A recent event at one of my Alma mater colleges had a lot to do with the increased interest in learning about vegetarian cooking. Several groups of students took part in related activities including discussions on local produce, using local ingredients for cooking, learning how to make use of Ayurvedic herbal remedies, and even participating in practical activities ranging from frugal green gardening, dengue prevention and other such tasks using the right utensil for each activity. In short, students learned how to make their own food, while respecting its origin and preserving its integrity at the same time. The end result? A well informed vegetarian cookbook!
I can recall being told as a child that potatoes and eggs were “fit to eat up by a dog”. It is only now, over 50 years later, that I have learned that the old adage was not literal after all. To a child, these foods were simply too hard or old to eat. Now, for a person well into their middle ages, they may be familiar with these foods, but they don’t like the way they are served. Rather than eat a hearty breakfast (something I never enjoyed doing) or a delicacy like a juicy piece of salmon, they go with something like a waffle, which is really only acceptable in certain circumstances.
Using local ingredients for your recipes is an easy way to avoid this problem. While you might not use the freshest or most organic vegetables, if you look for them, you can find cookbooks that use local produce fresh from the market. Using this type of book not only saves money but makes a new dining experience, one that you and your family will enjoy for many years to come.
Using cookbooks like these is particularly important if you have food allergies or are sensitive to chemicals. By using ingredients grown locally, you can avoid some of the health risks associated with some commercial ingredients. These cookbooks usually include ingredients that are certified as safe for most people to consume, even those with special diets. Even if you are used to eating a variety of different foods, a good recipe cookbook will introduce you to new cooking possibilities and introduce new ingredients you might not have known or would have assumed were not available to you.
Using a cookbook for home cooking is also a great way to save money, especially if you are on a tight budget. It is nice to be able to take pride in what you are cooking because it is the type of meal that you will make for your family. Rather than eating out, you can prepare meals in your own home. Not only will this allow you to save time, but the cost will be reduced as well. The cookbooks available for purchase online and in many supermarkets have been formatted to be very easy to read and understand, so even the most inexperienced cook will have no trouble following the recipes.
Using a cookbook for home cooking does not require you to become a gourmet chef. In fact, by simply choosing some ingredients from the book and cooking a simple dish, you will be amazed at how good you feel and how easy the meal has turned out. A good cookbook will give you plenty of new recipes to try, so that you will never get bored with all of the delicious foods you can prepare by using local ingredients.
