Today's special: 3D printed meat is what's for lunch, and dinner, and ...

[Flaxbee]

ONE hamburger takes 6.7 pounds of grain, 52.8 gallons of water, 74.5 square feet of land, and 1,036 Btus of fossil fuel energy for feed production, according to a recent NPR study.

Do you really want a hamburger that badly at such an enormous environmental cost? Really?

Well then, how about you go in for a 3D meat burger?

http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-blogs/other/4394165/Today-s-special--3D-printed-meat-?cid=NL_EETimesDaily

Fire up the grill for the latest in 3-D printing. Modern Meadow, a Missouri-based start-up has secured backing from billionaire Peter Thiel’s philanthropic foundation to create printable meat.

“If you look at the resource intensity of everything that goes into a hamburger, it is an environmental train wreck,” said Modern Meadow co-founder Andras Forgacs in an interview with Mashable.

<snip>

Take those numbers and multiply them by the 26.4 billion pounds of beef that was consumed in the US in 2010 and the environmental burden becomes catastrophic.

Despite these fact Americans, myself included, refuse to give up our love affair with our favorite meat.

Enter 3-D printing to save the day. Modern Meadow hopes the same 3-D printing technology currently being used to create medical grade tissue can be used to provide food for your table, without the environmental impact.

*More at link*

[HopeHoops]

1. It has to be better than McFood.

[Flaxbee]

2. Probably will be!

Does the idea repel you? Or would it not matter so long as the burger is good and it's 'beef analog'?

Am wondering how they'll market this. The ranchers are going to scream bloody murder.

[HopeHoops]

5. Well, not for me. I'm vegetarian and even a synthetic meat would repulse me.

I eat meat substitutes (soy based mostly), but I don't even like Boca burgers because they're just too close to the real crap.

[Flaxbee]

8. What substitutes do you like?

I'm vegetarian, too - though husband still likes chicken and turkey on occasion.

I don't feel the need for meat-like products, but if there are any that are outstanding I'd give 'em a try.

[HopeHoops]

9. Mostly MorningStar, but not the sweet stuff. The "breakfast strips" are quick and easy.

They aren't all that nutritious (sort of neutral actually), but I do have a really interesting tale about them...

My late in-laws were at a retirement community just north of Summerset, PA. My M-I-L hadn't been eating for months (Alzheimers. She remembered me, but not my wife - her daughter). We stopped on the way and picked up some MS breakfast strips, lettuce, tomatoes, sliced cheese, portobella mushrooms, and whole wheat bread, oh, and strawberries. I made them all BLTs with the breakfast strips. She ate a WHOLE FUCKING SANDWICH! And she also ate the strawberries. My F-I-L was totally freaked out that she was eating at all, but that was more than she'd consumed in probably a month cumulative.

I feel pretty good about that. She died shortly afterwards (and no, not because of my sandwich), but at least she had one last "home-made" meal. The food in the galley was bland and not at all appealing. No wonder she wasn't eating. I usually just got mashed potatoes with warm applesauce on top (good combination, actually). There wasn't much else we could eat.

The "sausage" links are good too, as are the "chick" nuggets and patties. I prefer Garden Burger for other types of patties. We just had Health Wealth spring rolls last night (excellent) and have some Alexia fried mushrooms in the freezer (haven't tried them yet). The other Health Wealth box in the freezer are "buffalo wings". Morning Star's are good, but I thought I'd try something else.

For the most part we don't rely on "meat substitutes" for cooking, although TVP is good in chili. So is quinoa for that matter. Mostly we cook from scratch, but there are just those "pizza nights" and similar times when you want something quick and easy. Annie's Mac&Cheese is a good option, but the girls aren't as crazy about the bunny noodles as they were 15 years ago.

Another thing I like is to slice a block of tempeh into less than 1/4" strips and fry them in sesame oil with some Old Bay, paprika, or other spices. It comes out like a cross between french fries and McD's hash browns, and yes, they're good with ketchup, but I prefer BBQ sauce or Bookbinder's horseradish cocktail sauce. I know more ways of cooking tofu than the number of people who know what the hell it is, but we really don't use it that often anymore. There are so many options.

[Flaxbee]

11. very sweet story about your MIL. My mom has early AD, mostly arrested with some medication

... for some reason her disease has hardly progressed at all in the last 10 years she's been on a certain med. If she's off it for 24 hours, nelly bar the door, but when she's on it she's about 90%.

Anyway. She's in assisted living, too, and does NOT like the food. Has to be so bland for dietary reasons (salt, sugars, etc.) and has very little taste. I'm sure what you made for your MIL tasted delicious.

Haven't heard of / seen Health Wealth. Love spring rolls so will keep a lookout for them.

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm not as crazy about Annie's bunny pasta after 10 years, either

[Liberal Veteran]

3. I'll have to reprogram my replicator.

So far, I can only get Feline Supplement 74 from it. Still better than a Big Mac.

[HopeHoops]

10. That causes sterility in humans and possible hemorrhoids. Nose bleeds are also likely.

[MiddleFingerMom]

4. Rodeos are gonna suck.

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[Flaxbee]

6. Lol! Oh my god, MFM, that's perfect!

[HopeHoops]

7. I WARNED you - that's 20 cents per copy!