I would hazard a guess that "cheese substitutes" are probably marketed to people recently diagnosed with lactose intolerance and are having a hard time giving up cheese, so are desperate! Dairy does not agree with me very well, (nor my father so this is probably a genetic inheritance) so I briefly experimented with some cheese substitutes, because I just LOVE, LOVE cheese! Well, they were a complete waste. I have however, found that soy milk is a fine substitute for regular milk for most of my uses, and since I was never a milk fan anyway, I don't miss it. There are whole cuisines that are very shy on milk and cheese and the beef that goes along with a cow-centered agriculture. Japan and India spring to mind . . . and India has close to a billion people. They don't think soy and other legume products are weird or a sign of deprivation, they have been part of their culture for hundreds and hundreds of years. And in Japan, their repertoire of fish and sea vegetables is vastly greater than what we would be used to eating. So anyway, I think the whole "substitute" nomenclature comes from trying to reach people who for various health reasons have to cut out the foods they are accustomed to and like. I don't think this is a totally bad idea, some substitutes are good and who knows what some people will like or not. But I think it also helps to embrace a totally different style of eating, and to explore different types of dishes you may have never been exposed to but find out you like. It's always better in my experience to embrace something new and joyful than to try and deprive yourself. I have a friend who had to change his circle of friends and take up jogging to quit smoking, but that was easier for him than to tell himself he had to give up cigarettes. Whenever he had a craving for a smoke he took a run! I know lots of people who have experimented with veganism (I work at a college and that is a time when young people try out new things since they start living on their own). If you just get a notion to "give up meat and diary" to become a vegan, and don't embrace a totally new way of eating and cooking, well you're bound for health problems. And if you're like some of my friends that just cannot abide by vegetables and vegetable products, then probably best to just skip the whole idea! I became a vegetarian 34 years ago, when I was 18 and started cooking everything on my own. That's how I developed a life-long interest in food and cooking, I had to seek out new ingredients and new cooking techniques. Just as a reflection of how truly "odd" our own American culture is, many, many of those foods and techniques had actually been mainstream 100-200 years before, or were mainstream in another culture. It's amazing how many of those ingredients and techniques have become mainstream again nowdays. Back when I started you had to join a food co-op to get any type of whole grain and other plant products. Now they are on the shelf of most larger grocery stores! No one had heard of gadgets like a bread machine and food processor! Now I'm longing for the day when locally produced food returns to the mainstream! We're getting there!

This is slightly different each time because depending on the number of people the amounts changes a bit...The recipe is my mother's but with her blessing she approves of the addition of the shrimp. 1. red or white potates about 2-3 pounds. Scrub skins and put in 3 quart pan. Fill pan halfway water and add 2 tsp of salt. Boil until just tender.(do not over-cook) cool then peel if you wish, then cube (medium) the potatoes and put in a very large mixing bowl or 5 quart pan works great for mixing. 2. Chop 5 ribs of celery and add to potatoes. 3. Chop 1 large dill pickle and add. 4. Add 8 chopped hard boiled eggs. 5. Add 1/3 cup of finely chopped sweet onion or more/less to taste. 6. Add 2 small cans of med shrimp drained (this is optional), but if you like shrimp and potato salad you will love the flavors when combined. 7. Lightly toss all of the above. 8. Add 1-2 cups of mayonaise or half mayonaise/half Miracle whip. This is a tastes isssue...I prefer to use Hellman's (Best Foods) mayo only but add mustard 1-2 Tablespoons. 9. With the above add salt and pepper to taste as you mix, using a clean tasting spoon each time. 9. Mix together lightly but thoroughly. Add more mayo if needed. Put in bowl and slice two hard boiled eggs to decorate. Sprinkle paprika on top. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!

I do my eggs like you do, Glenda. Only I let them sit 10 minutes. Bright yellow yolks and no green. For egg salad, I use mayonnaise, salt and lots of fresh ground pepper. We sold lots of these when I was a kid working at a drug store soda fountain. One of our ladies made it and showed me how so I could do it if we ran out. It's also the egg salad so many of the golfers like at the Augusta Open. (Or so I've read.)

So-called Chinese Restaurant Syndrome and the accusatory fingers pointed at glutimates as something dangerous were ideas not accepted by everyone and anyway were long ago discredited. I believe this was the source of what you called the "not very good reputation". Or were you thinking of something else? And not a good reputation with "certain physicians"? What does that mean? I don't often eat canned soups or other concoctions but you can be sure most have glutimate-rich ingredients with less potentially misunderstood names than MSG. The Japanese have long been on the forefront of identifying and using glutimate-rich ingredients. Japanese food is very glutimate heavy. That's why so many dishes taste savory and delicious. J Kenji Lopez-Alt is a respected and innovative chef who's very into the science of food and cooking. Formerly with the Cooks Illustrated operation, he's now doing other things (including writing books) and is associated with the website Serious Eats. I recently made his stew recipe and it includes some unusual ingredients as well as what he describes as an "umami bomb" to jolt the flavor. Soy sauce, tomato paste, anchovies, Worchestershire sauce (which has anchovies in it). The end result was delicious. The not so good reputation you refer to is what exactly?