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.
Bliar?
I just don't know what to think about the Iraq war. I read Christopher Hitchens on Iraq, and can't help but feel that getting rid of the torturing genocidal tyrant Saddam was a good thing. There is no doubt that Saddam had used chemical weapons, both against Kurds and against Iranians during the Iraq/Iran war.
I do wonder if the Americans hadn't seriously messed up how to deal with the Iraq after the initial victory, reactions might not be what they are now.
I know that international law exists, but I have this very uncomfortable feeling when people talk about the sovereignty of countries which aren't democracies. It seems to be saying that the people in a country are nothing more than the possessions of a ruler.
On the other hand, it seemed like the weapons inspector Hans Blix could have completed his job given a few more months.
The question I would like answered is this - what was the urgency to remove Saddam? Why would a delay of six months or a year to allow the UN weapons inspector to have done his best been a problem? If there were still major questions at that point, then it may have been easier to get UN approval for action.
I'm afraid I don't go for simplistic views that the war was wrong, or that Blair was a liar. Politics is messy and confusing. I don't think we have anything like the full story yet.
I do wonder if the Americans hadn't seriously messed up how to deal with the Iraq after the initial victory, reactions might not be what they are now.
I know that international law exists, but I have this very uncomfortable feeling when people talk about the sovereignty of countries which aren't democracies. It seems to be saying that the people in a country are nothing more than the possessions of a ruler.
On the other hand, it seemed like the weapons inspector Hans Blix could have completed his job given a few more months.
The question I would like answered is this - what was the urgency to remove Saddam? Why would a delay of six months or a year to allow the UN weapons inspector to have done his best been a problem? If there were still major questions at that point, then it may have been easier to get UN approval for action.
I'm afraid I don't go for simplistic views that the war was wrong, or that Blair was a liar. Politics is messy and confusing. I don't think we have anything like the full story yet.