Truly Gifted: An A-Z DIY Holiday Workshop For The Vegetarians and Vegans On Your Holiday List

"Passionate" is too lightweight a word to describe how some folks feel about the dietary decision to become a vegetarian or vegan. As someone who has dabbled in both, I know some people just don't get it.

Vegetarianism or veganism is not a new food topic of debate, but it's been getting some extra coverage with the publication of novelist Jonathan Safran-Foer's new book, Eating Animals. Safran-Foer describes his gradual transformation from an omnivorous, oblivious slacker who "waffled among any number of diets", to "committed vegetarian."

Here's some recent vegan news:

"Last month, Gary Steiner, a philosopher at Bucknell University, argued on the Op-Ed page of The New York Times that people should strive to be "strict ethical vegans" like himself, avoiding all products derived from animals, including wool and silk. Killing animals for human food and finery is nothing less than "outright murder," he said."

Vegetarians do not eat meat, including beef, chicken, pork, or fish. People seem to have a clear idea of what a vegetarian is, but when you mention you are a vegan, they ask all sorts of questions. The Vegetarian Kitchen explains,

Vegetarians avoid meat, fowl, and seafood; vegans avoid all animal products in the diet, including eggs, dairy products, and honey. They also avoid any animal products in daily life. No leather, no wool, and no cosmetics tested on animals. For most vegans, ethical factors weigh in equally, if not more so, as health and environmental issues. Concerns for animal welfare and the embracing of a more compassionate lifestyle means that in general, any products that are animal-derived or that contain animal byproducts are avoided.

WATCH VIDEO: Emeril's Vegetarian Recipes

Create A Cookbook

Everyone seems to have a food-stained funky folder stuffed with tried and true recipes? Turn those recipes into cookbooks. Both vegetarians and vegans are constantly trolling the web and cookbooks for tasty meatless recipes. Consider putting together a recipe book.

Creating a vegetarian or vegan gift cookbook from your gift recipient's own personal recipes is easy with TasteBook. It is a straightforward site that collects and organizes your recipes and creates a published cookbook.

Holiday Spiced Party Nuts (even a carnivore will love):

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cups shelled almonds or pecan halves

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. In a bowl, mix together the cumin, chili powder, curry powder, garlic salt, cayenne pepper, ginger, and cinnamon. Set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over low heat. Add the spice mixture and stir well. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Place the nuts into a bowl, add the spice mixture, and toss to coat. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet.

5. Bake for 15 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice.

6. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use a rubber spatula to toss the nuts with the oil and spices that have accumulated on the bottom of the pan.

7. Allow the nuts to cool for an hour then store them in an airtight container.