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

In case anyone was interested, I've found something else that gives risotto both a nice creamy texture and a lovely flavor without the use of the romano cheese- white miso!

What is that?

Miso is a paste used in Japanese cooking, made from fermenting rice and soybeans with some fungi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miso . The hostess of my favorite vegan cooking show uses it in place of cheese sometimes, when she wants a creamy and savory substitute. (I also use nutritional yeast flakes as a cheese substitute when soy cheese is not available, but the miso paste gives a nice, creamy texture.

Miso is the bomb. I do a nice bbq pork and spring vegetables miso soup. Good for when I have a cold.

Much research into macrobiotic cooking has informed me that one of the best possible breakfasts is a bit of miso soup and some brown rice. Sounds good to me- I'm not a big fan of mock breakfast meats because I never cared for sausage or bacon to begin with.

I'm also a fan of a nice tofu scramble for breakfast, with onion and garlic, turmeric (for color) and ground cumin, nutritional yeast flakes and a pat of white miso (for a cheesy flavor), sliced crimini mushrooms, julienned carrot, and perhaps even a bit of sweet corn (for whole grain).

I'd rather have a mushroom ommlette...

Thanks for the information on the exact constituents of miso - I'll put it on my list of things to avoid. It's the fungus thing; I'm not going to risk it.

No omelettes for me for a while yet, I'm afraid. Though I have mastered the spectacular tofu scramble, I can't quite get the hang of doing tofu omelettes or fritattas. I'll get it, eventually.

Ivan- I always forget about the mushroom/fungus thing. I'm making a mental note to always indicate, if I bring up a food item, whether or not it does or may contain fungi.