I Have No Beef With Vegetarians

I eat meat.  In fact, people who know my food preferences will tell you I prefer fatty meats.  You know that outer edge of fat that surrounds one edge of a really good striploin steak? Yeah, the bit most people cut off. I LLLLLLLLOOOOVVVEEE IT!  But, it is not just about the flavour.  My choice to consume meat has as much to do with health, as I believe it is easier to get all your essential amino acids and B12 from meat than from a vegetarian diet.

Don't get me wrong.  I love vegetables as well and can never get enough of the fruit salad at Village Grocer - a gourmet grocery store near my home.  I have several recipes for vegan dishes that I make for myself solely because they are good.  And, I believe a well balanced diet includes a variety of foods in moderation, including vegetables, legumes and grains.  Aboriginals in South and North America survived for years on a diet of the three sisters: corn, beans and squash.  They would also include potatoes and tomatoes in season and what little meat they caught.  But, the three sisters were their staples year round.

But a trend amongst meat eating chefs has me a little confused.  Not too long ago there was a story trending on Twitter about a chef in Colorado bragging about serving gluten foods to people with gluten intolerance; we are all aware by now of Gordon Ramsay's battle with Paul McCartney over Ramsay's positon on vegetarians; and not too long ago there was a survey of chefs that brought to light several practices that seem to me unethical.  I feel that this antagonism amongst chefs toward groups that do not wish to turn their digestive tracts over to them demonstrates nothing more than the inability of those chefs to be creative.  You have spent years in culinary school and all that you got out of it was when in doubt add more animal fat?  You should really seek a refund.  The machismo of a chef who thinks that he has somehow attained the level of Grand Master because he pulled one over on an unsuspecting diner who had entrusted their health and diet to them is contemptible.

My feeling about dietary restrictions is this: as someone who loves to cook for people a restriction is nothing more than an opportunity to try something new.  A challenge.   Anyone can learn to cook, it really isn't that hard.  And anyone can make food taste better by using the strong umami flavours of meat and meat products.  But if you are charging money for your work and calling yourself a professional than you owe it to meet the strict criteria set out by customers. This is what separates chefs from cooks.

For those who will argue that the demands of vegetarians are not feasible within the high paced confines of a professional kitchen then the answer is simple: tell them up front that you can't accomodate them and let them take their business somewhere else, no hard feelings.  There are several chefs who have positive attitudes toward vegetarian and gluten free cooking who have made the accommodation.  And some, like Michael Smith, are even married to vegetarians.

Food is nothing more than sustenance and nutrition when culture is left out and no dietary restrictions are really required to keep someone alive on a liquid chemical formula.  Science is now able to grow meat in a lab and may some day be able to remove some of the ethical reasons for being a vegetarian.  But would those products be considered cuisine?  Cooking and eating, whether at home or in a restaurant, is a communal activity.  We gain our tastes and even our manners through a shared culture.  To disrespect the culture of a vegetarian is no different than to serve pork to someone who keeps kosher.  We may not share the reasoning behind a decision to alter one's diet, but I would no more take away a persons right to not eat something than I would want them to take away my right to the occasional (ok somewhat too frequent) hot dog fix. To me vegetarian cuisine can be as exciting to cook as Thai, Italian or French.  And maybe, occasionally, it wouldn't hurt me to try.