THE MONEY'S gardenburger is ths

meat in people's diets.

io Terry Peters

latest arrival on the meatless burger scene. Available in stores
soon, it joins a number of other patties that use ingredients ranging from nuts to tofu to repiace

Slap some

mushroom burgs
on the barbie

MEET ROBERT, Elizabeth and their young daughter,

Christine. They are a typical North

Vancouver family,

iooking forward to a summer filled with the sounds of
steaks sizzling on the barbecue and hotdogs being Mogged

at the park.

Little do they know that. their
carefree carnivorous lifestyle is be-
ing encroached upon by an ever-
growing supply of meatless pro-
ducts such as tofu wieners and
vengie burgers.

As more and more people adopt
various degrees of vegetarianism
for reasons ranging from health
awareness to animal rights beliefs,
the market has responded with an
array of products to make the
transition from familiar foods,
such as hamburgers, easier.

The most recent newcomer in
the meatless patty arena is a
*‘gardenburger’’ being marketed
by Money's Mushrooms of
Langley.

Not surprisingly, the first in-
gredient listed on the fabel is
mushrooms. Other ingredients in-
clude onions, brown rice, low-fat
mozzarella, bulgur wheat, rolled
oats and spices.

Hoping to appeal to mainstream
consumers who may not consider
themselves ‘*health-food — nuts,”
Money’s makes a point of saying
there are no soybean products or
tofu in their patties.

This brings us back to Robert,
Elizabeth and Christine — a fami-
ly that tends to regard vegetarian

products with some = skepticism,
preferring the traditional tastes
that were served up <n their

childhood dinner plates.

In short, the ideal family to
taste test a range of meatless pat-
ties for the benefit of other rank
novices in the field of alternative
cuisine.

The four patties selected for the
taste test were the Money's
gardenburger — which is sold in
boxes of tvo patties or in a box
complete with a multi-grain bun

By Peggy Trendeli-Whittaker
News Reporter

and condiments — Mandarin
Tofu Patties, Turtle tstand
Tempeh Burgers and Isadora’s

Go-Nuts Burger.
_ Interestingly, the most readily
available patty —- the Mandarin
brand, which is commonly seen in
most supermarkets — was the
least liked by the Caste testers.

The tempeh patty was deemed a
bit too spicy. Tempeh is a soy
product that is chewier than tofu

and generally considered more
meaty in texture.
‘Topping the polls were the

Money’s nevcomer and the Go-
Nuts berger, which was developed
by Isadora’s restaurant,

“| like this one best,’’ com-
mented Elizabeth, while Robert
acknowledged, ‘‘yeah, that could
go,”’ and ranked it in second spot.

The Go-Nuts burger, which is
walnut-based, received top com-
mendation from Robert in nart
because of its chewy texture. “It’s
important to mimic the chew ac-
tion of meat,” he emphasized.

While the family said they
weren't especially anxious to rush
out and buy more meailess pro-
ducts for their future dinners, the
chances are good they wiil be en-
countering them mere often as an
option at restaurants,

Marketers at Monecy’s
Mushrooms report that some local
restaurants are considering in-
cluding the gardenburger as a
menu item, With about 1/6 the
fat and half the calories as a regu-
lar ground beef burger, the
chances are good that such an of-
fering would achieve great success.

Wild salmon works the best for smoking

SMOKING SALMON today combines an age-old process
technology of commerciai
vacuum-packing. The results are moist, delicate and addic-

with the new
ting.
Though smoking is a simple

process, it isn’t easy to smoke fish
well.

Those involved stress that qual-
ity products begin with quality
fish. We’re told that wild salmon,
troll-caught, are the most suitable
for smoking because the fish is
tender, yet firm enough to slice
paper-thin.

After fileting, the salmon is
cured. This sometimes means
basking in a spicy brine. Often,
however, it’s dry-cured by rubbing
aomixture of salt, suger, and
spices onto the surface of the
filets, te draw off moisture and
allow the cure lo permeate.

In the preparation of praviax,
origins” x. Scandinavian delicacy,
the 4 tops there. Gravlax
marin: eyers of salt, sugar,

corns, and dill.
“ust are turned and
under weights, but they

pressed
are not smoked.
What makes the sinoake for lox

and smoked salmon? Sume pre-

inquisitive
Cook

ANNG SUE
GARDINER WILSON

cessers simply paint on a smoky
essence,

Bui the firms most concerned
with tradition and quality still
burn hardwoods, such as mapie,
alder and oak, vrounc ie sawdust,

smokers and

and dampened so they'll smoke
more. Each company creates its
own intriguing blend, tningling the
flavors of wood and ocean.

Fish loses its freshness quickly,
in part because fish oils are par-
ticularly sensitive to oxygen.

Smoke, however, contains
compounds called phenols. These
act as antioxidants, which means
they help protect fish from spoil-
ing by making their fats less
susceptible to breakdown. Smoke
also produces formaldehyde which
auacks the ever present spoilage
bacteri

Lox is cold-smoked at 70-90
deurees F (20-30 C), enough to
impart the traditional smokiness
without cooking the fish.

In contrast, ‘smoked salmon"
is taken co higher temperatures.
Muscle fibres shrink as more
moisture is removed, and become
firmer as temperatures incresse.

Differences in smoking time and
lemperature explain why smoked
salmon is usually chewier aad
more intensely Mavored than lox,

The judicious use of salt, heat
and smoke means substantial
moisture is often stil deft in the
salmon. So after smoking, salmon

js vacuum-packed and = frozen.
Vacuum-packing — eliminates
yeen to prevent deterioration.
And freezing temperatures
discourage the growth of botulism
toxin, which grows in the essence
of oxygen. [nits smoked and
frozen state, Canadian salmon is
marketed throughout the world.
The finest. smoked salmon is
evenly colored throughout sihout
brilsing and welltrimmed of fat

O-A-

(which appear as) greyish
discolorations) It's still, moist.
and the spices and smoke let the
subtleties of salmon. shine
through.

Salmon is aa outstanding sym-
bol of Canadian cutsine. Serving it
smoked not only offers 2 tangible
connection to the past, its a
unique means of sharing a true
deli ,