There are two nonfiction books which occupy places of pride on my bookshelf, Laurie Garrett's The Coming Plague and Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation and there's a current overlap in their subject matter, a crisis involving the intersection of epidemiology and food supply chains. COVID-19 is wreaking havoc in meat and poultry processing plants, and disrupting the entire food production industries. Anecdotally, I've seen weird fluctuations on grocery shelves- a couple of weeks ago, I joked that my dedication to omnivory would be my saving grace... chicken hearts and gizzards always seemed to be in supply. This week, I went to the nearby H-Mart, and there was not a heart or gizzard to be found. Chicken necks (good for stock, but not really worthwhile purchases) were on the shelves in profusion, as were chicken livers (too rich to eat often, and I had my fair share of them last week).
I find that I am eating less meat these days. In some ways, I am eating in a more 'European' fashion, using smaller amounts of meat almost as a condiment... a bit of sausage to flavor a bean soup, a small chunk of pork simmered with an onion and a head of cabbage. I've also found that the mom and pop stores have been reliable- the local butcher shop is going strong, and the old reliable Eastern European specialty shop is a decent source for flavorful additions to perpetual stews. I haven't really discussed their meat sources, but I wouldn't be surprised if they dealt mainly with farmers within the state.
In case of a complete collapse of the meat industry, I have a couple of aces up my sleeve (and I'm not even talking about eating this guy). During a trip to a not-too-far Asian supermarket, I picked up two huge jars of pork floss, one of them mixed with shreds of seaweed and sesame seeds. Again, it's something to use as an 'accent' for a bowl of rice porridge.
Meat does seem like it might be more of a treat than a dietary staple, if the current trend continues. It's weird to think that Donald J. Trump, failed purveyor of subpar steaks, might be the guy who turned America's burger-loving Heartlanders into vegetarians. I, myself, have been trying to reduce my meat consumption (on one occasion, I went three months without eating meat), and I don't see carnivory as part of my psychosexual identity, so I can view this with detached irony. I'm not so sure the MAGA crowd will handle it so well, but they've been among Trump's victims (albeit ones with Stockholm Syndrome) from the start
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7 comments:
Jook is the best.
It is good, and with the way things are going, more economical than other rice preparations.
I got off on a bean kick last year and as a result have been using pintos, black beans, chickpeas and lentils central to a lot of menus. Also fell in love with grains a long time ago, so Bulgur and Farro are always there to stir together with a pile of vegetables, just like a good Israeli couscous.
My problem is that I can put meat in the freezer, but fresh vegetables don't last and I don't want to leave shelter and go to the store that often. I've got some frozen vegetables (they're really good in modern times), but freezer space is limited...
I'm trying to reduce my meat consumption too. I almost never buy beef, lamb rarely, and chicken for choice and health. Bulking up meals with veggies and beans, lentils etc is good for our health and the planet.
What needs to happen is that animal protein is priced by its true cost, not the subsidized one, and where the environmental impact is factored into the price. (same with all food.) So distance travelled, water consumed etc., should all be priced so the consumer can make an informed choice.
Will never happen though. The beef lobby in both our countries is just too powerful.
If the Trumpanzees absolutely can't give up meat, let them just eat each other à la Alex Jones.
My problem is that I can put meat in the freezer, but fresh vegetables don't last and I don't want to leave shelter and go to the store that often. I've got some frozen vegetables (they're really good in modern times), but freezer space is limited...
Do you have the space to grow any vegetables? You can get decent results even using pots or buckets. I don't get much sun in the backyard, so I forage rather than garden.
What needs to happen is that animal protein is priced by its true cost, not the subsidized one, and where the environmental impact is factored into the price. (same with all food.) So distance travelled, water consumed etc., should all be priced so the consumer can make an informed choice.
I think that is already happening on a low-key basis, as smaller processing plants are less affected by the plague. A local news site covered this subject, but it was posted too late for me to link.
If the Trumpanzees absolutely can't give up meat, let them just eat each other à la Alex Jones.
They look well marbled, but without the proper diet of free-range livestock.
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