Recently, my mom posted her thoughts on the whole Schiavo debacle and got a pretty irate commenter on her blog. I figured I might as well open myself up for flaming- not on the same issue, though. I read this in the newspaper yesterday (Carolyn Jung of the Mercury News).

In a jab at the state’s new law that will ban the production of foie
gras in California in 2012, chefs Jon Sears of the Dining Room
restaurant and Scott Giambastiani of Viognier restaurant, both in San
Mateo, will host a special 12-course dinner on April 16, with each
course featuring foie gras or duck. It’s their way of supporting
California duck farmers and Sonoma Foie Gras, the state’s only
producer of the delicacy made from the engorged livers of ducks and
geese.

The dinner will be held at the Dining Room, 1602 El Camino Real in San
Mateo. Dishes include “Ducksicle” (a frozen Popsicle-type creation of
melon and duck cracklings); seared spiced foie gras with brandied Fuji
apple compote; and marinated wok-charred duck with ginger, soy and
coriander. Price is $250 a person; $300 with wine pairings. For
reservations, call (650) 349-5552.

I wanna go! Doesn’t that sound like a fabulous meal? The first time I tried foie gras was in January of 2002 at Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence, Italy. It was overwhelming. I couldn’t eat more than two or three bites before trading plates with my mom because it was just. too. rich. Seriously. But it was lovely. It was just… an experience. And dude, that Ducksicle? Sounds awesome. Mm, cracklings. But that’s a crapload of money for just one person.

Apparently this isn’t the first time Jon Sears has hosted this dinner. I googled his name and “foie gras” and got a couple of sites bitching about last year’s Foiellywood dinner. Yes, okay, the protesters are right. It is cruel to the geese. And so is everything we do to further the meat industry. The vegans have a right to be harshly judgemental about this case. If I’m going to hell for eating meat, I may as well drop another circle by eating foie gras.

But really, I’m going to hell for reasons worse than enjoying meat.

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