My friend Greg makes the best chili I've ever had. His graduation from culinary school provided him with a bag of tricks, but he also has a discerning tongue. Food is more than a meal with Greg. When dining together we often talk about the subtleties of a certain plate, and are generally on the same page. Somehow eating with him reminds me to slow down and taste my food. I mean really taste it, savor it.
Sadly Greg doesn't own a restaurant I can frequent. Not sure if his dreams involve such an idea, but I'd design his logo and menu for free. Receiving an invitation to a meal at his house is a welcome treat. Besides having a kick-ass wife, an adorable string bean daughter, and a remarkably verdant back yard, the seemingly effortlessly prepared meal always satisfies. And there isn't a scrap of meat in his house.
For a long time now, I've been contemplating going veggie. The reasons are obvious and somewhat endless. At the core of the reasons are that I don't enjoy the idea of killing something and then benefiting from it. I'm not a spiritual man but I subscribe to the idea that everything affects everything. A calf restricted from sitting or turning in their cage that also can't avoid standing in their own fecal matter doesn't scream yummy to me. Or humane. The rancher that deals with this sort of thing has to become desensitized to it or suffer mentally. In their desensitization they bury simple / basic traits of kindness which eventually will be expressed to other humans on or off the ranch. And so on.
There is no way I'm swearing off fish however. Which makes me a Pescetarian. How was this line determined? Not sure, but with Tokyo around the corner, I'd be foolish to go hardcore. I've had dreams about Japanese sushi. I will be skipping the chicken and horse shashimi.
It's only been a week and I can't say I'll never have meat again. I feel better, am sleeping better, and haven't really missed it all that much. Next thing you know I'll be protesting naked outside a fur store. Don't worry, I won't share photos of that.
4 comments:
I dropped out of culinary school to make bread (not $ but the leavened stuff) instead of graduating. Thanks for padding my resume tho. Can you guys come over for dinner this weekend?
mmmm confined baby cow mmmm
just kidding :)
seriously - good luck with it. i did it before and it's kind of fun forcing yourself to eat new things that you would have once mocked others for eating.
although i am a carnivore, i share your ideals about having a lack of respect for the animals. this is why we try our hardest to eat organic and free range whenever possible. at least that way, i don't feel like some a-hole cattle prodded my dinner through some virus infected slaughter chute.
i could do better, but for some reason, i don't.
Being a sadist, I love my meat. Even better if it's treated poorly beforehand:)
I believe it was Leo Tolstoy that once said, "as long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields."
Perhaps meat does cause agression, or maybe agressive people just love meat. I just know that this German girl wont be giving up her beef jerkey any time soon. I do, however, wish you much success in your vegetarian ways.
Just remember, "Real men eat meat."
To hell with eating meat, but don't hold back with showing the meat (in front of a fur shop or otherwise)...!
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