Could you go vegetarian?

I couldn't coz I love meat too much, and am aware of the slaughter process etc, and have seen it, so know how where etc meat comes from.
On the other hand I was thinking of all the non meat meals I really enjoy, for starters (literally) Onion Bhajis, Samosas, Spring Rolls, Falaffel, Soups (Tomato, Mushroom, Carrot and Corriander etc), Garlic Mushrooms et al.

Mains, Veg curries, stir fries, Pizzas etc. My favourite being Melanzone Parmigiana.
At home I quite often use Quorn Mince instead of real mince, and also like other Quorn dishes. A favourite being the Quorn lemon Pepper Escalopes from the Asda.

Oh and Linda Mcartney Sausages. They look like Dog Turds but taste lovely.

I've covered the main food types, British, Curries, Chinese and Pizzas.

Still couldn't go Veggie but am happy to eat the odd meat free meal.

What's everyone's opinions. Could last a while til the new Football season starts.

I didn't eat meat from the age of 14 until the last couple of years and I don't eat much of it now. I was veggie for quite a few years but then started eating fish again.

Always amused me when people asked me 'what do you eat then?' people still ask that now ffs. I just replied 'everything else'.

Really thought people with that limited a knowledge of food died with the ark. I am absolutely not a culinary genius and can't say I enjoy cooking but it's not exactly difficult to create a meal that doesn't include meat (or fish).

I would really struggle cos I love meat. At a push I could reduce down to fish, but it would be hard to do without bacon, black pud, beef casserole, sausages etc.

I saw a map of the world coloured in where people are predominantly vegetarian, and a massive part of India is. Definitely wouldn't want to live there.

I could go vegetarian but it would need some really hot vegetarian cooks to cement the movement.

No but I'd like to become a vegan, like Spock.

I think I ought to go vegetarian for various good reasons (animal welfare etc etc) but I don't for all the usual reasons (moral turpitude etc etc). I do love vegetarian dishes, though, and usually have one of them if I'm cooking just for myself.

I wouldn't mind skipping pork, beef, lamb at all, but would miss chicken and bacon.

Don't think I could go full veggie but I do enjoy meat free dishes. I only ever really eat Chicken and very rarely have red meat or pork. I agree about the Linda McCartney sausages though, look like an actual dog shit but taste really nice.

As I've said before, I was a veggie for years, for moral reasons. I loved meat, but could no longer justify eating it. I agree with shilts, you have to be pretty incapable to not be able to make good meat free meals.

I did notice, after a couple of years of being veggie, that I started to appreciate much subtler flavours than before. Meat has such a strong taste that it overpowers nearly everything else on the plate. When I started eating meat again, it was only a little at a time, and I remember when the mother in law decided to put some bacon in tomato soup; I couldn't eat it as the bacon overpowered it and I didn't enjoy it.

Bacon should overpower tomato soup. That is the natural order of things and putting the king of sandwich fillings into the soup was an unforgivable error. What next? Cabbage and fish fingers?

The other thing is that I'm not at all convinced that you get any Linda McCartney in those sausages. She died ages ago so even if they used her sparingly they'd have run out before now. I reckon they've used some John Lennon and George Harrison as well.

I now do a pasta sauce with bacon in it; the bacon and tomato works well, so I can see what she's doing there. It's nowt like cabbage and fish fingers (but I bet some pony restaurant somewhere has that on the menu).

Cooking them together in a sauce is one thing, floating traditional breakfast meats in soup is another entirely. Culinary madness.

Does anyone actually still eat/drink soup?

Isnt that something from the 1970's?

Similar question about yoghurts. Does anyone actually eat them, or ever fancy eating them, and whats the point?

I enjoy soup every now and then, leek and potato homemade soup especially. Yoghurt is part of my diet, had a protein yoghurt this morning and it was delicious.

I just dont get the soup thing. And how can anyone be arsed to spend time making home made stuff?

There is always soup on menus at restaurants, but only as a starter. I am away 2-3 night s a week in hotels now, and I have not seen anyone anywhere pick the soup, over any other choice.

And as for yoghurts. Seriously? The last time I had one, it was like having a taster of something. A sample. Just couldnt see the point.

Food is meant to fill you up innit?

And there speaks the fatty! There's so much cultural and social activity associated with food that can't be ignored. Are you called Gordon, by any chance?

Once again, I have to ask you, what are you talking about?

There are no bads food. Everything in moderation.

I can only assume that soup eaters/drinkers are desperately trying to be healthy, but not really understanding what being healthy means.

It always seems to me that those always trying to eat the healthy optionsat luch time,nearly always look as miserable as fuck. Like those you running miles every night. They never look happy. Yes they are fit, but look at how much they suffer to be fit.

I always have a salad with my kebab. Its 3 of my 5 a day.

Get the balance right.

Er, now you're contradicting yourself. Is food there to fill you up? Or is it something to be enjoyed, even if it doesn't fill you up?

Me, contradicting myself? Never.

Well yes, food is meant to fill you up, satisfy your hunger.

If you werent hungry to start with you wouldnt eat would you?

I am not hungry at the moment, so is now the perfect time to have some soup?

We eat plenty of yoghurts in our house like, I dare say they are the only thing that gets bought every single week, without fail. The bairn eats plenty too, instead of ice cream or chocolate cake.

Good to know a cultured Poolie.

I like soup and I like making it, lots of different sorts. It takes a while to produce the stock admittedly, but that just means you've to simmer the bones, or whatever, for a couple of hours. You don't have to stand and watch the pan while this is going on.

Also, I make bread to go with it. It's one of our favourite meals. And very filling.
I agree about restaurant soup though, which is usually pretty bizarre, usually
summat weirdly boring like carrot and coriander.

Where do you find the time?

But it doesn't take much time at all. You put the shank in and it simmers itself. Then you simply chop a few vegetables and pop em in.

Then the bread, after you've pounded the dough a bit, it too looks after itself until it's time to put in the oven. I'm not saying I do this most days, like. Sometimes it tinned beans

It all seems so much like hard work, for soup.

I would rather have a cheese sarnie.

Have you tried spiced parsnip?, went down well in the cafe de butt.

Spiced parsnip soup is one I've never tried. What else is in it other than parsnips and spice?

Parsnips are in it, Isnt that enough for you to say No Thanks?

Stock, parsnips, tikka curry paste( enough to give a back note) the parsnip goes quite thick when you puree it, loosen it with warm semi skimmed or more stock. Walnut bread goes well with it or at xmas, a warm cranberry compote at the bottom of a dish and ladle soup over it.

And Onions

"loosen it with warm semi skimmed"

And where did you get that from Mr Butt? Please accompany me to the station.

No wonder Winnie the pooh gets pissed off, one shart and branded for life, I wonder if admin can change my name by deed poll to Milkman(nee monkeybutt)!

Thanks but no, although that reminds me of....no fecking way am i sharing innocent stories again!

Mr Innocent, stop Milking it........ D'oh!