As most of you know, I am trying to be a vegetarian--for the most part. I still indulge on a semi-regular basis in seafood and I certainly eat cheese and ice cream, etc. I try to make sound choices in the seafood I eat, but I do eat it. I haven't had beef or pork or chicken (knowingly) in at least a year. I have, once or twice, out of courtesy or some other reason, tasted someone's prized pork roast or whatever, but I haven't had an actual meal or serving.
The other night at dinner, Joan ordered Mongolian beef. Since we had ordered an appetizer of shrimp dumplings and had two sushi rolls (appetizer/my dinner), she had more food than she could manage. She urged me to try the beef as it was very good and "it's here anyway." (It's amazing how so many people use that "it's already made" reasoning for eating meat.) So I tried a piece.
I can tell you this: I could tell it was very good quality beef. This was no cheap cut of tough and chewy beef part hidden in gooey sauce. The sauce was surprisingly light yet flavorful but the beef was definitely good sliced steak. I could tell that. But, I'll also say that there was absolutely nothing about it that made me slap my forehead and say, "Oh my god. What was I thinking? Someone bring me a side of beef!" There was nothing about it that made me want more. As I have said, I don't really miss eating meat at all. That will surprise some people. I used to dream of being a meatarian. I used to ask my mother if I could be one. I used to live for all you can eat rib nights. A good rare, bloody steak was nirvana. I was a huge meat and bbq eater. But I don't miss it a bit and don't even want it.
There are places where it is difficult to order something that doesn't have meat in it. One place, El Paso BBQ, where Joan likes the steaks, even puts bacon on all of its salads! Unless you feel like making a dinner of sides (which I have done before), you pretty much have to go for the fish, which is what I do. And I do love me sushi. There's a lot of really excellent vegetarian sushi (go to Sushi-matsu and order the vegetarian sushi lunch special--it's amazing), but I admit to liking my sashimi and whatnot a little more than I should. Anyway, as far as beef and pork, chicken, etc., I'm pretty much done with it and can honestly say I don't miss it.
With the meat-for-food industry being the biggest contributor to greenhouse (i.e., global warming) gasses--far ahead of automobiles, it would be a good thing if all of us stopped eating meat. Or, at the very least, so much of it. One serving a week would make a big difference. We don't need all of that meat in our diet. And for godsakes, quit eating fast food. That stuff is crap.
HereHere.
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