The Foie Gras Wars

This is not going to endear me to PETA, but I love foie gras. Sear me a piece of foie gras and I'll savor the crispy exterior and the silky interior. It can make such an exceptionally delicious dish, prepared in a multitude of ways. I have no regrets or moral qualms over enjoying foie gras and have no plans to stop eating it.

As I enjoy foie gras so much, I was certainly intrigued when I found a new book about it, The Foie Gras Wars: How a 5,000-Year-Old Delicacy Inspired the World's Fiercest Food Fight by Mark Caro (Simon & Schuster, February 2009, $25). Caro is an award-winning entertainment reporter for the Chicago Tribune. He originally wrote a front-page story about the foie gras controversy occurring in Chicago, and this eventually led to the creation of this book.

Caro takes an expansive look at the controversial issues surrounding foie gras. Learn about the history of foie gras, extending back 5000 years to ancient Egypt. Visit farms in the United States and France where ducks and geese are raised for their livers. Explore the biology of ducks and geese to assist in determining whether they suffer from being force fed. Follow anti-foie gras activists on their protests. Talk with various chefs about their feelings, for and against, foie gras. Gain a better understanding of all of the issues revolving around foie gras.

I found this book to be quite engaging, hooking me right from the start. The centerpiece of the book is Chicago, where foie gras was banned for a short time. Leading chefs, such as Chefs Charlie Trotter and Rick Tramanto, in the city were on opposing sides of the controversy, some being quite vocal and adversarial. Yet Chicago was not the only place battling over foie gras and Caro discusses much more than just Chicago.

This is a fascinating story about an intriguing subject. Caro is a talented writer and you won't be bored with his prose. He also presents a very balanced and fair examination of the foie gras controversy. I think it will give everyone something to think about, which ever side of the matter you fall upon. I certainly learned some new things about foie gras.

I definitely recommend this book. And I am going to be following up this review with additional posts about foie gras, based on information from this book. I would like to open up a dialogue on foie gras, to explore and debate the issues.

As I previously stated in my Itadakimasu post, "Let us step back and think more about the sources of our food." And Foie Gras Wars is another step on that road.

Caffe Italia: Some Bolognese

I returned to Caffe Italia the other night for some dinner. As you may recall, my prior visit was generally good though with a few issues. My second visit was better than the first.

First, on my last visit, the rolls were over baked. This time the rolls were better, with no burn spots on them, though they still were not served warm.

I then began my meal with the Pear & Gorgonzola Cheese Salad ($10) with mixed greens and arugula topped by a balsamic vinaigrette. This was a good salad, with four long slices of crisp pear and plenty of gorgonzola pieces. The balsamic was more restrained so that the salad was not swimming in it. It was a good-sized dish and I was pleased with it.

For my entree, I chose the Tagliatelle Bolognese ($17), a meat ragout over egg noodles. I enjoy a good Bolognese sauce and this dish was very tasty, with plenty of meat, good spices and the tagliatelle was cooked just right. It was a decent sized portion and the price is on par with other high end Italian restaurants. I also got a side of the Lemon Fries ($6), matchstick fries with lemon salt. I was a bit leery of these, worried that the lemon might be too overpowering. Yet my fears were unwarranted. The fries were thin and crispy, cooked just right, and the lemon flavor was very mild. I would order these again.

Service was very good. The restaurant was fairly busy again, indicating that this place seems popular. I will return again to try more dishes and continue to assess their consistency.

Caffe Italia
21 Water Street
Wakefield, MA
Phone: 781-245-2245

Toro: Give Me More Corn!

As I recently mentioned, I love the small plates concept and I am sure I am not the only one. Luckily, there are plenty of excellent, local restaurants that offer small plates to please your palate. I had the exquisite pleasure to dine at one of them this past Monday night and all I can think about is that I want more corn!

If you enjoy Spanish tapas, then you need to visit Toro, Ken Oringer's South End restaurant. I have previously been to Toro for both brunch and lunch, but never before for dinner until Monday. It was quite crowded when my fellow food writers/bloggers and I arrived so we had to wait for a table. We were though able to grab a couple of stools at the bar and get some drinks while we waited.

Toro has an excellent Spanish wine list with a good variety available by the glass. You can find wines from many different regions of Spain, and not just the usual Rioja and Priorat. They also have various specialty cocktails and beer. As they did not have any Txacoli available, I ordered a glass of the delicious Laxas Albarino, a crisp and fruity white wine.

Chef Jamie Bissonnette, who will be one of the chefs at the Cochon 555 Pig Fest, was in the kitchen. It was very cool to see the chef in the kitchen on a Monday night, not what I usually consider a busy evening. Though this Monday at Toro was certainly quite busy, and remained so for much of the night. Chef Bissonnette was very personable and certainly seems to enjoy being in the kitchen.

It is also nice that Toro has an open kitchen so that you can see all of your food being prepared. No one is trying to hide anything and it exudes confidence, that the kitchen help is secure in what they do. The alluring smells of the food also waft easier into the dining room, honing your desire for the food.

The food menu, which changes frequently, has a diverse and interesting selection of pinchos, tapas, and paella. We ordered a bunch of pinchos and tapas, as well as a Paella Valenciana. When you get several foodies together, you just know they are going to eat a lot of food. So many of the dishes on the menu sounded enticing that it also was difficult to show restraint in ordering.

A seeming endless stream of plates eventually started to be placed on our table. A simple but tasty Queso Mahon, tiny cubes of marinated cow’s milk cheese from Menorca. I am a fan of Mahon and the marinade, which seemed like olive oil and herbs, went well with it. A wooden plank with homemade Charcuterie, one of Chef Bissonette's specialties. Morcilla (blood sausage), Vietnamese bologna, head cheese and a ham made from pig ears! All of it well flavored and spiced. A braised beef dish topped by an over easy egg was in a delicious sauce and the beef was very tender, except for a crunchy section. The textures and flavors blended well, especially with the broken yolk dripping over the beef.

A Tuna Tartare pinchos, in a small dish, with a citrus-flavored foam atop the raw, silky tuna. A plateful of Razor Clams on the half-shell, each long clam being both tender and tasty. The Erizos en Suquet was a Catalan stew of sea urchin, lobster and crab meat though I think there was some calamari in it too. This was excellent, a flavorful melange of sauce, seafood and spices. There were some good sized pieces of lobster in the stew.

Mmmmm....memories of the corn! If go to to Toro, there is one dish that you MUST order. You have to get the Maíz Asado con Alioli y Queso Cotija, the specialty of the house. This is four pieces of grilled corn with alioli, lime, espelette pepper and lots of aged cheese. What a hedonistic delight! All of the flavors and textures worked perfectly together and you might never settle for plain old butter on your corn on the cob again. I probably could have eaten all four pieces of corn myself. There is a reason why this dish is so popular, and it is because it is absolutely delicious.

After our pinchos and tapas, our Paella Valenciana arrived in a large, black paella pan. It contained plenty of shellfish and chicken, and reminded me of the paella I have eaten in Spain. There was certainly plenty of paella for all of us and I thought it was quite good. The rice was cooked well and the saffron flavor pleased my palate. I had a couple plates of the paella, savoring each mouthful.

We ended our dinner with Churros, fried-dough sticks with melted chocolate for dipping. I have had them here before and knew that I had to order them again. They are hot, with a crunchy exterior and a soft inside, and the chocolate is rich and creamy. An excellent ending to such a exceptional meal.

The dishes are reasonably priced and this may be a significant reason why the restaurant was so busy on a Monday night. The small plates concept, with reasonable prices, should be a good draw during this economy. And since the food is so delicious, then it is obvious why Toro is attracting plenty of patrons, even on a Monday evening.

Chef Bissonnette is doing a great job at Toro and you should check out his cuisine. I will certainly be back again very soon, especially as I must have more of that corn.

Toro
1704 Washington Street
Boston, MA
Phone: (617) 536-4300

The Melting Pot: Upcoming Events

The Melting Pot has a couple of upcoming events which might be of interest to you.

First, they are having a special St. Patrick's Day Fondue Dinner on March 17. For only $35 per person, you will get a four course meal.

--Emerald Isle Cheese Fondue: Swiss cheese blended with emerald green spinach and artichoke hearts served with bread, green apples and vegetables.
--The Greens: Your choice of our any of their salads.
--Fields & Sea Entrée: Beef Tenderloin, White Shrimp, Teriyaki-Marinated Sirloin, Breast of Chicken, and Ahi Tuna served with seasonal vegetables and dipping sauces, cooked in Court Bouillon
--Bailey’s Irish Cream Dream Chocolate Fondue Dessert: A pot of Milk chocolate swirled with Bailey’s or White Chocolate and Green Crème de Menthe, served with fruit and cakes for dipping.

Featured Drink (not included in price) is the Lucky Irishman, an intriguing concoction of Guinness and Champagne.

Second, they will be holding a special Italian wine dinner, A Little Taste of Italy, on March 24 & 25. For only $35 per person, you get a three course meal and a wine flight.

--Quattro Formaggio Cheese Fondue: Fontina, Grùyere, and Gran Queso cheeses blended with roasted garlic, basil and tomato pestos and Fresh Mozzarella Perlini.
--Entree of Porterhouse Florentine, Shrimp Diablo, and Sun-dried Tomato Chicken. Includes Court Bouillon and Bourguignonne cooking styles.
---Milk Chocolate Tiramisu Fondue.
The wine flight includes Mezza Corona Pinot Grigio, Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva, and Maschio Prosecco Brut.

Reservations Required so call to make your plans.

The Melting Pot
213 Burlington Rd. (Rt.62)
Bedford, MA
Phone: 781-791-0529

Las Ventas: Spanish Pork, Cheese & Much More

When I visited Spain, I quickly learned of their love for pork in all of its forms. At each breakfast buffet, there had to have been ten different types of pork available. And all of them were delicious! You can stop by the Museo del Jamon, the "ham museum" where you can purchase and eat many different types of ham, whether on their own or in bocadillos, sandwiches. You can find roast suckling pigs in many places and I even ate a pig's tail at one meal.

Locally, you can find a few Spanish ham and pork products at certain places such as South End Formaggio or Savenor's Market. But there is now a market where you can find lots of different Spanish hams and pork products, as well as many other Spanish products including a couple dozen cheeses. And this place is likely going to become the prime destination for any local foodie seeking Spanish foods.

The Las Ventas market is owned and operated by two brothers from Madrid, Luis and Julio de Haro. They are also the owners of Estragon, the new Spanish tapas restaurant located next door to Las Ventas. Julio used to run Taberna de Haro, a tapas restaurant in Brookline, where his ex wife, Deborah Hansen, continues there as Chef and owner. On my visits to Las Ventas, Luis was always working there, being both personable and accomodating.

Las Ventas sells a wide variety of Spanish food products including: Olives, Olive Oils, Turron, Spanish Chocolate, Gazpacho, Cured Meats & Jamones, Spanish Cheeses, Canned and Jarred Foods, Spices and much more. Besides the food items, you can also find kitchen supplies such as Paella Pans, Sangria Pitchers and Porrones. One stop shopping for almost any Spanish need.

Above, you can see part of the wall where the canned and jarred item are displayed. There is certainly much diversity to be found there. Maybe you want some Mojo sauce, or sardines, or piquillo peppers. If you have a Spanish recipe and need certain ingredients, then you are likely to find them here.

If you love cheese, then Las Ventas has you covered. The case above displays over 25 Spanish cheeses, some of which may not be available anywhere else in the local area. It is certainly compelling that you can find unique cheeses here. Though I previously had plans to check out Las Ventas, the Leather District Gourmet's post about the Spanish cheeses she found there helped to accelerate my plans for a visit.

You will find well known Spanish such as Manchego and Idiazabal, and lesser known ones too such as Ahumado de Pareao. You'll find items from goat cheese, such as Drunken Goat, to blue cheese, such as Cabrales. For a cheese lover like me, this is a smorgasbord of delights. Prices are compatabile to other local cheese shops.

To accompany your cheese, why not have some ham or other pork products? The case above has a couple dozen different items, from various types of chorizo to Serrano ham to morcilla. Some of the items are spicy, especially a few of the chorizo. Everything I have tasted so far has been excellent. Why not try some sliced chorizo on your pizza? Or add some to your salad.

You can even find the renowned Jamon Iberico de Bellota, considered by some to be the best ham in the world. This ham comes from the black Iberian pig, which generally eats only acorns. I ate some of that ham in Spain and it is superb, silky smooth with a delicious nutty flavor. Be warned though that this ham is very pricey, about $135 a pound! Yet even in Spain, this ham is extremely pricey. Luckily though you don't need to order a pound to enjoy it. Cut thin, a quarter of a pound, or even less, will still provide plenty of delectable ham.

If you don't want to wait until you get home to enjoy their cheese and ham, you can always order one of their Bocadillos, a Spanish sandwich, and eat it there. There are over 10 different Bocadillos available, ranging from $7.50-$8.50 each. For example, you can try the Dona Mes with butifarra, manchego, cheese, arugula, and alioli de jerex, the Las Ventas with tortilla espanola, caramelized cubanelle peppers, and alioli de jerez or the Del Campo with portabello, mushrooms, pesto, goat cheese, roasted red peppers, and baby arugula. You can get them on a fresh baguette, which has a nice crispy exterior and soft interior. The sandwiches are good-sized with plenty of fresh fillings. They make for a great lunch or light dinner.

I heartily recommend that you check out Las Ventas! They sell an exceptional selection of Spanish products, especially their pork and cheese items. It is also cool that you can get a delicious sandwich there for under $10. Las Ventas is a welcome addition to Boston and the South End and I will surely return time and time again.

Las Ventas

700 Harrison Ave.

Boston, MA

Phone: 617-266-0905