Humane-itarian, Part III: The Problem with Pub Grub

I had a sneaking suspicion that Fourth of July weekend would pose a problem with regard to my new Humane-itarianism...most likely in the form of one of my relatives attempting to force-feed me a hot dog while accusing me of manufacturing my esoteric new dietary program just in time to avoid the annual patriotic spread. But as it turns out, my family were the least of my worries.

The Annual Burning of the Meat (or Pops and Brats, as it is sometimes known) with my Dad and his clan could not have gone better. I suggested ahead of time that I bring the meat - knowing that I would be able to source something equally virtuous and grill-worthy that would please everyone invovled. Sure enough, with just the teensiest bit of grumbling from dear old Dad, I was allowed to take over the hunting, while the rest of the family gathered side-dishes, breads and desserts. The free-range organic chicken did beautifully on the grill with just a kiss of barbeque sauce, and as an added bonus, everyone commented on how tender and flavorful this chicken was, in comparison to the average, everyday bird.

Crisis averted. Or so I thought. Later in the weekend, I hit the Londoner with friends for some laughs and several dozen beers. As the evening progressed and my Blue Moon tally went from 2 to 3 to "it's gonna be a long night", I knew that my tummy needed a little something to bolster its beer defenses. No sooner had I begun to ponder the menu than one of my companions announced that a round of cheese fries would be arriving forthwith. Joy! Perfection! Cheese and carbs and not an animal product in sight! Well...kinda.

The fries arrived with a generous coating of *gasp* bacon bits standing between me and hangover prevention. Rather than make a scene, I simply did my best to avoid the bacony badness - and felt totally terrible about it every bite of the way. In retrospect, I should have ordered a second basket of fries, 86 the bacon, and probably no one would have even noticed. Instead, starving and too embarrassed to make a scene, I made my first pitfall one week into the program in the form of pub grub topped with politically incorrect pork confetti.

This week's tally: Beer Goggles 1 - C&S 0

Humane-itarian, Part II: The first 72

Well, my first few days as a "humane-itarian" would rate a solid "good". Thus far, I haven't had any major problems sticking to the plan. Of course, I also haven't had to attend any family dinners, take any work-related road trips or face the inevitable 4th of July barbeque ...obstacales which my calendar tells me will present themselves in the next couple of weeks. Read below for the first 72 hours, and stay tuned for the challenges to come.

Day 1:

Breakfast: Peanut butter on whole grain bread. No harm, no foul.

Lunch: Can of minestrone soup and bread. This is easy! (famous last words?)

Dinner: Vegetarian pasta. Hubby is satisfied - I'm surprised he doesn't miss the usual ground beef and/or sausage in the sauce, but decided to stick to the basics - and save a few bucks, too. Wondering how long the honeymoon will last.

Day 2:

Again with the breakfast. Lunch is same as yesterday too.

Dinner is another story: Spend 30 minutes reviewing menu for restaurant we're heading to for dinner, only to encounter a last-minute change in plans. Dinner is now at El Fenix, and I have no info on their meat. Not to worry - there's lots of choices for dinner from cheese and/or bean nachos to enchiladas with cheese or spinach, etc. Decide on spinach and mushroom quesadillas. Delicious...but I begin to worry about protein.

Day 3:

Important discovery! A quick investigation of the Chipotle website reveals the following info on their chicken (my favorite meaty burrito filler):

To meet our naturally raised standard, chicken must:

- Never be given antibiotics

- Have more room to move about than in conventional chicken operations

- Be vegetarian fed, never given animal by-products

I am very happy with these standards - I knew the pork at Chipotle was top-notch in this department, but the chicken is a surprise. So glad I checked! Similarly virtuous beef is also available in some areas (not yet Texas). I proceed directly to the nearest Chipotle and chow chicken-style with a clear conscience.

C&S

Humane-itarian

I'm ready to make a change.

Over the past several months, the treatment of my fellow four-legged earthlings has been on my mind with ever-increasing frequency.  I read The Omnivore's Dilemma not too long ago (see previous blog post), and I wrote on the issue of fish safety in a column in the Dallas Morning News (again, see related blog post from earlier this year).  Throw in the fact that it seems impossible to turn on the television these days without hearing a new feed lot horror story or the details of another micro-ecosystem demolished by a fish farm, and I've had it up to *here*.

To be clear, I have no moral issues with the consumption of meat by human beings for the purposes of nutrition.  My issue is with the treatment of animals destined for our dinner plates, and the environmental impact of the places where they are raised.  Not that it's so simple a matter that it can be explained in one sentence, but that's the Cliff's Notes version.

So, I've decided to do something about it.  I want to be one person making a tiny difference when it comes to these animals and our environment.  I am going to try my darndest not to eat any fish or chicken or beef or what-have-you without knowing for sure that it was raised in a humane manner, fed what it was meant to eat, and that it didn't un-do any carefully balanced ecological chain-of-command on its way to my belly.

This is going to require some hardship - I can't afford to eat grass-fed beef, free-range chicken and/or wild seafood every night of the week.  I'm also not in the habit of dining out in the sort of places that only use the aforementioned ingredients on a regular basis.  To add insult to injury, a big part of my life right now involves traveling in rural areas with an already limited selection of dining establishments.  But I'm a smart, resourceful, stubborn girl, and I'm sure that I can make it work.  ...Pretty sure.  85% sure.  Check back to the blog regularly for updates on my adventure.  I'll be sharing with all of you, as candidly as possible, the various ups and downs of my new life as a "humane-itarian".  Wish me luck!

C&S

The Oceanaire Reviewed

Who was there?
Both times we went for dinner, the crowd was older and leaning toward the moneyed, Highland Parkish demographic. I’m fairly sure that we were the youngest people in there both times. At least, we were the youngest that weren’t dining there with our parents.

How were the drinks?
They have a fairly extensive, affordable wine list for both white and red varieties. We tried a couple of tasty Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs that were less than $40 a bottle and went great with the seafood.

What were we eating? How did it taste?
I would like to say right away that I am a little biased here because I am an absolute freak for seafood. This is why I chose the Oceanaire for my b-day dinner.

We started with a variety of oysters chosen by our waiter. They were all incredibly delicious, but our favorites were some small, briny gems from Prince Edward Island and some larger, succulent pieces from Duxbury, Connecticut. The only slight I saw with the oysters was that the horseradish spiked cocktail sauce was too delicious to resist putting on the oysters—which unfortunately masked their taste.

Hands down, the crab cakes at Oceanaire are the best that either my husband or I have ever tried. They are made of the sweetest jumbo lump crab meat imaginable and are held together by just enough bread crumbs to keep them together. After we shared one, I found myself wishing I had just ordered them as my main course so that I could have two of them all to myself.

Of the main courses we tried, the Stuffed Texas Gulf Flounder was the biggest hit. Stuffed with shrimp and crab, they were drizzled with a lemon butter sauce that my husband was practically licking off the plate. I had to admit, it was just that good.

Probably the weakest of the dishes we tried was the sashimi style tuna with wasabi, a ginger-soy reduction and seaweed salad. The fish was fresh and flavorful, but the wasabi was very bland. There were also just a few drops of the soy reduction on the plate, and I definitely would have liked more. Overall, I was pretty underwhelmed. Especially since it directly followed the heavenly crab cake.

How was the service?
Our waiters on both visits were energetic and passionate about seafood. They had good suggestions with the oysters and the wine, and they were very nice about answering questions.

For my birthday, the restaurant also gave us a specialty menu that read “Happy Birthday Robin” at the top. Of course, all I could think about was direct address and how there should be a comma between “Birthday” and “Robin”, but that’s just me. It was still a nice touch.

They also brought us a free dessert on our b-day visit, which was the Baked Alaska. After sampling the Key Lime Pie on our last visit, which was tart, HUGE and delicious, the Baked Alaska was a little disappointing. The ice cream inside was kind of bland, and the marshmallow on the outside wasn’t quite burned enough for my taste. But it was very thoughtful of them.

How much did it cost?
The place is definitely quite expensive. Main courses range from $20-$40, and the oysters go for $2.50 a pop. However, the portions are enormous, and you can easily get two meals out of almost anything on the menu—especially if you fill up on oysters and crab cakes before your main course.

Was it worth it?
Every penny.

Better for a date or a night out with the girls?
Definitely better for a date. It’s too old-fashioned for a night out with the gals. It makes for a very romantic date, though. Especially if you start with the oysters.

Would you go there again?
Heck yes. I’m not sure if I can wait until my next b-day, though.