Thursday, August 2, 2018

Things I Don't Get: Shut Up & Swallow

Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow people will criticize what you put in your mouth. Why can't we all eat in peace and harmony? Who knew that food can get political...

Seems like the only way to fight with pettiness, is with more pettiness #sigh

Let me state for the record that I am not a vegan, nor a vegetarian. However, I do take an interest in vegan cooking, and find myself eating chicken as my main meat these days (it's summer, and I still don't have my body!) I like to try different takes on food, and am thoroughly blown away how delicious some dishes turn out.

Back in 2011, I attempted vegan month, where I committed 31 days sticking to a plant-based diet. The results varied between meals, as I didn't have a strategy entering that month. From tempeh to tamari, I found out an ample full of products that contain animal products (Worcestershire sauce?!).

Although I did enjoy the challenge, I found the month to be rather expensive. I am not sure why plant-based foods cost more than meat, it must be due to the production... But then again, should producing plant-based foods cost less than sacrificing an animal?

Now not every one is keen on the idea on being a vegan nor vegetarian, and you can't blame them - food is cultural experience, and to make everyone stop eating meat is nearly impossible. I applaud the people who have fully dedicated their diets that are plant-based - but some of those people go way too far.

Listening to people's personal encounters with vegans, they come off rather harsh. Simply put, this vegan person has a tendency to tell others that their diet is disgusting and belittles the carnivore - sounds about right? Yeah, the moment the vegan runs off about murder and hypocrisy, it goes all downhill from there. It's not like the vegan made a new discovery, for all I know they probably searched for the most revolting facts about the meat industry. I wasn't hungry anyways...

Recently, there was a vegan protest in the downtown core that showcased the harm on animals, as well as their pain and suffering - of course that content will pull at your heart. A parade of people walk up the streets with signs that basically say 'don't eat meat,' while regular passerby people are capturing the moment; but for other reasons.

That day of the protest parade, I saw a few updates on social media, and they all pretty much said the same caption: time to eat a steak. Put in a few weeks later, I see a news article where a man who committed to a vegetarian diet said it wasn't worth it... that was his decision, don't ask me. What ever a person decides to eat shouldn't be a problem, and yet we still do.

So this is what I don't get: why do we, as people, bash other people, on the food that we eat? Do we think that people are missing something if they eliminate something from their diet? And if so, what is it? Morality? Flavour? The will to live? It doesn't make sense to me. We can argue that one diet is not sustainable compared to the other; but isn't everything not sustainable?

Producing food takes a lot of time and resources, regardless whether it's meat or plants. But when we come to think of it, creating either resources come at a high cost. Animals, you have to raise and feed before they can be processed for consumption. If an animal is born and raised for the purpose of consumption, is it wrong? As for plants, there is an endless variety of crops popping out of nowhere, and they come at a considerably low cost. And that makes me wonder, aren't we just taking resources from another country that rely on those crops for themselves? Perhaps this is more of a question regarding import, but there are staggering shelves that carry products that would have been impossible to find ten years ago...

I'm not really sure if any of that made sense, but I can't seem to understand why we have to judge people base on what the they eat. It's not like we ask people what they put into their body upon first encounter - there are people don't even like me when I say 'hello' to them -_-" We are one weird society that can't stop talking off people for absolutely no reason. Do we all need to get the last word?

The photo at the beginning was a case when a vegan protest stood in front of a restaurant that mostly served meat. The response? The chef carved the leg before the window. If you want to make a difference, don't go protesting in front of a business, that's just dumb.

Instead of using a fear-based marketing strategy, why don't we just be an example and show that our diets are beneficial to ourselves? I challenged myself to a vegan diet because I was inspired by the innovation and creativity of making a meal without the sacrifice of flavour. I mean, isn't the essence of cooking to venture into new tastes that can lead to potential deliciousness?

Experimenting with your food is always fun, maybe not easy, but does show that every meal doesn't require meat. For me, I don't even eat meat for breakfast. Yes, my father makes me a bowl of oatmeal every morning, but I don't feel hungry until lunch time.

What got me attracted to vegan cooking were of two people:


Chef Chloe Coscarelli

Chef Chloe was the winner of "Cupcake Wars," and inspired me to try vegan cooking. I have been following her every since her appearance on the Food Network show, and has created an empire for herself. From TV appearances to four cook books and her own stores, there is no stopping this Italian chef (yes, she is Italian!) She started off with a vegetarian diet, and slowly transitioned into a vegan one. Coscarelli got support from her mother, despite having her concerns about getting enough nutrients without the source of animal products. But look at her, she is gorgeous and healthy! I inspire her work ethic while staying true to herself, even if it meant that she had to give up her previous restaurant.



Nimai Delgado

Nimai Delgado is a vegan bodybuilder, who coaches people for to reach their fitness goals and vegan meals for bodybuilding. I find him inspiring for the fact that he can still be strong without the help of meat. He is definitely shredded, and has the body that I aim to have one day. It just goes to show that you can achieve anything when you are dedicated.

I may not be a full-fledged vegan, but I am definitely open to trying new dishes in the kitchen. I recently tried the beet fettuccine from Chef Chloe's cookbook, and it was marvellous! Pink pasta, with a cheese substitute that tastes like parmesan? Astounding indeed. I shared this dish with my family and friends - they'll try a bite or two. A natural response, it's a shame that we don't really venture out from our comfort zone - the world is full of flavours that must be explored.

The world cannot be fully vegetarian or vegan, there are places in the world that rely on meat as a main food source. I appreciate the people who commit to plant-based diets, and encourage others to venture into new food sources. It's when people go out pointing fingers as though they're better than everyone, that becomes a problem. If you want someone to try something new, perhaps a fear-based marketing concept isn't the best way to go - who wants to be pressured into doing something anyways? Let people eat in peace, and do good. Now let's eat.

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