You might have noticed my talk of eating fish last week, i.e. sea bass and salt cod. Well, I actually started eating fish about two and a half years ago. Sorry I didn’t share, but Vegetarianized.com was well…vegetarian.
But, WOW – what a difference! I feel like I have so many more choices, and I am completely satisfied culinary-wise. We try, probably not hard enough, to adhere to the Monterey Bay Aquarium fish standards for sustainability and health of the fish and the environment. But WOW, did I already say that?! Oysters, po’boys, shrimp cocktail, poached salmon, grilled swordfish (my personal fav!), sautéed sea bass, and oh lord, cioppino! I could go on…
You may see where I’m going with this since I just started culinary school. Yesterday was our first day in the TK (Teaching Kitchen) where we made both chicken and white veal stock. I mentioned to my fellow classmate that I hadn’t eaten meat in 13 years. At lunch, he offered me a piece of his pork chop. (I didn’t take it.)
It’s weirdly not weird. I did avoid breaking down chicken carcasses today in favor of distributing the fresh herbs, but I didn’t feel strange that the hours are ticking down until I will be required to taste one of those stocks or something else meaty we are making.
Of course, I could say I’m veg-, or really pescatarian, and inform my chef, the staff and all my classmates that I won’t be eating probably 95% of what I cook over the next two years. That just seems silly! Yeah, please let me give up my pretty secure, well-paid job and spend $60,000 (yup, that’s right!) to get an Associates Degree in culinary arts from the Harvard/Hogwarts of cooking schools, and then not eat absolutely everything! Plus how would I know if that white veal stock is any good without tasting it? So one toe left on the veg or fish only bandwagon – soon I’ll be hitting the ground, and hard.
Tick…Tick…Tick.
Speaking of stocks (see paragraph three above), I’ll be making Vegetable Stock this Sunday on Vegetarianized.com and sharing tips and tricks, such as did you know there is a difference between stock and broth? I didn’t until yesterday…stay tuned.
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