Seitan doesn't really need a lot of fancy ingredients to make it 'meaty'. Some soy sauce and maybe some garlic are often sufficient. You might try looking at traditional Asian recipes for seasoning it, which I think might be simpler.

I went through my meatless, dairyless, eggless phase years ago and now I prefer simple, natural foods and really don't use any 'substitute' foods at all. I don't notice any adverse health effects either. I avoid most highly processed foods, and unfortunately, a lot of vegan and vegetarian products are highly processed, and usually very low in protein and calcium, which I try to get more of as an older adult.

To each their own. Of course it's always fun to experiment.

I can't think of any foods I like that are trying to copy other foods. I've had seitan in a vegan restaurant and did not particularly like it, but then it is best for me to limit the amount of wheat that I eat. Years ago I had my doctor do food allergy tests for me, and I discovered that I have slight allergies to wheat, corn, soy, oats, rice, and it seems grains in general. That does not stop me from eating them, but it would probably be better if I did not. I do not like the alternatives, however. I do not have allergies to milk or eggs, although I do not drink milk and don't eat eggs that much.

I seem to have way more ingredients than I need, and I cannot think of any kind of market that we do not have in Los Angeles County. I've been able to find pretty much anything that I have looked for. When I go to Palm Springs, my shopping options are more limited, and so I take a lot of ingredients from L.A. with me when I go there.

I am fortunate in that I don't often run into foods that I can't get locally, and online ordering usually fills the gap. One thing that I have had trouble this winter sourcing due to COVID is vacherin fribourgeois cheese. A local specialty market usually stocks it but their shipments were interrupted. My favorite dietary substitutes are soyriso and certain almond flour desserts (the three ingredient brownies, lemon-almond cake) that just happen to be high protein and delicious.

I live in food heaven, where one can get just about anything, though mail order may actually cost less than driving around getting this and that—especially in the ooh-look-at-that department. ;) Even so, even without Maine Winter weather, there's also breakage, worries about heat in the shipping process, etc. Recently I bought sticky stuff to experiment with seeds, but haven't had time to play with other cooking projects piling up. I got a special bottle of something for a recipe, then realized I was reading the wrong recipe.

In general, I don't mind trying something new. Turns out I adore fenugreek! Who knew? Not I until I tried a recipe. It’s mild, so plays well with others and I use it often, just for kicks.

I like a good kitchen challenge. Especially if it is something I've not had before within reason.

I recently came across a condiment that I had in Tunis, Tunisia, that was on every restaurant table there. I had not though about it in years. Never knew what it was.

I rarely if ever use a recipe as written. Nor have I ever posted a review in the comments good or bad. I seek ideas, then adapt to what I have on hand. Some herbs dried or freeze dried are very close to fresh. Dill, chives, summer savory, rosemary, thyme, come to mind. Basil, cilantro, etc, not so much.

20 years ago I was trying all sorts of things for family and close friends with allergies and sensitivities. I'm less accommodating to Vegan And Keto being a choice, but so many dishes are already on the table they will love. Will not kill them for one meal. (salads/veg 5 ways/organic lentil pasta salads,🙄 ) A nut out of place or a gluten not announced could cause serious pain. Dairy as well.

I'll pick up a new-to-me ingredient in due time. Put it on the back burner to try when I see it. Hyped at top dollar I pass.

I on-line order as minimal as possible. Just had a Costco order delivered today. Last in person was before Thanksgiving 2019. Once in 2020 maybe last August 2020?. Most items are thinning pantry. Some fridge with long use-by dates.

Bulk whole seed herbs, seeds, nuts, are in the freezer.

UrfaBiber, Fenugreek, mesquite powder, (from the flower). Mild chili flake that is naturally sweet and not killer hot spicy....sumac is intensely fragrant/sweet if you come across the correct brand. Dried lemon and lime powder/flake is indispensable in norther climates. I just put some lemon peel in my lamb rub powder.

I have a pantry with any number of oddities that my culinary kids thought they needed for a recipe and never used. I don't typically use them either.

I have gotten into using some different spice blends from Curio Spices that I've found do interesting things to egg and vegetable dishes.

But, to your question, no I don't typically make recipes that call for something I may never use again.

Kate

The only serious food aversion I have is to anything with a smoked flavor. This has been ongoing since I went through chemo in 2009. There are no substitutions for smoked foods that taste like smoked foods. My DH has been so accommodating - he reads food labels, buys stuff separately for me. Even walking past a BBQ smoker can make me nauseous.

Otherwise, I do not try to make something that it's not. I'm grateful not to have food allergies. I use real butter, real sugar, real cream and eat real meat, eggs and cheese. We cook "from scratch" and use mostly whole foods. They taste better to us. I do try to buy organic vegetables, especially those listed in the "Dirty Dozen".

On the subject of unusual ingredients I am most likely to order ingredients on-line for Asian cooking that I can't find near me. I was fortunate to take some cooking classes and learned a lot about fundamentals of Chinese and Japanese food, in general. Because we used to have Thai restaurants where we lived we fell in love with Thai food and I explored how to cook some of it on my own. I order kaffir lime leaves from a guy on Etsy! The esoteric foodstuffs that go unopened we call "aspirational ingredients" and I have curbed my habit of buying something unfamiliar now without a plan.

I would love to have access to ethnic markets and be able to learn about other cuisines. I am very unfamiliar with the food of India, South Africa, the Middle East...probably at my age I won't be exploring those.

Even after we can start sharing meals with people again, accommodating all of their various dietary needs in my own home is beyond my energy and patience at this stage of my life. It's easier to meet for meals in a restaurant with a varied menu and everyone can make themselves happy, or meet for a brown-bag picnic.

seagrass

How true! I try to provide something nice to eat for guests with particular needs, and when I'm a guest, I try to eat what's in front of me, if it won't kill me. The last thing I want to do is cause a stir or make a hostess who has worked hard to make a nice table uncomfortable. I talk about food allergies a lot more here than I do IRL, partly to bring it into the conversation. OTOH, I've learned that going along with the Thai idea, and just finding the one thing on the menu that doesn't have fish or coconut can also upset one's companions, who would rather have gone elsewhere if they knew I was allergic. Those are the same people who really didn't want to go anywhere but Thai, so I guess you can't win for losing, but either way, I try not to make a big deal of it.

Re the OP, I forgot to say: I don't do fake food. I'm happy to eat a seitan burger which tastes like seitan. I was at a very fancy, very pricey Vegan restaurant once where everything was named for its non-vegan counterparts. Some of it was very good--especially a cashew "cheese" which wasn't cheeselike at all (unlike, for instance, the almond milk "cheese" slices, or soy cheddar, that's cheap at the grocery store, which is fairly cheeselike if you squint and don't try to melt it. I don't like those, but at least they're actually cheeselike, whereas the good stuff at the restaurant was shaped like a round of goat cheese, but a gray cashew color, and the consistency and texture of margarine, though it tasted fantastic).

OTOH, they had an abysmal sticky wad of congealed mess that they called "risotto" which was nothing at all like a proper risotto. You can make risotto with just water and a little seasoning--vegan to the max--let alone what could be done with a good veggie stock, so it's not the veganness of it that made it bad but the utter incomprehension of the cook as to what it was supposed to be, trying too hard to make a "vegan" version. (Hint: If you have to add cream or cheese to your risotto to make it "creamy", you're doing it wrong. It's the shed starch that gives it it's signature texture.)

I love Buffalo cauliflower "wings" aren't trying to be chicken. At one local vegan place, they're fantastic. Much better than Buffalo chicken wings, IMHO. But while the pieces are cut to a similar size as wing pieces, that's the only resemblance to their chicken counterparts. They look and taste like cauliflower.

The exception to all this is one little hole in the wall place which serves the vegan analogs of popular dishes in the traditional style of their homeland. I think it's Thailand. That vicinity for sure. They use soy products and TVP, and do call things "chicken" and other meats, and the flavor is reminiscent of those things, though the whole menu is vegan. They have the benefit of cultural knowledge and practice making their dishes good, rather than just someone who cares more about what he's not eating than what it tastes like throwing together a few bits and calling it "meaty". Of course, one also gets a lot of lovely vegetables which are the stars, rather than the TVP, and one is less demanding of a cheap lunch joint than a fancy dancy schmancy restaurant.

So, no, I'm not making pretend foods at home, since I can barely tolerate them out. :) And I'm not buying fancy ingredients for them. Better to liven them up with real food flavors like onions, garlic, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, mustard, soy sauce, hot sauce, pickles, etc.

OTOH, if you want to try, why not? You'll never know until you try!

I have a generally unfavorable opinion of food that is masquerading as something it is not.

I feel that way about plant based "meat" and non dairy"cheese".

I have tried the plant based "meat" and found that it did, indeed, taste like meat. But, it is a very highly processed food product that I reject on that basis. It is, basically, a processed version of beans and rice. Preferred to have real beans and rice in one of its many glorious incarnations than that highly processed product that is posing as meat. I found the flavor of the fake blood to be a bit off putting. It is also very expensive. I tried it, but am not tempted to buy it.

Non dairy cheeses and yogurts I feel much the same way about. If you can't eat it, just dont. There are so many other real things to eat besides that.

As for seitan and tempeh and tofu, I feel that they are, at least, real foods. I like all three of those things and consider them to be a valid thing to find on my plate. They are not trying to be something that they are not and, what they actually are is just fine. They can stand on their own, without having to be compared to a piece of meat.

I agree with carol, above. I desire that my meal be simple, nutritious, delicious and real.

I have come to a point where I prefer both cooking and enjoying meals that do not involve meat. I do still cook and enjoy meat, but I want that meat to be of good quality, in small servings and not be laced with a package of some processed flavoring or something so over powering that you can't actually find the meat or taste it. I dont eat meat for nutrition as much as I do for the enjoyment of it. So, I want it to be quality and to be easily identified and delicious and able to stand on it's own by any measure.

One thing that I really dont understand is why some want a tofu or tempeh or seitan to be able o go on the grill or made into a sausage as if it were meat. I draw the line somewhat before that point.

If you have a dietary restriction, for whatever reason, I advise an honest approach and appreciation for real food. It does not have to be suitable to go on the grill with the burgers and chops.

Pillogs Buffalo cauliflower is a good example of something that can stand on its own in place of the real piece of chicken. Nothing wrong with that. I am sure that it is good and it would count as an honest food in my world.

I recently got acquainted with cauliflower crust. I really like it! It is so easy to make. It is not traditional pizza, but it does not have to pretend to be. It can stand on its own, too, like those buffalo cauliflowers.

I basically agree about fake foods.

I have been thinking about protein in my diet. I prepare meat a few times a month. I am a bit squeamish about handling meat. I also live in near people who raise meat and have access to good quality meat and eggs. I like a lot of beans based dishes - even just plain beans. I do eat too much cheese and am trying to cut back. I am the odd one who loves tofu - I tend to prefer it cold and in a salad.

Last week I was dealing with repackaging a 50 lb bag of flour. I got to thinking that it was another source of protein that I always had around. I have had Chinese gluten dishes which I liked. So I have been wandering around in the internet rabbit hole of vegans making meat.

I really truly love obsessed smart people ie nerds. So I have a certain amused affection for people working like mad scientists to recreate ham from chickpeas, flour, liquid smoke and beet powder. But it leaves me cold as far cooking. I would eat it if it was on my plate. So I need to wander a bit further into Asian recipes.

Today though I am going to try Burmese tofu which seems to be just chickpea flour and water. I happen to have some on hand. It looks easy to add to stir fries.

Hopefully I will get it together to make one more successful batch of seitan and see if it is worth my time.

I also like the food nerds. I also appreciate the varied diets that have brought us so much access to ancient grains and organics. The support given to smaller local farms. The more influential chefs on-line that are great teachers, and the recipe developers, that make their recipes more accessible by giving substitutions and make it clear it isn't exact science....a jumping off point so 'make it your own. Leave out the garlic, onion, etc. Use this and that to replace dairy',.. 'try this herb if you don't like cilantro'

-Garbanzos are not low in protein. Ounce for ounce, 20 varieties of beans, side-by-side, garbanzos fall in the middle. Just eat two more. 1/2 cup, eat 6 more. 😜 All beans analyzed individually have their own varied powerhouse in nutrition,... fiber, minerals, etc. Green peas are at the bottom but don't diss them as they have their own benefits. Garbanzos and the flour have a creaminess most others don't have.

I use beet root and mesquite powder in my dry rubs. And on/in my veggie burgers and veggie meatballs. (basically falafel with reconstituted porcini mushrooms). Grills/sears beautifully without processed sugars.

I'm not a 'stretcher' for financial reasons....just eating less meat that is increasing in expense. More veg, less protein from animals.

We like tofu. I prep it for the grill, the cast iron various ways. What I don't appreciate is a non cook vegan or whatever diet...bring it to my bbq and ask me to make it lovely from a package. 🙄....when I prep for the grill it sits in a dry rub under a drain weight for 24 hours.

Ok I have to apologize for starting several inter-related threads. I wasn’t sure which one to post this on.

I made this seitan today. It used ingredients I have on hand and regularly use to flavor my food. I tweaked slightly based on ingredients I had. Added mushroom powder for umami. Used less salt because I have a solidified chunk of veggie bouillon I want to use up. I had just pressure cooked some beets so I used the liquid to dissolve the bouillon.

https://yupitsvegan.com/basic-homemade-seitan/#wprm-recipe-container-7382

I also made Burmese tofu. Both evidently need a day in the the fridge before using.

Further reports tomorrow...

Did anyone try vegan pizza or meat?

I am an advocate of simple, honest, and quality food and dont go for anything that is overly convoluted or contrived.

Those items that are out of cultural context are difficult to learn to use because of the fact that unless you are intricately familiar with the larger culinary context it is difficult to wing it.

Unless you have a clear idea where you are going with it and a clear idea of what property you can expect from it, it is cooking blindly.

For example, take something like peanut butter. As an American I have used and enjoyed peanut butter all of my life. I know what it is, what it will compliment and I know the culianry properties of it. Give that peanut butter to someone from a non peanut butter eating culture and they are likely to not be as adept at using it as I am.

But give me some seaweed product and I would have no idea what to do with it or what to expect with it. It is not something that I have any experience with.

I can go into the kitchen and cook and it is very, very rarely that I ever use a reicipie for anything that I am familiar with. Cooking is easy to do that way.

But, set me to my own devices in front of an array of foods from the East, for instance, and I would have a learning curve.

One thing that I have found is that, as a person of western culture, I tend to conform to my own cultural norms and compose the meal into a very European looking meal on the plate, even if it is something from a culture not my own. I just gravitate towards what is familiar because it is the way I know. This is not intentional. It is just the way it happens.

I have a lot of respect for fusion foods. There are so many wonderful culinary expereinces when we combine different cultural elements. Cultural appropriation? No. It is fusion and sharing and there are many wonderful things to be had!

Spiralized vegetables instead of pasta! No thanks.

Spirilized vegetables are fine....but they are not pasta....nor is spaghetti squash spaghetti. But treat them like vegetables and they are great....steam and serve with a bit of butter and salt and pepper, but try to disguise with a marinara sauce and it doesn't make it!

My thoughts are if you can't eat the real thing, dont' try to pretend that some vegetable shaped like a chicken leg is chicken, just eat it for what it is.

I am lactose intolerant. When that first happened, I tried soy coffee creamer...yukko! I tried some soy cream cheese....even worse! But I did find lactaid milk products that are just fine but I don't do erstatz.