The spoils of Father's Day!
My Dixie Pig, named Geoff, is now just waiting for his new kitchen home...stay tuned for that one.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Have Pig, Will Travel
The spoils of Father's Day!
My Dixie Pig, named Geoff, is now just waiting for his new kitchen home...stay tuned for that one.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Indefensible Factory Farms
This may sound ridiculous coming from me, especially to those who have worked with me or eaten in my dining room:
As a society we eat too much meat.
I know, I know...for a chef who has staked the last few years of his professional success on fat, big pieces of meat, bombast, and pork this seems sacrilegious!!! That not withstanding, I do feel that we place far too much emphasis on meat in our diet.
I like meat. I like to cook it, visit farmers who provide it, butcher it, smell it, prepare it for cooking...it is a heady experience knowing that this animal has given its entire existence to nourish yours. I further appreciate the time and effort and expense that is incurred by true animal husbandry; one of my earliest memories is being dragged out of a cozy warm bed to the next door neighbor's barn in the middle of the night with my dad to help deliver a breached calf; we celebrated with super sweet and milky instant coffee (possible root of my last true vice?).
If you are a farmer, I thank you.
Now, what I am talking about are REAL farmers. The salt of the earth guys that I grew up seeing at the local IGA, bank, post office...BUT what we have today are production line workers in factory farms...and yes food is "more affordable," but at what price? Should we shut our neighbors out while not giving a damn about the environmental ravages of factory farming?
As a society we eat too much meat.
I know, I know...for a chef who has staked the last few years of his professional success on fat, big pieces of meat, bombast, and pork this seems sacrilegious!!! That not withstanding, I do feel that we place far too much emphasis on meat in our diet.
I like meat. I like to cook it, visit farmers who provide it, butcher it, smell it, prepare it for cooking...it is a heady experience knowing that this animal has given its entire existence to nourish yours. I further appreciate the time and effort and expense that is incurred by true animal husbandry; one of my earliest memories is being dragged out of a cozy warm bed to the next door neighbor's barn in the middle of the night with my dad to help deliver a breached calf; we celebrated with super sweet and milky instant coffee (possible root of my last true vice?).
If you are a farmer, I thank you.
Now, what I am talking about are REAL farmers. The salt of the earth guys that I grew up seeing at the local IGA, bank, post office...BUT what we have today are production line workers in factory farms...and yes food is "more affordable," but at what price? Should we shut our neighbors out while not giving a damn about the environmental ravages of factory farming?
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