MEATLESS CHOICE IN THE SUPERMARKET NEAR YOU

I went to an interesting food tasting some time ago in the city centre. It was a vegan brunch in a cafe on San Vincenzo, near Brignole. As a recent convert to a vegerian diet, I was quite keen to see what would be on offer. I was not dissappointed, there was a delicious buffet prepared by volunteers. Dishes included Thai spiced red rice and vegetables, hummous and various salads, all very tasty. No wonder every table was taken. I am not a vegan (yet) but since that day, I have noticed that there is a bit of a lifestyle battle going on here. It all comes down to food. 

 Italy must be one of the easiest countries in the world to be a vegetarian/vegan. Fresh vegetables are available in numerous little corner shops, boxes full of goodness overflowing to the pavements. There are festivals dedicated to vegetables, such as artichokes and pumpkins, all over Italy. Every single restaurant and cafe has a vegetarian option in the menu and it is not limp green lettuce leaves with couple of tomatoes and bread crutons drowned with mayonnaise calling itself Caesar. No, there are delicate dishes such as a vegetable pie, torta di verdure (a Ligurian speciality), grilled vegetables, eggplants cooked with tomatoes and mozzarella, not to forget the good old pesto Genovese; there is foccaccia and farinata, a chick pea tart, often mixed with artichokes or zucchini...the choice is endless. 

A meatless diet is more than simply eating differently: it is often also a statement and for many, an ethical choice too. No vegan wants to cause pain to any living creature, which means that all dairy is out, as well as eggs and honey. The vegan way of life is becoming more popular as people are more aware of the modern farming methods, where their food comes from in general, animal rights and the environmental impact of meat production. I have serious issues with these myself. 

The vegetarian/vegan trend has clearly had an impact in supermarkets, which is a sure sign that there is a critical mass of customers interested in meatless alternatives.There are shops in Genoa specialising in organic and plant based products (Natura Si on Corso Europa is a popular destination), but even our small supermarket around the corner has started adding vegetarian/vegan products on the shelves. Tofu, soya burgers, eggless mayonnaise, seitan ragu, soya milk, ice cream and yoghurt have found an audience even in this little suburb. The local health food shop (erboristeria) has sunflower and chia seeds, different varieties of flours and nutritional yeast. There is also a boom in magazines offering vegetarian and vegan recipes only. Just before Easter a very visible campaign with huge posters on buses in Genoa, asked people not to buy lamb. 

   However, plant based special products, which are meant to imitate meat or chicken, are not necessarily healthy or cheap, on the contrary. Because meatless products need to be tasty, there can be a surprisingly high amount of salt and sugar in some of them. So, I am still reading labels.
 It has been months now and I feel fantastic and energetic; a different world really. No regrets. 

  

SEDUCED BY FRUITS OF SUMMER

Today I felt like a modern day hunter gatherer after a little stroll on our street. 

There are two tiny shops (literally the size of one small room each) selling organic, home grown veggies and fruits. It is always worth going into these shops to see what is on offer and worry about recipes later. In any case, I have stopped making shopping lists since it is a totally useless activity here: I am so easily seduced by whatever looks delicious. Even though I am not always sure what to do with some less familiar vegetables (for some reason artichokes come to mind), I trust that Jamie, Nigella and others have explored this neighbourhood before me and I have never been let down by any of them yet. 

Right now it looks like cherries are on their way out, but on the other hand fresh figs have arrived. Nigella suggests figs preserved in rum and I might try that. I also picked a bunch of dried oregano - the perfume is simply divine and it looks pretty on the kitchen counter too. The blueberries were a bit of a surprise, since they were not particularly sweet, but they will taste perfect in muffins or mixed with yoghurt and sunflower seeds with little bit of honey for breakfast. Garlic makes a regular appearance in almost anything I cook and the cloves of these were big and plump. The lemons are from a friend who came by yesterday and said that there is too much growing in her garden and would I like to have some. Yes, please!