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How does the fact that Indian cooking in homes is largely vegetarian affect the restaurants serving Indian food? What effect does it have on the sales in a restaurant? Do people go to them primarily to eat meats and sate their cravings thereof? Any thoughts?

I was raised vegetarian, although we (my siblings and I) were never forced to be vegetarian. My siblings are not, I am. I suppose it just didn't take. Now, as I get more and more interested in cooking, I feel limited by being a vegetarian. However, I can only conjecture about the limitations. There are probably obvious limitations associated with ingredients and cooking techniques (can't quite marinate and slowly cook zucchini for three days like you could lamb!) but what else am I missing? Recently, I was agonizing over a tomato curry spiced with cumin, ajwain and ginger and thought, as I was sniffing it to decide what to add next - ah! a piece of pork would be perfect and then I wondered where did that thought even came from? And that led to a bunch of other questions .... So here's two: 1. Is this true? Is this just a half life? Or am I just losing my mind? 2. Has anyone ever gone from being a vegetarian to a non-vegetarian? How did you start?

Texas Caviar The original Texas Caviar recipe that I was introduced to was in the Pace Picante cookbook, sadly not available anymore. I have changed it quite a bit to our taste but the basics are there. Consider this a starting point as the variations are endless. Friends endlessly request that I bring this to our gatherings. There is some added advantage that it is healthy and even appeals to the odd vegetarian. 1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed 1 can white hominy, drained and rinsed 4 green onions thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves minced 1/2 c chopped onion, preferably white, rinsed after chopping 1/2 c chopped celery 1/4 c chopped parsley 1 c Pace picante sauce or more to taste 1 T cider vinegar or more to taste Salt to taste Mix all together and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Serve with saltine crackers or tortilla chips. Variations: Consider this a starting point and vary the ingredients to suit you. I don’t think I have ever made it the same way twice. The original recipe called for chopped green pepper instead of celery. I like celery better. The original recipe called for chopped cilantro instead of parsley. I find the cilantro too strong. But then, I am not a cilantro fan. You might try adding a little. You can use any combination of canned beans and hominy. Or, no hominy. If you use more than 2 cans, adjust the other ingredients accordingly or vary quantities according to your taste. This recipe is infinitely expandable to match the size of the crowd. Garbanzos are particularly good and black beans add a nice color contrast. I particularly like to use Goya brand canned beans. You can find them in any Hispanic market or maybe in the “ethnic” department of a large grocery. They are preferred because they are perfectly cooked and not mushy. Heat it up with a little cayenne or Tabasco sauce. The new flavors of Tabasco like Chipotle or Garlic add a nice flavor note. Of course, there are now many flavors of Pace Picante to choose from and a gazillion other brands. Add fresh chopped jalapeno or other chiles. Add fresh chopped red or yellow bell peppers. Adds nice color and is not as strong as green pepper. Diced jicama adds a nice crunch. Keywords: Appetizer, Vegetarian, Easy, Beans, Snack ( RG788 )

Texas Caviar The original Texas Caviar recipe that I was introduced to was in the Pace Picante cookbook, sadly not available anymore. I have changed it quite a bit to our taste but the basics are there. Consider this a starting point as the variations are endless. Friends endlessly request that I bring this to our gatherings. There is some added advantage that it is healthy and even appeals to the odd vegetarian. 1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed 1 can white hominy, drained and rinsed 4 green onions thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves minced 1/2 c chopped onion, preferably white, rinsed after chopping 1/2 c chopped celery 1/4 c chopped parsley 1 c Pace picante sauce or more to taste 1 T cider vinegar or more to taste Salt to taste Mix all together and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Serve with saltine crackers or tortilla chips. Variations: Consider this a starting point and vary the ingredients to suit you. I don’t think I have ever made it the same way twice. The original recipe called for chopped green pepper instead of celery. I like celery better. The original recipe called for chopped cilantro instead of parsley. I find the cilantro too strong. But then, I am not a cilantro fan. You might try adding a little. You can use any combination of canned beans and hominy. Or, no hominy. If you use more than 2 cans, adjust the other ingredients accordingly or vary quantities according to your taste. This recipe is infinitely expandable to match the size of the crowd. Garbanzos are particularly good and black beans add a nice color contrast. I particularly like to use Goya brand canned beans. You can find them in any Hispanic market or maybe in the “ethnic” department of a large grocery. They are preferred because they are perfectly cooked and not mushy. Heat it up with a little cayenne or Tabasco sauce. The new flavors of Tabasco like Chipotle or Garlic add a nice flavor note. Of course, there are now many flavors of Pace Picante to choose from and a gazillion other brands. Add fresh chopped jalapeno or other chiles. Add fresh chopped red or yellow bell peppers. Adds nice color and is not as strong as green pepper. Diced jicama adds a nice crunch. Keywords: Appetizer, Vegetarian, Easy, Beans, Snack ( RG788 )