Ever since Elizabeth Minchelli posted a photo on Facebook taken one night while having dinner at St. John, of what the table next to theirs had ordered; a whole roasted suckling pig and the comments the photo engendered, I wanted to make a response.
We are not vegetarians. We eat a lot of vegetarian meals. We love just about all vegetables.
But…we do eat meat, poultry and seafood.
Some of the folks who responded to the photo were pretty “put-off”. Then I remembered a quote I had read that I would like to share with my fellow meat eaters and perhaps vegetarians may understand a bit of the philosophy of the nose to tail eating too. The quote is from Dario Cecchini, of Macelleria Cecchini in Panzano, Chianti, Italy:
An old Tuscan proverb passed down by Dario’s father:
Four Things An Animal Must Have:
- A good Life (a healthy life with natural feed; ample, clean space to move around, just like for people.)
- A good death (no trauma when being transported, which often leads to shock.)
- A good butcher (someone who knows how to select the right parts and cut them in a way that brings out its’ best qualities.)
- A good cook (someone who can dignify the animal and all those whose labours led it to this table).
I think that about says it all!
P.S.: The bistecca in the photo is from Macelleria Cecchini!
