Guest guest Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 A member asked me, off list, why, if I was vegetarian, I craved beef, turkey and shrimp, and I tried to explain as succinctly as possible. But what's true of me isn't necessarily true of all vegetarians and vegans, and I suspect my response wasn't much use. So could you all please help out a bit here? Do YOU use Faux/Fake me*t of various kinds? Why? And how do you explain that to non-vegetarians or to vegetarians who do not like to use fake or mock or faux (whatever you like to call 'em) turkey, beef, ham, fish, prawns, whatever. Any other comments on this subject? Love it? Hate it? Don't care? LOL Best, Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 Good question. When I first went veg and struck out on my own, I used the faux stuff quite frequently for its convenience more than for any dislike of good, whole foods. Later, I dropped it though, as the high salt content was not doing me any favors. Then I really got into making my own seitan creations and ate them pretty much daily for the easy, low-calorie, protein and no added salt. However, I believe I overdid it and started to become sensitive to the gluten. Since (around the time of my cookbook two years ago), it's been all whole foods, with tofu and tempeh swinging in and out of my diet on occasion. Regarding taste, I think it's actually the spices that people are tasting, and there's no reason you can't just use the same ones on a similarly bland carrier food like tofu or noodles. Regarding texture, veggie food has it hands down here. Not to get too graphic, but weird little hard or overly chewy spots in me*ts always grossed me out anyway. What might have been an odd texture in me*t is simply " plant " in vegan food. As for the desirable textures, say, crispiness, most can be reproduced easily enough too, though they do get more challenging -- not impossible -- when you throw low-fat into the mix. Hope this helps; I wrote more than I'd intended. -Erin http://www.VeganDoneLight.com/spice/ http://www.ShopVeganRaw.com - drpatsant Saturday, June 27, 2009 11:32 AM Why Fake Meats etc.? A member asked me, off list, why, if I was vegetarian, I craved beef, turkey and shrimp, and I tried to explain as succinctly as possible. But what's true of me isn't necessarily true of all vegetarians and vegans, and I suspect my response wasn't much use. So could you all please help out a bit here? Do YOU use Faux/Fake me*t of various kinds? Why? And how do you explain that to non-vegetarians or to vegetarians who do not like to use fake or mock or faux (whatever you like to call 'em) turkey, beef, ham, fish, prawns, whatever. Any other comments on this subject? Love it? Hate it? Don't care? LOL Best, Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 I donr't have to use them at all because I can get the same textures and flavors with firm tofu after I have frozen it and then defrosted it. I tend to periodically purchase the faux, fake, or whatever " meats " for esthetic reasons when I have company. I am vegan for health not ethics and although I would never want to hurt an animal, I do cook and serve animal products to my partner and non-veg friends. I believe that plants have as much of a life as animals and therefore cannot justify the killing of a plant anymore than the killing of an animal, but I do believe that a plant based diet is many times healthier than on that included animal products. Richard Gertler ________________________________ drpatsant <drpatsant Saturday, June 27, 2009 11:32:09 AM Why Fake Meats etc.? A member asked me, off list, why, if I was vegetarian, I craved beef, turkey and shrimp, and I tried to explain as succinctly as possible. But what's true of me isn't necessarily true of all vegetarians and vegans, and I suspect my response wasn't much use. So could you all please help out a bit here? Do YOU use Faux/Fake me*t of various kinds? Why? And how do you explain that to non-vegetarians or to vegetarians who do not like to use fake or mock or faux (whatever you like to call 'em) turkey, beef, ham, fish, prawns, whatever. Any other comments on this subject? Love it? Hate it? Don't care? LOL Best, Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 Good question Pat. I think there are vegetarians who do crave something that looks like the traditional meat products (I won't name them here but those familiar with the Linda McCartney recipe books will know what I mean) whereas there are others who are repulsed by anything that looks like meat. I remember visiting a Chinese restaurant where once the guy heard I chose a vegetarian way of life was very keen to offer me his imitation turkey, chicken and all sorts of other products - it seems he'd been waiting for ages for a moment like this - but unfortunately this wasn't the moment, I politely declined all his selections and chose the stewed almonds or some such. I do however make occasional use of pre-cooked products which do have a superficial resemblance to hamburgers and other minced products, but that's as far as they go - it's handy to have something which can be quickly prepared. And I think it's a general problem with preparing vegetarian menus (by ourselves and in restaurants etc.) that we've been brought up on the tradition of some sort of meat or fish as the centre of the main course, and feel the need to fill it with something else. But really it's an illusion - there's not a gap and so no need to fill it! Piers , " drpatsant " <drpatsant wrote: > > A member asked me, off list, why, if I was vegetarian, I craved beef, turkey and shrimp, and I tried to explain as succinctly as possible. But what's true of me isn't necessarily true of all vegetarians and vegans, and I suspect my response wasn't much use. > > So could you all please help out a bit here? Do YOU use Faux/Fake me*t of various kinds? Why? And how do you explain that to non-vegetarians or to vegetarians who do not like to use fake or mock or faux (whatever you like to call 'em) turkey, beef, ham, fish, prawns, whatever. > > Any other comments on this subject? Love it? Hate it? Don't care? LOL > > Best, Pat > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 Personally Pat I don't know if this is the same as you but for me, I gave up eating meat, not completely because I didn't like the taste but more the whole thought of eating something that had once lived and breathed. I've been a vegetarian since 1989 when the realisation that the mooing cows I could hear at night while laying in bed in my new home, were actually being taken into the abattoir that is situated near(ish) us. So for me, I eat faux meat because I still like the idea of a meat substitute with my meals or in a curry or whatever, probably partially because I like that sort of texture in mouth but also because, I am not overly keen on a lot of vegetables too. Hope all that makes sense Squirrel x drpatsant wrote: > > > A member asked me, off list, why, if I was vegetarian, I craved beef, > turkey and shrimp, and I tried to explain as succinctly as possible. > But what's true of me isn't necessarily true of all vegetarians and > vegans, and I suspect my response wasn't much use. > > So could you all please help out a bit here? Do YOU use Faux/Fake me*t > of various kinds? Why? And how do you explain that to non-vegetarians > or to vegetarians who do not like to use fake or mock or faux > (whatever you like to call 'em) turkey, beef, ham, fish, prawns, whatever. > > Any other comments on this subject? Love it? Hate it? Don't care? LOL > > Best, Pat > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 ..I used them for 2 reasons, first they made it easy to transition from the meat eating. Now I eat them because i like them. So could you all please help out a bit here? Do YOU use Faux/Fake me*t of various kinds? Why? And how do you explain that to non-vegetarians or to vegetarians who do not like to use fake or mock or faux (whatever you like to call 'em) turkey, beef, ham, fish, prawns, whatever. Any other comments on this subject? Love it? Hate it? Don't care? LOL Best, Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 28, 2009 Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 Am lucky that on my part,my children have been bout 8 years vegetarian when i adopted the lifestyle.They got ways to keep the taste of meat and fish.For meaty taste we use boiled soya beans,mince and mix it to our cookings and also we add mushroom.For fish taste we use the dried seaweeds in pack which are abundant here in the Philippines.For the fish and chicken looks there are soya products that could be bought in some supermarkets.All we need to do is check on the ingredients use and the expiry dates.It really matters because if they are old stocks taste are affected.Also there are some soya producers that adds preservatives.So life keeps us satisfied being vegetarians and I should say vegans for years now.God bless everyone! --- On Sat, 27/6/09, Erin <truepatriot wrote: Erin <truepatriot Re: Why Fake Meats etc.? Saturday, 27 June, 2009, 11:59 PM Good question. When I first went veg and struck out on my own, I used the faux stuff quite frequently for its convenience more than for any dislike of good, whole foods. Later, I dropped it though, as the high salt content was not doing me any favors. Then I really got into making my own seitan creations and ate them pretty much daily for the easy, low-calorie, protein and no added salt. However, I believe I overdid it and started to become sensitive to the gluten. Since (around the time of my cookbook two years ago), it's been all whole foods, with tofu and tempeh swinging in and out of my diet on occasion. Regarding taste, I think it's actually the spices that people are tasting, and there's no reason you can't just use the same ones on a similarly bland carrier food like tofu or noodles. Regarding texture, veggie food has it hands down here. Not to get too graphic, but weird little hard or overly chewy spots in me*ts always grossed me out anyway. What might have been an odd texture in me*t is simply " plant " in vegan food. As for the desirable textures, say, crispiness, most can be reproduced easily enough too, though they do get more challenging -- not impossible -- when you throw low-fat into the mix. Hope this helps; I wrote more than I'd intended. -Erin http://www.VeganDoneLight.com/spice/ http://www.ShopVeganRaw.com - drpatsant Saturday, June 27, 2009 11:32 AM Why Fake Meats etc.? A member asked me, off list, why, if I was vegetarian, I craved beef, turkey and shrimp, and I tried to explain as succinctly as possible. But what's true of me isn't necessarily true of all vegetarians and vegans, and I suspect my response wasn't much use. So could you all please help out a bit here? Do YOU use Faux/Fake me*t of various kinds? Why? And how do you explain that to non-vegetarians or to vegetarians who do not like to use fake or mock or faux (whatever you like to call 'em) turkey, beef, ham, fish, prawns, whatever. Any other comments on this subject? Love it? Hate it? Don't care? LOL Best, Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 28, 2009 Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 I don't understand the appeal of those products-perhaps they are convenient or comforting for some folks?I also do not like those commercial veggie burgers,though I do sometimes make my own(Weird,huh?)I look at that stuff as processed food,little better than junk food really,that kind of defeats the purpose(In my mind)of eating a plant based diet-steppin' off m'soapbox now... Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 28, 2009 Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 Robertwrote: > > I don't understand the appeal of those products-perhaps they are convenient or comforting for some folks?I also do not like those commercial veggie burgers,though I do sometimes make my own(Weird,huh?)I look at that stuff as processed food,little better than junk food really,that kind of defeats the purpose(In my mind)of eating a plant based diet-steppin' off m'soapbox now... True, a lot depends on the quality - some of these products are really vile but you get the odd one made with care and imagination and they are interesting for a change from time to time. What do members think of products like Quorn and TVP? I tend to ignore them but they tend to pop up on the menu when visiting. We have another product here manufactured from milk residues which I can't say I enjoy but it's so widely advertised that people think it's an interesting option to put on your plate instead of whatever it is the others are eating. Not vegan of course, but these sort of products usually aren't. Piers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 28, 2009 Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 I agree. Fortunately, there are some really tasty vegetarian recipes on here so I keep on my membership. Chad in Tulsa. ________________________________ Robert <placidazure1 Saturday, June 27, 2009 8:39:33 PM Re: Why Fake Meats etc.? I don't understand the appeal of those products-perhaps they are convenient or comforting for some folks?I also do not like those commercial veggie burgers,though I do sometimes make my own(Weird,huh? )I look at that stuff as processed food,little better than junk food really,that kind of defeats the purpose(In my mind)of eating a plant based diet-steppin' off m'soapbox now... Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 29, 2009 Report Share Posted June 29, 2009 I perfectly understand - and to a point agree - with what some of you are saying about the commercial soy and wheat meats being 'processed' foods and therefore not as good for us as unprocessed foods might be. I was going to respond by saying something like: Oh yes, but sometimes busy people appreciate being able to make a quick sandwich out of soy ham and soy cheese with lettuce etc., and make a run for it But then I thought: Silly me, anything made from flour, like bread for sandwiches, is a processed food too and those who want wholefood wouldn't touch it, even if it was filled with alfalfa sprouts, with a barge pole. So I realize that we are having not so much a discussion between those who want healthy food (less salt and fat, for example) and prefer to make their own seitan and those who now and then like to live dangerously and buy fake meats ready made, but between those who deplore processed food per se and therefore are against fake meats for that reason. Of course, the reason I like to make my own seitan is to reduce the salt content. As for taste, well it was members of this group who persuaded me some time ago to give another try to the commercial fake meats and get out of the rut I was in. So I did. I agree, some is better than others and at this stage I haven't a clue what the Real Thing would taste like so it's purely a matter of palatable or unpalatable rather than how good a fake it is. And if it looks 'real' then it's fun (as well as tasty) - perverse as some people may find that attitude! LOL I admit, however, that I usually do not use fake meats but like to have something like that in the fridge these days 'just in case'. Isn't it great that we have so many different products on the market now that are vegetarian- and vegan-friendly (yes, I can find quite a few vegan fake meats and cheeses) so that we have a choice to suit our personal tastes, philosophies,lifestyles and - yes, okay - occasional whims. Best, Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 14, 2009 Report Share Posted July 14, 2009 I use most of them, I like the chewy texture they add to a recipe. HB , Winterchill <winterchill57 wrote: > > > > > > > .I used them for 2 reasons, first they made it easy to transition from the meat eating. Now I eat them because i like them. > > > > > So could you all please help out a bit here? Do YOU use Faux/Fake me*t of various kinds? Why? And how do you explain that to non-vegetarians or to vegetarians who do not like to use fake or mock or faux (whatever you like to call 'em) turkey, beef, ham, fish, prawns, whatever. > > Any other comments on this subject? Love it? Hate it? Don't care? LOL > > Best, Pat > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 , " haggis_the_baggis " <haggis_the_baggis wrote: > > I use most of them, I like the chewy texture they add to a recipe. > HB Yeah, it seems we either love em or hate em, but few people are lukewarm about em! Me, I used to hate them, but now I am more adventurous and realize they do indeed add a nice texture to recipes that would normally have had a similar texture somewhere in there. It's a matter of what you cook, I think I also like the soy turkey and soy ham in sandwiches - not on their own, for sure, but with a variety of other textures and flavours. Very nice addition, even if we only do it now and then. Best, Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Hi everyone, Ive been a member for long and my first time to share,this is Vegan Recipe that is oftenly served in the resto TUFO MENUDO 250 mgs. firm tufo,cut into cubes 1 clove garlic,minced 2 med. size tomato 2 med. size potato 1 med. size onion 2 tbsp olive oil 2 small carrots (cut into cubes) 1 green bell pepper (cut into cubes) 1 red bell pepper (cut into cubes) 1/2 cup tomato paste 2 tbsp soya sauce/or 2tsp salt 100 gms. green peas dash of cayenne/black powdered black pepper (acc. to desired hotness) 2tbsp brown sugar 1 cup water *WATER SAUTE* Boil water in a small pan,put the onion,garlic,tomato and tufo.Let it simmer for 2 mins..Put the potato,carrot,bell peppers,soya sauce or salt,tomato paste, brown sugar and cayenne/powdered black pepper.Turn off the fire and add the 2 tbsp of olive oil. *or saute by using the olive oil instead of water following same procedure* Yield to 4-6 serving enjoy ________________________________ drpatsant <drpatsant Thursday, July 16, 2009 5:38:48 Re: Why Fake Meats etc.? , " haggis_the_baggis " <haggis_the_baggis wrote: > > I use most of them, I like the chewy texture they add to a recipe. > HB Yeah, it seems we either love em or hate em, but few people are lukewarm about em! Me, I used to hate them, but now I am more adventurous and realize they do indeed add a nice texture to recipes that would normally have had a similar texture somewhere in there. It's a matter of what you cook, I think I also like the soy turkey and soy ham in sandwiches - not on their own, for sure, but with a variety of other textures and flavours. Very nice addition, even if we only do it now and then. Best, Pat --- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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