Selfsufficientish.com

catalyst wrote:unfortunately (some or all?) vegetarian rennet is genetically manufactured.

Most veggie rennet used by commercial cheesemakers used to be GM, but not anymore - some even say on their pack that it's non-GM. And all those organic cheeses couldn't use GM veggie rennet, but some of their cheeses are "suitable for vegetarians".

But I agree with you, it's a complicated world... If you are trying to be perfect. I've given up somewhere along the line - I'm just trying to be perfect-ish now!

Hey Chaps,

I know it's important to consider the vegetarian status of chocolate but please also consider the human cost. Have a look at this link to Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_expl ... e_industry

Some of the information on here is disputed and I know there has been people who argue against it but at the end of the day, are you really willing to take the risk that your treat is supporting the slave trade?

I've adopted the approach that if I can't be certian Cadburys cocao isn't made using slaves, I'd better avoid it alltogether.

Some further reading on labour exploitation in the chocolate industry and trafficking...

http://www.stopthetraffik.org/chocolatecampaign/

ina wrote:

Wombat wrote: Even if they're deep fried Ina?

I may live here, but I'm still not THAT Scottish!

Argh, no, no, no. I've heard they even batter pizza and deep fry it...

No, Mars bars were always too sickeningly sweet for me. Must admit I like Snickers once in a while - that combination of peanuts and chocolate is rather nice. But you can get ordinary chocolate coated peanuts, which I'm sure contain less dodgy additives!

I've actually seen a deep fried pizza it looked like someone had eaten once already

Jarmara wrote: I've actually seen a deep fried pizza it looked like someone had eaten once already

Since that's the kind of food folk here eat after a "good night out", in other words in a state of extreme intoxication, that wouldn't really matter anyway. It's most likely to end up out again at the next street corner.

Before I gave up non fair trade chocolate I tryed a deep fried mars bar. It's not that bad actually. Think crepe with chocolate sauce and you've got the idea. As mars bars are so large it did get abit sickly towards the end though.

Unfortunatly the shop doing it has now closed down. Health and Safety found they had been battering and deep frying rugby players left shoes. Some kind of initiation ceremony I think

QuakerBear wrote:Health and Safety found they had been battering and deep frying rugby players left shoes. Some kind of initiation ceremony I think

I thought it was just the Scots who deep fry everything... Well, if you are desperate, come up north - I'm sure you'll find a chippie who'll do you one. Mars bar, I'm talking about. Or even a fair trade organic chocolate bar, deep fried...

It is wierd reading this, I am finding myself thinking all the deep fried foods are quite normal. Then I am Glaswegian...

I thought some people might find it interesting what is regularly available from chip shops in Glasgow.

Deep fried...

Pizza (with or without batter)
Fish (in batter)
Chicken (in batter)
Burger (with or without batter)
Haggis (in batter)
Black pudding (in batter)
Sausage (with or without batter)
Bounty bar (in batter)
Mars bar (in batter)
Banana (in batter)
Potato fritter (in batter)
Scotch pie - mutton round pie
Steak pie


It is all relativley common, maybe it is just part of our weird culture - Glasgow has the lowest life expectancy of any city in the developed world

Also to add to those who don't know... these are always 'served' with chips, smothered in salt and vinegar. Chips on their own are often served with cheese, gravy or curry sauce. When buying a 'supper' you must accompany it with a bottle of Irn Bru, and only the softies use a chip fork

You forgot pineapple! Or is that an Aberdonian speciality?

LMAO Ina!!! I can't stand any kind of fried food. Yak. Talking of Aberdonian specialities, what about butteries? Icky things they are!

Showing our city's Scottish heritage maybe, but we can buy most of those here too, as well as the pineapple, and also deepfried corn-on-the-cob...

Mmmm, cheesy chips....

Hippyhedgewitch wrote:Talking of Aberdonian specialities, what about butteries? Icky things they are!

Ah now - there I have to disagree. I quite like them. Only the veggie ones, of course - I always check what's in them. But a "real" Aberdonian eats them buttered, and that I can't do. Yes, they are quite fatty, but so are croissants. Butteries (which don't contain butter, btw, but are traditionally made with lard), are just flat, salty croissants...

to this conversation, and I thought French cuisine was vile - the speciality in Brittany being a sausage in a buckwheat pancake (fast food version) or just buckwheat pancake with various fillings and often a half raw egg on the top.....

Anyway, don't you have deep fried mushy pea cakes in Scotland? First time I saw one was in my husband's neck of the woods, Notts. Ewww!

Millymollymandy wrote: Anyway, don't you have deep fried mushy pea cakes in Scotland?

Maybe we do - I very rarely go into a chippie's...