Foie gras, long a lightning rod for food ethics issues, is in the midst of surge from the pro-waterfowl liver side. First, chef Chris Consentino of San Francisco's Incanto wrote long, thoughtful, and impassioned letter called "Shock & Foie: The War Against Dietary Self-Determinism". Consentino, known for his use of offal, wrote the missive in response to a video and letter he received from anti-foie gras activists. The piece is long (like, 3000 words long) but boils down to this:
Incanto continues to serve it because we believe both that individuals ought to decide their own morality and that those who dedicate so much energy and animosity toward fighting it simply have their priorities wrong.
Then, we came across this item on Meal Ticket about Foie Gras Week, which kicks off this Friday, March 13. It's right in step with Consentino's defense of foie gras: the folks behind Foie Gras Week are Philadelphia Chefs For Choice.
It also happens to be a crazy good deal ($5 plates of foie gras dishes), and the participating restaurants are among the city's best: Southwark, Mémé, and Xochitl are just a few of the places defending their right to use foie gras.
Shock & Foie: The War Against Dietary Self-Determinism [Incanto]
Incanto [MenuPages]
Incanto [Official Site]
Southwark [MenuPages]
Southwark [Official Site]
Mémé [MenuPages]
Mémé [Official Site]
Xochitl [MenuPages]
Xochitl [Official Site]
[Photo: foie gras torchon via ulterior epicure/Flickr]
