Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Have tried venison, wild boar, goat (not game, but less commonly eaten meat in North America), buffalo, quail, ostrich...can't think of what else. Liked them all. I would try almost any animal as long as it was either raised for meat or properly hunted...but I do have a double standard for dogs, having grown up living with one. I know it is hypocritical; I'm OK with that.

"But, at some point, there has to be movement beyond the prototype stage, into the real world of practical workability."

Agreed.
Baby steps, baby. Baby steps.... And they must be making an impact because- heck- we're talking about it, starting to make choices, organics are becomig more available, even in regular grocery stores, not just health food stores.
I'm sure that she tackles the real cost issues in her restaurant every day. Just read recently about a couple of chefs who've followed her lead and taken steps to grow kitchen gardens which provide fresher foods and defray operating costs.

Making it work in the real world takes more than one person.

BTW, I wear glasses too. No, not the rosy kind.... ;o) *L*

Well, I do wear glasses, so the myopic remark is pretty on-target.

If you consider her restaurant as a prototype expression of her ideas, then I suppose it's fine.

But, at some point, there has to be movement beyond the prototype stage, into the real world of practical workability. I just wonder whether she's ever tackled the issue of cost with her restaurant. If she's never seriously considered it -- of if it never even occurred to her -- then (gasp!) the elitist word might be appropriate.

"Cost is a real issue for most people. It really should be taken seriously. If not, then the effort -- whether in respect to food or homes -- is going to be a boutique industry, irrelevant to most people for the simple reason that they can't afford it."

Yes. Cost is a real issue.

And as with any new process/product/movement, at the "beginning" of it (where we are now even though she's been promoting it for over 25 years and it until recently, has not been embraced and still meets with resistance) there are always and only a select few who can afford it; be it indoor plumbing, televisions or organic, fresh food.

But to label HER elitist because we are at the beginnings of a movement that CURRENTLY everyone cannot afford it sligtly myopic at best.

It's great that she's started a foundation, authored books, etc. Those efforts seem more likely to convey her message than the restaurant, it seems to me.

Her restaurant reminds me of an eco-friendly, green home that sells for $2 million. It's great that the design accomplishes what it does...but how many people can afford to purchase a $2 million home?

Cost is a real issue for most people. It really should be taken seriously. If not, then the effort -- whether in respect to food or homes -- is going to be a boutique industry, irrelevant to most people for the simple reason that they can't afford it.

CJ McD,

Do you realize how many people live in poverty? I'm not talking about the US, that's a very small part of the picture - I'm referring to people who make less than $1.25/day. At least one in six people in the world fit that criteria. Of those people, the overwhelming majority are severely undernourished. Millions of children starve to death every year. Do you seriously believe that they can afford to spend more money on food? What's your solution for parts of the world with large populations and very little arable land? We're all aware that this isn't an all-or-nothing philosophy; growing vegetables at home is a good thing if you can do it, and buying foodstuffs (notably fruits and certain vegetables) from local farms at the peak of freshness is an enjoyable luxury, but the ideas you espouse as "world-saving" can't really be applied to most of the planet we live on.

I loved Kix until they changed the formula. They are airier now and don't have nearly the taste of the old ones.

Don't know if its considered 'game' but enjoyed some Wild Boar last night at a local favorite Italian eatery called Fratelli's in New Rochelle, N.Y. The rib and steak from the boar were loaded with flavor...also had a variation of this dish at Peter Kelly's X20 in Yonkers...

i read way too much about the meat industry, was the first thing. if you start to think about what it is you're eating, and how it was raised, and how it got to your plate... yuck. i love reading the pioneer woman's blog, but i can't think too much about how her family earns their living.

then i decided that if i couldn't kill it myself i shouldn't eat it either. it just started to feel wrong. and why should i share my home with an animal, encourage it to sleep in my bed with me, and yet perpetrate such harm and suffering on its brethren by buying commercially raised meat and dairy?

even the politically correct meat sellers at the greenmarket who give their livestock better lives than that in the end have to kill their animals.

and the kosher meat industry! don't get me started. such hypocrisy! they don't treat their animals well, which is one of the whole points of being kosher, and they treat their workers worse.

don't get me wrong, i LOVE meat. i can eat a whole ribeye steak in one sitting and lay waste to a sandwich at carnegie deli all by myself, no problem. it's sad for me to think about everything i'm turning my back on... brisket, chicken matzo ball soup, chopped liver, hangar steak, banh mi, pastrami on rye, boeuf bourgignon, duck gizzards... but i'll survive.

geez, i think i gave the term "serious eater" a whole new twist today!

@Jerzee~OMG I'm STILL laughing!
I grew up in a hunting family. I can field-dress a deer and I've helped pluck a turkey for Thanksgiving. I've made venison sausage and cooked little lamb chops from the sheep my dad raised (that one did make me feel a little weird). I truly do believe there is a circle of life and a natural order to the food chain. Of course, when I complained bitterly that my brother always got to go hunting and I didn't, my dad took me hunting. I had to promise to be quiet and not complain about the cold or getting up at the crack of still dark. I was soo good! My dad tapped me on the shoulder and pointed out a huge, exquisite buck. He then raised his rifle; and I, perfect little hunter, screamed RUUUNNNNN at the top of my lungs. We never spoke of it and I was never invited again.
I still respect the hunter though. And the right or privilege to eat meat. Or not. I also enjoy a tasty eggplant lasagna. Vegetables are goood.
@Cassaendra~That's bizarre. I've never heard of that. One more story. When my son was in 3rd grade we went on a school field trip to the St Louis Zoo. While standing at the lion's habitat, he came tearing out of the bushes and caught a low-flying pigeon, then trotted proudly back with his kill. It was such a thrilling experience! The teacher didn't think so, it made her a little ill. I still think it was a really good lesson for the kids.
I'm done now. =)