AKICILJ: the long-distance nurturing edition

[mrissa]

gaaldine and the_overqual, avert your eyes.

So. Let us say, for the sake of argument, that you have a friend who is a vegetarian. Possibly you have multiple friends eating vegetarian meals. Anyway, for the sake of this discussion, if N = your vegetarian friends, N > 0. Right. Let us further say that this hypothetical non-zero vegetarian friend of yours is currently living somewhere that is...not precisely a haven for vegetarians. Let us further stipulate that the hypothetical vegetarian is not mad keen on mushrooms and doesn't like rosemary much but can have eggs and milk products from cows, sheep, goats, yaks, whatever.

If your friend was carnivorous and you wanted to send them some sort of meal-like care package, you could go to Omaha Steaks and send them some useful bits of stuff that could become meals on days when they might not have the time/energy for real cooking. But if your friend was carnivorous, they would not be up this particular creek, or at least not without a paddle.

The internet is a big place. You do not want to send a fruit basket. Where do you go to order vegetarian meals of decent quality for delivery? I am as fond of veggie lasagna as the next person--probably fonder--but surely there are other options out there. Aren't there?

Comments

[aedifica]

Does my hypothetical friend like frozen dinners? Dried veggies that can become soup/stew/etc ingredients? Something else?

If my hypothetical friend wanted frozen dinners, I might try to send them some from Amy's or Ethnic Gourmet (the latter is not solely vegetarian, but the palak paneer is good), or some of the other brands on the shelf at my co-op.

If dried veggies, I would send a care package from Harmony House. I particularly like their carrots because they reconstitute like (cooked) finely-chopped carrots and I don't have to chop them myself. I use them in spaghetti sauce, stews, and things like that.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

One expects that my hypothetical friend can buy carrots etc., so it's more frozen dinner/premade sauce of goodness/specifically veggie protein sources/etc. for which I search.

P.S.

[aedifica]

There are also things that are like frozen meals only shelf-stable. The ones I've seen tend to be Indian food. Some are very yummy, some are not at all good, and I have an ongoing post to help myself keep track of which I think are which. Most (but not all!) are microwavable.

[ashnistrike.livejournal.com]

A variety of fascinating cheeses, breads, pastas, etc., can be ordered from Zingerman's. Do not be put off by the fact that they are currently highlighting an all-pork package at the top of the main page. I am especially fond of the Zingerman's Creamery farmer's cheese, their challah, and the spiffy gourmet Nutella-equivalent spread. (http://www.zingermans.com/)

[ashnistrike.livejournal.com]

Please let me have managed to put an end to that link.

[ashnistrike.livejournal.com]

Or maybe LJ does it automatically. Sorry about that.

[nihilistic-kid.livejournal.com]

I'd still try Omaha Steaks and send the potatoes and the caramel apple tarts and the chocolate cake and the risotto cakes and the antipasto bread and the green bean casserole and the veggie medly and and and...

[lutin.livejournal.com]

VegWeb might have answers. So might the PPK (http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/index.php), who are vegan, but have vast stores of this kind of knowledge.

[aedifica]

If a hypothetical friend enjoys cooking but is getting tired of a small selection of meatless recipes, the friend might enjoy The Low-Budget Vegetarian Cookbook (known in my family as Eve's Dad's Cookbook), which can be downloaded in PDF format here. The first half of the book is a primer on the foods and preparation styles (including the differences between all the kinds of rice in the supermarket and how to make beans more digestible), and the second half is recipes. It's not so much a care-package type of item, but a hypothetical friend might hypothetically enjoy it anyway.

Premade sauce of goodness: there's an excellent one the co-op carries, but it's right next to a not-so-good one and I can't remember which is which. (Different brands of masala sauce.) I'll ask my sister if she remembers.

Those are my thoughts for the moment, but I'll keep my eyes open next time I'm at the co-op and see if there's anything else that seems like it would work well for something like this.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

I don't have a current mail-order cheese vendor in mind, but I know cheese can be shipped because back when it existed Cheese-Lovers International did so monthly. There's probably a good company somewhere shipping cheese, though. Maybe igourmet.com? I haven't used them. Anybody have experience?

[moiread]

There has got to be someplace that makes decent pumpkin and/or apple leather.

Re: P.S.

[txanne.livejournal.com]

Those shelf-stable things are full of even More sodium than most pre-made dinners. So caveant emptores.

[wshaffer.livejournal.com]

You might try Kalustyan's: http://www.kalustyans.com/default.asp. I've used them mostly for ordering beans, lentils, and spices, but they also have a selection of ready-to-eat foods.

My father did a project where he worked with several vegetarian programmers from India who were temporarily based in the Chicago suburbs. Not vegetarian heaven. We used to send them care packages of ready-to-eat Indian food from Trader Joe's. Tasty Bite is one brand I remember.

[numinicious.livejournal.com]

Send them a gift basket of nuts! (http://www.nutsonline.com/) Yes, nuts! This is doubly awesome because it allows you to make wisecracks about your friend's sanity.

Although it occurs to me that not many people consider nuts to be a meal in and of themselves. So perhaps some kind of pasta gift basket (http://www.gourmetgiftbaskets.com/Italian-Gift-Baskets.asp)?

I can tell you what not to send - Hungarian food! It's not very vegetarian. Although the quickest meal that I have ever made is incredibly simple and Hungarian: mákostészta, aka poppy seed pasta. So maybe some Hungarian spices or something? Szaloncukor! You can make meals out of szaloncukor! You shouldn't, but you can. :D

[timprov.livejournal.com]

YoucangeteverythingatAmazon.com vegetarian (http://www.amazon.com/s/?bbn=16310101&rh=n%3a16310101%2cn%3a114321011) and vegan (http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&rs=114322011&bbn=114322011&rh=n%3a16310101%2cn%3a!114318011%2cn%3a!383594011%2cn%3a!114319011%2cn%3a114322011).

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

No, hypothetical friend has a bunch of recipes and is good at internet. But has also changed living circumstances such that previously available vegetarian protein sources are no longer immediately available.

Re: P.S.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Nice of you to be a guinea pig on such things! Much appreciated.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Ah yes! A friend sent me a Zingerman's gift card at the beginning of this stupid vertigo, but I had filed it as "deli" and deli as "non-vegetarian," so I was thinking of it as less helpful than it might be.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Good deal. I had only looked at meals and was noting that their meals were mostly divided by type of meat at the center of each, with "none" not appearing as an option.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

You realize that if there isn't, my kitchen may have to become someplace of that description now.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

By which you mean, allows me to make additional wisecracks about my friends' sanity.

And yes, there are all kinds of things they could make a meal out of.

PS Did you make a meal out of something today? Internet Mom Wants YOU to eat. Imagine me with the Uncle Sam hat on.

[moiread]

I can think of worse things. (She says, with a whole bag of homemade pumpkin leather in the freezer right upstairs.)

[numinicious.livejournal.com]

Of course. :P

Nuts aren't such a bad idea, though, if not for a meal than for a delicious snack!

P.S. I am actually eating mákostészta as I type this. :3 So yes, not only did I cook, but I ate the stuff I cooked.
P.P.S. and I did get your email and as soon as I get back from boxing I shall reply and stuff. 8D

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

So...you have a recipe for this item?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Yay food!

And yes, everybody likes nuts. Where, as usual, by "everybody" I mean me.

Or me and Grandma. We could be everybody for awhile.