[Sca-cooks] Vegetarian politics aside.....

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Phlip wrote:
>I still want an answer to my question to our vegetarians.
>
>What foods, for the time being, make you feel like you're having a meal as
>satisfying as the steak next door? I honestly don't know- I suspect it's
>rather subjective- for example, I will consider an omelet as a main dish,
>but in my mind, macaroni and cheese is strictly a side dish, and pizza is an
>appetizer.

I think you've answered your question in your second sentence. The
person you asked who didn't like eating nothing but "sides"... well,
i feel very different about food than she does. Have you asked her
what *she* considers a "main dish"? have you questioned other
vegetarians and gotten their opinions?

I'm perfectly happy with an eggplant lasagna as a main dish (I dislike
vegetarianism, not either vegetarians or vegetables), and I can cheerfully
make a meal out of a number of "appetizers" as in tapas, dim sum, or sushi
(but not pizza ;-). I will be quite satisfied over a lunch of a pbj and
perhaps a bit of fruit.

Yeah, i can eat a bunch of "small plates" and be happy. Obviously the
woman you asked could not. Ask other vegetarians. I've said, as an
ex-vegetarian, and someone who eats lots of foods from other
cultures, i do not have a preconception of what a meal is.

I do have a preconception of a "typical American meal" -
soup-or-salad, meat, starch (such as white potato and/or bread), a
vegetable (often overcooked), and a too-sweet dessert.

However i have some preconceptions of an SCA feast should be. (1)
Food made from recipes from the 16th century or earlier - i will
accept certain kinds of peri-oid foods (such as what i did with pea
soup, based on 3 or 4 period recipes, but not following one exactly).
(2) Contains more dishes than a typical American meal - often each
course is like a separate meal. (3) I expect to eat less of each
dish, since i expect there to be many dishes. (4) I enjoy discovering
foods or recipes to which i have never been exposed. (5) and dancing,
music, juggling, etc. during the meal.

I do NOT expect an SCA feast to be like a modern American meal,
either in content, specific dishes, or number of dishes. Of course, i
don't mind discovering that a familiar dish is pre-17th c. but i
wouldn't want a meal made entirely of dishes that seemed familiar.
How dull and boring (to me, at any rate).

>I did, however, have an idea for a modern "illusion food" for those who
>would like their plate to look like that of the person next to them- how
>about battering and deep frying a brocolli spear? I think, with a little
>playing, you could have it come out looking pretty much like a chicken leg.
>If they're doing battered fried chicken, it wouldn't be much trouble to add
>in some broccoli spears.

Yeah, but would your "picky vegetarian" consider batter-fried
broccoli a main dish? I doubt i would, although i'd be happy to have
it included in a plate with several different vegetable dishes and a
grain or pasta - but it seems to me that would be "a bunch of sides"
to your friend.

>My goal is to try to recreate what they actually ate, rather than to
>change it to suit myself. I much prefer Cariadoc's suggestion, to simply
>choose recipes which suit your various food issues.

Why use tofu? (and mind you, i LOVE tofu. Yes. Really. Even cold
right out of the box (with condiments).) Why not serve the
vegetarians a fast-day dish that is a substitute for a meat dish?

>So, tell me, vegetarians, what suits you as a main dish? We'll take a fish
>entree as a given, but a tofu imitation meat dish is out- I want to try to
>get a better idea of the truly vegetarian foods that give you the mouth feel
>and the belly fullness type of satisfaction that you (probably) used to have
>with a meat-based entree.

OK, so i'm weird. If there are enough dishes and enough food, i have
no need of a "main dish".

Anahita
former vegetarian, currently on the meat-heavy Atkins diet, which is
really weird...