Going Veggie

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Amaris, Jan 16, 2013.

  1. ByrdMan

    ByrdMan Commodore Commodore

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    Also, it's possible to be a vegetarian for health, economic or environmental reasons rather than moral ones. I've followed a mostly vegetarian diet at times (not currently), with no moral qualms whatsoever about eating one species over another
     
  2. lurok

    lurok Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Sort of topical after mentioned quinoa earlier. It's a riposte to a commentary piece about Western demand for q and impact on Bolivian economy. Reactions are interesting. Of course, it's from the Guardian, newspaper of veggie liberals everywhere :)
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2013
  3. thestrangequark

    thestrangequark Admiral Admiral

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    ^Ah, I heard about that. It is an interesting case! Just goes to show, you should never draw an uncompromising ethical line anywhere, because chances are it's fucking things up in ways you never imagined! Just better to accept that we are all monsters! :)
    Oh yes, I agree completely. As I said earlier, my default position is vegetarian, though I personally do not have an ethical problem eating meat.
     
  4. Mary Ann

    Mary Ann Knitting is honourable Admiral

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    I'm loving this thread, especially the recipes. teacake, your salads are must-haves!

    My husband has been a pesco-vegetarian (he eats fish and dairy, but no other meat) for almost 30 years. I was much the same for several years, but after the birth of my third child I had some health issues that left me needing to start eating meat again from time to time (giving birth 3 times within 3 1/2 years will do that to you). I don't cook with meat often for cost reasons, and stick mostly to vegetarian pastas and bakes. My children like different kinds of meat, though they like most of my veggie dishes as well.

    tsq, I must try your chilli recipe, though with maybe a quarter of the spices. Yeah, I'm a complete and utter heat wimp. :p One ingredient I always add to my chilli is a small spoonful of cocoa powder. It sounds odd if you've never come across it, but a friend who's an incredible cook (she wrote a cookbook for pressure cookers) told me about this. The chilli doesn't taste remotely chocolatey, of course, but the cocoa powder adds a lovely depth to the flavour.

    I'm a huge fan of my slow cooker. Chillies, stews and sauces taste better when they've been slow-cooked for hours on a low temperature than when they've been whipped up on the hob/stove top. My most-often cooked slow cooker dish is a tomato-based veggie pasta sauce.

    I came across this fun article on the BBC website today: Twenty tales of vegetarian woe. Even though my husband eats fish he sometimes has trouble finding something to eat in pubs and restaurants.
     
  5. thestrangequark

    thestrangequark Admiral Admiral

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    ^Oh man, adding cocoa doesn't sound odd at all to me -- I'm a huge fan of mole! Chocolate and spice came long before chocolate and sugar. I must give that a try!
     
  6. Emher

    Emher Admiral Admiral

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    If you describe yourself that way, do so. I like some spicyness and It was a bit much for me! :lol: The cocoa sounds like an awesome addition.

    Making another soup tonight, an Iranian Eshkaneh soup. Lots of onions and stuff, will report back later so ya'll know if it was any good.
     
  7. lurok

    lurok Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Those made me :). Reminded me of one time dining in E. Europe with colleagues, and vegetarian ordered a plain salad - only for it to arrive with bacon bits on top. :eek:
     
  8. Mary Ann

    Mary Ann Knitting is honourable Admiral

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    That reminded me of this scene from the Royle Family. Nana's always good for a laugh. :)

    [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdXayLlOs10[/yt]
     
  9. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I've often added cocoa to chillie.. and mole sauce is common in mexican cooking. You just treat the unsweetened cocoa as a savory flavor. That said some sugar in chillie is good too.

    I like my chillie HOT!!
     
  10. Amaris

    Amaris Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I'm of the opinion that hot chili is only hot if I can no longer see clearly, or stand without some kind of support.
     
  11. Mary Ann

    Mary Ann Knitting is honourable Admiral

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    A old high school friend of mine whose parents immigrated to Canada from India loves to remind me of the times I stayed over for meals at her parents' house. Her mother was an amazing cook, and she always removed my serving from the pot before she put the real spices in, lest this pasty white girl burst into flames. :lol: I can handle spicier food now than I could as a teenager, but I still have to be careful. By the way, British-Indian fusion food is all kinds of awesome, and there are loads of options for vegetarians.
     
  12. Davros

    Davros Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I hope you know this choice places you pretty high on a particular list when it comes to lifeboat survival situations. Your sacrifice will not go forgotten. :)
     
  13. T'Preea

    T'Preea Commander Red Shirt

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    I went vegan here just within the last year. It was sort of a resolution of mine. It was hard, though because I'm married to a carnivore who will never give up meat. I didn't give it up for the health benefits, but for the well-being of the poor animals that are brutalized for our use. It's disgusting and heartbreaking to know that this goes on. Anyway, I'm rambling, forgive me.
     
  14. KimMH

    KimMH Drinking your old posts Premium Member

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    Another old argument about consuming beef is the resources required to produce it. Producing one pound of beef requires more feed and water than one pound of pork, which requires more resources than producing one pound of chicken, etc. Small planet, etc.
     
  15. thestrangequark

    thestrangequark Admiral Admiral

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    ^Oh, I know that I didn't even begin to broach the many factors one might consider when choosing a veggie or vegan diet, ethical, practical, economic, health, environment, etc. The point is that there are a ton of things to consider, and that different people consider different reasons important.
     
  16. Emher

    Emher Admiral Admiral

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    Realized I failed to report back ^^;;

    The eshkaneh was good, sort of reminded me of curry in a way. Was a bit of lemon in it that gave it an interesting sour taste. Probably a great soup for when having a cold.
     
  17. KimMH

    KimMH Drinking your old posts Premium Member

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    No deficiencies in your exposition! I actually began to entertain veg-related thoughts due to an environmentalist friend; that was my "gateway" to the subject!:lol:
     
  18. thestrangequark

    thestrangequark Admiral Admiral

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    ^Those environmentalists. They're the gateway to everything!
     
  19. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I only like talking about the cooking, the instant we veer into ideology I start having childhood flashbacks where everything you put in your mouth had a hidden story.
     
  20. Amaris

    Amaris Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I'm fine with talking about both, though I get annoyed if people start making accusations and such. You know, like "meat is murder and you're a cold blooded killer!" or "you're going to die of protein starvation! You're afraid of a little blood!" and such.