More(or is it mare) to come

[VirginVegGrower]

I've never bought a pint, so I didn't know how much we were talking about.

Nor me - although Mr VVG is getting in a fair few at the moment - it was a price comparison without listing numbers, but maybe that would have been easier. Half the price of a multi pack of crisps or the price of a pack of biscuits, price of a bag of pea shoots - equally as expensive. To be honest I don't shop a great deal in supermarkets now.
Minced beef that's organic and I think Aberdeen Angus is �3.00 at my local butcher, for an equivalent pack size (think it's 500g) of supermarket mince. Don't Aldi/Lidl sell it for circa �2?
As an aside I have been looking for vegemince, that Zazen quotes, but I can't find it. We have tried Quorn but daughter doesn't like it.

By the way - just heard - this week's cookery at school is Macaroni Cheese, so guess what we are having on Friday and it's a veggie meat free dinner day. Just what I wanted to factor in.

[Thelma Sanders]

As an aside I have been looking for vegemince, that Zazen quotes, but I can't find it. We have tried Quorn but daughter doesn't like it.

This kind of thing?
Tesco Meat Free Vegetarian Mince 454G - Groceries - Tesco Groceries

[alldigging]

This kind of thing?
Tesco Meat Free Vegetarian Mince 454G - Groceries - Tesco Groceries

Is it like TVP?

[Hazel at the Hill]

People have no idea how to use a knife.
Or a potato peeler.
Or how long to cook things for or how hot to have the oven. Or how to take things out of the oven without burning themselves.

Jamie's ministry of food is a great book and tv program - and his idea was to teach a few who could then go and share skills. Probably one of the most sensible foodie shows they've had for a long time.

Still I think we have mastercake or something on at the moment.

Sorry - I don't buy that, AD. Ok, so it might take - like - two goes before you get the grasp of a potato peeler (if you really have not ever used one before), but I think that for the overwhelming majority, common sense will allow you rudimentary knife use and to put a tea towel over your hand before you grasp a hot dish out the oven!

And assuming that you are buying your chops/chicken from the supermarket, it says on the pack what number to put the oven on to, and how long to cook for.

I didn't see that particular Jamie series - but I do think that he shows you how straightforward this feeding yourself malarkey is!

[VirginVegGrower]

This kind of thing?
Tesco Meat Free Vegetarian Mince 454G - Groceries - Tesco Groceries

Now that explains why I can't find it - T*sco Thanks ThelmaS

[mothhawk]

I haven't eaten beef since the beginning of the eighties, when CJD came to the fore, and seldom eat meat nowadays, perhaps twice a month, as I prefer veg, and although I spent the first 20 years of my working life working with horses, I would have no qualms about eating horseflesh if I was hungry. What would worry me is the "up to seventy thousand horses deemed unfit for human consumption" that appear to have been exported from Ireland as food meat.

I still remember the poultry scandal where unfit carcasses that had been sprayed with purple dye to prevent them being sold for human consumption were washed in bleach and then used as food.

The best answer, as always, is buy local, buy fresh.

[VirginVegGrower]

Sorry - I don't buy that... but I think that for the overwhelming majority, common sense will allow you to put a tea towel over your hand before you grasp a hot dish out the oven!

Mr VVG did this the other day when I was taking the peelings up to the composter - he did not use the oven glove - claims he forgot. I know it sounds cruel, but I couldn't stop laughing as I held his hand under cold water. I tried so hard not to as well, but more people suffer from this than you think.
I hope to God he never reads these threads!

[Madasafish]

Having read more on the beef scandal, the only 2 supermarkets who really check their meat deliveries appear to be Morrisons and Waitrose. (according to a delivery driver).



I of course have an advantage cooking.
1. I am an OAP so have time on my hands.
2. i am reasonably fit
3. I am not gaga (not really!)
4. I can read.
5. DIY is easy.

But frankly you can teach anyone to cook. Just ensure if they don't cook they get nothing to eat.

And if they do cook, they eat it and nothing else.

Most people are lazy and flop in front of TVs and do nowt.. You can prepare veg when watching TV...even the ads alone give lots of time.

When I see what we buy - and what we could do without if we had to - I realise how lucky we are.

[VirginVegGrower]

Seems there is mare to come! T*sco Everyday Value range Spag Bol has entered the horse race

M*rris*ns is a good Yorkshire brand and has their own butcher instore. Waitr*se is an ethical CoOp. I can see the others suffering quite badly because of this and not necessarily just on ready meals or meat sales. It's a question of trust isn't it really?

[veggiechicken]

Morries and Wait'orse may be "good" stores but it doesn't stop them stocking other rubbish brands.
High street butchers will do well now and about time too. The supermarkets have taken too much trade away from local shops and its about time they were bitten on the rump.

[vikkib]

High street butchers will do well now and about time too. The supermarkets have taken too much trade away from local shops and its about time they were bitten on the rump.

I'd like to think this is true but I'm not sure the sort of people buying these dodgy processed foods are going to just start buying a big ol' chunk of meat and making their own from scratch.

I wonder how many local butchers might see an opportunity and start selling their own 'ready meals'?

There are a few butchers around here that have a deli counter too and we've seen a fair few signs in windows about their meat being horse free and a 'safe bet'!

[VirginVegGrower]

Morries and Wait'orse may be "good" stores but it doesn't stop them stocking other rubbish brands.
High street butchers will do well now and about time too. The supermarkets have taken too much trade away from local shops and its about time they were bitten on the rump.

Don't get me wrong. I quite agree. Tea, coffee, kid's crisps, toilet rolls and washing powder/conditioner are about the only things we buy with regularity from them. Newspapers, butter, milk, cheese, meat, fruit, veg all comes from our village shop/farm shops. I have even started buying dog food from the pet shops.

[out in the cold]

I don't have a problem with this, the labelling of ingredients apart.

The Germans have been eating Rottwurst for years, which is horsemeat.

The French consider it a delicacy, and it is found in numerous butchers

[BarleySugar]

I don't buy/eat processed food as I can 'taste' the chemicals. Son no2 (22) likes a burger now and again, but like he said, homemade isn't hard to do. It isn't so much it being horse, as the fact that despite all the scares, we still can't trust what the labels say. What else will they find? Also was it suitable for human consumption? My sister said at least if you buy a whole chicken it is pretty certain it was a chicken to start with.

[Madasafish]

I just love the way politicians - and the FSA - can't tell us where the horsemeat came from but can tell us "it's fit to eat".

I assume they think we are idiots? (Criminals obeying food standards?)

Just wait for the chicken pies (dog, dodgy chicken), mince (sawdust, dog, horse, mule etc) processed meat ..

As for sausages.. I love sausages.. BUT if you want to screw consumers , put your faith in sausages.



I expect it's going to get a lot worse...But of course I may be wrong and the "criminals" only spiked lasagne..!:-)