[seattledeb]

I'm hoping that some discussion can begin on cooking vegetarian meals. Curious if any of the chefs here in cheftalk are vegans/vegetarians.

 

[markdchef]

That is my specialty. Every week I post a new recipe on my web
http://www.onthemarkpcs.homestead.com

Cooking tips, health tips etc.

I love vegetables!

 

[seattledeb]

Thanks Mark, I'll check the site out. With all that mad cow/hoof/mouth, etc. going on, thought I'd look into a different way to cook/eat. Went to the library and checked out a bundle of Vegetarian cookbooks today as well.

 

[isa]

Deb,

I am thinking the exact same thing. I've had no meat at all this week and I am considering being vegetarian for now. I am not trying to convert people to my way of thinking either and I am not saying I'll never eat meat again. Simply, all the problems we've seen in the last year really scared me. The worse is that we, humans, created a lot of these problems by turning cows and lambs into carnivore.

 

[seattledeb]

Same here...just want to give it a try. I really like the veg recipes in the Moosewood cookbook. One of my vegan friends is really excited about this, keeps getting me to try her veg things..today I had baked spiced tofu...pretty good stuff. I do love my dairy though....cheese, cream, all that fattening stuff.

 

[isa]

For now I just say I am trying another way of eating. Maybe tomorrow or next week I'll change my mind.

I am not giving up dairy, fish and seafood. Life without milk or cheese would be too hard... As for tofu I'll give a try someday.

 

[mezzaluna]

Nutritionpost, the Old Testament rules, followed today by Jews who observe kosher laws, allow eating of animals which BOTH chew cud and have a cloven hoof. That includes sheep and beef cattle (lamb and veal, of course, too) among others. Pigs have a cloven hoof, but don't chew cud; therefore, they're forbidden. That also leaves out horses. Some scholars say this is because those who don't browse on grass may eat garbage, spreading disease; others have other opinions- I believe it has to do with disease and spoilage. (Bottom-feeding fish/shellfish, which can cause deadly poisoning from fast spoilage, are also prohibited, but that's another topic.) Eating of meat isn't at all prohibited in the Torah (Old Testament).

 

[isa]

It's what I learned too Mezzaluna. Old rules regarding food were often enforced for the safety of the people.

[ March 24, 2001: Message edited by: Iza ]

 

[kokopuffs]

Should you relinquish ALL animal products including eggs and milk, please take vitamin B-12. It's the one vitamin furnished almost only by animal products. There is some evidence, however, that B-12 is furnished by soybeans. Do take a B-12 supplement if you go strict vegetarian. A B-12 deficiency leads to pernicious anemia.

[ March 28, 2001: Message edited by: kokopuffs ]

 

[markdchef]

Actually milk and milk products are easy to give up. The rise of asthma, autism, allergies, and other diseases has been linked to consumption of milk, especially milk that has been altered with chemicals and hormones. There is a website called notmilk.com with some interesting links about milk. I went dairy free 3 years ago and I have never been healthier in my life.

 

[seattledeb]

Markdchef, I saw your post on going totally dairy free - do you use any of the soy/tofu cheeses?

 

[seattledeb]

Oooops Mark..disregard my previous post, went to your site and saw your recipes...I'll have to see about those soy cheese products in our local market...they said they carry them at QFC..

 

[markdchef]

I highly recommend Soymage by Soyco (division of galaxy foods) vegan cheeses which are soy based. The parmesan, cream and mozzarella are all very good. The mozzarella is not like the real thing but the parmesan is pretty close.

Nutritional yeast is a natural source of vitamin b-12. I live a mostly vegetarian lifestyle free of dairy, meat, procesed sugars and chemicals.

Great books to check out: Whole Foods Cooking by Christine Pirello, Total Health Makeover by Marilu Henner, Fit For Life and Eating Well for Optimum Health by Weil.

 

[seattledeb]

Do you have a good health store close by or do you mail order some of these things? What do you use in place of refined sugar?

 

[markdchef]

In NJ we have numerous Hfs as well as gourmet supermarkets like KINGS, Fresh Fields, Wild Oats, The Health Shoppe, Whole Earth, and Wegmans.

There is a good hfs in Florham Park NJ called Natural Earth on Columbia Turnpike. The owner, Morris, is extremely helpful. He knows the ins and outs of the vitamin biz, as well as the natural food biz. Every time I go in there it is an education.

The best natural sugar is Rapadura by Rapunzel -- true organic whole sugar -- cane is squeezed and dried that's it. For those who choose to or have to stay away from sugar all together there is an herb called stevia available in liquid or powder. Stevia is all natural and not a sugar, but it is 300-400 x sweeter than cane.

In a pinch I use brown rice syrup or maple syrup, organic of course.

 

[judy]

I went very quicky into a vegetarian diet. I married one and respected his beliefs and while pregnant with my sons cut out all things meat and dairy. I had very healthy children and by choice they too are all vegetarian. Yes if you do it watch your vitamin and mineral intake but the way we are now pumping hormones etc into animals it feels like a good choice. It has never effected my cooking i am not that strict as far as tasting etc but my menu always has interesting vegetarian meals which are very popular. i think eating habits are slowly changing.great book i have just found in a second hand store is Faye Levy's Fresh from france vegetable creations.

 

[shimmer]

My husband is an almost-vegetarian, but eats fish. We eat a lot of those soy-based foods that are meant to taste like other things, but I prefer skipping those and eating foods that I can identify and taste like they should. Another thing to consider is that a majority of soy contains GMOs. So don't think that stopping meat consumption takes out all of the hormones! Just be aware of what you are eating.

At the Indiana State Fair, there was an entire building devoted to the 'wonders' of genetically modified/engineered foods, and this movement has been sanctioned and supported by the majority of the farming community here. What is one of the major crops here? Soy.

Just thought everyone should know. I don't enjoy debating about GMOs, but animal products are not the only things that contain potential danger.



~~Shimmer~~

 

[seattledeb]

Shimmer, what are GMOs....and are they in tofu, soy milk, etc?

 

[pooh]

Genetically Modified Organisms

You want to steer clear of that the most you can. I think it's close to being beyong repair with corn, also with canola.

I started cooking with grapeseed oil.

 

[shimmer]

GMOs are genetically modified organisms... originally started out as a good idea- make plants that create their own fertilizer so bugs can't kill crops... make plants that always grow big and strong... well somewhere in there they stopped letting the public know what that meant. It has come to a point where when we consume something such as corn or soy, we might be putting more than just that into our body.
In the United States, the government does not require companies to label their products if they contain GMOs. In fact, unless they are labeled that they do NOT contain them, you are taking a risk.

I was in England when grocery stores started pulling things off the shelf they were uncertain about. I dont' know what happened since then.

I don't mean to scare you. I still eat everything, and at the time I eat it, I do not dwell on all of the risks. I just want everyone to be informed, and also to understand what the general public is concerned with as well (since most of us will end up trying to please them). I will try to find more websites that talk about it, because I dont' want to give you paranoia-based or otherwise inaccurate information.

But for now, I'm going to bed!

~~Shimmer~~

P.S. GM soy can make it into any soy product. Yep.