Peace of Mind

I take much pride in knowing that my kitchen contains no dead animals or products that had come about through the suffering of animals. Once making the switch from a conventional kitchen to a vegan kitchen as part of my New Year’s Resolution (2017), I noticed a big change. No, it wasn’t that my cooking went downhill. A tremendous layer of guilt came off my shoulders. It was a guilt that I had always suspected that I was carrying around in my kitchen while I was preparing a meal. Although I wasn’t strictly following a vegan diet during the first part of this year, my partner even noticed a more weightless and lighter atmosphere in our kitchen environment. I would even go as far as saying that cooking became fun for me. My only regret is not making the switch sooner.

 

Clean(er), Less Wasteful Kitchen

When handling dead animals and raw eggs, one must practice strict aseptic technique to avoid spreading harmful bacteria (salmonella, etc.) throughout the rest of the cooking space. One may choose to have two separate cutting boards, use separate utensils when handling the raw elements, and even take breaks to wash hands more frequently. What about the handling of the waste that remains –styrofoam packaging with juice drippings, egg shells, etc.? One should also exercise caution as to not allow anything to drip on the way to the trash can. One may even resort to using harsh chemicals to decontaminate the entire space after use, just in case. How much waste is accumulated with this type of preparation? Likewise, one surely would have to empty his/her trash more frequently. Why is all of this necessary?

Even when I consumed meat (2016 and prior), I rarely cooked with it at home (<5x year) with any degree of regularity as for many of the reasons above. It all just didn’t seem right to me. Comparatively, there is less risk and clean up required, if say, a chunk of potato fell onto the counter top. I am also happy to not have to use harsh chemicals anywhere near my food or eating space –on my countertops, floors, or the air I breathe. Also my trash doesn’t accumulate as much as I am able to compost my food waste –kale stems, lemon peels, apple cores, spent coffee grounds, etc. I am also able to recycle more; peanut butter jars, cans of black beans, etc. In effect, I only accumulate say maybe half as much actual trash now as I did before I became mindful of my choices.

 

Taste Food Throughout Cooking Process

Ah, this reason is great! I am more easily able to determine the actual texture, flavor, and temperature of each item individually and as a whole unit in order to predict the future outcome of the meal. As a concept, I am able to better understand the physical and chemical changes that take place within each food item as the elements are manipulated. It is interesting to discover the differences in certain foods when consumed raw vs somewhat cooked vs fully cooked as well as raw vs seasoned. I am able to adjust spice levels very easily and without risk.

This is so revolutionary to me as seasoning was previously somewhat of a guessing game!

In this way, my cooking has vastly improved as it is nearly impossible to undercook or overcook any meal. By and large, my meals turn out as just the way I planned.

 

 

Do you keep a vegan kitchen?