That totally sucks. I’m glad you got a fun treat, and I hope the price doesn’t prevent you from enjoying it.

It’s never a bad time to start checking lot vegetarian recipes. A few years ago I got a vegetarian cookbook and a vegetarian Indian cookbook. I started a meal or two a week to mix things up. It turns out there’s some veg recipes that I really love, and over time I’ve found so many that I now almost never cook meat at home.

As I’ve eaten less meat, I’ve grown to crave it less, and oddly my lifts have gotten better and I’ve put on some serious leg and shoulder muscle. Most meals are some combo of beans, lentils, tofu, and just lots of veggies. I’ve become a better cook, and almost every dinner is significantly better than what I can get at any restaurant.

It costs way less to get into even the most basic beans and rice dishes. Veg recipes can still have great macros. I found that meat dishes are usually so savory that folks rarely spice them very much, or if they do you can’t taste the meat anyway. So my veg chili, stews, sauces, curries, and stir fries taste pretty much the same because it’s mostly the seasoning you taste. Some texture is a bit different, but I have found I really prefer the texture of mushrooms, seitan, and tofu. I still occasionally crave my 24hr smoked brisket or my all day braised short rib, but I don’t mind saving them for a rare treat rather than expecting it every meal.

I do hope though you enjoy your fish, pay respects to the animal that died to bring it to you, and make an amazing meal out of it. I hope it’s the best you’ve ever made, and it nurishes your body. If the inflated prices are getting to be to much, have hope that there’s a world of interesting affordable meals out there.