FAQ

Here you’ll find answers to all of your burning questions! It seems strange to me that anyone would have questions about myself or my life, but below are some of the ones I receive most often. As always, feel free to get in touch if you have any kind of question or comment, and I will update this page accordingly. 

Why did you stop eating meat? 

This one comes up the most, and is the easiest to answer. The most immediate and self-serving reason is simply that I feel better when I refrain from eating it – less bloated, less tired, less sluggish altogether. My skin looks better than it used to and people say I look younger, to boot! However, the predominant issue I have with meat is the way it is farmed and produced. I do not believe that it is inherently wrong to eat an animal, but it is absolutely and unquestionably horrific to treat any living thing the way farm animals today are treated. I don’t think I need to go into the details, but needless to say, I simply can’t in good conscience contribute to the systemic torture of animal life. This is without even mentioning the hormones, antibiotics, and poor food sources that make most meats an unhealthy choice. Factory farming also reeks havoc on the environment.

One other reason – when you don’t eat meat, you get to eat more! I love seeing my plate piled with beautiful, colourful vegetables.

Where did you learn to cook?

I learned in my own kitchen! I am completely self taught, and it has been a long and wonderful journey of exploration. There is really nothing separating me from anyone else out there with a kitchen, except maybe that I don’t mind spending hours in mine and get WAY too excited over new gadgets and recipes. I really do still have a LOT to learn, but I definitely cringe when I think back to the things I made (and ate!) in my first couple of years of undergrad.

These days, I get my inspiration from cookbooks, other blogs, and restaurants I visit. My tummy has a say in things too, since a lot of foods and food combinations make me feel awful. A day without a big pile of raw veggies at some point does not make for a happy Sam. That being said, a huge part of my success in the kitchen has to do with my willingness to experiment. Fear of failure is what gets you stuck in a food rut!