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Duckeasies float foie gras ban

Chicago chefs are risking a foie gras felony, by continuing to sell the delicacy at Chicago's duckeasies.

Zagat.com reported that even though foie gras has been outlawed on Chicago's restaurant menus some chefs are just not ready to take it off the menu and are now transforming their restaurants into duckeasies. A term coined by chef Didier Durand owner of Cyrano's Bistrot in Chicago.

Foie gras is made by force-feeding ducks and geese through metal tubes to expand their livers up to 10 times their normal size. The fattiness gives the dish its rich taste. It has come under heavy attack in recent years due to the inhumane treatment of ducks and geese, hence the ordinance that now bans it from all restaurants in Chicago.

Foie gras felony
Since it's technically illegal, only to sell foie gras, some eateries are "giving" it away: La Pomme Rouge charges only for the "accompaniments" (i.e. French green lentils, red onion preserve, Sauternes gelée and housemade brioche) and at Cyrano's Bistrot, the "grilled brioche, one slice only," arrives with foie gras two ways. Or at least it did: last week, Cyrano's was visited by city officials looking for the illegal lobes. They didn't find any, but did shut down the restaurant for health violations. However it will supposedly be opening soon again.

Other chefs are trying their hand at faux foie gras. At Copperblue, chef/owner Michael Tsonton serves a duck liver dish billed "It Ain't Foie Gras No Moore" (the last word a reference to Ald. Joe Moore, who sponsored Chicago's foie gras ordinance) that tastes remarkably like the real thing.

Chefs for foie gras
According to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune it still remains a popular dish as the Chicago Chefs for Choice, an organisation launched in opposition to the ban, continues to lobby aldermen in hope of persuading them to repeal the ordinance.

Tsonton, one of the groups founders, said: "It gives PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) something to hang their hat on, to push their agenda. They want to make this a vegan society, and they're going to push and take until they get that."

PETA's response has been consistent that gavage, the force-feeding process that creates foie gras, is inhumanely cruel to ducks and geese and see the Chicago ordinance as an important victory.

Bans are under consideration in Philadelphia, San Diego, New York City and the states of New Jersey and Oregon. Leading the protest is advocacy group Farm Sanctuary and its Web site nofoiegras.com, who promote vegetarian pâté substituting duck liver with tofu, seitan or chicken-style meat substitutes made from wheat.

Foie Gras It's just amazing what people will do to "bypass" the laws. I can't believe there is still a market for foie gras, can any taste really be worth the suffering these ducks and geese endure? Perforated oesphagus, gaping neck wounds, induced liver failure (yes, that's what it is really, totally diseased liver you're eating). Anyone who has seen a human dying from liver failure knows it's not a pretty sight. Foie gras is only a delicacy, it is not a meal, so by not eating it no one is going to go hungry. I believe this whole story is just financially motivated. And to the people eating foie gras, I am a firm believer in karma. Just pray you or someone you know don't get liver failure... - Chris   FOIE GRAS I am totally disgusted and agree with Chris! How can anyone enjoy something that has caused pain and suffering ! Is it worth an innocent animals life for you to enjoy eating its liver - a taste which will last only a few seconds at best ? People are just becoming more SICK by the day with the terrible things they do to other people and animals! Catch a wake up and do unto others as you would have done to yourself ! - Jacqui   FOIE GRAS The article and comments on the inhumane treatment of ducks and geese and the disgusting gorging of the their liver by-product 'foie gras' seems to revolve around Chicago and, USA, and might spill over to other regions in the USA. What are other countries doing about it. For me it is not a case of do what is being done in the USA, but do what you know is morally correct. BAN the making of foie gras throughout the world. No human will die if the never eat foie gras again. Some of us are devastated that these lovely creatures are violated like this - they are our pets. How many devourers of foie gras are dog and cat lovers. Would you like your pets to be violated? - Noreen   Foie Gras How hypocritical can one get. How about the rest of the food we eat every day, from eggs to a good piece of meat. What about lobster or oysters? - Jack   Foie Gras I agree that selling foie gras should be illegal - Adri Labuschange   Re: Foie Gras That's why I'm a vegetarian Jack. I don't discriminate between species. However, the suffering endured by these geese goes far beyond most other animals raised in the food industry. It was on Carte Blanche a few years ago, actually happened in SA. I know Woolies stopped selling it after that. - Chris   JACK Jack, understand that there are organic, free range variety of foods that are available for most of the foods you have mentioned. The certified free range and organic foods ensure that the animals are allowed to graze and are not pumped with anti-biotics and growth hormones. Lobsters and Oysters are often farmed for our consumption but do not get force fed through metal pipes like these ducks and geese do for Foie Gras - Daryl N   Giving a bad thing a good name! It never ceases to amaze me how people can devise a positive sounding name for a bad thing, "Chicago Chefs for Choice"! It sounds as though it should be a human right to be allowed to choose to eat something from a seriously mistreated duck. - Retief   Perspective!!! These are ducks! What does it say about our society that we are prepared to spend time and energy debating the fate of the poor ducks, when human suffering is tolerated and ignored without a second thought. We live in a country where poor people go hungry every day and orphaned children suffer without any support. How many of you have ever expressed your concern for them as strongly as you seem to feel the need to protect ducks from suffering. The plight of the duck does not compare to the human suffering much closer to home. And it would not take much effort to make a huge difference to a hungry child. - LAF   I love foie gras I do, I really do. Its not something I eat more than once or twice a year but when I do its delicious. Do I feel bad, no not really. It's no better or worse than the way any other animals farmed for consumption are treated. 95% of the chicken we eat is farmed under similar circumstances. Lobster is normally cooked while still alive. Why not just get rid of all delicacy and live on bread and water? - Johno   What about Foie Gras in South Africa? I must commend Chicago for banning the selling of Foie Gras. Unfortunately it is still completely legal in South Africa and many restaurants choose to serve it. I think it is everybody's responsibility to do what they can to outlaw this inhumane practice. If you would like to learn more about Foie Gras production in South Africa and would like to help remove it from our restaurants... Please visit www.sentience.co.za - Joanne   I love foie gras I am SOOOOOOOO sick and tired of people trying to sanitise society by using the "Big Brother" approach, why not leave it up to each individual to eat or not eat what they choose. - Andrew   Delicious Duck I love fois gras. It tastes so good. If force feeding cows to explosive levels made them tastier, I would suggest we do that too. I will eat anything that tastes good and don't care how it got that way. Lets stop applying human feelings and intelligent thought to animals and appreciate that they are all delicious. - Wayne   Foie Gras I love foie gras and think it is delicious, especially with a good sauterne. Also, I have no qualms eating cute animals, ugly animals and animals that have been raised in a way that makes them, or any specific part of them, even more delicious.... - Natas   Wayne is like so totally the man.... U said it man!! - Natas   NO CONSIDERATION I completely agree with LAF that there are many serious issues among the human race thats need our urgent attention. But let me ask you this... Do you think that people like Natas & Wayne spend one second thinking about humanitarian issues surrounding them? I am very concerned about animal rights and will therefore agree full-heartedly with the outlaw of foie gras and the cruelty associated with it. I am even more passionate about HUMAN RIGHTS but this is not the issue on hand LAF. How can you be so ignorant? Showing concern for humans / animals are a attitude and an awareness that you either have or don't. This article will make people more aware of animal cruelty and might pave the way for some to discover the human rights violations that Africa is struggling with. Please open your mind and see the bigger picture - attitude & concern. - proudly veggy   Foie Gras To all you idiots out there that feel that animals are on this planet for our consumption at their expense, wake up you morons! What leads you to believe that you have a preferential place on this planet over all other species of animal and at their suffering, remember you to are an animal, and as SUPPOSEDLY the most intelligent animal surely we should be the most compassionate. Before anyone comes with their approach that this happens in the farming industry, two wrongs don't make a right. To LAF the plight of the duck far exceeds anything from which a human suffers because we are directly responsible. To Wayne animals exhibit far more human emotions that you will ever know, besides the fact that many are fairly intelligent, most are sentient beings with the ability to recognise an event or person and respond in an appropriate manner. Most people cant do this. - Shaun   Thank you Thank you to all the "animals also have feelings brigade". But seriously guys, its time for the veggies to return to the hippie commune. Don't you have global warming to worry about? - Johno   Dear Shaun and Proudly Veggie Proudly Veggie - Human rights? Wayne and I said nothing about eating humans. Shaun - Animals were put on this planet for us to eat. If God didn't intend for us to eat animals then he would not have made them out of meat. Also, please don't think that just because I don't care, I don't understand. I do understand your point, I just don't care. If you eat animals, there is no middle ground. Your interests conflict directly with theirs. I don't believe animals should be unnecessarily tortured, even if it does make them more delicious.... my argument is simply, "chill out, relax, take a load off and eat some foie gras" - Natas   Its Your CHoice Why is it that there are groups of people that find it right to force us into eating what they feel we should be eating. Why can't you all leave us meat-eaters alone and carry on 'murdering' plants like we murder animals for food. Live and let live. You don't see us complaining about the plants you kill do you? - Dooms-Day   What's your point? I don't care that they are sentient and come running when you feed them. All i care about is whether or not they taste good pan fried in a light garlic butter. If that means they have to experience emotions, which i will never understand, while they are being prepared then so be it. Bring on the seasoning! - Wayne   Johno Actually Johno, by being vegetarian you are thinking about global warming! The animals reared for food are accountable for more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined, this was in a 2006 United Nations report. Get your facts right before bashing vegetarians in the future, will you? - Chris   To all the meat eaters The same justification the meat eaters always give is getting so old! If you are unable to see the difference between a plant and animal you are a blithering idiot! It's called a nervous system people! The question is not whether animals have human thoughts or feelings, it is merely, 'can they suffer'? The answer is obvious, if it can feel pain it can suffer. How people can justify that suffering based on arguments like 'God gave us animals to eat' I will never understand! As far as I know God does not endorse suffering! Even the pope has praised a vegetarian diet. - Chris   Vegetarians Chris, you sound like the typical vegetarian so let me ask your opinion as a typical vegetarian. Why do you think it is acceptable for you to prescribe to me what I can and cannot eat? Human beings are omnivores and that is why we have canines. Animals were therefore put on this earth for us to eat the same as in the animal kingdom. But that is all anyway irrelevant - I just find it shocking that you all to try to tell other people how to live their lives. I'm not catholic and quite frankly I really couldn't give two hoots about what the pope says or does. I don't tell you how to live your life - why do you think you have the right to tell me how to live mine? Many vegetarians strike me as fanatics, the same ilk as ex-smokers, those that have found religion etc. Simply put, I do not subscribe to your way of life and probably never will. You're farting against thunder. Whilst I respect your right to only eat greens I in no way think it is your right to prescribe to me what I may and may not eat. As for the global warming argument - I suppose thats another one you'll try to shove down my throat. - Johno   God Furthermore, why do the likes of you always bring God into the argument? What on earth has God got to do with it? And how does your argument stack up to the 95% of the world population that does not believe in your God? - Johno   Dear Johno First of all, the God argument comes from the comment Natas initially made "If God didn't intend for us to eat animals then he would not have made them out of meat." I cannot imagine the way animals are treated today on factory farms is the way God intended for animals to be treated. The Jewish also realize this, from there comes Kosher (which recent undercover investigations have shown is actually worse than normal slaughtering). Also, did I once mention I believe in this God I'm talking about? I am not telling anyone how to lead their lives, everyone should merely make informed choices about what they do and I'm sure 99% of carnivores have no idea where the meat they devour come from. Recently, a survey in America showed most 8 year olds have no idea pork comes from a pig! What I do have a problem with is people like Dooms-Day who come with rubbish like "mudering plants" and you with your hippie comment. I know most people will just not be able to give up meat, and quite frankly eat what you want, the cancer and heart disease it causes is worth a lot of money to the medical profession. What I am absolutely fed up with is the comments from people like you who make vegetarians look like hippie psychos, we are all but! We are merely people who value our health and those of animals. So quite frankly do whatever you like, eat whatever you like, at least my conscience is clear. - Chris   This has been fun... "A typical vegetarian". To be quite honest, I had no idea what that means, so I had to go and look it up on Wikipedia. According to the article on vegetarianisn, a vegetarian has a lower incidence of obesity, heart disease, hypertension, some forms of cancer, type 2 diabetes, renal disease, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias and they typically have an increased life expectancy. Being vegetarian is also associated with a higher IQ. So thank you Johno, I will take that remark as a compliment. We as vegetarians have many facts to substantiate our lifestyle choice: health, environment, compassion, economical. There is undeniable, objective evidence for our choices. Unfortunately, I am yet to see a valid argument for carnivores. It has really been fun having a nice debate with all of you, but I found bigger fish to fry, so to speak. If anyone visiting this page still doesn't fully appreciate the horror of foie gras, please visit http://www.goveg.com/feat/foie/ Even if only one person leaves foie gras off their plate for good, I've done a good job. Thank you for your time. PS: It seems my previous comment never got on over the long weekend, so let me just give a short summary. "The likes of me" didn't bring God into the argument, it was Natas, one of your carnivore friends. I am also not telling anyone what they CAN eat, merely what the good choice would be to eat. Please eat as much meat as you can possibly stuff into yourself, all the disease it causes is good for the medical profession. I also forgot, I am as far from a hippie as you can possibly get, so please return to your cave, since we are now using stereotypes. - Chris   Eat the disabled Since humans thrive on exploiting those they don't think are worthy of respect and dignity - why not cook up the poor, the homeless and the disabled? I mean, who cares if they want to live or not, like all the millions of animals that are killed every day for food? They're weaker than you, and your pleasure comes first right? So eat them too all you selfish, self righteous little meat eaters. Start on your own families I say! - Jacky       Name Email Subject Comment