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Puck says no to foie gras...

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C. Devlin

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Puck says no to foie gras...

by C. Devlin » Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:40 pm

Puck says it's time to hold the foie gras
By Corie Brown, Times Staff Writer
March 22, 2007


Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck and the Humane Society of the United States plan to announce today that Puck's $300-million-a-year food empire is beginning a program to fight animal cruelty.

If the plan is carried out as promised, it means no foie gras — fatty liver produced by overfeeding ducks and geese — would be served at Spago or any of Puck's 14 other fine-dining restaurants. Spago's famous weiner schnitzel would be made exclusively using veal from roaming, not shackled, calves. Eggs to make souffles and custards would come only from hens that have lived cage-free. And lobsters for Chinois' renowned Shanghai lobster would be removed from their ocean traps quickly to arrive at his restaurant without spending time in overcrowded holding tanks....


rest of article here: http://www.latimes.com/news/printeditio ... &cset=true
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Puck says it's time to hold the foie gras

by Doogy R » Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:50 pm

I think it's great that Puck is doing this. It's only my opinion, but I really respect him for taking this stand. I also wonder what the deal is worth for him to do it. :wink:
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by C. Devlin » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:16 pm

My thoughts pretty much as well. For folks who love food but who also love animals, food can often become problematic. I was a vegetarian for ten years before I fell victim to the smell of fried chicken one afternoon and, well, I fell off the wagon. On an ethical level, I find the current reality of "factory" farming appalling and inhumane, but it's unfortunately the case that for the general public it's really very difficult to avoid without working very hard at it.

So in that regard, I think it's swell that Puck's doing this and that he's helping to bring awareness to the issues. And I'm sure he's going to benefit from it and that he knows it.
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by Leah S » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:02 pm

Hear! Hear!

Someone of Puck's stature will make a difference in the food/animal world.
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by Ron Johnson » Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:34 am

I am as far from a vegetarian as a person can be, and I really like foie gras. But, I do have some objections as to the manner in which these birds are force fed grain to fatten their livers. Although I do think humans have a right to eat animals by virtue of our place in the food chain, I don't think animals should be tortured or killed for sport (I gave up hunting many years ago). I am not enamored with a law that outlaws foie gras, as I'd rather see a law aimed at the way the animals are treated. Targeting the end product wrongly puts the onus on the chefs, restaurants, and retailers, instead of the producers who engage in the inhumane behavior. Personally, I'd be all in favor of a law that prohibits force feeding geese, hunting for sport, and Wal-Mart.
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by Leah S » Fri Mar 23, 2007 9:46 am

Well, Ron you and I are on different sides of this issue, but I think we share some of the same concerns. What I appreciate about Puck's stance is that this in not a law, but an influential chef who is taking a stand. Prohibition rarely if ever works, but leadership--now that's a great thing!
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by Ron Johnson » Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:02 am

I have zero problem with Puck taking this action. Actually, I admire it, just as I admire chefs who refuse to serve overfished species of fish. Of course, for every one Wolfgang Puck there are 700 Red Lobsters that are more than happy to serve swordfish or cod or whatever.

And for those who think that overfishing is a fallacy, when was the last time you saw orange roughy on a menu?
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by Leah S » Fri Mar 23, 2007 12:16 pm

Overfishing is real. A couple of years ago when the NRA (restaurants , not rifles) asked chefs to stop used real Chilean Sea Bass, I made a point of asking in restaurants "Is this real Chilean Sea Bass, as in is it really from Chile?" Servers did not know how to answer that one! I generally sent them back to ask the chef and if the answer was "yes" (usually in a proud tone) I explained why I would not be having it that evening.

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