Sunday, February 12, 2006
Unwitting Prime Rib Consumption
As an independent, working girl, I have to do certain things to get by. Anywhere from staying home on a Friday night to muddling through the rigors of a passionately emotionless job. Making sense out of the compromise is hard, but I have plenty of time to do so with fabulous Friday facemasks and red wine to grease my thinking cap. How much compromise is too much? Where and when do I stop being me, lose a piece of my heart and become a broken branch in the organizational flow chart?
As a vegetarian, I am frequently limited in my ability to prepare food for the carnivorous appetites of those around me. I balance my inability to digest meat with my desire to see the pleasure of a meal well-cooked on people’s faces. Is fish enough?
I can’t go as far as ground round, but what about boiling turkey for the ever-requested chipotle turkey chili? Can I even still season this former specialty? The answer is yes. I can take a step outside of my comfort zone and into the unknown area of vegetarian cooking meat items while plugging nose and holding breath.
Are the two even similar? Being motivated to gain experience and pay bills versus being motivated to please the palates of those around me are different, yes, but the slippery slope of preparing meat to, Mother Earth forbid, eating it. I don’t have any problem drawing that line. Seasoning be damned! If the tastebuds of my guests suffer, that is a risk I am willing to take.
But where do you draw the line between unethical employers, poorly run organizations, undefinable goals and personal comfort? When am I going from cooking meat for management to joining in one unending, unethical prime rib dinner? Maybe its time to move on to another kitchen.
As a vegetarian, I am frequently limited in my ability to prepare food for the carnivorous appetites of those around me. I balance my inability to digest meat with my desire to see the pleasure of a meal well-cooked on people’s faces. Is fish enough?
I can’t go as far as ground round, but what about boiling turkey for the ever-requested chipotle turkey chili? Can I even still season this former specialty? The answer is yes. I can take a step outside of my comfort zone and into the unknown area of vegetarian cooking meat items while plugging nose and holding breath.
Are the two even similar? Being motivated to gain experience and pay bills versus being motivated to please the palates of those around me are different, yes, but the slippery slope of preparing meat to, Mother Earth forbid, eating it. I don’t have any problem drawing that line. Seasoning be damned! If the tastebuds of my guests suffer, that is a risk I am willing to take.
But where do you draw the line between unethical employers, poorly run organizations, undefinable goals and personal comfort? When am I going from cooking meat for management to joining in one unending, unethical prime rib dinner? Maybe its time to move on to another kitchen.
