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

[Phlip]

Ene bichizh ogsen baina shuu...

> 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 think you're confusing emails here. I don't know this person who is
allergic to meat, and after dealing with the guy at Pennsic, who claimed he
was allergic to chicken but not any other meat, all nuts, beans and legumes,
and all but canned versions of other veggies, I don't WANT to know anyone
with strange multiples of food issues.Personally, I think the guy was just
wanting meat and potatoes, and used "allergies" as an excuse, but we didn't
want to take a chance. But, these are good questions for the original
querent to ask.

> 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.

Well, I tend to have less than many, although I have a certain perception of
what a formal meal should be.

> 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.

Sounds like a Midwestern meal to me ;-) Now change that to soup AND salad,
preceded by appetizers, with meat, a starch, a yellow vegetable, a green
vegetable, sauce or sauces for at least one of the main parts of the entree,
a moderately sweet dessert, followed by cheese, crack-your-own nuts, and
fruit, served with the coffee and cognac and good conversation (appropriate
wines with dinner, of course ;-) and that's what I consider a formal meal.

> >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.

Not my friend, believe me.

> >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?

Oh, I like bean curd too, when served as bean curd. I just get very
irritated at "imitation meat". If you're going to eat meat, eat meat- if
you're going to eat veggies, eat veggies. I have no problem with illusion
foods- they're fun. I just dislike imitation foods. But again, you're
confusing posts- I was responding to a suggestion by someone else.

> >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

I agree- that's why I'm asking. Although I still don't consider pizza food
;-)

Phlip

 If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably not a
cat.

Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....