Tag: soup

Equality for Eaters? — Thai Butternut Squash Soup

butternutsquashsoup-1

“For a start, most animals who kill for food would not be able to survive if they did not, whereas we have no need to eat animal flesh. Next, it is odd that humans, who normally think of the behavior of animals as ‘beastly’ should, when it suits them, use an argument that implies that we ought to look to animals for moral guidance.” – Peter Singer, “Equality for Animals?”

Singer’s arrogance in his article “Equality for Animals?” is among the multitude of reasons why many omnivorous people despise vegans. Often, their vigilance against all animal products, including eggs, dairy, and honey, comes across as preachy or self-righteous. Many vegans are just as offended at someone delighting in a crispy fried chicken thigh as I am when I see someone wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat or tee. Politics aside, vegans can be a finicky bunch. Continue reading →

Vegetarian peanut stew

Groundnut Stew: An Adaptation

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This recipe comes from the 1982 cookbook West African Cooking for Black American Families by Adele B. McQueen and Alan L. McQueen. This cookbook was published at a time when African-American cookbooks were on the rise, presumably as an effort to define the meaning of blackness in the era following the emergence of what has come to be known as “soul food” (Bower 117). Before writing this book, McQueen collaborated with the International Women’s Club of Liberia and ran a test kitchen at Howard University to blend traditional African and American cooking (Tipton-Martin 166). The original recipe in Adele B. McQueen’s cookbook is a simple one consisting of groundpeas (groundnuts), chicken, onion, mushrooms, egg, salt, and pepper, which are combined in a stew and served over rice. Modern influence is clear here, as McQueen suggests substituting peanut butter if groundnuts cannot be found. Continue reading →