Comments on: Ask TracyFood: Veg-what? http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/08/14/ask-tracyfood-not-even-vegetarian/ A big hot tasty mess. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:17:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Peter L. http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/08/14/ask-tracyfood-not-even-vegetarian/comment-page-1/#comment-3267 Peter L. Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:51:20 +0000 http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/08/14/ask-tracyfood-not-even-vegetarian/#comment-3267 Haha, fair enough. Really, that wasn't meant as a critique of vegetarians but rather the squeamish meat eaters who a) can't imagine a meal without meat but b) refuse to think of meat's origin. For one thing, if you need to be totally insulated from your food's origins, then why are you eating it? Which is part of your point, if I am reading you correctly... Anyway, keep up the good work; it's all good reading (and eating)! Haha, fair enough. Really, that wasn’t meant as a critique of vegetarians but rather the squeamish meat eaters who a) can’t imagine a meal without meat but b) refuse to think of meat’s origin. For one thing, if you need to be totally insulated from your food’s origins, then why are you eating it? Which is part of your point, if I am reading you correctly… Anyway, keep up the good work; it’s all good reading (and eating)!

]]> By: Tracy http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/08/14/ask-tracyfood-not-even-vegetarian/comment-page-1/#comment-3207 Tracy Fri, 17 Aug 2007 18:48:09 +0000 http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/08/14/ask-tracyfood-not-even-vegetarian/#comment-3207 Hi Peter! Thanks for your comment, and especially the compliment for the recipes (I keep meaning to get on a regular weekly schedule with them only to get distracted and post about my favorite comics instead). Like I told Jeanie, I am a big fan of the animal-ness of meat (animality?) but it seems to freak a lot of people out, and I would love to help those people out with tasty meatfree recipes, oh yes. When I say "meat is gross" I am mostly talking aboout mystery meat from the perspective of someone who has read a little too much about food safety (when I find myself trying to remember exactly <em>how</em> much chicken is infected with <i>Salmonella</i> and whether I like those odds, I figure it's probably time to eat something else). Seven day old raw chicken is exactly what I mean by "meat is gross". I have at least a whole separate essay about the ridiculous misconception that vegetarian food is only for vegetarians, and if Deborah Madison hadn't already written a fantastic book with a very similar title, I might be tempted to expand that manifesto into <i>Veg*n Food Is For Everybody</i>... okay, I'm still tempted, but I'll still write the essay first. Hi Peter! Thanks for your comment, and especially the compliment for the recipes (I keep meaning to get on a regular weekly schedule with them only to get distracted and post about my favorite comics instead). Like I told Jeanie, I am a big fan of the animal-ness of meat (animality?) but it seems to freak a lot of people out, and I would love to help those people out with tasty meatfree recipes, oh yes. When I say “meat is gross” I am mostly talking aboout mystery meat from the perspective of someone who has read a little too much about food safety (when I find myself trying to remember exactly how much chicken is infected with Salmonella and whether I like those odds, I figure it’s probably time to eat something else). Seven day old raw chicken is exactly what I mean by “meat is gross”. I have at least a whole separate essay about the ridiculous misconception that vegetarian food is only for vegetarians, and if Deborah Madison hadn’t already written a fantastic book with a very similar title, I might be tempted to expand that manifesto into Veg*n Food Is For Everybody… okay, I’m still tempted, but I’ll still write the essay first.

]]> By: Peter L. http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/08/14/ask-tracyfood-not-even-vegetarian/comment-page-1/#comment-3206 Peter L. Fri, 17 Aug 2007 14:36:35 +0000 http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/08/14/ask-tracyfood-not-even-vegetarian/#comment-3206 You don't know me, but I've been reading your site intermittently for a while (I like the recipes) -- I don't know about the "meat is gross" angle. I cook and eat meat, and I cook and eat vegetables, sometimes together and sometimes separately. I tend to avoid meat if I am not pretty sure of its origins, both for safety reasons and because I'd rather the animals I'm eating be treated as well as possible before slaughter. But I think you have too look at that slaughter and own up to the fact that you are eating an animal. It's kind of like the people who are all "yum cheeseburger!" and then "yuck! tripe (or liver or whatever) is gross!" Excuse me? Is it actually grosser to eat an animal's back or leg than the lining of its stomach? I don't like tripe much myself, 'cause it's pretty much like eating a bicycle tire, and, dude, I don't like that. And livers et al are filters, so limiting consumption seems wise, but it's not for grossness.... It seems to me that, if you are going to eat meat, embracing the, well, animalness of it is a good thing to do. On the other hand, if you don't have ready access to a good market, limiting meat to the days you shop because 7 day old raw chicken is... nasty... seems like a great idea. While I am ranting, another thing that throws me is the "tofu (or other non-meat product) is only for vegetarians" angle. I eat tofu because *it is an ingredient* with qualities (like taste and texture) I like, whether I am eating it in a vegan dish or something with pork added. What is up with people and these weird classifications they insist on...? You don’t know me, but I’ve been reading your site intermittently for a while (I like the recipes) — I don’t know about the “meat is gross” angle. I cook and eat meat, and I cook and eat vegetables, sometimes together and sometimes separately. I tend to avoid meat if I am not pretty sure of its origins, both for safety reasons and because I’d rather the animals I’m eating be treated as well as possible before slaughter. But I think you have too look at that slaughter and own up to the fact that you are eating an animal. It’s kind of like the people who are all “yum cheeseburger!” and then “yuck! tripe (or liver or whatever) is gross!” Excuse me? Is it actually grosser to eat an animal’s back or leg than the lining of its stomach? I don’t like tripe much myself, ’cause it’s pretty much like eating a bicycle tire, and, dude, I don’t like that. And livers et al are filters, so limiting consumption seems wise, but it’s not for grossness…. It seems to me that, if you are going to eat meat, embracing the, well, animalness of it is a good thing to do.

On the other hand, if you don’t have ready access to a good market, limiting meat to the days you shop because 7 day old raw chicken is… nasty… seems like a great idea.

While I am ranting, another thing that throws me is the “tofu (or other non-meat product) is only for vegetarians” angle. I eat tofu because *it is an ingredient* with qualities (like taste and texture) I like, whether I am eating it in a vegan dish or something with pork added. What is up with people and these weird classifications they insist on…?

]]> By: Tracy http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/08/14/ask-tracyfood-not-even-vegetarian/comment-page-1/#comment-3165 Tracy Wed, 15 Aug 2007 04:29:49 +0000 http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/08/14/ask-tracyfood-not-even-vegetarian/#comment-3165 Hi Jeanie! Oddly (or perhaps not so oddly) enough, I am a big fan of bones and tendons and gristle and everything animally (awesome word) about meat, at least when it comes to eating (I'm still a big wuss about the prep). Part of it is that I like reminding myself that, y'know, it is a dead animal I'm eating, and if I wanted it to be all smooth and uniform in taste and texture I could probably fake it with tofu or seitan or TVP. Or maybe I just like getting all hands-on with my food (my mom does this, too, and my grandmother thinks we're really gross, so <a href="http://www.culiblog.org/2007/07/controversial-snacks-and-mild-mannered-symposium/" rel="nofollow">this article</a> made me laugh out loud with the author's description of her response to "a hunk of roasted cow bone brimming with melting marrow, sprinkled with sea salt and gored with a bread stick." She writes, "Although I call myself an environmental vegetarian, I can’t tell you how fast I tucked into that thing, wondering all the while why I don’t eat marrow every single day of my life, and wondering even more, when exactly I had become my own bone-sucking mother. Waste not, want not, gimme that bone, Bone." I dang near died when I read that, oh yes I did. So awesome!) Hi Jeanie! Oddly (or perhaps not so oddly) enough, I am a big fan of bones and tendons and gristle and everything animally (awesome word) about meat, at least when it comes to eating (I’m still a big wuss about the prep). Part of it is that I like reminding myself that, y’know, it is a dead animal I’m eating, and if I wanted it to be all smooth and uniform in taste and texture I could probably fake it with tofu or seitan or TVP. Or maybe I just like getting all hands-on with my food (my mom does this, too, and my grandmother thinks we’re really gross, so this article made me laugh out loud with the author’s description of her response to “a hunk of roasted cow bone brimming with melting marrow, sprinkled with sea salt and gored with a bread stick.” She writes, “Although I call myself an environmental vegetarian, I can’t tell you how fast I tucked into that thing, wondering all the while why I don’t eat marrow every single day of my life, and wondering even more, when exactly I had become my own bone-sucking mother. Waste not, want not, gimme that bone, Bone.” I dang near died when I read that, oh yes I did. So awesome!)

]]> By: jeanie http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/08/14/ask-tracyfood-not-even-vegetarian/comment-page-1/#comment-3162 jeanie Wed, 15 Aug 2007 02:37:34 +0000 http://www.tracyfood.com/2007/08/14/ask-tracyfood-not-even-vegetarian/#comment-3162 hah! I am pretty similar in my meaty choices. I rarely if ever cook it at home because I also don't like dealing with the raw thing... I get kinda grossed out by it. I also don't like meat with bones. or tendons. or whatever animally weirdness might come along for the ride with my nice bit of protein..... but yeah, I'll never be a real veggie either. sometimes it's just too tasty. hah! I am pretty similar in my meaty choices. I rarely if ever cook it at home because I also don’t like dealing with the raw thing… I get kinda grossed out by it. I also don’t like meat with bones. or tendons. or whatever animally weirdness might come along for the ride with my nice bit of protein….. but yeah, I’ll never be a real veggie either. sometimes it’s just too tasty.

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