Faux chicken

Carla - Field Roast sausage is my favorite for cooking/grilling...I also love the soy curls Morels uses.

Carla-
Was the shocked look for me? I was being serious( check the Feast Thread for my reference). I already let several of my vegetarian friends know; thought you and Kari would want to know too.
Deb

Thanks for the tip, Deb. I wasn't sure what you were referring to and I had skipped over that thread since I'm pretty used to assuming there isn't much for me to eat at a BBQ restaurant. Looking forward to trying it.

I'm not condemning it, I just seek to understand it. Ethical vegetarians are opposed to the killing of animals to make food, but not the killing of plants (I don't get that either, but I think it has to do with eyes, and cute fuzzy faces), so I can see why they would be opposed to the course of action that gets the food to the table. (again, kind of...) But I would think that would also lead to a condemnation of the food itself and its properties. Thus an equivocation says to me, I really want to eat meat, but have chosen not to, but I don't want to give up the great things about meat (that I hate). It's a "cake and eat it too" proposition.

I also don't buy fully into the health argument since "everything in moderation" is the best diet out there. You eat a sirloin for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you've got problems, but eating meat as part of your overall diet doesn't wash as unhealthy, particularly if you are tossing in some exercise.

But look, it really makes no big difference. It is nice that there are so many options for people to eat these days. Once upon a time all there was to eat was raw meat and maybe some nuts and berries. Options are good. I just seek to understand the philosophy behind some of the choices. I guess I am looking for a hard line against hypocrisy where there really doesn't need to be one.

This stuff does crack me up though. I hope it tastes good, like the delicious meat that vegetarians rail against. (couldn't help myself)

Thanks for the tip, Deb. I wasn't sure what you were referring to and I had skipped over that thread since I'm pretty used to assuming there isn't much for me to eat at a BBQ restaurant. Looking forward to trying it.

Kari,
Sorry for being obtuse- I was trying to be humorous and missed my mark...
Here's the link to the review I read ( and forwarded to friends):
Keep in mind I haven't tried it myself.
http://www.urbanspoon.com/u/profile/2392608/comments

Please don't tell Ryan I told you.... I don't want to get in trouble
Deb

Animals are sentient beings, and plants are not.

I never said I hated meat. But it makes me physically ill, which is why I stopped eating it. A diet based on moderation that included meat and other animal products resulted in an angry, inflamed gallbladder nearly every night. Not much fun at 3 a.m. to be laying in the floor feeling like you're being stabbed with a hot knife while waiting for it to pass. Since I wished to keep my organs, I decided to try going vegan. It worked. As I became more involved with the local vegetarian community and such communities online, it became more ethical for me as well. I no longer consume any dietary cholesterol, I feel great, and I'm very interested in what my bloodwork will look like this fall after almost a year of being vegan.

I'm not "railing" against meat here. I'm just asking you to quit saying it's hypocritical to choose a plant-based alternative to meat. There is no rule that says all vegetarians must hate the taste and texture of meat.

If you happen to get interested in the health benefits of going vegan, Forks Over Knives is a pretty interesting film, and the research of the doctors featured in the film is also eye-opening.

Karl I watched Forks Over Knives as well . ( And the similar DVD They Were Dying to Know) . I was so impressed I've opted for a animal protein free diet too. Strangely enough I have lost my taste for meat. I thought I would crave it given my lust for BBQ ribs, fried chicken and the rarely cooked New York strip steak. Instead I just seemed to have lost most of my interest in meat. I've had about 3 oz of beef in the last 6 weeks or so. While it was tasty, it was so rich that it left me uncomfortable. ( shrugs) no big moral issues for me, no severe medical issues either. It just occurred to me that humans do not have the dental work like other carnivores and maybe there's a reason for that. So let's try vegan for a while and see what happens.

Kari,
Looks like I need some more educating- why would "white bleached sugar" not be vegan? Here I thought I understood vegan concepts, but I missed that one. I have vegan friends that I occasionally cook for so I want to make sure I'm adhering properly.
Thanks!
Deb

Some processed white sugar is processed through bone char...but not all of it is, and it is difficult to verify sources. Some vegans worry about it and some don't. If you want to be safe, buy organic sugar and you should be fine. Otherwise I would ask your friends if they are worried about it. Most I know aren't.

Carla - I don't find myself craving meat either. I enjoy things like Field Roast and my beloved Morningstar Riblets because I enjoy their flavor on its own, not because I am trying to make a substitution. You should try the Field Roast sausages sometime if you haven't yet, and their Celebration Roast for your next special occasion. It's seitan, and it is absolutely delicious. The sage sausage is my favorite.

To all the meat eaters that ridicule the desires of non-meat eaters: Stop eating meat, and tell us that meat substitute isn't delicious. It's like a couch potato calling an athlete a spud. And there isn't a reason people choose to not eat meat - there are MYRIAD reasons. The jokes here should be retired because they're just not that funny anymore. Allie and Georgia's bloody bacon grilled cheese was funny (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCjLM-L19-c); the Char-Broil meat stadium was even funnier (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9CXQNR--Cs); I'd love to hear Ellen Degeneres' take on this (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/1 ... _DeGeneres).

Again, reel in the claws, I am looking to learn here, not condemn. I am not asking for condemnation in return, I am asking for education and have openly admitted that I am most likely pushing for a hard line that need not exist. I am asking questions.

For those with health concerns, I get it, no one should suffer and thankfully no one is required to eat meat, there are plenty of alternatives.

I am just trying to learn about the (non-health concerned) vegetarian mindset and why they crave the taste of something they denounce.
What is the vegetarian stance on sustenance hunters?

Forks over Knives is very eye-opening whether you love meat or hate it.

And I'll not open the debate regarding sentience. There has been too much conflict hereabouts lately.

Again, reel in the claws, I am looking to learn here, not condemn.

Claws unintended, Ronnie. I was just being a twit .

BUT, I do think every reason should be respected whether you agree with it or not. There's been a lot of argument against "global warming" that seem a bit eclipsed in the face of the current climate. It's neither here nor, there, I just get a bit sarcastic and bitchy at times, and it's not directed at you - I think you're great and have enjoyed reading everything by you lately. My mom took white sugar out of the house when I was a kid and fed us baked eggplant and falafel tacos at an early age, so my taste is different than some. I loved pot roast, meat loaf, goulash, etc... while at my dad's, but I've always have a hankering for the other stuff, too. I had a filet in the fridge tonight that I could have cooked up in ten minutes, but I went with a bean dish that I prepared over the weekend, and it hit the spot so well. Seriously, it's a matter of choice.

Thank you.

And I don't want anyone to mistake me, I love me some tasty veggies. The wife and I eat vegetarian 3-4 nights out of the week, primarily because usually fail to lay out any meat to prepare.

Thank you.

And I don't want anyone to mistake me, I love me some tasty veggies. The wife and I eat vegetarian 3-4 nights out of the week, primarily because usually fail to lay out any meat to prepare.

You asked in an earlier post "What is the vegetarian stance on sustenance hunters?"

What kind of question is this? "the vegetarian stance." Who is the spokesperson for vegetarians? What is the stance for those who eat vegetables 3-4 nights per week? What is tthe incredible spiderman's stance?