Vegetarian Journal - Issue 4 2010 - The Vegetarian Resource Group

WHY WELOVE DOGS,EAT PIGS,AND WEARCOWSBy Melanie Joy, PhDHave you ever wondered whysome of your friends and familycontinue to eat meat, even afteryou’ve given them ample reasonswhy they shouldn’t consume animalsanymore? Melanie Joy wroteher thesis on this subject and hasnow published Why We Love Dogs,Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows, a bookthat explores this behavior.According to Dr. Joy, peoplereact dissimilarly to different typesof meat, not because there is aphysical distinction among thembut because people’s perceptionof them is different. These variationsin perceptions are due toour schema, which act as mentalclassification systems. For example,humans have a schema thatclassifies animals as either edibleor inedible. In other words, we likefoods we’ve learned we’re supposedto like. Psychic numbing allowssome to cope with violence (includingslaughterhouses). This bookfocuses on the process of learningto not feel.Joy uses the term ‘carnism’to describe the belief system inwhich eating certain animals isconsidered ethical and appropriate.She feels that the primaryway entrenched ideologies stayingrained is by remaining invisible.Joy states, “If we don’t nameit, we can’t talk about it, and ifwe can’t talk about it, we can’tquestion it.”This book includes informationabout how different types ofanimals are raised for food. Plus,it contains an extensive bibliography,as well as suggested resourcesabout becoming vegetarian. Buya copy for your local library!Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and WearCows (ISBN 978-1-55643-785-4) is publishedby Conari Press. The book retailsfor $16.95. Purchase it at or in your local bookstore.Reviewed by Debra Wasserman.ENTERTAININGIN THE RAWBy Matthew KenneyMatthew Kenney isa chef with experience in restaurantsand catering, as well as a foodwriter. His new book, Entertainingin the Raw, offers a wide varietyof recipes for raw dishes that arebased on organic foods that arein season with an emphasis onlocally grown produce.Kenney’s recipes sound exotic.For example, try the Squash Blossomswith Pistachio Purée, GreenZebra Fondue, Pine Nuts, andPurple Basil. Sample the BlackSesame and White CoconutDumplings with Creamy MisoSauce or the Shiitake Ravioli withBroccoli Rabe, Balsamic Fig Purée,and Ginger Cream. Then, end yourmeal with the Green Tea Canneloniwith Banana Lemongrass Cream,Almond ‘Gelato,’ and Goji LimeSauce or the Frozen PumpkinFlan with Cinnamon Foam andMandarin Candy.This book is full of incrediblecolor photos of the dishes. Nutritionalanalyses are not provided.Entertaining in the Raw (ISBN 978-1-4236-0208-8) is published by Gibbs Smith.This hardcover book retails for $35 and canbe purchased online at or in your local bookstore.Reviewed by Debra Wasserman.THE INDIANVEGANKITCHENBy Madhu Gadia,MS, RDreviewsMany people from India are vegetarian,but few are vegan. Therefore,I was excited to see this newcookbook, which contains morethan 150 vegan Indian recipes.Among the wide variety ofdishes you’ll find Mango Soup,Mung Bean Fritters, Madras Potatoes,Creamy Mushroom Curry,Stuffed Okra, Blackened SpicyChickpeas, Spinach Bengal GramDal, Coconut-Vegetable Sambhar,Tamarind Rice Pilaf, CurriedSpinach Couscous, Potato-StuffedFlatbread, Indian Funnel Cakes,Almond Halwa, and much more.Preparation and cooking times,as well as nutritional analyses,are listed with each recipe.In addition, there are severalinteresting sections in this book.One defines Indian spices andexplains how to make Indian spiceblends. Another useful sectionprovides menus for one month.The Indian Vegan Kitchen (ISBN 978-0-399-53530-7) is published by the PenguinGroup. It retails for $18.95 and can bepurchased online at . Reviewed by DebraWasserman.VEGETARIAN JOURNAL Vol. 29, Issue Four 2010 31