Vegan Pizza: Tasty Facts, Wide Options

Many new vegans (persons who do not eat meat, eggs or dairy products), or hosts who are serving vegan guests for the first time, may have a hard time coming up with creative, tasty dishes. Vegan pizza is often a simple and easy choice. However, after solving the puzzle up to that point, many people get in a rut and things start to get a little stale.

But there are many facts about vegan pizza that many people -- including long-time vegans -- do not know.

For instance, did you know that the original, authentic, Italian pizza is traditionally vegan, i.e. no meat and no cheese? It is called the Marinara, and because of the simple but special ingredients used, and the cooking method, many pizza connoisseurs choose this pure version as their favourite pizza.

In addition to the Marinara, there are a number of other vegan pizza choices available.

Vegan pizzas are available at your favourite pizza place, you can buy it frozen, or make it at home. While it is not common to find a pizzeria that serves authentic Marinara pizzas, it is easy to get a cheeseless pizza from any pizza restaurant by just asking to hold the cheese.

Very good frozen vegan pizzas are also becoming more readily available, too, and tastier.

Then there is the home-made pizza option, which may be the best choice if you want a more authentic Italian pizza, if you would like to use cheese and meat vegan substitutes, or if you want to use non-traditional pizza crusts.

With regard to toppings, you can go cheeseless (in traditional Italian or modern vegan style), use vegan cheese substitutes, or nutritional yeast "cheese" sauce (very nutritious, rich in protein and B-vitamins). Vegan Cheese substitutes, it must be noted, have not traditionally been able to reproduce the familiar "stringy" quality of melted mozzarella on vegan pizza, with the exception of one brand which is tapioca- and arrowroot- based rather than soy-based.

That's not all. While pizza dough is already vegan, not many people know that there are significant differences in types of flour, and not all flour is available everywhere. The fact is that the single most important component of a pizza is the base, not the toppings. Authentic Italian pizza needs "00" flour, not readily available in North America, but this gives a distinctive airy and stretchy texture, and handles perfectly when forming into a circle.

It is perfectly possible to make good (but not authentic Italian) pizza crusts using regularly available baking flour (beer is often a good addition), or whole wheat flour. But outside of that there are tasty gluten-free pizza crusts available, using tapioca and manioc flour (from Brazil), or seeds, vegetables, and legumes (in a modern vegan variation).

In a more traditional European gourmet mode, one can also use puff pastry as the pizza base to make very interesting vegan pizzas. Sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and mustard seeds, mushroom and artichoke, thinly sliced potato with olive oil and rosemary (a traditional European favourite that is virtually unknown in America), all go beautifully on flaky puff pastry.

You can explore all of these vegan pizza recipes at Vegan Pizza Place. For you, your vegan family members, or friends, we hope that a whole new world of ideas will open up.

AJ Neal has been a vegetarian since 1988, is married to a non-vegetarian, the father of one son (vegetarian since birth), and administers veganpizzaplace.com.

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An Eccentric Lifestyle Popular in the Early 19th Century Has Left Us the Graham Cracker and More!

The Presbyterian Reverend Sylvester Graham, an early 19th century proponent of an extreme, aesthetic lifestyle, is largely forgotten today. During his life, however, he was amazingly popular and many of the theories he espoused are actually popular to this day, though he is rarely credited with their acceptance. He was also widely reviled and a controversial figure of derision.

Rev. Graham promoted a strict form of vegetarianism at a time when meat was a staple and considered essential to a healthy lifestyle. He held a number of extremely controversial diet and wellness ideas which he championed and was militant in defending. His followers were so dedicated that they became known as Grahamites.

Speaking before adoring crowds, Rev. Graham spoke boldly and powerfully against women wearing corsets, any type of gratuitous sexual activity and nihilism. His encouragement of a Spartan lifestyle was widely reported in the media.

In an age when bathing was rare and oral care primitive Grahamites practiced both; daily and religiously. Temperance was strictly enforced among Grahamites. Excitement was discouraged. They also did not use spices to enrich the taste of food, as these additives were considered to excite the senses and encourage sexual activity. Consuming meat, butter and white bread were forbidden. Especially white bread!

The elimination of white flour from their diet became central to the lifestyle and philosophy of Grahamites. Rev. Graham preached about the evils of white flour which was considered crucial by bakers in producing whiter loaves and more commercially appealing bread. He despised any food that contained additives and chemicals. Darker types of bread were considered a foodstuff for the lower classes during the Industrial Revolution. Graham set out to change this perception.

He created the recipe for Graham bread. It was made from un-sifted flour and contained no alum or chlorine, both present in the white bread of that time. He believed that bread should be coarse not fluffy and uniform like the loaves then being mass produced in industrial bakeries. A variant of the recipe for Graham bread lead to the creation of Graham crackers, popular to this day. Grahamites consumed massive quantities of Graham crackers to supplement their exceedingly bland diet.

Grahamism died out soon after Rev. Sylvester Graham's death in 1857. His death in Northampton, Massachusetts, where a restaurant named Sylvester's stands on the site of his home, marked the zenith of his movement. His influence, however, had touched such important Americans as Horace Greeley, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his brother William Kellogg. Their creation of Kellogg's Corn Flakes, and founding of the Battle Creek Institute, was heavily linked to their belief in Grahamism.

It has been over 150 years since the death of Rev. Sylvester Graham. It is generally forgotten that he is responsible for the creation of ubiquitous Graham Crackers, still found in most home larders. And yet, many of the principle ideas which he pioneered and were forgotten after he was deceased are again au courant today.

Modern nutritionists strongly endorse limiting the consumption of meat and refined, processed foods in the diet. Dark, multi-grain breads are promoted as key elements of a healthy diet. A vegetarian or vegan type of diet is increasingly popular. Daily bathing and proper oral care are cornerstones of hygiene and personal care. All of these ideas were key, if controversial planks in the philosophy that was central the Grahamist lifestyle. Today we accept them as factual truths, supported by science and research data.

Geoff Ficke has been a serial entrepreneur for almost 50 years. As a small boy, earning his spending money doing odd jobs in the neighborhood, he learned the value of selling himself, offering service and value for money.

After putting himself through the University of Kentucky (B.A. Broadcast Journalism, 1969) and serving in the United States Marine Corp, Mr. Ficke commenced a career in the cosmetic industry. After rising to National Sales Manager for Vidal Sassoon Hair Care at age 28, he then launched a number of ventures, including Rubigo Cosmetics, Parfums Pierre Wulff Paris, Le Bain Couture and Fashion Fragrance.

Geoff Ficke and his consulting firm, Duquesa Marketing, has assisted businesses large and small, domestic and international, entrepreneurs, inventors and students in new product development, capital formation, licensing, marketing, sales and business plans and successful implementation of his customized strategies. He is a Senior Fellow at the Page Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Business School, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Geoff_Ficke

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Being Vegetarian - What Does This Really Mean?

Many people all over the world love to eat meat, but there are those who only want to eat vegetables. There are many reasons a person wants to be a vegetarian, but perhaps the most obvious factor is economics. Vegetables are far more affordable than meat and healthier as well, so the latter is only used for special occasions. Incidentally, even if meat is plentiful in some gatherings, there are some individuals who want to eat it moderately. Vegetarianism is a term used for people who want to eat vegetables exclusively because they value their health and do not want to get sick with meat-related ailments.

For other people, their religious belief prevents them from eating meat because they think that eating animals is not right. Still, other people have expressed concern over the environment so they chose to be vegetarian. Hard-core vegetarians do not consume meat at all and that includes fish and chicken. On the other hand, a lacto-ovo vegetarian will eat eggs dairy products, but not meat. Those who follow a strict form of vegetarianism called veganism do not eat all meat products, eggs, dairy products together with gelatin and honey that are made of animal products.

Many years ago, many Americans often consider individuals who do not eat meat as queer, but times are changing. Vegetarianism is taking the world by storm although vegetarians are still a minority in the United States. ADA also known as the American Dietetic Association has endorsed vegetarian diets because these are very beneficial for those who are conscious with their health. Being a vegetarian is not strange anymore because people have embraced the idea that eating vegetables makes one stronger in body and spirit. Furthermore, a growing number of schools and restaurants are serving vegetables in their menus instead of the usual jelly or peanut butter sandwich.

Becoming a vegetarian is easier said than done and people have to educate themselves first and plan their diets carefully. If these people are able to maintain a strictly vegetarian diet, they will become stronger; have firmer muscles and bones, and a higher energy to boot. Would-be vegetarians though have to be cautious with a vegetarian diet because it is lacking in zinc, vitamins B12 and D, calcium, iron and protein. Fortunately, in lieu of eggs, dairy products, and fish people can take other alternatives such as mineral supplements and multiple vitamins.

In regard to vitamins, those who are not getting enough Vitamin D from the sun may resort to buying breakfast cereals and soy milk that is fortified. A vegetarian who wants protein sans the meat can eat various foods like nuts, peanut butter, eggs, tofu, soy milk and grains to name a few. Supplements will be needed if people want to take in B12 which is typically found in animal products. Zinc is another mineral requirement that people need for their bodies, so the best foods for them are nuts, soy products, dried beans and fortified cereals. Lastly, a vegetarian must consult with a dietician and discuss what foods he or she may take.

Ralph Wilhelm-dude17111 is an online researcher and marketer.
For more information on Being Vegetarian follow this link.

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