newbie rant

[mulch]

Sorry for the rant but I thought it might be nice for the newbies to rant and then fine solutions to the ranting.


i have spent so much time looking into recipes and then realizing that they stink. i mean taco meat isn't taco meat it is just really seasoned walnuts. maybe i am naive and still have the SAD mentality but some of these foods require so many ingredients and then end up bad. i hate wasting my time and my money. i mess up the kitchen for 1 recipe and then it is inedible. mono foods of course is a winner and i finally came up with a green smoothie that is so simple, i even can't *#@# it up (juiced apple, spinach and banana).

i am trying though and since i have more time on my hands i am not giving up. otherwise what am i going to do with my raw almonds, cashews, pecans, pine nuts etc. i never ever ever ate nuts unless it was part of a baked good.

i also bought carob powder online to use as cocoa. yuck yuck and more yuck. what is up with the smell. i totally want to give it away. i swore i ordered cocoa but i didn't. i did buy nibs. very nice to suck on.


sorry about the ranting.

[KellyL]

You may want to try making only half of a recipe or even 1/4 if it is a large recipe so that you don't waste so much. :D

I understand where you are coming from. I don't like a lot of the recipes that others rave about either. I have noticed that the more I eat raw, the more my tastes change though. :D

[lore-ah]

Seconding making smaller portions of recipes. I have a very wide range of things I'll eat so it all tastes good to me, but I end up throwing out a lot of stuff because I forget it's just me eating it!

[Rawkinlocs]

I know how you feel...when I first went raw not many raw recipes appealed to me either. But over the years, I learned that:

1. When first trying out a recipe, it's always best to make half (or in some cases, even a quarter) of the recipe first to see if you like it and then that way, if you don't there's not as much waste.

2. Sometimes it DOES take time for our tastebuds to adjust and to get "cleaner" to really appreciate some raw recipes. A lot of things I didn't like when I first went raw, I find that now I either like or LOVE! This is also true for raw fruits and veggies that I didn't like pre-raw...after going raw, I tried some of those things again and now I DO like them.

3. Yeah, carob is an acquired taste. I like it in "some" things, but not all. Cacao is definitely what you want to get next time around and make sure of it. Also, if/when you DO get cacao powder (you can also grind those nibs in a coffee grinder, Vitamix, etc.) you can experiment with half carob and half cacao.

4. A lot of raw recipe titles/names may be due to how much they remind the creator of said recipe of that particular food. Sometimes they really DO come very close and sometimes they do not...but one thing is to perhaps NOT try the recipes with the idea/notion in your mind that it's "taco meat" or "lasagna" etc. but rather, just try to enjoy the flavor combinations in their own right...in other words, think of it as a new dish you are trying for the first time rather than a replica of a dish you used to eat when eating cooked food.

But yeah, stick with what DOES appeal to you, recipe-wise or simple stuff and try not to give up on trying new things...go to local raw potlucks (if there are any) to get to try raw dishes for free and when you DO find things you like, add them to your staple dishes. Remember, even with cooked food diets, most of us had our usual staples that we just rotated. Also, when you make a dish that you feel is "so-so", make notes of things YOU think you could add or remove (for example: more cayenne if you like spicy or less garlic if the original is too garlicky) to make the dish more suited to your personal tastes.

[mulch]

Thanks a lot for the replies
I will definitely incorporate your suggestions

[StarFire]

Mulchhhhhhh.... GASP http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/omg.gif !!! ARE YOU RANTING http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/rant2.gif ???


heheheeee!!! RAWK ON GIRL :D -- GET IT ALL OUT!! We've all been there!

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/tha857f08c.gif ... HUGS!!!

[kittykitty128]

I made the raw pumpkin pie out of Carol Alt's book, and it cost me a small fortune for the ingredients. It was absolutely disgusting. I was SO pissed and my boyfriend thought I was even MORE crazy for doing this diet.

[Morn]

I totally can relate to. Just hang in there. It is all a part of the process. There were a ton of recipes I didn't like in the beginning. It will take you a while to build up a base of recipes you like to make regularly. Keep on trying. Oh and there were so many recipes that were so bad that I made my DH try in the beginning that sucked and so now he doesn't want to try anything.:( And if there is a recipe that I like now that is good - he is so tainted that he won't admit that it is good. Anyway you are also right about the recipe names issue. I don't think we would be so disappointed if the names were more in alignment to what the dish actually is - for instance "spicey walnut meat."

[PDXGeoff]

I'm a big fan of Ani Phyo's book (Annie's Kitchen). There are a LOT of recipes in there that are quick and easy to make. True 'taco meat' from walnuts won't taste like dead animal flesh. And it does take time to reset your tastebuds. But hang in there and keep trying.