Nick PooleI was raised vegetarian and have continued to eat a vegetarian diet my whole life. I haven't been super strict: stray pepperoni on leftover pizza, things cooked in lard or with ham for flavor, fish sauce in dishes at Asian restaurants, and even eating a hamburger once on a long roadtrip when it was the only thing available. 🧵
I don't have strong PETA-like moral objections to eating animals, but i do think that most animals that we farm suffer in similar ways to how we do and to have the ability to consciously reduce that suffering is an unprecedented privilege. That being said, I also inflict suffering on animals for my comfort in other ways: displacement, pest control, leather goods, etc. 🧵
I dont think anyone should feel bad for eating animal protein, we're obviously wired and plumbed for it and the alternatives are not yet universally available, practical, or proven to be universally healthy. I've just made the choice for myself that I would rather find eating to be constantly logistically difficult rather than occasionally emotionally difficult (when considering, for instance, the treatment of beef cattle)
All of that said: I think I'm gonna try eating fish. 🧵
My dad, who was also raised vegetarian by his dad, has recently started eating fish because he's had a series of episodes of memory loss, confusion, brain fog, etc. and it was found that he was, among other things, deficient in some B vitamins that could be corrected in his diet. As a result, he's started eating fish occasionally to boost his omega-3 and b/d-vitamin intake. It doesnt hurt to have another protein source either.
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I think there's more going on with his brain issues than just dietary problems (he's actually at Johns Hopkins finding out) but he's also urged me to be vigilant about my diet because he doesn't want me to have his problems when I get older. I've never been really opposed to eating pescatarian, as a concept, so I'm gonna give it a shot. Also, if I like it, it opens up a lot of culinary doors (sushi???) 🧵
Anyway, that was all a long-winded preamble to "tinned fish looks kinda good tho" amd also, do you have a favorite dish that you think I've been missing out on? Cheers.
John Wilson@North sardines and herring: I only ever get packed in oil. You can try other things if you like. Fillets are more expensive. Headless, cleaned fish still have the tiny bones. Your choice.
I get a box of ritz crackers. I use a fork to put some sardines on the ritz crackers. Then sprinkle with berbera (a spicy Ethiopian spice blend). Can do it without the spice blend, or try other spice blends.
Ritz crackers means it’s much much harder to notice the bones, if the fish have bones
@North when done eating fish, use ritz crackers to soak up all of the oil
Also try: smoked whitefish (maybe that’s a Great Lakes only thing), poke bowls with raw salmon (I had to work my way up to this)
Salmon in general: farmed salmon is much fattier than wild salmon. Which means it’s more forgiving of being overcooked
One of your other commenters said tuna melt
I refer you to my blog post: https://www.crazybutable.com/blog/entries/speaking-delicious-food