h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

i never got into eating fish and such when i did eat meat, so it's easy not to eat it now. i guess the one thing about eating eggs and dairy (ie. ovo/lacto, whatever ) is that i can only justify it for selfish reasons. maybe one day however, i will cut back or try other alternatives, but i have plenty of time to try new things. and i too swat flies and kill spiders (they scare me, so usually i end up running to someone else to kill them--but only if they are inside), but i would never harm a bee. bees i think are the coolest insects. honey bees at least.
it is nice to mix up the diet though, especially why i like packaged vegi-burgers and such. they are a great addition to a meal and if my family is eating burgers, i won't feel so left out.

oh, i just read something that goes along with this thread. it is in regards to the main character asking his friend to try a veggie burger in the mcdonald’s in amsterdam:
“Morris e’d me back from Amsterdam: >I tried one and they’re not very good, so don’t romanticize them. They have a curry taste, and they’re full of frozen *peas* (of all things). More importantly, by eating “burgers,” aren’t you just still buying into the “meat concept.” Tofu hot dogs are merely an isotope of meat. >If you yourself are a vegetarian, but still dream of burgers, then all you really are is a cryptocarnivore.” (microserfs, douglas coupland)
just to put in someone else's opinion. i don't exactly share it, but it is an interesting way of looking at it, i know some other people on this thread have come up with the same thing, just wanted to add it because it struck me.

Good point, but as I said if you leave the carnivorous world late in life and are doing so for moral or ethical reasons, I see no harm in vegan products thay mimic meat.

Anyway, I still make lots of comfort food like cottage pie using TVP instead of meat and the meal that I make that has the most fans is sausage rolls that are veggie.

It is interesting that companies like McDonalds are working harder to make their menu more appealing to people with discriminating tastes.

In a way this is good; I think it is revealing that McD's is finally trying to get onto someone else's bandwagon, instead of the other way around. (i would double check the brakes if they were getting on mine though) It will, however, be a snow day for the devil when I actually desire to go to one of those places for the purpose of eating.

Although they offer many great looking salads, most if not all of them are loaded up with chicken, bacon, and creamy dressing. For a true Vegan (which i don't exactly claim to be) this is more insulting than catering. Just to show how broadly appealing McD's is, they advertise these as 'low carb'! So just in case you felt guilty for eating that BigMac 'cause of all the bread, you can still get the low carb grilled bacon chicken'n'cheese salad with extra dressing, hold the lettuce. 'Wanna supersize that?'

I know that what the world needs now is another conspiracy theory, so here's one - Companies such as McDonalds are trying to kill everyone.

OK, I know what you're going to say, 'Why would they kill their own customers'. Well, it's because they don't really care about anything. As a matter of fact there is no 'they'. It is a multi-Billion dollar corperation that is primarily concerned with how not to become just another Billion dollar company.

It wants people to feel good about going there, so they (WE) pay. It has a friendly, if not somewhat menacing clown as it's public relations represenative! It wants you to be fat and lazy with a low self-esteem, maybe some of the best times of your life will be in a McDonald's; maybe you meet your wife there, maybe you take your kids there, and just maybe you have nowhere else to go. There should be a Surgeon General's warning on it because it is addictive, bad for your health and may cause the development of male teets.

It truly is a sad state of affairs. Not necessariy the most grotesque and barbaric thing happening on this planet today, but it is at the top of the list.

*what ever happened to Ronald McDonald's friends? Remember, the Hamburglar and the big purple one? I think his name was Milkshakie, or something... gone the way of Jimmy Hoffa I suspect; witness relocation.*

-Don't worry kids, Ronald is just a regular guy in a clown suit. But remember if anyone tries to make you do something you don't want to:
SAY NO!!!

I've never eaten meat, so meat substitues are just all about getting protein and having somethign new every now and then. I do like veggie dogs, especially since they're so easy to camp with, but they have to be chili flavoured or else it's just like eatign rubber. veggie bacon is also excellent, but i think that's because it's more a vehicle for fried oil and crispiness. I like some veggie burgers too, but you really just have to shop around for the right brand.

i haven't actually read much more than the top five postings, so maybe i've resaid something.

and hamburglar is totally on death row for multiple offences.

didn'tcha know?

Maybe too late to reenliven this, but here goes...

I'm one of those vegetarians-who-don't-like-the-taste-of-meat, so I see no reason to buy fake meat. If I need it for some recipe, just put in beans, lentils, or tofu... Tofu mole is good, with rice and refried beans

I do eat eggs and dairy, though, lots of them, even.

And my favourite recipes don't use meat to begin with...

Each to their own.

I still like my own version of comfort food but I will say that some things, like lasagne and chili are better with a non-fake meat base.

Sure, if you like meat to begin with

I can tell the only way to convince you is to mail you some veggie sausage rolls. It's not that they resemble meat, they just taste good!

a good argument

Coming in late. As usual.

I've been vegetarian for over 22 years. I occasionally eat "mock meats". Especially homemade seitan.

For one thing, I stopped consuming animal products for ethical and health reasons. That I can't in good conscience continue to eat the foods I was raised on, doesn't mean I never enjoyed them and don't enjoy a reasonable fascimile thereof.

In addition to tempeh and seitan, which are absolutely delicious, I'm also partial to vegan corn dogs.

Then there's the added benefit that my Significant Other is an elightened omnivore who would rather eat my cooking than eat out or order in all the time. I love to cook, but won't cook with meat, eggs, or dairy. So using the occasional mock meat, vegan cheeses, etc, allows me to enjoy cooking for him while providing him with the flavor and texture of things he might otherwise miss.

Lately I've been making vegetarian stroganoff, and my better half loves it.

First, one must have some seitan handy. I make my own. Slice it thinly into reasonably bite-sized pieces.

Meanwhile, prepare whatever kind of pasta you like. (For this, I like sprouted whole wheat papardelle- wide noodles that really hold the sauce nicely)

Finely dice a small yellow onion- you'll want about 1/2 cup- and a clove of garlic. Sautée in a splash of olive oil until nicely carmelized.

At this point, you can use a little white wine to deglaze the pan. Obviously I use vegetarian wine.

Add 8 oz of sliced button or crimimi mushrooms and 1 Tbsp of margarine or Earth Balance and sautée until cooked down and soft.

Add the seitan to the pan. Add 1 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce and a pinch of smoked paprika, for color. Stir in 8 oz of sour cream substitute and mix well.

Add the cooked pasta and 1 cup frozen peas to the pan and mix to coat the pasta well. Add a bit of the seitan broth or some mushroom stock if needed to thin the sauce.

It is fan-TAS-tic!