cookasia

South Indian veg cookings is incredibly diverse, but you'll find wonderful dishes among North Indian vegetarians, as well as among the Indian Buddhists and Jains. Worth reading: Yamuna Devi's book Lord Krishna's Cuisine. Other ethnic cuisines: Ethiopian, Thai, Chinese and some Malaysian and VietnameseÑall offer wonderful vegetarian cooking. Enjoy! Of all the different distinct cuisines, which do you find the most amenable to vegetarian cooking? Is it is Hindu-linked South Indian?

Thanks for asking. We just did a roundup of veggie restaurants in Paris for our January issue (think we had 12 in all) plus street vendors. But thanks for suggesting it. Any other ideas? Let me know, and thanks, Alexandra

FG: You're closer than you think to a great veggie burger, and if you don't mind pureeing black or fava beans (a snap in a food processor or blender) and using various binding agents like eggs, bread crumbs, flour and/or brown rice, you've got yourself a tasty "burger" minus the meat. Also consider cooked wild rice held together with eggs, ricotta, and for crunch, oat bran, plus seasoning to taste with any of the above combinations. Shape the ingredients, cook them (saute in minimal oil), then wrap and freeze, and you've got a handy meal on a bun ready for warming, plus all the trimmings. The real trick is using the right medium to bind all ingredients together. Good luck! Thanks, Alexandra

Since you have alluded to the veg dining scene in DC, I thought you might be interested in talking about it directly. What are some of your favorites? I think my favorites are Nora and Asia Nora, to say nothing of Udupi Palace and the host of other South Indian eateries around town. Then there's the Vegetable Garden in Rockville and the various Vietnamese and Thai restaurants that feature very good vegetarian dishes. I like Nora and its sister restaurant primarily because Nora herself is so dedicated to organics and sustainable agriculture, which is certainly part of why I am involved with Slow Food. Haven't eaten at Vidalia for years, so can't comment. I know that Todd Gray at Equinox is a staunch supporter of using local produce. To me, that makes a difference when judging the quality of a restaurant and its menu. Also I consider Michel Richard at Citronelle a genius, and while his is not a vegetarian restaurant per se, he can do wonderful vegetarian dishes. Do you think it's possible for a city like DC to support a fine dining vegetarian restaurant like Joia in Milan, Italy or perhaps Millennium in San Francisco? Why or why not? Do you think chefs in DC "get" vegetarian food? I do think DC is ready for high-end all veg eating, and though there has been a spate of steakhouses and big beef places opening here, there is also a growing concern for using locally grown produce, and that has a spinoff effect in making good DC chefs respect their raw ingredients and use them for quality all-veg dishes. So while many chefs may not "get" vegetarian cooking, the more who jump at using farmer-grown local produce, the more likely will we be eating top-notch veg cooking in DC. I think the remarkable success of the Dupont Circle market with its Sunday crowds of both chefs and home cooks testifies to how DC is embracing the use of fresh, fresh produce. And that's also a Slow Food issue!! You don't say if you are in DC, but if so, join Slow Food. Well, join it wherever you live. Hope that helps. Thanks, Alexandra

Jason: sorry for a delayed response. Your questions: Can you tell me about: 1) Premium non-dairy frozen desserts that are out on the market today? Have you tried Double Rainbow Soy Cream; Soy Delicious; and Sweet Nothings? 2) Soymilk products that actually taste GOOD (coffee creamers, soy and tofu cheeses) Silk Creamers and from the West Coast, Follow Your Heart cheeses... 3) Mail order sources and catalogs for these things? Spoke with a veggie source who says that the industry has encountered problems and many companies haven't gone the mail-order route with perisables because of shipping costs of such highly perishable products. Hope that helps...

I think this rush to low-fat eating has been pushed along by the general emphasis in the media on healthier eating and weight loss. I have found that many of our readers at Vegetarian Times request low-fat recipes, but I also believe that there is now a general and gradual shift back to diets with an increased amount of fat added. Dr. Dean Ornish, for example, has pushed for diets with 10 percent or less of fat in the daily intake, but he specializes in helping heart patients. I believe the American Heart Association comes in at 25 to 30 percent of total fat daily. There's also been much attention focused on the very high-fat (and meat-based) Atkins' diet, and I think people are not regarding fat with so much fear and trepidation as before. It's really all a question of moderation, of course, and I don't think vegetarianism per se necessarily means low-fat eating. Of course, much fat is found in animal protein, so by eliminating that from the diet just naturally eliminates a percentage of fat. For vegetarians—and not for vegans—dairy products (eggs, cheese, whole milk, yogurts, etc.) are fine in moderation. All things in moderation!!

Hi Jason: The first answer is useful to know, but besides weighing tofu, you should also press it with paper towels that you can changeÑthese soak up the excess liquid and make tofu dry enough to stir-fry or sautŽ without much splattering. If you plan to store it for a few days, you should also change its water daily to keep it fresh and from souring. I often buy mine at an Asian market where it is sold loose in big tubsÑthis turns out to be less costly, and somehow, I figure this tofu is fresher. There are loads of other soy products, including of course, soy cheeses, beverages, tempeh, and faux meat productsÑbut not all take to Asian dishes readily. If using tofu for Asian cooking, try the very firm, dense baked tofuÑthis comes seasoned as BBQ, Tex-Mex, Italian (I think), Thai, and Asian. The last two are great for Asian noodle dishes or curries, as the firmness keeps it from crumbling. And baked tofu stands up to stir-frying very well. Flavored tempeh also adds crunch and texture to noodle dishes. Hope this helps. AGG

Rochelle: Beans can be a fabulous source of protein, and an exciting component to any meal, especially if you explore some of the heirloom varieties now available. They are easy to dress up, though maybe they'll never become a truly formal meal component, by garnishing them with unusual vegetable combinationsÑsauteed portobello mushrooms and julienned red and green bell peppersÑor augmenting them with kernels of farro or kamut, or shaping them into patties and sautŽing them, or finally, dreaming up some interesting combination of beans, seasoning them, and baking them into a pie. Or purŽe cooked beans and use themÑseasonedÑas a sauce over shaped pasta. If I were to add a soy product to beans, it would be as some of the seasoned soy meats rather than tofu or tempeh. Hope that helps! thanks, Alexandra

Thanks for writing in. Yes, I believe there is a growing trend, and due, in large part, to Americans' increasing interest in farm-fresh produce and in finding healthier lifestylesÑdespite the recent spurt of interest in the Atkins' diet, for example. It's interesting to find that tempting vegetarian entrees are showing up on restaurant menus more often, and that such entrees are really creative and charged with flavors. But even home cooks can get inspired when they can turn to local farmers' markets for ultra-fresh seasonal produce. That's certainly true in Washington, DC, for example, with its multiplicity of seasonal markets and gorgeous fresh fruits and vegetables. So, keep eating well!! Thanks, Alexandra

Yes, the definitions are very important, as someone who is a vegan eats no animal products whatsoever, including eggs, milk, cheese or yogurt, all of which may be included in a vegetarian diet. Vegan: someone who eats no animal products and do not use any products derived from animals. Vegetarians more broadly can include dairy products (lacto-ovo) but no meat, though some people who consider themselves vegetarians will eat some seafood, and sometimes chicken. Thanks, Alexandra

Hmmm... sounds like you are not finding exciting vegetarian offerings at your local (in Britain??) restaurants. What about going to someplace ethnic: Thai, Chinese, Indian, ItalianÑall offer fine all-veg cooking and will provide a change from mushroom risotto. I can only speak for restaurants in the DC area, but certainly there is a concerted effort to offer interesting and flavorful vegetarian dishes by several high-end restaurants. Good luck in your search, and hope that helps.

Rosie: No, hadn't noticed that, but that is not surprising as so many health-conscious folk are looking for healthier lifestyles, and restaurant chefs pay attention to that. It would make sense that a vegetarian tasting menu would cost less, because nonmeat ingredients would certainly cost less. On the other hand, preparation time and skill would count as well towards the total tab. You don't say which city you live in, so I can't recommend a restaurant. Even in DC, I don't know of any that has a preset vegetarian tasting menu, though an advance phone call might result in one for a special occasion. Restaurant Nora and Equinox are two local DC restaurants that take using fresh, organic produce very seriously. And certainly Nora's has several elegant and interesting vegetarian entrees on the menu. thanks for the question. Alexandra

Robert: Thanks for the question. I gather you live in Paris, and Vegetarian Times recently had a roundup of veggie restaurants in Paris. In the US, at least in food-conscious cities like Washington DC, chefs take the matter of eating vegetarian more and more seriously andÑas I've been toldÑare very careful about how they prepare vegetarian meals so that there is no involvement with meat products/by-products. There is also a concerted effort by many chefs to offer true vegetarian entrees that are not just a pile of steamed veggies. If you ask for an all-vegetarian dish at most restaurants, chefs really do respect your requestÑand that means no chicken stock, no fish stock. Your suggestions of Chinese, Indian and Italian restaurant destinations are good, but you can also add on Thai, Ethiopian, and Korean. Hope that helps. Thanks, Alexandra

Unlike Gourmet and Cook's Illustrated, we do focus on health issues because we think that good nutrition is an intergral part of good health. We also work with a noted nutritionist, Katherine Tallmadge (M.A., R.D.), to create our nutritional analyses for our recipes. Our editors are well informed about health and food issues, and we fact-check every article to be sure that each provides the most accurate and cutting-edge information available. We also work with advisory board members, who are experts in almost every aspect of food and nutrition. Thanks for asking!

Good question, and there are loads of outstanding vegetarian cookbooks. To list a few: Vegetarian Times' own compilation, Vegetarian Times Complete Cooking; Najmieh Batmanglij's Silk Road Cooking: A Vegetarian Journey; Lorna Sass's Recipes from an Ecological Kitchen; Dana Jacobi's Amazing Soy; Rose Elliot's The Bean Book; Ken Charney's The Bold Vegetarian Chef; Charmaine Solomon's Complete Vegetarian Cookbook; Marie Oser's More Soy Cooking; and Anna Thomas' The New Vegetarian Epicure. Hard to know where to stop! Also, check our website, Vegetariantimes.com for more ideas on books and products. Thanks