Frogleg wrote:
> I am an omnivore and frankly don't understand why a vegetarian would
> seek meat-like flavor while distaining/giving up/choosing not to eat
> meat itself.

Many years ago, before I'd become vegetarian myself, my brother-in-law
(veggie since the '70s) was visiting us. He expressed very much the
same feelings you have. Although there were very few veggie burger-type
products back then, he refused to eat the few that were available, such
as fake bacon. To him, it made no sense to seek out something that
supposedly tastes like its meat counterpart if you're vegetarian. I've
been veggie since the '80s--and I totally disagree!

I became vegetarian due to ethical issues with the
cruelty/abuse/mistreatment/slaughter of animals. I never claimed that
the TASTE of meat bothered me! I occasionally have a craving for a
'hamburger' with the works--lettuce, tomato, ketchup, bun, etc., or a
'hot dog' with relish, onions, mustard, etc. When that happens, I get
some of the Morningstar Farms 'burgers' or one of several brands of
veggie hot dogs that I like and have fun! Usually, though, I buy the
other varieties of Morningstar Farms veggie burgers; the Tomato and
Basil Pizza Burgers and the Garden Veggie Patties are my favorites.

> I once watched the preparation of a veggie-burger recipe
> on CNN that involved at least 6 separate cooking, chopping, mixing
> arrangements of perhaps 10 foods to produce a patty-shaped object that
> would (after a final cooking) fit onto a hamburger bun. Why not spend
> the same time and effort on genuinely vegetarian dishes that *don't*
> have to look/taste like meat?

Because we're not all vegetarians for the same reasons? Or because we
want to prepare a dish that our non-veggie guests will feel at home
with? During a recent visit, my mother was astonished at the tacos I
made using the 'fake ground meat' crumbles. She actually asked me if I
was still vegetarian...she thought it was real meat. And they tasted great!

BTW, personally, *I* would never spend my time preparing something like
you've described, when I can grab a package of veggie burgers from my
freezer and be eating in a few minutes!

--

"Be cool, not cruel!"
and other vegetarian items:
www.SmartAssProducts.com