Counter Attack

I got a call today from a former classmate of mine who’s currently working at a restaurant in Philadelphia.

I asked him if he had any contact with the protesters fighting the Foie Gras Battle Royal. He chuckled and said .."you know when I first saw those Hugs For Puppies *Expletive Deleted* I thought, hey cute name.. now all I want to do is (mess) with them."

I took that as a yes.

Luckily the restaurant he works at has gone relatively unscathed, say for a few sidewalk protests.

The conversation took an amusing turn when he mentioned some of the crafty ways Chefs are both passively and actively fighting back.

During one protest in the city one chef was kind enough to send the busy protesters some complimentary hor'dorves during dinner service, complete with server and silver tray.

Another neat thing allot of the cooks of these establishments have been doing is "Infiltrating" ( I won’t tell you how because I don’t want to be responsible for the system getting screwed up..ever seen 50 angry cooks? not pretty) the organizations that protest and tracking their protests to stay a foot ahead.

One story that really amused me and strengthens the point I have previously made about the reason why the Foie Fight is such a tough one for chefs. The uninformed public in general has no idea what Foie Gras really is, how it’s farmed, and what the details are. Along comes PETA and Pals and suddenly we find ourselves staring down angry customers..why? because PETA and Pals tell them all the "Horrible and Inhuman" things we do to get Foie Gras. The uninformed are being led to believe in half truths and allot of times lies.

So how do you counter act it? well my friend explained to me they had a very long term customer call and demanded to speak with someone in the kitchen. The Sous Chef took the call only to hear "...If you continue to serve Foie Gras I will no longer be returning my business to your restaurant."

After an apparent 30 minute phone conversation the Sous chef explained the process of making Foie Gras, the fact he had personally visited the location where they buy the Foie to ensure no cruelty, and other interesting Foie facts.. to which the customer replied "oh, I had no idea.. I look forward to my next meal in your restaurant".

Sometimes it just takes a little talking to work through your differences...

Hugs for Puppies, how bout a hug for a chef?

The gift that keeps on giving..

Thanks to Methadoneklinic's wife to (indirectly) pointing me in the direction of this article that talks of New Zealand Scientists trying to see if the distance food travels really is harmful to the environment.

Which lead me to yet another great article in regards to a topic I touched on briefly before about corn in America today. I’ve been reading Omnivores Dilemma and enjoying Michael Pollack’s writing immensely, though a little heavy on the science sometimes. He does a lot of talking in the first few chapters of the book about the financial plight facing American corn farmers today. The biggest and most crucial point he seems to make is how our government seems to not only to be the cause of the issue (though I’m really not surprised) but only compounds things by "staying the course" in all that they do in regards to corn and agriculture as a whole for the country.

The article I found in the NY TIMES addresses the high market for corn farmers land. Though it may not seem weird to the uninformed, allow me to give some detail as to why this worries me.

The financial issues I mentioned before stem from the falling prices of Type 2 corn, which is the kind that is grow on 90% of Americas large scale corn farming land. The prices have been falling since the revamp of The New Deal during the Nixon administration. The surplus of corn has basically become greater due to the shift in how America buys its corn from the farmers. Higher yield=higher profit... as least you think it should. What’s happening is a kind of agricultural/Fiscal twilight zone in which the more farmers farm, the less they tend to make. There are a number of reasons for this, hence why the first few chapters in Omnivores Dilemma are solely about corn, which I can’t possibly type out here.

Suffice it to say, the American corn farmer is not going to be making it on the Forbes top 500 list ANY time soon, but the corporations that buy from them just might.

But about the article in question..
Now that you know a little history, let’s talk about the present. "Corn Land", as Ill call it, is being bought up at very high prices (compared to original cost) because of really one thing... Ethanol. This byproduct from processing corn is being seen by some as the way out of our current energy crisis and dependence of fossil fuels.

Ever forward acting, and less forward thinking we seem to want to buy up "Corn Land" to create Ethanol farms. Now I wouldn’t say using a resource in hopes of "saving ourselves" is not a bad idea, especially when it’s a renewable resource... but what we face now is a serious long term crisis.

We are robbing peter to pay paul here folks. The outlined life of a bundle of corn, at least 90% of type 2 corn, is a series of tubes, holding pens, and grinders bent on both supplying us with the processed food we love oh so much and the stockyards where we keep our thousands upon thousands of herds of cattle in the form of feed.

Pick up any jar of processed food and look at the ingredient label. Chances are you’ll be staring at least 3 items on that label that are derived from corn.

So take a step back and take a good look at the facts. Corn Farmers barely stay afloat farming the large amounts of corn we need to produce the lifestyle we have become accustom to, along comes the chance to sell the farm for more then its really worth and your told its in the name of saving the environment.

I put myself in the shoes of those farmers. I see a way out of struggling to keep my farm afloat that will net profit for me.

I’m afraid for the American corn farmer folks, and I think maybe you should be to..
You think the price of milk is high now? I hate to see it soon if this keeps up..

"Id like mine on the rocks please.."

Thanks SO much to my friendMethadoneklinic for pointing this wonderful piece of news out to me.

Apparently the Diageo Company, which bottles and sells Smirnoff Products, has come up with a wonderful idea to catch consumers of a few watchful groups.. The Health Weary, The Water Friendly, and the Alcohol Worried.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Smirnoff Source!

What’s so special about this product you ask?

Smirnoff Source™, the new premium malt beverage offering from Diageo North America that combines pure spring water with alcohol is now on beer retailers' shelves and high-end bars throughout the Northeast. At 3.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), this new premium malt beverage, with a hint of citrus, has fewer calories and lower alcohol by volume than most popular domestic beers.

um... so let me guess this straight.. Your selling me watered down alcohol, because you think I want it that way? Hell, if I wanted a watered down drink Id go to any bar in my area and ask for anything on the wall!

This had me laughing for some time. Best part is they say "Fewer calories and lower alcohol by volume" like we should be surprised, no kidding Sherlock.. your adding spring water to it!

I wonder how long this will last on the shelves. If the trend of American Consumers in recent years tells us anything its gonna be the hottest thing since sliced bread...

Speaking of bread.. Ill have to remember to post the recipe for the Olive Ciabbiata we made today. Normaly I dislike olives, was never a big fan, but this bread is.. well amazing.

**EDIT**

Thanks again to Methadone for linking this video of the tv spot for this crayness.



Now after watching that I have both the urge to hit a club AND workout... strange.. is smirnoff programing us for the next fad in the club scene?

In Search of...

.. Sorbet in upstate NY.

I have been, directly and indirectly, searching since my return to school for a location that serves really good sorbet.

I have yet to find one. It seems that folks in Hyde Park and surrounding areas fail to realize how utterly important sorbet is to my diet. Its like asking me to go without oxygen!!! inconsiderate...

So my search continues as I try desperatly to find a really good sorbet dealer...

..I wonder if theres a guy with a hat and trenchcoat down an alleyway somewhere selling sorbet out of pocket?

Excuse me sir, did you eat Rafaels yesterday, smoke, then have desert?, cause we found you by a drop of sweat... oh and you shouldnt have had that pie, your diabeties wouldnt like that

So apperantly Big Brother is not only watching us, but what we eat, smoke, drink.. and if you commit a crime is his town all he needs is a drop of sweat to take you out, and I dont mean on a date!

*Thanks again to Bob del Grosso for this one, I dont know where you find this stuff but please GOD keep finding it!
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Id also like to do a shameless self plug and a plug for my friends over at Critical-Hits.com while Im at it.

Its very rare that I find an out of the norm movie that I really really love, and for anyone who follows this knows how much I love(d) Ratatouille (oh and you havent seen it yet your dead to me, dead you hear me!) will know that if I find a movie I like I feel the need to share that love with everyone and anyone.

So after seeing Sunshine the other week I immediatly emailed my Uber-G33k friends at C-H.com and begged to be given the chance to post a review of the movie.

and Here it is..

And check in on them every so often, if you love comics, movies, gaming or just plain g33kn3ss youll love them... I tend to fancy Youtube Tuesdays...

In Pursuit...

I’ve always loved a great loaf of bread. Fresh out of the oven, soft interior, hard crunchy crust... it’s the stuff of dreams!

Being in bake shop this quarter has got me craving bread like no other. Giving me flashbacks of summers at my grandmothers, whose apartment outside Philly was a few blocks from a commercial bread factory, sniffing the air with that sweet smell of baking bread.

In lecture we talked briefly about how, in the time allowed for classes it was hard to make a really really great loaf of bread and it got me thinking..

What if I used my own time and the schools resources in an attempt to make some really really great bread.

So tomorrow I am approaching my Chef to ask his assistance in created a few loafs of excellent bread over the next couple weeks.

Hopefully all will go smoothly and in a week or so Ill have a few loafs of bread to enjoy and ship out.

Anyone interested in getting one of my experiments need only ask, if I have enough Ill be more then happy to send them off if all goes well.

In any case, I’m really generally excited to break some really great bread.
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I have to point out this wonderful video posted by Bob del Grosso



Ladies and Gentlemen... If your going to protest something for god sake, ask what the hell it is!

Holy Hole In a Donut Batman...

What a (uneventful)Vacation that was!

I swear if sitting on your A*# doing nothing was an Olympic sport Id have the gold medal after that marathon.

But seriously, nothing really overly exciting to report on that front except maybe some good times spent with some good friends.

On my way to returning to school I may a short stop at my friends’ house to see their brand new shiny baby girl..



..Now normally I don’t fall into that trap of "Oh it’s the cutest baby ever!" but I have to admit, between the fire red hair and the big wide cute a button eyes this baby could melt even the coldest heart.

During my short stay my friend decided he wanted to BBQ, stating that "It’s not no fancy meal, but hell it’s BBQ".

He must know that after vanilla soft serve and sorbet, BBQ is my third Kryptonite.

He greeted me with corn soaking in the sink and fresh turkey burgers/dogs in the fridge. I was very pleasantly surprised to notice that he knew the old Keep the husk on and soak it before grilling it trick.

He bought the corn at a local farmers market/farm stand and I have to say it had to have been some of the juiciest, most flavorful, tongue pleasing corn I have had in a long long long long time.

We stayed on the topic of corn for awhile, me bringing up what I’ve read in Omnivores Dilemma about the subject (which by the way I have yet to finish but love), and hung around talking about food for some time.

I think one of the best discussions we had was about eating out and rating the places we eat. Me being, well me, tend to look at every detail from service to the food itself picking apart and formulating opinion on every aspect. Where as he made it a point to state he focused on mostly how service is handled and upon receiving his food tends "to shovel it away without any real regard to the finer details" (if I so may paraphrase).

All in all it was 3 weeks of mindless, brain cell killing, agonizing boredom in which had its great moments.

It’s always a good feeling though, and one I haven’t had the joy of having for some time, to sit down with people whose company you enjoy and to just talk and eat.

But in the end, like with all things the quiet serenity of long boring summer days spent hiding from the heat and humidity fade away like a setting sun into the return of the norm.

And I’m back, worrying about grades, stressing out about money, and diving head first into bake shop.

..and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.