Foie Gras Fracas: Haute Cuisine Meets the Duck Liberators

[isa]

....Connoisseurs consider foie gras the epitome of culinary civilization. But animal rights activists call it the "delicacy of despair," born of cruelty to animals....

....Although one noted San Francisco chef, Traci des Jardins of Jardiniere, had pulled foie gras from her menu before the Sonoma incident, other chefs have been defending their right to serve it....

....Israel, the world's fourth-largest supplier of goose foie gras, recently banned the force-feeding of geese and ducks, as have Denmark, Norway, Poland, Austria and Germany, all after pressure by animal rights activists. Switzerland and the United Kingdom now discourage its production....


Read on, it's in today's New York Times.

Gourmet Cruelty?? The Revolutionary Cells & The Animal Liberation Brigade?? Where will it stop??

 

[athenaeus]

I guess that Israel couldn't afford one more accussation about violation of rights that's why they stopped the forced feeding of ducks and geese

I love foie-gras but I must confess that I do not feel very comfortable with the way we get it.

 

[pete]

I love to eat Foie Gras and I love to serve Foie Gras and I don't make any excuses about it. If the people from PETA, ALF, or any of the those other "organizations" (aka terrorist groups) wish to come after me for it, then in the immortal words of George W. Bush, "Bring it on". I am up to a fight with these kind of people any day. Enough of my rant. I shall say no more as from here it only goes downhill. But, man, I really hate these kind of people. I find them no different than Hamas, Al queda, the KKK, or any other group that trys to force their ideas on others by any means possible.

 

[jock]

The farm in question is in Sonoma, CA. Certain factions of the animal rights group went in with hidden cameras and filmed the ducks being fed. It was a bit disturbing I must say. (It was shown on a local news station here in the Bay Area.)
The producers admit that the feeding method would eventually kill the ducks if they were not slaughtered first for their treasure.
Others of the same group vandalized the home of the producer, made threatening calls to his home and vandalized the restaurant oowned by a chef and co-owner of the foie gras farm.
Whether or not I agree with the production of foie gras, the fact remains that the producers are going about their lawful business and should be free to do so without fear of retribution. Committing acts of domestic terrorism (as the FBI describes it) is not the way to change minds. Animal rights groups should use legal means to right what they perceive to be a wrong if they feel that strongly about it.

Jock

 

[leo r.]

I see a number of "animal rights organisations" as dictatorial,
"Food Fascists" would be an appropriate term for them.They seek to influence people by indoctrination and intimidation rather than education.

 

[ironchefatl]

What I learned wa that the first few feedings during the gavage it is sorta difficult to get they ducks or geese to eat a whole lot of food, but after a few days they come for it and the food just flows right down they throat, They love to eat alot. Nailing feet to floors is seldom done, nowadays, as best as I know it.

While we are close to the subject has anybody ever the idea of sluaghtering a duck by decapitation, then shoving a bottle of red wine in it s neck to marinade the duck with the last beats of its heart????

 

[tigerwoman]

interesting tee shirt on the subject

reminds me of the cow from the restaurant at the end of the universe...

 

[jock]

LOL

Jock

 

[pete]

I am going to buy a couple of those shirts!!!! They rule!!!

 

[mugsimo]

(Hi all...lurker here. Didn't imagine this would be my first post, but oh well!)

Thought y'all might want an update:

http://tinyurl.com/s1kx

If that link doesn't work, go to http://www.sfgate.com and search for "foie gras".

They (PETA, et al) just might win on this one. This is California, after all...where we (they) just elected The Terminator. Sonoma and Napa Valleys are ground zero for haute California cuisine, but there's just no calling this one.

I'm thinking I should go out and get some before it gets banned...

/mo