Vegetarians/Vegans in electro!

[bbinkovitz]

i heard something about a disappointing vegan selection at this years EM? and apparently an effort has been spearheaded by saintshe to remedy this at '08.

herbivores represent!

[Wout Blommers]

Maybe these people can be invited?
http://www.gemueseorchester.org/
Don't forget to watch the video.

Or these, totaly vega musicians..
http://www.earthear.com/catalog/thaielephant.html

Wout
(the subject just reminded me of these projects)

[mosc]

Yes, we were pretty disappointed in our catering service in the vegetarian food department. But, we learn as we go. I'm sure next year the veggie food will be much better. Justice prevailed because SaintShe won that beautiful quilt that Robin made especially for the electro-music 2007 event.

[saintshe]

[mosc]

Next time you see him, Vytear, please try to convince him to post his gigs here so we can know when and where he's playing. The best place is under News -> Concerts and Festivals

[bbinkovitz]

[Yorky]

I learn something every day.
I know know that what you eat controls the music you make.

[Scott Stites]

I've been eating a lot of ham lately.........

[bbinkovitz]

[Kassen]

So, if I eat enough meat that will keep me from sounding like Moby?

[bbinkovitz]

[deknow]

...anyone with limitations on what they can eat (for health, religious, philisophical, financial, allergic, or other reasons) can deal with this by bringing ones own food...that way there is food around, no matter where you are. ramona almost always carries a "food bag" with her, as she is on the road a lot.

i didn't sign up for the catering in either of the last 2 years...mostly because there were 2 of us, and $120 is significant compared to what raw, unpackaged food costs at the store (i would have made a differant choice if there was a minimum number of meals that needed to be sold, and things were falling short). i don't remember what the description of the catered food was, and if vegitarian/vegan was options were claimed, then one would hope that they would be reasonable....but i think it's pretty predictable that this kind of catering will not offer the best of veg food.

in any case, it seems like there will be a "crockpot" option for next year (we should have tshirts that say "electro-music crockpot crackpots" or something), which is great. ramona and i did this the last 2 years, making "electro-stew".....perhaps it should be called "disco-stew"

i've actually done a lot of cooking in hotel rooms (i once set off the smoke detector in a seattle hotel room frying up trout that i caught with a portable fishing rod), and have thought this would make a good book or cable access show...as there are all kinds of reasons for wanting one's own homecooked food while on the road.

i've found this as essential:
this

...this is quite differant from most crockpots on the market, as it is also a rice cooker, and a steamer (which, when used creatively, allows one to cook at a hotter temperature than a conventional crockpot). although i would rather not have the teflon lining, this unit will not get hot enough to cause problems (but care must be taken to not use metal utensiles that can scratch it).

the real beauty is that it can be carried easiliy (it has a locking lid with a handle), and therefore doesn't spill even when full in the car.

in any case, at some point we should start a thread on this...as i know several people have plans to participate in a crockpot potluck...as kassan has pointed out, there is a trend of musicians likeing to cook.

we do have several other crockpots, and hopefully will have room in the car next year to bring them all for those that are flying in and want to participate.

deknow

[bbinkovitz]

[deknow]

...just fyi, for less fancy crockpots, thrift stores are a great source. imho, look for those that have removable ceramic liners.

i have a large collection of plug in cooking appliances...crockpots, electric skillets (we have more of these then we need...if anyone wants one, come by and pick one up), small ovens, pressure cookers, and a ronco rotisserie cooker (makes the best chicken...better than the grill).

deknow

[Kassen]

[Kassen]

[v-un-v]

I have to confess that recently I succumbed to the bacon sandwiches again. After a very long stint of being both vegan and vegetarian (but not both at the same time- of course!), both Rosie and I decided that we didn't really believe in it any more. Anyway, both of our daughters are rampant carnivores!!

So I'm sorry 'bout that folks!

[deknow]

crockpots are great (also called "slow cookers").

they cook with about the heat of a lightbulb, and are designed for unattended cooking for 4-8+ hours. great for stews and such....just load in all the ingredients and turn it on...i wouldn't feel safe leaving any other kind of cooking unattended. it's nice to come home and have it smell like one has been cooking all day.

lentles are by far the best when cooked in this way (soft, but still having some texture and shape). as long as there is enough liquid, the worst that can happen is a little overflow. generally they have a ceramic inner pot, and a glass lid (the lid keeps the heat in, so it's good to be able to see inside without opening it).

suprisingly, cooking with a crockpot is similar to cooking with a pressure cooker (even though they are almost exact opposites).

we bought several from thrift stores when we were doing a benefit concert for the victims of the first bombing in bali. sometimes when we are having a party, we will make 3-4 dishes in them, as it's much less labor intensive than stovetop cooking...throw the stuff in and forget it.

for cooking on the road, i usually use some sausage...as one can get sausage that is very nicely seasoned...throw in a can of tomatoes, some potatoes, onion, and whatever else is handy, and there is no need to carry spices with you. if you can refridgerate the contents, it's good for a few days, and generally, the texture changes over time, so it doesn't seem so much like eating the same thing for lunch and dinner for 3 days.

the krups cooker that i recomended has some other features, but is about $80, whereas you can ususally find a standard one at a thrift store for about $5-10.

re: pressure cookers
i do most of my pressure cooking in an antique 16quart national...i really want a bigger one...one of the really nice ones that don't use a gasket at all.

i also have one of these:
this

...which is nice because one doesn't have to think about burner temperature, as it's thermostatically controlled, and has a timer (that starts counting down when it reaches pressure). i bought this at a thrift store, and felt like i was overpaying at $20....until i got it home and looked up what they sell for new.

that said, there is newer technology in pressure cookers that use spring controlled vents (rather than weights) that are, i think, superiour...but they are not cheap, and the old style is available at thrift stores (make sure you can still get gaskets for them).

...just in case anyone had the impression that "gearhead" only applies to music gear

deknow

[v-un-v]

fwiw, I had rice and lentils for dinner this evening

[Kassen]

[EdisonRex]

[v-un-v]

[v-un-v]

PS- I prefer to save the red wine for drinking!!

[deknow]

hmmm, i don't cook _without_ vinigar (i've been known to eat mustard with a spoon). there are some dangers with cooking beans (or with oil) in pressure cookers (they can foam and clog the vent), but i keep a close eye on the pressure cooker, and just take this as a warning.

i've never had a problem with vinigar in a crockpot or pressure cooker.

deknow

[deknow]

...also, for some reason, crock pots seem to do a great job when using rosemary.

deknow