Tasting while you are cooking

My ex's best friend is a big time chef in NY and went CIA (posh cooking school in upstate NY). He was a complete vegetarian and always tasted everything he cooked including meat. He just knew that he had to in order to be able to serve it. Incidently, everything that he ever served me was incredible!

..of course! We all know that you are perfect!! Your DH is very smart!

I must say that my stuff comes out a lot better the first time because I DO taste things!  Oh well...DH will just have to deal!

My ex's best friend is a big time chef in NY and went CIA (posh cooking school in upstate NY). He was a complete vegetarian and always tasted everything he cooked including meat. He just knew that he had to in order to be able to serve it. Incidently, everything that he ever served me was incredible!

We have often thought that we could never be chefs simply because we are not meat eaters - I don't think DH could even tell what meat should taste like so he wouldn't be able to tell if it was right or not!

We have often thought that we could never be chefs simply because we are not meat eaters - I don't think DH could even tell what meat should taste like so he wouldn't be able to tell if it was right or not!

I've thought the same thing. I'd loooove to go to a proper culinary school, but there's no way I could taste any of the meat. I just couldn't do it. I don't even enjoy preparing meat dishes for my bf, but I do it. Shudder. I've taken the odd class at Johnson & Wales culinary school in the US, but only the ones that didn't involve meat.

I'm vegetarian and cook meat for other people without tasting it ... all my friends think I'm a great cook.   Geeta & Belindaloo there is a vegetarian gourmet cooking course you can do, I think it's called Cuisine Vert or Cordon Vert.

- he (somehow) thinks you should be able to make it properly and to the right taste every time by knowing how much of each spice to put in and when.  Thus there is no need for tasting since you know get it right already! 

Just like the cooks in the navy chow hall did...perfect everytime (yea right) 

I also taste and smell when I cook.  I'd have a hard time doing it if I didn't.

Geeta & Belindaloo there is a vegetarian gourmet cooking course you can do, I think it's called Cuisine Vert or Cordon Vert.

Thanks for that, Liz! I found it:  http://www.vegsoc.org/cordonvert/

Sounds fantastic!

The problem with me is that I do really enjoy cooking and eating poultry and seafood -- so I'm a sort of pretend vegetarian. 

Well, I've never even heard of NOT tasting the food while it cooks. If it's part of his religion, I think you should do your best to respect his wishes, though.

Since I'm only feeding myself and my husband, and we joyfully swap spit all the time, I never even think about the fact that I'm tasting from the same spoon I stir with. LOL

Thanks for that, Liz! I found it:  http://www.vegsoc.org/cordonvert/

Sounds fantastic!

The problem with me is that I do really enjoy cooking and eating poultry and seafood -- so I'm a sort of pretend vegetarian. 

A demi-vegetarian then?  I eat seafood too so techinically I'm pescetarian but that sounds like I eat fish for every meal!

The problem with me is that I do really enjoy cooking and eating poultry and seafood -- so I'm a sort of pretend vegetarian. 

So it's just red meat that's off the menu? Is there a term to describe your category? So instead of being a pretend vegetarian you can be a real something- a vegetarianPlus. Maybe we should create a new word.

A demi-vegetarian then?

I like it. 

pescetarian - I never knew that!

The problem with me is that I do really enjoy cooking and eating poultry and seafood -- so I'm a sort of pretend vegetarian. 

I was having this argument with one of my coworkers - he was saying his friend is a vegetarian.  I was like, cool.  Then he said, well she will eat meat if she has to.  I was like  that's NOT a vegetarian!!  He said yes,  it is, just you know, sometimes you don't have a choice.  I said, um yes you do! She's not a vegetarian, she just doesn't eat red meat/pork!  He tried to tell me that I should be more understanding and inclusive about it.  I said, you know, I can SAY I'm a black male who's 6 feet tall but guess what - I'm not!    There's a definition and she does not fit it!!!   He then looked it up online and was forced to agree with me.

I was at a client meeting once and we had a lunch halfway through - usually it's like a buffet with sandwiches but this time as it was a small meeting we all sat around a table and they served us plated meals of...you guessed it, chicken.  Of course I didn't eat it!  I just pushed it around and ate the bread and vegetables.  Hope no one noticed.

Well, I've never even heard of NOT tasting the food while it cooks. If it's part of his religion, I think you should do your best to respect his wishes, though.

Yeah it's not REALLY part of his religion...more part of the culture...but I guess in some sense that's why he is not comfortable with it.

So it's just red meat that's off the menu? Is there a term to describe your category? So instead of being a pretend vegetarian you can be a real something- a vegetarianPlus. Maybe we should create a new word.

Yes, it's just red meat (or four-legged meat, as I like to call it) that's off the menu for me. I never actually call myself a vegetarian, though, because I'm clearly not. But you're right -- there should be a word for what I am! (no smart comments, please)

Lots of times I can see why people would say they are vegetarian if they just don't want to eat meat right then - like at a restaurant - or if they might want to avoid a dish/restaurant (like a steak place or something).  But as belindaloo said, that's really someone who doesn't eat red meat-chicken-fish-whatever.  A vegetarian is someone who eats none of those - no animals.

As per the International Vegetarian Union:

vegetarianism includes veganism and is defined as the practice of not eating meat, poultry or fish or their by-products, with or without the use of dairy products or eggs

I do eat dairy and eggs so I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian and I am NOT a vegan!  Not that there's anything wrong with it...

Or you can be like my parents who describe themselves thus: "we're vegetarians who eat meat"     

I usually describe myself as vegetarian rather than pescetarian because not many people know what that means; also if I am having dinner out somewhere I don't necessarily want fish.   It is not like I eat fish every day, it's a once a week or once a fortnight thing. I could describe myself as a "non meat eater" but that doesn't really encompass avoiding things like gelatine and other meat derivatives.