A Fork in my Culinary Road

Ignorance is not an option once the mist is blown away and the truth stands before you, naked and grotesque. I had heard rumors of sad chickens crammed on shelves in order to pop out egg after egg for my omelets and soufflés with not so much as a frolic in the sunshine on solid ground for a thank you. This idea of the unfulfilled farm animal often prompted me to splurge for the “cage-free,” “all-natural,” or “organic” animal products. But that was before I saw those unhappy creatures in the documentary Food, Inc. and realized that their circumstances present concerns far beyond some ideal of emotional contentment. Treated with no more respect than the nuts and bolts of the assembly line, these animals are perceived as hamburgers and bacon with skin rather than the dynamic, living, breathing and purposeful beings that God created them to be.

So now the question is, can I pick up a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and not remember those hobbling birds whose underdeveloped bones cannot support their overdeveloped meat? Will a fancy steak still be refined cuisine to me when I remember the cow it came from standing ankle-deep in her own manure? All of my adult life I have delighted to slave over the stove for hours upon end experimenting with different recipes - a slave much more to the delight of eating than the necessity of a meal. But now I realize that food must be about more than taste or even calories and certainly convenience. I want to respect life and the planet, my body and my community and the future of my baby boy that I influence with every vote of my fork.

This then is the beginning of my food odyssey, a journey I embark on without knowing the exact route, but the destination of which I am certain - to be proud in every possible way I can of the food I eat and serve my family. To begin, I will adjust my diet so that I utilize only animal products from humanely treated livestock. I want to explore buying local and organic food, growing a kitchen garden and many other food related issues. As the mother of a 3 month old and on the budget of a middle-class, one-income family my mission has certain time and monetary limitations, so I am sure that creativity will be the key to success. My hope is that you will join me on the journey and will start giving more thought to the origin of that finger-lickin' fried chicken, that winter tomato or whatever your next bite may be.