— Robert Kerr

I can't tell you how many times I've made a meal for people not even knowing that they were, you know, not plant-based or they ate meat. Um, and by the end of it, when they're all done eating, they're like, oh wait, I guess we didn't even have any meat, did we? Um, you know, and that just kind of the way it works out. So, uh, I think the best thing to do is lean into your expertise. So, uh, lean into the dishes that you like best to be able to prepare, uh, that you can do really well. And, um, the better you can execute the dish, the more they'll be wowed by, uh, the taste and flavors of your dishes. Um, and they're probably going to not even realize that there wasn't meat into it. Now if you're looking for something that's kind of in the replication of meat or something like that, just look for something that's a little more on the umami side. Mushrooms are actually a great, um, way to be able to do that. So a lot of times I'll use, uh, mushrooms in different kinds of ways to be able to either press them into like a steak like texture or to use them in tacos, um, or even to like bread them, um, you know, and have them as like a, um, like a chicken parmesan or something like that. But using um, or Parmesan chicken, just using a mushroom instead. So, uh, if you're looking for like more of a meat replacement kind of a thing that might be a little more up your alley for that. Um, if you are using oil, you can do a deep fried, you know, batter on a mushroom that comes out very much like a fried chicken or something like that too. Um, but otherwise, yeah, just stick with what you know well and good flavors and you probably won't have to, uh, even talk about, um, meat afterward.