Vegetarian/vegan forum?

[The Little Penguin]

Just a thought from a new user...

First off, I'm really enjoying posting here a lot, and this board seems like a great resource! I do have to say, though, that having the vegitarian and vegan topics of interest relegated to either "Health, Nutrition, and Special Diets" or "Vegetables and Vegetarians" seems kind of odd to me- the first because it seems awkward to lump vegan recipies in with food allegey info and diabetic recipies, and the second because it seems to suggest that vegetarians are people who just eat vegetables!

It seems to me that it would make MUCH more sense to have a seperate forum, perhaps sub-divided into "Vegetarian" and "Vegan" like the "Beverages" forum is divided into alcoholic and non-alcoholic sections.

My humble suggestion...

 

[BreezyCooking]

While I'm neither Vegan nor Vegetarian, my husband doesn't eat any meat products & I make & enjoy a large number of vegetarian recipes.

I think a separate forum for this would definitely be enjoyed & used here.

 

[redkitty]

It would be for some of us, Little Penguin... nice that you want it here but remember you are a new member of a "cooking forum" where most people eat a normal meat filled diet!

We do have the veggie section here, for me it's enough.

 

[The Little Penguin]

It would be for some of us, Little Penguin... nice that you want it here but remember you are a new member of a "cooking forum" where most people eat a normal meat filled diet!

We do have the veggie section here, for me it's enough.

Point taken, but what I mean is... if a someone is looking for a vegetarian pasta sauce they gotta scour the "Sauces" forum, if you want to post your vegan cheesecake recipe most people in the "Desserts" forum probably won't try it, and so on. It's very fragmented.

It also doesn't make sense to me that the "Vegetable" forum would double a the "vegetarian" forum, as vegetarians eat much more that just vegetables, nor are all "vegetable" dishes vegitarian. (green beans with bacon, anyone?)

To be sure, I'm not trying to gripe or anything; I was just curious if anyone else felt the forum layout was a little cumbersome with respect to looking for vegan/vegetarian-related stuff.

Just my $0.02!

 

[GB]

You make an interesting point.

I think, if anything, what we would do is just remove the word "vegetarian" from the name of the forum and leave the name as just "Vegetables".

As for the Health Food section having vegan in it, that could be considered a special diet. Not diet as in a way to lose weight, but diet as in a way of eating.

If someone wants a vegetarian pasta sauce recipe then the sauce forum would be the ideal place to put it as it is a sauce.

I will bring this up with the other Admins so that we can discuss it.

 

[Alix]

Hey Little Penguin, we actually retitled the Veggie forum a while ago at the Vegetarians request to give them a "home". If it isn't working like that then perhaps we can just remove that title for you.

 

[The Little Penguin]

Hey Little Penguin, we actually retitled the Veggie forum a while ago at the Vegetarians request to give them a "home". If it isn't working like that then perhaps we can just remove that title for you.

Maybe it is working! I'm brand new, and it's possible everything does work just fine! My thoughts above we just my initial reaction...

In any case, thanks for reading and considering my thoughts. I'm enjoying the forum a ton!

 

[BreezyCooking]

Vegetarian Forum?

I'm going to temporarily revive this topic, probably because I, like "Little Penguin", do enjoy a lot of vegetarian recipes that don't really "fit" anywhere else here.

For instance, Saturday night I made a wonderful Sesame-Maple Roasted Tofu dish from Eating Well magazine that I'd like to share here. Where, exactly, would I post it? It's not ethnic & it's not a vegetable dish. My only recourse, I guess, would be to post it under the pasta/grains forum since I served it on a bed of noodles.

Eating Well frequently has wonderful vegetarian recipes featuring tofu & other vegetarian products that wouldn't easily fit anywhere here - except for maybe "Miscellaneous", which frankly seems to be nothing more than an overflow or repeat catch-all for the "Off-Topic" forum. It's definitely not a forum for "recipes not suited for anywhere else" as it's supposed to be, if you view the threads. Ninety-nine percent of the threads on the supposedly "Miscellaneous" forum could (& should) easily be moved to "Off-Topic" or elsewhere. There are virtually no recipes listed on that forum, although that what it's supposed to be for.

Why not just move all the stuff out of "Miscellaneous" to "Off-Topic" & change "Miscellaneous" a "Vegetarian/Vegan" forum? I bet you'd find that nearly everything in "Miscellaneous" really isn't that out of place in its new home.

 

[vyapti]

After reading through this thread and one about raw food, it occurred to me that vegetarian's are unwelcome in the Discuss Cooking forum. I don't know if this is intentional or not, but there is a contrast in perception between those that eat "a normal meat filled diet!" and the wierdo's that have an interest in vegetarian meals. As it stands, there is no place for vegetarian food in this forum. If there is no place for vegetarian food, the site will not attract vegetarian cooks. This may not be intentional, but the result is that an entire cousine is being excluded.

This forum has a bunch of wonderful people with great recipes and experiences. The diversity of members is a strength, not a weekness. I hope this diversity is epanded.

I'll part with one of Goodweed's recipes (I've probably adapted a bit). It is delicious, vegetarian, and doesn't have a single vegetable in it:

Goodweed's Black Beans and Rice:

Cilantro Pesto
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup unpacked fresh basil leaves
1 cup unpacked fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup unpacked fresh parsley leaves
juice of 1 lime
2 Tbs olive oil

Beans and Rice
2 cans black beans, drained and rinced (or 1/2 lb raw, boiled)
3 cup water
2 cup jasmine rice
1 Tbs butter, softened
1 Tbs creole seasoning
1 dash cayenne
2 Tbs pine nuts

Heat black beans to be mixed in when rice is finished cooking. Rinse and drain beans well. ALternately, raw beans (1/2 lb) can be soaked overnight in water 2 inches higher than the beans, or use the quick soak method on package. The following day when ready to prepare, drain beans. In a covered kettle, add 2 inches of cold water to drained beans. Simmer beans until tender, about 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Drain and keep beans warm.

For pesto, chop basil, cilantro and parsley and mince garlic. Combine with olive oil and grated parmesan. Set aside.

In a large heavy skillet bring 3 cups of water to a boil and stir in jasmine rice. Cook rice covered over low heat, undisturbed 18-20 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff rice with fork and add to beans. Stir in butter, pesto, pine nuts, creole seasoning and cayenne. To make a little spicier add some more cayenne.

Top with tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and a dolob of sour cream and salsa.

 

[GB]

and the wierdo's that have an interest in vegetarian meals.

I have never seen anyone say anything negative on this site about vegetarians or their diets. Your words are the first I have ever seen putting them in a negative light.

As it stands, there is no place for vegetarian food in this forum.

I beg to differ. This site has MANY areas for vegetarian food. Let me list a few:


Appetizers & Hors D'oeuvres

Bread, Cornbread, Sandwiches...

Desserts, Sweets & Baking

Eggs, Cheese, Dairy...

Ethnic Foods

Fruit & Nuts

Pasta, Rice, Beans, Grains...

Salads & Salad Dressings

Soups, Stews & Casseroles

Vegetables

Being a vegetarian is a diet choice. Just as we do not have a low cal forum or a no carb forum or a raw food forum we do not have one solely for vegetarians. 99% of the recipes you would post in a vegetarian forum would fit in one of the forums we already have. This is not to the exclusion of vegetarians, but to the contrary, it is inclusive of them.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Wow - how did I miss that one??!!??? And I just happen to have all the ingredients on hand. Am thinking some plain grilled chicken breasts with this as a bedding will be terrific!!

(See - vegetarian dishes can work both ways. : ))

 

[kitchenelf]

To say "vegetarians are unwelcome here" is a bit harsh, don't you think? I really don't get your use of the term "weirdo" either. The only negative light shed on vegetarians so far at Discuss Cooking is your post.

The rice and bean dish you posted does have a home here - it's called Pasta, Rice, Grains, and Beans.

As for the Pesto - it could go several places. It could go under Sauces or Miscellaneous OR even Ethnic.

 

[keltin]

I’ve been thinking about it, and I can’t think of one single vegetarian recipe that doesn’t fit into one of the categories already here. Some get confused about Tofu, but tofu is made from soybeans......a bean. As such, it fits under Pasta, Rice, Beans, Grains......

Am I missing something about vegetarian ingredients?

And what about a Deep Fat Fried Forum? We Southern Boys think everything is better fried! Does “redneck” classify as an Ethnicity?????

 

[vyapti]

Point taken, but what I mean is... if a someone is looking for a vegetarian pasta sauce they gotta scour the "Sauces" forum, if you want to post your vegan cheesecake recipe most people in the "Desserts" forum probably won't try it, and so on. It's very fragmented.

You are correct, 99% of vegetarian cousine could go in other threads. It's food. Little Penguin's point is, though, is also very true. It's fragemented. A vegetarian forum would solve that. And it would probably not be at the expense of any other forum.

Being a vegetarian is a diet choice. Just as we do not have a low cal forum or a no carb forum or a raw food forum we do not have one solely for vegetarians.

It may be a diet choice, but it is also a cousine. The problem, though, is it's not an ethnic cousine. So it would get lost with Ethnic food. Most other foods (meat or ethnic or soups) have a natural place on the forum. Posters know where to post and where to go to brouse. This is not true with vegetarian food.

 

[keltin]

I guess I’m missing something, but I figured vegetarians browsed DC the same as anyone else. You think of an ingredient, then you go to that forum and look for recipes. With carnivores, we think “I want chicken” and we go to the chicken thread. With Grillers & Smokers, we go to the Outdoor cooking forums. With vegetarian, I would have thought it was the same in that you pick an ingredient such as bean, tofu, lettuce, rice, mushroom, pasta, tomato, etc, and could go to that forum?

 

[BreezyCooking]

Bravo Vihapti.

And has anyone taken the time to actually check out the "Miscellaneous" forum? You know, that forum that's supposed to contain "recipes not fitting anywhere else", but in reality just contains flotsam & jetsam that really belongs in other forums or in the OT forum?

What a worthless forum. I'd do something about that before giving vegetarians the shortshrift here.

And to the poster who implied that "meat-eaters" constitute the majority of the folks here & thus we who enjoy more vegetarian fare aren't "in the know" cuisine-wise? I'd really up my reading on current dining/cooking/eating trends. You're really out of sinc.

I'm not a vegetarian, & enjoy a good steak or lamb curry as much as the next person, but I'm also savvy & health-conscious enough to realize that it's infinititly important for us to experiment with other food choices besides meat to keep our diets in a healthy balance.

 

[keltin]

And to the poster who implied that "meat-eaters" constitute the majority of the folks here & thus we who enjoy more vegetarian fare aren't "in the know" cuisine-wise? I'd really up my reading on current dining/cooking/eating trends. You're really out of sinc.

I just read this whole thread again........twice. And I'm not seeing where that was said. Is that from another thread or something?

 

[BreezyCooking]

Keltin - the comment was made over on the "Forum Ideas & Help" forum. Sorry for not id'ing that.

 

[healthyfoodie]

I guess I’m missing something, but I figured vegetarians browsed DC the same as anyone else. You think of an ingredient, then you go to that forum and look for recipes. With carnivores, we think “I want chicken” and we go to the chicken thread. With Grillers & Smokers, we go to the Outdoor cooking forums. With vegetarian, I would have thought it was the same in that you pick an ingredient such as bean, tofu, lettuce, rice, mushroom, pasta, tomato, etc, and could go to that forum?

seems logical... that's what I do and I'm a vegetarian. Whenever I see a recipe post that has chicken in it or some other meat in it, I think about how I could use it w/o chicken or by substituting tofu or seitan or veggies.

I almost posted when this thread first came up, but refrained. I don't think we need a separate forum for vegetarians and vegans. But, is there a way to add more icons to the post icon choices? Maybe for recipes, there could be an icon indicating whether or not it's vegetarian?

 

[keltin]

seems logical... that's what I do and I'm a vegetarian. Whenever I see a recipe post that has chicken in it or some other meat in it, I think about how I could use it w/o chicken or by substituting tofu or seitan or veggies.

Or Portabello Mushrooms!!!