Vegetarian Cooking Issues
October 22, 2007
I should preface this post by saying that I am a Vegetarian foodie. If you are not aware, according to Slashfood,
a foodie is someone has an ardent or refined interest in food. I really enjoy creating unique and unusual dishes that few people would take the time and effort to cook. I generally do not use recipes to cook with nor do I usually remember everything I put into a dish when I am cooking. It is fun for me to never make the same thing twice.
While I get excited over things like Green Pea Flan accented with Cold Heirloom Tomato Soup, many people on VegWeb and VegSource are getting excited over a tater tot casserole. A lot of the posters use processed foods in the recipes they post online, which turns my stomach just thinking about it. Tater tots, canned food, and baked beans have never been and will never be a part of my diet. These people get excited about Tofurkey, which is really nothing more than tofu, gluten, beans, and some seasoning. Why not be creative?
I also fail to see how these people are eating a healthy diet if all they are doing is eating the Standard American Diet but using a meat substitute in the place of meat. That would mean that the diet they are eating is still high in saturated fat, calories, and low in fiber.
Why do people eat unhealthy & uninspired food?
Popularity: 29% [?]
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Lately I’ve found myself prefering more ethnic foods. Thai, Malaysian and Indian being the majority. Unfortunately, that’s about all I’ve found in my area for ethnic. Then again, I haven’t been looking that hard.
I found the same about VegWeb. Same american dishes just served with meat subs. And how can ANYBODY get excited about Tofurkey? I never ate any but the idea alone made me sick.
I must admit, however, I found a great tofu chocolate raspberry peanutbutter mousse recipe on VegWeb. I’d like to refine it a bit more so it’s a little fluffier than it came out. I used a bit less confectioner’s sugar and fresh raspberries, and a little more peanut butter/less chocolate chips than they called for.
comment by Dan — October 30, 2007 @ 1:18 am
Brian and I only eat ethnic food because American food seems to mostly be food (meat) slathered in gravy, sauce, or a bunch of cheese. It is neither a culinary delight nor is it healthy. We eat all over the map - everything from African food (I highly recommend Ethiopian) to French to Mexican. Have you tried making Japanese food?
Apparently, a number of people get excited about Tofurkey. I found a flyer here on the Big Island about having a veggie Thanksgiving - it was for a cooking class at a natural food store so you can learn to make Tofurkey and other stuff. Alternatively, people could just buy the Tofurkey Thanksgiving in a box kit (it’s real) and serve that.
Most of the stuff on VegWeb relies heavily on meat substitutes or sugar and does not really celebrate the bounty of all of the varieties of fresh produce available. It’s all just run of the mill vegetables - carrots, potatoes, etc. You see stuff like this: The Pigs are Safe in the Barn - and that just turns my stomach.
comment by Katy — October 30, 2007 @ 10:41 am