Foie Gras ban in Cali

Thoughts? What are the board rules concerning bashing ex-Beatles? If this is too cruel for our social mores, what of the everyday Con-Agra slaughterhouses and their half-alive cattle having their stomachs splayed open while on a hook?

Schwarzenegger Signs 'Foie Gras' Bill

2 hours, 19 minutes ago

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By JIM WASSERMAN, Associated Press Writer

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California will end the force feeding of ducks, geese and other birds to produce the gourmet liver product foie gras by 2012 under legislation signed Wednesday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzengger.

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The bill will also ban the sale of foie gras in California starting that same year if it's obtained by force feeding birds.

Schwarzenegger, who received pleas from several celebrities, including former Beatle Paul McCartney, to sign the bill, said it gives producers more than seven years to "evolve and perfect a humane way for a duck to consume grain to increase the size of its liver through natural processes."

"If agricultural producers are successful in this endeavor, the ban on foie gras sales and production in California will not occur," he said in a statement.

Animal rights advocates called the governor's action "a major victory for the ducks and geese."

The state's lone farm engaged in the practice, Sonoma Foie Gras, also hailed it as a victory.

The company's president, Guillermo Gonzales, said his farm would use the time before the ban is implemented "to demonstrate that foie gras production is safe and proper."

Advocates for the bill said the restrictions are needed to stop an agricultural process in which birds are fed huge amounts of food three times a day through a tube inserted into their throats. The practice enlarges the birds' livers up to 10 times their normal size before they are slaughtered.

Foie gras - French for "fat liver" - is served in about 300 restaurants in California, according to the California Restaurant Association, which opposed the bill along with several major farm groups.

The bill's author, Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, D-San Francisco, said several countries have already banned the force feeding practice and the European Union (news - web sites) is phasing it out.

Among other celebrities who supported the bill were actors Martin Sheen, Kim Basinger, Alicia Silverstone and Mary Tyler Moore.

___

On the Net:

Read SB1520 at http:/www.legislature.ca.gov

Ahhh, easy for Arnold to sign this as it won't impact him. No doubt the same source that supplies him with his illegal Cuban cigars will also supply him with foie gras.

This would leave NY as the sole producer of foie gras in the US. The same tree-huggers that are pushing this in Cali are pushing it in NY. Please spare us all from the Cali-ban, we've got enough theats to worry about.

Kman wrote:Ahhh, easy for Arnold to sign this as it won't impact him. No doubt the same source that supplies him with his illegal Cuban cigars will also supply him with foie gras.

This would leave NY as the sole producer of foie gras in the US. The same tree-huggers that are pushing this in Cali are pushing it in NY. Please spare us all from the Cali-ban, we've got enough theats to worry about.

from the us customs service:

RELEASED Wednesday, July 9, 1997

CUBAN CIGAR UPDATE

The revival of interest in cigars and cigar smoking underscores the need to remind the public of the prohibitions that have been in place for many years with respect to cigars of Cuban origin. The number of attempted importations of Cuban cigars into the United States is rising and because dealing in such cigars may lead to Treasury enforcement actions, the public should be aware of - and make every effort to observe - the prohibitions which are in effect.

Only persons returning directly from Cuba after a licensed visit there are permitted to bring Cuban cigars into the United States, provided the value of such cigars does not exceed $100 US dollars and the cigars are for that individuals personal use and not for resale. All other importations of Cuban cigars are illegal. All offers to buy or sell such cigars in the United States involve cigars that were imported illegally. Contrary to what many people may believe, it is illegal for travelers to bring into the United States Cuban cigars acquired in third countries (such as Canada, England, or Mexico).

It is also illegal for U.S. persons to buy, sell, trade, or otherwise engage in transactions involving illegally-imported Cuban cigars. The penalties for doing so include, in addition to confiscation of the cigars, civil fines of up to $55,000 per violation and in appropriate cases, criminal prosecution which may result in higher fines and/or imprisonment.

These prohibitions are applicable to all goods of Cuban origin and are an important element of the comprehensive program of economic sanctions against the Cuban Government which have been in place since 1963. Those sanctions have had the support of the last seven Administrations.

The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), administers the embargo of Cuba. Suspected embargo violations may be reported telephonically (is that a word? Telephonically?) to OFAC's Enforcement Division at (202) 622-2430 or via facsimile at (202) 622-1657.

that may have changed recently, but I don't believe so.

so maybe he has been making lots of trips to cuba to bring back those cigars

HI,

There are quite a few Cuban cigars in this country which predate the Castro revolution ban. If properly maintained in humidors, they seemingly have quite a long life. To obtain them can sometimes be a quite pricey, though I doubt anyone worries about Arnold's ability to acquire these.

Regards,

I don't follow why someone would want to keep a cigar that long. It's not like wine where they can improve with age. Once properly cured and rolled the cigar isn't going to get any better.

I don't follow why someone would want to keep a cigar that long. It's not like wine where they can improve with age. Once properly cured and rolled the cigar isn't going to get any better.

I guess preserving it as-is or minimizing degradation of quality over time is important to afficionados. My information is from sitting in on conversations by those who love them.

I'm no cigar expert, but I do a have a reasonably stocked humidor at home. It seems to me that some cigars do benefit from aging--particularly less expensive house brands (JRs or Iwan Ries.) I don't know why this is--but I do detect a richer, more mellow flavour in my older cigars.

Pre-Castro cigars, of course, are another matter. Still, I suppose some foresighted tobacconists saw the embargo coming, and stocked up.

On that topic, my experience of Cuban cigars (and see my exculpatory statement in the first sentence) is that there is a bit of Coor's beer mystique here--something is rumoured to be great when its hard to get. Once you get it, you realize its nothing special.

It's not like wine where they can improve with age. Once properly cured and rolled the cigar isn't going to get any better.

Well, no. Fine cigars with the proper structure and qualities will age and improve. This is particularly true for robust tobaccos like Cuban carojo and Camaroon. Over time, well-stored cigars also make for better smokes as the flavors of the blend meld and rolling imprefections (plugs, loose spots) even out. A strong, old cigar, like a strong old scotch or Cognac, certainly can improve with age. Also, there definitely are particularly good "years" for cigars, owing to the quality of the tobacco crop and the quality of the production at any given time. Cigars of all sorts from the late 90's suffered from poor construction due to the high demand and limited number of skilled rollers. A smoker might want to horde smokes from a particularly good year.

Sometimes, a unique event happens, creating uniquely good cigars. In 1995, I think it was, a batch of "forgotten," 20 year old Cameroon was made available for Partagas' anniversary smokes. Some shapes come and go, and can be dependent on a very small handful of rollers who can make a particular cigar.

"Fresh" cigars have their place, and can be great, as can many new wines and spirits. But aging to improve cigars is pretty well established.

I guess I wasn't as explicit as perhaps I should have been. Yes, a moderate degree of aging does improve some cigars but I have never seen any evidence that prolonged aging produces a better cigar. We are talking about almost 50 years here.

I agree that paying a lot of money for a pre-Castro Cuban would be the kind of crapshoot reserved for Donal Trump. The chance that the smoke is any good would seem minimal. On the other hand, top cigars from the 50's still are sampled and given good marks in (supposedly) blind tastings. Once you go that old, you are talking about brands, blends and styles that no longer exist in Cuba or elsewhere.

But, for what it's worth, the top Cuban brands, according to the British auction houses, peak at 10-15 years. As you say, a far cry from 50. Davidoff's from the late 80's (not made in Cuba anymore) are probably the biggest hitters, going at a couple hundred buck per cigar.

Yes, this is more to my point. It's not that there isn't value with a specific 'vintage' of a given cigar that, properly stored, might be a darn good smoke. Rather, it's that the cigar isn't significantly improved by having been aged for a long period of time while certain wines are definitely improved by the aging process. So, I simply don't understand why someone would store a cigar for 40-50 years.

Anyway, back to the foie gras . . . should the Cali-ban prevail it won't be long before NY succumbs as well and we won't have any sources at all. Once the tree-huggers win that one how much longer until, say, veal is also verboten?

Back in the news....Illiniois is a target now.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-foie29.html



I'm stocking up now, so I can keep crumbling it on my Cheerios and bringing my foie gras & peanut butter sandwiches to work everyday, long after the ban takes effect.

Best,
Michael / EC

eatchicago wrote:Back in the news....Illiniois is a target now.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-foie29.html

It's curious that the Sun-Times featured an article on this, the Trib today has an article on Fois Gras, Charlie Trotter's personal ban on it at his restaurant, and his war of words with Tramonto, that sounds like it could escalate like 50 Cent and the Game.

Charlie Trotter's personal ban on it at his restaurant, and his war of words with Tramonto, that sounds like it could escalate like 50 Cent and the Game.

My money is on Tramonto

It's curious that the Sun-Times featured an article on this, the Trib today has an article on Fois Gras, Charlie Trotter's personal ban on it at his restaurant, and his war of words with Tramonto, that sounds like it could escalate like 50 Cent and the Game.

That was the first thing that sprang to mind for me too! I'm hoping that they bring Farrakhan in to squash this. He wouldn't even have to travel that far.

As it happened, I was at Avenues on Saturday for ChefGraham Bowles Degustation Menu, where one of the courses was a foie gras combination - could it be my last taste? One of the bites was a wonderfully non-overcooked "lump" of foie on apple gingerbread (with a decadently rich cinnamon ice cream). Chef Bowles is not afraid of a quivering slug of liver. The second was, ahem, a "tribute" to Moto. A frozen foie gras lollipop. A goose gave its liver for this? It seemed so contrived - and it seemed quite out of character for the meal which otherwise had a very different tone (quieter, subtler, more tied to bringing out the taste of the core ingredient) than Moto, suggesting that the linkage of Bowles and Cantu does not do justice to either.

The lobster in consomme (with verbena and celeriac) was astonishingly good.

JoelF wrote:

eatchicago wrote:Back in the news....Illiniois is a target now.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-foie29.html

It's curious that the Sun-Times featured an article on this, the Trib today has an article on Fois Gras, Charlie Trotter's personal ban on it at his restaurant, and his war of words with Tramonto, that sounds like it could escalate like 50 Cent and the Game.

I'm a bit shocked by the actual exchange:

Rick Tramonto, chef of the four-star restaurant Tru, was dismissive of Trotter.

"It's a little hypocritical because animals are raised to be slaughtered and eaten every day," Tramonto said. "I think certain farms treat animals better than others. Either you eat animals or you don't eat animals."

"Rick Tramonto's not the smartest guy on the block," Trotter retorted. "Yeah, animals are raised to be slaughtered, but are they raised in a way where they need to suffer? He can't be that dumb, is he? It's like an idiot comment. `All animals are raised to be slaughtered.' Oh, OK. Maybe we ought to have Rick's liver for a little treat. It's certainly fat enough."

Upon being told Trotter's comments, Tramonto would say only, "Charlie's in my prayers."

Fairly unprofessional on Charlie's part. If I'm not mistaken, he called him fat, dumb and an idiot.

Later in the article Trotter is quoted as referring to the backers of the bill to ban foie gras as "idiots" so at least he's equal opportunity.

IIRC, when I visited a small foie gras factory about a year and a half ago near Bazas, France I asked why they exclusively used ducks for their foie gras, when geese were more traditional. Between my non-existant French and his broken English, I believe he said his company's reason for using ducks is because ducks didn't have to be force-fed like geese do - so with an appropriate diet, he could get good duck livers without force feeding. Apparently ducks can be pretty voracious if given access to an unlimited supply of food. It clearly wasn't an ethical issue for him, it was a lower labor/cost consideration.

I don't know what the practices are at US foie gras producers, but it seems like it's possible to produce foie gras without the feeding tube, which I think is the issue here.

That said, I'm sure there are some PETA types out there who would consider the slaughter of any animal for food inhumane ... starting down that slippery slope of forcing us all to become vegetarians. Then the next step becomes humane treatment of vegetables, as exemplified in Tom Paxton's famous song "Don't Slay that Potato" (a sample verse):

"How can you do it, it's heartless it's cruel, it's murder, cold-blooded, it's gross.
To slay a poor vegetable just for your stew, or to serve with some cheese sauce on toast.
Have you no decency, have you no shame, have you no conscience you cad?
To rip that poor vegetable out of the earth, away from its poor Mom and Dad.
Oh! No! Don't slay that potato, let us be merciful please.
Don't boil it or fry it don't even freeze-dry it
Don't dice it or shake it, for Godsake don't bake it
Don't share the poor blood of a poor helpless spud
That's the worst kind of thing you could do
Oh! No! Don't slay that potato, what never done nothing to you .."

This has become a big issue here in Oregon suddenly. See here:

The affair of the duck began quietly, with letters and videotapes slipped through the mail slots of Portland's top restaurants.

Then came the phone calls. And finally, the demonstrations -- though the organizers preferred the term "educational outreach. " There were signs ("How much cruelty can you swallow?"), glossy pamphlets, duck costumes and perhaps, depending on whom you believe, stronger tactics -- false reservations that one chef claims cost him thousands of dollars.

At issue: foie gras, the fattened liver of force-fed ducks (and geese, though now rarely), a food some gastronomes prize for its rich, silky taste and animal rights activists revile.

"We would like to see Portland foie gras-free," says Matt Rossell, who works for In Defense of Animals and leads the local campaign against it.

See here:

"Legislation is being considered in Oregon, New York, Illinois and Massachusetts that would make it a criminal act even to possess [foie gras]."

"In Oregon, the Senate Environment and Land Use Committee plans to hold a public hearing on the bill in the next few weeks."

and here:

The bill criminalizing the sale of foie gras has been scheduled for hearing on EXTREMELY SHORT NOTICE. I have been tracking the bill, but only received the hearing information last night after 9 p.m. I do not believe the short notice was inadvertent, but that is speculation on my part. Even with minimal notice, a good showing in Salem by the food service trade will be important, albeit at the ungodly hour of 7 am. The official information is as follows

PS: After those comments I can see why Bourdain, with a bit of alcohol in him, says Trotter is an ass.

My money's on Tramonto. He could crush Trotter like a grape with one chubby little hand, lock. Boo-yah!

(seriously, I nearly coughed up a lung laughing at the Trib piece - even the title was funny. What the billy hell was Trotter thinking? Unbelievable!)

It seems as if Trotter is the classic narcissist. He is probably angry that Tru has been getting better marks for ambience and service and overall experience the last few years (Chicago Mag comes to mind).

I said this before. I felt it was odd that recently on his PBS show, how in his best possible light, he can be seen yelling at his employees and treating them like children, saying "don't make me come back there", because they haven't gotten him some mushrooms on time. I am sure it was tongue in cheek, signifying he is an adherent to the old french brigade system ala Fernand Point or Freddie Girardet his hero, but it was creepy.

Furthermore he refused to acknowledge that Achatz ever worked for him in an article in Chicago New City a few years ago.

He has also been quoted as saying Homaro Cantu and Chef GEB were doing some interesting stuff, but questioned if they weren't just flashes in the pan full of smoke and mirrors. I mean I understand the Achatz thing, since Achatz left the gig early, but he should be out there supporting his proteges. Homaro was his sous chef for awhile for god sakes. He sees him as an adversary instead of someone whose success would reflect on him as a mentor.

All I know is I have many miles of gastronomic delight before I step foot under his shingle again.

The not-acknowledging-Achatz thing is understandable. People regard a stint with Trotter, like with Thomas Keller etc., as a resume builder. Trotter, however, wants to keep capable employees for a while, not just have them touch down in his kitchen long enough to say they were there, so he announces up front that he won't verify the employment of anyone who doesn't stay a full year. (Presumably that also gives him enough time to fire anyone he doesn't think deserves to trade on his name.) Achatz, as I recall, left after six months to go work for Keller.

Graham Bowles told us when we were at Avenues that a bunch of people who'd worked at Trotter were doing a Trotter alumni dinner, including himself, Cantu, and Achatz. So in that sense, he is now acknowledged.

That quote from Trotter is astonishing. I mean, really. Was he somehow impaired?

New York magazine covers the foie gras issue:

http://www.newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/foo ... index.html

Best,
Michael / EC

Inspired by the potential foie gras ban, the Tribune visits a farm providing foie gras.

By the way, had a duck sausage with foie gras on it at Hot Doug's (soon to be Check-pleased) a week or two ago. It was GREAT, one of the best things I've had there, but alas, he failed to name it the Alderman Joe Moore.

I've had that same duck w/foie gras sausage a few months ago. It was, indeed, fantastic. When I had it it was also topped with a truffle-oil-laced mustard. And served with tater tots.

HI,

Last spring when we watched Doug prepared encased meats for an afternoon. He mentioned sometime in the future offering a sausage with foie gras. If and when he does it again, please post so I can make my way there.

Mike, you were quite lucky!

Regards,

Oh, my -- duck and foie gras sausage with truffle-flavored mustard. I hope that, if he's going to do it again, he does it before the ban on foie gras. (I just saw on the news tonight that it's likely to be banned in the next few weeks. At least the newscaster made it seem immenent.) I sure hope that a Chicago ban doesn't stretch to the suburbs. I'll miss the sublime foie gras at Ambria, but as long as I can still get it at Le Titi and Carlos, I'll survive.

(And out of curiosity, is there any way we can stop these people?)

And looking back to the discussion on Trotter vs. Tramanto, my own experience would cause me to lean decidedly in Tramanto's direction. Last year, a friend treated me to dinner at Trotter's kitchen table. Trotter was standing less than two feet away from us, and he wouldn't turn around and say hello or acknowledge that we were even there. This is not a cheap date -- for the kind of dough we were paying, he should have at least smiled and waved. Later, when another member of the group asked a waiter to see if Trotter would autograph a cookbook she'd brought that would be going into a charity auction, the waiter came back a little apologetically and asked if he could just substitute a previously signed book, rather than ask Trotter to sign something. He's a talented chef, but not a sweetheart. (Of course, the chef as tempermental artist is not a new concept, and there are a lot of famous kitchens that I wouldn't want to work in. But nice chefs are more fun.)

As for Tramanto, while I didn't see him at Tru when I dined there, I did get to interview him once, and it was not at a good time in his life, but he was still cordial and gracious and gave me far more of his time than I would have expected.

And back to faie gras -- what states have NOT banned it? It will help me plan my future travels.