Chicago Repeals the Foie Gras Ban

This afternoon, the Chicago city council voted 37-6 to repeal the two-year old ban forbidding restaurants and stores to sell fatted goose liver -- foie gras. Like so many issues, this one ultimately is less about the gourmet delicacy and more about whether or not it's OK for a city to try to dictate what its citizens should or shouldn't eat.

The debate began more than two years ago when Chicago super-chef Charlie Trotter declared he'd no longer serve the controversial product in his restaurants. Many animal activists feel ducks and geese are force fed in inhumane conditions while others in the restaurant industry have observed conditions first-hand and disagree. (Compared to an average Tyson chicken, foie gras birds live an incredible life of comfort.) Others, like PETA, fought for foie gras bans as it became apparent that politicizing food could be a strong tactic in a "fight small but visible fights" strategy. They were successful on securing state-wide bans on production for California and New York set to take affect in the next few years. Led by Alderman Joe Moore and advocated by visible PETA celebrities (but not many Chicago residents), the council approved the ban in an omnibus package of other regulations and bills two years ago.

Since then, the ban has become a running joke in the food world, much to the blustering chagrin of chefs like Trotter who spoke out in favor. City officials reported that anonymous tips were a regular occurrence when foie showed up as a secret special in a restaurant. Enforcement authorities did little about it only writing a handful of tickets. The point of mockery, though, had little to do with foie gras itself, and more to do with the idea that a city council thought that a ban wouldn't be a big deal if it only a affected a gourmet few. We're not talking about transfats, something horribly detrimental to the health of a community. Foie gras is an expensive delicacy and many perceived it would only be of interest to only a few rich, fancy eaters.

In the end, it's fitting that Chicago's ban should be repealed with so little fanfare. New York and Philadelphia both tried to get their own efforts off the ground but with no luck. The foie gras issue had become far more time consuming than city fathers figured -- how could banning something so few people ate or enjoyed end up as such a controversy? You may be tired of the discussion around here, but the point is a broader one. (I'd have just as many complaints if I only talked about molecular gastronomy or Michael Carlson's food.)

Score one for the eaters today. Go to Tallent and have Dave's daily preparation of fois gras. Stop in at L'ex and have Neal sear it delicately. Or pop in to the Goose and buy a lobe whole. This is a day for food lovers to savor and enjoy. Appreciate that Chicagoans can now zoom down to Fox and Obel for their fix, legally. And be thankful that whether or not it's a food you like, it's legal to eat. This is a day to celebrate and remember we can eat freely.

Will Chicago Overturn the Foie Gras Ban Today?

The Chicago Trib is reporting that Chicago Alderman Thomas Tunney says he has the votes needed to force a vote and overturn the citywide ban on foie gras. Even better, he says he'll do it today. Joe Moore, the alderman who drove the ban last year, said he think's it's a waste of time to bring the issue up again. Tunney -- who is also close to Mayor Daley -- says it's way overdue.

The ban was passed in April 2006 by a 48-1 vote. But Tunney noted Tuesday that there was no discussion of the measure on the council floor before the vote. The ban was passed in an "omnibus" vote at the end of a meeting, packaged together with other ordinances considered to be routine.Council members have publicly mulled repealing the measure since September 2006, when the mayor said he would support such a move. Some aldermen said the ordinance had made Chicago a laughingstock.

Live video from the City Council meeting via Trib.

Lazy but Hungry

Right now, I'm eating vegetable soup made from a Knorr's packet with chicken broth instead of water. I threw in one of Christopher Eley's foie "dawgs" from The Goose. Yes, it's true. Foie gras hot dogs. The phone rang and I turned off the soup leaving it to poach for a bit too long. Now, I'm eating the rich foie and pork insides spread on crackers. And the soup is now a dark, luscious, rich beauty of a broth -- with foie fatty goodness floating on top. Not so bad for lazy and hungry.

Three Latest and Best

Foie Gras Profiteroles: Yes, there is such a thing, and I can tell you (because I ate them), they are just obscene -- and I mean that in the best of ways. Think three small cream puff pastries. Instead of cream filling, think slabs of sauteed foie. Think diced, sauteed apples and melty goat cheese. Think L'explorateur. So, so good.

More Goose: I know, I know. I'm such a big Goose market goober, but I just can't help it! It's an oasis! Just know that as I type this, I'm snarfing an entire 1/2 pint of dark winter spice gelato (so rich, you think it's the richest chocolate, but then you taste cloves, all spice, cinnamon, and star anise. Oh, so good.) Oh, and some Bourbon caramel gelato. And I picked up my favorite cocoa cardamom goat cheese, two house-made lamb brats, and some very thinly sliced guanciale. And a bottle of wine. Want to hear the good news? Chef Christopher Eley will have his own house-made lardo in another three weeks. Now you can play Batali at home in your own orange crocs. You know. If that's your cup of tea.

Update: I just cooked those lamb brats. Fantastic! Browned them in butter with shallots and smashed garlic. Then added beer and boiled them until they looked done. Sliced them into "coins" and am serving them on crostini crackers with goat cheese and a big smear of garlic mustard and sprinkled with fennel and herbs de provence. The lamb brats come in black pepper, hot, smoked, and regular.

Bugg's Tavern: Where the bar snacks are refilled hourly! Yes, I feel the need to mention these delicious cocktail treats. They are *tasty*. Like "can't stop eating them" tasty. Mixed nuts glazed in a slightly sweet, salty, gingery coating. Everything good high-end bar snack should be. (Bonus points for naming the Simpson's reference.)

Top Chef, Chicago, and a few Updates

Report on Grant Achatz: Via Michael Ruhlman:

"I was able to have breakfast with Grant Achatz on Saturday and was delighted to see him looking strong and fit. You’d scarcely know he was battling anything at all, let alone going through chemo to treat squamous carcinoma of the mouth. He was at ease, confident and determined. As he always is. And he ate one of Nookie’s enormous omelets. Best news of all: doctors say treatment is exceeding expectations."

Top Chef Sightings: Oh, so sad to see Tre go. I've long loved Abacus in Dallas. However local-connection Brian Malarky, Ryan Nelson's counterpart at The Oceanaire in San Diego is still doing well in the competition. But where are they now? Bourdain reports that Tre is trailing with some major restaurants in NYC as he well deserves to be. This professional and creative chef will land somewhere great. Also, Ted Allen reports Dale is currently working at Sola on N. Lincoln in Ravenswood (Chicago) where chef Carol Wollack is reportedly doing a great job with the food.

Where is Gail? Loads of fans are asking where Gail Simmons has been on the show in the past few episodes. On her blog, she reports the show was filmed in April and she was slammed at Food and Wine magazine with the Best New Chefs awards as well as planning for the F/W Food and Wine Classic in Aspen. (Aspen is one of the premier food events in the use with experts, fans, wine makers, chefs, and foodies from across the country eating, drinking, learning, schmoozing, and partying for a week.)

One Year for Foie Gras Ban: And as long as we're touting Chicago, yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the city's ban on foie gras. NPR reports only one restaurant has been cited and the health department (under whose enforcement this falls) has openly stated they have better things to do. It's readily available at many restaurants if you just know who -- and how to ask. And at least one local chef has likened the ban to prohibition calling these restaurants that serve the underground delicacy "duck-easies". Twenty Three Skiddoo!

French Laundry Torchon: Day 3

Friday morning, I awoke to a taunting email from one of my fellow smackdown competitors. This particular foodie believes that foie is best served simply -- seared and eaten. He had been following my progress with my new little friend. He was also taking off for the weekend.

"While [braingirl] is busy coddling her liver, bathing it in milk and whispering sweet nothings in its ear (lobes), I am ... Doing nothing. Going to Chicago for the weekend. Watching basketball. Making sure I have salt and butter. That’s about it. Points for simplicity."

Heh. Sear and eat may be good, but it won't have the satisfaction of following a fine -- if smelly -- French cooking technique. Mine will taste better because of finesse! My progress?

Day 3: My foie, maybe we'll name him something French like "Georges" or "Poindexter", happily spent the night in his cure. About 9:00 p.m. Friday, I unwrapped him and started to, um, how do you say, massage. (How much fun is that for a Friday night, huh?) Actually, I rolled out parchment paper, then began to shape the meat into a log about 6 inches long and 3 1/2 inches thick. It takes a little bit of getting used to, and yes, it's pretty gross. (It does smell a bit funky.) But it doesn't take too long. Once the torchon was shaped, I laid out a piece of cheese cloth about 2 feet long and transferred the foie to its new home. I wrapped it tightly in the cheesecloth (pulling it out and back as I rolled), then perfected my string wrapping and tying technique as I continued to shape and compact the torchon in the cheese cloth. Once I tied off the ends, forcing it even tighter as I wrapped, I tied three pieces of string around the middle. The cookbook says this is for reshaping later, but I didn't use them.

Meanwhile, I brought a pot of chicken broth simmer. Once the temp was right, I placed the cheesecloth wrapped and tied foie into the broth and simmered for 90 seconds. I was amazed at how much fat it lost in such a short time! I removed it to an ice water bath, then rolled out a clean cotton twill dishtowel. When the foie had cooled, I wrapped it up tightly in the towel going back through the compressing/tying routine until I had a compact little package of foie. Be warned, it's messy since it literally oozes through the cheesecloth and towel.

Once all was wrapped tightly, I followed their recommendation and have hung it in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Actually, it will come out on Monday night so it will have a good 72 and the cookbook says they'll last that way at least 1-2 weeks.

French Laundry Torchon -- Day 2

After all the excitement of yesterday, Day 2 was a bit anti-climatic. Also, fairly easy. My little foie has been sitting in the refrigerator in a luxurious milk bath for 24 hours. Yesterday, I took out the foie -- both lobes and the small pieces -- put it on a plate and covered it with a clean, damp towel. It was too cold to work with, so I let it sit for a few minutes to come up to room temperature.

In the meantime, I mixed together a small amount of Kosher salt, pink salt, ground white pepper, and sugar. I lined a pan with plastic wrap, then parchment paper, and when the foie was a bit more pliable, I pressed it into the pan until it was flat and about 1 inch thick. I sprinkled half the salt mixture on one side, then flipped it over and sprinkled the rest on the other side. Then I folded up the parchment paper, then wrapped it tight in plastic wrap. Then I got worried, unwrapped it, and took it out of the parchment paper. (I worry that the paper will soak up needed moisture and throw something off.) It's all sitting comfortably in the fridge right now. Tomorrow comes the rolling and the poaching. Voila!

French Laundry Torchon -- Day 1

If you'll please turn with me to page 106 in your hymnal, also known as Thomas Keller's French Laundry Cookbook, and join with me to sing Poached Moulard Duck Foie Gras au Torchon (and skip verse 4, "with pickled cherries.")

The foie arrived yesterday! I thought I'd bore you all with more details than you care to know about this strange odyssey. I'll try to limit it to one post a day (in case you, like many people I know, are sick of hearing about it!)

Day 1: Yesterday, the foie arrived, we deveined it, and put it soak in milk to remove impurities. In Keller's book, he recommends soaking the foie in milk before it is cleaned and deveined, but after going through the deveining yesterday, I think soaking it afterward is a better idea. The milk, much like brine for a bird, will draw out impurities using osmosis. However, unlike water and salt, the milk shouldn't cause the same chemical reactions or breakdown of tissue. After deveining, the lobes were separated and there were quite a few bit more exposed areas where we'd found small blood clots. So, I'm hoping the milk will help "clean" up those areas in a more effective way than if we'd just submerged the unseparated whole lobe.

And how was the deveining, you ask? Based on Meg and Adam's experiences, I was prepared for the worst, a long and tedious process. However, under the gentle tutalage of Chef Karl Benko, the process was relatively painless. What did I learn? First, we worked using rubber gloves. The meat is so fatty, it will literally melt just under the warmth of your hands. Rubber gloves helped insulate body heat for just a few minutes -- long enough to get a good start on separating the lobes. Secondly, and most importantly, I learned to the most effective way to devein was to just, well, follow the vein. Using a pair needle nose pliers -- never a knife! -- we looked for the biggest veins, then carefully pulled, following them along the meat and gently pulling the lope apart further if needed. We also removed any fat we found along the way. (But wait, you ask, fat? The whole thing is fat! Well, yes, but there was just a little pure fat which we did take out.) After we separated the main lobe from the smaller one, we gently searched each lobe for veins, pulling out the biggest ones and also removed remnants of blood and clots where we found them. As Karl kept reminding me and Keller says "Remember, it's like play-dough. You just put it back together."

Don't get me wrong, gripping and pulling the little veins is difficult. Karl made it look easy on the large lobe and when it was my turn for the smaller one, I found it difficult to perfect the grip-twist-and-turn technique he used for grabbing them. It also takes a bit of practice to figure out exactly how much pressure to apply to gently pull them along using enough force to separate the lobe, but not so much you tear the vein. We focused on the biggest veins and connective tissue, but ultimately didn't pull each lobe completely apart as I'd seen in pictures in the past. (And we put each lobe back together again, "like play-dough" as we went. The entire process took about 10 minutes, although it would have taken me considerably longer had I been on my own. Thanks again to Chef Karl for the lesson! And stay tuned for Days 2-4.

Foie Gras Day! Smackdown: The Prep

Many of you have been asking me and the day is finally here. It's foie gras day! Confused? Let me begin at the beginning. A foodie friend of mine and I recently had a little discussion about foie gras via email on which specific preparations were best. Before it dissolved into name calling and questions of parentage, Chef Karl Benko intervened and suggested we settle this like cooks and have a dinner to decide. We agreed. So was born the idea of the Foie Gras Smackdown.

Well, smackdown day is almost upon us. The strategy? I will prepare the foie gras torchon from the French Laundry cookbook while my opponent has opted for the simple, seared approach. (See the basis of the argument?) Karl, who has laughed heartily through the entire thing, is bringing something, too, which we know will blow both of the rest of us away. And the day for this fatty liver fest? Next Monday. Our 8 dinner guests will help decide. Today, the foie arrives and I will get a lesson in cleaning before I cure mine (in kosher salt, sugar, white pepper, and pink salt, natch).

What else does the torchon entail? In a nutshell, the foie is cured, rolled up tight, poached for a very short time (about 90 seconds), then packed even tighter in a dishtowel for a few days. It produces a creamy, smooth preparation and is best served with a sweet jam or sauce. Have I done this before? No, but Meg at Megnut and Adam at Amateur Gourmet both made this dish last fall, documented their progress along the way, and made it sound and look pretty easy. (Check out their results linked just above -- they did great!)

So, if I report on odd goings-on this week, you'll know why. And next week, if I'm out with the gout or a clogged artery, blame the foie! Or the wine. It's Foie Gras Day!

Three Latest and Best

Why I Love the Fountain Square Diner, Part II: Is it the great grilled burgers? The hot-from-the-deep-fryer French fries? Maybe. But this time it was the amazing beef barley soup. Homemade, of course.

No Foie for Me: File under what I didn't eat in Chicago: foie gras. As is my habit, I end up gorging myself on good Thai food, and this trip, treats from Fox and Obel. Next time, I'll find it. I swear.

Green Garbanzos: My ingredient of the month is green garbanzo beans from Trader Joe's. Not only are they a great, high protein, vegetabally treat, they make outrageous green hummus!

Wine Shopping in Chicago: OK, so this is four, but how much fun did I have in Chicago on vacation? A friend called one afternoon and took me on a tour of all his favorite wine discount stores. After finishing at Sam's and collecting nearly a case to bring home, I'm hooked on warehouse shopping for wine. What a selection! What prices! With Chicago so close, Indiana wine retailers have to step up the bar. Let's hope the new Kahn's helps a little.

What I'd Skip: Until they get it together at the Fountain Square location, I'll be skipping Deano's Vino. When even the regulars are complaining about the service, you know something is off. And their wide variety of beers and wines? They were out of at least half the beer list last time I was there and the wine list is far from interesting, just another list of the same old wines offered by the same old distributors. Borrrring.

Foie Off the Menu at the Biltmore

Normally, it wouldn't be news when a restaurant makes seasonal changes to its menu, but when it comes to foie gras, all bets are off. Recently, animal rights protestors had announced plans to target the Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina, until they were told there was no foie to protest. According to local reports, corporate spokespeople say the seasonal menu changes had in the works for a week or two. Removing foie was not a result of the pending protests. While I'm sure no corporate restaurant wouldn't cry over eliminating one of their highest food cost items, the protestors claimed it as a victory. (Pointer via Ruhlman)

Sadly, as misinformation continues to perpetuate itself over items like foie gras, it removes the focus from where all these animal rights folks should be spending their time. If any of them had seen a chicken farm, they'd be standing out in front of Tyson, not Hudson Valley Foie Gras.

And speaking of foie gras, what do you do with a spare lobe? Amateur Gourmet tries something at home that I may replicate myself this winter -- the foie gras torchon from French Laundry. The step-by-step makes it seem so easy! (via meganut)

Update: And thanks for the pointer. Yes, my face is red. I let the venerable Biltmore estate spend half the day in South Carolina. It's back now.

Ode to Duck -- and Bourdain on Foie Gras

Lord, thank you for the amazingly tasty duck that died to bring me the duck broth won-ton soup from Oakley's last night. Its rich marrow did not die in vain, nay, it glorified the natural world as I practically drank from my bowl after the first course of the three-course Asian Bistro menu. It's bones, carcass and skin were gladly and lovingly cooked for hours, for the broth was too rich for an ungodly man (or woman). Thank you also, for the cow, that provide the tender, lovingly cooked and sliced meat (that Chef Tom Smith seared perfectly and served with thinly sliced Asian veggies and greens with a rich lime and soy based sauce that worked effortlessly with the french fries!). And, the fig and tamarind rugelach?! Somewhere, a Jewish grandmother is nodding in approval.

In the meantime, we still have nuts like New Jersey assemblyman Michael Panter's who last week went on an insane tear about foie gras. In the next week or two, he plans to introduce a ban on sale in and out of New Jersey of the gourmet delicacy targeting artisanal food legend and NYC supplier D'Artagnan. Ruhlman reports from Meganut. In the meantime, Tony Bourdain speaks sanity from the pages of Salon. Bottom line? Do you think it's right that someone else gets to tell you what to eat? From Bourdain:

Look, if you don't want to patronize a business that serves foie gras, don't go there. Running full-page ads telling people how evil you think it is -- that's also a legitimate enterprise, in my view, and one that's been effective in the case of anti-fur activism. But particularly as I travel so much and have come to know so many other cultures older than ours -- to criminalize ways of eating, to suggest that we've all been wrong since Roman times, well, that kind of interference scares me. It's like an American tourist traveling around the world stopping over in different countries, and saying, "This is wrong and you should stop that -- because me and my privileged, well-fed, white friends in our comfortable shoes think so." I respect people's decisions. You don't want to eat foie gras? Don't eat it.

But the intended bill on foie gras in New Jersey is not a breath of fresh, sensible air, it's a whiff from the crypt.