robinbloke: (food)
robinbloke ([personal profile] robinbloke) wrote2006-09-14 10:24 am
Entry tags:

Culinary Conquests

Hello, my name is Robin and I'm a carnivore.

I don't believe this is something I need to particularly confess, it's more just a way of starting a conversation thread and then luring you into my usual rambling style. Then before you know it you're two sentences into this and you wonder if I'm actually going to go anywhere with this.
At this point, traditionally, an evil cackle is normally appropriate.

However, partially in deference to the many people I know who are vegetarians and partially because I wanted to see if I could actually manage it without being physically sick yesterday for the first time in my life I attempted to eat five a day. For those of you not in the know it's the laudable idea to try and get people to eat more healthily by eating five different kinds of fruit and vegetables a day1.

When you're me, this is not an easy thing. Now, most people have one or two veggies they don't like; for myself I view with distaste that can only be purged with napalm any large gathering of the green growing freakish things anywhere near me. It's not so much the taste of these things, which in itself is usually bad enough, but the texture of these things that generally turns my stomach - but enough of my weird ways (Read the book when it is published) - onwards to my Herculean task:

So five a day; this had to principally consist of fruit if I was going to have any chance whatsoever of achieving it, and the first two were pretty easy; I drink enough orange juice to power a sizeable Tango factory so that wasn’t too bad; add to this a crunchy apple and I'm 40% of the way there already. Which is where things get difficult as there is very little else I could eat.
After some searching and thought I finally located some dried banana chips, which were close enough for me. Over halfway there, see, it couldn't possibly be that bad could it?
But by the time for my evening meal, time is running out, from hereon things aren't easy; a side order of new spuds2 with my cod fillets got me almost there - but what else?

Microwaved peas, left over from another meal with strangely healthily visitors. Yum. Oh yes. Yum yum. Bleh.

And with that victory was in my grasp; the tape was cut, the pigs flew and nations cheered. The vegetables had been defeated. After that amount of effort I was certain that I had consumed enough vegeons or whatever it is that is supposed to lie within their fowl green contents to last me a decade at least, I'd lasted this long without them and I think I can manage a pretty long while again without them.

I'm sticking to sugar.



1 This is actually meant to be five different kinds of fresh fruit or veg a day, but I'll need every break I can get here.
2 Although I will contest these are a root and not a vegetable in every other argument I make.

[identity profile] arken-thell.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 09:48 am (UTC)(link)
It's a nasty and horrible task you undertook.
I applaude you since these vile things that are apparently "good for you" are quite obviously a vehicle for the fruit/veg wolrd takevoer by greengrocers!
Think about it....well probably not.

However tough job and congrats for doing it.

[identity profile] belak-krin.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 09:55 am (UTC)(link)
I wholly support your textural statement, as that is what makes me unable to stomach cucumber, courgettes or tomatoes either whole or sliced. De-seeded is another matter, as are gherkins.

Have you considered pan fried peppers or raw carrot, they tend to have less gooey natures

[identity profile] karohemd.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 09:56 am (UTC)(link)
Not even I manage five a day, different colours/varieties of fruit or veg, that is.

[identity profile] karohemd.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 09:58 am (UTC)(link)
None of the vegetables I've ever cooked are "gooey". The problem is that people in this country tend to overcook them.

[identity profile] robinbloke.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:02 am (UTC)(link)
Carrot I can manage if, and only if, it's been soaking for hours in a cassarole dish with a load of spuds, beef and yummy dumplings so it is utterly mushy and soaked with meaty juices :)

[identity profile] karohemd.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:06 am (UTC)(link)
Put in a "consistently" above.

Just out of interest, I'm going to keep track of it today.

[identity profile] karohemd.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:07 am (UTC)(link)
Which defeats the purpose as all vitamins and goodness will be gone.

[identity profile] belak-krin.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:08 am (UTC)(link)
I'd point out that tomatoes, cucumber and corguettes are all gooey when raw :P

[identity profile] dennyd.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:08 am (UTC)(link)
<3

[identity profile] robinbloke.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:09 am (UTC)(link)
I feel like a marine that's finished a death or glory mission ;)

[identity profile] robinbloke.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:10 am (UTC)(link)
And evil, don't forget evil.

[identity profile] karohemd.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:11 am (UTC)(link)
Let me hit you with a proper (i.e. not vat grown) courgette or cucumber and then tell me again they are gooey.
A nice tomato will have very little goo factor, too, just the bit around the seeds.

[identity profile] civi.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:16 am (UTC)(link)
MEAT TRAITOR!!!

I am decreasing your cow allowance.
See how you like your "five portions" then?!?

[identity profile] robinbloke.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:18 am (UTC)(link)
Deny me not my lovely meaty goodness, or the wedding is off!!

Besides; My next, and much easier task, is to eat five different types of MEAT a day. However I think this could be made much more interesting by having five different types per meal. :)

[identity profile] valkyriekaren.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:24 am (UTC)(link)
Wow. I never realised there were people who found the five-a-day thing difficult. I consistently eat four or five portions of fruit and veg a day. Fruit juice for breakfast, veggies or salad with my lunch, fruit salad for dessert, and an apple or banana as an afternoon snack. Easy!

[identity profile] civi.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:29 am (UTC)(link)
This new plan may see you be forgiven...

[identity profile] karohemd.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:29 am (UTC)(link)
Robin is weird.
The tricky thing is to get enough variety.
He wouldn't even touch the beautiful berries on this dessert I made for the last big meal at his house. :o(

[identity profile] dragonsire.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:31 am (UTC)(link)
the call of the mixed grill.. the jambolaya.. meaty goodness.

[identity profile] karohemd.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:35 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, and potatoes don't count. :oÞ

[identity profile] robinbloke.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:41 am (UTC)(link)
They surely do, but only for purposes of this argument.

[identity profile] robinbloke.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:42 am (UTC)(link)
Fruit juice I could drink all day, but salad is my bane. Stake me through the heart with some celery and I'd probably explode.

[identity profile] valkyriekaren.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:49 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, celery is utterly vile - I only use it when I'm making soupd or stocks and even then it has to be boiled into oblivion to get rid of the bitter taste. And salad can be banal if it's the usual pub-fare of some watery iceberg and limp tomatoes. But a nice, crisp, flavourful salad with a mellow balsamic or creamy ranch dressing is fantastic.

[identity profile] robinbloke.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:49 am (UTC)(link)
That's only if you follow the letter of the law.

[identity profile] karohemd.livejournal.com 2006-09-14 10:50 am (UTC)(link)
Have you ever tried my pepper salad?

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