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'Foie You' Sandwich from Picnic Caterers in New Jersey
NotAmerican, when I think of milk-fed veal, I am thinking of the British model (I think one brand is called "rose veal". I saw a segment on it on BBC America - I really hope it takes hold here in the States).
At least you and I agree on something! Agreeing to disagree.
I think it's great for us all to have a discussion on this topic. It's groups like Farm Sanctuary who tell me what I can and can't eat and who target small businesses that get my dander up.
'Foie You' Sandwich from Picnic Caterers in New Jersey
Yes I do eat milk-fed veal. What do you calves eat? Milk. Well-cared for, milk-fed calves produce delicious meat.
You're right, I totally agree that something doesn't cease to be wrong because something else is more wrong. However, I don't actually think that the way American ducks are fed through gavage is inhumane or wrong.
'Foie You' Sandwich from Picnic Caterers in New Jersey
First of all, American foie is produced from ducks, not geese. Just clarifying that point.
Second, I recommend everyone on both sides of this issue read Foie Gras Wars by Marc Caro for a very interesting history of the product and its production.
Foie gras is not "exploded liver". Foie gras was first discovered by folks who caught and slaughtered geese prior to migration. Those livers were engorged and fatty due to the geese gorging themselves prior to their seasonal migration. When geese and ducks are heavily fed their livers become fatty and swollen, but they do not explode.
American foie gras is produced from ducks that are not caged. They are hand-handled during the feeding process. Hudson Valley foie gras provides incentives to their workers (one team is responsible for feeding the same batch of ducks through the process) to ensure that the ducks are cared for and treated well.
Ducks that are raised for foie gras production have much longer lives than any chicken raised for meat. I have an obligation to myself and to the animals that have given their lives for my dinner to treat them with respect and honor: use every part of the animal, cook the meat well and consume it in good company. Our food web is just that, a web: everything is interconnected. If you eat any animal products you are part of that cycle, perhaps in ways you don't even realize. Don't eat foie, but eat duck breasts? Where do you think the duck breasts came from? Could be from a duck raised for foie gras. Think veal is inhumane, but drink milk? Where do think all the male calves born to dairy cows go? Right-o, veal production.
If groups like Farm Sanctuary truly wanted to make an impact on overall animal welfare in this country, they should go after battery chicken producers like Tyson or Purdue - who treat their chickens far worse than any foie gras duck and who kill thousands more animals annually. It's much easier to go after small business owners who don't have the financial resources to fight back.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Langos, Deep Fried Flatbread and Hungary's 'Common Currency of Taste'
Sweet fancy Moses. I want to go to there. I will have to make myself some langos very soon.
'Foie You' Sandwich from Picnic Caterers in New Jersey
NotAmerican, when I think of milk-fed veal, I am thinking of the British model (I think one brand is called "rose veal". I saw a segment on it on BBC America - I really hope it takes hold here in the States).
At least you and I agree on something! Agreeing to disagree.
I think it's great for us all to have a discussion on this topic. It's groups like Farm Sanctuary who tell me what I can and can't eat and who target small businesses that get my dander up.
'Foie You' Sandwich from Picnic Caterers in New Jersey
Yes I do eat milk-fed veal. What do you calves eat? Milk. Well-cared for, milk-fed calves produce delicious meat.
You're right, I totally agree that something doesn't cease to be wrong because something else is more wrong. However, I don't actually think that the way American ducks are fed through gavage is inhumane or wrong.
'Foie You' Sandwich from Picnic Caterers in New Jersey
First of all, American foie is produced from ducks, not geese. Just clarifying that point.
Second, I recommend everyone on both sides of this issue read Foie Gras Wars by Marc Caro for a very interesting history of the product and its production.
Foie gras is not "exploded liver". Foie gras was first discovered by folks who caught and slaughtered geese prior to migration. Those livers were engorged and fatty due to the geese gorging themselves prior to their seasonal migration. When geese and ducks are heavily fed their livers become fatty and swollen, but they do not explode.
American foie gras is produced from ducks that are not caged. They are hand-handled during the feeding process. Hudson Valley foie gras provides incentives to their workers (one team is responsible for feeding the same batch of ducks through the process) to ensure that the ducks are cared for and treated well.
Ducks that are raised for foie gras production have much longer lives than any chicken raised for meat. I have an obligation to myself and to the animals that have given their lives for my dinner to treat them with respect and honor: use every part of the animal, cook the meat well and consume it in good company. Our food web is just that, a web: everything is interconnected. If you eat any animal products you are part of that cycle, perhaps in ways you don't even realize. Don't eat foie, but eat duck breasts? Where do you think the duck breasts came from? Could be from a duck raised for foie gras. Think veal is inhumane, but drink milk? Where do think all the male calves born to dairy cows go? Right-o, veal production.
If groups like Farm Sanctuary truly wanted to make an impact on overall animal welfare in this country, they should go after battery chicken producers like Tyson or Purdue - who treat their chickens far worse than any foie gras duck and who kill thousands more animals annually. It's much easier to go after small business owners who don't have the financial resources to fight back.
Cook the Book: 'Urban Italian'
pan-fried potato gnocchi served with goat cheese and asparagus
Is Artisanal, Handmade Food Always Better?
Amen Ed. Another facet of this artisan worship is in restaurants focused on "house made". Yes, I think it lovely if the bread, salumi, etc. is made in house, but only if it's good.
One of our local finer-dining places up here touts its house made bread and mozzarella. Unfortunately, the bread is cottony and bland and the mozzarella rubbery and relatively tasteless. I'd be so much happier with bought in (and better product) in this case.
Some Serious Sandwiches in Manhattan
Ed - I made a half batch of David's basic bap recipe. They aren't the prettiest thing I've ever baked, but I made a lovely sandwich (roasted red pepper spread, fresh spinach, bacon) from one for my lunch today.
Blog post, including recipe, here: http://cooking4theweek.blogspot.com/2009/02/baps-breakfast-bread-of-scotland.html
Cheers!
Some Serious Sandwiches in Manhattan
I haven't made David's version. But I do have a potato bap recipe in my files (looks like it was clipped from Bon Appetit in the 80s) that I have made.
Looking at David's recipe, I think I will have to give it a try. It looks like bap-making calls for a no knead approach. None of the recipes in the book call for kneading, just "blend to a soft dough with a wooden spoon" or "work into a lump". Sounds like an easy morning's project. Will get back to you on the outcome.
Some Serious Sandwiches in Manhattan
HI Ed, a bap isn't an acronym, it's a Scottish roll (traditionally eaten for breakfast). If cooked potato is kneaded in it becomes a potato bap. I can't quite figure out when makes a bap different from a roll, other than a bap has a dimple in the top. Elizabeth David devotes about eight pages to "Baps and Rolls" in her *very* thorough English Bread and Yeast Cookery.
Served: The Hook-Up
Fabulous perspective Hannah. As a former server and current restaurant goer, I agree completely with the idea of comping a little to get a major impact.
Our favorite restaurant (where we are recognized, but hardly regulars) usually comps us an after-dinner drink or sends out something small but special. I understand the logic of restaurant finances and know they aren't giving away the house. But it makes a huge impact on us to be recognized in that small way, we come back again and again and talk up the restaurant to our friends.
Would You Send Back an Overcooked Burger?
For me it's a question of taste/juiciness. There's a place near me that has great burgers. I always order med-rare and half of the time get something that to me seems closer to medium (to echo NotAmerican's comment about lack of standardization of doneness). I never send it back though because it's close enough - but also because the meat is so juicy and delicious. I have even gotten what ended up as a med-well burger there but I've enjoyed it because it's always been moist.
A dry hockey-puck, however, goes right back to the kitchen.
Cook the Book: 'Baked, New Frontiers in Baking'
Chocolate cake with fudgy frosting. Now I'm more of an apple tart kind of gal.
Grilling: Naan
To help you with your bread-baking angst, might I recommend instant yeast? It does not need to be proofed: you just toss it in with your flour. I think Fleishmann's and Red Star make one, and I know you can buy it from King Arthur Flour baking company.
For a more "authentic" recipe, take a look at Madhur Jaffrey's An Invitation to Indian Cooking. Her recipes have always worked for me. Her naan recipe calls for yogurt, which adds the sourdough quality that I think is probably missing from your naan.
Don't give up!
There's Nothing Fab About Prefab, Premade Drink Mixes
I started using fresh cocktail mixers about a year ago (in fairness, prior to that I was pretty much a bourbon on the rocks gal - no mixers needed). I was introduced to cocktails made with fresh juices at The Eastern Standard in Boston. If a bar that can manage a Red Sox game-day crowd (even during the World Series) can do it with fresh juices and house-made grenadine, I certainly can!
I recently turned a group of friends onto margaritas made with real juice and they saw the light!
Oregano Pizzeria, Importing a Pizza Oven from Italy to Massachusetts
You're welcome Adam (and all) - I should mention that if you are in the area and want to see a real wood-fired oven, you should check out The Flatbread Company in Amesbury: http://www.flatbreadcompany.com/2007Home.htm.
There are additional locations in Maine and New Hampshire - I have only been to Amesbury, so I can't vouch for any of the other sites. Amesbury is great - in an old warehouse/mill building with high ceilings, thick beams and some tables made of granite stones.
Oregano Pizzeria, Importing a Pizza Oven from Italy to Massachusetts
Ok - I finally made it there for lunch today. As I thought, the gas oven was required by the local authorities - no wood-fired stoves in that building. I had a marvelous salad (lentils, rice and oregano leaves - fresh and fantastic).
Sadly, the pizza wasn't as good as I hoped. The bartender told me the crust was made in house - but it tasted like any pizza shop crust. I'm going to give it another try in a few weeks and see if there's any difference.
Where To Find Fried Pickles on the East Coast
Also the Muddy River Smokehouse in Portsmouth, NH! nom nom nom
Oregano Pizzeria, Importing a Pizza Oven from Italy to Massachusetts
I'm planning on asking about why they're using gas instead of wood - I do wonder if it's a fire safety thing: I know the building they're in and it's a historic part of town.
Oregano Pizzeria, Importing a Pizza Oven from Italy to Massachusetts
Oregano is in my neck of the woods - I'm looking forward to trying it out and really looking forward to seeing this oven in action.
Cook the Book: Nigella Express
parchment paper - amazing how much time you save not having to clean up sticky pans and baking sheets and countertops. I compost the paper, so I don't feel so guilty about it.
Cook the Book: Simple Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate pots de creme.
Weekend Book Giveaway: 'Secret Ingredients, the New Yorker Book of Food and Drink'
Laurie Colwin - both her essays and her fiction.
Cook the Book: 'The Tex-Mex Cookbook'
pigs in a blanket *and* seven-layer dip
Would You Send Back an Overcooked Burger?
I'd be afraid of what would come back, so I wouldn't send it back, but I would not go back to that restaurant again.
Would You Send Back an Overcooked Burger?
Hell YEA I would send it back - I ASKED FOR RAW!
Grilling: Naan
Old thread, but I just put up an illustrated recipe on my site:
http://www.goodeater.org/2/post/2009/08/goodeating-30-minute-naan-on-the-grill.html
It's made with yogurt, but I use baking mpowder instead of yeast. Not quite the same, but it tastes excellent, and is on the table in thirty minutes.
Kenji
Some Serious Sandwiches in Manhattan
i had the tongue sandwich at txikito, but i thought it was lacking...the burger looks amazing, but i really thought the tongue sandwich could've used a little fine-tuning
Langos, Deep Fried Flatbread and Hungary's 'Common Currency of Taste'
I had my first Longos 15 years ago along the northern bank of the Danube River (Hungarian/Slovakian border). I too was an immediate devotee and cajoled a Slovakian friend of Hungarian decent to get his mother's recipe for me. You may have to convert some measurements but that's half the fun of cooking foreign foods...
500 gr. flour
250 gr. white yogurt
1 egg
1/2 TBS salt
1/2 tsp. soda
2 TBS oil
1/2 cup warm milk
2.5 dk. yeast ( use one packet of dry yeast)
1) Prepare leaven--combine yeast and milk and let stand 10 minutes.
2) Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and all other ingredients. Mix well.
3) Cover and let stand/rise for one hour.
4) Dough will be thin. Liberally flour a board and your hands and form oblong flat cakes about 4x6 inches and lay carefully in hot oil to deep fry. Hold under the surface and turn if necessary until golden brown and as crisp as you like.
5) Dough can be refrigorated up to 10 days...
Notes; this recipe will make enough dough to feed a small army. I always scale the measurements to be reasonable...
Nobody told you these were healthy, right?
Garnishes are optional but in most of Central Europe they use;
an oil/minced garlic meld
finely grated white cheese
ketchup
sour cream and/or any combination of the above.
I've never seen sauerkraut used but it sounds good (maybe an Austrian influence)
I've never seen a sweet topping but this is not too different from Elephant Ears or Navajo Frybread...
Langos, Deep Fried Flatbread and Hungary's 'Common Currency of Taste'
If you want to get langos tomorrow, Boppy, the Eurotrip place mentioned by @hrwalf above is literally right downstairs from my house.
Langos, Deep Fried Flatbread and Hungary's 'Common Currency of Taste'
I come from Slovakia (Hungary's Northern neighbour) and I haven't had a good Langos since I moved to States. I think it's about time for me to make them because ever since I saw your post that's the only thing I can think about... :)
Langos, Deep Fried Flatbread and Hungary's 'Common Currency of Taste'
"what pizza is to New York City and hot dogs are to Chicago."
Or the other way around.
Where To Find Fried Pickles on the East Coast
I love fried pickles but I thought your comment about spears was really weird because I find the exact opposite to be true. The chips tend to get soggy and cold much faster than the spears. Which made sense to me because the spears are crunchier in the first place. I actually avoid places that have chips. Hooters for example has the chips. Which almost everywhere has a hooters so there you go but I don't go because I want the real thing. The full on spear and if you're lucky and you're at Little River BBQ in Townsend, TN then you get the special sauce too (some sort of sweet mustard). It's absolutely the best. Chips really?!!? So confusing....
'Foie You' Sandwich from Picnic Caterers in New Jersey
I agree about being forced to do anything. We have Compassion in World Farming over here, which I think does a great job in educating and encouraging without going all PETA on anyone...they wholly endorse the 'Pink Veal', for instance. Their stance is, in their perfect world, everyone would go vegetarian, but that's not going to happen tomorrow. In the meantime, they encourage and support ethically raised meat.
I'm lucky enough to have a farm shop a few miles down the road which raises and butchers its own animals. You can see the pigs and cattle grazing on a few acres of grass, with fresh straw, fresh water, and even some toys to keep the pigs happy. They even have a special pen for piglets so they can stay with their mum, with a bowl of cut up fruit and veg for the public to feed them with. We don't eat much meat around our house, but if we do, it almost always comes from there. My kids are allowed with some exceptions to eat what they want (I'm not nuts about cheap meat or fast food in general) but they both know what a proper sausage tastes like, or how bacon should be, and it's really amazing how much better well-raised animals taste. A hand-made Gloucester Old-Spot sausage or gammon steak from an animal raised on grass and proper food rather than a genetic mutant raised on silage and indifference...there's no comparison. Does it cost more? Yes. Is it worth it, even if it means having it less? Definitely yes.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's 'Meat' book nicely sets out ways to enjoy meat...virtually all types of meat...while still caring for the animal that provided it, and not wasting anything. I highly recommend it, if anyone hasn't read it.
'Foie You' Sandwich from Picnic Caterers in New Jersey
'Milk-fed' generally refers to veal calves fed nothing but formula, kept in tight wooden pens so they cant exert themselves, with nothing metallic around so they get no iron at all. Calves generally don't get their mother's milk...it's too valuable.
The absence of iron and exercise is why milk-fed veal is so pale. The calves need to be restrained or they'll try and drink their own urine to get nutrients.
Britain is trying 'pink veal' as an experiment...as long as you have a dairy herd, you'll have bull calves you don't need. Rather than pen them up, they're allowed to graze freely. The meat looks different, but tastes just as good if cooked right. It's better than shipping them off to mainland Europe for cruelty before slaughter.
As for foie gras, I think we'll just have to agree to disagree.
'Foie You' Sandwich from Picnic Caterers in New Jersey
In gavage based foie gras production, the liver expands to two to three times its normal size. I'd call that exploding. An enlarged liver is never a good thing...ask your local alcoholic.
And I am totally against battery chicken methods...I keep the little lovelies. But something doesn't cease to be wrong because something else is more wrong.
Watch a video of a goose (or as you said a duck in America) with a funnel shoved down its throat having a mixture of grain and fat pumped into it and tell me that's okay, because it makes it extra tasty after it's been killed. Would you eat milk-fed veal? It tastes better than the pink stuff apparently. Does that make it okay?
Is Artisanal, Handmade Food Always Better?
To answer the question...of course not! Never say never and never say always. I must not be eating enough local food (anybody who knows me would laugh hysterically at this point) as I haven't gotten burned badly enough to feel like this...or my standards are awfully low!
Am I down with eating bad food produced by good people? No, but I'd like to help them become better producers with feedback. We need all the good growers/food entrepreneurs we can get. I had an experience where I bought pickles made by a CSA farm I love. They looked great but were kinda mushy. I spoke to the farmer and they realized what happened and learned what to do next batch/time. I think they decided to stick to being growers and not continue with value added items as it can be harder than it looks. I used them in tuna salad, etc and they were fine but not good for plain eating. Unless something is down and out manky/nasty, I can find a way to improve and use a challenging purchase. And if it is manky, any decent food seller will want to know, feel dreadful about it, and make restitution.
Ask for samples, if no samples ask what they'll do if you don't like their food (out of luck, money back, exchange). If you have an issue, speak up...though like others have said, one person's salt lick is another's just right - food is sooooo subjective. If you don't want to speak up, don't go back.
As far as thanking my lucky stars for Smuckers & Oscar Mayers? Food is better than no food however, I'm an upper lower class blue collar person who's been buying local/organic/natural for too long to feel very celebratory about agribiz and industrial food production. Not ungrateful mind you as I was raised on it and once I'm eating out and about...who can keep track of where everything comes from? I'm watchful and do what I can but don't get mental about it.
Is Artisanal, Handmade Food Always Better?
We have a farmer's market in our small Pa. town from May-October. While we don't have any meat products we do have some kick butt fruits and vegetables during that time. It is mostly our local Amish farmers with a few "english" stands. The Amish are far and above the english, but are very pricey. You have to decide if it is worth it and most of the time it is. You can only get squash blossoms from them in this area. The Amish baked goods are okay, but do you want to make the whoopie pies yourself??? The english have some jams and plants and occasional vegetables (hard to compete with the Amish) and when it comes down to fresh corn on the cob the Amish at our market athe price and taste is competitive. There are many more veg. stands in South Pa and South Jersey that are looking to take advantage. You just have to know your vendors. I have been taking note the past few years of where to buy artisan products on the web. Sometimes it is worth it to pay for the postage. Costco has incredible bacon and vegetables and their meats are often restaurant quality.
Cook the Book: 'Urban Italian'
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Cook the Book: 'Urban Italian'
I buy a frozen pizza and top with assorted leftovers-baked beans, tuna salad, onions, etc.
acptuser(at)hotmail(dot)com
Cook the Book: 'Urban Italian'
Lasagna with shredded carrots on top!
Cook the Book: 'Urban Italian'
Lasagne with a white sauce and chicken or turkey
Is Artisanal, Handmade Food Always Better?
1-I have a couple of farm stands I go to regularly to buy fruits and vegtables and the occasional dairy product. They also sell various baked goods, and once in a while I'll buy a baked good thinking it *has* to be good cuz its from the farm. It never ever is good. I should just stick with my local bakery -- or even myself!
2-This is kinda along the lines of why I don't buy grass-fed beef and such from my local farmers just because they sell it: I wonder "who's inspecting this stuff"? "How do I know its safe and handled properly"? I wish I would have some assurance so I could bring myself to buy it, but so far, I see none.
Cook the Book: 'Urban Italian'
Bacon, lettuce, and tomato pizza -- with crispy lardons, shreds of argula piled on after baking, and chunks of fresh, ripe tomatoes
Is Artisanal, Handmade Food Always Better?
Like Ed, I have spent top dollar on food that sucked and then feel that I have been "cheated" by that person. It really ticks me off! Thanks for bringing this up Ed. At least I know I'm not alone...
Cook the Book: 'Urban Italian'
I've found that many stovetop risotto recipes can be adapted to make in the oven. For me, this turned risotto from being an occasional weeknight menu item to one that we make much more frequently. I'd say it's about 85-90% as good as stovetop in most instances, and is much tastier than a take-out alternative.
The last one I made I changed up by adding hickory smoked chicken apple sausage, and adjusting herbs and spices to compliment its sweeter flavors.
Cook the Book: 'Urban Italian'
Chicken lasagna! So good!
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About maryr123
Website: http://cooking4theweek.blogspot.com
Location: Northeast US
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Sweet fancy Moses. I want to go to there. I will have to make myself some langos very soon.