Other Information

Following is some additional information to help you with converting to a vegetarian diet - a metric conversion chart, books, links and products we have used.

Conversion to Metric

What is that in millilitres?

For those of you who have grown up with the metric system, the Imperial measurements must seem confusing, indeed. Not only are equivalents seemingly illogical, but sometimes the same name can be used for two different measures, such as "ounce" that can be either weight or volume. In any case, below are a few critical ones to know for cooking. You may be able to memorize these - useful when shopping or planning in a hurry.

Temperature

To convert from Fahrenheit to Celsius (centigrade), subtract 32 and multiply by 5/9 (.555). To go from Celsius to Fahrenheit, multipy by 9/5 (1.8) and add 32. For example 350F, the temperature that is used for many recipes is (350 - 32) x 5/9 = 177C.

It is a good idea to buy an oven thermometer to compare the actual temperature to the oven setting, and adjust accordingly.

Volume

There are those pesky fluid ounces and the quart and the Imperial quart. Following are a few equivalents:

1 tbsp (tablespoon) = 15 ml (millilitres)
1 tbsp = 3 tsp (teaspoons)
1 tsp = 5 ml
1 cup = 8 fluid ounces = 240 ml
1 fluid ounce = 30 ml
1 pint = 2 cups = 480 ml (or approx. 1/2 litre)
1 quart = 4 cups = 960 ml (or approx. 1 litre)
1 IMPERIAL quart = 5 cups = 1200 ml

Weight

1 pound (lb.) = 16 OUNCES = .45 kilograms
1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds = 35.2 ounces

Books

There are many vegetarian cookbooks, magazines, and web sites. Below are some that we use and enjoy.

"The George Bernard Shaw Vegetarian Cookbook"

(by Alice Laden and R.J. Minney, New Revised Edition by Dorothy R. Bates,1987, THE BOOK PUBLISHING COMPANY, Summertown, TN 38483)

This was the first cookbook we bought when we decided to go veggie. We might not have made it without this wonderful little book.

"Quickies 2 veggies and more"

( by Monda Rosenberg, 1999, Mclelland & Stewart Inc., 481 University Avenue, Suite 900, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 2E9)

This is a great cookbook for busy people as many of the recipes are quick and easy to prepare - and delicious !

"Canadian Living's Best Vegetarian Dishes"

( From the kitchens of Canadian Living Magazine,1997, Madison Press Books. 40 Madison Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5R 2S1)

This is another wonderful Canadian cookbook with recipes that are easy to prepare.

"Linda's Kitchen"

(by Linda McCartney, 1995, Little, Brown and Company Inc. )

Since Linda McCartney was our inspiration for becoming vegetarians, we thought it only right to buy her book. We didn't need an excuse - this is one of our favourites.

"Great Vegetarian Food"

(Australian Women's Weekly, 2001, ACP Publishing Pty Limited www.awwbooks.com.au)

This Australian book was a gift that we use frequently. The names of some ingredients are different from North American books, but you can usually tell from the pictures what they are. Also, they seem not to have salt in Australia, so you may want to consider adding some.

"Vegetables"

(The Essentials Collection, 2002, Parragon Publishing, Queen Street House, 4 Queen St., Bath, BA1 1HE, UK )

This book has some very creative and unusual dishes that can be main courses or side dishes.

"Vegetarian Times "

(magazine published monthly - Editorial Offices Westshore III, 301 Concourse Blvd., Suite 350, ffices Glen Allen, Virginia 23059 www.vegetariantimes.com)

Pick up a copy of this magazine and have a look at some of the recipes - you will see our creative veggie cuisine can be. We have enjoyed everything we have tried from this magazine - lots of good health information, too.

"Sinfully Vegan "

Over 140 Decadent Desserts to Satisfy Every Vegan's Sweet Tooth

(by Lois Dieterly, 2003, Marlowe and Company, 245 W.17th Street, 11th Floor, New York,N.Y. 10011)

Lots of delicious vegan desserts that are easy to make.

"Becoming Vegetarian"

(by Vesanto Melina, R.D., Brenda Davis, R.D., Victoria Harrison, R.D., 1994, Macmillan Canada, Toronto)

This book is primarily about the health benefits of vegetarianism with lots of info about nutrition.

"Veggie revolution: Smart Choices for a Healthy Body and a Healthy Planet"

(by Sally Kneidel, Ph.D., and Sara Kate Kneidel, 2005, Fulcrum Publishing, Golden, Colorado)

This very readable book contains information on the environmental impact, animal welfare, and health concerns of an omnivore diet. It would be a great gift for folks who may not understand the effects of their food choices.

Links

Toronto Vegetarian Association

For those of you who live in Toronto, you might want to check out the resources of The Toronto Vegetarian Association.
We paricularly found their brochure helpful for restaurants and take-out places.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

Almost everyone has heard of PETA and their work for animal rights. Their web site is updated almost daily on their current campaigns and successes. You can order a "veggie starter kit" from them.

vegcooking.com

PETA's recipe cooking web site - delicious recipes !

Realities of Factory Farming

Most people do not realize how terribly animals are treated on factory farms. This site gives you some insight.

David Suzuki Foundation

The David Suzuki Foundation web site is primarily on environmental issues. One of the challenges to average folks who want to help the environment is to go meat-free one day a week. We, of course, would like you to go meat-free seven days a week, but if you can't quite get there, you will still be contributing to the benefits in proportion that you do.