"Certain death," 90 mph winds, phone outages and everything else Hurricane Ike brought to Houston couldn't deter my Texan grandmother from reading a recent blog post I made announcing a new dietary decision:
One day a week, I'm giving up meat.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has asked it, I think the UN said something about it, and plenty of stories and sites go on and on about how big the carbon footprint of meat is. So my grandmother emailed, mid-category 1 hurricane, to tell me she's concerned for my health, because she thought I said I was going veggie full-time -- gotta have enough protein.
Well, don't worry there, the other six days a week still look the same for me, but I'm trying out the prescription the IPCC has given us all, and in the process I'll be trying out the vegetarian offerings at some of New York's restaurants, then relating my experiences through the eyes of an omnivore here.
This week, I took my girlfriend out to Counter, a sort of fancypants vegetarian restaurant that I'd heard about first while researching a fairly involved sustainable beer project last year. Counter has an extensive list of organic beers. But this was a welcome-back. A nice date. So we started with an organic, carbon-neutral pinot noir that was good enough for this uncivilized palate.
(The real trouble, incidentally, came when I later had a few Guinnesses at a show later; never mix carbon-neutral wine with imported beer. The hypocrisy hangover is not pleasant.)
While we enjoyed a tasty cheese plate, I looked at the menu and found a satisfying range of difficulties for the novice vegetarian. I went for the very simple vegetarian paella. I like paella. I understand it. Hell, I can make paella. Take some rice and some other stuff and stack it up. No problem. Low-stress decision for this veggie newbie.
My girlfriend, who is a vegetarian, one-upped me by getting a raw marinated vegetable terrine. When it arrived, it turned out to be three attractive triangles of food: thinly sliced squash encasing sun-dried tomato pesto, herb puree, nut cheese (a.k.a. vegan cheese) and bitter greens.
The paella came in a shape I didn't expect -- it was inside a sort of dough and looked like a pot pie, no pot. I cut into it and found rice with plenty of vegetables I couldn't readily classify any more specifically than "tasty." It was exactly what I expected -- paella with no meat. I couldn't finish it because we'd had so much of the sustainable, rennet-free cheese, but it was a good meal.
I think we'll go back sometime, and there are more advanced vegetarian things for me to try. All in all, a very nice, pampered maiden voyage for the new IPCC-approved diet. I did miss meat -- in fact, I had meant for the day before to be meatless, but I had succumbed very late in the day at a Latin American restaurant around the corner to nullify the whole thing. Point is, I hadn't had much meat in two days, and it made the return to my normal eating habits over the weekend a bit sweeter.
Suggestions for next week?
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This week's vegetarian vocab word: rennet-free
A food that is rennet-free lacks certain enzymes commonly found in cheese. The enzymes, according to the Vegetarian Resource Group, come from butchered cows, so it's a vegetarian no-no, though a lot of people seem not to know about it.
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Tuesdays will be an ongoing blog event with readers sharing non-meat recipes.
I'm an omnivore though dabbled once with ovo-lacto vegetarianism. Today, I just want to enjoy a good meal and understand what the impacts of my choices are. Baby steps toward aligning my actions with my stated values. Steak on my plate is inconsistent with concern for the animals and the environment, but there you have it. Eating it less, enjoying a much broader range of food than when that meat was the easy answer.
Thanks for a fun piece and never mind the worriers and the haters. Stop by and join us on Tuesdays (or any days!)
The Leather District Gourmet
Rumors that I picked my name to piss off PETA are false. Amusing, but false...
Thank you for dipping your toe into vegetarianism. Here in St. Louis, MO, it wasn't easy. When I first became a vegetariam, two and a half months ago, I experienced hazing from friends and family, alike. They all wanted to know if their 5-10, 210 pound, "beefy" muscular guy was going soft on them. :) I quickly developed my elevator pitch for why I chose to go vegetarian. It went something like, "It's more for the environment, and my health, we just don't need to eat meat everyday. It's not that I think animals have souls or anything."
It was a mental struggle. I kept on waiting to pass-out. For the first couple weeks, I constantly worried where my next meal would come from (even though I am a daily guest to the Whole Foods hot bar). I was experiencing a subtle panic that something bad was going to happen to me.
But, 'm really enjoying being a vegetarian. I feel my body is more normal than I've ever been. I don't feel the severe pendulum of hunger pangs. I don't crave sweets or sodas anymore. I don't experience nearly as much gas or stomach aches, or any other nasty digestive abnormalities that were the bane of my friends' experiences with me. :) Also, I think I've noticed that my gums are much healthier. Also, I'm losing weight.
Also, secretly, I'm starting to have more of an appreciation for the souls of animals. :) Tony
One thing that I think keeps people from going meat free is the association in our culture between meat and virility. Think about it. What do women say when they have been groped in an unwanted way- "I felt like a piece of MEAT" What do we call muscular men on calendar pictures- "beefcake". The word "carnal" comes from the latin for meat which in spanish is still "carne". Its the man who cuts the meat at holiday meals who otherwise probably never sets foot in the kitchen.
We need to get away from this association. Meat eating has nothing to do with virility or sex. Just look at all the vegetarian athletes. In fact, overconsuming meat and fat leads to artery disease which causes erectile dysfunction.
To put it more simply, you and your girlfriend aren’t any better than me and us “normal” folks. You made a decision, and you are sticking to it. Commendable, but hardly newsworthy. And certainly not superior.
marymartin is right, there is no need to combine foods to get a "complete" protein. Just eat a variety of protein sources and you'll be fine. As an omnivore though you're used to heavy meals, so make sure you eat heavier foods like nuts, beans, tofu, TVP, seitan, tempeh. You may have to eat more often during the day so you don't feel empty.
Some suggestions -- Indian buffets are well-stocked with vegetarian items. Every Ethiopian restaurant has a vegetarian combination platter and many have vegetarian lunch buffets. Every Chinese restaurant has a vegetarian stir-fry, most have tofu, and check vegetarian websites to find one with great mock meats. Japanese restaurants can do vegetarian maki rolls and tempura. Mexican restaurants can do a veggie and bean burrito. Thai and Vietnamese will have a good veg curry or stir-fry with nuts or tofu. Every pizza place can do a veggie pizza, even better if you load it up and leave off the cheese.
I've been vegan for 17 years and I can eat almost anywhere. The hardest places to get a nutritious and delicious vegetarian meal are fast food, American family-style chains like Denny's or Appleby's, and European restaurants (Italian, French, German, etc) where everything vegetarian is loaded up with white flour and/or dairy.
There are plenty of fake "meats" out there to be effective in getting all the proteins and "meat" cravings. And dont forget soy products like tofu, soy milk, and soybeans (edamame), as that is one of the healthiest vegetarian and vegan foods.
I will admit that it is not as enjoyable to go out to eat anymore as it was when i ate meat. There are just not as many options. Although many Asian and Indian foods are vegetarian and vegan. And i have a new appreciation for all the vegetarian Italian dishes.
Instead of one day a week try going 3 days. Or at least 3 or 4 meals a weeks. I think if every American did that, not only would the environment be better off, but so would your health.
Quinoa is the greatest bang for your buck: protein, calcium, fiber. It's the perfect food with a well-balanced amino acid profile.
Counter is great but my favorite is Candle 79.
I'm glad you brought up rennet. It's part of the veal industry, but you're right: most vegetarians don't realize that. So the average vegetarian might not eat animal flesh, but some of their beloved cheeses (including pizza cheese, unfortunately) require the "production" and slaughter of baby calves.
The planet and its creatures thank you for taking them into consideration with your daily choices.
That reminds me of the best fancy vegan food blog out there... hezbollah tofu.
FYI - casein is milk derived. if you are vegetarian (no meat but you do consume dairy) you are not cheating.
On the other hand, if you are vegan (which is not eating ANY animal products) then it would be cheating.
Ask Grams what she ate during WWII - I can guarantee unless she was raising her own 'meat sources', those veggies were front and center.
TOFU - complete with compliment.
TVP - for those people who still want to pretend there's some animal part lurking beneath the surface.
Hubby and I entered a chili contest once.
Called the chili: BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
It had portabella mushroom chunks, tvp, tofu and "various secret spices"...with hearty tomato sauce and veggies veggies veggies...
"I can't BELIEVE there's no meat in here - really???? What's THAT? PORTABELLO???? Wow!"
Got "Most Innovative" prize.
I usually buy Morningstar Farms or Boca "meat" crumbles and toss it in my chili to add the "meaty" texture with various other spices and ingredients. I will have to keep portabella's in mind, that sounds like a great addition! :)