Can You Hear Me Now

People often say that humans have always eaten animals, as if this is a justification for continuing the practice. According to this logic, we should not try to prevent people from murdering other people, since this has also been done since the earliest of times.

Isaac Bashevis Singer

I was listening to The Splendid Table on Minnesota Public Radio and heard what I considered to be a unsettling piece. One of the guests was a chef from New York who proclaimed that he is anti-vegetarianism. His complaint had nothing to do with the healthiness of the diet or the preservation of the planet. Instead, he was anti-vegetarian because he felt that by not eating meat you are cutting yourself off from most of the world.  In his words, “Being a vegetarian is an insult to cultures that have been established for thousands of years.” He even went so far as to call vegetarians selfish and insular.

Since the late 1970’s, I have experimented with different lifestyle diets. For quite a few years I was able to call myself a complete vegetarian and for a very short time I was a vegan. I missed cheese too much to keep that going.

These days, my diet is mostly plant based with some dairy, eggs, and very sparingly, poultry and fish. I avoid pork and red meat altogether and there have been very few times in the past 40+ years when either has passed my lips.

While I do not subscribe to the claim that vegetarians reject other people’s culture, I do understand what he is saying about the social significance of food. I appreciate food as a way for people to culturally identify themselves and come together as friends and family. There are very few celebrations that do not involve food and we have holiday traditions that expect certain types of foods. 

Here in America, there is turkey on Thanksgiving, ham on Easter, and hotdogs and hamburgers on the fourth of July. Those days can be difficult for vegetarians and I know all too well the looks one receives when you explain that your “not dog” is made from tofu.

Since adding poultry and fish to my diet, I find it easier to fit in during some social settings. However, there are still those awkward moments when I load my plate high with potato salad, pickles, and beans, and skip the barbeque beef. Thankfully, since most people now know at least one other person who eats little or no meat, the questioning looks are beginning to diminish.

Savory with a fervent bite
stoking the flames of longing and desire
an aroma of fire and ice
a sugary, pungent perfume

A little sweetness
mixed with hot and spicy
a taste of honey to soothe the fiery burn

That’s what I ask for
that’s what I crave

Feed me

What a Wonderful World it Would Be

In my dreams, I envision a day when nearly all main courses are made from vegetable proteins. I would love it if a chickpea Thanksgiving “turkey” becomes commonplace. Perhaps as younger people embrace a more climate friendly diet that may happen in my lifetime, but I am not holding my breath. Change is in the air, but old habits are hard to break.

However, in no way do I ever express an attitude that willfully insults my host’s cooking or culture. Passing on meat should be the same as saying “no” to alcohol. We must be willing to embrace diversity and that includes what someone chooses to put or not put into their bodies. Besides, there are far more vegetables in the world’s many cuisines than types of meats. I am happy to celebrate the millions of ways one can cook legumes, beans, carrots, broccoli, and the fruits and vegetables rarely seen on the typical American dinner table..

Fun fact: My neighbor’s son, Jacob, lives with his family in Alabama. They recently visited Jacob and for the first time spent significant time with Sarah’s (Jacob’s wife) very southern family. Afterward they as asked what was most difficult for Sarah’s Trump-voting clan — that they were Jews or because they vote Democrat. Jacob laughed and said, “They were fine with that. The hardest part was that you are vegetarian. They had no idea what to do with people who do not eat meat.”

I have learned that flexibility is essential to nearly every human interaction.  I know people who will not eat any meat under any circumstance and I respect their resolve and conviction. There were times when I shared their views and understand the why of it.

These days, I find it easier to adapt to the situation at hand while staying true to my values.  There are many times when not eating meat is extremely easy and times when it’s much more challenging. I have lived through both and prefer the former to the latter. I have known hunger at too many business dinners and a few weddings.

Fun fact: I once attended a wedding reception where I requested a vegetarian meal. Imagine my shock and disappointment when the meal I was presented with was nothing more than a plate of fruit. No matter what someone feels about my choice, that kind of thinking should have died out a long time ago — even in the small town of Red Wing, Minnesota.

No matter where I am or who I am with, I don’t consider myself as being selfish when it comes to food. Placing that label on me is far more selfish than me taking an extra helping of green beans while passing on the roast pork. I offer respect to everyone’s dietary choices and ask for the same in return.

Thank you for reading. Now, please pass the asparagus.

Red lentil dahl on fragrant basmati rice
cool, thin slices of dioptase-green cucumber
resting on a bed of red leaf lettuce

The smell of pungent garlic
the scent of piquant cumin
aromas that tease the senses and sharpen the tongue
like the taste of your lover on a cold winter night