I’m a vegetarian but my husband-to-be is a carnivore. We’re on the verge of moving in together, but he’s upset that I won’t allow meat in the house. Can a vegetarian and meat-lover ever live happily ever after?
Angela says…
Relationships are all about compromise and it doesn’t seem fair to all out ban meat from the house if your loved one partakes. You will both need to figure out how to have meat around, while being respectful of each other’s food choices. This will be a logistical challenge, no doubt. But remember that sharing meals can be a very intimate activity you do together as a couple—whether it’s cooking together, preparing a treat for your honey or stocking the fridge for your loved one. You don’t want to feel as though you’re college roommates labelling one half of the fridge.
Derek says…
During our honeymoon, Angela and I visited her family in southern Italy. When we arrived at their house, one of the first sentences out of my new zia’s mouth was “We’re having rabbit for dinner. We killed it this afternoon in your honour.”
Needless to say, the meal was spectacular and ranks among my top five favourites. I admire people with the discipline to avoid meat, considering how difficult it can sometimes be to find a satisfying vegetarian meal. But you can’t force a meat-eater to go green. You can probably get away with vegetarian dinners most days, so long as he has guilt-free time to hook up with like-minded diners for an animal course once or twice a month. And while he’s out enjoying a 40-oz. dry-aged côte de boeuf carved from locally raised beef and grilled in garlic and rosemary, you can indulge in some carrot sticks and hummus.
