The Stig's Vegetarian Cousin!

I'm considering becoming one just because every time I try to cook a freaking piece of meat I either dry it out so bad it's like eating a Michelin or it takes three hours to cook all the way through!

Plus meat is quite unhealthy.

I'm far too much of a foodie to be a vegetarian. Vegetarians aren't that big of a deal to me, but vegans annoy the crap out of me for some reason--probably the politics of it. I think of an unsexy scrawny woman with short hair and a hyphenated name dressed conservatively on a high horse when I think of a vegan. Cambridge, MA seems to be packed w/ them.

(edit--the way the woman in this article looked made me think this while I was reading it on my lunch break http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2009/12/01/lauren_ulm_discusses_vegan_yum_yum/ )

That said, a good friend of mine and his wife went vegan a year ago because he wanted to live a healthier lifestyle. They've both lost a ton of weight and look great. More power to them, I guess. They are as far from preachy as could be.

It still seems to me like too adversarial a relationship w/ food.

In reply to AngryCorvair:

It's fruit. It's packed full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and is great for you. It's not a can of coke, it's a piece of fruit. I can promise you some fruit won't negatively affect your weight loss goals as long as you keep your other calories in line.

I'm not vegetarian, but it's pretty easy to go without meat. Living in Gainesville, a sort of Portland or Austin-Lite, we have quite a few places catering to vegans and vegetarians. I tried some soy ice "cream" a month or so back, and it was really good! The Hare Krishnas in town serve great vegetarian food, and I always leave absolutely stuffed.

I wouldn't go so far to say that meat is unhealthy, because it can be a lean, efficient way to get calories and protein. However, I try to keep the 3" filets sauteed in butter, medium rare, with a slab of roquefort cheese on top to a minimum. Especially when it's served with asparagus spears, mashed potatoes, buttered bread, and a cold Baltic porter. What was I talking about again? Oh yeah, don't eat that more than every once in a while unless you want to buy your cardiologist a new Vette.

MitchellC wrote: I'm not vegetarian, but it's pretty easy to go without meat. Living in Gainesville, a sort of Portland or Austin-Lite, we have quite a few places catering to vegans and vegetarians. I tried some soy ice "cream" a month or so back, and it was really good! The Hare Krishnas in town serve great vegetarian food, and I always leave absolutely stuffed. I wouldn't go so far to say that meat is unhealthy, because it can be a lean, efficient way to get calories and protein. However, I try to keep the 3" filets sauteed in butter, medium rare, with a slab of roquefort cheese on top to a minimum. Especially when it's served with asparagus spears, mashed potatoes, buttered bread, and a cold Baltic porter. What was I talking about again? Oh yeah, don't eat that more than every once in a while unless you want to buy your cardiologist a new Vette.

Damn, I guess my cardiologist is going to get rich off me. For dinner I had a 16oz ribeye (medium rare), mashed potatoes, salad with ranch, and a couple of glasses of sweet tea. I have a grilled steak at least once of week.I don't think I have the will power to not eat meat because it is my favorite food group. The unhealthiest are the tastiest mmmm bacon and sausage. I'll be lucky to make it to 65, but I will enjoy getting there.

Does the fake sausage honestly taste anything like the real thing or is it close but different.

Edited because I somehow posted it before I was finished.

The fake breakfast stuff tastes better than 95% of what you get in restaurants...

mtn wrote: I will not, refuse, cannot, point blank will leave the table if Brussel Sprouts are on it. They seriously will make me puke. I don't know what it is, I'll happily eat any vegetable, most I'll even enjoy. The Sprouts make me gag. Uggh.

Yes. I'll eat almost any vegetable, except brussels. Why are they so horrible? They don't even have a weird taste or anything, they just taste bad!

Surprisingly, I actually tend to prefer the fake sausage over the real stuff. I know, I'm odd. The problem is, I find sausage grease incredibly... I wanna say cloying but I know that isn't the word I'm looking for. Heavy? Unpleasant? Something like that. The nice thing with the veg sausage is that it's very light, a little on the dry side (which is fine, because I'm usually cooking it INTO food) and again, being soy based in many cases, has a TON of really good spices in it. I think that would be my saving grace as a veg, spices are awesome.

I'm a confirmed carnitarian. My wife doesn't eat red meat because it makes her ill (not metaphorically, head-in-the-toilet ill).

I eat a fair bit of vegetarian dishes but I eat meat when I make it for myself or when we're out for dinner.

The fake meat crap is pretty damn gross except for the Money's Mushroom burger patties.

I eat very little fruit because I found a worm half in my apple once. Nearly made me puke and deeply traumatized me. I -hate- bugs of any sort.

Burssels Sprouts are not edible, period. It's because they're not a plant from earth. Don't believe me, grow them yourself or check this out:

You'd think they would grow like little cabbages but no! They're an alien plant left on earth by the pod people.

I also can't find any redeeming value in eggplant. It has no taste and it's mushy. It's like eating a big ball of lung-butter.

Shawn

If you add enough spices, you don't really need meat. If it's hot enough, you can't taste it anyway.

Shawn- you've clearly never met anyone that can cook eggplant. Little bit of corn meal, little spice, little butter, done deal.

EastCoastMojo wrote: I like meat. I don't have any issue with people who choose not to eat meat, as it means more meat for me. I will eat raw hamburger if it is good quality stuff. Yeah, I get that look a lot. And italian sausage in spagetti sauce is DA BOMB!!1!

I eat a lot of weird stuff, but I would be really careful with raw ground beef (unless you ground it yourself).

For those who are curious, here is how it was explained to me:

Steak can be eaten relatively uncooked in the center because the meat is only really exposed to oxygen and bacteria on the outside, which is seared to well above the threshold temperature of 160 degrees. However, ground beef has a much, much greater surface area, and it is reincorporated throughout the meat. Not only that, but many stores get their meat pre-ground in big tubes, which they re-grind themselves. So, a package of ground beef can contain the meat from an untold amount of cows.

And I completely agree with Italian sausage... who knows what's in it, but it's delicious nonetheless!

I can swallow down brussel sprouts now, but I once tried swallowing one whole when I was a kid. Mom had to perform the Heimlich on me, but it was completely worth it. I never had to eat them again!

mndsm wrote: Shawn- you've clearly never met anyone that can cook eggplant. Little bit of corn meal, little spice, little butter, done deal.

If its done right, its decent. If its not done right, I'll pass every time.

P71 wrote: and are actually healthy for you (since they're Vegan).

Yeah I'm calling bullE36 M3 on THAT logic. The quality is probably higher which may make it healthier (lack of HFCS and whathave you) but the exclusion of meat? Nonsense.

alex wrote: If you toss the meat with a little bit of *super* high quality olive oil and the tiniest little squeeze of lemon - and, of course, salt and pepper - you'll take it to the next level.

Thank you for the suggestion! I will definately give that a try!

Osterkraut wrote:

P71 wrote: and are actually healthy for you (since they're Vegan).

Yeah I'm calling bullE36 M3 on THAT logic. The quality is probably higher which may make it healthier (lack of HFCS and whathave you) but the exclusion of meat? Nonsense.

Oreos are vegan. This should easily negate the theory that vegan = healthy.

With veggie dogs/burgers/whatever, my main skepticism lies in their list of ingredients: There are a TON of them.

Ingredients of my hamburgers: Meat, salt, pepper, minced onion.

Morningstar Farms Grillers Original: TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (WHEAT GLUTEN, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, WATER FOR HYDRATION), EGG WHITES, CORN OIL, CALCIUM CASEINATE, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF MODIFIED TAPIOCA STARCH, ONION POWDER, CANOLA OIL, TRIGLYCERIDES FROM COCONUT OIL, HYDROLYZED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (CORN GLUTEN, WHEAT GLUTEN, SOY PROTEIN), DEXTROSE, SALT, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, SUGAR, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS FROM NON-MEAT SOURCES, CARAMEL COLOR, CULTURED WHEY, MALTODEXTRIN, GARLIC POWDER, SPICE, CELLULOSE GUM, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, SOY SAUCE (WATER, SOYBEANS, SALT, WHEAT), VITAMINS AND MINERALS (NIACINAMIDE, IRON [FERROUS SULFATE], THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE [VITAMIN B6], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], VITAMIN B12), SESAME SEED OIL, CELERY EXTRACT, SOY LECITHIN.

Osterkraut wrote:

P71 wrote: and are actually healthy for you (since they're Vegan).

Yeah I'm calling bullE36 M3 on THAT logic. The quality is probably higher which may make it healthier (lack of HFCS and whathave you) but the exclusion of meat? Nonsense.

There's no meat in candy bars either... The lack of butter, eggs (and thus cholesterol), preservatives, and artificial bizarro fats is what makes them healthier. Granted they are still candy bars but if you're going to indulge, it's a much better option.

And honestly Vegans know how to do chocolate (see Oreos). When the ingredients are chocolate, sugar, and you're done things taste GREAT!

Trans_Maro wrote: Burssels Sprouts are not edible, period. It's because they're not a plant from earth. Don't believe me, grow them yourself or check this out: You'd think they would grow like little cabbages but no! They're an alien plant left on earth by the pod people.

While I may find myself developing a rep as the site apologist for the poor maligned sprout, I do have to agree with you on the pod people thing. I've grown sprouts myself, and I can attest that it's one bizzare looking plant. Others seemed to think so, too. While walking through my modest backyard garden, it was not uncommon for a visitor to become visibly aghast at the sight of them. "Good Lord man! What in the hell are those?" was the usual response. Also, the entire weight of the plant is supported at ground level by a tiny stalk that doesn't seem to be nearly the size needed to keep the whole thing from tipping over on it's side, as if it was developed on a low-gravity planet somewhere far, far, away.. a long time ago.

OTOH, sliced lengthwise, steamed, covered with melted Meunster cheese, served with a side of honey glazed baby carrots on a bed of saffron rice, it will pass for food!

MitchellC wrote:

Osterkraut wrote:

P71 wrote: and are actually healthy for you (since they're Vegan).

Yeah I'm calling bullE36 M3 on THAT logic. The quality is probably higher which may make it healthier (lack of HFCS and whathave you) but the exclusion of meat? Nonsense.

Oreos are vegan. This should easily negate the theory that vegan = healthy. With veggie dogs/burgers/whatever, my main skepticism lies in their list of ingredients: There are a TON of them. Ingredients of my hamburgers: Meat, salt, pepper, minced onion. Morningstar Farms Grillers Original: TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (WHEAT GLUTEN, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, WATER FOR HYDRATION), EGG WHITES, CORN OIL, CALCIUM CASEINATE, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF MODIFIED TAPIOCA STARCH, ONION POWDER, CANOLA OIL, TRIGLYCERIDES FROM COCONUT OIL, HYDROLYZED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (CORN GLUTEN, WHEAT GLUTEN, SOY PROTEIN), DEXTROSE, SALT, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, SUGAR, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS FROM NON-MEAT SOURCES, CARAMEL COLOR, CULTURED WHEY, MALTODEXTRIN, GARLIC POWDER, SPICE, CELLULOSE GUM, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, SOY SAUCE (WATER, SOYBEANS, SALT, WHEAT), VITAMINS AND MINERALS (NIACINAMIDE, IRON [FERROUS SULFATE], THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE [VITAMIN B6], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], VITAMIN B12), SESAME SEED OIL, CELERY EXTRACT, SOY LECITHIN.

Yeah--kinda goes against the whole "no processed foods" trend that so many of the righteous are ranting about these days.

Another bit of vegan wackiness--back in the mid 90's it seemed like every vegan I knew was also a chainsmoker. They must've been hungry.

A crazy woman my wife used to work with only drank unpasteurised milk.

She claimed "It never goes bad!"

Shawn

MitchellC wrote: I eat a lot of weird stuff, but I would be really careful with raw ground beef (unless you ground it yourself). For those who are curious, here is how it was explained to me: Steak can be eaten relatively uncooked in the center because the meat is only really exposed to oxygen and bacteria on the outside, which is seared to well above the threshold temperature of 160 degrees. However, ground beef has a much, much greater surface area, and it is reincorporated throughout the meat. Not only that, but many stores get their meat pre-ground in big tubes, which they re-grind themselves. So, a package of ground beef can contain the meat from an untold amount of cows.

This is exactly right. I'll eat tartare I make myself, so I'm certainly not raw-meat-averse. But I won't even eat a (comercially processed) hamburger lower than medium-well, so I certainly wouldn't eat tartare from anything less than a very trustworthy source. Like "Here, hold my baby and watch this big bag of cash" kind of trustworthy. I ain't skeered of most little bacteria and such, but E coli, like Wu-Tang, ain't nothing to berkeley wit.

And, ECM, I'm assuming you're a carpaccio fan as well?

I think i'm the only carnivore on the face of the planet that likes the following 3 things:

1) Soy Milk
2) Brussel Sprouts
3) Eggplant

P71 wrote:

Osterkraut wrote:

P71 wrote: and are actually healthy for you (since they're Vegan).

Yeah I'm calling bullE36 M3 on THAT logic. The quality is probably higher which may make it healthier (lack of HFCS and whathave you) but the exclusion of meat? Nonsense.

There's no meat in candy bars either... The lack of butter, eggs (and thus cholesterol), preservatives, and artificial bizarro fats is what makes them healthier. Granted they are still *candy bars* but if you're going to indulge, it's a much better option. And honestly Vegans know how to do chocolate (see Oreos). When the ingredients are chocolate, sugar, and you're done things taste GREAT!

The fact they're vegan still doesn't make them healthier, broself. You could have a straight up candy bar without the "artificial bizarro fats" and preservatives and it would be "healthy." I don't buy that eggs and butter are "unhealthy" any more than any food is. More fats and cholesterol, yes, but it's not like cholesterol is a poison.

It's the dogma that vegan= healthy that I just can't stand.

broself?

And I'm not Vegan. I know vegan=healthy doesn't always hold true, I was just saying in that particular case it was. I like having a mix. Vegan/healthy/veggie goodies most of the time, meat ~once a week, and keep active (go for a walk at work during breaks) is the way to go.

Yeah, brosef, chief, brorannosaurus rex, broceritops, broski, you know!