Food Politics

Concoct Faux Foie Gras, Collect $10,000

This doesn't look like a goose.
This doesn’t look like a goose. Photo: iStockphoto.com

PETA’s offering a $10,000 reward for any chef who can create a vegetarian imitation of foie gras, the creamy, fatty orbs of delicious liver that you get from force-fed geese. An animal-free version of one of the food world’s most controversial delicacies (even for meat lovers) seems like a stretch (and worth much more than ten grand), but Fork in the Road has a nomination. “The portobello mousse at Dirt Candy is rich, earthy and intense, with a silky texture reminiscent of foie gras.” A winning bid could certainly help chef Amanda Cohen recover some of the losses from her vandalized menu box, but even Fork admits its nominee isn’t as good as the real stuff. But what will they call it? Tofoie? Faux Gras? Even Champignon Gras doesn’t have the same ring to it. Savor the mushroom spread for what it is, but those looking for more humane foie should start with ethically raised geese who gorge with the seasons. In 2006, the practice won a Coup de Coeur (the foodie Nobel) at the Paris International Food Salon and Dan Barber testified it’s better than the classic stuff. Save the vegetables! Eat happy geese!

PETA Obsessed With Foie Gras [Fork in the Road/VV]

Concoct Faux Foie Gras, Collect $10,000