Seaweed and lemon add a fishy flavor to this breaded and baked tofu recipe. You have the option of baking or frying these little tofu fish sticks, but they'll obviously be much lower in fat if you bake them. To add extra flavor, serve with a vegan tartar sauce, ketchup, or even ranch dressing. or barbecue sauce instead of frying. Save time by using store-bought bread crumbs.

Now that I've finished the vegetarian Thought of the Day series, the next themed blog post series will be written by you! That's right, you! Recently, I asked you why you went vegetarian, and the responses have been fascinating and overwhelming! Us vegetarians and vegans are an interesting bunch. Over the next few months, I'll be occasionally highlighting some of the responses I've received. The first response is from Amy, in Ridgecrest, California:

When I was a kid my family always overcooked the meat. I used to make excuses to get up from the table and then spit it into the bathroom trash. Eventually, ants found it and I got busted. As I got older I "learned" to like it, but still knew that I really didn't care for it. A few months ago I went to a Silverstein concert in Reno. Peta2 was there handing out brochures and I took one thinking, "whatever." When I got home later I actually read it and realized that they were right. Every reason to be veg was right...I recently became a grandma and I want to be around to spend time with my family for as long as possible. When I read about how agriculture is destroying the environment I realized that I was helping that along by supporting the meat industry.

What a cool grandma! Thanks, Amy! You can also submit your own reasons to go vegetarian if you haven't already, or read all the responses.

Pictured: Hip-hop artist Common poses with a veggie burger. Photo courtesy of Petaworld.

Summer is picnic and potluck season! Need something quick and fabulous you can throw together to feed a crowd? If you've already vetoed pasta salad, try one of these perfect summer bean salad recipes. With fresh herbs and a homemade dressing or vinaigrette, you can easily transform a couple cans of beans and some chopped tomatoes or onions into a flavorful side dish to feed plenty of hungry meat-free folk. Bean salads travel well and don't need to be kept warm, making them an obvious choice for an outdoor meal. You can easily double or even tripe all of these recipes, depending on how many friends you have!

Pictured: Summer white bean salad

I've reviewed a small handful of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks in the past, but with so many great vegan cookbooks out there, it can be daunting to browse them all and know which ones are best! So I'm wondering: What's your favorite vegetarian or vegan cookbook and why? Do you have a classic favorite that you turn to again and again? Or do you prefer the hot-off-the-presses trendy vegan cookbooks that are hitting the shelves?

See what other people think makes the perfect vegetarian cookbook and join in the discussion by posting your favorite vegetarian cookbook here.