Special Diets

     Though I am not vegetarian I like vegetables and vegetarian recipe books because as someone who keeps kosher it makes it easier than using a cookbook for those with no specific diet. I was recently reading a cookbook that included information about being vegetarian or vegan and specifically what they should do when going to a restaurant that is not specifically vegetarian or vegan. It was very eye opening as individual who knows people who keep kosher most of the time but "eat dairy out" . There was a list of treif restaurant chains and  lists of  how they make their more vegetarian items. Often potato french fries are treated which beef tallow or made with meat fat. Even if the oil is vegetable oil they often use the same vegetable oil with meat dishes. They may fry eggs on the same griddle as meat  at the same time just a few inches away. Many pies and cakes contain lard. I would say that even if a person thinks that they are "just" eating dairy out they are "just " eating out fleishig as well because even the dairy stuff gets cooked with fleishig and might even have fleishig in it. I would say that if someone ate dairy "out" at a vegetarian restaurant they would know that it was just dairy but not necessarily kosher dairy. If one opts to eat non- kosher dairy  out don't delude one's self into thinking its "just" dairy. It probably is "just" meat as well.
     

on keeping kosher...

     I have always found it humorous that even after some have forgone a lot of  mitzvos they still adhere to the laws of kashrus. Its not that I don't believe that it is nice for people to keep whatever they can of the Torah, but I find it interesting how people who have cast off so much persist in holding onto one of the most difficult of mitzvos. In a way it is ironic that they hold on to kashrus which is meant to keep us Jews apart from others that those who have seemingly assimilated find it difficult to violate.
     I also find it curious that many Jews have gastric problems. Maybe this is to remind even the most assimilated of us that we need to mind our diet. I do realize that assimilated Jews are not the only Jews who have gastric issues, but it is quite curious that for a Jew who otherwise may not be paying attention to his/her diet to pay attention to it even if its not just to keep kosher.