Now THAT'S a steak

[British Red]

One of my neighbors commented on how empty my bins always are.

My mantra - stolen from the late great J. Seymour -

Nothing in, Nothing out

My only problem with vegetarian cooking - as opposed to vegetables - is so much of it is so damned bland and worthy.

Now to me that's plain old weird, because almost all the most flavourful ingredients are vegetables. Ginger, garlic, chillis, onion, cider vinegar, etc. etc. - so why have a bland nut cutlet - or plain quinoa? Makes no sense to me

 

[santaman2000]

My "vegetables" definitely aren't for vegetarians. Everything's better with bacon (or at least bacon grease) Even my okra is fried in bacon grease (unless it goes into gumbo)

 

[mrcharly]

Now to me that's plain old weird, because almost all the most flavourful ingredients are vegetables. Ginger, garlic, chillis, onion, cider vinegar, etc. etc. - so why have a bland nut cutlet - or plain quinoa? Makes no sense to me

I'm rather addicted to ginger, chilli, onion, but the answer to your question is that taste changes.

I used to eat a lot of butter, cream, cheese. Really strong cheese, nom nom.
Had to give up dairy for health reasons, really missed it. But now I find I don't like the taste, even milk is not pleasant. I would never ever have thought I'd have preferred margarine to butter, but there you go, my taste buds have changed.

So what tastes bland to a meat eater might be pleasant and flavourful to a vegetarian, or particularly to a vegan.

 

[British Red]

I'm rather addicted to ginger, chilli, onion, but the answer to your question is that taste changes.

I used to eat a lot of butter, cream, cheese. Really strong cheese, nom nom.
Had to give up dairy for health reasons, really missed it. But now I find I don't like the taste, even milk is not pleasant. I would never ever have thought I'd have preferred margarine to butter, but there you go, my taste buds have changed.

So what tastes bland to a meat eater might be pleasant and flavourful to a vegetarian, or particularly to a vegan.

You are probably right. I know that Westerners were considered to smell odd to cultures that did not eat dairy!

 

[TeeDee]

I must admit I think from a taste perspective I'm not so much actually going off meat but finding myself more and more intrigued , surprised and rewarded by flavourful vegetarian fare. If I could actually learn to cook it with the rights spices,herbs and ingredients myself I suspect I wouldn't miss my meat for some time.

 

[mousey]

My wife is vegetarian, I'm not, I'm constantly amazed what she can come up with given an onion, a couple of carrots, some spuds and a well stocked herb n spice cupboard. I'm even more amazed how great tasting her meat dishes are when she doesn't taste it!

Apparently I'll get narky if I don't have no meat for more than a week or so..... I don't see it personally but then I never argue with the chef cause my cooking's carp and I'd rather eat something tasty...

 

[Greenbeast]

Another site worth trying for meat (even offal) is greenpasturefarms, outdoor reared, high welfare, reasonable prices.
Been using them for a year now, regurlary buy £100-200 in at a time for the freezer

I just bought 4kg of ox heart (for my jerky making), £5/kg and absolutely lovely flash fried and eaten rare/blue, firm but not chewy in the slightest