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After many years of thinking about it, I have started a discussion group with five members. To get this group off the ground, I enticed the group members over with dinner. I asked the seemingly innocuous question, "Does anyone have any dietary concerns?" Well, crap. There's a vegetarian. No meat, no fish. There's one with acid reflux. Nothing spicy, no tomatoes, no citrus. There's one that just plain skeeves at mayo and something I don't remember. There's one person, bless her heart, who hasn't voiced a need. My first dinner began with olives, dried apricots, almonds and white wine. We had lemon sole, spanikopita, Moroccan spicy carrots and more white wine. Dessert was chocolate mousse with whipped cream and espresso. Everyone loved it, although no one touched the apps. It set me back $200. We are about to meet again, and I need to serve some sort of dinner at the ungodly hour of 6:30, since that was decided the best time to meet. That gives me almost no time for food prep after work. I've already decided on brownies with cherry sauce for dessert. I've already decided on red wine, since I have three bottles on hand. During a freak out last night at Costco, I got mashed avocados, a huge bag of multigrain chips, hummus and a hunk of cheese. I'm thinking I'll do a nice guacamole with chips/hummus with chips to start. That leaves the middle thing. Since I'm planning on us being able to graze, to eat sitting on the couch, etc., I want food that can move comfortably. I'm thinking a casserole of some sort -- maybe wild rice, broccoli, cauliflower and cheese. Does anyone have any ideas for that casserole thing or a substitute? Does anyone have any ideas for how to deal with this challenge? I'd like to offer food and drink and make it nice and homey, but I can't do this time-wise and money-wise. I was going to do pizza, but then my acid reflux person reminded me about the tomatoes. Argh. Help.

Hi, a friend needs help with a Seder Recipe, any clue what shes looking for here? Later she added Any help is appreciated... TYVM

Hi All, We are having three friends over for dinner on Saturday. We have some food restrictions in the group and right now I'm feeling a little uninspired on what to make. I'm hoping some egulleters will help with that. We have some food restrictions to worry about. Friend A - vegetarian, but will eat fish and most shellfish Friend B - meat eater, but is allergic to fish. Which puts us to shellfish or a vegetarian meal maybe pasta. Except... Friend C - is lactose intolerant, sugar free, and moderately gluten free (could eat pasta, bread, but not in large quantities). She will eat meat (restrictions there also), but it's a non-issue since I have a vegetarian in the group. I would rather not make a whole lot of different dishes. Generally, we are up for the challenge, but like I said I'm just not feeling it right now. Pre-Dinner Appetizers - I'm thinking: - shrimp cocktail - roasted eggplant and red pepper dip (will buy some gluten free bread/crackers) - cheese plate with some fruit Dinner - Roasted Tomato Soup - Salad - winter salad of fennel/citrus/watercress Dessert - poached pears I haven't really gotten much into the entree. Does anyone have any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

I have been on a sformato binge lately. I have done all the usual, like artichoke, asparagus, fennel, carrot, cardoon, red pepper, spinach etc. but on Christmas Eve we are invited to go to some friend's house and I must bring something vegetarian along for a pot-luck dinner so I am looking around for some unusual combinations. If you come up with something really interesting and I will make it, photograph it and post it here... (If you don't already know: a sformato is basically just a savory flan)

Good evening! I have a couple of questions for everyone regarding their cookbook collections. What are the hidden treasures and all stars in your collection? The hidden treasures are the small books nobody has ever heard about, but are simply amazing. All stars are the favorites and game changers that have opened your eyes to new possibilities. For Me Hidden Treasure: Three Bowls: Its an interesting book written at a Zen Buddhist monastery. The recipes are an eclectic mix of Japanese and American cuisines. It also has stories and lessons about Zen Buddhism and their philosophy on food. All Stars Any book by Denis Cotter of Cafe Paradiso. My wife and I came across Cafe Paradiso by happy accident during a bike trip through Ireland. Denis Cotter shows that vegetarian food does not have to be ruffage and boring. His recipes are sophisticated with layers of flavor and complexity. I always cook from these books when we have company over and always get rave reviews. King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking. This is the book that opened my eyes to the possibilities of using variety grains when I bake. For example, I use a small amount of oat flour whenever I make cookies, scones, and cakes. What is on your list? Dan

So a few friends and I were sitting around last night and we got to talking about how we all want to expand our cooking horizons. I suggested we take a map, point randomly to country, and then we would each cook a meal based on the local cusine of the country we picked. We pulled out two relatively easy counties, Russia and New Zealand. But we also got The Maldives, and Zambia. I happily got Zambia, as I was hoping for something unquie like that. After much searching, I really couldn't find much on Zambian cuisine. I will do Nshima, which is a really thick (basically dough) maize flour porridge used for picking up and dipping in food. (It also seems to be the un-offical national dish). With the Nshima, I was to do a vegetarian and meat based stew/sauce (which they call Ndiwo). I found a recipe for Ifishashi which is basically greens in peanut sauce. But I am having troubles finding something very 'Zambian' or atleast central african that is a meat based dish. I don't have a huge preference to what the meat is: beef, chicken, goat, lamb. I would rather not do fish, as red meats are a bit more forgiving when cooking. If anyone can help me with some recipes and ideas it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Here's a picture of Nshima in the top right, and a few different relishes/stews that would be traditionally be served. Thanks to Wikipedia!

A close friend's daughter just went vegetarian on them. My friend is kind of at her wits end, trying to think of meals for her as well as the rest of the family. She's a great home cook, but her family isn't very adventerous. The daugher is interested in tofu, and my friend has never prepared it before. I gave her some ideas, but I'm seeing them again, Thursday, and would like to have some more recipes and ideas. Can you guys give me your favorite, family friendly tofu recipes? Stuff that's not too complicated, that might appeal to kids, and meat/starch types?

We are having dinner at a friend's house and are cooking "together" The men decided on the menu and chose fondue. We are providing the cheese and dessert. They are providing the dippers and appetizer/salad. Here's the problem. The husband does not drink any alcohol due to past issues. I didn't think about that when they decided on fondue, thinking in my mind I would do a classic Emmenthaler/Gruyere one. Can I substitute some other liquid for the wine? Is there another way to go? edited to add the wife is a vegetarian.

In my city's Chinatown, a couple of restaurants serve what they call BBC. It's broad beans (or soy beans), bean curd and pickles/chutney. It's quite salty but is delicious! I think it's vegetarian and has no meat. Is anyone familiar with how to prepare this dish or its history? It's one of my favourites!

I think we'll be having another couple over for board games this week. Having recollected the Top Chef poker players episode, I'm thinking about finger food. There are some dietary restrictions (kinda veggie with some liberality). I'm thinking about soup and a variety of sammies. Any suggestions for vegetarian finger sandwiches? TIA

Okara or soy pulp is a white or yellowish pulp consisting of insoluble parts of the soybean which remain in the filter sack when pureed soybeans are filtered in the production of soy milk. It is part of the traditional cuisines of Japan, Korea, and China, and since the 20th century has also been used in the vegetarian cuisines of Western nations. Okara is low in fat, high in fiber, and also contains protein, calcium, iron, and riboflavin. It contains 76 to 80% moisture, 20 to 24% solids and 3.5 to 4.0% protein. On a dry weight basis okara contains 24% protein, 8 to 15% fats,and 12 to 14.5% crude fiber. It contains 17% of the protein from the original soybeans.

I'm making a cheesy baked pasta dish for a potluck dinner on Thursday. I'm basing the recipe on one from Giada which mixes ziti with marinara and ricotta, and is topped with mozzarella. I'm leaving out the meatballs in her recipe and serving Italian sausage on the side, in consideration of the vegetarians in the group. My plan is to assemble the dish on Wednesday and refrigerate it until it's time to bake it on Thursday. This type of dish should hold ok in the fridge until it's time to bake, shouldn't it? Any recommendations for other similar recipes to look at would be appreciated, too.

Today's NY Times Food Section has a good article about a new magazine out of San Francisco called Meatpaper, which evidently has some vegetarians all agog. It's here. Seems as if some vegetarians are even reverting back to meat - the two founders of Meatpaper, Sasha Wizansky and Amy Standen, are converts. Sounds good to me - but I'm already an omnivore . Now- who else in gonna take that first bite of bacon???

After getting some responses, I realize that I posed the question poorly (many people criticized the menu for being too heavy and cheesy - I believe it's justifiable because 3-5 omnivores are accomodating one vegetarian and the vegetarian is not an anorexic slip of a person) and wish I could re-write the title lines. I am hosting a dinner party for one ovo-lacto vegetarian and three or five onnivores. Does anyone have any really tasty vegetarian (ovo-lacto OK) dishes?

The title says it all really. I need help planning and suggestions for my birthday feast on 12th Jan. Its a number ending in zero. The fixed parameters are two geese and 14 people, two of whom are vegetarians. We will be eating in the (large) kitchen. I am going to cook my goose, 9 ways Thoughts so far: Nibbles and starters: Goose crisp (HB had this on his Perfect Christmas, with the throwaway line "made like a prawn cracker". I know how to make a prawn crackers, but I guess with some goose part or Foie instead of prawn) ( 1) Crisped goose skin ( 2) Finley sliced smoked goose, cornichon (3) Foie gras on sourdough toast (4) (something for the veggies: nuts, olives etc) (maybe a caviar service (with grey goose vodka), or oysters) Soup Black goose soup (consomme style with goose etc garnishes) (5) Cream of artichoke (for the veggies) Pirogi (?) (Inspired by the thread here, with goose gribines/potato, plain potato or saurkraut for veggies) (6) Main My original idea was to fairly plainly roast one goose, and process the other. That way I can present the whole roast goose, but carve the breasts from both Also some shredded confit from the legs of the second goose, and a slice of stuffed neck (7,8.9) However logistics suggest instead boning and making one into a ballotine, with the breast of both, and presenting and carving that instead. Not sure what to do with confit in this mode Accompaniments Red cabbage Apple sauce Servietten Knodel Chestnuts (custard?) Roast things: potatoes, parsnips, sprouts, shallots, garlic Veggies can have the vegetables, and the chestnut custard... Puds Something light and probably with citrus. Buttered oranges? Desert Cheese (Vacherin?) Chocolates and mints Fruit Coffee I wondered about gooseneck barnacles, or gooseberries, but they are out of season and too much...

I went through my first hurdle in understanding the various types of Roti(Bread served Indian food. The Indian vegetarian is very healthy and the range of bean products is abundance. Now I would like to understand some of the popular dishes that goes well with the following roti: Chapati/Dosa(Thosai)/Puram Poli/Roomali roti/Pakora Pakoda/Naan/Poori/Bhatura. Let me know if I miss out any? Namaste

Hi gang, After this last round of buying canned baked beans, I've decided to make my own. Having read numerous treatises on how to cook beans, and having done so a couple of times with garbanzos, I think I've got the general cooking process down pretty well. However, it would be great to get some flavoring ideas, and cooking techniques specific to making vegetarian baked beans, especially for making a nice, thick, flavorful sauce. I'd also like to eliminate, or reduce as much as possible, the amount of sugar in the final dish. Which beans may best lend themselves to such a dish? Any thoughts or proven techniques for making some nice, rich, flavorful vegetarian baked beans? shel

I'm having a small dinner party for an ovo-lacto vegetarian next weekend. I like leek and potato soup and, it being winter and all that, was planning to make it. Before I get a lot of flack for using a commercial stock, the guests are definitely not foodies. When we went to their house, she served a veggie stew that tasted like barely salted water with some sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, and collard greens in it. Bleeach!!! Anyway, I was going to sweat some leek and garlic in a little butter. Then add some boxed vegetable stock and some cubed russets. Cook for 45 minutes or so. Season, puree and finish with some half and half. I would ordinarily do the same with chicken stock. Will it be OK with veggie stock or would you do something else (maybe a tomato soup with good canned tomatoes?). I was thinking about garnishing with a crostini topped with blue cheese? I was also considering crispy fried shallots. Any other thoughts for garnish?

I just got back from a cookery class tonight featuring vegetarian dishes. The first course was a "Moroccan vegetarian soup" that featured pumpkin, carrots, zucchini and asparagus along with other ingredients that I consider more universal: onion, garlic, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper. The garnish was basil. It was good, but I was surprised at its billing as "Moroccan". When I asked the teacher what made this a Moroccan dish, he said that pumpkins are in common use around the Mediterranean, and that he was doing a riff on a Moroccan Pumpkin soup he'd gotten from somewhere. Really? Pumpkins and other winter squash are a New World food. I know foods have migrated both ways across the waters, so pumpkins may have migrated to North Africa - but I've never heard about it before. Are pumpkins in common use in Morocco now? Would a soup featuring pumpkin, asparagus, carrots and zucchini be a likely find over there? If so, what spices would one expect to find in that soup? ObTranslationCheck: he was quite definitely using puree of what we Yanks call pumpkin - you know, the big orange things that get turned into Jack O'Lanterns or, if sweeter, pies.

http://www.tca.uwa.edu.au/disembodied/dis.html Scientists in Australia have created a ‘semi-living’ food. This project uses a tissue engineering technique to grow cells from living animals into bodyless animal parts. I can’t see vegetarians or meat-eaters wanting to chow down on this non-animal entree. "This technique makes it possible to grow meat without victimizing animals. However, it is still unclear how this meat can be presented in an attractive and appetizing way. "

Well, looks like we'll finally be making a trip to the UK, around May. (We've been talking about it for quite awhile.) On the itinerary is England, Scotland and Wales. I'm vegan - my husband is omnivore (where we agree is that we're both extremely adventurous when it comes to the ethnicity of a meal...anything's open for exploration - from Indian, to Iranian, and anywhere in between. And we're indifferent to whether it's street food or restaurant-based...it's the taste that matters.) Of course, we're also very interested in meal options local to England, Scotland and Wales, specifically. Wanted to ask for recommendations of the best local dishes to try - and the best places to go (preferably nothing that could just as easily be found in NYC, where we're from.) I know I'm probably asking for alot, but I'd love any suggestions/input as to what to look for and where to go. I doubt we'll be able to get back anytime soon, so we really want to make the most of it, with the trip and the meals! Thanks in advance, --Janet (GG)

Hello there everyone! I'm trying to find a vegetarian restaurant in Manhattan. It's for a first date, so I'm trying to make a good impression. Any suggestions are much much much appreciated! Thanks!

I bought them at my local asian grocer and have no idea what to do with them. I'm looking for a great recipe thats vegetarian or uses pork, since pork is the only meat I have on hand (nothing wrong with that, right? ). thanks in advance *ahem* something along the lines of the fried tofu puff dish in post number 6 here

Does anyone have a source for vegan Soba noodles. I haven't been able to find any without egg. Thanks,

I tried a new restaurant in New Haven this weekend, called Ahimsa, which purports to be vegan (it is), raw (it sometimes is), and kosher (it always is). As a food professional, my blinders are off when it comes to great food, whatever it is and however it's prepared. But what is the general feeling on holding up vegan restaurants to the same standards as non-vegan restaurants? Can a vegan establishment be GREAT by non-vegan standards? Or can it just be compared to other vegan restaurants? Lost in translation. BC