Babette's Feast - Isak Dinesen

I watched the movie many moons ago but didn't realize that it is based on a short story.  A lovely tale!  In the past, it was a movie about food, love, friendship and the pleasures of life.  For better or worse, I know also view it from a vegan/animal ethics perspective as well even though this is not a book about animals.

Babette's loss was great but confused me as she seemed to be mourning for her enemies towards the end of the book for they were the ones who frequented her restaurant but perhaps I misunderstood her as mourning for them only but also for her family and other loved ones.

Babette is clearly a very generous woman to the sisters who have been very kind to her as well.  Money is not so important but her ability to create her art is far more important to her - in this case, her artistic ability as a chef.  The love between the various characters, sometimes subtle is warming.  The sisters never pushes Babette to tell the story of her past and Babette very loyally serves the sisters with no questions asked and no challenges either.  I don't think that the sisters did not accept her, rather I think that they showed their acceptance in their own austere ways and in religious ways, the other ways that they know how to show their love and care.

I certainly don't believe in asceticism but I also don't believe in complete indulgence either.  We need to understand our foodways and how food came to be on our plates.  It is a misconception that vegans eat bland foods.  On the contrary, I eat delicious and nutritious foods everyday.  It just takes a bit more creativity when it comes to vegan foods, that's all.  Live animals transported for food suffer very much on a ship and no doubt the live turtle probably did not have the best trip of her life.  Of course, human-animals do not always think of this.  All they see, in the case of Babette's feast is the food in front of them but not how the food came to be on their plate or who the food was prior to becoming food.  These are issues that deeply consume my being.  I love to eat but to eat with a fuller conscience allows me to enjoy my foods that much more.  Some photos of Ellen's Feast below (Just for the record, I am not an artist!).  All 100% plant based.  I share my meals with loved ones in my life and the act of sharing food with those closest to me is certainly therapeutic and strengthens my relationships with them even though like Babette, I am tired out by the day's cooking!

Mother's Day Feast 2011

Just a dinner for my partner and I

Dinner for some good friends

Raw Carrot Cake - Mother's Day 2011