Chili con carne in dark beer

After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one’s own relatives. -Oscar Wilde

Ok, so I've admitted a number of times I am a vegetarian! Which doesn't stop me from cooking meat for other people. To me it's been quite an interesting journey - cooking something that I don't taste along the way. It may be a bit too early to admit, but I do think I'm getting good at determining how the dish is turning out from the scents, texture, the way it looks. And I still remember how it's supposed to look, taste and smell. 

Juicy and moist slow cooked duck breast with red cabbage puree

"Like pornography, junk [food] might be tough to define but you know it when you see it" ~Mark Bittman, Food Journalist

To me personally fast food doesn't have a direct correlation with junk food. Fast can be healthy. Depending on what you eat and where you eat it. However I do agree with Mr Mark Bittman - you know it when you see it. Now slow cooked food is a different story. Especially if we talk "sous vide" - food sealed in vacuum is cooked in a water bath for way longer than normal cooking times at a very accurate temperature, with food cooking through evenly and retaining its moisture. I've already written a few posts about my sous vide experiments this summer. It remains one of those kitchen appliances I absolutely want to have in my pantry!

Quail with oven roasted root vegetables

"Vegetarians! Stop eating my food's food!"

Now that coming from my mouth does sound confusing - I am vegetarian. I do love cooking, so that doesn't stop me from preparing meat for others. Although with time certain ethical morals start creeping in, but that would be a whole different story. Food is love, people who eat good food are happy, therefore I like to make people happy. That must be legitimate enough.  Another reason to cook meat - a month or so ago, when I was on vacation, I had a chance to visit one family of farmers who truly love food and home grown produce. They love to experiment, explore, cook and talk about it with such passion! They grow and raise almost everything one may think of on their land - all kinds of vegetables, chicken, quail, geese, turkeys and rabbits. Most probably I still missed something. We brought back home a lot of those absolutely amazing products and there I had quail!

Perfect steak

"Becoming a vegetarian is a huge missed steak!"

What can I say? Those days are long gone for me, but I understand that love for the steak. I was in that relationship. I still cook meat for family and friends, but rely solely on their opinion and feedback. I have one golden rule related to my cooking - better be open and honest and tell what you really think about the food, otherwise you may end up getting exactly the same thing next time if you praise it for the sake of being polite. There's no space for "polite" where I'm cooking!  Besides - learning what can be done better is a way to development.

Garlic sauce/ marinade/ relish. In other words - Česnakinė!

"Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian. Wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian. Lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese. Garlic makes it GOOD!" Alice May Brock 

And another one - "There is no such thing as a little garlic" .

Bufallo wings... Sort of...

"Red meat is not bad for you. Now blue-green meat, that’s bad for you!" ~Tommy Smothers

Who am I to say so... I don't eat meat at all for 4 years now, but I do like preparing it for others. The most interesting part is getting it right without tasting, going only by smell. Probably this is the reason why I started using more fragrant ingredients and spices and judging the dish only by the scent. Occasionally being off with salt, but that may be corrected during the process.

A while ago I invited a bunch of friends over and wanted to prepare some finger food. The chicken wings always stroke me as the perfect party finger food option.

Fennel - garlic pork roast...

"Red meat is not bad for you.  Now blue-green meat, that’s bad for you!"  ~Tommy Smothers

I am a vegetarian. Sorry - pescatarian. Yet it doesn't prevent me from preparing meat dishes for special occasions for family. This time it was the pork roast for the Easter table. In the end of the day, after all of the dishes during Easter were tried out, I kept on bugging everyone how was the meat - whether it was tasty, not dry, etc. It is a bit weird cooking it without tasting and only relying on the opinion on others :). I was assured it did turn out perfectly. I also felt like a rookie at the meat department in the supermarket - asking my Mom what kind of meat was best for the roast I had in mind. We went with the pork tenderloin - about 1,5 kilo beautiful piece.

Rabbit stewed in cream with fennel, carrots, onion...

Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?

This time it is about meat although I am a vegetarian and I DO eat animal crackers. Well... When I have to.

My Dad has some secret spots somewhere in the country where he gets his hands on amazing home grown fresh rabbit meat. Although I am a 'pescatarian' (thank God for my colleague who found out there is actually a name for those not eating meat but eating fish), I am happy to cook meat for others.