Preamble
When in the course of epicurean events it becomes necessary for one gourmand to dissolve the culinary bands which have connected him with meat and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle beasts, a decent respect to the life of animal kind requires that he should declare the causes which impel him to become a vegetarian…
Manifesto
On August 28th, 2008, I, Joseph Quintela, the Accidental Wine Steward and author of Rouge Is the New Black, bid a final farewell to the kingdom of meat. For some this is a simple life choice. A love for animals or a respect for one's own health will eventually prevail over the culturally imbued obsession with the consumption of meat. For many others, myself amongst them, it is a decision that is made with far greater considerations than the result of a simple cost versus gain analysis.
There is an unfortunate tendency for the practitioners of
vegetarianism to become a little bit preachy on the subject. For the passionate, it is an easy
trap to fall into. After all, steak might easily be considered the SUV
of the culinary world: a gratuitous example of conspicuous consumption
and resource domination that demonstrates a willful disregard for the
suffering of Man, Beast and Earth alike. The truth is, though, that
it's not that cut and dry. Eating meat is a world wide cultural phenomena that
prevails across almost every ethnic, racial and socio-economic border. The proliferation of this culture is a complex multifaceted issue that cannot be simply reduced to slogans and sound bites. I'm sorry, PETA, it just isn't so.
So this is the part where some vegetarians may jump ship on me, but hopefully, in the same turn I get the attention of a few unabashed carnivores out there. After all, it's you to whom I'm really writing this manifesto. Writing to other vegetarians is kind of like preaching to the choir. It's you, dear carnivores, that I'm after, so take a bite of steak and listen up. The truth is this: I love meat. Or, at least, I did. Honestly, some of the finest memories of my life were formed around cooking and dining upon succulent dishes that placed meat at the center of the plate. To make matters even more difficult, much of the conventional wisdom that I have learned in my career as a wine steward involves combining wine and meat in deft pairings that simultaneously showcase and deepen their natural flavors. All in all, meat has played a significant role in my life and letting go of it has not come easily.
For this reason my journey to becoming a vegetarian has been a slow one and not without significant lapses. It began with a flirtation during my college years in Madison, Wisconsin - a bastion of Midwestern liberal hippie types. I ate fish. Pretended that it didn't count. A year later, beginning my career as a wine steward in the more carnivorous city of Minneapolis, I imploded one evening over no less than a single strip of bacon and meat was back in my diet with a vengeance. There it would stay until I moved to New York City and became happily engaged. Confronted with the realization that we might actually want to grow old together, my fiance and I began to seriously consider health conscious changes in our lifestyle. Smoking was nixed first. Meat followed suit a few months later. Still, we broke down a few times. Went out for steak. Exchanged guilty looks the next morning. When we moved in with an avowed vegan it definitely helped. On the other hand, continuing to work with some of the best chef's in Minneapolis and New York City has exerted a relentless carnivorous gravitational pull on my palate. While temptation resisted does, at least, serve to make the heart grow stronger, it is a dangerous game to play none the less.
My years as a wine steward have taught me this: you don't serve a Pinot Grigio drinker a First Growth Bordeaux and expect them to become an instant wine afficianado. They'll take one sip, cringe, suffer through perhaps a single glass and then go right back to the safety of their Pinot Grigio without ever trying another glass of red wine. Developing a palate that appreciates the earthiness, the acidity, and the bitter tannin of a great Bordeaux takes both time and patience. Indeed, for me, part of the joy of being a wine steward is leading a novice drinker from Pinot Grigio to Riesling, from Riesling to Gewürztraminer, from Gewürztraminer to Grenache, from Grenache to Syrah and finally from Syrah to Bordeaux. From ushering many a friend through this progression, I also know that counter intuitively the knowledge that is gained along the way is far more exciting and rewarding than the Bordeaux that is waiting at the journey's end. It is precisely the same principle that I now hope to apply to becoming a vegetarian.
To begin, like myself, I simply wish to make the carnivorous aware of the many options that exist today to gradually reduce the amount of meat in their diet. Despite the stereotype, eating vegetarian a couple of nights a week doesn't have to be an exercise in the bland leading the bland. For this reason, many of the recipes offered on this blog use good protein substitutes to recreate classic staples and old favorites in a manner that is appealing to a palate accustomed to the consumption of meat. However, any good vegetarian chef must eventually let go of these crutches and learn to create tantalizing combinations of flavorful ingredients that transcend the world of meat altogether. This is the journey that I hope for us to take together. For those of you who are already there, please bear with me, for you still might take away some new ideas and tasty recipes by listening in on our travelogue.
Finally, to the hardcore vegan or two who is still reading and will no doubt leave many nasty comments on my blog: Yes, I get it, milk is murder too. But if you've read this far you should understand that on a philosophical level I simply don't believe that shock and awe tactics are a practical method to bring about significant life change. While I honestly hope that some day I will be ready to give up all animal derived products in my life the truth is that I'm just not there yet. Moreover, I wish to be able to continue communication with those who definitely aren't there yet, those who haven't even started on the path to a life of conscientious consumption. This is the only way that I believe vegetarianism will ever transform from the lifestyle choice of a staggering minority to the dominant philosophy of an enlightened world.
OK, so all that heavy stuff aside, it should not be forgotten that a blog about vegetarianism can also be a blog about having fun. At the grocery store, in the kitchen and around the table. With friends, with family, and hell, even with an occasional enemy or two. Food has a magical power to bring joy and bind us together in countless ways. So fasten your seatbelt, sharpen your kitchen blades, and get ready to cook up a damn good time...one slice of seitan at a time.
For, indeed, my meat loving friends, there is a Life After Steak!
