Foie Gras, A Passion

Foie Gras. There are few other words that stop gourmets dead in their tracks and send them running for the table. Produced for literally thousands of years (most likely started by the ancient Eygptians), foie gras has been coveted by both farmer and royaly alike for its incomparable richness and sweet, complex flavor. In our day, foie gras is only gaining in popularity. Thankfully, to meet the demand there is more of it being produced globally than ever before. In America, foie gras is no longer limited to only the most upscale white-cloth restaurants. Foie gras is now served in bistros and mid-level restaurants. Chefs often turn to foie gras when creating signature menu items.

While foie gras is on more and more menus, a majority of the dining public knows very little about this product short of its high price, its delicious flavor, and perhaps its propensity to draw fire from animal rights organizations. Who better to write a book on foie gras (which literally translates from French into English as "fat liver") than the co-founder of America's largest foie gras producer, Michael Ginor from Hudson Valley Foie Gras. Along with Mitchell Davis, Director of Publications for the James Beard Foundation, they have written the best book on foie gras that I have ever seen.

This blockbuster of a book is extremely comprehensive. It begins with a lengthy history of foie gras that is compelling enough to satisfy the cravings of professional food historians. For me personally, one of the most intriguing morsels of foie gras history is the explanation of what happened to foie gras after the fall of Rome and before its "rediscovery" in the Renaissance. After all, it is inconceivable that foie gras just disappeared for 700 years and then miracluously was produced again. Foie gras is too much of a learned skill. It had to be handed down from generation to generation. This book masterfully solves this enigma--it was the Ashkenazi Jews who were the keepers (and producers) of the foie gras tradition during the dark ages.

Foie gras is no stranger to controversy. Many people and organizations throughout history (and to our day) have opposed foie gras. To produce the swollen, fat-laden liver, the ducks or geese are force-feed, a practice that certainly looks cruel. Foie Gras....a Passion refutes the claims of animal rights organizations not with opinion, but with scientific and observable fact.

It is also interesting to watch foie gras consumption increase while Americans are more and more fearful of fat (or are we really?). Indeed, many people equate foie gras (along with butter, poultry skin, and triple creme cheeses) with heart disease. But maybe foie gras isn't as bad as we all assume. For instance, look at the regions in France where foie gras is generally produced and everything is cooked in rendered poultry fat. In these areas, the population has a substantially lower rate of heart disease than we do in America. Foie Gras....a Passion gives some stratling data on the types of fat in foie gras. The book reports that foie gras is high in monounstaurated fat--the same fat found in olive oil.

After 93 pages of fascinating text, the chefs hijack the book. The remaining 209 pages are packed with foie gras recipes written by many of the nation's leading chefs. The photos that accompany each recipe are so real that you can smell and taste the foie gras. The recipes showcase foie gras' amazing versatility. They range from Jacques Pepin's classic Terrine of Foie Gras with Cognac Aspic to Pierre Gagnaire's Foie Gras Poached in Russian Tea with Fava Beans, Watermelon, Papaya, Pine Nuts, and Beaufort Cheese.

From time to time, a true classic arises from the ocean of cookbooks published each year. Foie Gras....a Passion is such a book. It is a serious book and one that will be a resource for many years to come. It should be in every culinary library--from the home chef to the professional chef.

 

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