“My opinion on eating animals is fairly liberal. It’s normal, nay, natural to enjoy a slice of bacon from time to time. BUT it’s completely unnatural and borderline unethical to treat meat – the product of living, breathing animals as a disposable resource.” – Carl
“I’ve always felt fairly detached from where meat comes from, preferring to imagine it grows neatly on trees, pre-cut and shrink-wrapped on a styrofoam board. Until very recently I had almost refused to acknowledge that eating meat is equal to killing something. I now feel that having respect for the animal is something spiritual and that every carnivore must realize this. Eating meat is an intrinsic part of being a human, primal despite our evolved nature. Above all respect and reverance must be held for the animals which sustain us, no matter where they come from.” – Kyle
“My beliefs around the ethics of eating animals could not summed up better than this quote from the chapter by Pollan on page 305. He writes, ‘eating meat has become morally problematic, at least to people who take the trouble to think about it… I’m not completely sure why this be happening now, given humans have been eating animals for tens of thousands of years without too much ethical heartburn.’ I frankly don’t think the problem with eating meat is around the actual product itself (as it natural for us to want it!) but the process in which meat is now treated prior to making it to your table. I think eating meat is part of our nature and incredibly tasty, something I know I couldn’t live without!” – Emma
“I love animals. I’ve always had pets: dogs, hampsters, birds, fish, even a horse. However, I love to eat animals as well. In the past I thought I would always draw the line at not eating “pet” animals. Don’t get me wrong, I firmly believe that all animals, including livestock should be treated with respect: in fact, I find most mass-producing livestock from practices to be diplorable. I know that many cultures eat animals which I considers pets, and that I eat animals that others view as pets as well. In the past, I just couldn’t imagine eating a piece of meat that I could connect with a pet’s name. However, as my culinary career, I have found it increasingly important to try everything: be it a rare blowfish dish or a short stin on vegetarianism, I want to see all sides of the argument.
So, on a lovely outing to The Black Hoof, I was presented with my very own omnivore’s dilemma: horse salumi. I had heard that it is delicious, and horses are commonly consumed in Eruope. But I had my own horse, Sydney, for mearly a decade. Her face flashed through my brain as I stared at the beautiful deli selection on a rustic wooden board. I had come to The Black Hoof for a culinary adventure: was I really going to sit there and turn away from an entire culinary culture? NO! I said, “sorry Sydyney!” and popped the piece of meat, with a piece of bread, into my mouth. While my mind was balking at the idea, my taste buds came alive: the horse salumi was amazingly tender and flavourful. I’m not sure that I’ll become a regular horse eater, but I don’t regret my decision. Now the question is: will I ever try dog? My pup had better sleep with her eyes open! (Kidding of course!)” – Sam
The Omnivore's Dilemma 