Foie gras

Gastronomes will rejoice to hear that the Chicago City Council, by a nearly unanimous vote, lifted the ban on foie gras in Chicago restaurants. The ban was a liberal-supported effort intruding upon our culinary freedoms and supporting the civil rights of geese against being made into the traditional gourmet French dish. They were claiming it was an animal cruelty issue, but centuries of French food purveyors had long ago worked out those problems so that they achieved the "fatty liver" they so prized without harming the goose (at least until the goose was slaughtered for the table). The liberal Chicago intrusion didn't really help geese, it just made foie gras a public issue, leading restaurants that never before offered foie gras to sell it illegally either under-the-table or more blatantly on the menu for their "special" patrons, and convincing hundreds of restaurant patrons to request and order the often exorbitantly expensive item just to taste (and like!) it. Personally, I love foie gras......my mouth is watering right now at the memory of a nice slice of the special goose liver lightly sauteed in butter and cognac just until cooked medium......mmmmm......but I've not had any in years. I was saving my pennies so the next time I was in Chicago, I could eat it there. Now that the ban is lifted, I guess I'll just have to find some East Coast goose liver to eat. And I don't have to plan a trip to Chicago.