Not every Lenten meal is deep-fried

Being Catholic during Lent poses certain challenges, especially when it comes to dietary restrictions. It’s a well-known practice for us to give up meat on Fridays, but that sacrifice is usually more than offset by the golden-brown goodness known as fish frys.

In Wisconsin, a pile of deep-fried fish is never that far away, especially on Friday nights. But there are still other meals to think about, including lunch. That’s a problem for me, because deli meat between two slices of bread is a staple of my midday meal. And, if I’m out and about, a burger or slab of chicken will almost always make its way into my gullet.

This past Friday I found myself in Wausau during the noon hour. Whenever I’m in the micropolitan Wausau area, with its wide variety of restaurants, I find myself feeling (somewhat) adventurous. I mean, I can’t just go to a regular old diner, right? For years I had heard about a Vietnamese restaurant called Pho. I had never tried that country’s cuisine before, so I thumbed the name into my phone and soon found myself at a little out-ofthe- way shopping area tucked into a residential neighborhood. I was definitely off the beaten path.

Again, because of the Lenten restrictions, I had to bypass all of the chickenbased entrees that I would normally try. Instead, I selected the vermicelli with grilled shrimp. If you’re not familiar with vermicelli, it’s a long, stringy pasta that looks like strands of cotton. When the dish arrived, it consisted of two skewers of shrimp laid across a pile of pasta, accompanied by what looked like a gravy boat filled with some type of liquid.

I’m still not exactly sure what the liquid was, but I’m pretty sure it was a light oil dressing. I was careful not to pour too much of it onto my food, just in case it came with a surprise “kick” of spiciness. Beneath the pile of vermicelli was a bed of lettuce leaves and shredded carrots, so in many ways, it felt like I was eating a salad. For someone who is accustomed to more hearty meals, I wondered if this would “keep me going” into the evening. Surprisingly, it did.

And, to be honest, it felt more in keeping with the Lenten tradition of “fasting” than gorging myself on a plate of fried cod with a side of French fries and coleslaw. I left the restaurant without feeling the least bit bloated. I had resisted that Midwestern temptation of stuffing oneself with high-calorie comfort foods.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not swearing off fish frys or renouncing my love of greasy spoon platters. It’s just nice to know that I’m still capable of trying new things and not totally beholden to my normally voracious appetite. My stomach does not have to be completely full at the end of every meal. That’s a good Lenten lesson to remember.

OUT FOR A WALK

KEVIN O’BRIEN

EDITOR