ADIOS!

[Mama Calidad]

We're going to be moving to central Mexico! Probably be 6 months to a year before we go, so I'll be here a while yet, but I'm busy planning. We're planning on the family going veggie when we move. We're not really veggie-minded, but I've seen how meat is handled there and...it's not sanitary. :sick We're also going to be on a much tighter budget, so I figure I'll have more money for buying fruits and vegetables if we drop the unsanitary meat. I also won't be able to get decent cheese (no mozzarella, no cheddar, no colby, etc.). We should have no problems getting fresh milk and eggs.

So, I need meal ideas that are:
1) Vegetarian
2) Don't depend on cheese with the exception of cottage cheese
3) Don't rely on prepackaged foods, fake meat or exotic ingredients ('cause I probably won't be able to get my hands on them)

TIA!

[expatmom]

Hey, you need to get a line on Mennonite cheese! We travelled through Chihauhau province down to the Mennonite campos & cheese was one of the main things they made. It was good!

[Mama Calidad]

Riding down this last time, we sat right in front of a couple Mennonite men going back home. We were joking that it was too bad they hadn't taken a cow with them, 'cause we were worried about running out of milk for C. :giggle Unfortunately, I haven't seen that cheese sold where we're going to be. The only cheese that you can get is pretty much cottage cheese or a farmers cheese that my kids (who generally like farmer's cheese) said tasted rotten. DH thought it was great. :hunh

[thomer]

Can I recommend a cookbook? The Alternative Vegan (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=alternative+vegan&x=0&y=0)

All vegan recipes with no tofu or very many soy ingredients. There are some exotic spices (that even I can't find) but they are easily substituted or omitted.
It has a lot of Indian recipes and they're all very good.

[jrsmama]

Just a quick thought on meat ... that is actually something I was very comfy eating in Mexico and even in Africa as it is very fresh and IMO can be more sanitary than meat handled in the US. Many times, you're getting local meat processed by local small farms, which can be much cleaner than much of our larger meat producing outfits in the us. Also, you'll be cooking it thru.

In fact, I was a little more leery eating veggies and fruit unless we cleaned them ourselves because the water they're washed with can carry lots of parasites our bodies aren't yet used to. Even fruits/veggies with rinds or peels can be dangerous as when you cut through the fruit/veggie with a knife, you spread it into the flesh you'll be eating.

Also, where are you going in Mexico? There are some cities where you can get greater access to the variety of cheeses you may be used to here, as well as milk.

[Mama Calidad]

thomer - Thanks for that cookbook recommendation! Definitely sound like just what we need! :ty2


Just a quick thought on meat ... that is actually something I was very comfy eating in Mexico and even in Africa as it is very fresh and IMO can be more sanitary than meat handled in the US. Many times, you're getting local meat processed by local small farms, which can be much cleaner than much of our larger meat producing outfits in the us. Also, you'll be cooking it thru.

In fact, I was a little more leery eating veggies and fruit unless we cleaned them ourselves because the water they're washed with can carry lots of parasites our bodies aren't yet used to. Even fruits/veggies with rinds or peels can be dangerous as when you cut through the fruit/veggie with a knife, you spread it into the flesh you'll be eating.

Also, where are you going in Mexico? There are some cities where you can get greater access to the variety of cheeses you may be used to here, as well as milk.


Where we're going, the meat vendors have the meat or chicken sitting out in the open without refrigeration. :hunh I've gotten used to unrefrigerated eggs, but unrefrigerated meat that any fly or whatever can land on. :sick Now, if we have opportunity to buy a hen now and then from a neighbor (the kids won't let DH kill any of ours) or if someone butchers a cow, I'll happily change our meal plan. :yes

I'm horribly snobby with cheese. Even in the markets in the big cities, I haven't found a Mexican cheese that I like. It's just not what I'm used to. (Yes, I'm spoiled. :O ) Except the week before last, I actually managed to get Swiss at a Soriana. :woohoo We won't have access to a Soriana or Gigante or the like. Just little mom and pop shops.

We're good on milk. We can buy it from a local farmer for 7 pesos/liter. We could bring it up from a store down in the larger town, but we prefer raw milk. :tu

[Sarai]

Where we're going, the meat vendors have the meat or chicken sitting out in the open without refrigeration. :hunh I've gotten used to unrefrigerated eggs, but unrefrigerated meat that any fly or whatever can land on. :sick

ITU. As a child we lived in remote village in Jamaica for several years. The only grocery "store" was the outdoor market every Friday. My mom wouldn't buy any meat unless she was able to get there first thing in the morning (like, right after dawn), right after it had been killed/butchered. We never got sick, though, amazingly. Oh, and the sight/smell of the cow's heads grilling in huge, homemade outdoor pits -------> :sick . I NEVER got used to that. :no2