Monday 2 February 2004

morrissey would be mortified



So I ate beef last night. That's right - a big hunk of beef fillet, lovingly cooked by Paul. Let me put this into context, for those of you who don't know me or haven't known me for long. I haven't eaten red meat since 1986, when I decided that The Smiths and Kate Bush were the coolest people ever and that I too should become a vegetarian. I was 17; I never claimed to be an intellectual or philosophical genius. I didn't eat any meat until around 1991 when I started eating chicken and fish again for various reasons. Up until last night, I didn't eat anything other than fish/shellfish, chicken, turkey, and the occasional crispy duck. Well, and other things involving vegetables and grains, but you know what I mean.



I decided that I missed certain types of meat (mostly steak and roast beef - I've never tried lamb, so maybe that'll be part of my new culinary plan) and that I certainly wasn't avoiding red meat for any moral reasons. If it was a moral issue, someone would need to explain to me that chicken and fish aren't vegetables...which is something I've actually said to people who kept insisting that I was vegetarian, but I digress. I also knew that I wanted our children to be able to choose what they eat, and provide them with as much dietary variety as possible. I don't think they should miss out on beef burgers and bacon because my choice of diet was based more on personal taste than any ethical issue. Plus, I saw Jamie Oliver make a beef carpaccio on TV the other day, and I thought it looked damned tasty.



For health reasons, I probably won't eat very much beef, pork, or lamb anyway. Poultry and fish are generally less fattening, and I'm not really a big fan of most pig products. It will, however, be very nice to enjoy a lovely roast beef dinner every now and then (with leftovers for sandwiches, of course) and to try lamb for the first time. I'm also curious about prosciutto and Parma ham (they always look so lovely wrapped around a piece of fish). I'll pass on the haggis and blood pudding, thanks.

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