starting 11:45 a.m.
the last couple weeks we haven't bought any meat. we've bought tons of local tofu (made at dj organic farms from soybeans grown on the farm in yaphank, long island), and we've eaten loads of home-cooked beans. we're not lacking in protein in our diet... i don't think.
dang it. i always forget about the turkey bacon. we HAVE bought meat the last couple weeks, in the form of jennie-o turkey bacon, which i've vowed to give up in exchange for more humanely produced turkey bacon from whole foods (i don't want pork bacon - the fattiness is just too much for me). but we haven't been buying meat for lunches and dinners.
we're not vegetarians yet. and looking at our eating habits the last couple weeks, i don't think we're ready to be vegetarians. yes, we HAVE tofu in the house. do we cook it and eat it? some of the time, sure. but more and more often we're ordiring in or eating out for dinner instead of finding something to do that provides us with something tasty and protein-providing.
so ok. i'll say it: i'm tired of the taste of tofu. it's... distinctive. and it's not salty. and it doesn't take well to salty accoutrements (garlic salt, adobo, etc). it still tastes like soy and water in a patty. *sigh*
you know what i want? an easy, tasty tofu cookbook that goes beyond "cut it into small squares and sautee it in canola oil [until it tastes like fried crappiness]." that's what it took for me to learn to cook meat properly. god bless the south beach diet 30 minute cookbook. cooking from that each night for a good 6 months is what helped me realize that i liked to cook! now that feeling is starting to go away :(
i know what they all say, "you can really substitute tofu into any meat recipe and cook it the same way." it's not true. because meat has a taste of its own, as does tofu, and so substituting one for the other doesn't really satisfy me. plus the texture of tofu is... nonexistant. it's very weak, like a soft cheese (which is what it is, essentially, since it's "bean curd").
if what it takes to make tofu taste better is to keep it soaked in brine intead of regular water, i'm into it. how do i make brine? it needs something more than just salt in the water. hmmmm... however, i'm not looking to pickle the tofu.
until i start to have some idea of what to do with it, though, i'm going to put up my white flag and admit that i'm not ready to be vegetarian! not yet! i'm going to buy some pasture-raised, organic, local chicken tonight! and i'm going to enjoy it!
the end.
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2 comments:
Hi ! Two things to research, and I wish I had the references at hand:
1. One is that it is nearly impossible not to get enough protein. Most Americans get twice as much protein as they need. Protein comes in every vegetable and in every grain. You'd be surprised.
2. Soy is not necessarily the great health food. Some research has been done about the connection between soy and the kind of breast cancer that has an estrogen-related connection. Personally I take soy in small doses and infrequently.
Anyway, more stuff to go into the computer of your brain in making all these decisions.
Also--get some ideas from the great veg and vegan chefs--
3. In NYC the great veg or vegan places: Zen Palate and Candle Cafe
(I can only personally vouch for Zen Palate , Broadway location)
There are three Zen Palate restaurants in Manhattan. Web site: www.zenpalate.com
663 Ninth Avenue, at 46th Street -- MAP
212-582-1669
34 Union Square East, near E 16th Street, East Village -- MAP
212-614-9345
Hours: Daily 11:30 am to 1 am for take-out
Dinning room closed Monday to Saturday 3 pm to 5:30 pm.
Dinning room open Sunday 5 pm to 1 pm.
2170 Broadway, between 76th & 77th Streets -- MAP
212-501-7768; Reservations: 212-582-1276
Hours: Monday to Friday 11:30 am to 10:30 pm; Saturday 11 am to 11 pm; Sunday 12 noon to 10:30 pm
**Candle Café -- MAP
1307 3rd Avenue, at 75th Street, Upper East Side of Central Park
One is that it is nearly impossible not to get enough protein. Most Americans get twice as much protein as they need.
Most Americans eat a diet that isn't something I'd want to consume! I think it's quite possible to not get enough protein, as well, particularly in a vegetarian diet. Might depend on metabolisms, I suppose, but I've never been able to support my weight on a vegetarian diet. My husband is already a thin man, so if I couldn't give him some meat once in a while I'd need to put bricks in his pockets to keep him from blowing away.
That's just the way we see it, and I think it's perfectly acceptable that not everyone follow the most extreme forms of environmentalism in order to reverse climate change. Moderation is good, too!
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