I have never really liked meat. The idea of a bloody (or even well-done) steak with neatly criss-crossed grill marks on my plate has never been appealing to me, and I have basically limited my carnivorous intake to the occasional chicken breast. My boyfriend is a vegetarian, and I can go for long stretches of time without eating any meat at all. So why am I not a vegetarian, too, already?

Here are the reasons I’ve come up with (while sitting over a bowl of my mom’s famous beef stew):

- It still doesn’t seem to be quite accepted. If you’re invited to dinner at someone’s house or invited to a wedding or some other bash, it’s assumed that you eat meat. If you don’t, you either have to make everyone feel bad by arranging for a special plate or you have to forage for roots and berries among the side dishes.

- Some of my favorite dishes from childhood have meat in them. Sure, I don’t eat them now, but when I go home and my mom makes them, it’s sweet (and they’re still delicious). Knowing I couldn’t eat those anymore would kind of depress me. Wait, who am I kidding? It would totally depress me.

- One of my goals is to travel around the world, and I don’t want to have to limit myself in any way when I do that. Especially when it comes to eating local fare that may or may not come from an animal.

- BACON. Need I say more? Read More »

There’s a great many things to do and places to see in this world of ours.  As humans, our lives are pretty short (and if you party like I do, it’s probably going to be even shorter).  So we have to prioritize!  We have brains for a reason and that reason is…reasoning (well, at least some of us use them for that purpose: see comment about partying above).  Let me be your voice of reason as I show you all the things you should be doing right here, right now.

It’s hard to be sure of what to eat these days.  Health reports come out with a study against a certain food one day and for it the next.  Do I eat the egg yolk or do I stick with the whites?  Are pomegranates that good for me?  How many more vitamins do I really need to take?  It’s confusing.  And I don’t like being confused about food.  I just like eating it.

Everyone’s heard the old adage, “Everything in moderation.”  Sounds pretty obvious, right?  You can eat your egg yolk (as long as you don’t eat five eggs a day) and not feel guilty.  Even dessert isn’t off limits if you don’t gorge yourself.  So this is why I’m going to give a shout out to something that has gotten a lot of bad press lately: meat.  It seem everyone is jumping on the vegetarian wagon, what with all the new vegetarian options out there.  Hey, I don’t have anything against tofu (I actually love tofu, but that’s a different story), but I have to defend my meat.  It’s delicious, packed with nutrition, and can be used in a million different ways.  Here’s why you should eat more meat: Read More »

Wine can be intimidating. No doubt. With fancy names that are hard to pronounce, you’re often left to order the “house” wine out of fear of butchering some French name and sounding like a total beginner. Asking the waitress/waiter what their recommendation is will certainly give you a larger bill than expected, and the wine won’t taste like a glass of perfection but instead a glass of regret.

The key is learning how to figure out what you like on your own, knowing you prefer Sauvignon Blanc over Pinot Grigio, White over Red, “full-bodied” or “Crisp”….the list goes on an on, so if you can narrow it down to a few basic preferences, the next time you’re out ordering wine it’ll be a breeze rather than brain surgery.

Basic Whites:

Pinot Grigio: Typically more of a dry wine with medium body, not as sweet and lighter in color. Pairs well with lighter dishes i.e. Chicken, Rice, Salmon, etc. Aromas tend to be more flowery, citrus and light spice.

FACT: These aromas and flavors can often be smelled rather than tasted. That’s why so many fancy wine drinkers stick their face into their glass before taking a sip! Read More »

I am not one of those girls that just “isn’t hungry” on a date. I am always hungry. And I love good food. Especially when it is medium rare and comes in a bun.

You already know I eat meat. And I certainly sleep with people who eat meat too. So, it’s good to know my new red meat eating habits are totally in.

I always knew salads were so passé.

If you’re one of those girls that don’t eat on a date because of “nerves,” give it up. Apparently, if you want to make a statement, order a steak. I mean even the New York Times thinks so, so it MUST be true.

According to a woman interviewed by the Times, steaks sent the message that she is “unpretentious and down to earth and unneurotic,” while burgers said she was a “cheap date and low maintenance.”

And I agree. Since I started eating red meat about 9 months ago, I’ve felt less like the fussy girl who picks off the pepperoni and more like the awesome foodie girl you’ve always wanted to date.

So put down the lettuce, ladies. Leave the salads for a lunch with the girls. If you really want to impress, order a steak. Read More »