I love to bake and cook and with the need for a healthy lifestyle, there is a growing trend towards more natural, organic and vegan cooking.  Your best bet if you are a starter cook is to substitute tofu (tokwa) for meat in traditional dishes that are sauteed i.e. chopsuey because tofu has a tendency to toughen with prolonged cooking.  Later on you can become more adventurous and use stuff like polenta which is so easy to make.  I also use a tomato/vegetable sauce that is quite good and people who have tried it dont know it does not have any meat in it.  You can use it as a sauce for pasta, and for chili, for tacos or quesadillas and so much more.  Another very versatile and easy to use veggie is the bean sprouts or taugi which you can cook chinese or korean style with minced garlic, shredded ginger, and red pepper flakes.  Remove the heads, saute with the other ingredients, add lite soy to taste and serve hot with freshly cooked rice. YUUM.  If you like  I can post other recipes for you to experiment on.

i am a lacto vegan (vegetarian but still eat dairy products). i will be in butuan for a week, sept/oct 2009. i will be happy if anyone can tell me a reputable vegetarian restaurant in butuan...kanang limpyo ba...i had been to one in my previous visit, but not so pleased with its cleanliness...

due to the increase of fast food outlets in cities around the world and the effects of globalization, traditional foods are at risk of vanishing into oblivion. the constant bombardment by tv advertisements to our children proclaiming the supremacy of hamburgers, french fries, fried chicken and the like not only jeopardize their health but also alienate them from their natural environment. many kids, especially those living in big cities do not even know what an eggplant looks like.

it is quite interesting though that there is a movement now to counter the effects of the fast food culture. this movement is called the SLOW FOOD movement. it began in Italy almost 20 years ago. i don't know if this movement has reached the Philippines. basically, its aim is to protect traditional cultures and the environment.

i saw a tv program today which is quite interesting. unfortunately, it will only be available for viewing for less than a week. but i'm sure you can find lots of information about the SLOW FOOD movement on the net. here's the link:

http://www.abc.net.au/iview/#/view/429877