For about sixteen years not only did I refuse to eat meat, but had become one of the most picky eaters on the planet. I was an adult who had the appetite of a spoiled brat! When I moved to the Hudson Valley from NYC it got even easier to not eat this or that and pass judgement on the people who did. Family and friends also had opinions about my food lifestyle..."oh, he won't eat THAT" was often said at family holiday dinners. Sometimes it was "oh, come on, just try this, you will love it". It was like the teenage me with the crazy hair colors and styles was now rebelling with FOOD.
Funny looking back at that. How LAME! I started going to South America and trying to explain to some of the sweetest people in the world "no meat" was almost impossible. It was usually a beautiful plate of vegetables with MEAT on it that I would pick around and be grossed out that it touched the rest of the plate. I was a mess and knew it, but had to change this because I hated looking this way, (typical American Gringo ASS) to people in another country who I really loved so much so I started to try and just eat what I was served. I found out, IT WAS GOOD!
Back in Kingston a new butcher had opened uptown. It was organic meat. I knew if I was going to start eating meat again THIS was the way to go. I could still be the picky eater and start eating healthy meat again! The first time I stopped in to Fleisher's it just smelled so amazing. I had no idea what to order or what anything in the store even was. The owner Joshua Applestone suggested BEACON. Clever of him. NOBODY can say "no" to BEACON!
It was AWESOME and not the greasy fatty salty stuff I remembered. I started to go in to the store more for my weekly gentle meat fix. I always asked, "what's that?" and they would always explain what I was buying and how I should cook it. I was discovering meat the way it should be discovered...learned.
Over the years I have learned so much, and just from being a customer. Fleisher's also offers butcher classes and owner Joshua Applestone even was on tv teaching Martha Stewart how to butcher a pig!
They offered a class a while ago to the public and I was almost signed up, but then saw "see the slaughter of the pig" on the sign and decided I couldn't. I really do understand if you eat meat, you should see how it is killed, but all I think I can do is catch fish. Somehow deep sea fishing and getting monster fish on the boat with blood and gross really is the line for me. Weird.
I now have a routine. Stop in to Fleisher's Thursday or Friday and stock up. I can't go in there on Saturday...way too busy with "weekenders". I'm beyond happy that the store is PACKED on Saturdays, but I like stopping in during the week way better. I stop in and still ask the guys behind the counter, "what is THAT and how do I cook it" or "I LOVE those" and they just are always happy to suggest how they like to cook it. It always feels like such an old fashioned way to buy food. Talking to a vendor about their product...what a concept. I always walk out of the store feeling like I didn't just "buy something" but had a way cool food experience!
Can't make it to the Kingston or Park Slope stores? get the book!
"I EAT CANNIBALS"!
