dietsstaleand repetitiveby comparison.Theenjoymentof
sucha cuisineisenhanced bytheknowledgethatits good
tasteandnourishingqualitieswereprovideddirectlybythe
earth,neitherwastingwhattheearthproduces,norrequiring
the suffering and death of any sentient being.
Vegetarianism brings with it a new relationship to food,
plants,andnature.Fleshtaintsourmeals.Disguiseitaswe
may,thefactremainsthatthecenterpieceofourdinnerhas
come to us from the slaughterhouse, dripping blood.
Untreated andunrefrigerated,itsoonbegins toputrefyand
stink.Whenweeatit,itsitsheavilyinourstomachs,blocking
our digestive processes until, days later, we struggle to
excreteit.^28 Whenwe eatplants,foodtakesonadifferent
quality.Wetakefromtheearthfoodthatisreadyforusand
does not fight against us as we take it. Without meat to
deaden the palatewe experience an extra delight in fresh
vegetablestakenstraightfromtheground.Personally,Ifound
theideaofpickingmyowndinnersosatisfyingthatshortly
afterbecomingavegetarianIbegandigginguppartofour
backyard and growing some of my own
vegetables—something that I had never thought of doing
previously,butthatseveralofmyvegetarianfriendswerealso
doing.Inthiswaydroppingflesh-meatfrommydietbrought
me into closer contact with plants, the soil, and the seasons.
Cooking,too,wassomethingIbecameinterestedinonlyafter
I becamea vegetarian. Forthose brought up on theusual
Anglo-Saxonmenus,inwhichthemaindishconsistsofmeat
supplementedbytwoovercookedvegetables,theelimination
of meat poses an interesting challengeto theimagination.
WhenI speak in public about theissuesdiscussed in this
book,I amoftenasked aboutwhat one caneatinstead of