Damek.

I’ve been a vegetarian (more or less) since I was, say, twelve years old. My sister became vegetarian after a trip to DC when she was about five or six years older than that, and because I did everything my sister did, I went vegetarian.

In the past 7-8 years I have gradually eaten a little more meat here and there. My reasons for being vegetarian are primarily economic and environmental, and I am not “militant” about it. Being of a scientific personality, and having studied anthropology in college, I find it hard to ignore the evolutionary and biological benefits of occasional meat. Not to mention that it tastes good.

Lately I have begun eating fish now and then because fish is quite healthy. Omega-3s and all of that. I don’t know much about fish except I know salmon and tuna are supposed to be good. Sardines, too, and oysters and clams and stuff. Whatever. I like chicken, too. You won’t catch me eating red meat. I had ham at Christmas because it’s what Alex’s parents were serving, but that’s about as “risque” I’ll get when it comes to animal flesh.

I still hold dear the memory of eating fried dissected squid in high school AP Biology class. How salacious!

And tonight I cooked chicken. I’m developing a staple of meals I can cook, so far revolving mainly around sauteed vegetables. Collard greens, kale, or spinach, with onions, peppers, mushrooms, etc. added. And then pasta, rice, or barley, bulgur, etc. But including protein comes down to beans or … well, beans. I’m a big fan of protein, I understand it should be a somewhat major portion of one’s diet. Beans and the occasional fish only go so far, especially when one’s partner doesn’t enjoy fish.

So chicken it was. And it was good.

I used to cook chicken at the Pomona College Coop when I worked there, so I understood how (and how easy!) to cook chicken. Perhaps the easiest meat. I’m getting more comfortable in the kitchen. It took me all of about twenty minutes to cook dinner tonight, veggies, chicken, and pasta all together. I felt like I’d accomplished something.

I think the staple when I choose to cook will still be beans, but chicken was a nice change. Now if I can just find a reliable place to find definite hormone-free chicken…

Suggestions?

Not that you care about any of this, but you read this far. Ha ha!