The Clendenens – Kathy and John – report that they are still getting comments about the story that ran in the Press Democrat in October with the headline: “The vegan and the hunter.”

The reason? Kathy, the vegan, thinks it’s because there are a lot of people in Wine Country who are living in households where palates don’t see eye to eye.

I thought it would be a good idea to check in with the vegan and the hunter to see what their Thanksgiving plans are and whether they’ll be able to make peace at the dinner table during the holiday.

Interestingly when I called  Kathy said she and John had just been talking about their feast that very morning because they’re planning on having about 10 to 12 relatives and friends over for Thanksgiving.

How did negotiations go?

“Well, we decided to have lots of vegetable dishes, but for the hunter and the meat-eaters, we’ll also have traditional turkey and wild pheasant,” Kathy said. “Yes, John (the hunter) will pull out some of those nice little dead carcasses from the freezer.”

As for the veggies, Kathy said side dishes will include recipes built around brussel  sprouts and acorn or butternut squash.

“We’re going to try to leave the starch and the butter out of the meal … and wild pheasant is a lean meat.”

As for wines, Kathy said there will be a range with crisp whites like the Madame Preston, a good Bella zinfandel and a tasty cabernet sauvignon like the Simi Landslide.

For those interested in the Clendenens’ back story, here’s a link to the original story: http://bit.ly/vg3hCB

Kathy said she’s still shocked by the response, and she’s even more surprised at ribbing she continues to get.  People are pointing out to her the times when she has eaten meat and non-vegan foods, Her answer to them is that she aspires to be a vegan.

“Now all of a sudden I’m on the hot seat,” she joked. “The food police are watching me.”