Beginning vegetarian is demoralized/Chez Panisse and Foie Gras

[Guest guest]

I am a new vegetarian and I bought Alice Waters vegetable

cookbook recently and I knew it has some meat recipes in it, but

I was shocked to find recipes for foie Gras in it! Especially from

a woman who is supposed to have a reputation as progressive,

responsible person who has a committment to community

farming. The idea that she would promote people to cook

recipes with Foie Gras is shocking to me.

 

After sending email to her and getting no response, I, being

someone who has no experience confronting people on these

issues, went to talk to the Chef at Chez Panisse.

 

While he was friendly and respectful to me, the main point he

made was: There are other meat recipes in the book and

why am I not upset about them instead? (I said I am)--He said

Foie Gras is just in the media spotlight at the moment, and

there are much worse animal issues than this in the beef and

pork industry.

 

I walked away demoralized and stressed out. I felt like I just got

myself upset and felt ineffective in trying to make a difference.

 

How do you do it?

[Guest guest]

Kate Kateharp, I have been involved in activism for a long time.

Non-vegetarians unfortunately are not generally reachable on the

compassion issue. You can make more of a difference reaching people on

the health and environmental benefits and downplaying the rest. Once

people become vegetarianism they don't have the defenses against guilt

that builds up from not eating compassionately. They are then free to

face those issues that have been repressed from early childhood.

 

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from Maida, Citizens for Pets in Condos: http://www.PetsinCondos.org