Food TV

There are a lot of people who believe that watching the cooks on TV work their culinary magic can have a calming effect. It seems to be something about watching someone prepare food. I have an uncle in a higher stress career that watches it to “veg” after work and grandparents who are HUGE fans of cooking and food shows. I’m a huge fan, even back to the days before an entire network and channel was created for it. I still sometimes catch episodes of Julia Child on public television. I guess for me part of it and extension of watching my family members cook in their home kitchens and being a part of it. This love that has continued from childhood is not always easy when you don’t eat meat, don’t cook meat, and don’t like the sight or smell of meat. I still watch the cooking shows- I just tend to look towards the side dishes and ways to adapt recipes to a meat-free mindset (sometimes that is as simple as using a vegetable broth or stock instead of chicken, beef, or such). I have been known to channel surf during things I would rather not see, such as roasts, steaks, etc.

There always seem to be reminders that we are a part of the few… that we, the vegetarians and vegans, are the minority. If restaurants and the meat counters at our local grocers were not enough, TV is yet another one of the ever-present reminders. On the plus side there is a growing awareness about the existence and growing numbers of people like me, the average (more or less) Americans who choose a meat-free lifestyle. While watching the food and cooking shows there are more and more meat-free meal ideas or even suggestions for cooking for vegetarian friends and family. It is slow, but positive.

http://www.vegtv.com/
(Traveling Vegetarian) http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=travelingvegetarian (or check out on my listed favorites)
http://www.delicioustv.com/aboutdelicioustv.shtml

"I am not interested to know whether vivisection produces results that are profitable to the human race or doesn't.... The pain which it inflicts upon unconsenting animals is the basis of my enmity toward it, and it is to me sufficient justification of the enmity without looking further." ~Mark Twain

Vegetarianism is Not a Punishment

I’ve been thinking a lot about the notion that many have that vegetarianism is about giving things up. (I did give up pain, nausea, and prescription medications by going vegetarian.) Many see this as a sacrifice. This is a lifestyle not a punishment. My body is better. My spirit is lighter. I am not suffering. “But don’t you miss it?” they ask, especially as the holidays approach. I don’t. I find harmony in the local farmers’ market and companionship from my animal friends. There is a whole, wide, wonderful world of yummy and satisfying food that does not have to include meat. Soul food. Comfort food. Light. Healthy. Hearty. Filling.

I’ve been going through recipe ideas for Thanksgiving. In my family everyone brings and almost everyone can cook very well. I first learned to cook from watching my mother, my grandmother, and my aunt; often needing a stool to help stir something or watch. Most measurements were by hand or coffee cup and everything was to taste. Now I pour over meal ideas a cross between the traditional German-influenced cooking of my family and the adventure of a meatless cuisine. I contemplate what new things I can expose my family to without too many complaints. They aren’t always as adventurous with food as I am, but I am continuing to work on them.

In the words of Buddha: "To become vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to nirvana."

Pasta Salad and Thanksgiving Humor for the Vegetarian

So, I'm still not feeling great and what I really want to to just feel better or for someone to baby me a little. That's not going to happen. I made some seasoned crackers (the kind where you use veggie oil and seasoning at crackers than bake for 15-20 minutes) and homemade pasta salad. I don't have a recipe for pasta salad. I have certain things I like in it and often use, but in the end it comes down to whatever I find in the cupboards and refrigerator. Today's combination is sun-dried tomatoes (sliced into smaller pieces), black olives, some sliced mushrooms (left from last night's pasta), almond slivers, some cheese bits (you could use none or use soy cheese crumbled, shredded, chunked, whatever), a blasamic vinegrette that I like, and a touch of prepared pesto (I've gotten in the habit of using just a bit to add a little bit of something else to the mix) all mixed with the pasta. You can really use just about anything you have on hand and that you enjoy together. My mom usually uses colorful peppers (I'm not a big fan of them raw) and diced tomato (I prefer the taste and texture of the sun-dried or semi-dried). Currently, it is sitting in the refrigerator letting everything kind of crisp and marinate together.

For Thanksgiving this year, as with most years, my family is planning a big shin-dig with everyone getting together. We have certain traditions that seem to appear every year from pretty much the same people. Especially after going vegetarian it became important for me to make sure there were foods that I would and could eat without giving up some of my holiday favorites. I always make homemade mushroom stuffing, vegetarian gravy of some type, some type of vegetable that has not been corrupted, and often some appetizer type thing (my stuffed mushrooms are always a big hit with vegetarians and meat-eaters alike). Hope all your plans for the season are fabulous.

Here's a little something to make you smile and maybe think too.

From Albert Einstein, physicist: "Nothing will increase chances of survival for life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."

"Where's the Meat?"

There are things and days that I do not understand; among these is my brothers’ hysterics over meat. I don’t eat it, I don’t like the smell of it, and I have no desire to cook it. This is not new. I was fixing pasta for dinner. The water was getting close to a boil and I was in the process of slicing mushrooms. ‘Where’s the meat?” my brother demanded as he barged into the kitchen. “You need to fix chicken to go with that.” It was not a request, it was a demand. I was not about to be bullied into anything, especially cutting up and cooking chicken (or hamburger as the other one wanted). He freaked out. By freak out I mean major freaking. The fights are still there and sometimes I fear they always will be. As he yelled and screamed, ranted and raved he finally got the chicken out and fixed it himself. Our large kitchen suddenly felt way too small as I tried to keep breadsticks from burning, water from boiling over, and sauce from scorching. The entire time he raved about how horrible it was that I am a vegetarian and how I had done it just to be different. When I first quit eating meat (even back to when I was contemplating it and trying to make a decision) it was such a frightening endeavor to undertake, especially alone and without my family’s support. The stereotype is often of the militant vegetarian picking fights and arguments with meat-eating family, friends, and strangers. I try to avoid the fights and arguments. Yet, somehow I take attacks especially from my siblings while being accused of “attacking” them. (All going back to an afternoon a couple years back when I asked my one brother is he really needed a steak for an after-school snack.) I don’t; attack others for their lifestyle and I don’t want to be attacked for mine. My lifestyle is not hurting anyone, not even myself.

It doesn’t really matter why I became a vegetarian. It’s my life and my body. I wanted to be better and for me this worked. I shouldn’t have to explain myself. I’m open to reasonable discussions and honest curiosity, but not hysterical rants about the evils of vegetables and my supposed responsibility to serve them meat. Sometimes it would be nice to have a real ally; someone who actually understood. I never expected it to be completely easy, but I had hoped that after this long the attacks from family would have ceased. I may not like it, but I have never once attacked them or yelled at them for their continuing to hunt. (It helps that their aim is so bad they can barely hit the broad side of a barn.) I wonder sometimes how important it would be to marry a vegetarian like me, then things like this happen again and I almost don’t want to risk the idea of a long-term relationship with a meat-eater.

Let me leave with a quote that just seems fitting.

From Scott Adams (The writer of Dilbert): “You think I’m one of those wise-ass California vegetarians who is going to tell that eating a few strips of bacon is bad for your health. I’m not. I say it’s a free country and you should be able to kill yourself at any rate you choose, as long as your cold dead body is not blocking my driveway.”

Trying Something New with Old Fav's

I had rehearsal tonight and went early to work on some costume things (that I have managed to get myself put in charge of). I knew I went be there awhile and when I made lunch I went ahead and packed myself a dinner. Now anyone who knows me, probably knows that I love food and enjoy eating. I love flavor and trying new things. I made a mushroom rice (with little pieces of sliced mushroom stems in it) then lighted sauteed some a garlic clove. I added a little balsamic vinaigrette I had in the refrigerator to the garlic and oil and let it all mix and warm. I cleaned and removed the stems from a couple small portabella mushrooms (about 2 inches in diameter) and placed in a small baking dish with the bottoms up. Then poured over the garlic/balsamic mixture. I roasted the mushrooms for about 20 minutes at 450 degrees. Then sliced a few carrot sticks and another small glove of garlic (its great for the immune system) and sauteed them. It was yummy even reheated at the theater. I packed some olives, a bottle of water, and some mini cookies to go with it. Definitely made the evening go easier. Oven roasting the mushrooms like that may also have become a new favorite (I use a lot of mushrooms at times). Sometimes its entertaining to me how non-veggies will look at what I am eating (or smell in cooking or reheating in the microwave) and look and comment and sometimes even drool a little. It's great to try something new and LOVE it. It makes me kind of want to experiment with preparing vegetables in all sorts of ways that I may not yet have tried. In the meantime I think I may curl up with a nice steaming bowl of homemade French onion soup (leftovers form the other night). Yummy yummy in my tummy.