Venison Chocolate and my insatiable love of meat

The other day I was talking to a vegan, you know those people who don't eat meat, milk, eggs, and yet normally own at least one leather object(shoes, purse, belt, ect.) In all fairness this vegan might not own any leather objects and I just totally stereotyped, but I am in desperate need of some street cred by way of blog haters so we'll just go with it for now. This vegan is a very well educated person who is very nice and doesn't look at all like the lack of butter is drying out her soul, like it would be doing to mine.

I asked her my standard meat loving questions. Why do you eat tofu that is flavored like meat? What are you eating? Couldn't you just ignore the dead pig scenario when you are biting into bacon? You know typical probing annoying questions I am absolutely positive she has never heard before. I then did my famous "oh I have the coolest vegan friend ever rant," which is absolutely true and might have caused forgiveness for all of my probing. In the end I had this strange urge to kill a pig and make a pulled pork sandwich. All of the Cambridge Wilburs must have been on vacation that day, so my urge wasn't satisfied.

Before you think I am a blood thirsty, meat eating, greenhouse gas forming, gun toting cave man. Well ok minus the gun thing(I live in MA. They don't even let you carry pepper spray up here) and the man part; I try not to hurt the ozone layer when I remember. I eat meat. There you go I said it. I eat meat and I like it, actually I love it. I love it so much I try to do it multiple times a week. Now before you go getting your panties in a knot(if they are in a knot already remember I'm looking for potential blog haters so go to town)let me explain my food chain philosophy.

A snake eats mice. You will never be able to "convert" a snake to being a vegetarian and eating grass instead. You can try, but a snake eats mice. Those mice might be adorable little guys like in Cinderella and they might help someone make it to the ball just in time, but the snake really could care less. It sees mice and it thinks food.

My first dog ate groundhogs. There truly is nothing attractive about a groundhog, but it never asked to be grabbed by the scruff of its neck and shaken until my dog had killed it. The dog rolled in it too, but that's a whole other disgusting story that always ended smelly.

I, being a human, eat meat and meat products(BUTTER...it is heaven on earth. Why would you want to say no to it?). I have the choice to eat vegetables, and I quite often do so I remain a healthy person. In the end I pretty much survive on meat.

Back 100 years people ate meat. Some cultures and people groups do not have the resources to eat meat often, but given the opportunity they would eat meat as long as it wasn't a religiously separated meat. I would propose that it would be very difficult to find a culture that is purely and rudimentary vegetarian for reasons other than lack of meat. Humans were meant to eat meat.

In the advanced age that we live in, it is possible for vegetarians and vegans to take vitamins and supplements for the lack of nutrition they are subjecting their body to because of not eating meat. We also have a wider range of produce and seasons thanks to a more global food market.

I do agree with people who say that Americans consume too much meat. We have built giant super farms that have caused the price of meat to be so much less than it used to be; meat can be an every night meal for most middle class Americans. Eating a salad for dinner would not kill you every now and then and it might remind you to be thankful for what you have. Children in India are starving damnit!!!

There is one more baffling thought I must consider I have met very few male vegetarians in my life time. I'm sure they are out there, but I really haven't met any of them. Most of the men in my life enjoy red meat. In fact some of them are quite passionate about it. Hanna Frederick, chocolatier and food chemist, has invented venison chocolate. Supposedly it's a big hit with the men in New Zealand. I can not say I'm surprised. I personally prefer my Hershey's milk chocolate, but I am pretty sure you would not have to twist Matt's arm too much to get him to try meat flavored chocolate. I don't know what it is about men that makes them prefer meat, where women are more willing to give it up and go for a salad. I suppose it is the last meat mystery in my life.

That urge for pulled pork is coming back. Wilbur where are you when I need you?

Happy Eating!!!(even if it is veggies)

Emily