Why won't those wacky vegans eat cheese?

"Ok," people say to vegans, "I get the idea behind not eating meat.  But dairy?  How on earth can you give up cheese?"

This post details the ethical problems with dairy, and the powerful industry that's painting milk across the upper lips of teen idols and pouring it into our cereal bowls.  While I think that there is a plethora of scientifically sound reasons to give up dairy for health reasons, I'll talk about those in a different post.

I can hear you rolling your eyes.  And I can hear you thinking, "milk is a natural food.  Cows give it to us naturally.  They need to be milked; farmers are doing them a favour.  And cheese is awesome." I can hear you, because these thoughts are all things I thought myself before I discovered the truth behind the cheese.

Natural, eh?  We are the only species on earth that drinks the breast milk of another species, and the only species that continues to drink this breast milk past infancy.  Doesn't that sound kind of...icky?  And certainly not natural.  Lactose intolerance is often referred to as some kind of disease or condition, but in fact, we stop producing the enzyme that our body needs to properly digest milk around the age of 18, because we aren't supposed to be drinking it anymore. If you are lactose intolerant, you don't have a special medical condition, your body is just behaving the way it should.


When I was a LO vegetarian, I thought that cows needed to be milked, or else they would be in physical pain.  Someone told me this once, (probably one of my parents, I don't really remember), and I just believed them.  And I think most people are told this pleasant fiction at some point or another, and most people just accept it as fact.  Why does the cow need to be milked?  That part we don't really think too hard about.  Cows are just milk machines, right?

We don't think too hard about why cows need to be milked, because the idea that cows produce milk for no reason is a load of bull.  Cows don't constantly produce a never ending stream of milk just waiting to be turned into your next pint of Ben and Jerry's.  They are artificially impregnated 90 days after they give birth, every time that they give birth, so that they can be constantly milked with the use of an artificial insemination instrument called a rape rack. Think of the stress that a human female body undergoes from just one pregnancy, and now imagine that she is forced to undergo this every year, with no time to recover, and no choice.

This photo comes from Blaikiewell Animal Sanctuary

Dairy cows are fed Bovine Grown Hormone (BGH), a synthetic hormone developed to produce more milk, and through a combination of messing around with their genetics and intensive production technology they produce 100lb of milk a day, which is ten times more than they would normally produce with a natural pregnancy.  A dairy cow is often forced to produce so much milk that her swollen udder will drag on the floor.

After about 3-6 years of this unnatural cycle, the cows are spent.  Normally a cow would live to about 25 years of age, but in the dairy industry when a cow stops producing milk, she is sold for meat and sent for slaughter.  The dairy industry props up the meat industry in a very real way.

A dairy cow is hooked up to a milking machine several times a day.  The constant stress of this unnatural cycle will put her at risk for numerous health problems, including Bovine Leukemia Virus, Bovine Immunodeficiency Virus, and Johne's disease (which is like the human Crohn's disease).  This milking machine will suck her udders dry and often transmit bacterial infections to her, such as the very painful infection of the udders called mastitis.

Do you like drinking pus?  Good.  Because thanks to mastitis, a condition from which 30% of all British dairy cows suffer, pus is in your milk.  Under governmental regulations 400 million pus cells are allowed into every litre of milk.  If this disgusts you for your sake, think of the cow that has to put up with having her swollen, infected udder sucked dry several times a day, every day of her life, until she is sent to slaughter. 

The dairy industry, like any profitable industry, is a business.  Businesses are after money, and the welfare of cows will never be more important in a dairy farm than the financial bottom line.  Therefore, cows will always be treated as machines, not living, sentient beings.  In one type of milking system, cows are confined to windowless sheds and chained by the neck for the duration of their lives.  In another, they are crowded into outdoor enclosures where they must continuously stand or lie on feces and urine caked soil.  Their painful medical problems often go unnoticed and untended; the cows simply suffer through infections, illnesses, and injuries.  Investigators have documented that animals who are so sick or injured that they are unable to walk or even stand are routinely beaten, dragged, or pushed with bulldozers in attempts to move them to slaughter.
 
I am by no means a maternal person, but the part of the dairy industry that affects me the most is the manipulated of the relationship between mother cows and their calves.  The bond between a mother and child is undoubtedly one of the most sacred, primitive, and natural in our society, and as egocentric as our species can be, we all recognise that we as humans do not have a monopoly on this bond.  We know that this bond exists between all mothers and their offspring, regardless of species.

So if cows are continuously impregnated, what happens to their calves?  The calves produced by these pregnancies are taken away from their mothers immediately after birth.  The females will be used as dairy cows.  The males will be kept in unthinkable conditions for a few weeks, and then sold for veal meat or other beef.  Mother cows, normally docile, will fight against their calves being taken away from them, and will search and call out for their children for days after they are taken away.  The painful image of mother cows frantically calling out for their children affects me and stays with me the most, possibly because in the end, it would be better for her really to not know what happened to her child.

So, I don't think that milk is a natural food.  I don't think that cows give it to us freely.  And I don't think that farmers are doing them a favour.

Ethical Eats

Vegan Blueberry Pancakes

Tomorrow is Pancake Tuesday, and don't think that vegans have to opt out of it!  Here is a dairy free, egg free recipe for delicious blueberry pancakes.  Please note these are in the style of the fluffier Canadian pancakes, rather than the more crepe-like British pancakes.  Blueberries aren't in season right now, so look in the freezer section of your local store for frozen berries.  Of course you can substitute any kind of berries you like, or take them out completely if you have something against fiber and phytonutrients.  Double the recipe for a family.

1 cup plain flour (or 1/2 cup plain flour and 1/2 cup whole-wheat)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup soy milk
2.5 Tablespoons canola oil (also known as rapeseed oil)
1/2 cup thawed blueberries

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl.  Stir in soy milk and oil, and mix until just combined (lumps are ok). Gently fold in the blueberries.

Heat a frying pan on medium-high heat, and add a small amount of oil.  I use a 1/4 cup measure to spoon out the batter into the frying pan.  Cook about 2-3 minutes on each side, bubbles will form on the top side.  Flip, and cook 2 minutes on the other side.  Don't worry if the fist pancake looks a little funky, the first pancake in any batch of pancakes you will ever make is usually a "throwaway" pancake.  Except I throw it away by eating it while the others are cooking.

Top with more fresh fruit, maple syrup, non-dairy margarine, brown rice syrup, jam (preferably sugar free), or applesauce.

References
Butler, Justine, White Lies, Bristol: Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation, 2006.  Available at    http://www.vegetarian.org.uk/campaigns/whitelies/wlreport01.shtml.
Farm Animal Welfare Council, "Report on the Welfare of Dairy Cattle," LFAC, 1997.  Available at http://www.fawc.org.uk/reports/dairycow/dcowrtoc.htm.
Farm Sanctuary, The Welfare of Cattle in Dairy Production, NY: Farm Sanctuary, 2006.  Available at http://www.farmsanctuary.org/mediacenter/dairy_report.html.
Vernelli, Toni, The Dark Side of Dairy: A report on the UK Dairy Industry, Bristol: Viva!, 2005.  Available at http://milkmyths.org.uk/report/index.php.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

I love the autumn.  Something really amazing happens to the earth at this time of year: trees burst into brilliant colour (yes, even in London this year), we bring out coats and gloves and become immediately more stylish, and the farmer's markets suddenly become laden with plump and cheerful squashes and pumpkins.  All of these seasonal evolutions remind me that change is more exciting than it is scary.  So I thought this would be an appropriate time of the year to talk about transitioning from meat eating to vegetarianism.

If you are looking to make the leap from omnivore to herbivore, there are a myriad of approaches.  You could start by having three vegetarian days a week, and then add more.  You could turn around one day, and immediately eliminate all animal products from your diet.  You could set a day in the future to be your last meat eating day.  If your diet has been riddled with tons of animal products up to now, throwing them out the door immediately might be a shock for your body.  On the other hand, if you already eat a lot of fresh, wholesome food, an immediate meat-out might feel fantastically freeing. 

Regardless of how you decide to make the change, you are going to encounter some splendiferous benefits, and some causes for concern.  Here are some tips to guide you through the first couple of months:

DO:

• Learn to cook.  I've said it before, and I meant it.  Don't be scared.  If you can read and follow directions, make slicing motions with a knife, and turn on a burner, you can cook.  Everyone should  cook, obviously, but preparing your own food is particularly important for anyone not eating a standard western diet, because most processed, pre-packaged food is aimed at people who do eat a standard western diet.  So unless you really, really, really like toast, you need to start cooking.

• Buy a good vegetarian cookbook.  So, you've decided you don't want to eat meat anymore.  You've decided you want to turn over a new leaf both for yourself and for the victims of the meat industry.  You're excited and raring to go, but like many people, you were raised eating a slab of meat with some boiled carrots for dinner   What the face are you supposed to eat?  Enter the glorious and inventive array of vegetarian cookbooks.  Buy a good, all-purpose vegetarian cookbook, and try to make every recipe in it (not all at once.  Well, maybe all at once). To start off with, one all-purpose everyday vegetarian cookbook, one special occasion-oriented cookbook, and one baking book will serve your purposes very well.  I could spend the entire blog recommending books, but for newbie vegetarians I would recommend the Moosewood Collective, (UK), (CAN), Colleen Patrick Goudreau, (UK), (CAN), or Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, (UK), (CAN).

• Scouts and new vegetarians need to be prepared.  I've never really figured out what Scouts need to be prepared for (some sort of Lord of the Flies situation, I guess?), but new vegetarians need to be prepared for the hostility they will encounter from some awesome geniuses who think it's ok to question other people's food choices.  To deal with people who are trying to convince you that carrots have feelings too, I would recommend my boyfriend's method of ending arguments he doesn't want to have: while the other person is arguing, shut your eyes and emit a high-pitched, child-like squeal until they stop talking.  After a few moments of stunned silence, change the subject to TV.

• Feed your friends and family.  Your parents might be frustrated, worried about you, or even feel rejected, as you suddenly refuse to eat the food they've been preparing you since you were small.  Your friends might not understand, and might feel that you are getting high and mighty.  Most of my friends and family were very supportive of me, but I know that not everyone is so lucky.  The solution?  Patience and deliciousness.  Cook and bake food for everyone.  They will get off your case once you've made them sweet potato burritos.  Happy tummies do more good than all of the animal rights literature in the world.

• If you are still living with your parents, help them with the cooking, especially if they haven't cooked a lot of vegetarian meals in the past. 

•  When people ask you about the change that you've made, be sure to explain it personally.  Saying, "I gave up meat because eating dead animals is wrong and disgusting, and anyone who participates in the meat industry horror show should be ashamed of being culpable in the slaughtering of sentient beings, and will die of obesity-driven heart disease at 45" is being kind of confrontational.  I am by no means recommending that you shy away from giving your real reasons for your change; I think you should be absolutely honest, but people are much more likely to be on your side if you explains things in the context of personal decisions, ie "I really love animals, and I found that for me, eating them didn't feel right anymore," or "I personally feel so healthy and clean now."

• Research nutrition.  We've talked about this before.  Everyone needs to research his or her health, but now you've got an opportunity to become more informed.  Learn what will need to plan for, in particular, vegans need to start supplementing with vitamin B12.  Researching your health will also set your family's mind at ease.  Once they see that plenty of reputable studies and doctors recommend vegetarianism and veganism, and once you've made them sweet potato burritos, they will really get off your case. 

• Draw your own line in the sand.  Do I eat/wear red meat, white meat, fish, dairy,eggs, free-range, honey, gelatin, stearic acid, or wool?  There are a million different stances that people take on their diet.  Many veg*ns (vegetarians and vegans) debate constantly about these issues with no real answer in sight.  You have to make up your own mind as to what you think is wrong or right, unhealthy or not a big deal, or a manageable change.  That doesn't mean that other people won't come up with arguments that make sense and help you refine your diet, but ultimately it's your decision.  

• Learn how to shop.  If you are converting to lacto-ovo vegetarianism and you live in the UK, you don't really have to worry about this one.  Every single truly vegetarian food item in the UK is labelled as such by law.  Amazing!  However, if you live elsewhere, or if you are also giving up dairy and eggs, you may want to learn the names of the different additives in food.  The most significant sneaky dead animal additive is gelatin, which is made from boiled pig fat and horse hooves, and is found in jelly candies and the like.  For vegans, the big ones are casein and whey.  Some people choose to worry about every little additive in their food, and some people take the attitude that these things are the byproducts of the meat industry, not the cause of it.  

• Get familiar with www.happycow.net. Happy Cow is a very comprehensive website and has many uses, my favourite of which is their database of vegetarian restaurants from around the world.  You'll be amazed at the vegetarian restaurants you can find in Paris, Texas, Dubai, or anywhere else in the world!

• Feel free to experiment with different meat substitutes.  I don't eat a lot of them now, but meat substitutes are perfect for your transitional phase.  Some are amazing, some are disgusting, and some will simply suffice.  If you ever feel yourself craving a meat dish, trust me, someone somewhere has vegetarianised it.  Example?  Vegan meat cake.  Veggie burgers are great for satisfying meat cravings.  They are familiar, they can be dressed up just like their meat versions, they are easy to find even in the middle of nowhere, and there are a million different versions for you to try.  I've also had good veggie mince, chicken pieces, chicken nuggets, and meatballs.  In fact, I like them much better than the meat versions.  Vegans be warned: some vegetarian meat substitutes contain eggs, so check the label.

• Focus on what you are gaining, not losing.  Most vegetarians find that they have more options than meat eaters, not less.  There are hundreds of different plant foods to explore.  There are only a handful of different kinds of meat.  When you start cooking vegetarian, you start to think outside of the box, and discover culinary creativity you didn't even know existed.

•  Have fun!  Seriously, I'm a little envious of new vegetarians.  The world is your artichoke!  When people go vegetarian, they will inevitably try new cuisines, new vegetables, new flavours, new recipes, and new products.  So many people say that they feel cleaner and lighter, and have more energy.  

DON'T:

• Stress.  If you're met with opposition from friends and family, don't worry about it.  They will come around.  Be patient, and feed them.  Trust me.

• Expect everyone to jump onboard.  You might have watched Food, Inc, (UK), (CAN), or Earthlings and had an irreversible epiphany, but others might not have the same reaction to new information.  You might have been moved by The China Study, (UK), (CAN), to make a change in your own health, others might be moved to go to Burger King.  Your choices are your choices, you can't force them on anyone else.  Don't bother trying.

• Assume everyone knows what you can or can't eat.  Right at this very moment, someone's grandmother is trying to convince them that vegetarians can eat chicken, because chicken is fowl, not meat.  Plenty of people still genuinely don't really know what vegetarians/vegans can or can't eat.  If someone else is preparing you a meal, you may have to be very specific about your diet, and don't forget to mention things like chicken stock and gelatin. 

• Get on your soapbox.  When you first find out what's going on behind closed slaughterhouse doors, you might think that if only you could share this information with the world, you could single-handedly bring peace to our furry and feathered friends.  Cut to you berating everyone you meet with animal rights slogans, UN statistics, and World Health Organisation reports.  Cut to you playing Jenga with your cat on Saturday night.  Educating people is all very well and good, but you might want to wait until they ask.  

• Try to be perfect.  Vegetarianism is not a perfect science.  Period.  You will never be a perfect vegetarian.  Ever.  Excluding every little tiny bit of animal products from your life isn't the point.  And when you take a bite of something you didn't realise contained meat, you can't beat yourself up about it.  That bite won't be the last bit of animal you accidentally ingest.  Shrug it off and move on. 

• Don't OD on processed substitutes or cheese.  I know I said earlier to have fun with substitutes, but at the same time, a lot of the pre-made meat/cheese substitutes aren't exactly health food, so don't go too nuts.  On cheese, don't make the mistake of 1970's LO vegetarianism, and substitute the meat you've taken out with a whole buncha cheese.  Eating silly amounts of cheese isn't going to help your health or the dairy cows.

• Worry about going out for dinner.  Almost everywhere has lacto-ovo vegetarian options, so if you are still eating eggs and dairy, you will nearly always have at least one option on the menu, even at steakhouses.  Vegans, eating out at restaurants that focus on British or French food isn't going to be the easiest, and both vegans and vegetarians will find more options at ethnic restaurants.  But don't that stop you from going to western-style place; restaurants do not exist merely as glorified butchers.  If you don't see options for you on the menu, ask for them!  Restaurants are there to serve their customers.  They aren't there so that we can beg a meal from them and eat whatever they are willing to serve us.

This post seems like a good time to give an update on my own transition from lacto-ovo veggie to vegan. 
I like gradual changes.  When I gave up meat, I cut out red meat for a year before I cut out white meat and fish as well.  Now that I'm giving up eggs, dairy, and honey, I'm taking a year to say goodbye to those things I love the most.  I like slow changes because I think it makes me less likely to feel wistful cravings for the things I've decided not to eat anymore.  I won't be turning around saying to a tub of cookie dough ice cream, "we never even got to say goodbye," because I have every intention of slowly and deliberately saying goodbye to Ben and Jerry's.  Thirteen years ago, on New Years, I gave up meat entirely.  I've set the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve as my cut-off point for eggs and dairy.

I thought at this point I would be dragging my heels, desperately clinging onto some brie, but actually, I'm really excited to make the change.  I think I'm going to feel amazing.  I think I'm going to relieved not to be eating any animal products at all, and I'm looking forward to exploring more vegan food.  I'm already noticing that I've stopped thinking of dairy as a staple food, and as for eggs, giving them up is a non-issue.

I'm also really, really looking forward to those vegan superpowers I heard so much about in Scott Pilgrim vs the World, (UK), (CAN).  Who knew?

Karing Kitchen


Dan Gerou's Meatless Spaghetti Bolognese

This yummy recipe is my boyfriend's culinary pride and joy, and with it's familiar, meaty texture, pretty perfect for your transitional phase.  He is reluctantly letting me borrow it.  I asked him if he wanted to contribute an introduction for the recipe, and his contribution is, "don't mess it up." 

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 carrot, grated
4 mushrooms, chopped
400g of veggie mince*
2 tins tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
pepper to taste

100g spaghetti per person

Heat the oil a frying pan over medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic, saute until onions are golden brown.  Add mince, season with first tsp of salt, mix together.  Add carrot and mushrooms and saute together for a minute or two.  Add two tins of tomatoes and mix together.  Add herbs, remaining salt, pepper, sugar, and red wine.  Bring to a boil, then simmer.  Dan says to simmer for a minimum of an hour, but he's done it for 20 minutes or so before and it's been good.  In the meantime, bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook the pasta until al dente.  Plate the spaghetti and top with the sauce.

This recipe makes a large amount of sauce, and will keep well for a few days.

*Choose your favourite veggie mince, but be warned that Quorn contains eggs.  If you are in Canada, Yves Veggie Ground Round is a good option.

This Little Piggy went to the Market

Shopping in the overly clean produce section of chain supermarkets makes me feel a little dirty.  I have to do it every once in a while, but I feel no connection to food when I walk down the neatly packed aisles, and  pick out a shrink-wraped head of broccoli and a pre-packaged bag of spinach.  In the supermarket, only tiny fluctuations in price and availability give any indications as to the season, and the aisles are stocked with the same items year-round.  Which might not sound like a bad thing, but I can't imagine anything more boring than eating the same thing year-round, unless it's reading Anne Murray's biography.

But what else is a city-dwelling, flat-dwelling vegetarian to do?  I think my ground floor neighbours might get a little tetchy if I tore up their back garden to grow my own carrots, and I applied for an allotment with my local council, but 174 people in my area have to give up their allotments (or die) before I get one.  So in the meantime, every Saturday morning my boyfriend and I trek out to our local farmer's market to find a bounty of local, seasonal produce itching for my love and attention.

I think when you look at the reasons why I love farmer's markets, you won't find this habit excessive or unnecessary.  There are many reasons to grab a canvas bag and frequent your local market, and here are my favourite:

1. Save that Shiny Green Earth:

The overpackaging in UK supermarkets completely baffles me, but I don't see it ending anytime soon.  I routinely witness customers picking up prepackaged produce that is being sold right next to the exact same, yet less expensive, loose produce.  Baffling.  Never once have I seen a cucumber in an English supermarket NOT shrink-wrapped, nor have I even seen loose salad leaves for the picking.  I wonder if children know that peaches don't grow in cardboard trays and plastic (although if tv programs are to be believed, kids today don't even know what peaches are, let alone how they grow). My Canadian counterparts tell me that rather than becoming more conscious about waste, Canadian supermarkets are becoming more overpackaged as well.

We all know that excess packaging creates a lot of waste, and that a lot of waste is bad for the environment, and that things being bad for the environment is A Very Bad Thing.  But what you may not realise is when food is wrapped in plastic packaging, there is a risk of the toxins on the plastic leaching into your food.  Toxins in your food are also A Very Bad Thing.  But when I wander into the bustling farmer's market, my sleepy, Saturday morning eyes witness crates full of unwrapped cruciferous vegetables and bunches of leafy greens bound only by a single, reuseable rubber band.  At most, veggies and berries are placed into a recylable plastic punnet, with no wrapping around them.  So much better.

2.  You can talk to the people who grow your food:

The possibility of having a conversation with a real live farmer who grew the food I am actually going to eat shouldn't fill me with a sense of amazement, but it does.  Most of us are so far removed from the source of our food that we have no idea how it even grows.  So talking to someone who actually works at or owns the farm that produced the ingredients of my dinner, someone who not only knows what a Jerusalem artichoke is, but can tell me how to prepare it, is a weird and pleasing sensation.  Having the farm workers present at the market also means that you can talk to them about their growing methods; some of the farms aren't organic, but don't use spray pesticides.  Some of them may be in the process of obtaining certification as organic, as the process takes years and is costly.  And you can't beat that personal touch: the boyfriend and I once stared long enough at a patty pan squash, trying to figure out what the heck it was, that the seller offered it to us for free to see if we liked it.  I can only imagine the bewilderment that I would encounter if I were to ask a chain supermarket worker if I could have something for free just to try it. 

3.  Seasonal Seeds:

I love the changing of the seasons, and nowhere is this change more apparent than at the farmer's market (especially since the weather doesn't actually change from one season to the next in London).  I love not knowing what I'm going to find, and whether or not rhubarb, or strawberries, or zucchini, or butternut squashes are in season yet.  Markets make me feel connected to the earth in a hippy, crunchy granola, earth goddess, Gaia kind of way.  I feel motivated to make the most of the short seasons of asparagus and tomatoes, knowing that next week they might be gone.  Every week there seems to be something that wasn't there last week, and I leave every week happily anticipating what I'm going to find next week.

4.  Branching Out: 

In the last two weeks of market going I've purchased purple cauliflower (yes, I said purple cauliflower), ruby chard, dark and rich green cavelo nero, teeny baby yellow squash, curly kale, humble hubbard squash, courgette flowers, and orange cherry tomatoes, alongside the stock carrots, potatoes, and onions.  I've never seen six of those items in a chain supermarket.  Health experts recommend eating as many different varieties of plant foods as possible, and all of those items I listed above were not only rich in variety and nutrients, they were local produce that was in season.  Who knew that such exotic produce existed right here in England? 

5.  Being Neighbourly:

I've got nothing against New Zealand farmers, but I don't particularly want to eat their produce, unless I'm actually in New Zealand.  Farmer's markets give you the chance to support local farmers.  If you're worried about food miles (and I think we all should be conscious of the issue), the produce at your market has at most been driven, not flown, a few hours.  Cooking with local produce is better for the planet, and it's better for you; eating tropical fruit that's flown for 8 hours so you could eat it in January just makes no damn sense.

So how does one go about fitting a weekly visit to the market into their shopping?  Because you don't necessarily know what you are going to find at the market, shopping has to be done a little differently.  Experienced cooks will be able to semi-plan meals as they go along, but even if you have no idea what you are doing in the kitchen, you can simply estimate as best you can how much produce you will need to make at least 5 wholesome dinners.  Once you come home from the market, turn to your recipe books and the internet for inspiration on what to make.  You can either make a seperate trip to a regular grocery store, or simply pick things up throughout the week as you need them, whichever way fits into your schedule better.  A very easy and delicious way to utilise what you buy in the market is to make simple preperations of veggies with side dishs of legumes and grains.   Using this macrobiotic-esque method creates a nutritious, delicious and easy-to-prepare plate that will also be visually appealing.   If you would rather make more complicated dishes, or follow recipes, don't be afraid to make substitutions; you might end up spending a fortune if you follow every recipe to a T, and most recipes are quite happy to be messed around with a bit.  If you need to do all your shopping in one trip, think about bringing your most-used cookbook with you to the market with a pen and paper, and just sit down and plan your week before you go to the supermarket. 

The second way to market shop requires less time, but a little more organisation (and glorious, glorious lists).  If you are the kind of person who likes to have a constantly well-stocked pantry, you can simply make a list of every non-perishable/long-life item you want to keep stocked, and mark down when you've used something up.  That way you can visit the market every week, and always be sure of having the non-market items you need to make a recipe.  Using this method, you may only have to visit the grocery store once or twice a month, but the shopping trips will be big ones.  I don't think shopping this way really costs anymore money, but does require forking out more money at one time, so it's not going to be suitable for everyone.  But doesn't the idea of constantly having every pantry item you could ever need always on hand just make your toes wiggle?

Because you are buying local, seasonal produce to base your meals around, shopping at the market is usually completely inexpensive.  However I should warn you that if you are currently on an emergency budget, you will have to use a lot of restraint during your trip to the supermarket, because making two different shopping trips can often result in spending more.  Otherwise, farmer's markets are competely affordable, delightful options.  And yes, they are a little time consuming, but I think most of us spend our time in a lot less efficient ways that focusing on our food and our health.  Like the 45 minutes you just spent reading the moronic comments on an online article. 

So look up your local market.  If you are in the UK, a list of them can be found here, if you live in Canada, try going to this page and click on your province (not all provinces are listed), and if you live in the States, there is a national farmer's market search engine on this site. 

You can thank me after you're finished tucking into a pile of velvety squash, crispy roasted cauliflower, and lemony kale. 

Recessionpe!

Marketable Curry

Most of the time when I'm shopping, I come up with meal ideas in my head.  However, there are times when we come home, put everything away, I stare proudly into the fridge at the spectacle of vegetable, and then say, "Crap...what the blerg am I supposed to make with all of this?"  That's when I make this curry.  You can shove pretty much whatever veggies you bought into this dish, but try to come up with a similar variety of types of veggies to the ones I have listed.

3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 small green chilli, chopped (remove the seeds for a milder curry)
1 cup of cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 potato, cut into thick sticks
1 cup winter squash, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
4 largeish mushrooms, cut into quarters
1 cup leafy greens such as spinach or kale, roughly chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, remove the staulks from the leaves and chop (optional)
2 tins of plum tomatoes
1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2-3 gloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional, but adds a rich zing)
2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted if you like
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
2 tsp garam masala

Heat the oil in a large frying pan (you will likely need the biggest pan you have), and add the onions and one tsp of cumin seeds.  Saute until the onions become translucent.  Add the cilantro staulks, turmeric, salt and chili and saute for a minute or two.  Open the tins of tomatoes, and use a cheese grater to grate the tomatoes into a bowl.  Add the tomatoes to the pan and conserve the remaining tomato juice.  Add the garlic, ginger, remaining cumin seeds,coriander, and optional balsamic vinegar, and simmer together for a few minutes.  Add the potatoes, squash and cauliflower, with the tomato juice of one can.  Coat the vegetables with the tomato mixture, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and peas and chickpeas, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  If the mixture is getting too dry, add the remaining tomato juice, or water if needed.  Add the leafy greens, cover, and simmer for another 5 minutes.  Test the potatoes and squash, and cook longer if needed, adding more water as necessary.  Once cooked through, add the garam marsala and stir it in as best as possible.  Add the chopped cilantro leaves, cover and leave off the heat for as long as possible before eating.  Serve with brown rice.

Will be toe-curlingly good the second and third day.

Be Kind to the Meat Eaters

There are some meat eaters, and I'm happy to say that the majority of my meat-eating friends fall into this category, who give me faith in humanity.  They are the meat eaters who would never dream of challenging the ethics of vegetarians, who never demand that their spinach-munching friends defend themselves, who are completely capable of happily eating a meatless meal when necessary, and who always thoughtfully ensure that vegetarian options are available for any social occasion they host.  These lovely creatures fill me with the hope that one day, all omnivores and herbivores will eat together peacefully, then link arms and go skipping down tree-lined paths singing maritime folk songs and collecting daisies to braid into wreaths.

This blog is not about those meat eaters.

This blog is about the other kind of meat eaters.  Long term vegetarians, you know exactly what kind of meat eater I mean.  The kind  who is completely incapable of treating a vegetarian with respect and acceptance, who froths from the mouth with venom in between bites of a bloody hamburger, which they think is oh-so-hilarious to offer you.

I know, I know.  They're jerks.  They're such jerks.  No, not just because they eat meat.  Contrary to popular belief, very few vegetarians actually think meat eaters are jerks, just because they eat meat.  They make stupid counter-points to arguments about vegetarianism that you didn't even start.  They pester you with inane, asinine questions like, "would you eat a piece of meat if somebody put a gun to your head?"  Some of them badger you so much that you start to fearfully wonder if they possibly are going to put a gun to your head.  One very well-known meat eater and professional bully even threatened to electrocute his children if they became vegetarian.

So why on earth should we be kind to them? 

Well, to get to the bottom of the problem, lets look at the different reasons WHY some meat eaters throw their manners out the door when confronted with vegetarianism.  To do so, we should examine the typical interaction between vegetarians and meat eaters.  Here is a normal interaction between a vegetarian and one of the first kind of friendlier, gentler meat eaters:

Friendly Meat Eater:  Hey, do you want a bite of my hamburger?
Vegetarian:  No thanks, I'm vegetarian.
Friendly Meat Eater: Oh, ok. I've thought about being vegetarian before, but I don't think I could give up chicken.
Vegetarian:  Ah.  I understand. (Conversation moves on to other subjects).

What a pleasant exchange!  And here is a normal interaction between a vegetarian and one of the second kind of surly meat eaters:

Grumpypants Meat Eater:  Hey, do you want a bit of my hamburger?
Vegetarian:  No thanks, I'm vegetarian.
Grumpypants Meat Eater:  YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE?! (Head explodes).

See?  Just not a normal reaction.  I think we can assume that there is something going on behind the scenes here.  I think there are a couple of different types of these meat eaters, and a couple of different reasons why they act they way they do.  Here are the categories I have noticed:

The Deeply Concerned for Your Health Meat Eaters:  These meat eaters aren't really jerks, but they can be very frustrating to deal with politely.  These are the meat eaters who think that they they are doing you a favour by pointing out to that their sister's high school basketball coach assured them that you absolutely must have animal protein to participate in sports, and that all vegetarians are certainly going to die by Tuesday.  Their motivations can generally be divided into two categories: those who use the mis-perceptions about vegetarian diets to justify their own meat eating, and those who are genuinely under the impression that vegetarianism is not good for you.  How to be kind to them?  Treat them all with the benefit of the doubt. Smile and non-confrontationally assure them that you are very well informed regarding nutrition and that you are perfectly healthy, and let the discussion end there.  If they decide to press the issue, and you're feeling up for a debate, refer them the writings and studies of prolific vegetarian doctors such as Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Dr. John A McDougall, and Dr. Dean Ornish.  Since this discussion usually centers around protein, refer them to this blog.  Be well-informed, and stay calm and friendly.  Even if they don't.

The Playground Antics Meat Eaters:  These little rascals are a tiresome group indeed.  These are the meat eaters who demand to know why you don't care about the feelings of plants.  These are the meat eaters who apparently think they are being cute by asking vegetarians what's wrong with them (cute like a stomach virus).  These are the meat eaters who childishly taunt you with how difficult your life is compared to theirs because they "can" eat meat and you "can't."  This group is trying to offend you, yet when you are actually offended, they accuse you of not having a sense of humour.  However, should you ever, say, respond to their joke about rabbit food by pointing out that they are eating cat food, their faces fall as they sputter in dismay and confusion "Wha...that's just...what are you...that's just...stupid...and...MOMMY!"  So why on earth should you be kind to them?  Because just like when they used to pull little Janey's hair on the playground, something is behind their bratty behaviour.  These people are trying to deflect the seriousness of the subject of vegetarianism, not out of any desire for social ease, but because they feel threatened by it.  They may claim to not care about the animals, but they do.  They care a lot.  They wouldn't need to pull your hair if they didn't.  Your ability to look the meat industry in the eye and refuse to accept the omnivore status quo is threatening to them, and you don't have to do a damn thing to produce this reaction in them.  So to be kind to these frightened little bunnies, and don't do anything to increase their fear of threat.  Smile thinly and change the subject.  Should they continue to pester you, gently remind them that you have never questioned their eating habits, and that you aren't looking for a discussion (trust me, you will not get an intelligent one out of these people).

The Snarky Meat Eaters:  These are the people who make rude, cutting little comments to you like, "I made sure to eat something before I came to your dinner party, because I knew you'd only be serving vegetarian food, " or making comments to others in your hearing, that obviously too much meat is bad, but of course you need to eat a little, or responding, when you tell them that you are vegetarian, "what would you want to do that for?"  Snarkies tend to fall into two categories:  those who are just joking and have no idea that they are actually causing you offence, and those who just don't care that they are actually causing you offence.  The first category deserves your understanding, because even though they are being rude, they probably don't mean to be.  If they are not people you know well, look at them quizzically, and simply respond, "What a thing say," and change the subject.  If they are friends or family, privately speak to them to explain that although you know they are joking, their comments are upsetting to you.  If they continue to make these comments after this conversation, stop inviting them to your dinner parties, introducing them to your friends, and just stop returning their calls, because they aren't feeling insecure or oblivious, they're JUST JERKS.

The Hypocrisy Police Meat Eaters:  These are the people who really want to check your closet for leather products.  Ever had anyone point out to you that if you take Tylenol there's really no point in being vegetarian, because there may be animal products in the tablet?  That genius fell into this category.  They are desperately trying to catch you out, because they think that you think you're perfect.  They are feeling insecure because of your attempt to stay loyal to your ethics and they think you are judging them for not doing the same thing.  Therefore, they try to find a way to bring you down to their level by attempting to make you look hypocritical.  Assure them that you are not some higher, angelically moral being.  When they make comments like this, simply assure them that because vegetarianism isn't a perfect science, you aren't going to be perfect yourself, but you try your best because you care about the issue.  They will usually calm down pretty quickly when they realise that what they were asking you to do was be just that:  perfect. 

The Grand Poobahs of Crazy Meat Eaters:  So far we've talked about anti-vegetarianism behaviour that manifests itself in ignorant, irritating, or even rude ways, but now we've come to the bottom of the barrel, the really kind of scary meat eaters.  Every vegetarian has encountered them; the people who react with real hostility and anger when you speak the completely innocent words "No thanks, I'm a vegetarian."  You may not encounter these people so often in real life (although again, every vegetarian has experienced it), but the internet has spread these reactions like the clap, with comments such as " I hope that somebody grabs [vegetarians] and forces a nice big juicy hotdog down their throats," or "Vegetarians = pussys(sic), everyone knows this."  Classy.  Obviously, their reaction is not about you.  I think it's obvious from the very extremity of their reactions, that simply by being the vegetarian in the room, you have touched a sore spot.  Like the Playground Meat Eaters, these people do care about the animals, and they aren't able to deal with their own actions.  Like many meat eaters, they feel judged by you without you having to say anything.  Do not engage in a debate with these people.  They are not in their happy place.  When they try and provoke you, you can simply ask them why vegetarianism upsets them so much.  Point out to them that you have not tried to convince them of anything, and aren't looking to change their minds.  Tell them if they are really interested in having a debate about it, you can arrange to talk to them later, but you don't think right now is the time and place.


Fair or not, meat eaters tend to have the stereotype of the preaching, paint-throwing vegetarian in their heads when they talk to you.  I think vegetarians can ease the situation by never being this vegetarian.  Be kind to the meat eaters because:
1.  They may simply be ignorant: Not everyone has super-amazing bloggers to tell them everything they need to know about vegetarian lifestyle.  Politely correct their misperceptions and refrain from accusing them of not having cracked a book since the 1970's.
2.  They feel threatened by you:  People are afraid of other people who wear their morality on their sleeves.  Don't make any sudden noises and don't call their own habits into question.
3.  They don't realise they are being offensive:  I think it's hard for non-vegetarians to understand how deeply vegetarians feel about the subject, probably because we're restricted from talking about it freely.  Let them know they're upsetting you before you write them off completely.
4.  They're afraid you think you're better than them:  Obviously no one deals with holier-than-thou people very well.  Be humble, and let them know you don't think you're perfect (it helps if you genuinely don't think you're perfect).
5. They feel that their own actions are being called into question:  As abusive and downright mean as some meat-eaters can be, remember no one acts this way without having some issues of insecurity with their own lifestyle. 

Remember that most meat-eaters don't actually know very many vegetarians, so you are in a way expected to act as the Ambassador of the Vegetarians.  While your job is certainly not to convert anyone to the cause, a meat eater's impression of you will inevitably be linked to their impression of vegetarianism.  Therefore, who loses out when vegetarians rise to bratty meat eaters' bait?  Not the meat eaters, you'll simply have confirmed their suspicions.  The animals lose out.  So take a little bit of that compassion and kindness you feel towards victimised animals, and turn it towards your meat eating acquaintances.  And hug one of the friendlier meat eaters today.

Karing Kitchen!

Baby Squash and Sun-dried Pesto Linguine

One way to be kind to meat eaters is to feed them delicious vegetarian food!  Italian food is a great middle-ground between herbivores and omnivores because it's both comforting and familiar, and easily made animal-free.   This dish could also be made with courgettes/zucchini, but baby squash have the advantage of being one of the cutest foods ever.

Serves 3-4

3-4 baby squash, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil (you may need a little more later on)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar (you may need a little more later on)
300g linguine noodles

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

You can either made the pesto from the recipe below, or use a store-bought variety.  You may not need all the pesto this recipe makes, so if you're not used to using pesto, start with a few spoonfuls, coat the pasta,  taste it, and add more as you like.  Note:  you will need either a food processor, hand held blender, or pestle and mortar to make this recipe, so if you don't have any of these things, don't feel lazy for buying a pre-made jar.

2/3 cup of oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of walnuts/pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 tsp dried basil leaves
3 cloves garlic, chopped
dash of cayenne
salt to taste

1.  Put a large pot of boiling water on to boil.  Add the pasta, stir, and cook until al dente, or your preferred texture.
2.  Heat the oil in a large frying pan on medium heat.  Add the vinegar, made the sure the pan is coated, then add the baby squash slices.  There must be no overlapping, so you will likely need to do more than one batch, which is why you may need more oil and vinegar.  Fry on each side until well-browned (even blackened if you like), about 5 minutes on each side, only move the slices to flip them. 
3.  While the squash is cooking, add the ingredients for the pesto into your food processor, minus the olive oil.  While you are blending, drizzle in the olive oil until you have a delicious paste.  Taste and season if necessary.  You can of course use a pestle and mortar if you're feeling medieval, or forgot to pay your electricity bill, but I've never made pesto with a such a device, so don't look to me for guidance.
4.  Coat the linguine with the pesto, and toss the squash into the pasta.
5.  Serve either by itself, or with some nice Italian crusty bread and a small green salad.

Makes great leftovers!  Any leftover pesto can be stored in a jar in your fridge for about a week.

Ethics 101

I'm sure every vegetarian could come up with several different, ethical reasons for being a vegetarian. Please feel free to post your own reasons below, but the following reasons are my own fundamental ethical reasons for turning my nose up at meat. These reasons are not meant to hit anyone over the head with my personal philosophy, but to give those who questioning their own practise of eating meat, some food for thought.

1. Meat is for pleasure, not survival

The meat industry has worked really really hard to instill the idea into all of us that we need meat to survive and be healthy. And judging by the amount of comments I get about how I have to be "so, so careful" about my diet, they've suceeded. There are plenty of arguments out there for why vegetarianism is healthier than eating meat, but for right now lets just settle on the fact that vegetarianism is certainly as healthy as diets including meat. Don't believe me? Check any national health website, no matter what country you are in. We do not need meat to be healthy. That means the only reasons we kill animals for food is pleasure and habit. Consider that fact while you read through the other points.

2. What's the difference?

To me, there is no moral difference between eating an animal and eating a human. I don't feel that we are superior to animals, so to me there is no difference. And since I'm not keen to eat a human, I can't justify eating an animal. Simple as that!

3. Unnatural breeds of animals

In our quest to make the meat industry as financially lucrative as possible, we have created some frankenstein animals, bred specifically to yield unnatural amounts of meat. Chickens are bred to have unnaturally large breastsand pigs are bred to be so fat they are unable to support their own weight. These animals are unable function as they normally should, and live lives of pain purely for the financial advancement of another species. The more people who convert to vegetarianism, the more chance that these breeds will be allowed to die out, ending their painful and unnatural existences.

4. We have an instintive love of our fuzzy, furry, or feathered friends

Children are born with a natural love of animals. Parents encourage this love with family pets, plush animal toys, viewings of Bambi and The Lion King, and trips to petting zoos. But as we grow up, the idea is instilled in us that animals exist as tools for human pleasre, and we begin to view those interested in animal rights as nuts, loonies, and fantasists. Remember the affection you felt for animals as a child. There is nothing nutty about compassion and consideration.

5. Cows don't live in grassy meadows

Even if you don't think there is an inherent problem with humans eating other animals, I'm willing to bet you don't want these animals to be raised in horrible conditions wherein they suffer their entire lives, and are killed inhumanely purely for money and your pleasure. But animals DO live in horrible conditions and ARE killed inhumanely. Many people are vaguely aware of the conditions of factory farming, but I think if we are going to include meat in our diets we are obligated to understand exactly how this meat is raised. There are plenty of books and videos on the situation: check out Meet your Meat, Food Ink, Earthlings, Fast Food Nation, or The Food Revolution.

6. Eating less is still too much

Some people look at the above resources and think that if they reduce the amount of meat consumed, or make efforts to improve the conditions the animals are raised in, the problem of factory farming will be solved. Reducing consumption and improving conditions are good first steps, but they are only first steps. The meat industry is necessarily a business, and as a business, the animals involved will always be treated as a product. Business sense will always win out over compassion. When we commercialise another life, we've already thrown a level of compassion out the door.

7. Owning another life is morally impossible to me

Can anyone really own another's life for financial purposes? Don't we call that slavery, and don't we condemn slavery? And yet we condone it in the meat industry. Why do we think that because cows, pigs, and chickens can't talk, their lives are ours for financial purposes? Can I sell a mute for money? Do we think we own animals because we perceive them as being less intelligent? Can I sell a mentally disabled person for money? There is something so disturbing to me about the idea that we think we own these animals and have the right to do whatever we want with their lives.

8. Why some animals and not others?

This is a familiar argument to both vegetarians and meat-eaters. Why do we fawn over some animals, turn them into our pets, and even take them to pet hairdressers, and look the other way while other animals suffer painful lives and slaughter? While some cultures eat dog, western countries generally view this habit with revulsion, mockery, and contempt. Yet, cows, pigs, chickens, and lambs are no less adorable, sweet, inquisitive, amusing, and capable of returning love than dogs and cats. If you couldn't eat your dog (and I suspect most of you couldn't), does it really make sense to condone eating adorable pigs, sweet-eyed cows, curious chickens, or playful lambs?

9. I have the power to control my actions

Some people do think that people are superior to animals. That our power of reason and morality put us on pedestal over the animals we eat. I don't personally agree that humans are superior to animals, but if we do have these wonderful superior abilities to behave reasonably and morally, why can't we bestow this on our animal friends? What is a better use of reason than to produce food in a sustainable, healthy way? What is more moral than compassion? If we have been given the power to control our actions beyond nature, what better way to exercise this control than to stop inflicting cruelty on the earth and all its inhabitants?

Recessionpe!

These muffins are vegan, and as far as sweet muffins go, pretty healthy! If you've never had zucchini in muffins or cakes, prepare to be pleasantly surprised.

Zucchini and Molasses Muffins

Makes 12

1/2 cup canola, safflower, or coconut oil
3/4-1 cup Billington's molasses sugar (you can use any brand, but this is the only one I know)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp white vinegar
2-3 tbsp water
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups all-purpose flour*
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350/180 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together oil, sugar, and vanilla. The sugar may be a bit lumpy; you can mix it in totally, or leave the lumps for delicious little pockets of sugar in the final product. Combine baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl, and whisk with a fork until bubbly. Mix in with the rest of wet ingredients. In a seperate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix together wet and dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in water on tablespoon at a time, until you have a batter.  You made need a little mor, but add it cautiously.  Don't overmix. Stir in the zucchini.

Spoon the batter into muffin tins (either grease the tins, or use paper liners), and bake for 15-20 minutes. It may take longer, depending on your oven. The muffins should be puffed and golden brown, and an inserted knife should come out clean.

*You can also use a mixture of 1 cup all purpose flour and 1 cup whole-wheat. If you decide to do this, you will likely need to add some more water to create a more batter-like texture, and then bake it a little longer.

I like to freeze these muffins, and pop one into my lunch bag for an afternoon snack.