vegetarian

I have a problem. I am a meat lover and a devotee of all things rich, creamy and sweet. Eggs are my favorite breakfast food. When I eat a Hostess Cupcake, I enjoy it immensely and without a trace of irony.

 

So what's the problem? Is there anything easier, gastronomically speaking, than to find a good cut of meat or low-cost dairy products or processed foods in the United States? Even consumers who balk at the worst and most cruel aspects of modern industrial farming can, with relative ease, find sources of  grass-fed beef (humanely raised and slaughtered), free-range eggs, milk and cheese from benign family farms if they're willing to spend a few dollars. The world should be my oyster. Pun intended.

It's a good thing Minnesota is (typically) such a cold and snowy place as we turn the calendar page to a new year, because for the second year in a row, my New Year's resolution has involved soup. Here's a tip apropos of resolutions, people: Don't bite off more than you can chew, or slurp. Last year, I resolved to figure out a way to make a delicious vegetable soup that satisfied my hungry, winter (read: carnivorous) self and I did it! It pays to make super attainable resolutions. The vegetable stock and the soup itself are recipes I go back to time and time again, and each time I do, I feel warm, nourished, happy and yes, a wee bit virtuous. This year, as I was thinking of things in my life I wanted to change in 2012, I somehow fell right back into a pot of soup.

Alright, I’ll admit that the title of this article is a shameless attempt to capture your attention. There really isn’t a reason, as far as I can tell, why animal lovers should eat meat – that is, no reason why eating meat is ethically superior or preferable to abstaining and going vegetarian.

For an Argentine and self-professed meat lover, I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to actually figure out how to eat and feed my family less meat. It's not easy, because to me, comfort food is a good steak. The first thing my mom cooked for me after I had my first baby was a big salad and steak. I'm an animal-protein girl, and nothing gives me the Popeye arms like a succulent piece of meat. But even though there are cultural and maybe even physiological reasons for me to love meat as much as I do, I know that it is better for my health, my wallet, and the environment to try to eat less of it.

Let’s just get one thing straight, I’m probably never going to turn the corner to veganism. I just love goat cheese way too much. I’m not much of a vegetarian either, nor do I proclaim to be. But having gone through vegan-like cleanses a few times, I also know the incredible benefit that this kind of diet brings to my body. So this Christmas, as I was getting ready to embark on my January detox, one of my dear friends gave me a beautiful vegan cookbook.

Just a quick reminder for those of you who responded early enough to get one of this month’s coveted spots at the Simple, Good, and Tasty dinner at Heartland - tonight’s the night! Here are the details:

If you're still contemplating coming to the first-ever Simple, Good, and Tasty dinner at the Craftsman Restaurant in Minneapolis on April 14, now would be a really good time to commit. In short: we're running out of space! I couldn't be more thrilled about the number of people who've reserved a spot so far (BIG thank you to those who're coming!).

I've been excited to write about Minneapolis' Common Roots Cafe for a while. I love so many things about the place, including their swanky logo, the building facade, the fact that they compost, the vegetarian options, the delectable pastries (from mostly - if not entirely - local, sustainable ingredients), and the fact that they are so involved in the neighborhood. Last week they provided free bagels, muffins, and scones to nearly 50 families at my boy's elementary school. All of the food was locally grown and made.

Twin Cities' own good, local, sustainable, vegetarian-friendly food restaurateur Brenda Langton will be hosting a 3 session class on Health Living and Healthy Eating. Here are the details:

Dates: March 10, 17, and 24 Time: 6 - 9 pm Cost: $225 includes 3 classes, food, and The Cafe Brenda Cookbook Contact/more information: 952-933-4428

You can find more information at Live Green Twin Cities.

The website Ecobuying.com, posted a blog about eating bugs today, calling bugs: "the next sustainable food source." Here's an excerpt:

In the face of a growing food crisis, could insects be the next sustainable food source? Last year, a group of experts proclaimed that we could all help the environment by eating insects. We wrote about the gag-inducing descriptions that adventurous gastronomes use to illustrate the flavor of things like giant water bugs – some people say the meat is “perfumey, tastes like salty apples”.

The post feastures a link to Food-Insects.com, which is a site all about different bugs to eat and ways to eat them. When eating bugs becomes the norm, I'm pretty sure I'll be a vegetarian.