I’ve met many artisanal farmers over the years, and to a person they care passionately about their work, their livestock, and for raising them in a humane way. In the end, it makes the food taste better. A stressed out cow or duck is going to have some very tough meat for you to chew, so it is in the farmer’s best interest to keep his livestock calm and happy.
At last, somewhere, sanity prevails. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has signed a proposal to repeal the foie gras ban in his city, and for this I give him a standing ovation. Daley sees the ridiculousness of the ban in the first place, calling it “the funniest law they [the Chicago legislature] ever passed,” and understands that not only does government have more important things to attend to, but it also must hold sacred our right to freedom of choice. For those who continue to spout that foie gras banning doesn’t really matter because it’s merely a treat for the rich,…
I’ve tried to behave. Really, I have. I eat much less bread than I used to, and have made it a point to incorporate whole grains. But have you ever tried to resist a loaf fresh from the oven? When I was in high school, my brother would awake me on Saturday mornings by waving a bag of freshly baked bagels under my nose. It was better than any alarm clock in existence. This month’s issue of Gastronomic Meditations is all about decadence, from bread, bread, and bread, to foie gras. Mmm…foie gras. Don’t be afraid of the carbs. Or…
