[Sca-cooks] Vegetarian & Vegans was Re: lethal drinks

[Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius]

On Jul 22, 2008, at 11:43 PM, Barbara Benson wrote:

> Saluti!
>
> I have always tried to make sure that there isn't any hidden meat in
> my feasts. When I prepare veg dishes I substitute out the typically
> called for animal fat and use oil or butter. The same goes for my
> starch dishes. With this approach I thought I was doing a pretty good
> job with the whole vegetarian thing. And if someone contacts me ahead
> of time I try to compensate for their issues the best I can. I have
> been known to set aside portions of dishes for individuals with
> various allergies and sensitivities.
>
> We recently had a lovely new couple move in from out of Kingdom and
> they are both vegetarians. I had a very ... interesting ...
> conversation with one of them regarding feast. During that
> conversation she made it quite clear to me that as far as she was
> concerned the cook had an obligation to not only make sure that there
> were foods that vegetarians could eat but that I needed to make sure
> that I provided the appropriate dishes in the appropriate combinations
> so that vegetarians were provided with a complete protein.
>
> She went on to talk about serving beans with rice, but I had to make
> sure it was brown rice not white. And something like a Squash ravioli,
> but the pasta needed to be whole wheat ...
>
> What do y'all think about the viability of or my responsibility to
> meet this expectation? Is it reasonable?


No. First of all, the whole grain requirements go beyond the theory  
and expectation associated with simple vegetarianism, and you're  
feeding this person a meal, not assuming responsibility for their full  
FDA requirement of every necessary nutrient.

What you're supposed to be doing, should you decide to accept this  
mission, is make it possible for the person to sit at your feast and  
eat a reasonable, even a good, meal without being made to feel  left  
out or like some sort of freak of nature. It's about seamless  
integration.

This does not entitle the person to write their own personal menu and  
expect you to cook it, or to expect you to take a lot of time away  
from the needs of the majority of your group for the benefit of one or  
a relative few.

Adamantius




"Most men worry about their own bellies, and other people's souls,  
when we all ought to worry about our own souls, and other people's  
bellies."
			-- Rabbi Israel Salanter