Last night, I did something really shocking. I had meat and cheese lasagna! And I could have even had a cheeseburger! But I didn’t cheat on keeping kosher. How was this possible? In a word: soy. My friend made a lasagna with real cheese and soy meat. She also served a creamy pesto which was made from tofu instead of cheese (she could have served cheese, though, since the meat in the lasagna was soy). Although I usually choose between making cheese lasagna and meat lasagna (when I am in the mood to make this favorite dish), it was interesting, for the first time in years (since before I started keeping kosher—I was not raised religious), to have a “meat” and cheese lasagna!
Soy has definitely made keeping kosher easier. I do admit that it can be a bit confusing, since, when I go to my friend who I know keeps kosher stringently and doesn’t mix meat and milk, I have to ask whether the “cheese” in the lasagna is soy or the meat. However, this is a minor problem, and it is better to have soy options than not having them. In spite of recent debate over problems with soy, it is still a lot healthier than the “parve” solutions of yesteryear, like non-dairy creamer and parve ice cream (which contain a lot of chemicals.) Soy substitutes are as smooth and delicious as their originals, and some even prefer Tofutti cream cheese to regular (I wouldn’t go that far, although it depends on the type of cream cheese!)
However, there are some people who have been keeping kosher all of their lives (or just recently as the case may be) who are uneasy with the idea of eating an imitation cheeseburger or the “cheese” lasagna. This demonstrates the principle of “to each his (or her) own.” Although one may run the risk of shocking people, these dishes can be served to people who trust that the place they are eating is kosher. My creamy (the “cream” was made of flour, soya milk, and oil) and meaty Greek moussaka did shock one guest, who refused to eat it, but most people have no problems with soy substitutes, and it certainly makes life easier and a bit more fun.