Giving Up The Goat

Americans love meat—to the tune of 200 pounds per person in 2005, according to the USDA. You know you're eating meat when you're served a juicy steak, a side of bacon or a plate of Thanksgiving turkey. But how much sneaky meat do you eat? Note the disclaimer on the Black-Eyed Pea restaurant menu: "Red beans and rice, black-eyed peas and spinach contain pork." Or try to order a vegetarian meal at a Tex-Mex joint, only to be told that the rice is made with chicken stock and the beans are cooked with lard. Apparently we're so crazy for meat that we need a meat entrée with meat-laced sides; what's next—cold-cut smoothies? Pork chop pudding? Cleanse your palate at Meatout 2008, an educational event that will help you develop a taste for a flesh-free diet with food samples, a cooking demonstration, health screenings and more. The festival is hosted by the Black Vegetarian Society of Texas 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, Senior Room, Building E, at 2901 Pennsylvania Ave. Call 214-670-8363 or visit bvstx.org.
Sat., March 29, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 2008