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

We'd still need to breed them if we wanted milk, that's all I'm saying. Same with chickens - if you want eggs, you need to let a certain number hatch - and that means you get a lot of little cockrels. Anyway, we can't raise our cats and dogs vegetarian, that's just not good for them. So get rid of pets, too?

I'm not condoning matters as they are right now - the way animals are raised and killed is horrible. But to do away with it entirely is just not possible, and only antagonises people, so I think the energy should better be put toward improving matters rather than trying to convince everyone to totally give up meat, because that's just not going to happen.

And I believe that one thing food shouldn't be is an obsession. That's why I have little time for calorie-counters, portion-weighers, people who calculate their dinners according to the phases of the moon... Being able to do that is a great luxury, and frankly, a waste of time. Just eat something varied and not too much thereof, have fun doing it, and find more constructive things to do with the time... And I dislike preachy people (not calling you one, mind!) whether they be holier-than-thou vegetarians or "but animals are made for eating, else they wouldn't be made of meat!" people.

But that's only my

Ah- when I think "vegetarian", I don't think "milk and eggs". Misunderstood you a bit.

I agree that it won't be done away with entirely. I'd just like to see it done as humanely as possible. No need to pick animals up by their necks or cut them up while they're still conscious.

Calorie counting and more importantly portion control, on the other hand- when the doctor says it's the right way to eat well, I know he's not kidding, so I do what he says. Like you say- eat varied foods and not too much of them.

But neither do I mean to be preachy about anything. Whatever works for someone is what they should do.

While dogs can safely be fed vegetarian diets I'm not sure I'd be in favor of all vegetarian pet food. I don't go so far as to impose my position on other humans, I surely won't do it to an animal that can't tell me what it prefers. And especially cats *need* animal protein. Although I don't recommend letting anyone sneak them bits of cheese. Otherwise they get bladder stones like Herman.

I'll not argue that for some people - many people, even - sticking to a specified diet is a good thing.

But there's an undercurrent, especially in the magazines, but in TV too, of eating some things and not others (and maybe throwing in a bit of misunderstood yoga) making you a better person. And that really gets my organically-raised goat. I read a good article on the subject the other day, entitled "People, get over yourselves!"

Dogs and vegetarian diets isn't entirely safe, either. For pet dogs who don't have to do too much either, *maybe*, within limits. But for working dogs - we had working sheepdogs - it's just not possible!

They just shouldn't have people food. Too much salt.

Sheesh, that came out more high-handed than I meant it to.

I'm all for trying to become a better person. I'm against thinking that your diet makes you better than *other people*. Saw a magazine article title recently that said "How to be totally zen and really make your neighbours jealous" or something like that - that's the kind of thing I mean.

If people would think a little more about what goes in, they would be a bit happier with themselves I think though. Although I agree, you shouldn't overthink this stuff.

Of course I'm handicapped by being married to a with a mini gourmand in the house (Gruesome #1) her request for this weekend (they get to choose one meal each at the weekend, the only time we all eat together). Two weeks ago it was pan fried salmon and asparagus. Last weekend it was Tacos. This weekend it is steak and roasted vegetables.

#2 of course exists on Chicken and gummi bears.

I think there's a big difference between being really into different aspects of food because it's fun or because of health reasons and being into it in the kind of way healthier-than-thou, snotty people in the magazines are. It's not just food either it's practically anything that some people will try to use as a way to make themselves feel superior. I'd ignore these types but they'd probably run a mile at the sight of me anyway.

Oh, I dunno. Watching what goes in to it is all well and good - I'm all for cooking from scratch, produce in season and locally-grown...

But my ex-stepdad (complicated family...) always buys the fanciest gourmet foods he can find - even stuff he doesn't like, imported whatsists and exclusive thats - just so he can show off that he has them in his fridge, in hopes that visitors will be impressed and ignore the huge stinking mess in his kitchen. The fancy food goes rotten after a while. He never really eats it. Meanwhile, he can't pay his rent.

That's rather coloured my view of people who will have "only the best".

But then, this is the same guy who sent my little sister to elementary school with a new iPod - with Faust on it, so he could say his daughter listens to it, and hoping the teacher would hear and be impressed with his (hah!) parenting skills.




I guess I'm trying to say respect food, but don't read *too* much into it.

>> I'm all for trying to become a better person. I'm against thinking that your diet makes you better than *other people*.

I knew that was what you meant.

While I buy the highest quality stuff I can get to eat, I do it with the intention of eating it. I do avoid refined sugar and white flour, and artifical sweeteners. When locally produced or organic stuff is available, I generally opt for that. But for health, not for flash.

I do totally understand what you mean. My grandma and uncle will insist on calling me a "gourmet cook" when I just think of it as good, fresh home cookin'.

Probably a lot of the stuff I get (food, cookware, even toys) is fancier than absolutely necessary. But I think I'm worth it.

And I would never think you were being high-handed even if we disagreed wholeheartedly on something. Because our different lives and experiences color what we think and how we behave is one of the reasons discussing stuff here is so cool.

If everyone agreed with me all the time, life would be simpler but also a lot more boring!!!

"My grandma and uncle will insist on calling me a "gourmet cook" when I just think of it as good, fresh home cookin'."

I hate to break it to you - but I reckon you're well on your way to gourmet! Take that as a compliment please - I spent the last 2 1/2 years working with some pretty high-class chefs and being around all sorts of restaurateurs, so I hope I know what I'm talking about.

I also know that my cooking while good, is nothing spectacular. I can cook from scratch, I can whip up a three course meal, no problem. But I wouldn't know my way around celeriac or squid or nutmeg or tofu.

I do good with the stuff I know - but I'm not bothered to extend it at the moment. Anything that I invent in the kitchen is based on something I've seen or tasted somewhere else, and I have a good knack for imitation (it being the sincerest form of flattery, don'tcha know?), but I would never buy a mystery ingredient with the intent of figuring out what to do best with it.

So, yeah, I reckon you're a good little (vegan) gourmand.

Warning. If you do deep fry Tofu with corn starch takeout 30% of the water from Tofu ,
My wife suggests to wrap the Tofu in kitchen paper and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds to take out the water

thanks for the tofu tip - I never deep fry anything so we're pretty safe there.

Thanks, Anold! I've never deep fried tofu but there are some recipes for which you do need to squeeze the water out and the paper towel tip is a sound one.

I've also learned that if whatever you're cooking with tofu in it requires a denser texture, if you squeeze the water out, stick it in plastic, and freeze overnight, then thaw before preparing, it becomes less smooth and more "meaty" (for lack of a better word ).

>> Anything that I invent in the kitchen is based on something I've seen or tasted somewhere else, and I have a good knack for imitation

Me too, or at least I like to think so. Though I will admit that I do use cookbooks or recipes, with a few exceptions I usually "tweak" them a bit, adding or substituting according to my personal preferences. I think that it sounds like you're a pretty good cook, too.

Sho, since your hubby is a and one Gruesome is an aspiring culinary whiz, are you also a spectacular cook? At least one of the cakes you've described sounded fab.

Oh, I did some digging around and found that the other stuff in the miso shiru at the restaurant we go to a lot is called aburaage, and it's just thinly sliced deep-fried tofu. I can probably do it myself when/if I feel so inclined.

We're making a trip to Whole Foods this weekend and I'll be getting a lot more sea vegetables than usual this time, but I think I'll also swing by the Korean grocery first and see what we can find there as well. I'd love to stop on the way home tomorrow, but it'll be too hot to walk that far, and I can't deal with the crowd of high school kids packed into the bus on that route.

I guessed that last night just talked about it with my wife .

Look for a 9" x 3" x 1/2' maybe a little smaller piece of Tofu it is light brown in colour not like ordinary Tofu tho, I've used it cut small in miso soup

I have a vagie recollection of having seen pieces like that at the Korean grocer. If so I will get some of that, too.

Hopefully I can make a big batch of broth this weekend- do you know if it freezes well? If so I can have it all week (though perhaps fermented stuff keeps longer in the fridge than the usual 2-3 days?), just heating a little broth at a time, mixing in the paste and pouring over tofu, green onion and some wakame, then throwing it in my lunch bag.

Just asked my wife and no It doesn't keep you should use it the same day, that is my thinking too, mother in law makes fresh everyday.let's face it ,it only takes a minute but those ingredients sound good to me.

?broth that I don't understand

Do you mean smoked tofu, Moonraker?

No The Tofu maker makes this differently it is deep fried almost hollow inside maybe small bubbles trapped inside , almost like two pieces of skin layed out on top of each other, of course its just one piece