Frustration at making food for vegetarians...

[amber]

Alex, your menu sounds great. I'm not vegetarian, but love all sorts of vegetables. Just one question...what are ceps?

[Chef_Jen]

Jen,

I moved to Bordeaux over a quarter of a century ago. To me, serving a fine aged Claret with a vegetarian meal would be like wearing a tee-shirt and sneakers to dine a first class restaurant, or inviting someone I cared about to eat at a Mc Donald's. Definitely off, and not doing honor to the circumstances. Sorry, the two are incompatible. Oh, I'm not saying it's impossible, or able to be consumed by a doctrinaire vegetarian. It's just that the apex of gastronomy is the mariagne between wine and food, and while a great wine goes with some cheeses, it calls for a meat main course. I don't think many wine lovers would disagree with me here.

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THis is where i think you are wrong.. 3/4 of my inlaws are vegetarian and also wine freaks!! One of them is a qualified sommlier.

Wine doesnt call for meat it calls for protein and flavour .. and if you look at real vegetarian food (i dont mean stirfry and veg lasagna) i mean beans legumes gnocci, haricots the list goes on you can find the FLAVOUR to match the wine.

I too use to think your way but after spending time with sommlier who is vegetarian and having A LOT of veggie friends and wine lovers who LOVE the challenge of matching wine with veggie dishes

JMHO

[AlexR]

Jen,

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

It's not only a question of taste, but also of philosophy.

In other words, a meat eater is in 7th heaven enjoying a tournedos rossini with a fine old Château Ducru Beaucaillou, whereas a vegetarian cannot even consider this an option. All I'm saying is that those who *can* entertain the possibility will always prefer the meat dish.
The fact that you are in a tiny minority does not make you wrong or me right.
I'm sure if you exclude meat from your diet, you find some sort of substitute that works for you.

The problem I raised in this post is inviting vegetarians to stay for several days: a true annoyance! I'm doing my best to rise to the occasion, but you can rest assured that I'll pull not great bottles out of my cellar.

We have had English trainees who were vegetarians. There is much provision made for this in the UK, but as Lulu remarked, vegetarianism is considered a minor form of disease in France and simply uncomprehensible.
The practical problems are numerous, especially since 9 people out of 10 would consider fish or a quiche or a vegetable soup with bacon bits vegetarian, which a doctrinaire vegetarian would refuse to eat any of these, of course.

A recent article in Le Monde spoke of the risks of making your children eat a 100% vegetarian diet.

Best regards,
Alex R.

[marmalady]

Sorry, Alex didn't realize you were in France when I posted.

[TexanFrench]

Bon courage, Alex! Sounds like you are being hospitable and accomodating, a wonderful host.

My daughter once shared a flat with another young woman who didn't want any meat cooked in the kitchen unless she was away for a couple of days... she didn't even want to smell it!