Millennium food
It started with a single recipe book:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Millennium-Cookbook-Extraordinary-Vegetarian-Cuisine/dp/0898158990
Brought back by my husband last year after a trip to California.
I discovered amazing recipes that did not involve fish, meat, or eggs, but (from his reports of the quality of food at the restaurant) where truly delicious. So, I started to try a few recipes. I was impressed, as they were based on ingredients that could be found in a local supermarket. I was astonished. I was cooking close-to restaurant-quality meals, and it was fun (I have always enjoyed playing around with recipes).
The quality of the recipes led us to decide to try and go vegetarian this year. Last year, we regularly ate fish, and I occasionally ate fowl. It has not been a problem at all. Most main meals I cook now are vegan.
It has been a revelation. From past experience of vegetarian food in restaurants (so many cheese and tomato quiches), I thought that vegan food would be dull. It has been the exact opposite. I have discovered amazing things like seitan, and the way that different fungi can add character to a dish.
Far from being dull and limited, I have found vegan cooking to be the best food I have ever tasted, with an amazing variety and range of flavours, and the variety of vegetables and herbs in each meal means it is probably the most nutritious food as well.
I don't miss fish or fowl at all. For my birthday, we are travelling to Northern France. I suspect that vegetarian/vegan food will be hard to find, so I'm prepared to lapse into animal-eating. But only for a while.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Millennium-Cookbook-Extraordinary-Vegetarian-Cuisine/dp/0898158990
Brought back by my husband last year after a trip to California.
I discovered amazing recipes that did not involve fish, meat, or eggs, but (from his reports of the quality of food at the restaurant) where truly delicious. So, I started to try a few recipes. I was impressed, as they were based on ingredients that could be found in a local supermarket. I was astonished. I was cooking close-to restaurant-quality meals, and it was fun (I have always enjoyed playing around with recipes).
The quality of the recipes led us to decide to try and go vegetarian this year. Last year, we regularly ate fish, and I occasionally ate fowl. It has not been a problem at all. Most main meals I cook now are vegan.
It has been a revelation. From past experience of vegetarian food in restaurants (so many cheese and tomato quiches), I thought that vegan food would be dull. It has been the exact opposite. I have discovered amazing things like seitan, and the way that different fungi can add character to a dish.
Far from being dull and limited, I have found vegan cooking to be the best food I have ever tasted, with an amazing variety and range of flavours, and the variety of vegetables and herbs in each meal means it is probably the most nutritious food as well.
I don't miss fish or fowl at all. For my birthday, we are travelling to Northern France. I suspect that vegetarian/vegan food will be hard to find, so I'm prepared to lapse into animal-eating. But only for a while.