The ever-optimistic Congressional Vegetarian Staff Association is hosting another educational event on Thursday, part of an evolving outreach effort accentuated this time by the chance to hobnob with vegan cookbook author John Schlimm.

The late lunch/discussion is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. in the Capitol Visitor Center, room 217 (colloquially known as “meeting room south.”) Per staff, the complimentary luncheon — featuring sandwiches from Zenful Bites and sweets from the award-winning Sticky Fingers — is open to everyone (no RSVP required).

Schlimm, who released his latest work, “The Cheesy Vegan,” just last month, wasn’t born a devout plant-eater:

But it sounds like taking in the myriad sights/sounds/smells of a butcher shop at a young age made choosing his current lifestyle a no-brainer.