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

Heinz has vegetarian beans which I sometimes buy.

Do they have non-vegetarian beans?

Surely all beens are vegetarian? Unless you mix them wihmeat, of course

Yes, they also have pork and beans. The vegetarian ones lack pork. I just liked the taste of the vegetarian ones.

We found that many things in America have bacon thrown in, making them unsuitable for vegetarians. In one restaurant, even the apple pie had bacon in it.

That is just so* wrong... on so* many levels

...and yet...pork and apple is a good combination. Salty & sweet is a good combination. I think apple pie with bacon should be tried before being knocked.

Deb

Bacon is indeed a very good condiment and goes extremely well with apples, onions and curry from Madras

"We found that many things in America have bacon thrown in, making them unsuitable for vegetarians. In one restaurant, even the apple pie had bacon in it." [Gnomon]

I've heard it said that if you often eat at restaurants you are doomed. I hope this is not also true of vegetarian ones. Ten Thousand Buddhas in San Francisco is excellent, if it is still there. Having known some vegetarians, I know that cooking and eating at home is pretty much the only option if you want to avoid having meat in your food.

The Italians seem to put ham in a lot of dishes, though they don't call it ham. I can't remember what they *do* call it. The French are famous for adding butter to a lot of recipes.

prosciutto?

Yes, that's the one.

They create art with prosciutto in Italy. Like they do with most food. It is either air-dried, cured or cooked

I've been fascinated by Italy ever since I went there in 2007. Right now I'm reading "Talian Neighbors" by Tim Parks, an Englishman who lives near Verona and teaches English at a university in Genoa. The Italians are paradoxical in many ways. The book is the first of a series. I've also read a later one in which Parks explains how the Italian rail system says a lot about the Italians themselves.

[Sorry, I meant for "Talian" to be "Italian."]

Baked beans are something of a tradition and speciality in Boston (aka "Beantown"), and usually include bacon/pork. The "vegetarian" ones most of us here are used to are a bit of a novelty.

My great-grandmother's recipe for baked beans is still in the family. Molasses, salt pork, onions, and yellow-eye beans are the main ingredients, though not in that order.

Yeah, the Boston style is more of a meal in itself. To most people here they are usually just an accompaniment to the main meal, or a snack with toast, etc.

"The Italians are paradoxical in many ways" [paulh]

Ain't that the truth! Lovely country - but it also harbours the mafia, corrupt politicians and people who vote for them again and again, what's up with that

(I've left out the pope, because the new one might be able to get the whole idea back on track, we'll see how that turns out in the long run)

Well, I've learnt something new, beans should have pork. Thanks for the explanation

Its all vey ensible though, ain't it?!:

You, well, the Italians, vote again and again, for* the corrupt, for the corupt to* the Mafia, etc; at least its honest! We have to pretend* here, instead... pretend we're voting for uncorupt and non nephariously motivated polititions.... even though, in our hearts, we know that they are corrupt, and just lieing about not being