AZLaura's Profile

@Megly, I have been a vegetarian for seventeen years, and I would never eat meat served at someone else's house. On the flip side, though, I would never expect them to make a special vegetarian dish just for me. Certainly it's appreciated if they do, but I usually snack before dining at someone's home or at an unfamiliar restaurant, just in case, and I don't resent anyone for not providing me with special food.

Even if I wanted to, at this point I'm fairly sure I can't digest meat. I accidentally consumed a small amount a couple years ago and had the absolute worst case of stomach upset. I think it's possible that since I became a vegetarian at age six (my choice, my parents eat meat), my body just never developed the proper enzymes? I have no idea if this has scientific backing, but I do know from experience that I can't simply decide to start eating meat at the drop of a hat.

I LOVE IT! I'm so amazed how you had the vision for this--so hard to imagine it from the bland "before" pictures. I can see how it's not for everyone, but it's so cheery, and I just love saturated colors. I would love to live here!!

I've been a vegetarian since I was six (yes, six!). My parents were meat eaters, but luckily for me, they tolerated what they thought was a phase (even though it ended up being a lifelong commitment)!

I love Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian--it's great for a cook just starting out, and it's really flexible, so you can find a recipe no matter what you're in the mood for or what ingredients you have on hand. Nothing from the book is necessarily spectacular, but it's all reliably good, and most of it is very easy.

I also love Deborah Madison's books, although sometimes her recipes are a bit more complicated/call for more obscure ingredients. And I want to second the Madhur Jaffrey recommendation. After a while, you start to eat the same vegetarian meals over and over, and Jaffrey's book has a lot of new and interesting flavors. To be fair, some of her recipes might call for ingredients not available everywhere, but I haven't had too much trouble.

I would also advise your sister to stock up on frozen foods like Amy's burritos (tasty, protein-rich, and cheap!) and canned beans (ditto, and you can doctor them up in so many ways), so she always has something to eat even when her parents won't cook for her and she's busy with homework.

It's kind of funny but kind of sad for me to read all of the posts above about Arizona. I was born and raised in Phoenix. Phoenix is a big city, and a new city (Arizona only became a state in 1914), and they're just starting to get a handle on things. But that doesn't mean they're not making progress in many parts of the city. For instance, in the neighborhood where I grew up, in North Central Phoenix (around Sunnyslope, Moon Valleyish), all of the houses have sustainable, native plant landscaping. There are no HOAs. And I know a lot of people in Phoenix who are very concerned about water conservation and supporting native species. It's the people who are new to the area, who move in and move out, who don't really get a feel for what the city is actually trying to do. They just base their impression off of a the gated suburbs on the edges of the city, which is really no longer the direction that the city as a whole is trying to move in. Do you notice that many of those new planned developments lie empty, while downtown is experiencing a revival, even in this economy?

I just can't stand how it's so cool to hate on Phoenix. Sure, it has its problems, but I've lived in a few other places since growing up there, and they all have their fair share of issues. And Phoenix has a lot of great attributes such as, for instance, its fabulous mountain preserve system. South Mountain is the largest municipal park in the country. And trails in the mountain preserves in central Phoenix allow you to hike/run/bike/ride horses for miles and miles of wilderness (NOT grassy parks, actual nature) without having to cross a road. There aren't many other major cities that you could say that about--none really. Within a 30-60 minute drive from downtown you can access probably ten different mountain ranges and hiking areas, with a few hundred miles of trails. Not to mention the extremely affordable housing, the great local restaurants (best pizza in America!) and many stunning examples of "desert modernism" architecture.

Sure, a lot of people in Phoenix are ignorant and uneducated. Sure, the politics is nuts and the sprawl has not been controlled as it should have been. But many people active in the city are trying to do better. If you're used to cities like Chicago (where I currently live and really want to leave), then you probably won't appreciate what Phoenix has to offer. If you're used to trees and snow, then you probably won't see the beauty in saguaros and fantastic sunsets and rocky mountains. All I have to say is, I guess, your loss.

While I love this and want to see more, the idea of using a former urinal as a sink just grosses me out...irrational but true.