Every year, Bob and I give up meat for Lent. Being Presbyterians, this isn’t really necessary. As a matter of fact, giving something up for Lent was an idea that was foreign to Bob before he met me. I’m not really sure why, since I was raised a not-extremely-observant Episcopalian, but I’ve practiced giving something up for Lent every year since I was a teenager. Maybe it’s because I went to a Catholic high school, but I think it has more to do with the fact I’ve got so many Lyonses and Seligmans hanging out on the branches of my family tree, I must have a ritual gene that refuses to let go of its little claim on my cells. It’s just dying to get me to add some cleansing rituals to my life that don’t have anything to do with baths and showers and bars of soap, things meant to help me tap into the more spiritual and mystical aspects of life. I’m so impressed with all the rituals my observant Jewish friends (most especially those I know who are Orthodox) incorporate into their lives. Lent gives me the opportunity to pretend I don’t lead such a chaotic, catch-as-catch can existence, spiritually. Lent is sort of Ritualistic Cleansing Lite. You know, I don’t want to have to fast all day long on all those holy days, and I don’t really want to have to say all those prayers all the time, nor do I want to forego driving every single Sabbath, but hey, I’ll give up one thing during Lent.
Anyway, we’re in the midst of week two of Lent, and I’m still all excited about our temporary diet. I’ve been looking through cookbooks and websites and getting ideas for different ways to prepare our favorite vegetables. For my birthday, my brother-in-law gave me this wonderful huge book on the world’s healthiest foods, and, of course, most of the healthiest are fruits and vegetables, so I’m busy making plans to shop for the ones that top the list (except Swiss chard. I have no idea how anyone can eat that stuff. I’ve tried disguising it with lots of garlic – another extremely healthy food, I might add -- but to no avail). I’m busy thinking, “This is so much fun. We really just ought to become full-time vegetarians.” I'm feeling extremely virtuous.
All right, that’s me right now, full of the spirit of sacrifice. Talk to me come Palm Sunday, though. You may discover the melodic little “we love vegetables” tune has become somewhat atonal. I’ll be telling you, “Screw the lamb on Easter Sunday. I’m going to go out and get a big, fat hamburger.” Or you might hear me say, “If I have to figure out one more creative way to prepare a potato, I’m going to slit my wrists.” And don’t interrupt me if you see me with a newspaper in my hands: can’t you see I’m busy searching the classifieds to see if any chicken farms happen to be for sale?
But that day hasn’t arrived yet. Thus, I’m off to the grocery store to buy some mushrooms for the curried mushrooms (an extremely healthy food, if you buy the crimini, which is just a portobello with a fancy name – as if portobello doesn’t sound fancy enough – and a heftier price tag) and cashews I plan to stir fry this evening, a recipe that’s been writing itself in my head all day. I’ve been wishing the day away, so I can get to work on it. I’ll let you know how it turns out, and will someone please remind me in a few weeks how I was so excited about doing this? And how I wasn’t sick of mushrooms yet? And how I just loved all the things that could be done in a wok, the wok I was not yet contemplating giving to the Good Will, because when would I ever need that hideous instrument of tortuously boring meals again?
6 comments:
Yay on going vegetarian! If you're looking for some recipes for things other than stir fried veggies, vegweb is fantastic. My husband and I have gotten lots of great recipes there.
Going veggie for lent sounds like a great idea. I wish more people would try something like this so they could experience first-hand how delicious and satisfying a well-done vegetarian diet can be.
Congratulations on giving up meat for lent. I'd like to know some more of the recipes you come across. I'm planning on experimenting with springrolls today, we had some at a Thai restaurant the other night and I know I can do better. I was going to add shrimp, but they would be fine as a vegetarian dish. I'll send you the recipe if they turn out well.
I, too, am another presbyterian who gives something up for lent. Sometimes I think this is just spooky. This year i was lazy and gave up diet coke (not EVEN drinking rum and diet cokes) - and it goes very well. I'm trying to lean us towards a more plant-based diet and one recipe i found includes mixing up 10 oz of thawed spinach with three egg whites, a cup of cottage cheese and a handful to feta and parmesan and baking at 350 for 45 minutes. I made it once and I intend to experiment with the flavor and cheeses until I have something spinach pie like in flavor, but my first attempt was actually very good!
Stef, thanks so much for the vegweb tip.
Jul, keep reminding me of that. I'm beginning to learn not only how satisfying and well-done it can be, but also that it doesn't have to be extremely time-consuming.
Ian, well, now, there's the difference between a professional chef, and a wannabe chef. I go to a restaurant and think, "Hmmm...I wonder if I could make a salad that's better than this wilted iceberg with half-green tomatoes and bottled blue cheese dressing." You go to a restaurant and think you can make better SPRING ROLLS. Here's an idea: why don't you teach me how to make them next time we're together?
Court, that sounds delicious (and easy!). I'm adding it to my recipe stash. Thanks!
That sounds like an excellent way to try vegetarianism -- and who knows, maybe you won't get sick of it! Maybe you'll surprise yourself. I suspect I'd be like what you describe in the post, though -- dying for a hamburger before too long (sorry vegetarian bloggers who read this ...)
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