So when I was way younger, I once resolved to go Veggie. All at once, I renounced everything to do with meat...and it lasted about a week.

Over the last year and a half, I've really done a lot to be more health-minded. And strangely, this was also somewhat sudden...but it stuck. I was going to the grocery store one day, when I just said to myself, "You really need to get your sh*t together. You eat terribly, you don't exercise anymore, and you drink too much." And on that visit to the grocer, I completely changed my buying (and thus, eating) habits. I don't know why it stuck this time, but it did. Since August of last year, I've lost 30 lbs! (215 ---> 185)

Slowly, as I started reading more and talking to some of my Nutritionist/Physical trainer friends, I started picking up other good tips. I also bought and read Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine--which is probably now my favorite book I own. One thing I kept seeing in that book (and in other material) is that so many problems can be avoided by avoiding the ingestion of animals. Now I'm not going off on any ethical argument about why it's "wrong" to kill animals for food. I don't think it is. There are tribes in Mongolia who literally could not exist without meat. You can't really grow much on the arid steppe. Anyway, my idea was this time, instead of saying, "okay, no more meat," try saying, "I wonder how many consecutive nourishing, satisfying meals I can get through consecutively without eating meat."

And it worked WAY better. I still really jones hard for some old favorites, but I've been able to stick with an exclusively plant diet for a while now. I think I may still allow certain fishes, but the jury's still out on that one. I just love sushi sooooooo much.

So, all that to say that any of you Apples who have been in the Veggie/Vegan community for a while now, I'd love to hear from you concerning any of your favorite recipes. I've been doing well so far, but I'm scared I'll get bored with what I know how to do at some point, and then old habits...

So yeah, any post is appreciated, and I'll see what I can scrounge up myself as I learn more stuff.

i've quoted from this book since forever, but i highly highly recommend the cookbook vegetarian cooking for everyone by deboarh madison. it's practical, some harder recipes, some easier ones, with ingredients that aren't difficult to find and usually won't break the bank. she explains everything. i love love LOVE this book.

happy veggie-ism, jame$.

I'm not a vegetarian, but I've maintained a low-fat diet and eat fruits or vegetables with just about every meal the past two years, and I feel much better for it.

The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen is a classic, I've used lots of recipes from it over the years and most of them are very easy to prepare.

I think I posted this elsewhere, but you can make a delicious cold side dish/salad substitute by steaming trimmed asparagus stalks for 10-15 minutes depending on thickness (use a cup of water and a cup of white wine and add a crumbled bay leaf for steaming) and then marinating them in vinaigrette. They'll keep in the refrigerator for at least a week, and you can also throw them on the grill when the weather's warm.

Good recipe for gaspacho here.

Bon appetit!

I don't really have any recipes to share (beyond "turn to page two of Indian restaurant menu and point to vegan section item"), but I can relate to the veggie-ism. I did it for about two years myself, though I ate fish and seafood (LOVE sushi as well... :: gang sign :: ). In the process I inadvertently lost 25 lbs., without trying... so I started eating meat again. Luckily, I've since regained my proper form as a nice, mushy fat ass. Nothing like a little dead cattle to get the heart slowed down and the metabolism crawling, you know?

:: spits ::

Good luck with it, J-dawg... I do really believe that it's a better way of living. I just don't have the gumption to cook that much right now.

T.

I wrote up a big old post with links and shit the day you posted this thread, then Netscape crashed on me... eh... that's my PC's way of telling me to keep it short(er)... My wife's been a vegetarian more than half her life. I've been one going on 4½ years. The first few months were tough, but after the first 2-3 months, I really haven't looked back. There are plenty of good options out there, even at restaurants that you might not think have good veggie options. We do tend to cook a lot at home, though... and cutting out fastfood is a good idea, whether you're a vegetarian or not vegetarian.

Anyway, here are some of our favorite cookbooks:

• The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen (previously mentioned by keith); Link: http://molliekatzen.com/
• The Chicago Diner Cookbook by Jo Kaucher (delicious veggie food in Wrigleyville); Links: http://veggiediner.com/ -and- http://www.myspace.com/chicagodiner (I eat at Chicago Diner at least once on every visit to Chicago. It's heaven.)
• A Taste of Hope Springs by The Hope Springs Institute (an Ohio Not-for-Profit); Link: http://www.hopespringswomencenter.com/A_Taste_of_Hox.html

This is quite possibly the best magazine subscription I have (outside of Adbusters) ---> VegNews (it's a cover-to-cover read every time). Vegetarian Times is good, too... but VegNews wins hands down.

And here's a recipe we love that I posted on the Orchard a bit ago... it's delicious: Mushroom Dumpling Stew (from A Taste of Hope Springs)


~fff

edited to fix a link.

Saw a bumper sticker today (I know, that other thread would be good too):

VEGETARIAN: Indian word for "Bad Hunter"

Thank you for your constructive addition to this thread, Pico.
It has warmed our hearts and nourished our minds.

~Dan

What an ironic post, considering the source.

Outside of Kylie, I don't usually go out of my way to annoy anyone, though.

But irony observed regardless.

~fff

From your point of view. I would *love* to see how you perceive where I went out of my way to annoy you personally with the sticker comment. It was a fricking joke in a section on food recipes.

Yes, correct... from my point of view. But whatever.

Getting back on track for this thread... Jame$, I forgot another good one... the Blossoming Lotus Café (that has wonderful cafés in both Kauai-HI and Portland-OR) has some kick-ass recipes. Their Vegan World Fusion Cuisine cookbook is gonna be on our cooking shelf soonish.



~fff

Thank you EVERYONE for your input.

It has been most helpful, and I'm putting together a shopping list based on some of the info I've gathered here.

And Dan, as for your "cutting out fast food" suggestion, that was actually the first thing I did when I decided to make a change for the healthier. It's so true. Even if you decide to keep on eating meat...just cutting out fast food and processed food will literally change your world. I honsestly feel like a huge part of the reason I was able to stop taking Seroquel is because I stopped eating so much shit, i.e., fast/processed food. You really are, quite literally, what you eat. And when you don't eat shit, well...

Again, thanks everyone. And I hope this thread stays open for anyone with new ideas, cookbooks, etc.

Thanks for posting! This ranks right up there with:

Lottery: God's punshiment for people bad at math

I have several good friends that are veg'es... I decided to try it for several months several years ago. Every time I drove by a Wendy's I would begin salavating. This was way before salads/baked potatoes/etc. I craved Wendy's doubles like a prime target of the Paparazzi... I gave in...now I'm an Internet Potatoe...

I will offer that the reason you lose weight is not because the food is necessarily better for you. Two of my friends who are veg'es are over weight... The problem is that veg'es tend to eat a lot of carbohydrates... Anywho...the reason is that when you're a veg, you have to prepare a lot of the food yourself. Food prep is hard work. Especially if you go as far as making your own bread, growing your own food, etc. Don't laugh, I hang out on the Humans List (Bruce Cockburn [have I mentioned him here before?] Yahoo group) and there are plenty of old hippie types that have unplugged from the "grid" as they call it (well except their 386 PC's... [they are adamantly opposed to a message board because it would require hardware upgrades...]) They grown their own [food], make their own bread, composte, usually own a goat or two... Being a "real" veg is seriously hard work. I was merely a poser who purchased veges and bread at the local super market... And no matter how hard I tried, tofu still feels like I'm chewing on a hunk of fat off a prime rib...which totally grossed me out. And then there were the beans. You know, beans beans the magic fruit, the more you eat the more you toot... I'm not opposed to beans being a staple it's the byproducts I'm not fond of!

I will say this, it did open my eyes to some great food that I wouldn't have tried being a mere carnivore. For instance, asparagas. I have this great recipe for asparagas, who knows, maybe I got it off this board? A little EVOO, lemon zest, kosher salt... NOW, that makes my mouth water! Avocados are one of my favorite fruits! And Mangoes! God's gift to the world (and probably the real fruit on the tree of life...unless...) I still avoid cooked spinach, brussel sprouts, and cabbage with a passion. And as far as I'm concerned there's not enough mushrooms in the world... One of these days, I'll post our friend's turnip soup!!!!! Seriously. Oh and homemade salsa! It's a lot of work but it's worth it!

Finally, please don't take the above as disparraging, it's just my warped sense of humour... If I could eat fresh seafood daily, I could easily forego beef, pork and poultry. Unfortunately, I live in Misery where fresh seafood means recently unfrozen... But to be honest, I would miss certain foods...BBQ Smoked Ribs, chateau briand, lamb chops, Thanksgiving turkey, chicken in many dishes, and well sausage & bacon, especially bacon, pepper bacon, oh and pastrami and pepperoni and... And my favorite restaurant, Ruth's Chris!

I whole hearted believe everyone should eat more rice. Pass the curry please....

All my bookmarks bit the dust a couple of weeks ago, but I know I really like the post-punk kitchen for vegan recipes online. http://www.theppk.com/

The People's Potato Collective also put out Vegan on a Shoestring a few years ago, which is available online somewhere, I know. It was my first vegan cookbook. http://peoplespotato.resist.ca/

And finally, I am hopelessly addicted the the pretty colorful pictures of The Vegan Lunchbox. I want one of those whimsical (color scheme) Laptop Lunches bento sets, dammit. http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/ http://www.laptoplunches.com/

Have you seen the "what the hell does a vegan eat anyway blog?
I have a pavlovian response just looking at it!*
http://veganmenu.blogspot.com/

~m

*and, of course, today's isn't that crazy impressive, but it still looks AWESOME for mac n cheez.

My PattyPal® Kris's rad vegan blog can be found here. She's publishing a cookbook soon.

hey james,

how is this going? or is it gone?
ftr: vegetarian diets are often higher in fat than non veggie (all those nuts, seeds and cheeses).
ive got some great veggie recipe books if your still interested.
(oh and i second and third the moosewood books).
d.

: )