Many people today strive to be healthy by turning to the option of vegetarian cooking. It has been suggested that many of the proteins and amino acids we ingest every time we eat meat are not necessary, and can even be harmful to our overall health.
There is no universal agreement about which foods from the plant kingdom (and which cooking methods) are most suitable for a vegetarian to consume. There are some who have allergies and cannot eat meat products. They have little or no choice other than to follow a prescribed diet based upon vegetarian cooking to ensure their good health.
Others will opt for a lifestyle which includes a meat-free menu for other reasons which all have their own merits. These may include religious principles, and other ethical or philosophical judgements and opinions. There is a growing number who would argue that it is morally indefensible to raise farm stock for the express purpose of killing them in order to eat the meat thus provided. Taken to the logical extreme, some of this group would refer to themselves as Vegan rather than Vegetarian.
Belief in the tenet that all life is sacred is central to certain religions, the best example being Buddhism. It is therefore no surprise to discover that Vegetarianism is a natural part of their day-to-day life pattern.
We can enjoy many vegetables as soon as they have been dug up, or cut down. These are generally defined as salad vegetables, and usually need nothing more than the soil washed away, sometimes followed by peeling off a thin outer layer.
Vegetables with a more solid consistency, such as potatoes and other root vegetables, cannot be enjoyed in a raw state and must therefore be cooked. Stewed, steamed and baked recipes are the most popular: a purist might not wish to fry or roast vegetables as there is a possibility that the oil used for this method of cooking could potentially come at least in part from animal sources.
With this in mind, it can be stated with confidence that the chapter which helps the cook to select the best from a wide range of special sauces to pour over the meal is arguably the most significant section of any Vegetarian Cooking handbook.
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