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Foie Gras Foul? Animal Rights Activists to Protest at Providence
Foie Gras Croque-Monsieur at Ludobites 4.0 Photo by djjewelz via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
Foie Gras Croque-Monsieur at Ludobites 4.0 Photo by djjewelz via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
Foie gras is on the menu tonight at Providence and animal rights activists are planning to protest, according to the LA Times.
Providence is hosting tonight's fundraiser for the Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation, an organization that preps and sends the American team to compete in the Bocuse d'Or, a famed international culinary competition named after chef Paul Bocuse. Several celebrated LA chefs will be on hand tonight to offer their interpretation of signature Bocuse dishes and Animal Protection & Rescue League advocates are none too happy that foie gras will make not one, but two appearances on the multi-course menu.
What are the offending dishes?
-Josiah Citrin's Dodine de Canard a L'ancienne - duck stuffed with fois gras, truffle and pistachio
-Alain Giraud's Soupe Paul Bocuse - double capon consommé with foie gras, black truffle and puff pastry
Though other famed chefs such as Wolfgang Puck and Charlie Trotter have vowed to stop serving foie gras, Thomas Keller (a mentor to the chefs competing in the Bocuse d'Or) is no stranger to public protests as he continues to showcase fois gras on his menus. One of the prizes for the evening's silent auction is dinner at Thomas Keller's Bouchon in Beverly Hills which regularly serves fois gras, a fact not lost on activists.
Protesters plan to "spoil the appetites" of Providence diners by displaying large banners depicting the torture of animals on foie gras farms. Providence General Manager Donato Poto was surprised to learn of the protest, especially since "fois gras has been on menus for hundreds of years." He recognizes the rights of protestors to make their views heard, even if they are steps away from his guests. The menu for this evening's special event will remain unchanged.
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