Editor's note.

This can of worms I opened, it was an accident, I assure you. Yesterday, in writing about my faux ribollita, I alluded to being a vegetarian. On my beloved pastime of clipping recipes from the newspaper, I wrote: "I started in college, when I was forced to learn to cook. I wasn't particularly good at it, but being a vegetarian made mastering a few dishes easier." I see how this can confuse. The "I started in college" is a reference to clipping recipes, the "I wasn't particularly good at it" a reference to cooking, and the "being a vegetarian" simply an argument for why, as a novice cook, it was easier for me to "master a few dishes." To clarify:

I am not a vegetarian, and, at the moment, I have no interest in being one. In my late-teens and early-20s, I was a vegetarian for a split second, and looking back I see my commitment was half-hearted and ill-informed. I lacked conviction. I sometimes ate fish, and I doubt when dining out I ever inquired about exact ingredients and stocks and such (I assure you, as a service professional, vegetarians should always inquire about the stock used in their food). I ate a lot of starch and dairy, and I might've been slightly anemic for it, although I did take iron supplements. I know, for sure, that I've been eating meat since 2001; I remember the steak and bottle of Zinfandel that did me in.

That said, regular readers may have noticed I eat a lot of vegetarian -- even vegan -- meals (above is a picture of my lunch: mizuna and radish in buttermilk dressing with roasted purple potatoes). I live with a devout vegan, a pescetarian, and my other roommate is a lot like me: we'll eat meat, but it's not a priority. I'm rarely inclined to do so at home, because I like to cook things that we can all enjoy, and I've learned so many ways to do that. Eating meat is certainly not something I think a lot about, except when I'm entertaining guests or I feel like I'm eating too much, which might amount to four or five servings per week.

I've heard all the arguments in favor of vegetarianism and veganism; they make sense. Eating a plant-based diet is better for your health; it's also better for the environment. I'm all for both, and eating a mostly vegetarian -- largely vegan -- diet makes me feel good. But right now, at this point in my life, mostly is the best I can do. I'm open to eating all things, especially if I know where they come from. That goes for my dairy, eggs, fish, meat and vegetables. Being an educated consumer is a big committment and one of my top priorities. It's guided me to the place I am today (as a writer, thinker, cook and engaged citizen), and I expect it will continue to do so in the future.