Flexitarian

Growing up in New York, I had “Kalbi” (Korean style short ribs) almost everyday. Let me explain: my grandmother makes the best Korean food. That's a good enough reason, right? However, when I was around 10, I remember one night when meat was not available. I felt the rage starting to boil from my chest into my head and next thing I know, I'm having an outburst of temper because there were only 7 vegetable side dishes to eat… and NO meat. Eventually, I accepted defeat (I was hungry) and started my dreary meal. By the end of dinner, I had forgotten that there was no kalbi and was surprised how delicious and satisfying the meal had turned out. It made an impression but it never dawned on me that it could be an alternate way of eating.

Fast forward into adulthood. I shifted food focus to poultry and seafood and less red meat. However, with industrialized farming techniques that are deplorable to the animals, and the results being passed on to the consumers, I tried to minimize my intake of all farmed creatures. This made me want to become a vegetarian but it never lasted. I finally gave up on this pressure and instead performed a little “prayer” of thanks to the animal before consuming my meal. I had been content with my compromise… until I started to hear that animal husbandry emits a profound amount of greenhouse gases (15-20% of total emissions), next to or above the transportation sector. There, I pretty much lost my appetite. Then one fateful morning in December of ’07, I woke up and realized that the desire to eat any type of slaughtered animals had disappeared. I decided that I would make exceptions for special occasions. There has been a small handful since, no more than 4. Suddenly, all the vegetables were bursting with flavors, which had previously been overpowered by meat. Because we live in a time and place with so many food options, I want to take advantage of this. I can’t say that this will be a permanent way of living for me but for now, I am satisfied with my eating habits.

Yumm… diced eggplant is one of my new favorite dishes

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