Thoughts of Vegetarianism -2/14/09

I have never have been a vegetarian but like most people, I've considered a meat-free diet. I'm not comfortable with the killing of animals. I've seen chickens killed and I could see that the animals experienced pain and fear prior to being killed. I will do anything I can to avoid following a truck hauling animals in crowded cages and pens. But obviously I still eat chicken and in fact, all other types of meat. Why? Because, like most people, I separate myself from that process when I cook with or eat meat. I don't boil live lobsters or roast whole pigs. All the meat I cook with or eat is in non-animal form. I don't think about the connection between the meat and live animals. I have had pets and feel that animals don't have the same emotional complexity that humans do. Animals don't think about the past and future in the same way that humans do. They don't compare their lives to other animals. But I do know they can experience fear, stress, and pain and I hope that soon all farms will be required to humanely house and slaughter their animals.
Tonight I made a vegetarian meal and yes, it was missing something. I made the Curried-Squash and Red-Lentil Soup on page 70. I tried the soup as it finished cooking and thought "Yikes, this isn't good". I then took it off the stove and went upstairs to take a shower. By the time we ate the soup, it had cooled considerably and it tasted much better. I don't really understand why that happened, perhaps the curry mellowed as it cooled. I really enjoyed the flavor the cilantro oil added. The soup needed the richer taste of the fat from the oil. I wish there was some way to smooth out the grittiness of lentils however. Eyrleigh was not a fan, maybe the onion were too much for her. She usually loves butternut squash.
The curry in the soup called for a Indian-inspired dessert. The recipe for Quick Gajar Halva on page 58 was a great match. I had eaten this desert while in India and at Indian restaurants. It was a very simple recipe and had a really interesting flavor. It was quite sweet and the golden raisins added a nice tang.