Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Being a Pescetarian

I am a pescetarian.  I just discovered that a few days ago.  What exactly, you may ask, does that mean? That I am an avid fan of Joe Pesci?  As a matter of fact, I am.  But pescetarianism has nothing to do with being a fan of a talented Italian actor.  It is vegetarianism with a twist.  As a vegetarian, I do not eat meat. No beef, pork, lamb, turkey, or chicken.  No exceptions.  I do eat dairy - am a cheese-aholic to tell the truth.  I also eat eggs, with my favorites being over medium with a nice whole grain toast.  But when I go out to a nice restaurant, I will, on occasion, order fish, making me what I thought was an "ovo-lacto-pesco vegetarian.  It turns out, however, that there is no such thing.  Fish is, technically, a meat.  So how do I justify eating it?

For one thing, I do not abstain from meat purely for humanitarian reasons.  I have nothing against organic meat.  I honestly believe that man is an omnivore by nature.  But the way we, as a rule, raise and slaughter our meat, is reprehensible.  It shows a lack of respect for God and His creation. Moreover, with the addition of often copious amounts of steroids and antibiotics, I don't think it is good for anyone.   This is why I should be giving up all but organic meat, at least.  But even this is not the reason why I no longer eat meat.  My honest problem with meat is kind of embarrassing.  Apparently I have the digestive system of a newborn baby.  I cannot comfortably digest meat.  I used to live with almost constant liver or stomach pain.  Since giving meat up, though, I feel so much better - plain and simple.  I added back the dairy, eggs, and fish after a brief go at being a pure vegetarian and found that they do not bother me at all.  Nor do they bother my conscience.  Fish have been caught in large nets since the beginning of time.  I stay away from farm-raised fish because (coincidentally?), farm-raised fish - particularly salmon - bothers my digestive system much like meat does.

So, since I last regularly posted, when I cook, it is vegetarian - ovo-lacto-vegetarian.  I bring no meat or fish into my house.  And I love that.  It somehow feels "clean".   I have a bevy of recipes that my husband and I enjoy and will share them with you in future posts.  I make dishes like Eggplant Parmesan, Tomato-Basil Quiche, Mushroom Crepes, and Vegetarian Curry.  I still try to cut the fat down in these rather rich meals and will share with you how I do that, as well.

When I order fish in restaurants, I usually look for a nice seared tuna or something like trout with a mango salsa.  Every once in a while, I will try a lightly breaded catfish, flounder, or cod.  And my naughty indulgence?  Calamari - prepared just about any way you can think of.

So, this is the new me - eating a diet that makes me feel - well - pretty wonderful on most days!