The Rabbit Hole

Sorry I vanished for so long. Work, family, ok, mostly work just got in the way.
But, I am still cooking and more importantly, focused on healthy, wholesome food for my family. The wholesome food quest has opened up a can of worms so to speak. I read a book that my husband my never forgive me for, Eating Animals by the guy who wrote Everything is Illuminated. Even though I read and am a huge fan of Michael Pollan’s, Eating Animals has changed the way I look at food, changed what I will put in my mouth, and makes me question what authority I have over what my children put in their mouths.

Let me back up a bit. I have a friend who is a mom in a way that I could never be. She is a stay at home mom who considered home schooling (I would sooner shave my head and walk through Uptown naked). She watches other people’s children (insert joke here about barely being able to handle my own). But, she is smart and really researches things. I respect her opinion immensely. She read Eating Animals and recommended it to me. Having not finished or even truly started Everything is Illuminated, I doubted I could get through this book. I had found the author’s voice a bit irritating. I have to say I still find his style irritating. But, he clearly and concisely laid out his arguments.

Eating Animals is his journey into what it means to eat meat in America today. His accounts of what occurs on poultry and pig farms was so disgusting that upon reading each chapter I said no more. No more factory farmed chicken or pork in my mouth or in my home. He also went into the horrors of the factory farmed cow and the ocean caught fish. Hopefully, without sounding heartless, I will say I was saddened and a bit disheartened but, I did not stop eating meat from those animals. Oh, factory farmed fish was also raised in disgusting environments.

So, the net result? When I am out of my home, I am essentially a vegetarian. And, at home, I am eating only pastured meat and eggs from pastured chickens. The meat can be more expensive. I discovered by going to the local outdoor market every other week that I could buy meat direct from the farmers and ranchers for a deal. The steaks are awesome. Chicken, lamb, and even goat are amazing. And, I am actually spending less. True I need to make sure I get over there.

I also joined an organic produce co-op. So, every other week I pick up 30 pounds of produce. Fifty to seventy percent of it is local. And I have to say, the local stuff is so much fresher. Probably an obvious point…..

It is fun since I dont know what I am making the next two weeks until I pick up the produce. And, I have to make adjustments to use up things that will go back sooner.

A really great thing is happening in Dallas. Local markets are springing up right and left - or, at least it feels that way in East Dallas. White Rock Local Market is at the Green Sopt on Buckner the second and fourth Saturday of every month. I buy most of our meat there. EatGreenDFW is at Mockingbird Station Thursday afternoons. Great place to go get fresh seafood.

And, if you ever have leftover shrimp (I have no idea why one would have any shrimp leftover but, I assume it could happen), give it a rough chop and mix with some of the following leftover grilled corn cut off the cob, chopped red pepper, finely chopped jalepeno ( you can deseed and devein to lessen the heat), finely chopped red onion, roughly chopped cilantro. Then, drizzle with some olive oil, sprinkle on some salt, and serve over an avacado. I do the same thing with well rinsed black beans as I will never have leftover shrimp.

Happy eating.