Foie Gras available

[robertsondavies]

Does anyone know where around So Wal I can locate a nice pound and a half, Foie Gras (Grade A, or Good Grade B) ??

I suppose the Sysco type restaurant supply companies have it available, but you have to run or know a restaurant operator to acquire through them?

[swantree]

if you go into some place like Criolla's you can usually strike a deal with one of the Chef's or try Modica. Charlie can just about get you anything.

[elgordoboy]

I think I have seen a lobe before in the Wine World at Publix in Destin, but I doubt they have that regularly. Try Cafe Tango too, maybe, for an out of the walk-in sale.

[Johnrudy]

A "lobe." Somehow that makes it sound less appetizing.

[SWGB]

A "lobe." Somehow that makes it sound less appetizing.

Steroid loaded raw goose liver doesn't work to much either.

[Smiling JOe]

gayboi, I believe you mean steroid-loaded, force-fed, raw, fatty, goose liver. I think it tastes great, but after seeing the tubes shoved down the throats to force feed the geese more than they could eat, and the stapled feet to keep them from moving around and burning calories, I cannot see the benefits out-weighing the detriments, and no longer will I eat it. (just my personal choice. I will still eat many other animals which are not so humanely treated, but I draw the line with fatty goose liver.)

[Miss Kitty]

A "lobe." Somehow that makes it sound less appetizing.

Didn't Chicago ban foie gras?

[Smiling JOe]

back to the question at hand, I have not seen foie gras available anywhere around here. I think the suggestion of checking with some local upscale restaurants might be your best bet.

[Cil]

gayboi, I believe you mean steroid-loaded, force-fed, raw, fatty, goose liver. I think it tastes great, but after seeing the tubes shoved down the throats to force feed the geese more than they could eat, and the stapled feet to keep them from moving around and burning calories, I cannot see the benefits out-weighing the detriments, and no longer will I eat it. (just my personal choice. I will still eat many other animals which are not so humanely treated, but I draw the line with fatty goose liver.)

Yeah, I don't eat veal myself, even though supposedly not *all* calves lead horrid lives separated from mom before all-too-soon becoming dinner.
And I only rarely eat foie gras, but I do love it. My kid toured several "humane" (non-force-fed) foie gras places in France and said that the ducks and geese farms he saw were delightful pastoral scenes, with happy waterfowl.
I think Chicago did outlaw foie gras, maybe other places as well.
But then Chicago repealed it.
The avian flu scare didn't help, either.
There is D'Artagnon here in the USA, they make duck foie gras, and supposedly their farm is sustainable, free-range, and their fowl humanely treated. You can order from them online, they carry all sorts of goodies.

[elgordoboy]

By Jeffrey Steingarten the finest food writer and most knowledgable eater around.

"Do you think it's all right to eat foie gras? That would be an easy question if foie gras were not one of the most delectable foods on Earth. If they passed a law banning broccoli, nobody would utter a peep, except for farmers whose livelihood depends on broccoli. Plus a few peeps from people whose inexplicable yearning for broccoli cannot be satisfied by brussels sprouts.
Foie means "liver"; gras means "fat." It's French. Foie gras is the fattened liver of a force-fed duck or goose. These days 80 percent of the world's foie gras comes from ducks. Their livers expand by eight to ten times........... " follow link: http://www.mensvogue.com/food/articl...8/21/foie_gras

[SWGB]

Publix might be able to special order it, or Fresh Market in Destin might carry it.

[Johnrudy]

Didn't Chicago ban foie gras?

yes ma'am, they did. Mayor Daley thinks it's cruel.

[scooterbug44]

If our leaders spent as much time worrying about REAL issues as they do messing w/ minor things like foie gras, we wouldn't be in our current pickle!

[Cil]

If our leaders spent as much time worrying about REAL issues as they do messing w/ minor things like foie gras, we wouldn't be in our current pickle!

I think Chicago knows what you mean; apparently Richard Daley changed his mind.
In the link in my previous post about the repealing of the law, the title of the article included the phrase 'Silliest Law Ever'
Forcefeeding is cruel, but you can create foie gras without resorting to it.
It just might not be as gras.

[elgordoboy]

If our leaders spent as much time worrying about REAL issues as they do messing w/ minor things like foie gras, we wouldn't be in our current pickle!

Foie gras and pickles

[aggieb]

Foie gras and pickles

[Landlocked]

Where are my cheez-its?

[robertsondavies]

gayboi, I believe you mean steroid-loaded, force-fed, raw, fatty, goose liver. I think it tastes great, but after seeing the tubes shoved down the throats to force feed the geese more than they could eat, and the stapled feet to keep them from moving around and burning calories, I cannot see the benefits out-weighing the detriments, and no longer will I eat it. (just my personal choice. I will still eat many other animals which are not so humanely treated, but I draw the line with fatty goose liver.)

They've developed a new flexible force feeding tube (a kinder gentler delivery). Also not sure if this is a BullSh*t industry line or not, but geese/ducks have hardened throat tissue and cannot feel a tube, so 'they' say.
I can appreciate your choice, but ducks or geese that are used in the production of foie gras, typically are such rock stars, that up until only the last 12 weeks of their lives, are actually allowed to range happily and freely - unlike most other chicken farms. I guess that brings up the separate issue as to whether the inhumanity in part stems from the fact that they're treated very well until the last 12 weeks of life.

Pigs are incredibly bright animals, most researchers certainly have them above the average family dog in terms of intelligence and yet they're force fed in pens and slaughtered........

The goose brain, being the size of the pea gives me some sollace.... If I give up Foie Gras, I'll also have to give up pork, and most other meats.... although perhaps they'rd be some free range chicken that are humanely euthanized (rather than summarily guillotined) that I could partake of.

:)

[elgordoboy]

They've developed a new flexible force feeding tube (a kinder gentler delivery). Also not sure if this is a BullSh*t industry line or not, but geese/ducks have hardened throat tissue and cannot feel a tube, so 'they' say.
I can appreciate your choice, but ducks or geese that are used in the production of foie gras, typically are such rock stars, that up until only the last 12 weeks of their lives, are actually allowed to range happily and freely - unlike most other chicken farms. I guess that brings up the separate issue as to whether the inhumanity in part stems from the fact that they're treated very well until the last 12 weeks of life.

Pigs are incredibly bright animals, most researchers certainly have them above the average family dog in terms of intelligence and yet they're force fed in pens and slaughtered........

The goose brain, being the size of the pea gives me some sollace.... If I give up Foie Gras, I'll also have to give up pork, and most other meats.... although perhaps they'rd be some free range chicken that are humanely euthanized (rather than summarily guillotined) that I could partake of.

:)

Start eating free range, grain fed, vegetarian diet volunteers..your neighbors.

[bluemtnrunner]

All this talk of foie gras is making me really want some. We have a line on some grade A foie!!!!

[Miss Kitty]

Where are my cheez-its?

...LL, I bet mr. K would eat foie gras on those cheez-its. Me, I wouldn't touch the stuff.

[ameliaj]

Foie gras on Cheezits. Man, that's good eats.

[JamBone]

i haven't served foie gras in some time so i can't produce the source off the top of my head right now - but there is in fact a free range unconfined foie gras industry. the ducks DO come running for feeding time and love the grain tube experience. i'm not saying that it's cool to fatten an animal until they can't walk but the suffering of the ducks in many cases is over exaggerated.

chicago has in fact repealed the ban.

d'artagnan is the easiest place for a non restaurant person to order some "a" grade - don't bother with the "b" or "c" grade - what's the point?

at jambone we only use unconfined, humanely treated animals and the pork industry is among the worst violators of animal husbandry ethics. the poor sows are chained inside a pen that they can neither move an inch forward or side to side for most of their lives. they are mated and give birth without ever even turning around and can barely even rest lying down. pigs are an amazingly social creature, very intelligent and modern medicine is even having some success with pig/human organ transplants. please don't support these industries whether it be pigs or chickens or any other of earth's beautiful creatures.

i make no difference between chopping broccoli out of the ground or slaughtering a baby lamb. it's the love and respect and honor that we should give to mother earth and its bounty be it plants or animals. stop supporting super mega agri-biz that is poisoning our food with chemicals and raping the soil and contaminating the water with unsustainable farming practices.

don't eat the foie gras from the ducks that are stapled down. there are alternatives that can still satisfy our gastronomic fancies. just pay attention, research, care and be proactive about your contribution to our stewardship of our planet.

and eat some foie gras every now and then!

scott alderson

[Johnrudy]

the ducks DO come running for feeding time and love the grain tube experience.

If only the 2 I cook for in my house were this easy to please. Sure would make my life a lot easier!

(Great post, btw, JamBone.)
.

[Smiling JOe]

robertdavies, to each his own. I have vegetarian and vegan friends, and I am mostly a carnivore, with veggie tendencies only on occasion. We each have to make our own choice of what to eat. Great points about the intelligence, and inhumane (in some cases), treatment of pigs. If it were all based on ideals, I would be a vegetarian, but my belly-cravings direct me otherwise. Jambone makes a great point about whether it is broccoli or lamb, respect the life of that which we eat, and the environment in which it is raised. I couldn't agree more. What we put into our soil, we put into our own bodies. We are more connected to the Earth than we tend to believe. We allow the walls of our house to act as visual barricades to the Earth and it's bounty, but the connection is still there, regardless of our recognition. If eating foie gras is what tickles your fancy, eat foie gras, change your fancy, or acknowledge that we don't always get what we desire.

I've learned quite a bit, growing up on a farm where we killed and cleaned, for our own consumption, chickens, deer, cows and pigs, and doves. It has been a long time since I've done that, but more recently, fishing and crabbing, has reminded me of the power we have and the restraint which we can use, to protect valuable life of all living things. I love the idea of fishing, just to fish. It is as much or more about being in nature and meditating as it is catching fish, and now I often go fishing without a pole, line and bait. Unless I want to eat a fish or crab, I don't mess with the act of fishing. Instead, I just go with the state of mind of fishing.

[robertsondavies]

robertdavies, to each his own. I have vegetarian and vegan friends, and I am mostly a carnivore, with veggie tendencies only on occasion. We each have to make our own choice of what to eat. Great points about the intelligence, and inhumane (in some cases), treatment of pigs. If it were all based on ideals, I would be a vegetarian, but my belly-cravings direct me otherwise. Jambone makes a great point about whether it is broccoli or lamb, respect the life of that which we eat, and the environment in which it is raised. I couldn't agree more. What we put into our soil, we put into our own bodies. We are more connected to the Earth than we tend to believe. We allow the walls of our house to act as visual barricades to the Earth and it's bounty, but the connection is still there, regardless of our recognition. If eating foie gras is what tickles your fancy, eat foie gras, change your fancy, or acknowledge that we don't always get what we desire.

I've learned quite a bit, growing up on a farm where we killed and cleaned, for our own consumption, chickens, deer, cows and pigs, and doves. It has been a long time since I've done that, but more recently, fishing and crabbing, has reminded me of the power we have and the restraint which we can use, to protect valuable life of all living things. I love the idea of fishing, just to fish. It is as much or more about being in nature and meditating as it is catching fish, and now I often go fishing without a pole, line and bait. Unless I want to eat a fish or crab, I don't mess with the act of fishing. Instead, I just go with the state of mind of fishing.

SJ, great points all. JamBone makes great points too, and I have researched the different treatment at the different places where it is produced on our continent, primarily Hudson Valley NY, and Charlevoix region of Quebec. Thanks for acknowledging the point on the pigs - we eat free range chicken, and buy a lot of our meat products from Trader Joe's and Harrys Farmers Market (Whole Foods) which in Atlanta is about as close as you can get to being a carnivore with a conscious. I get all that. I just don't get how people are so protective of the animals with the smallest of brains, like Whole Foods doesn't supply lobsters anymore.... and the broad brushed sensitivity Richard Daly had for a while on Foie Gras, during their experiment on a ban.

I guess Ted Nugent won't think so highly of us, but i couldn't give a rats ass... I too will loudly proclaim that I fish sometimes without throwing a line in the water.

[Smiling JOe]

I'm not so sure that the size of the brain is that which matters. Humans have rather large brains, but reportedly use only approx. 10% of it. Other animals may have smaller brains, but maybe they use a larger portion of it, and when comparing it to relative body size, maybe they use more brains than we humans. I certainly understand your question regarding brain size. In the end, I think it should all go back to respecting the life of that which we consume, regardless if it has a brain. Respecting that life doesn't mean not killing it for your own consumption. It simply means treating it with respect and honor, and acknowledging the fact that you are taking the life to fuel your own. As Jambone noted, even Broccoli is a living thing, until we kill it.

[robertsondavies]

I'm not so sure that the size of the brain is that which matters. Humans have rather large brains, but reportedly use only approx. 10% of it. Other animals may have smaller brains, but maybe they use a larger portion of it, and when comparing it to relative body size, maybe they use more brains than we humans. I certainly understand your question regarding brain size. In the end, I think it should all go back to respecting the life of that which we consume, regardless if it has a brain. Respecting that life doesn't mean not killing it for your own consumption. It simply means treating it with respect and honor, and acknowledging the fact that you are taking the life to fuel your own. As Jambone noted, even Broccoli is a living thing, until we kill it.

respect for all living things... YES agreed, its difficult to mount a good polemic retort to that proposition to be sure. Respect for Broccoli? Sure, and even more respect that George Herbert Bush gave to the lovely vege......

I agree with all the platitudes... my only point is that I have more concern on a relative basis for humans, dogs, and pigs, than ducks and geese or broccoli.

I don't think that's a tough call, but I don't think everyone needs to agree with me.

[Allifunn]

This is the dining forum...not the political forum!

Foie Gras is a delicacy...it is a fact of life that these kinds of foods will always be consumed.

Now...to the subject at hand...Chan's Wine World carries Duck Foie Gras.

[Arkiehawg]

http://www.hudsonvalleyfoiegras.com/abouthvfg.html


Excellent product, made in the U.S.