounds, who lives in Clarksville. Although the pair are not vegan, Trost is concerned about her cholesterol level and hopes to learn more-healthful ways of preparing food.
Andresen and Bolt said that most of the cholesterol in a person's diet stems from animal products.
