Vegan technique



D

David Hare-Scott

Guest
I posted this on a vegan NG but the activity was so low I didn't get much
back.

I like to to serve good food that is according to the tastes and preferences
of my guests. If I am to cook vegetarian food without eggs I have some
problems with technique. This is probably due to my lack of experience in
vegetarian cooking so I am asking the more experienced for help.

Eggs are useful in binding foods as the protein coalgulates on cooking. For
example vegetable patties, rissoles and slices are going to be harder to
keep cohesive with no eggs.

Similarly eggs act as an emulsifying agent allowing one to bind oily and
watery components together in sauces and dressings (with or without
cooking). Dairy products can also bind sauces but such are also eschewed by
vegans.
You can bind sauces in some cases using vegetable purees and with starches
but these rather limit your scope and will add flavours that may not be
desired in all situations.

Egg foams are also the basis of a number classes of foods, many (but not
all) are desserts and treats. One can give up such things altogether in the
name of health but even those who take great care with their diet may want
to have a small indulgence sometimes on special days.

Can I do these sorts of things without eggs or dairy (if so how) or does
cooking vegan mean certain techniques, and hence certain classes of foods,
are not possible? .


David
 
David Hare-Scott wrote:

> Eggs are useful in binding foods as the protein coalgulates on cooking. For
> example vegetable patties, rissoles and slices are going to be harder to
> keep cohesive with no eggs.
>
> Similarly eggs act as an emulsifying agent allowing one to bind oily and
> watery components together in sauces and dressings (with or without
> cooking). Dairy products can also bind sauces but such are also eschewed by
> vegans.
> You can bind sauces in some cases using vegetable purees and with starches
> but these rather limit your scope and will add flavours that may not be
> desired in all situations.
>
> Egg foams are also the basis of a number classes of foods, many (but not
> all) are desserts and treats. One can give up such things altogether in the
> name of health but even those who take great care with their diet may want
> to have a small indulgence sometimes on special days.
>
> Can I do these sorts of things without eggs or dairy (if so how) or does
> cooking vegan mean certain techniques, and hence certain classes of foods,
> are not possible? .


The quick answer to your question is tofu. The medium-size answer to
your question is _Natural Foods Cookbook: Vegetarian Dairy-Free Cuisine_
by Mary Estella. The long answer to your question is that you need
whole new recipes for familiar dishes; no single substitution or set of
rules is going to do it.


For sauces, you can usually get away with throwing a chunk of tofu in
the blender along with the other ingredients. You get the emulsion and
texture. These sauces aren't perfect at high temps, but they're pretty
good.


For places where you normally use egg foams, you might try heating agar
in fruit juices, cooling until it hardens, then blending the whole thing
to incorporate air.


Tofu sometimes can work instead of eggs in cakes. Soymilk instead of
dairy milk.


For the vegetable patties, I suggest beans.


--Lia
 
My preference and taste is for MEAT (like 90% of the people out there).
Would you take that into account?


"David Hare-Scott" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>I posted this on a vegan NG but the activity was so low I didn't get much
> back.
>
> I like to to serve good food that is according to the tastes and
> preferences
> of my guests. If I am to cook vegetarian food without eggs I have some
> problems with technique. This is probably due to my lack of experience in
> vegetarian cooking so I am asking the more experienced for help.
>
> Eggs are useful in binding foods as the protein coalgulates on cooking.
> For
> example vegetable patties, rissoles and slices are going to be harder to
> keep cohesive with no eggs.
>
> Similarly eggs act as an emulsifying agent allowing one to bind oily and
> watery components together in sauces and dressings (with or without
> cooking). Dairy products can also bind sauces but such are also eschewed
> by
> vegans.
> You can bind sauces in some cases using vegetable purees and with starches
> but these rather limit your scope and will add flavours that may not be
> desired in all situations.
>
> Egg foams are also the basis of a number classes of foods, many (but not
> all) are desserts and treats. One can give up such things altogether in
> the
> name of health but even those who take great care with their diet may want
> to have a small indulgence sometimes on special days.
>
> Can I do these sorts of things without eggs or dairy (if so how) or does
> cooking vegan mean certain techniques, and hence certain classes of foods,
> are not possible? .
>
>
> David
>
>
 
Bubba wrote:

> My preference and taste is for MEAT (like 90% of the people out
> there). Would you take that into account?

Why, are you going over there to eat?



Brian

--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)
 
I say let them eat cake!

Marc

"Default User" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Bubba wrote:
>
> > My preference and taste is for MEAT (like 90% of the people out
> > there). Would you take that into account?
>
> Why, are you going over there to eat?
>
>
>
> Brian
>
> --
> If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
> won't shut up.
> -- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)
 
David Hare-Scott wrote:
>
> Eggs are useful in binding foods as the protein coalgulates
> on cooking. For example vegetable patties, rissoles and slices
> are going to be harder to keep cohesive with no eggs.
>
> Similarly eggs act as an emulsifying agent allowing one
> to bind oily and watery components together in sauces and
> dressings (with or without cooking).

Eggs have these properties because they contain lecithin.
At Whole Foods or health-food stores, you can buy vegan
soy lecithin, which can substitute for eggs. It is
available in both solid and liquid form.
 
"David Hare-Scott" <[email protected]> hitched up their panties and
posted news:[email protected]:

> I posted this on a vegan NG but the activity was so low I didn't get
> much back.


I really wish I could help you out but I can't. I'm a carnivore... BIG
TIME carnivore. Mostly in this ng we discuss pork, beef, chicken etc. We
also discuss a lot of other things but vegetarian dishes don't come up that
often. Sorry.

Michael

--
"The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she
served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been
found."

--Calvin Trillin
 
David Hare-Scott wrote:
> I posted this on a vegan NG but the activity was so low I didn't get much
> back.
>
> I like to to serve good food that is according to the tastes and preferences
> of my guests. If I am to cook vegetarian food without eggs I have some
> problems with technique. This is probably due to my lack of experience in
> vegetarian cooking so I am asking the more experienced for help.
>
> Eggs are useful in binding foods as the protein coalgulates on cooking. For
> example vegetable patties, rissoles and slices are going to be harder to
> keep cohesive with no eggs.
>
> Similarly eggs act as an emulsifying agent allowing one to bind oily and
> watery components together in sauces and dressings (with or without
> cooking). Dairy products can also bind sauces but such are also eschewed by
> vegans.
> You can bind sauces in some cases using vegetable purees and with starches
> but these rather limit your scope and will add flavours that may not be
> desired in all situations.
>
> Egg foams are also the basis of a number classes of foods, many (but not
> all) are desserts and treats. One can give up such things altogether in the
> name of health but even those who take great care with their diet may want
> to have a small indulgence sometimes on special days.
>
> Can I do these sorts of things without eggs or dairy (if so how) or does
> cooking vegan mean certain techniques, and hence certain classes of foods,
> are not possible? .
>
>
> David
>
>

I highly recommend the cookbook from the Millenium Restaurant in San
Francisco. The food is excellent, it's completely vegan and there are great
methods for substituting eggs and whatnot. It's got everything from 'caeser'
dressing to tempura 'piccata' and so on, even seitan brats.

I love this book and use it a lot and I am not vegan or even vegetarian.

--
..:Heather:.
www.velvet-c.com
Step off, beyotches, I'm the roflpimp!
 
Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote:
> "David Hare-Scott" <[email protected]> hitched up their panties and
> posted news:[email protected]:
>
> > I posted this on a vegan NG but the activity was so low I didn't get
> > much back.
>
>
> I really wish I could help you out but I can't. I'm a carnivore... BIG
> TIME carnivore. Mostly in this ng we discuss pork, beef, chicken etc. We
> also discuss a lot of other things but vegetarian dishes don't come up that
> often. Sorry.
>
> Michael

I'd have to disagree. I don't eat pork, beef, or chicken. I'm a
vegetarian, with the exception of eating some seafood. (I've got a new
name for it. I'm a Lenten Friday Vegetarian. No meat, but fish okay.)

I find plenty of ideas for things that are inherently meatless
(recently: coleslaw, maple oatmeal cookies, salad dressing, potato
kugel, asparagus with black beans and garlic sauce, alfredo sauce <g>,
baked french toast, peanut brittle, etc) and things that can easily be
made meatless with minor adaptations (split pea soup, stir fry with
interesting sauces, quiche, the occasional hotdish. ).

You meed to read the subject headers carefully and it's easy to know
which threads to skip. Yoy also learn whose posts to look for - serene
and heather both make and talk about many meatless items.

It's not that we SPECIFICALLY discuss vegetarian food, it's more that
meatless dishes are part of the grand scope of gastronomic pleasure,
and they do come up incidentally. You just gotta look for em.
 
On 2006-03-14, Jude <[email protected]> wrote:


> I'm a
> vegetarian, with the exception of eating some seafood. (I've got a new
> name for it. I'm a Lenten Friday Vegetarian. No meat, but fish okay.)

Yeah, I'm vegetarian, too. ...except for fish, too.

Oh... and chicken, sometimes chicken. Well, maybe some beef, now and
then ...n' pork. Yeah, pork. But, hardly ever yak. I draw the line
at kangaroo and wombat. But yeah ...I'm a vegetarian. :\

nb
 
"Jude" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote:
>> "David Hare-Scott" <[email protected]> hitched up their panties and
>> posted news:[email protected]:
>>
>> > I posted this on a vegan NG but the activity was so low I didn't get
>> > much back.
>>
>>
>> I really wish I could help you out but I can't. I'm a carnivore... BIG
>> TIME carnivore. Mostly in this ng we discuss pork, beef, chicken etc.
>> We
>> also discuss a lot of other things but vegetarian dishes don't come up
>> that
>> often. Sorry.
>>
>> Michael
>
> I'd have to disagree. I don't eat pork, beef, or chicken. I'm a
> vegetarian, with the exception of eating some seafood. (I've got a new
> name for it. I'm a Lenten Friday Vegetarian. No meat, but fish okay.)
>

Fish are meat. You cannot be a vegetarian if you eat fish. When will people
get this through their skulls? It's like saying that you are a virgin with
the exception tha you have sex on Fridays.


--
Peter Aitken
 
notbob wrote:
> On 2006-03-14, Jude <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> > I'm a
> > vegetarian, with the exception of eating some seafood. (I've got a new
> > name for it. I'm a Lenten Friday Vegetarian. No meat, but fish okay.)
>
> Yeah, I'm vegetarian, too. ...except for fish, too.
>
> Oh... and chicken, sometimes chicken. Well, maybe some beef, now and
> then ...n' pork. Yeah, pork. But, hardly ever yak. I draw the line
> at kangaroo and wombat. But yeah ...I'm a vegetarian. :\
>
> nb

Well, good for you, notbob. Your rules are a litle looser than mine,
but seeing as how its your life, you go ahead and call yourself anythig
you feel appropriate. I bet you're much healthier than many people, if
you follow any type of vegetarian diet. It's a good way to keep your
vitamin, mineral, fiber intake high and your cholesterol low. Generally
low calorie and definitely doctor approved. More people should try it.

Laughing all the way to your funeral, nb.
 
On Mon, 13 Mar 2006 23:23:55 GMT, "David Hare-Scott" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I posted this on a vegan NG but the activity was so low I didn't get much
>back.
>
>I like to to serve good food that is according to the tastes and preferences
>of my guests. If I am to cook vegetarian food without eggs I have some
>problems with technique. This is probably due to my lack of experience in
>vegetarian cooking so I am asking the more experienced for help.
>
>Eggs are useful in binding foods as the protein coalgulates on cooking. For
>example vegetable patties, rissoles and slices are going to be harder to
>keep cohesive with no eggs.
>
>Similarly eggs act as an emulsifying agent allowing one to bind oily and
>watery components together in sauces and dressings (with or without
>cooking). Dairy products can also bind sauces but such are also eschewed by
>vegans.
>You can bind sauces in some cases using vegetable purees and with starches
>but these rather limit your scope and will add flavours that may not be
>desired in all situations.
>
>Egg foams are also the basis of a number classes of foods, many (but not
>all) are desserts and treats. One can give up such things altogether in the
>name of health but even those who take great care with their diet may want
>to have a small indulgence sometimes on special days.
>
>Can I do these sorts of things without eggs or dairy (if so how) or does
>cooking vegan mean certain techniques, and hence certain classes of foods,
>are not possible? .
>
>
>David
>
One thing I do is use "Egg Replacer". While not always effective, you do need to exercise
judgment and you will need to experiment with recipes, it works well most of the time.
Look for vegan recipes, there are many of them on the net.

My son is a vegan and I try to accommodate him as much as possible in my cooking, I'm
definitely not a vegan, but some dishes just cannot be "converted." Some of the vegan
recipes work well, yielding dishes that look good and have good texture, but little flavor
- or, at least, more subtle flavors than I want. Spices and herbs really help in this
case.

Good luck, while I cannot eat vegan, I respect the efforts it takes to be vegan. Don't
forget the fats, even vegans need fats.





--
Rick R
[email protected]ult
replace default with com to email
 
.. I'm a Lenten Friday Vegetarian. No meat, but fish okay.)
> >
>
> Fish are meat. You cannot be a vegetarian if you eat fish. When will people
> get this through their skulls? It's like saying that you are a virgin with
> the exception tha you have sex on Fridays.
>
>


Tell the catholic church that. You can't eat meat on Fridays during
lent, but you can eat all the fish you want.

I've never stated that I am a vegetarian. If you can actually read, you
will see that I always tell people that I am a vegetarian but that I
also eat seafood.

Ya see, that's a lot easier, and less wordy, than telling people that I
don't eat red meat, pork products, lamb, or poultry, or any
meat-by-products and will you please check the soup for chicken broth
and the pie crust for lard? If I say vegetarian who eats seafood, it
cuts to the chase. People pretty much know what I do and don't eat. I
have my reasons for the way my diet is structured. But the fact is,
that phrase usually saves me all these damn words you're making me
write here.

Besides, I've never understood these people who so passionately concern
themselves with the way I refer to MY dietary habits. Don't you have
something better to do with your life?
 
"Jude" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>. I'm a Lenten Friday Vegetarian. No meat, but fish okay.)
>> >
>>
>> Fish are meat. You cannot be a vegetarian if you eat fish. When will
>> people
>> get this through their skulls? It's like saying that you are a virgin
>> with
>> the exception tha you have sex on Fridays.
>>
>>
>
>
> Tell the catholic church that. You can't eat meat on Fridays during
> lent, but you can eat all the fish you want.
>

The catholic church has an incorrect definition of meat, so what?

> I've never stated that I am a vegetarian. If you can actually read, you
> will see that I always tell people that I am a vegetarian but that I
> also eat seafood.

Please read what you just said. First "I've never stated that I am a
vegetarian" and then "I always tell people that I am a vegetarian."

>
> Ya see, that's a lot easier, and less wordy, than telling people that I
> don't eat red meat, pork products, lamb, or poultry, or any
> meat-by-products and will you please check the soup for chicken broth
> and the pie crust for lard? If I say vegetarian who eats seafood, it
> cuts to the chase. People pretty much know what I do and don't eat. I
> have my reasons for the way my diet is structured. But the fact is,
> that phrase usually saves me all these damn words you're making me
> write here.

How about saying "I eat vegetarian most of the time but also eat fish
sometimes."

You don't seem to realize that you simply cannot be a vegetarian and eat
fish. A vegetarian is defined as someone who does not eat animal flesh. The
phrase "vegetarian who eats seafood" is like "teetotaler who drinks wine" or
"tall person who is short" or "male person who is female."

> Besides, I've never understood these people who so passionately concern
> themselves with the way I refer to MY dietary habits. Don't you have
> something better to do with your life?

If I were using a word in an ignorant and foolish way I would like to be
corrected. I care about the English language. When you describe yourself as
a vegetarian who eats seafood, it just sounds foolish to anyone who knows
what "vegetarian" means. Apparently you don't care.

Peter Aitken
 
"Jude" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>. I'm a Lenten Friday Vegetarian. No meat, but fish okay.)
>> >
>>
>> Fish are meat. You cannot be a vegetarian if you eat fish. When will
>> people
>> get this through their skulls? It's like saying that you are a virgin
>> with
>> the exception tha you have sex on Fridays.
>>
>>
>
>
> Tell the catholic church that. You can't eat meat on Fridays during
> lent, but you can eat all the fish you want.
>
> I've never stated that I am a vegetarian. If you can actually read, you
> will see that I always tell people that I am a vegetarian but that I
> also eat seafood.
>
> Ya see, that's a lot easier, and less wordy, than telling people that I
> don't eat red meat, pork products, lamb, or poultry, or any
> meat-by-products and will you please check the soup for chicken broth
> and the pie crust for lard? If I say vegetarian who eats seafood, it
> cuts to the chase. People pretty much know what I do and don't eat. I
> have my reasons for the way my diet is structured. But the fact is,
> that phrase usually saves me all these damn words you're making me
> write here.
>
> Besides, I've never understood these people who so passionately concern
> themselves with the way I refer to MY dietary habits. Don't you have
> something better to do with your life?

I enjoyed your explanation. It is a mystery to me, too, why the word,
"vegetarian" gets so much rise. There are other subjects like that that get
people a-goin'.
Dee Dee
 
David Hare-Scott wrote:
>
> I like to to serve good food that is according to the tastes and preferences
> of my guests. If I am to cook vegetarian food without eggs I have some
> problems with technique. This is probably due to my lack of experience in
> vegetarian cooking so I am asking the more experienced for help.

General advice: don't try and "convert" too many things to being
vegan. Simply cook things that are vegan in the first place. Indian
cooking in general is a great place to start - most of it is vegatarian
and near vegan. Replacing ghee with vegan fats goes a long way...

> Eggs are useful in binding foods as the protein coalgulates on cooking. For
> example vegetable patties, rissoles and slices are going to be harder to
> keep cohesive with no eggs.
>
> Similarly eggs act as an emulsifying agent allowing one to bind oily and
> watery components together in sauces and dressings (with or without
> cooking). Dairy products can also bind sauces but such are also eschewed by
> vegans.
> You can bind sauces in some cases using vegetable purees and with starches
> but these rather limit your scope and will add flavours that may not be
> desired in all situations.
>

The main emulsifier in eggs in lecithin - you can get plain lecithin
that is derived from soy.

> Egg foams are also the basis of a number classes of foods, many (but not
> all) are desserts and treats. One can give up such things altogether in the
> name of health but even those who take great care with their diet may want
> to have a small indulgence sometimes on special days.

Rice pudding is just fine made with soy milk, and is better made with
coconut milk than dairy milk. Coconut milk is good substitute for
dairy milk and/or cream for a great number of dishes - in many cases it
is superior.

>
> Can I do these sorts of things without eggs or dairy (if so how) or does
> cooking vegan mean certain techniques, and hence certain classes of foods,
> are not possible? .
>

The main things that really need eggs are many types of cakes,
pastries, and puddings. For the cakes, just avoid them. For the
pastries, limit yourself to ones not needing eggs. For the puddings,
make ones thickened with vegan gelatin, flour, cornstarch, or tapioca -
their are pleny to choose from. Many things that call for milk or
cream can be made with some combination of soy milk, coconut milk,
almond milk, or rice milk. Tofu is also usefull as a thickener when
mashed/blended.

Later,
Mark Muller
 
Dee Randall wrote:


> I enjoyed your explanation. It is a mystery to me, too, why the word,
> "vegetarian" gets so much rise. There are other subjects like that that get
> people a-goin'.
> Dee Dee

Well, maybe they'll like my new label better. How do you like the ring
of Lenten Friday Vegetarian? =)
 
"Jude" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Dee Randall wrote:
>
>
>> I enjoyed your explanation. It is a mystery to me, too, why the word,
>> "vegetarian" gets so much rise. There are other subjects like that that
>> get
>> people a-goin'.
>> Dee Dee
>
> Well, maybe they'll like my new label better. How do you like the ring
> of Lenten Friday Vegetarian? =)

Say it fast and with your mouth full -- "no one will pay you no mind."
Dee Dee
 
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