And they're with the tofu & veg sausages, which is near the fresh pasta & packaged sandwich meats (bleh)

The best (imo) veg burgers are Uncle Harry's Natra Burgers; they're made of grains and veggies, but are over $6 for 4 (they can even be put in a toaster).
Actually, second best; the best are the locally made brown rice burgers down at my local fruit and veg shop.

The best veggie burgers I've had are the 'Fry's vegetarian burgers' from the freezer section of my local Woollies. They're $5.50 for six.

I'll also have to start checking a few other coles stores for that cream. Sounds interesting, although I try not to eat too many processed soy based products as I know they can't be healthy. Soy milk in particular apparantly leaches calcium from your bones. Which is why oat milk is my preferred choice. I think it tastes better too.

Thirsty, these are wonderful: http://www.nutritionalproductsaust.com.au/burgers.htm

I've only had them a couple of times since they're about $4.50 a package, but they are wonderful! We get them at woolie's

Yes I like these ones too, they're probably my favourite! They always seem to fall apart in the burger while eating them, but that's a small price to pay considering they taste so good.

I notice theres a new soy cheese out. I didnt make note of the name, but its wrapped up in a devon-style yellow wrapped log. It's not completely vegan though, it has caarageenan in it.

(From the list of animal derived ingredients)
Carrageenan (V): extracted from various red algae and especially Irish Moss

...Hey...actually that sounds vegan to me?

carageenan is indeed vegan :yes:

:)

Iceflower, did you try that cheese? I'm just interested to know if it's any good; all the vegan cheeses I have tried in the past are not that appealing to me......Has anyone here tried a vegan cheese before that they really enjoy?

I had Fry's vegetarian sausages recently. I haven't had meat for almost a decade and a half, so I can't be sure, but they seemed VERY meat like. Texture, appearance, taste, smell..... there were even gristley bits in them. And they left an awful aftertaste.

But each veg to their own meat substitute, I say. I like to try most "alternatives" so I can give people (other veg*ns, those interested in it, etc) my opinion (which are just that; they really need to try the alternatives for themselves and find ones they like).


As for cheese, there's King Land soy cheese (vegan). It comes in packages like iceflower described. They use to have about 3 or 4 types, but now I only see Cheddar style. There's also Tofutti, which is harder to get (being imported). I've seen the roasted garlic, mozarella, and American style ones (12 slices for $4.50).
I dunno that I "really enjoy" any of them; I don't have them regularly, just when in certain moods (say, for pizza with cheese, or cheese/tomato sandwich).
But maybe you've already tried all those, Goodwitch.

Thanks very much Kurm for your post. I hear what you are saying, re: meat substitutes. I personally cannot stomach alot of them as they are just so meat like; the texture the look, sometimes even the smell etc. I guess if I had of had them when I first became vegetarian it would have been different, but as I was a young teenager I didn't get to explore anything like that back then and just got to love veggies in a hurry! It's funny though because I love those vegan 'longalife' sausages that Sanitarium have! But I guess anything can be made into a sausage shape.....As far as I'm concerned though, if it's not made of meat, that's the main thing and I will not hesitate in trying anything vegan and if someone served me up a not so good tasting vegan meal, I'd take that any day then something animal derived yuck!

I don't know if I've tried the King Land Soy Cheese or not. I tried one that was in a block and thought it was revolting. I do have the Toffutti mozarella one occasionally on a toasted sandwich with tomato, but rarely as I'm not raving mad on it. It could be the same for me as the meat thing though, I really can't stand the smell of 'real' cheese anymore [especially when someone is cooking it at work] so I guess how could I really find a vegan alternative that I'm mad on?

Geez, I'm a dill!!!! :doh:

I've got some of the Tofutti cheese in the fridge we bought a couple of weeks ago and had some on a Fry's burger today. It's quite good as far as fake cheese goes, but I wouldn't buy it again. Or any other fake cheese for that matter. I've just found that most of the food I eat tastes better without it. Even a couple of the pizzas I ordered from Dominos, minus cheese taste great just with the sauce, vegies, sun dried tomato etc. Which is good. The less fake food in one's diet, the better. Not that the real thing would be better of course... but you know what I mean. Just natural foods. Like Hommus which is just chick peas, lemon juice, tahini and garlic blended together and tastes great. I even add a bit of capsicum. Tastes great!

Also, look at this photo I took today on the side of the house. The poor lizard. This is obviously a female Red Back as they're bigger than the males much like their American cousins, the Black Widows. This one is quite big.

I've got some of the Tofutti cheese in the fridge we bought a couple of weeks ago and had some on a Fry's burger today. It's quite good as far as fake cheese goes, but I wouldn't buy it again. Or any other fake cheese for that matter. I've just found that most of the food I eat tastes better without it. Even a couple of the pizzas I ordered from Dominos, minus cheese taste great just with the sauce, vegies, sun dried tomato etc. Which is good. The less fake food in one's diet, the better.

I know exactly what you mean Avene. Personally I often find myself buying certain foods simply because they are vegan, not because I like it or whatever. At work there are a number of people that give me a hard time for being vegan - offering me sausage rolls and meat pies etc even though they have worked with me for 5 years and know what I eat - so I do my best to confuse them when I'm in a smarty pants mood by eating things that to an omnivore would not look vegan! There's this "Original Diet" shop just up the road from where I work and they only stock vegan goods - apart from honey - so I like to get the odd cake / chocolate / sweet from there and eat it at my desk so that the anti-vegans come and say, "Glenda, aren't you vegan anymore???" etc... Then I point to the ingredients or tell them where I got it from etc. Often they say things like, "How can you make a chocolate cake out of fruit???" Hmmmm....... :whack:

Also, look at this photo I took today on the side of the house. The poor lizard. This is obviously a female Red Back as they're bigger than the males much like their American cousins, the Black Widows. This one is quite big.
Wow! We used to have red backs a lot in our yard when I was a kid.

Avene, do you still like durians??? I remember talking to you about them before. A chick at work is going to bring one in for me to try on the condition I don't have it at work because of the smell!!!!

Glenda, yes, a lot of fake foods aren't worth it really. I don't mind the Longa Life sausages occasionally and the Fry's burgers occasionally, but I could do without them. The chinese fake meats are nice in stir fries, Indonesian or Japanese currie (Those you mix with water), but I eat a lot less of those now aswell. Just really small portions so they last longer. But I guess that's probably because I rarely go to those shops much anymore and they're expensive!

The one thing that's hard to avoid are those damn Sweet Williams Soy chocolates! Trying to give up those things would be like a chain smoker trying to quit. Although, I don't buy them as often these days. But you know, even just writing about them here makes me feel like jumping in the car and heading straight to my local Coles or Woolies for a fix. Most probably the Manly Coles because they sell the blue ones which are my favourite. You know, sometimes when i'm desperate I'll buy the Coles / Farmland brang dark cooking chocolate. That's a lot MORE chocolate for less money! It's vegan too, as are the Lindt 70% and 85% cocoa dark chocolates. But I feel like an alcoholic eating those things with the percentages labelled on the packaging. Buying the 85% one is like buying some hard liquor.

Yeah, the Red Backs are cool. Surprisingly there have been a lot here this summer. There never used to be any. At first I got a bit worried and would put them over the fence into the neighbours place who I don't like. She told me once she doesn't kill spiders. Anyway, now they don't bother me. The more the better! Well, maybe not if they're eating lizards. I read on the net they they just stay in their web all the time. Not like the White Tails who go walking around the house.

Durians, yes, sometimes. I've still got some frozen in the freezer from my birthday back in February. It was a huge one and I couldn't eat it all on my own. Eventually I'll get some young coconut to blend it with. That's really nice.

I much prefer Jack Fruit though. Below I've included a couple of Photos of the biggest I ever bought for $19.50 at Flemington a few months back. It was roughly 20kg which made it really cheap! It took a couple of weeks to ripen. When they're soft and start to smell a bit, they're ripe. But it's not a bad smell like Durian, which I actually think is a good smell. Anyway, this Jack Fruit took me over 4 hours to cut open and strip. That's the 2nd photo included here.

I'll add, they can be really sticky inside too. So you have to spray your hands with spray oil whilst cutting. Or let them ripen even more beforehand. My sharp little knife ended up a mess from the sticky sap aswell.

Wow Avene, that's a serious Jack Fruit! What does it taste like? I've only ever had it in those Asian ice drinks before.

Glenda, they're really nice! Hard to describe the taste, but sweet of course. The canned or frozen jack fruit is nothing like the real thing nice and fresh.

I love jackfruit too!! Also Coles in W Aust have soy cream/sour cream, yoghurt (various flavours and natural) Have never seen vegan cheese in coles here though, athough it's a long time since I looked. Dewsons carry the kingland range of cheeses.

tofutti ceam cheese is everywhere and is great!

Iceflower, did you try that cheese? I'm just interested to know if it's any good; all the vegan cheeses I have tried in the past are not that appealing to me......Has anyone here tried a vegan cheese before that they really enjoy?

No, I haven't tried it. At the moment I'm eating vegetarian cheese (Nimbin).
The best close-to-vegan cheese I tried was Veggie Slices - it came in block, slices and grated, in all different cheese flavours (I can't remember whats they were now though...I think one was Swiss). They did have caesin in them though, so it depends how strict you are. But they were really yum, better than normal cheese.......mmmm..

Iceflower, did you try that cheese? I'm just interested to know if it's any good; all the vegan cheeses I have tried in the past are not that appealing to me......Has anyone here tried a vegan cheese before that they really enjoy?


I have tried it..... it took some getting used too, but it is not bad in small bits on crackers or whatever...but not for cooking..or sandwhiches..it has a really strong flavour. Once in a blue moon job for me I think.

Thanks guys for all your responses, re: cheese.

Is anyone here going to "Splendour in the Grass" in Byron Bay?

Hi guys

Does anyone know any stores in Sydney that sell non-leather shoes? Specifically - men's dress shoes. I have a wedding to go to! I know you can get them online but I have difficulty finding shoes that fit so I'd like to try them on if possible.

There's a bit of a family drama as my brother decides to tell me two days before I get on the plane home from the UK that my Doc Marten shoes I got from Vegetarian Shoes in Brighton UK aren't good enough. And they wonder why I live in a different country ...!

Thanks

Vegan Wares (http://www.veganwares.com) might be able to help. They're in Melbourne, but there have been shoe shops in Sydney that stock some of their products (one use to be in Newtown, a few years ago there was a shop at Waverly). Their web site says they're looking to open their own Sydney store. They can also do custom orders, so you could send them a pic of a sample shoe and your foot measurements.