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5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe. 5 Fat-tastic Foods: Lee Anne Wong
She was deep-frying everything in the oil and lining it all up around the edges: hot dogs, chiles rellenos, flautas, chorizo, steak, peppers, onions, French fries, etc. It was a create-your-own cemita (a traditional Mexican sandwich) bar. Having just finished a 7-course meal, Louise and I drunkenly decided it was too good to walk away from, so I ordered a cemita loaded with the following: chorizo, carne enchilada, a fried cheese chile relleno, fried jalapeño, fried cebollitas (green onions), French fries, avocado, queso fresco, queso Oaxaca, salsa picante and crema– all on a sesame seed-crusted, freshly baked Puebla-style roll. The sandwich was the size of my head. It was beyond muy bueno. The damage? 20 pesos ($2.00 U.S.) and two days worth of heartburn." 2. Kobe Beef - Sakai City, Japan Wintertime is the best time for Kobe, all that beef fat just warms my soul from the inside out. I was in Sakai City with Chef Suvir Saran last February; we were honored guests for the Sakai City Knife Festival and were there on behalf of The Gohan Society. All week we had government officials wining and dining us, but towards the end of our trip they took us for lunch at a teppanyaki (tabletop grill) restaurant, similar to Benihana, only the real deal. The head of our group, Kato-san, ordered the highest grade Kobe beef and after several appetizer courses, the rib-eye steaks hit the iron griddle. As we were sitting right there, the smell of melting, caramelizing beef fat intoxicatingly filled my nostrils and I started drooling as our table chef cooked the steaks and proceeded to brown toast and slices of garlic in the rendered beef fat on the griddle. The fat marbling on the steak was ridiculous, so much so that it looked like a really great piece of toro (fatty tuna). I probably had at least six ounces of Kobe for lunch, and even with all its richness, I could’ve eaten another six ounces - greedy American appetite that I have. But a meat headache (you know, when you eat something so rich and fatty you get a little dizzy) and the promise of more Kobe beef for shabu-shabu dinner that night rendered me happily silent." 3. Cocido and Jamón - Mérida, Spain During a recent trip to Spain to visit Barcelona and elBulli, I finished out my trip with an olive harvest at Naturvie olive oil in the Merida area. I was with a large group of American and Brit importers and Naturvie welcomed us to their estate with a catered luncheon outdoors. At that point in the trip, I had been eating so much Ibérico ham that I constantly had moon face and swollen ankles from all the salt. But if you’re going to put a guy hand-slicing giant plates of Ibérico ham outdoors, and then send me out a bowl of rich, meaty stew with big chunks of pork belly, cured lardo and floating soft bites of fresh Ibérico fat, well, I’m not going to say no. Afterward, I passed on a rock for 30 minutes in the sun." 4. Whale Blubber Miso Soup - Kanazawa, Japan Now, I know there are all sorts of moral and political debates over the fishing and consumption of whale, and I’ve done my research, but if one of the top chefs in North Japan is going to put whale in front of me, of course I’m going to eat it. I had whale two ways: first, with the blubber as a soup; and secondly, with the meat lightly tempura-fried and served rare. The soup was a revelation. The blubber had been cut into small chunks and lightly poached before being served in a creamy, sweet shiro miso soup with burdock root and mitsuba. Each small bit of blubber had a soft, yielding texture, like that best bit of uncooked bacon fat. The flavor itself was rich, not fishy at all, and the fat had emulsified into the soup, thickening the mouthfeel ever so slightly. Verdict? Whale is delicious and I had to try it at least once. You can’t get mad at me, because Bourdain just shot a baby seal on T.V. and ate it raw." 5. The Foie Gras Double Down - Montreal, Canada In case you’ve been living under a rock, the Double Down is KFC’s homage to the man-ppetite, with the tag line, 'it’s so meaty, there’s no room for a bun,' consisting of bacon, cheese, and mayo sandwiched between two deep-fried chicken cutlets. It’s 540 calories, with 32 grams of fat. The co-owner and chef at Joe Beef, Frédéric Morin, a quirky and really pretty awesome individual, has trumped Colonel Sanders and then some. First of all, I’ve always been enchanted with the idea of taking sometime fatty, and making it fattier, like Wylie Dufresne’s deep fried mayonnaise. The Foie Gras Double Down is a gourmand’s dream/nightmare. Crispy bacon, extra sharp Canadian cheddar cheese, homemade aïoli, sandwiched between two 3-ounce slabs of chicken-fried foie gras and drizzled in maple syrup. I devoured it in five bites as foie fat ran down my right arm. Manly? Yep. Excessive? Totally. Delicious? Absolutely unforgettable." What's the most epic creation you've ever eaten? Fatten up the comments section. Is there someone you'd like to see in the hot seat? Let us know in the comments below and if we agree, we'll do our best to chase 'em down. |
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i say you are somkey hot in that pictuer and i watch your show and like it and the food your where talking about i think that was a great thing
i say you are somkey hot in your pictuer i want to make passion love to you and i hope you are having a great Valentine's day and i think that is a great cook and a chef
I believe the medical term is "meat sweats," not "meat headache
The above was intended for monk.
Rights are only given to beings that can demand it. If you cannot vocally demand rights you are screwed in this world. I applaud all of you who have voiced your support for animals. You have given voice to creatures that cannot speak but none the less feel emotions. Norms change over time and in a hundred years or so we should have succeeded in protecting these creatures with laws in place. So dont give a rat's a** about the people who think its acceptable to ill-treat animals.
Why in this age of obesity and related health issues is anyone posting about fatty foods being fantastic?
In all things, fat is flavor. Get a beef tenderloin, cut off a chunk and cook it and take a bite. It will have very little flavor. Wrap it in bacon, coll fat or butter and repeat. It will taste wonderful.
I just can't get over the fact that this is the first time I have EVER been grossed out when reading about food written by a chef. That really says something. Her job involves the love of food and how to prepare it in such a way as to make you drool. Maybe it's just her writing. I actually vomited in my mouth a little.
You've never heard of Andrew Zimmern? That guy eats his own crap.
Monk, are you F'ing kidding me??? God, told us to rule over animals. He did NOT say to torture and exploit them, you inbred jack *ss! I bet you screw your dog don't you! Sicko.
You seem quite stupid and you don't seem to care about the suffering of innocent animals. Bright side? All that fat and those super high calories are sure to kill you soon. Yay! Karma rules!
Rudeness is not the way to address an issue. Wong probably never really thought that foie gras and whale would stir emotions. If she had, she would have most likely not have included those foods. Everyone makes mistakes. Just like when Paris Hilton wore a fur coat to an event and the crowd grew angry with her (and pelted her with flour bombs). She went home and read up on the cruelty of the fur industry. She vowed not to wear fur again. She never had worn fur since that time and is now anti-fur. Everyone makes mistakes.
Yes she did. She even said she was willing to take flack for it. Did you read the article? No! So I'll be rude to her.
Shut up and go away.
"If you look at the course of western history you’ll see that we’re slowly granting basic rights to everyone. A long time ago only kings had rights. Then rights were extended to property-owning white men. Then all men (1860's). Then women (1900). Then children. Then the mentally retarded (1979). Now we’re agonizing over the extension of basic rights to homosexuals and animals." –Moby
Well, I'm certainly glad to learn from so many posts here that it's ducks that are being mistreated. Not geese. Foie gras, apparently, is entirely guilt-free.
That isn't going to stop me from scoring a gallon or so of duck fat this weekend for duck leg and pork shoulder confit, though. But I will be sure to check their feet for stigmata, I guess.
I just scrolled through the comments and although I have noticed a few out-of-line name-calling, I wouldn't label all the posts as "hateful." I see a lot of passion and a desire to help animals.
with all of the important issues affecting mankind, and society; with human lives being lost daily, and human beings in poverty...I am sickened that people are commenting on this article just to blast the author, and the foods she has enjoyed. find a more worthwhile cause to champion–and help PEOPLE, rather than whining about the foods we create from animals.
Shut up and go away.
Well said! I'm amazed that the article was clearly titled 5 Fat-tastic foods, yet the anti-animal eating crowd still flocked here to post nasty, mean spirited comments. And, people, she only mentioned 5, count em, 5 fatty foods she has eaten in her life time!! If my calculations are correct and assuming she is 35 years old and eats 3 meals a day, this is only 5 things out of 38,325 meals in her life time. Now move along, the show is over, nothing to see here.
Ok, one more time for the kids who ride the short bus...
This is a FOOD blog. Food includes meat. You are NOT going to bring anyone here to your cause by being pompous, self-righteous or by name calling. If you truly want to find a vegan blog, go try Greenpeace, PETA, or The Sierra Club, please. All that your presence here does is get both of us angry. And again, given that this is a food blog, it is safe to say that most of us here consume a balanced diet (that means meat as well for you slow kids)
Thank you and we may now resume our normally scheduled blogging.
Meat is used for a balanced diet? Nope. According to the USDA, American Dietetic Ass. and the World Health Organization, a vegetarian diet is perfect for all stages of life. Eating animals is as unneeded as a wealthy woman in the 1850's claiming that she couldn't live life without a black slave.
Nobody gives a sh!t what you think. I evolved sharp front teeth for the purpose of tearing flesh and I'm damn well going to use them.
@steve
@steve
so since you have sharp teeth you should eat meat?
how about, since you have two feet you should walk to work even if your office is 50 miles away?
you do realize that technology evolves faster than the rate at which your body can evolve.
So stop giving cave-man answers.
What a stupid response. I drive to work to save time, not because I think my feet should no longer be used for their intended purpose.
Nature obviously provided us with the necessary tools to eat meat because eating meat is beneficial to us. Who am I to argue with nature?
@steve
well you just made my point. You use your brain to live a better life. You dont rely on your feet but rather a car since its a better alternative, not something nature provided. Nothing wrong in using what nature provided in a better way.
But like i have said....its not that you eat meat thats wrong, its you lack of empathy towards animals that is disturbing. I agree that it is a difficult problem but i dont see why a solution cant be developed where you get what you want and animals can live better.
This article is clearly not in that direction and hence pisses me off.
If your point was that you are a clueless imbecile, then yes I did make your point for you.
I love animals. I think they are wonderful creatures. I like kittens and puppies as much as the next person. But I also live in reality. And here in reality people enjoy and benefit from eating animals.
ok then lets end this conversation......do you support force feeding ducks or geese with tubes while they are alive. Or for that matter do you support inhumane methods treating animals when there are more humane ways to kill them and convert them to food. If given a choice would you support a humane way to treat these animals?
its your right to slobber over this so called food. Its my right to point out that its gross, wrong and a violation of animal rights. I think this blog is as good as any to voice my opinion. If you feel wronged or upset, go to a vegan blog and espouse your opinion there. That should make things even and maybe you can learn something.
I LOVE animals-they're delicious! P.E.T.A. People Eating Tasty Animals.
LeeAnn,
I was a big fan of yours on Top Chef, but must say that those days are over. Your callous indifference and shameless boasting about gorging yourself on foie gras and whale meat is just too much. Given your professed expertise on the subject, you must know that, even by American meat standards, foie gras is obtained through the prolonged torture of animals. And that you would justify eating whale meat on the ground that it is "legal" in Japan reflects either willful ignorance or a lack of any moral compass. There are countries all over the world that permit various kinds of atrocities (child labor/sex trade, honor killings, blood diamonds, the list goes on and on). That you might find yourself in such a country doesn't make it anything less than reprehensible for you to engage in such conduct simply because you can get away with it. You know better. Sometimes they don't. Shame on you. You can do better. Please try.
For all you folks that wonder why most of the animal lover/ vegetarians can be pro-choice. The answer is simple. They view animals are better than human beings. Left to the animals, the earth would have remained pristine all along. It's because of "advanced" "cultured" us human beings that it's getting messed up big time. Not to mention that the writer is only contributing to this crime by participating.
Therein lies the rub. People anthropomorphizing animals into beings better than we are. If you think that animals are better than you, remove yourself from their world and improve their situation, and ours, so we don't have to listen to your drivel.
None of these sound all that tasty. I would rather have sushi.
I am filled with admiration and affection for this woman. I want to go on a culinary vacation with her.
Oh God help me – the cultivation of foie gras is a moral affront to my compassionate soul, but it's SO good, just a little, once in a great while. And I'm always grateful to the geese.
Because of that I must refuse the whale blubber though, I'd fear for my karma.
I gotta agree with you! I'd love to go on a culinary vacation with Lee Anne! One of these days I'll actually have money (BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! ... But seriously...) and I'll go on vacation and completely indulge in decadent cuisine!
What a disgusting article - looks like five shmeat meals. Wish whoever wrote this rubbish would've checked out noshmeat.com first.
truly disgusting.. i was grossed out after reading this.
hear hear!
Ms. Wong,
Please ignore the negative posts. More and more people think that you should think EXACTLY like they do, and do EXACTLY as they do, because they think it'd make THEIR world a better place. After which, they turn around and want their INDIVIDUAL rights protected, being a hypocrite in every sense of the word. Apply your morals and ideals to yourself, and yourself alone. Do not expect everyone to tow your line.
Your life is just that, yours. Live it as you see fit and be happy.
Cheers and love you on Unique Eats.
Whales are not endangered in THEIR world. They are in your world and mine too.
Not talking about whales, but people. You are just proving my point.
I'm with Snowbunny and all the others who are of this planet...if you're hungry, eat. Just because the aliens in the ufo Jerusalem haven't made their minds up to eat the locals, it doesn't give all the animal huggers a right to throw rocks at those who like their meat. Go PETA!
Eat whales? Eat ducks forced to live in horrible conditions for us to have a tasty meal? Sounds like modern day slavery to me. =P. Come on people, were are your ethics? Or haven't you any?
All animal domestication is tantamount to enslavement. Some people enslave animals for companionship, some enslave them for labor, and some enslave them for food.
Now go take your slave dog for a walk, and don't forget to force him to do tricks for you in exchange for dog biscuits.
I sure could go for a big @ss porterhouse steak right about now! Just sayin'
I just hammered a juicy cheeseburger with fries.
how about some sweet potatoe fries? and chipotle mayo! might as well clog those arteries with ALL the good stuff
Sure I'll do that too but I had fries and hotsauce instead with the cheeseburger to further clog my arteries..
Maybe it's just me, but I would rather have dinner with Ms. Wong, than with some of the self-righteous prudes on here. You people are downright insufferable.
Hear, hear! I'm with you dude.
Completely agree. Not only is she incredibly interesting, she's VERY easy on the eyes.
maybe you should eat her ( no pun intended)
Agreed. Eating whale blubber would be far more preferable than spending 10 seconds in a room with a vegan.
Vegans be damned, I'm eatin' me some Foie Gras Double Down!
*clicks "like button"*
I dont care if the bird was beaten to death with a tire iron – if I want to eat it, I will. God gave humans dominion over animals. They are ours to eat, own, exploit, -insert whatever here-. God only cares about OUR salvation. Animals don't have souls.
So why should we care about them?
All I can say is.. "wow"
I guess this is how passionately the US was divided on slavery back in the 1860's. Oddly enough, most high profile abolitionists in the 1800's were also vegetarian or pro-animal rights. So perhaps the issue of slavery never ended, it has grown to encompass respect for all living things.
That's a surprising but of news to me. Do you have any references to back that claim up?
Search Google for "Famous Vegetarians."
From memory, here are a few interesting stories: William Willberforce, the man who ended slavery in England 60 years before it was banned in America, went on to found the SPCA. Mark Twain who was opposed to slavery was vegetarian. Abe Lincoln said he was in favor of animal rights. Henry Thoreau who was a lifelong abolitionist was a vegetarian. Rosa Parks who fought for civil liberties also believed in animal rights and was a vegetarian. Clara Barton who started the Red Cross was a vegetarian. The list goes on and on and on.
More vegetarians: Voltaire, George Barnard Shaw, Kafka, Leo Tolstoy, Leonardo da Vinci. Socrates, Plato & Aristotle all wrote extensively against eating animals.
QUOTES:
"Thou shalt not kill" does not apply to murder of one's own kind only, but to all living beings; and this Commandment was inscribed in the human breast long before it was proclaimed from Sinai." ~Leo Tolstoy
"Animals are my friends... and I don't eat my friends." ~George Bernard Shaw
"Truely man is the king of beasts, for his brutality exceeds theirs. We live by the death of others: we are burial places! I have from an early age abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men such as I will look on the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men." ~Leonardo da Vinci
"Nothing more strongly arouses our disgust than cannibalism, yet we make the same impression on Buddhists and vegetarians, for we feed on babies, though not our own." ~Robert Louis Stevenson
"Can you really ask what reason Pythagoras had for abstaining from flesh? For my part I rather wonder both by what accident and in what state of soul or mind the first man did so, touched his mouth to gore and brought his lips to the flesh of a dead creature, he who set forth tables of dead, stale bodies and ventured to call food and nourishment the parts that had a little before bellowed and cried, moved and lived. How could his eyes endure the slaughter when throats were slit and hides flayed and limbs torn from limb? How could his nose endure the stench? How was it that the pollution did not turn away his taste, which made contact with the sores of others and sucked juices and serums from mortal wounds?" ~Plutarch
"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." ~Albert Einstein
Google "Vegetarian quotes."
More: Louisa May Alcott (novelist, abolitionist), Susan B. Anthony (civil rights leader)
Abe Lincoln: "I am in favour of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of the whole human being."
Harriot Beecher Stowe (author of Uncle Tom's Cabin): "We should remember in our dealings with animals that they are a sacred trust to us from our heavenly Father. They are dumb and cannot speak for themselves."
Ralph Waldo Emerson: "You have just dined, and however scrupulously the slaughterhouse is concealed in the graceful distance of miles, there is complicity."
Immanuel Kant: "If [man] is not to stifle his human feelings, he must practice kindness towards animals, for he who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
Albert Schweitzer: "It was once considered foolish to suppose that black men were really human beings and ought to be treated as such. What was once foolish has now become a recognized truth. Today it is considered as exaggeration to proclaim constant respect for every form of life. Ethics is [...] responsibility to everything that has life."
More vegetarians: Pol Pot, Charles Manson, Adolf Hitler, and Genghis Khan.
Steve – Meat-eaters: Joseph Stalin, Ted Bundy, Scott Peterson, OJ Simpson.
But what's your point?
"A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
The US has much to achieve here. A lot can be done to improve animal life in this nation.
@confused
Do you have any pets? If so, what right do you have to keep animals confined for no other purpose than to provide you with entertainment?
well you have family too...do you consider everybody in your family a slave kept for your entertainment or companionship?
I don't keep my family members confined, nor do I implant tags in them or have their reproductive systems destroyed as you do to the animals you enslave as pets. Let me ask, when you asked your cat or dog to come home and live with you, what did it say? Did you give it the right to decide?
I have to say, for a supposedly enlightened vegetarian you sure do say a lot of stupid things.
i am not an enlightened vegetarian....i am simply pointing out what is wrong.
i have one dog that was two days away from being put down in a pound. A puppy mill border collie that had been forced to have puppies. I adopted her and had her spayed. True she was not consulted in either case. But she lives with me and my door is never really shut so she can walk out any time....hasnt happened yet. I am sure you can find lots of faults in my actions above and i am not saying that sarcastically.
You seem to enjoy the act of putting animals down.....you have said it numerous times in your previous posts. That is a lack of empathy.
My case is difficult since i am trying very hard to inflict less harm on animals and it is very difficult to live that way and i do wonder sometimes if i am being hypocritical (hence "confused"). You need not worry about that since you have chosen a life style that is simpler....fair enough.
But it is both your responsibility as a meat eater and mine as a vegan to ensure that animals are not ill-treated. If they must be put down for food so be it but they should not be tortured. As for the dog, better alive with me that dead; trust me she is not leading a tortured life.
There is a huge difference between an animal and anotehr human being. I think I would have been hugely against slavery, but I have no problem with having a balanced diet.
But the USDA, World Health Organization and American Dietetics Association all state that a vegetarian diet is perfectly healthy for all lifestyles, including pregnancy, lactation and childhood. We do not need to eat animals nor more than we need slaves.
"if one of the top chefs in North Japan is going to put whale in front of me, of course I’m going to eat it."
Why? Was it brought without your ordering it? And if it was, do your ethics simply take a vacation our of some sort of misplaced deference?
Japan rampantly overfishes, and many whales are endangered now as a result; Japan is pretty much the only country that flaunts international whaling agreements. Surely you know this.
And given that you are aware of it, shouldn't you simply not order such products? Or if they're served unrequested, shouldn't you refuse them, politely or otherwise?
The problem seems to be that Japan as a culture simply accepts that whale is OK to eat, without regard to impact on the species. Perhaps they simply block out such knowledge, but accepting this dish simply enables such wilful ignorance. It would have been far better had you located your own moral center, and informed the chef of your opposition in hopes that he would ponder your position, come to agree with it and use his influence to spread the word that Japan must restrict it's fishing further, rather than hunkering down into his comfortable, blinkered reality and continuing to drive whales, bluefin tuna and many other species into extinction.
I'm not sure how I feel about eating whale where it is legal. They are dwindling in numbers, but I do know whale meat and blubber are traditional staples in some cultures. I have often wondered about the taste of the meat, and have at times thought that were I in a place where the hunting of whales was legal and part of the culture, I'd try it. However, as their numbers continue to decrease my hesitancy in this regard increases.
So I understand the dilemma she faced. Can't fault her for giving in to the urge to try it once.
The cocido and jamon sounds like something I'd want to try. And the Kobe beef? Yeah. Not fair that I'm reading this early, before lunch. Not fair at all.
@Lee Anne
I thoroughly enjoyed your article. I love fatty foods and can indulge, at least for now, because I have freakishly-low genetic cholesterol and freakishly-high metabolism. I've heard that those things will probably change when I hit 30, so I have 1.5 years to enjoy! Many people don't understand that fat is flavor. Health freaks hack away at tough, dry (read: lean) meat, whilst I lovingly carve into a well-marbled steak. What's the point in prolonging your life if you can't enjoy it?!
As for eating whale, I don't know that I could do that. Not for any moral grounds (that's right. Even more opportunity for the hippies to slam me. I don't really care, though, as this will probably be the only time I come to this page), but just because I can only do so much fat before my stomach rebels. Blubber is probably well over that line. lol.
So keep doing what you do, Lee Anne! Enjoy life, enjoy food, and don't worry about what the hippies, critics, and other mentally-subnormal groups say! You know what you like. You know what you want to try. Don't let social pressures keep you from going out and experiencing what the culinary world has to offer!
Nuke the whales!
Nuke the whales!
YUCK CITY!! This is a disgusting way to eat.....and ENJOY food??!!
Great read! I would love to travel like Chef Lee Ann Wong and have an opportunity to experience some of the culture and creations! This blog made me feel like I was there-eating with her "trying something new"! Thanks for the ride!
I eat meat. I like it. But whales are highly intelligent animals, and many species are endangered. There is a reason that the world is outlawing the hunting of whales.
Also, your overly graphic description of gorging yourself like a pig on fatty, fleshy food actually turned my stomach. Something that I enjoy, (MEAT, cooking, food, eating), in YOUR hands became repulsive, gluttonous, and disturbing. I could almost imagine you visiting a few islands and gleefully joining in on cannibalism.
Settle down a little and read a book or go for a walk. There is more to life than gorging yourself like a dog that will eat until it vomits.
People think greens are better because it grows in the soil with sun and water. But they also grow because producers usually add chemicals to the soil. (not in bio growth), I live in Québec, Canada, and we have here in the supermarkets grapes from chili, oranges from florida, tons of fruits from asia, tomatoes from mexico, bananas from south america and wine from all around the world. While all this comes from growing things, they do have a lot of impact on the earth, beause of the way they destroy the soil in a single-orientend mass productions, and because off the carbon print implied in the transport. think of all the gas it took to get those things here.
No food is clean in this mass consumption world, unless it's bio and local (and yet...) and the outcomes stays the same, all of this hurts the earth, so it hurts us. So stop thinking that eating veggies makes you better. And don't forget that nature made you a veggies AND meat eater. Every living animals on earth eats lives to sustain themselves, so be at peace.
That said, I do not advocate usage of torture or cruelty on animals, but the way some vegans can be so cruel in their comments toward people that do not share the same opinions that they hold is just as stupid as killing animal for food.
Cruelty holds many faces.
Vegetarians and vegans are evil. Here are a few examples:
Pol Pot – Vegan despot and mass murderer
Charles Manson – Vegan animal rights activist
Adolf Hitler – Vegetarian megalomaniac mass murderer
Genghis Khan – Vegetarian marauder and rapist
And don't forget it was the vegetarian Cain who murdered his meat-eating brother Abel.
wow! logic is not your strong point is it?
just because you named four mass murderers who are vegetarian or vegan that makes all vegetarians/vegans mass murderers? wow!
animal rights is an interesting subject and while i am vegan i have always enjoyed a good conversation about the issue with my meat eating friends. Its always a pleasure to hear a well though out rebuttal to ones own entrenched position.
Steve, this however is just plain pathetic man. The chicken or duck you just ate could have come up with a better argument.
I never said you people are all mass murderers. I said you're evil.
ok replace mass murderer with evil in my response. The rest of it doesn't change. Still a pretty flawed argument on your part.
lets say vegans are m&ms (bad example since they have milk in them....anyways). You specifically pick 4 m&ms that are red from the bag. Now you say, hey look these m&ms are red therefore all m&ms should be red.
Now lets say you randomly pick out some m&ms from the bag, some are bound to be red. Like finding red m&ms there is a statistical chance that vegans are evil. But if you on purpose pick out only the evil vegans and then say all vegans are evil. It makes no sense. makes sense??
Yuck! Respect the environment and ecology. Most importantly respect your readers and stop this crap.
Thanks for reinforcing the stereotype. Signed, an Asian.
You're not Asian, you racist.
Horrified. You ate whale meat with the limp and pitiful excuse that the chef 'put it in front of you'? So you boo hoo the comments and call s3xism. Look, woman, if a guy puts his meat out in front of you, you don't have to gobble it up with a smile on your face and lick up the drippings. It's called choice. You know, something women have been fighting for? So woman-up to the situation and the next time some guy tries to put meat in front of your face....tell him no. NO MEANS NO. I was amused by your writing until I got to the foie gras and whale. Your arrogance is such a turnoff that I'm going to avoid your 'work' like the plague and use my 20th Century poison pen and blog the heck out of your little adventure. Cheers.
Wow, yet again, "I don't agree, so I'm going to b*tch to the world to make myself feel important." Plain and simple, cry baby.
While I really don't care what other people eat (I'm a meat and potatoes guy, minus the potatoes), I feel the need to point out hypocrisy on one side of this argument. Most anti-"animal cruelty" vegetarians and vegans are liberals by definition, yet most (if not all) of those same people support a woman's right to abort her unborn child. By that same logic, should we then be able to unashamedly berate and belittle them, for holding in higher esteem the lives of livestock over that of unborn humans? I think that what this all boils down to is that those of you spewing your hateful rhetoric are simply doing so because other people's choices are different from yours.
That being said though, I say "live and let live". As I mentioned earlier, I DON"T CARE what other people eat. I DON"T CARE if a woman wants to abort her unborn child. They aren't me. I also DON'T CARE if you get angry that the succulent duck I just ate was nailed to a floor and force fed through a tube. Although, being somewhat plain and limited in my fatty-food consumption over the years, I'd never heard of Foie Gras. Sounds good, though.
I DO think that Bourdain is the coolest guy on the planet, and Lee Anne, you're well on your way to being the coolest woman on the planet.
Everyone else, just lighten up. Let he without sin fling the first poo (or something like that).
ok, by the same logic, if you are "pro-life" then why are you killing animals?
confused -
I would, regretfully, have to disagree that your question/statement follows the same logic as mine. In fact, it rather supports mine. Like I said in my earlier post, I DON'T CARE if a woman aborts a fetus, which would pretty much make me an enemy of the "pro-life" movement. However, "pro-lifers" that eat meat CAN say that they value human life more than that of an animal (of any variety) used for food, as do I.
BubbaJoeJimBobI'mNot,
Pro-lifers have the right to value humans above animals, but since we have started including cats and dogs in a protected category, why not add a few more animals like whales, seals and sharks? While we are doing that, why not selectively protect some animals by trying to avoid killing them in such a horrific manner – kill them more humanely. Sedate them before killing them and for crying out loud stop shoving tubes into them.
There are many varieties of duck recipes that could be made to taste as good as fois gras but there is no variety in pain; it hurts the duck as much as it would hurt you and I.
I am sure you realize that your right to eat the duck outweighs my right to prevent you from doing that. So this is just food for thought (pardon the pun), so eat your duck while i eat my tofu.
here here!
To quote some Star Wars: "'Love' in one language is 'Food' in another.
Well said, BubbaJoe. Perhaps we should reach a compromise with the vegetarians and vegans. Since they believe murdering unborn human babies is ok (most of them have probably had several abortions themselves), maybe we should redefine the slaughter of an animal for food as simply a late-term animal abortion.
you said – "maybe we should redefine the slaughter of an animal for food as simply a late-term animal abortion"
Since you are against late term abortions you should stop eating animals.
Why? I'm not against eating animals.
ok, i wave the white flag.
Not all vegans and vegetarians are pro-abortion. Vegetarians beliefs and philosophies are as diverse as non-vegetarians. Not all of them are lefties. Many are "righties," some are just 16-year-olds volunteering at the local animal shelter who care about animals. Heck, I have even met several vegans who made the decision to stop eating meat at 5-years-old (no politics involved!) when they learned meat came from an animal (AGAINST their parent's protests). Many VEGETARIANS ARE in between left and right.
Why do you assume that vegetarians are pro-abortion?
That would be like me assuming that meat-eaters are pro-slavery. Each person is very different on both sides.
But interestingly: Did you know how many abolitionists were also vegetarian in the 1800's?? William Willbeforce, the man who stopped slavery in England (60 years before America), went on to found the SPCA. Abe Lincoln said he favored animal rights because "that was the only way to go." Mark Twain was a vegetarian and anti-slavery. The list goes on.
However, I do not deduce that all meat-eaters are pro-slavery.
WOW bragging about not caring whether animals OR human babies suffer horrible deaths. I'm no veggie, and I love meat, but I still give a sh*t about others. It's called empathy, a normal part of being human. If you lack that, get a therapist, quick.
I agree!
Well said.
You should be ashamed of yourself. Sad to know that our industry is represented by people who will eat things that they know are endanger or being harmed in their production.
best literary food p0rn ever!
craziest(and most decadently amazing) dish I've had? Foie Gras BLT, at Cork Restaurant in S. Chandler, AZ: a generous portion of seared foie, with shredded marinated duck breast, thick smoky bacon, and sliced duck breast, all adorning a thick, butter-grilled slice of brioche spread with truffle aioli. The entire dish was drizzled with truffle oil and 25-year aged balsamic.
*drool*
This lady, Chef Wong wrote an article about fat-tastic foods. True or False people? Ms Wong, let me be the first to say nice article. I rather enjoyed your take on this as most people are fanatically obsessed trendy self-righteous lo-cal, low salt, low carb, low taste whatever. Don't get me wrong that all good and well. I'm in the gym 4-5 days a week. 5' 10 225 with a physic that screams "I dare ya" I love meat. Sue me. How ever I really love vegetables and fruits to. How can this be?!!! You know what you veggie nibbling pasty skinned jackasses? Those onions your slicing were once alive, the carrots you are crunching were once alive, the apple your are devouring was once alive. Some people believe trees cry when they and/or their tree friends are cut down. Some people even literally hug them. What if when that carrot on your salad was ripped from the warm soil it once knew as home screamed a little baby carrot scream for it's mother at the last moment? Now here you are smothering it in dressing and stuffing it in your corn hole... What if that is how it is. What would you do? Just dry up and blow away due to death by starvation? The ironic thing is if you did, the plants eat you... The moral of this story is – Shut up and accept your place in the circle of life. If you don't like where you are jump off a bridge. Peace... I am channeling R.Lee Ermey
It is proven fact that the more educated someone is, the more likely they are to consume a balanced diet. Pity these myopic vegan cowards for their uneducated and foolish ways in limiting their diets. Their ignorance is truly astounding.
Oddly, there are many studies that have found vegetarianism is more frequently found amongst those with a higher-than-average IQ (usually above 108, if I remember correctly). And if you do go visit educational facilities where there is a larger than normal gathering of intelligent people, the demand for vegetarian (and vegan) options skyrockets.
ok why am i a coward. you eat meat and i dont. that makes me a coward????
@Ray
Actually, studies have shown that after adjusting for socioeconomic differences there is no difference in IQ between vegetarians and meat eaters. However, studies do show that vegans have lower than average IQs.
no nervous system in plants ...... cant feel pain. animals feel pain.
So tried to tell the rabbit to the wolf. But it ate it the same, because it is food and can't get what it needs on weed.
agreed, but i was merely correcting synatx's claim that plants feel pain. You cannot feel pain without a central nervous system.
Your graphic depiction of vegetable violence will give me nightmares.
that poor baby carrot!!! You made me cry :`(
been a vegan for six years, i like it that way and i wont go back. I will never criticize somebody for eating meat, if it bothers your conscience then quit and if it doesn't keep eating.
The only aspect of eating meat or other animal products that bothers me and that is the treatment of animals prior to their consumption. I see posts here were people treat animals as they would treat perhaps a cabbage (which lacks a nervous system and thus cant feel pain).
I have interacted with numerous animals dogs, cats and even cows. It is very easy to get attached to the animals that are considered food. They are as intelligent as your dogs and cats and can even recognize and greet you. Perhaps we can all agree that a creature that gives itself up for our consumption deserves our respect and consideration when its being killed. We can therefore look into ways of putting down the animals before they are butchered. It is very hard to comprehend how a decent human can inflict so much fear followed by pain upon an innocent creature and then simply shrug their shoulders and say, meh! it didn't feel a thing, now lets eat it.
I know this is an utterly useless appeal. I cant even imagine my being a vegan having any impact on the treatment of these animals. I am also sure the simplest rebuttal to my argument would be, "well a tiger doesn't tranquilize its prey prior to killing it". True but we do have that ability. Lets not inflict pain and fear, lets put these animals down in a less cruel manner. This is the least we can do for them.
You want us to inject a tranquilizer into an animal before killing it? Sure, I'll take my steak medium rare with extra phenobarbital, thanks.
it not like the animals are not injected with foreign chemicals and hormones, picky eater are we?
Hi Chef Lee Anne!
You're a dick!
Love,
Larry
Larry, are you drunk already? It seems a little early. Typical of the far left to be into substance abuse, not to mention the verbal abuse of women. Proof positive of why most domestic violence offenders are liberal. So typical of the party of hate.
Lou Anne – just ignore the hateful posts. Don't lower yourself to the level of small people by responding. You're doing a great job and we (most of us anyway) appreciate what you do.
The far left seems to be all about "choice" when it comes to killing babies, but mention that you like a steak and suddenly "choice" is the last thing they want to talk about. You people are barbaric, fearful and full of hatred which stems from your low self esteem. Get therapy. You will be amazed how great you will feel when you achieve some mental health.
It is not about left or right. It is about morals.
Please do not assume those who are against animal abuse are "lefties." I would hope that people on both sides would be against animal torture (ig. Google "veal crates"). It is ignorant to assume that "lefties" are against animal abuse and "righties" are pro-animal abuse. People on both sides can see that things need to change when it comes to the treatment of livestock and even pets in America. Plenty of "righties" were upset when Vick was sentenced to only 6 months jail time when he PERSONALLY attached electrodes to dogs' ears and threw them in his pool because he deemed them to weak to fight.
It is not about lefties or righties. It is about humane treatment of animals.
What about the humane treatment of PEOPLE? Want to talk about torture and cruel ways to end a life...watch a video of what "choice" means. While I don't agree with shoving a tube down a duck's throat I also don't agree with a suction curette being inserted into a womb.
All living being deserve respect, be it a clam a cat a cow or a child. Think about it.
...um....the article's about whale meat. You can certainly chime in about abortion when, you know, there's an abortion article?
Truth – This is an article about whales and fois gras, not about killing babies. If this were an article about abortion, it would silly to post, "BUT THE WHALES!! You didn't save the whales!"
In an article about whale slaughter it is silly to interject about abortion. Or that no one has stopped drunk drivers from driving.
Yes, all living things need to be respected. Handle one issue at a time. :)
Although I agree with certain points, I'd like to respectfully point out that the article is NOT about whale meat, and certainly not abortion. It's about Ms.Wong's 5 favorite fatty food, and happened to include the mention of whale blubber soup.
I love Lee Ann, and I think that she has a right to eat whatever she wants. We ALL do. I commend her for her try-anything attitude, and I say to her: Lee Ann, forget the haters!
With your attitude you wouldn’t mind cannibalism? Meat is meat is meat……..
Some people make me sick
My neighbor told me a story about one of his chickens: A few years back his barn caught fire. Inside the barn there was a mother chicken and her newly hatched chicks. Instead of leave the barn and her babies, she spread her wings over them and laid there. The next morning my neighbor found her charred body, her wings still spread open... and underneath her he found her little chicks still safe and sound. Being a mother, I can only imagine how much she wanted to protect her babies even unto death. – Animals are closer in emotions to us than most of us realize. If only Wong would help people find animal-free options. I bet she could really plan a tasty menu!
I grew up around chickens. I've watched free-range birds eat each other and their own eggs. I've watched chickens bail on their chicks for a little bit of grain. I wouldn't put too much stock in the yard-bird's emotions.
ha ha,, thanks for the laugh
That did not happen to your neighbor. It's a well-worn urban legend: http://www.snopes.com/glurge/birdwing.asp
I read the article and the comments here, and I usually do not comment, but now I have to say a few words. I am not a vegetarian, I eat flesh as do the majority of the people in the US and Europe, however I don’t mind to pay some extra $ to buy meet from animals that were raised in humane conditions, it does taste better BTW. Some comments here and the article itself are truly disturbing in the way that some people couldn’t care less what they eat, and they are willing to try anything! Do we really must eat endangered species? Or beat poor dogs to death before cooking them like in some Asian cultures? Or to catch a shark and cut its fins of and throw it back in the water to die just to make "shark fin soop"? Some of the “food” animals are more intelligent than dogs and BTW all animals feel pain and recent studies confirmed that they have feelings too. As human beings can’t or simply do not wish (including me) to just stop eating meet isn’t it logical to lessen the suffering by raising our “meet” in humane conditions and killing it with as little suffering as possible? Is it too much to ask of human beings to be humane?
I am not vegetarian or animal rights activist or anything near it, I enjoy eating animals of all shapes and sizes, and I revel in various fatty cuts and parts as well, from pig's feet to sweetbreads to foie gras.
But I can't help thinking that the kind of public gluttony expressed in this article and the other people mentioned is simply disgusting. I enjoy foie gras, but what is the point of stuffing yourself with a pile of fried and fatty food that makes you sick and is notable only for the number of calories you're stuffing, or wasting pounds of precious jabon just for the joy of bragging about how much you ate? Is there really no difference between good food and abusing food? Why does being a "chef" give you the right to act like an idiot? Would you expect a guy that runs a car dealership to drive everywhere at 150 mph?
The Romans enthusiastically engaged in gluttony soon before their empire collapsed. I think Americans would be better served to spend their time thinking about how to improve their lives instead of thinking of even more ways to get fat.
I like your comment a lot; it makes a lot of sense. Food's main purpose is to provide people with energy and too much is in no way good for anyone. That isn't to say people can't enjoy their food, we just shouldn't over indulge.
can you see that she isn't obese nor just fat ? she eats quality food, that's why. 6oz of kobe beef is almost nothing. it's her job to know food. you should probably gather a bunch of obese people who eat junk and can't control themselves and preach to them the virtues of food and self restraint. There are urges and then there are urges. Haven't you ever had a food craving that you fulfilled and wished you hadn't done it but in hindsight, you couldn't have stopped it anyway. Humans all indulge in food when we can afford to. Point is not to do it everyday. You don't have to be sick thinking about what she ate. She doesn't eat like that everyday. Read the article again and see some humor in it .
I do adore all these comments. They truly brightened up my day. I especially enjoyed the one likening legally harvested whale meat to barbecued babies, as well as the gem about the sunset-watching alpacas. Really, bravo. Sound arguments.
Now I'm just gonna mosey on over to my plate of local, pasture-raised beef, and enjoy my meal in peace.
I wasn't saying it was like that, I was saying that you might as well say that as far as what the response will be. I think people might be more upset about whale than barbecued babies. Babies are pretty sustainable.
Ah, I understand. Pardon my misreading.
And "babies are pretty sustainable" made me laugh. :)
First most of us eat more than one should and now eating all these animals for food when you dont need to is another waste... and hopefully all the over eaters will disappear (Darvin's theory) and mostly vegetarians and healthy eaters will survive and the companies morphing our food for money will also die.... time will heal but in the mean while we all witness this.
My friend told me that one day she went out to feed her Alpacas. They usually came running when she brought treats so she was surprised they were just standing still. Then she saw that they were watching the sunset on the Mountains changing colors. how do you slaughter and eat beings that watch sunsets?
@oneSTARman:
Are you serious? Once I saw a cow watching the grass sway in the wind while it was eating it, as I was driving to Outback.
They'll watch your keys jingle, too. How profound!
"how do you slaughter and eat beings that watch sunsets?"
Probably the easiest way is to sneak up on it while it's distracted by the sunset and then kill it.
I agree Steve, I'd use a nice sharp knife.
All meat is murder. Tasty, tasty, murder.
Ease up on the bong...just a tad....
I grew up on a farm, and nothing here surprises me. I would love the chance to try whale or fois gras before some bleeding-heart veggies try and get it banned permanently. The reality is that all peoples eat to survive, and what they eat is governed by tradition and what is living around them. Places like Japan are surrounded by the sea, and therefore surrounded by seafood- including whales.
Just because you CAN eat it, does NOT mean you SHOULD eat it. idiot.
have you heard of cannibals???
you should seriously nail that coffin of yours shut already.. no, your community shouldn't have to put up with your brand of bullshit either... poor people...
From this day forward I will boycott anything Lee Anne Wong. I will never read, buy, or watch any type of media she may rear her fat-loving head in. Lucky for her, I participate in a local newspaper. My community will be reading about her atrocious behavior. I refuse to condone such selfishness, ignorance, and total lack of empathy towards poaching highly endangered species and animal abuse and torture.
Unfortunately for the birds, Foie Gras is the result of injecting feed into a bird's gullet where it can't do anything but swallow it. It's inhumane and animal torture. They use machines to squirt food down their throats.
The marbling on that beef is so beautiful it makes me want to cry.
Dear Lee Anne Wong,
I hope one day you travel to a remote island full of starved, ravenous cannibals and they feast on your blubber. Otherwise, have a good evening you fat moron.
Don't you know that cannibalism is frowned upon by most societies?
it is frowned upon! just like whale poaching! but just like wong we can always make an exception!
besides "Lee Anne Wong would be a revelation. Lee Anne's blubber would be cut into small chunks and lightly poached before being served in a creamy, sweet shiro miso soup with burdock root and mitsuba. Each small bit of Lee Anne Wong blubber would have a soft, yielding texture, like that best bit of uncooked bacon fat. The flavor itself would be rich, not fishy at all, and the fat would have emulsified into the soup, thickening the mouth feel ever so slightly." YUMMMMM
Shhhhh, it's ok, I was being facetious. No need to get all worked up.
you need to get a job... don't hang around the computer hoping ....otherwise, close the coffin and get it nailed so you don't get so worked up over someone else's life.
I really must ask everyone that is accusing this woman of animal cruelty... Do you know exactly where your chicken, beef or pork came from? Did you watch is live to be sure it wasn't abused? Did you watch it be slaughtered to be sure it was humane? Are you sure it wasn't sick, dying or injured?
If you're not – then you're just as cruel as her.
I agree with you for the most part except that a few of the people accusing her of animal cruelty are probably vegetarian. But yes, you're right, all animals are probably equally abused and most people don't know where their food is coming from.
The real tragedy is that we all don't get to abuse the animals ourselves. Someone else usually does it.
ok now you have me worried, you are showing traits associated with people who are seriously mentally ill.
Thanks for the honest article. You do need to get an editor though, the thing is full of typos.
Kobe beef looks delicious. Everything else makes me wanna hurk a bit.
Oh, and the whale- not cool. I wouldn't go around bragging about that. You might as well have said you ate barbecued babies.
........Except not.
Fois gras stuffed pigs foot at Au PIed de Cochon in Montreal....Homemade mountain of fresh uni and ikura piled on steamed Koshi Hikari rice....I've eaten Matsuzaka and Kobe area beef many times, but I preferred the high-end beef from Ishigaki island. Tasted more natural, a little gamier, but nearly just as fatty. It was best as sushi....Best thing I've eaten the last few years though was raw Kobe beef liver, dipped in a housemade chili oil sauce. Actually, we would gently sear the liver meat on a grill, then dip, and eat extra rare....I would possibly trade all these on a drunken night for Lee Anne's tricked out cemita though. That sh*t looks niiiice.
Whales–one of the most intelligent and rare creatures on the planet...glad you stuffed your drunken wench gut because you are a priviledged food "connoisseur."
Oh no, the vegetarians are mad, good thing no one cares. I'll borrow a quote from Tony Bourdain (who is more awesome than any vegan or vegetarian alive).
"Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans, are a persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn. To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living. Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, and an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food. The body, these waterheads imagine, is a temple that should not be polluted by animal protein. It's healthier, they insist, though every vegetarian waiter I've worked with is brought down by any rumor of a cold. Oh, I'll accommodate them, I'll rummage around for something to feed them, for a 'vegetarian plate', if called on to do so. Fourteen dollars for a few slices of grilled eggplant and zucchini suits my food cost fine."
Haha, I'm vegan and you remind me of a good friend of mine. He would say something like this. I just thought I would throw that out there, not that you're supposed to care.
Here, lemme dig for some pre-1860's pro-slavery quotations. I'm sure there are quite a few. I'm sure i can find some stating, "A life without a slave is a life not worth living." Sure, enslaving humans is much worse than enslaving and abusing animals, but on a moral ground we should try to minimize all abuse as much as possible.
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
Said one of the people who bathed in cattle poop and urine in the river he considered holy in India. Even my Indian friends say they drink nothing but bottled water, watch where they eat while in India, and have to take meds to keep from getting Malaria, because there is so much "concern" for cows. Not buying that I have to give up meat to be considered a decent human. How many humans do you care that much about? Adopted any children? Foster parented? Or are you one of those who criticizes any actress or actor who does, let alone your neighbor? Sorry, don't believe I'm coming back as a cockroach because I eat meat, and I've never thought of enslaving people, nor has anyone in my family. What bull!
Marky you sound just like Palin. She says that if anyone has ever sat on a leather couch, they can't criticize animal cruelty.
Nice try, Umm, but Palin doesn't make my decisions, and I can scarcely respect anyone who throws out that kind of statement to try to lay a trip on me for eating meat. Not a tea-bagger, so...whatever.
@ Marky – I wouldn't worry about the comparison to Palin. Anyone who makes that acrobatic jump to a lame, cliched conclusion obviously isn't capable of an original thought. BTW, everyone making morality judgements about human carnivores, Hitler was a vegetarian.
@esmiranda
Hitler wasn't a vegetarian for moral purposes. I think we can all agree that Hitler had distorted morals. The fact that he was a vegetarian doesn't make all vegetarians like Hitler. Joseph Stalin ate meat, but that doesn't make all people who eat meat communists.
HERE"S THE THING...it takes 10 pounds of vegetable protein fed to a cow to make 1 pound of Beef protein. The amount of the world's food supply that is required to sustain the 10% of the Human population that consumes a lot of meat...just isn't fair. Why should a Billion people go hungry so a small percentage of the world's population can consume flesh.
What are you on, anyway? 10%? I don't think your figures are accurate at all. Either you have no idea who eats meat, or you are trying a desperate move to persuade those of us who love meat to give it up. Not working.
@marky – the figure come from the U.N. study as published in Scientific American. They are however the same conclusions that were taught to me in college years before.
So what? Remember when we tried to tell you what to eat? Yeah, neither do we.
Cows mostly eat grass. Humans can't digest it well enough for it to be nutritious.
I agree onestar we should let all those animals starve and keep all the vegetables to ourselves...
OMG.. another moron on the board....you people are sounding stupider by the moment ..hello ?
Well then why doesn't Mr. Bourdain serve human "protein" if he's so inventive and rebellious?? The man is an arrogant, self serving prick.
Well you would certainly know what it is to be an arrogant, self-serving prick.
Youre a pig. No actually, you don't deserve that title, it's high class for you.
Animals can't speak or defend themselves, so it's up to us.
I once tried to eat at all the boudin locations listed on http://www.boudinlink.com . I wanted to do my own comparison of the links of pork and rice sausage. I had to give up after three days. It was good but too much to accomplish over a long weekend.
I am one of those calorie loving slightly obese people who read this article, not having any idea what some of the things cited as edible actually are. Granted I'm not worldly but I'll take my mac and cheese and southern fried chicken with some cornbread and some broccoli and fall asleep in my recliner without remorse. The thought of rolling around a piece of whale fat in my mouth and trying to chew it nauseates me. To each his own.
A great chef putting whale meat in front of you is no excuse for eating it.
You are either a coward for not refusing, or have no honor if you don't care about a critically endangered species. It is endangered for one reason: Japanese people are too damn dumb to stop eating it.
Why not eat a Panda? Or the last white tiger?
Please, Go F*** yourself.
Many species of whales are not endangered anymore. You don't know what kind of whale she ate, so what's with the huge amount of freaking out on Fong and acting as if you are some sort of Prince of Wonderful? No one is advocating we put whale on the menu every day, or any of the rest of the foods she tasted. Get real and reasonable. More plants disappear all the time than animals. Wow! Are we supposed to stop eating altogether? You first!
How mature.
@Ethan
Racist.
You so called animal purists are such morons... it makes me laugh...don't eat meat... but leave others alone...yeah... stupid american
I find it quite humorous that some people find the need to write hate-filled rhetoric in a food column. Food selection is a choice, not morally reprehensible behavior. Reprehensible behavior is walking past a homeless person as you meander into Starbucks to get your organically grown, hand-roasted grande non-fat vanilla latte and blueberry scone. Eating a grease-filled pocket of yummy goodness and writing about it is a choice of the consumer, who, more often than not in western society, is NOT the butcher. So reach for that bacon flavored chocolate, where the pigs are beaten with kittens, and the cocoa, which is hand-picked by small migrant children, dip it into the Baconnaise, coat it in bread crumbs, fry it in veal lard, sprinkle it with salt made from dehydrated tears of vegans holding a candle light vigil in front of an abattoir and ENJOY YOUR FOOD!
You are so right! Well said!
I was reading through the rest of the posts and I was happy to come across this gem. I could not agree with you more. I eat meat regularly, and I do not feel guilty for it in the least. Perhaps you need to visit an African savanna and chastise lions for eating a still living gazelle.
*Applause*
As much as helping a homeless man is one's duty, so is helping out helpless animals. Eat all the meat you want but dont resort to unusual levels of cruelty just because it makes your food taste better. Foie-Gras is cruelty and so is factory farming of animals. As much as you may convince yourself that animals dont feel pain, the fact remains that you know otherwise. You can see a significant emotional intelligence in you pets and the same applies to other creatures. It is a matter of time before strict laws are introduced to prevent animal suffering. While killing for food is a fact of life, a decent life should be mandatory for all animals while they are alive and when they are killed they should not be slaughtered alive. This is just wrong.
Chef Wong has shown disdain for cruel practices by endorsing some of these foods. She acknowledges this but seems to offer shallow excuses for why she had to do it.
Yep you are going to hell! You ate whale in a country that not only endorses the murder of endangered animals but the attempted murder of people trying protect them! How would you like it if I shot a harpoon through your lungs, shot you and gutted you on a deck of a boat in the name of "research".
This is what you are planning, just because she ate a food legal in the country she ate it in? This is like Americans deciding Europeans are insane and horrible because they eat horses and Americans don't. Why is this your business? It's not....
Of course some Americans will be angry. Just the same if she had posted a recipe for dog or cat (common in areas of Asia but not here). Eating dolphin and whales is not looked upon too lightly over here.
Chad, I can understand someone not wanting to eat some of these foods, but what bothers me is the rage and over-the- top reaction to someone 1) eating meat of any kind, and 2) eating something that person wouldn't want to eat. Truly, that attitude does more to hurt vegetarians' cause than anything. Being rude and harsh about someone else's diet is not the way to win people over. Is their desire to be rude, or win people over to vegetarianism?
@Marky – Please! If you would take the time to read the comments from all of the superior people from European countries, or from foreign countries in general, you should have realized by now that the US is crap, and the rest of the world is an absolute Utopia populated by perfect people and ideologies.
Whale killer! but...... it does make my mouth water just reading his description of how succulent whale can be….. yet I know it’s wrong but it sound sooo good, lets fry us up some whale burgers American style.
Shame! Shame! She should go watch The Cove http://www.thecovemovie.com/
Y is she raving about fatty foods when America is having so many problems with fatty people? Why is she pushing for abusive animal delicacies? Next she'll be telling us Five Reasons To Demolish the Amazon Rain Forests...
Who could advocating eating fois gras???? The ducks have their feet nailed to boards for god's sake! It is disgusting!!!
Uh – they're geese, not ducks. And the rest of your content is also wrong.
I see the duck comment is being heavily astroturfed. If you're going to make multiple posting using different screen names, at least try to vary them a little.
Wow, imagine that, an asian person living up to every cliche by condoning the killing of whales. Perhaps she would like to comment on how most men only view asian women are whores for a good time but not the women you actually marry. Come on lady, use your head the way your parents probably demanded that you do through high school. Wrong is wrong, even if it tastes good.
What a loser comment to make. My Asian daughter had no problems at all getting married, in fact she was, and is, a wonderful person anyone would be lucky to know, let alone marry. You are beyond rude, not to mention racist!
Humans of various cultures are okay with eating cats, dogs, horses, guinea pigs, just to name a few, as well as killing countless sharks by cutting off the fins and throwing the shark back in the water to die. Countless fish die as a result of "dragging," in which the fishermen keep the fish they want, and all the rest are collateral damage. Thats humans for you!
1 in 3 ducks overfed to become foie gras die before they reach the butcher. A pipe is shoved down their throats 3 times per day and filled with so much food their stomachs frequently burst. Foie Gras is banned in the UK because it cruelty and it was recently banned in California (the first state to do so).
Think before you eat. The treatment of animals in the America is horrendous. http://www.nofoiegras.org
Th problem is, Wong knows what is behind the fst she gorges on, and doesn't care.
The treatment of animals anywhere they are considered food is horrendous. But hey, thanks for singling out the US!
...I don't even know if anything as fatty as these things can be considered food.
Yes, indeed, they certainly can. Everyone doesn't want to live on beans and rice, though I like them sometimes. I certainly like some of these type things, once in awhile. Do you honestly think Fong, or anyone else eats these foods every day? Good grief.....
No I don't think anyone eats these things everyday, I am just saying food is the stuff you put in your body to give it energy and these things seem like they would take more energy just to digest than they would end up giving a person in the end.
Boy veggie by that logic I would gladdly eat every single one of these every day because it would make me lose weight...
I know that street in Puebla, and I know a lot of those bars. When I got drunk I usually veered toward the sketchy hot dog/taco cart, nothing that adventurous. Ay, Puebla, te echo de menos. As for Montreal, I'm a fan of the poutine – which is also pretty fatty. French fries, chicken gravy, and big chunks of cheese with some Belgian style ale – yessss.
It's cheese "curds" not big chunks of cheese and it's beef gravy not chicken gravy. What side of the St. Lawrence did you shimmy down?
So if somebody else does something unsavory or a Top Chef sticks something in front of you, that makes it morally correct to participate in a globally illegal act (scientific research??). What will you eat next... Tiger, Whooping Crane, Snow Leopard? Ahh, the apathetic world of a self-justifying narcissist.
This post goes great since America is in having the Obesity Epidemic! What are the stats now? Something like 1 in 5 kids are overweight or obese. 1 in 3 American adults and something like 1 in 5 infants of 9-months are overweight.
Next CNN needs a post about "Five Fantastic Fat-Filled Kids' Meals" and "Five Fantastic Fat Saturated Meals For Your Toddler." Okay, I'm going to go make dinner for my toddler. Thank goodness, I have Gerber's canned Mac 'N Cheese and Peach Cobbler dessert so there is no cooking involved :).
The thing is eating fat doesn't make you fat. Eating carbs (sugar) which gets stored into fat does. If you eat a crap load of fat you essentially just pee the excess out. If you eat a bunch of carbs however, whatever your body doesn't use it stores in your fat cells. Our body needs fat, it tells our body when we are satiated. If this country was afraid of processed carbs and sugar instead of fat we'd be in a much better place health wise. So put some cheese on your broccoli and skip the mashed potatoes!
@ Kam,
Yay!!!! Someone who understands nutritional biophysiology. :-)
Very well said.
The Spanish stew and the beef sound good. I'll pass on everything else though.
FIona – I am with you there....self-indulgent indeed.....and she is not funny....
She's scum!!!!!
Wong ticked me off from the start with her inane "stay vegetarian two or three days a week" comment (you are either a vegetarian or you're not...it isn't a day-to-day choice). But then to read her dismissive attitude toward those who might question her choice to eat whale blubber, and to see that the next item was that edible cruelty foie gras, and I am utterly repulsed by the woman. How could someone be so greedy, self-indulgent, and lacking in principals? You have more than gout to worry about, Lee Anne.
Funny, you feel dismissed by her, yet you talk so harshly and pass such hateful judgement because Fong is not a vegetarian? What colossal hypocrisy! I don't ask you to eat meat, you need to leave those of us who choose to eat meat alone.
Where did I chastise or judge her for eating "meat"? I am disgusted both by the quantity of food she speaks of eating, her obvious greed, and - above all - her lack of conscience in choosing what to eat. i have no problem with others eating flesh, but when someone blithely puts her own pleasure above all else (the eating of whale meat illegally harvested, and the consumption of liver fat from birds that have been force fed), I WILL judge her. And rightly so.
Veggie police!
Oh great woman...go ahead and just advertise how great whale is you bimbo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Booooooooo!!!
Uh...ohhh...Aaahhhhhhh! Foie Gras Double Down, I think I might trade my boyfriend for you, if only for a night.
And by the way, those Kobe steaks sound AWESOME!!
Just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for me please.
Lacey, do you know how they make jelly? They beat that poor grape till it oozes out of its skin. How cruel!
We can get mad at you, because baby seal isn't exactly endangered.
Am I the only one who finds this revelry over the wholesale slaughter of animals to be absolutely revolting? Just because Anthony Bourdain eats baby seals raw, it doesn't absolve you from your own filthy involvement in the pain and violent deaths of these virtually defenseless, living, breathing creatures. That whale you butchered was probably somebody's mother. And for what? A diet that, very soon, will make you morbidly obese and prime for cancer and heart disease. Violent, immoral behavior directed out at innocents, and foolish behavior directed in toward your own health and well-being. Foolish girl.
Been eating beef and other animals all my life, have a more than good cholesterol count, and am doing fine! No problem for me; I'm not obese, and I do not act in a violent way when I kill something for food. I treat it with respect just as I was taught by my parents. And I'm not going to freak out because broccoli has a meltdown when I pick it, either....
Oh, you treat animals with respect when you kill them? Unless you breed and raise 100% of the livestock you eat, you provide financial support to the factory farm system. These animals are brutalized. Their lives are sheer torture from birth until they are forced into the slaughterhouse at the end of an electrified cattle prod. They are pumped full of hormones and other chemicals, torn away from their offspring, branded with red-hot irons, and milked until their bodies give out. That's not what I call "respect." When you buy meat at the grocery store, you support the murder and terrorization of your fellow mammals, animals that feel the same terror, pain, and emotions as you. That's not respect. That's barbarism.
Anthony – Whose mother? Your mother? Being morbidly obese and having heart issues is generally not a Japanese thing – That's pretty much the US you just described, maybe we should eat whale here too, eh?
Meat, it's what for dinner! Now quit your b!tch!n and finish your bowl of tasty quinoa and capers.
Great stories and food. The marbling on the kobe is ridiculous.
Kobe beef, at least, are treated reasonably well during their brief lives. As the writer Michael Pollan says, they have happy lives followed by one bad day (more than one, actually, but the point is the same).
I think I'd prefer the rare ribeyes on a stick (etc.)
Those Kobe steaks sound un-freakin believable...
Dude! Ain't nuttin' better than Kobe Beef. While stationed in Okinawa, Japan my spouse and I had the real thing several times, and oh my was it delicious!!!!
Kobe beef is amazing even raw! The best!
Albert Einstein: "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."
Oh man – I thought I had a pretty iron stomach and a healthy enthusiasm for all things fatty and delicious. Reading all that consecutively made me involuntarily shudder and gag a little. Apparently there CAN be too much of a good thing!
I'm right there with you. I was craving a cheeseburger for dinner tonight, but now I'm making myself a salad.
You wouldn't have that problem with a big bowl of mixed greens.
Making the rare ribeyes we cooked on a stick, over an open fire, in hunting season, then ate with our bare hands seem tame.
I've done that! It was delicious. Hunks of raw beef placed over an open fire and eaten with bare hands. A healthy amount of beer and it was one of the best camping trips, food experiences I've ever had.
Foie Gras Double Down - reading about it made me slightly queasy.
Don't kill the whale!
foie gras double down....yes please!
Crazy... especially the animal abuse that goes with fois gras. http://www.meat.org
That shows what is legal in the US, Canada and most parts of Europe.:( :( :(
The ends justify the means, brother.
SIR ROGER MOORE (aka James Bond) narrates this 5-min documentary about what's behind fois gras.
The video is here: http://www.StopForceFeeding.com/
Wong should stop advocating cruelty.
Um, wow.
Whale blubber sounds insane. Like fishy jello?
No, NOT fishy–whales are mammals. Why do folk always assume whale would taste fishy? (Every fish has a different flavour anyway, so "fishy" is a poor description.)
Animals taste like what they eat.
Chickens in America taste like corn, in China you can taste the fish-meal they are fed.
Whales, I am told, taste like beef with a fish overtone.
(Grass-fed beef tastes like butter, and is far more delicious than feed-lot crud)
iNTERESTING!
1/3rd of the ducks die before even being butchered. A pipe is rammed down the down their throats three times a day and OVERFILLED with food - frequently bursting their stomachs. It is like stuffing a human with 30 lbs of food 3 times daily. It is BANNED in the UK because of CRUELTY. But America treats animals like sh*t.
Not true for all producers. Methods (and sometimes, accordingly, quality of the finished product) vary from farm to farm. Honestly, if one has no beef (a thousand pardons) with butchering and eating the animal in the first place, the method by which that animal was prepared for slaughter and consumption seems a bit niggling.
If you're going to kill an animal for food, what does it matter if it has a good life? It's FOOD!! Thats why they put high-pressure water hoses up the nostrils of cattle, why they cut the testicles, ears and tails off pigs with no anesthesia and why chickens water. What the hell does it matter? They are dumb animals. Adrenaline flavors the meat. And if it weren't for these adrenaline rushes from stuff like this, meat just wouldn't taste the same.
Brad, you couldn't have made a more ignorant post. You obviously haven't the faintest clue about the practices of handling food animals. Now sit down and let the grown ups talk.
Many other countries treat all animals – including animals considered as strictly companion animals, ie cats, dogs, guinea pigs, etc, as walking food. Humans around the world tend to treat animals not just as lesser beings, but as non-beings. But if it makes you feel superior to isolate and shee-ott on Americans for our ways, have at it. I'm sure everyones perfect where you are.
Surely brad was being sarcastic, nobody could be that incredibly wrong about things. Its a well known fact that adrenaline ruins the meat and that the worst meat is a result from abusive treatment.
McDouble – I completely respect what you have to say but did you know that 1 in 3 cows are alive throughout the dismembering process until their organs are removed? The Washington Post wrote an article entitled, "They Die Piece By Piece" - "Animals mooing, blinking and looking around while they had their hooves cut off, bellies cut open." (Here is the article: http://newsmine.org/content.php?ol=nature-health/livestock/they-die-piece-by-piece.txt ). Animal abuse is RAMPANT ). Veterinarian inspectors of slaughtering plants say the abuse is "out of control." Unfortunately, the slaughterhouses themselves are allowed to "self-police" themselves for abuse.
Oh boo hoo. It's a duck, and they are stupid.
YouGoGrrl is obviously not at all familiar with avian anatomy and physiology. Birds do not have "stomachs"....they have a crop and a gizzard (plus other organs.) She is equating the digestive system of birds to that of humans, but they are very different. The crop is a very stretchy "pre" stomach holding area. Anyone who has ever handfed a baby parrot knows that in order for them to survive and grow, it must be filled up really full every few hours. As they get older, it becomes less stretchy because they start eating different types of food. But if you continue on with the handfeeding (and using a tube is very safe, commonplace, and easy on the bird), the crop does not lose its stretchiness. It is not uncomfortable to the bird....it is what they are USED to. They just don't get weaned onto an adult diet. There is nothing inhumane about it at all. Countries which have outlawed it as "cruel" caved to political pressure of extremist propaganda from emotional people who aren't interested in facts, that's all.
Dr. Geb you obviously have no idea what you are talking about. If you like birds, go Google "Fois Gras." Unfortunately, the workers do not handle the hundreds of birds like you would a delicate baby parakeet. Foie gras workers do not use a rubber tube – they use a metal pipe. The tongue of the bird is frequently torn or cut in the process because it is done with such force. Sometimes the pipe is inserted down the throat of the bird it has torn through the neck of the bird. Also, did you ever staple your parakeet's feet to the floor so that it could not move? Birds used in fois gras have their webbed feet nailed to the floor. Please, take 5 minutes tonight and Google "fois gras" - you will see it is banned and labeled as "cruel" for a real reason. Or click here: http://www.stopforcefeeding.com/
Montreal is in Canada. While that is part of North AMERICA, I think they would probably be upset to be lumped together under the label of "American" with us ignorant, animal beating bunch of rednecks south of THEIR border. Please let's not try to blame EVERYTHING on Americans.
I have heard the process to fattening up the duck and it does seem rather cruel, but I personally wouldn't eat the stuff anyway because it's an organ (which I don't eat) from a duck (which I, also, don't eat).
Brad,
Better be careful what you wish for dumb animals, cuz it sounds like your one.
If you want more information on the procedures of fois gras:
http://www.NoFoieGras.Org
Check that out for more information.
You might at least try to get your information from a balanced source. The site you posted is utterly worthless when it comes to making a fact-based decision.
As others have pointed out, your understanding of avian anatomy is grossly misinformed. Given your choice of information source, I can see why.
Ever thought of doing your own primary research? Or would actual facts be too unsettling for the smaller, more comfortable Universe you've created for yourself?
While I knew my choices would set off an avid discussion, I really see no need for the hateful words. Japan is a country that has been eating whale for over 3000 years and yes, there are inflammatory movies such as The Cove, however the whale that I consumed was legally harvested and sold to restaurants, and I happened to be in a country where it is legal to consume whale. My enthusiasm for what I do and how I choose to eat is no reason to call me "scum" or "whale killer", as that was the one and only time I have ever eaten it. It is highly disappointing that there is clearly a double standard; men such as Anthony Bourdain, Adam Richman, and Andrew Zimmern can get away with similar "barbaric cannibalistic self indulgent" acts otherwise known as adventurous eating and for some reason certain people think because I am a woman I'm supposed to have a sensitivity gene. I've killed and butchered my own pigs. I've been to duck farms and seen the slaughter and harvest of foie gras. I guarantee, because this is what I do for a living, I understand the food chain and where what I'm eating comes from more than you ever will. It's a choice. We all make choices, and though you may agree with mine, the name calling is really childish. I don't call you a "moron" for feeding your children fast food and sugar laden sodas. So take a deep breath, and realize this was written as an entertainment piece for people who actually enjoy the act of eating.
Legally harvested? What a freaking joke. You have no idea what you are talking about, now you really sound stupid.
For some reason, I highly doubt it has anything to do with your gender. I think it has more to do with the slow, painful deaths of threatened, intelligent animals under the guise of 'research'. Not that you personally waded out there and killed one, but this is basically promoting eating those animals, which no one finds particularly entertaining. Might as well tell people how delicious tigers and baby pandas are.
There are also countries where it's legal to eat monkeys. And dogs.
It's still disgusting. Nothing to do with gender. Everything to do with the intelligence of the animal, and the humanity of the slaughter.
Delicious reply.
are you crazy? no one called for a double standard. if you knew what ppl would call u, u shld hav kept quite. we r all nt ur entertainment – u got it the other way - whale killer
You can't imagine how good you would feel if you become a vegetarian.
The reason most of the civilized world has stopped eating whales and dolphins is that science has shown they are probably as intelligent as we are. Yes, the whale you ate was probably "legally" slaughtered, because the Japanese government claimed it was killed for "scientific" research. In this case the science appears to have been a study into the effects of feeding naughty food to an apparently clueless American journalist and the reaction of her fellow Americans when she brags about it on CNN. Predictably (except to you, apparently), the reaction is one of general disgust. And it's supposed to make it better that the Japanese have been eating whales and dolphins for thousands of years, and you only did it one time? Certain tribes in New Guinea have an ancient culinary tradition which is frowned on by the most of the world as well, so I guess it will be OK if you only try it once.
It has nothing to do with gender. Animal cruelty in America is a charged topic at present. For example, if CNN posted an article about mink and fox coats, it would probably receive the same response. Even if such an article were intended for those who enjoy wearing fur for fun, there would probably be quite a few posts opposing such an article because animals used for fur are electrocuted with anal probes, causing bleeding and pain. Fois gras, for example, in banned in the UK because it is considered cruel. There are are so many delicious cruelty-free dishes out there – and I'm sure Wong would make them unforgettable!
You don't have to defend yourself. You are a gorgeous woman with a wonderful
job and a great outlook on life and food. I am a huge fan of yours. And having
been to Japan many times, I am sorry that I never had the opportunity to try a bit
of whale. Maybe someday...
Again, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You are awesome.
Niel
@Lee Anne:
Interesting that while you admonish people for "hateful words" early on in this post, a few sentences down, you snidely, condescendingly insinuate that certain people that disagree with you are bad people because they "feed their children children fast food and sugar laden sodas." Is that a stereotype of Americans? Who exactly are you saying that to? Who was that aimed at, and what exactly does that have to do with the discussion at hand? How do you know what they feed their kids?
Are you one of these people that thinks you're better than everyone else because you eat Foie Gras and whale soup and write about it? I'm sorry, but your reply was condescending, arrogant, and honestly, just as hateful as the ones with bad language. Just because you didn't use a grade-school cut-down in your reply doesn't make it any less hateful. Be very careful when you trumpet your achievements and pound your chest on the internet. You don't know who you're talking to, what their background is, and how much they really MIGHT know about the food chain. While I applaud you for defending yourself, shame on you for your blatant arrogance and your stereotyping. It's inexcusable and rather bush-league.
These comments are too funny. Ms. Wong, I am suprised that you even felt you had to justify yourself over these idiotic "kinder gentler sociatal" rantings. Humans eat flesh, be it the flesh of a plant or an animal. It amazes me how people, especially we in America, find it so repulsive the dietary intake of other cultures. It is a whale, it is a duck, it is an animal to which we are in a higher food chain bracket. Kill it, eat it, and if cooked up right (in the case of foie gras, plumped up right) ENJOY.
Double standard? I'm opposed to anyone eating whales. I'm also opposed to obvious torture foods like foie gras. I think it's pretty silly to try and hide behind some kind of gender bias claim with your food choices that I find absolutely offensive, and frankly, morally reprehensible. You own up to your choices, fine. Take the heat and shut up.
I enjoy being warm but I dont go out and buy fur coats.
Ms. Wong –
You may be new to blogging, but on Eatocracy, the vegans are some of the most hateful and ignorant people to walk the Earth. Pity them, for the fear and anger blind them to much of what is good in life. Thank you for a most informative and insightful posting. I envy you your travel opportunities.
Lou Anne – just ignore the hateful posts. Don't lower yourself to the level of small people by responding. You're doing a great job and we (most of us anyway) appreciate what you do.
Lee Anne Wong you may not read CNN comments that often, but they are typically filled with hateful garbage. I'd very much suggest you don't bother reading comments, and ESPECIALLY don't reply to them.
LEE ANNE WONG- I respect what you do, and can only envy your choice of career. I can sympathize with a moral dilema when in other countries, you have the opportunity to try dishes that may be "taboo" in our country, (USA). My advice would be that if you were to try, say dog or cat, that you would not write a column stating that. Just try what you want, and leave it at that. By reading the article you posted, I can tell you were aware that whale was a touchy subject, and tried to legitimize the fact that you ate it in Japan. I realize that by not eating the "offending" animal, your protest would fall on deaf ears in that country, but in America, that is a no-no. Everything is subject to being "PC", and the fall-out just does not equal the risk. I am a food inspector for the govt., and I will not eat veal. I have seen and been told by other inspectors the horrible conditions of living, and the method of slaughter that be falls a veal calf. I won't eat it, and believe that if there is no market, maybe one calf will not endure the treatment. I know it's probably delusional, but there it is. I can't stop it, but I won't be a part of it either. We've all heard of Japan's stance on whaling; history, tradition, etc. We've also heard of overwhaling, using "scietific research" as a cover to kill whales. Lets face it, some anilmals on this planet are taboo, and unless you can handle the negative press, either don't consume them, or just don't include them in your column.
Eating food is an art, and like other forms of art some people will never "get it". While humane methods should be followed in gathering the food we consume, ethical farming included in that statement, there is nothing wrong with indulging in some of the finer foods if it was prepared/harvest in the correct manner. As for it being illegal, that is only in the state of CA and even then it's only foie gras that has been obtained via force feeding.
However I have to admit I am biased because I am a huge fan of today's featured chef. She was a joy to watch on the first season of Top Chef and I loved watching her Wong Way to Cook specials on Bravo. Keep up the great job and please keep bringing more "food porn" to TV!
Did you pay for this whale meat? If yes you have encouraged whale killing. It is a fact and you cannot deny it. Whether your food was legal or not, whether you are moral or not, you are a whale killer. Please accept the fact.
Here's what I think is wrong with your logic: going to a country where something unethical is legal and doing it just once: a country where children are sacrificed and doing it just once...
And as for you guys who roasted "Hunks of raw beef placed over an open fire and eaten with bare hands. A healthy amount of beer...": jeez. you guys were successful in pretending to be real cartoon men.
You have completely and utterly missed the point of the uproar. Nice try to lamely divert the issue with the sexism call. I hardly think many people supported Bourdain. Did you not think it odd that CNN did NOT put a picture of your whale meat dish in its album above? Um...duuuuh...because of global opposition to the extreme cruelty waged to such a high-thinking mammal? You are clueless. Clueless in accepting the meal. Clueless in writing about it in such a public forum. Clueless in thinking the opposition was about gender. I'm personally scared to leave you alone with a paring knife. Good luck with your 'career' with this stinker sinker.
You are a pig, Ms. Wong. You should hang your head in shame instead of boasting about how you enjoyed eating animals that were tortured for your eating amusement. Next we'll be treated to hearing about how much you enjoyed scarfing down Rover and Boots. Pig.
Last time I checked, Bourdain, et al, weren't eating endangered animals. There's a rather large difference between "cute" and "on the brink of annihilation".
I'm not going to call you names for eating whale, but you really need to reexamine your position. Your justifications for it simply don't hold up.
And even if Bourdain had eaten whale, "He did it, too!" isn't exactly a reasoned position.
Your statement that Japan "legally" harvests whale is also weak, to be as polite as possible. The Japanese position that they're collecting whales for "research" is laughable, as anyone who spends more then a few seconds examining this sorry state of affairs can reasonably conclude.
Eat whatever you like. But don't expect a lot of support when your choices are so poor and your justifications are so shaky.
Ms. Wong, this was a great article and I hope to someday share your experiences. Don't take the comments from these posters–most of which are probably unemployed and borderline illiterate–seriously.
No hate here....great article. I have had the Kobe, I love Foie Gras, but never thought of chicken fried. If I had the opportunity I would try the whale. I have noticed that most of the people that post here are just here to vent or criticize. Keep up the good work and enjoy every bite!
This woman is a heartless & disgusting. What won't this selfish eat?!
Ms. Wong,
I am a vegetarian because of the inhuman ways that animals are treated throughout the process, the toll it takes on the environment, the fact that I am healthier as a vegetarian, and because I value animals lives as much as my own. I do not begrudge you from eating meat, fish, insects, etc. But, do it the right way and be respectful off the animals in the process. But, you have to admit, eating whale (and then advertising eating) whale is irresponsible and selfish if you care anything for the world we live in. Its obvious you know it was wrong – you tried to justify it by throwing other "celebrity foodies" under the bus before anyone even said a word. You are the one that has to live with your decisions.
Playing the gender card is just embarrassing, Ms. Wong. I don't see any comment here that picks on you as a female. Your mention of Bourdain is apt, however. I find his entire public, testosterone-filled (increasingly ridiculous as he ages) persona to be offensive. He revels in the "take this, PETA" naughtiness of eating to shock, so why take him to task on any particular thing? Zimmerman (his correct name, not Zimmern) is nothing but a foodie version of a carnival geek. His show is not about the food, but the gross-out. I am unfamiliar with the third man you named.
I DO actually enjoy eating, more so now because I know I'm not contributing to the idea that animals aren't worth anything.
If you buy whale meat and eat it (or, for that matter, any meat), you do contribute to the death of that animal. Calling you a "whale killer" (or any animal killer) is not too far off. Or course, I don't agree with using incredibly harsh words, but if you can't stand up to the criticism, maybe you shouldn't be eating meat.
i say you are somkey hot on the show and the thing you eat and cooking i think is a great thing you do that is a great passion you and love i want to make passion love to you
" I’ll eat straight lard because I love the taste of pork fat."
This is about the grossest thing you could have said....I bet you stink all the time with crap flowing out of your pores...I am not often harsh but you are simply put, grotesque.
http://www.earthlings.com/
We are only "hateful" because you meat eaters are sponsoring animal abuses and pollutions, people like Ms Wong are promoting an unhealthy lifestyle...I live in Oklahoma..1 in 3 are obese here...I wonder why? Eating animals is just wrong.
http://www.earthlings.com/
You can let her know what you think (Since she "doesn't care" about the sh** she'll get for her comments) at Kogi BBQ Truck in NYC. Since nothing disgusts her I can only imagine how clean that mobile germ factory is. E-Coli anyone?
Do you have any health department reports or evidence to back up that accusation, or are you just talking out of your azzz?
The Staph Virus has been found in 5% of all US meat. It is so high because it travels like wildfire in compounds that house 50,000 pigs who are crammed together. Evidence? Here:
http://wtfsgoingon.typepad.com/what-the-fucks-going-on-blog/2010/10/deadly-mrsa-bacteria-found-in-meat-from-factory-farms-no-usda-testing.html
You know where the pig-bird-flu originated? Within 1 mile of one of the largest pig factory farms in the WORLD located in Asia – it houses 80,000 pigs and 700,000 chickens. It was one of the first viruses to jump species, but the animals were so crammed together it had plenty of opportunity.
Here's an idea...lAY OFF THE CAPS LOCK.