Chefs in California are trying to fight the foie gras ban that goes into effect July 1. They’ve had 7½ years since the law was passed to say anything about the ban. This 11th hour effort will not get the ban lifted.
Chefs are artists; they create culinary masterpieces. So, why can’t they create a substitute for foie gras, which by the way is French for fatty liver? Instead of wanting to continue using a product that is abusively produced, why not come up with a substitute that can please the palate of the most discerning diner and save the lives of ducks and geese?
Chefs are experimenters; culinary creators; magicians with pots, pans, ingredients, sauces. Instead of staying wedded to a particular food, the chefs who want to fight the foie gras ban could, instead, be creating cuisine that tempts the taste buds while at the same time saves lives.
In fact, every dish in any restaurant can become a cruelty-free dish if the chefs thought innovatively. Instead of relying on a handful of animal products, they could rely on the myriad plant products that grace the food stores across the country. For example, think of all the various grains that exist and how, with a bit of culinary magic, those same grains can be turned into dishes fit for the most discerning of tastes. When we focus our cooking on only a small sample of items in the supermarket, we lose out on the wide variety of foods that are economically sound, environmentally healthy, and animal and human friendly.
Check out the new plant-based eating section on the NHES website, and check back frequently for additional recipes. All have been prepared by an NHES staff member and taste tested by many pleased staff members.
When you think about it, shouldn’t cooking and eating be fun, creative, innovative, and free from misery. Plant-based eating is all that—and mighty tasty, too.
