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Some of my summer menu:
Fresh salad greens topped with two raw salads:
fresh peas with cherry tomatoes, olive oil and mint &
a beet root and carrot salad with raisins, cashews, oil and balsamic vinegar. |
I love food. Part of it is definitely cultural. Filipinos LOVE food. Period. We love to make food, eat food, take pictures of our food, talk about the next meal we plan to eat while still eating. It's a part of our cultural identity, which usually entails a lot of meat and fresh seafood, as well.
Needless to say, vegetarianism is not big in the Philippines. Many vegetable dishes are sprinkled with some kind of meat, fish, seafood, or fish sauce. Whenever I've tried to explain my veg diet, I am always met with: "but you can eat chicken?"
Um...
"Fish?"
You get the picture.
I've played at being vegetarian before, dancing with the idea from time to time. Going long periods without meat products, but then caving in and having a hamburger--like I said, I'm Filipino! Two years ago, prompted by my yoga practice, I cut out meat, but continued to eat fish. A year ago, I quit fish and seafood. I guess for me, despite my predilection for eating anything, I felt like it was time.
A year on, I am continuing to learn more and more about how to eat better. Not just as a vegetarian. But as a human being. Good food, good nutrition is universal.
What I've found is that going vegetarian has actually rekindled my love for food. It's made me more aware of what I consume. It's helped me become more creative in the kitchen as I work towards hitting all the right food groups and food combinations. It's put me in touch with people who also love food the same way I do, who share their love for food, and who see food as a form of love.
This blog is born out of the desire to share this exciting food adventure!
