A Vegetarian Day for the Good of Animals Everywhere

I'm an avowed carnivore, very (very) happy to tuck into hunks of meat, whether it be traditional or more exotic fare. I do also believe in good animal welfare, and try my best to make sure the meat I eat has enjoyed a good life before I consumed it.

I'm not adverse to the occassional bout of vegetarianism, and I'll be having a vegetarian few days to celebrate and promote World Animal Day. World Animal Day is October 4th, and a good friend who happens to be quite devoted to animal causes *also* happens to be a professional singer, and will be putting on a charity concert for the event. Details of the concert can be found on the World Animal Day website; I'll be there quaffing my animal-friendly wine and vegetarian nibbles, and anyone else tempted to go is encouraged to make the trip to Gipsy Hill.

In the meantime, tonight's vegetarian meal happens to be at Rasa, a Keralan Indian restaurant that makes being a vegetarian a rather tasty experience. They've grown from their Stoke Newington origins so that there are now a few around London, easy to spot with their BRIGHT pink color scheme. I think I'll be having my favorite, the Bagar Baingan: aubergines in an onion/chilli/tamarind/coriander seed/yogurt/cashew nut paste. It's like nothing else you've tasted and lives in memory as one of those eye-popping mouthfuls of flavors that you didn't know could exist together so nicely.