How I learned to stop worrying and love the shashlik

Until recently, I had a good run of vegetarianism that had begun before university, including a bout of veganism that ended in a mad fit in which I consumed an entire roll of frozen chocolate-chip cookie dough in one sitting (no offense to any of my friends who remain or became vegan, but that is the problem I believe with veganism - - it requires such a degree of self-sacrifice it leaves you prone to mad rages!).  The answer to the common question, "Why are you vegetarian" was always a bit difficult for me.  I must say that Propaghandi's graphic website had some part to do with it, but also I never really was a great fan of meat.  Beans!  Tofu!  Cheese!  These were the things I was crazy about.

Fast forward through 7 years of vegetarianism in a paragraph:  Bower co-op, bower pot-lucks, bean burritos, learning to cook, mercimek corbasi, mezeler, and Turkey is a heaven for vegetarians, unless you are at a cafeteria designed for overnight buses.

Summer 2008, I travelled to Ukraine for the first time.  Denwood and I travelled from Odessa to Crimea and back in 9 days.  Let me say, Ukraine has some great food and food traditions, but the good stuff isgn't readily available for the short term tourist.  After endless bus station chow and 3 days of eating nothing but potato puree, I was about to suffer a mad fit.

In Crimea, Crimean Tatar cusine brought chiboreki, which are delicious but also a heart attack in a soaked napkin.  Finally, in Bakchisarayi I broke down and ordered "gelin ash", a delicious ravioli soup that a woman traditionally would make after her wedding.  With the meat hidden in the ravioli, I was actually able to eat it.  Soo much better than potato puree...

So, as vegetarians so love to do, and then broadcast to anyone who would like to hear, I altered my "food identity."  I was a defensive meat eater!  I would eat meat in a pinch, as a guest, on a trip, etc.  I even tried a bite of steak and was quite proud of myself.

My new skill (defensive meat eating!) was quite helpful in Kyrgyzstan, where about the only thing you can find without meat is vodka.  But at the times of greatest need (when I was served besh barmak, a dish of homemade noodles, mutton and lots and lots of grease, for breakfast I almost cried, and instead spooned half of mine on my friends' plates).

Fast forward to Crimea.  All the best Crimean Tatar dishes (that I know of anyway) have meat in them.  At first it was a matter of ordering lagman and picking around the meat, and when I realized how ridiculous that looked I started eating it.  Eating a bit of meat here, and there, eating a hot dog when served it for breakfast.  That is some great defense!

Then, one day, I was walking by one of my favorite restaurants here in Simferopol, Divan.  I could smell the kebabs cooking inside.  It smelled ridiculously good like no meat has ever smelled before.  I had a MEAT CRAVING.  But this didn't sync with my "food identity.  I was a defensive meat eater who doesn't order dishes where meat is the main ingredient.  Tack on:  but apparently suffers from meat cravings!

Next time the craving struck, I broke down, ran down into Divan and ordered myself (a half portion of) some Lulia kebab.  SO GOOD.  Unbelievably good.  And no guilt.

Today walking around in the central market with a friend we ate at a place called МЯСО (meat).  Can you believe it?  I don't actually know if that is the name of it or it just happened to be a sign indicating that meat was available.  (I should also mention that for the both of us, everything (two portions of plov, two salads, two peices of bread, one shashlik and a teapot) was only 30 grivna, which is less than 4 dollars, for all of you who are visiting this summer and want the Crimea on a shoestring tour)

I think I am out of food identities for the moment - perhaps I'll have to become a Christian Scientist to fill the void.