Archive for November, 2008
There are hamburger style patties that don’t contain meat. These patties are made from either vegetables, nuts, legumes, mushrooms, dairy products, eggs, wheat and soy. The fame of burgers became more rampant through Burger King Restaurants. Now, you’ll find at Hungry Jack’s, Harvey’s, Subways and other chain restaurants like Denny’s, Hard Rock Café, Ruby Tuesday’s, Johnny Rockets and Red Robin. Hence, in vegetarian countries like India, even KFC and McDonald’s serve.
Veggie Burger Brands
In most grocery stores, different brands carry burger products. What most people do is try out these different brands until they find the one that suits their taste buds.
Amy’s Organic Texas Burger – Although there are various types of burgers, this is one of the most loved flavors. It has that hint of real barbecue and great texture.
Boca Burgers Roasted Onion Flavor – These burgers are flavorful and hearty. It stands out from the rest of burgers with the smell of onions and mushrooms. It is featured in organic and regular varieties.
Gardenburger Veggie Medley – This is made from vegetables and not the chewy meat substitute. It s actually lighter and it has high fiber content.
Boca Burgers Original Vegan burger – This burger has that very meaty and chewy texture. It is also low in fat as compared to other.
Morningstar Farms Grillers Prime – Many regard this as the best tasting and it is the closes to the real burger.
Isadora’s Frozen Go-Nut Burgers – These are spicy, nutty and super tasty. These are actually made in British Columbia’s Saturna Island.
Veggie Burger Recipes
Mushroom Veggie Burgers – Since mushrooms are the closest to texture and taste to meat when cooked, using mushrooms can add flavor to your patty. You can also add pinto beans to make your burger high in protein and fiber.
Ingredients for this recipe include: 1 onion (diced), 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1 clove of garlic (minced), ½ teaspoon of cumin, 3 pieces of green onions (diced), 0.75 cups of fresh mushrooms (diced), 1 teaspoon of parsley, 1 15oz. can of pinto beans, cooking oil, salt and pepper.
First, sauté the garlic and onions in olive oil for about 3-5 mins. until the onions become soft. Then, add the cumin, green onions and mushrooms. Cook this for another 5 mins. until the mushrooms are cooked. After this, set is aside.
The next step is to mash the beans using a potato masher or fork. You can also use a food processor just make sure you mash it well. Then, add the mushrooms to your beans before adding the parsley, pepper and salt. Stir everything well.
Next, shape your mixture to form patties. Afterwards, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook every patty until your turns brown and well done. This will only take 3 mins. for each side.
By: David Urmann
About the Author:
For more information on Tofu Burger and BBQ Burgers please visit our website.
Did someone mention food? It must surely be time to take a break from work and EAT! Snack time rules! This summer my dwarf cherry tree, which grows outside my writing studio, had the largest crop of cherries in its twelve-year history. By some miracle, maybe my cranky old cat, the birds didn’t get to them first. To reward myself for suffering through writing and rewriting yet another semi-poetic and polished sentence or two, I frequently get up from my desk, walk over to the tree and pick a handful of organic cherries to help fire up the next round of synapses.
That’s what got me thinking about Zach Wahle’s gardening philosophy at Edible Attractive Terrains (EAT.) Wahle, a landscape designer here in Marin County focuses solely on designing, installing, and maintaining edible gardens. “Simply put, edible landscaping is the production of food on one’s own property,” says Wahle. “What I do for my clients varies: some just have raised beds with annual organic fruits and vegetables; others are fully landscaped large properties. In the case of the later, other plants that are not edible, but often natives, are included in the design to complete a holistic system and support the food producing plants.”
Wahle studied Ecological Agriculture locally and then trained on an organic farm in Barbados and the island-nation of Dominica. He simply believes in producing food in an ecologically and socially responsible way. “I help individuals effectively meet their dietary needs and culinary interests, while manifesting their aesthetic and spatial desires in the landscape. Ranging from organic vegetable containers to cultivated mushroom beds to native food forests, my landscapes are designed for sustainable beauty while enabling my clients to consume food produced on their own property,” says Wahle.
Edible landscaping is as old as gardening itself, but with all the recent food scares and the rapidly growing demand and popularity of organic and locally grown produce, it’s back in the spotlight where it belongs! Historically, the Ancient Persian gardens, the Medieval monastic gardens and the 19th century English gardens all combined both edible and ornamental plants including berries, medicinal herbs and a plethora of assorted fruit trees. Then one day the sprawling, water guzzling, demanding lawn came along and took center stage. (If you read last month’s dirt diva article on conserving water, you know I recently FIRED the lawn! It was too high maintenance and there wasn’t enough room for another diva.)
“In the Bay Area, edible landscaping has been around for a long time,” says Wahle. “The Indigenous Americans thoroughly used the landscape to produce food for their needs-that doesn’t mean they were agriculturalists or farmers in the modern “Old Mac Donald” sense of the word, but rather they manipulated their environments within the native ecological context in order to support their communities. They created ‘food forests’.”
Instead of focusing on ornamental plants in your yard, edible landscaping uses food-producing plants in the garden design. Here fruit trees, herbs, edible flowers, herbs and ornamental plants are combined. Wahle considers much of what he does to be within the realm of permaculture, which is an approach and particular mindset used to garden and care for the land. He credits the Regenerative Design Institute, the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center and Miriam Volat, at of the New College for teaching and inspiring him in a wide variety of permaculture techniques.
Why landscape with edibles?
o To enjoy the freshness and flavor of home-grown, fully ripened fruits and vegetables.
o To eliminate pesticides and herbicides commerically used on the foods you consume.
o To increase the food security of your household.
o To grow unusual varieties not available in stores.
o To get those kids away from screens & outside interacting with the natural world!
Wahle adds, “Edible plants can often be native, and therefore more drought, disease and pest tolerant, in addition to providing preferable habitat for animals. People are becoming more aware and enthused about the importance of local economy, and now they have a chance to produce the most local food possible. Our food security is increasingly under attack from genetic engineering and seed extinction compounded by problems of a carbon dependent society.”
For small gardens or apartments, Wahle recommends wine barrels with herbs, or tiered herb and lettuce racks, which save space; potted citrus, pomegranate, fig or dwarf stone fruit trees, cherry tomato, lavender, strawberries, aloe and basil.
Wahle passionately adds, ” To me, a garden isn’t complete unless you can experience that garden with all your senses. They are beautiful to see, pleasing to hear, intriguing to touch, delightful to smell, and heavenly to taste! I believe gardens are meant to produce tasty, healthy food for our bodies and minds.”
Okay kids, it’s time for another break and back to the Cherry tree for snack time. See you next month for more lawn bashing!
By: Annie Spiegelman
About the Author:
Raised in the asphalt jungle of New York City, Annie Spiegelman moved to the Bay Area over ten years ago and became a passionate environmentalist and Master Gardener. She is the author of two previous books on gardening (and life). Annie’s Garden Journal: Some Thoughts on Roses, Life, Weeds, and Men (Carol Publishing, 1996) was a selected Borders Books title by promising new writers and her second, Growing Seasons: Half-baked Garden Tips, Cheap Advice on Marriage and Questionable Theories on Motherhood was published in 2003 by Seal Press/Avalon Publishing Group. She is presently working on her third book entitled “The Dirt Diva’s Almanac.” Visit Annie at http://www.dirtdiva.com Zach Wahle can be reached at 415.342.5857 Or visit eatgardens.com
Reading for extra credit: Creasy, Rosalind. 2000. The Edible Garden Series. Boston, MA: Tuttle Publishing. With separate volumes on salad gardens, Italian gardens, heirloom gardens, and more, this series offers a wealth of ideas.
Visit Annie at dirtdiva.com and bring your friends!
I have been to several conferences and meetings this week where there has been a discussion on genetically modified (GM) foods. With the current food shortages and rising food prices there has been a focus on whether we in Europe in order to improve yields and efficiency should grow GM crops. Whenever I try to have a balanced discussion on GM foods, I find it almost impossible and because I am a food scientist people often ask me questions such as:
What is genetically modified food?
How do we know if we have eaten it, or meat from an animal that has eaten it?
Should food be labeled so that we can make the choice if we want to eat it or not?
Is it traceable in the supply chain? How is cross-contamination between GM and non GM prevented?
Who benefits most from the GM revolution?
What information should we trust? Who should we trust?
The GM debate is as much about fear, dread and trust i.e. perception as it is about science and risk probably more so. Consumers do not like being told what to eat they want to make an active choice when faced with these difficult questions. Tolstoy once said that “True science investigates and brings to human perception such truths and such knowledge as the people of a given time and society consider most important.” I believe he is right. So what do we as consumers consider is important with regard to food either individually or collectively – price, value, flavor, method of production?
By: Louise Manning
About the Author:
Different types of bakery equipment are required for starting a bakery. Buying the correct equipment for any business is important, and it is even more critical in the bakery trade. There are some points to remember when buying new bakery equipment.
It is essential that the equipment that you plan to buy be well supported by the manufacturer; without the equipment, you will regrettably one day be out of business. Always make sure that the companies you intend to buy the bakery equipment from have a 24-hour service and that you are covered during the after hours under your warranty period (typically about 12 months) so that you can turn to them in times of emergencies. In this way, you needn’t be tied up during times of unexpected repairs. Companies that don’t offer parts and 24-hour labor during the warranty period are usually far, far cheaper, as the night labor is the most expensive. There are also companies that save you thousands by offering breakdown loan equipment to customers. In other words, if your equipment has to undergo some major repairs, the company gives you a temporary replacement.
Remember that a good product is never the cheapest, and that the most expensive is never the best. Always compare the prices of well-known brands before buying any equipment. There may be some great exhibitions worth a visit when buying bakery equipment. There are usually some specials and discounts at these exhibitions that can be taken advantage of. It is always better to take the information from your existing equipment, including its age, condition and make, along with you when attending exhibitions; some brands are greatly sought after by second-hand dealers.
By: Eddie Tobey
About the Author:
Bakery provides detailed information about bakery, bakery equipment, bakery for sale, bakery management and more. Bakery is the sister site of Wine Picnic Baskets [http://www.e-WineBaskets.com].