Chris Walker Vs. The End Of The Downers

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When he’s not still campaigning for an election he already won, or persuading the American public to embrace the virtues of Socialism, President Barack Obama is doing good things. More specifically, President Obama, his wife, Michelle Obama, and the Obama administration are doing good things. Good things in the realm of food, that is.

President Obama has met with and heeded the message of Alice Waters, perhaps the most well-recognized and outspoken proponent of the Slow Food Movement; he’s read influential agricultural books such as Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma; in January, Obama appointed Sam Kass, a chef who promotes seasonal, local, organic cooking, to work under chef Cristeta Comerford (who is also well-versed in the cooking style) in the White House kitchen. Meanwhile, Mrs. Obama has been digging up the White House lawn to plant a 1,100-square-foot garden, something that will not only be a great future source of organic produce, but is also considered a symbol of the Obama family’s dedication to the education of healthy eating and living, as well as environmentalism.

While that all sounds great, let’s face it: It’s kind of bullshit. Healthy chefs in the White House kitchen? Awesome; I’ll never get to eat their food. Mrs. Obama and her daughters planting kale on the South Lawn? It makes for one helluva photo-op but, really, what difference does it make to me? I don’t care about the vegetables being planting on the White House lawn if the new, quality approach to food doesn’t personally affect me. And by me I mean we, the general public.

Turns out, the changes being made in the White House kitchen are resulting in changes that affect us. A couple weeks ago, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced, “a final rule to amend the federal meat inspection regulations to require a complete ban on the slaughter of cattle that become non-ambulatory disabled after passing initial inspection by Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) inspection program personnel,” according to a news release published on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website(1). The rule means “downer” cows, or cows too sick to walk on their own(2), are not allowed to enter the American consumer’s meat supply.

Downer cows can pose serious threats to people to eat their meat; they are often linked to mad cow disease and E. Coli. Downer cows were brought into focus last year after the Westland/Hallmark fiasco, which resulted in the recall of 143 million pounds of meat (the largest recall ever). The new rule is a significant victory for the health of American consumers, and it’s all thanks to the Obama administration. Hey, if we can’t eat their vegetables the least they can do is make our meat safer. Now, about those pesky antibiotics(3).

1. And you would’ve read about this final rule a couple weeks ago on the Versus had I not been working so hard to keep my job during this recession. Yeah, we’re not getting any bailouts.

2. Which I’ve only talked about, like, a million times now.

3. Remember: There are companies in the United States that have never condoned the slaughter of downer cows for consumption, nor condone the use of antibiotics and steroids on livestock. Seek them out; seek out the restaurants that use their products. Reward them and yourself: Eat their food.

LINKS:

Obama’s new White House chef Sam Kass will be thinking green & local. Daily News. Rosemary Black.

Ms. Waters Goes to Washington. Gourmet. Marian Burros.

Obamas to Plant Vegetable Garden at White House. The New York Times. Marian Burros.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Announces Final Rule for Handling of Non-Ambulatory Cattle. United States Department of Agriculture. News Release.

Chris Walker Vs. The New Niman Ranch

I’ve long championed Niman Ranch for their dedication to humane, natural methods of raising and killing the animals we eat. I’d even made it a goal to visit Niman Ranch this year. I wanted to see firsthand how the animals live; I wanted to witness an actual slaughter. (However unrealistic that might’ve been; I doubt they let “civilians” on the slaughterhouse floor. Nevertheless, I would’ve tried.) Unfortunately, the meat purveyor is no longer what it once was.

Niman Ranch — with their unwaveringly high standards and determination to do things “the right way” — failed to ever make a profit and, in order to save the company from bankruptcy, in January of this year Niman Ranch merged with it primary shareholder, Natural Food Holdings LLC.

The merger sees the departure of Niman Ranch founder, Bill Niman, and has exposed some changes in the way the “new” Niman Ranch is raising animals. While the company claims they will never use antibiotics or hormones, Niman Ranch is already administering antimicrobials, drugs that kill bacteria, a practice Bill Niman is against. (Note: Antimicrobials are not classified as antibiotics by the USDA, the same organization that thinks carnivorous fish like salmon can be considered “organic.”) Bill Niman himself has already said he will no longer eat Niman Ranch products. I guess time will tell just how significant and/or devastating the change in ownership and the absence of Bill Niman will be.

As much as I’d like to blame our downtrodden economy for Niman Ranch having to compromise its core values for the sake of profitability, it just isn’t the case. Doing the right thing just doesn’t always make money. Or enough money. Sadly, this just reaffirms the old adage, “No good deed goes unpunished.”

SOURCES AND LINKS:

Niman Ranch founder challenges new owners, by Stacy Finz

Niman Ranch Completes Merger, via BusinessWire.

Financial difficulties herd Niman toward merger, by Sarah Duxbury.

Chris Walker Vs. Getting To Know Your Negroni

Photo: Chris Walker

After posting Chris Walker Vs. Disappointment at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon, and a Brief Rumination on West Coast Cocktail Culture, Paulius Nasvytis, proprietor of the Velvet Tango Room, and I engaged in a brief dialogue about bad bartending, the importance of measuring when building a cocktail, and, of course, our love of the classic cocktail, the Negroni. Paulius writes an all-too-infrequent newsletter for patrons of the VTR and our exchange inspired him to write the following, a sort of love letter to the Negroni. I asked Paulius if I could repost it here on the Versus; he said yes, as long as I fixed his spelling errors. So, here you are: the history of the Negroni, the dangers of “free-pouring”, and enough cocktail musings to make you run out to a bar (or the liquor store) immediately after reading.

Greetings VTR Cocktalians!

One of my favorite cocktails of all time is the “Negroni”. It was out of favor (at least by trendsetters) for a number of years but, is again gaining popularity. Here is a brief history of this European cocktail:

The Negroni, the signature Campari cocktail, has been an international favorite for more than a century. It was invented in the early 1900s by a Florentine aristocrat, Count Camillo Negroni. The Count asked a bartender to add some bite to his preferred cocktail, the Americano*.

With the addition of gin, an instant classic was conceived, baptized, and the “Negroni” became the Count’s new favorite.

A brief note on Campari itself. Originating as a “digestif” (an herb and macerated fruit concoction said to aid digestion), Campari is the world’s top-selling “bitter”. It was introduced in 1860 in Milan. Gaspare Campari developed and perfected his bold red creation using more than 60 natural ingredients, with the moderately bitter flavored Italian blood orange as the predominant fruit. It can be consumed on its own, and used in cocktails as well.

The Negroni is an extremely complex cocktail. It is bitter, sweet, and spicy. Made with gin and red vermouth, the introduction of Campari to this unusual combination is decisive and very assertive in the making of a first-rate Negroni. The addition of a few drops of our orange bitters gives it extra spice. The Negroni is a wonderful aperitif cocktail, as it really wakes up the taste buds. Really wakes them. It is a fine digestif, as well, with the natural herbal ingredients. Last Saturday night, one of our Cocktailians described his Negroni as, “a helluva guy that you want to hang out with but, under no circumstance introduce your girlfriend to.” I think that pretty much sums it up.

Now, for the technicalities. A Negroni is equal parts gin, red vermouth, and Campari. It sounds simple, and if that is indeed what you get, you won’t be disappointed. Problems arise with bartenders “speed-pouring” and not accurately measuring the ingredients. The Campari’s thicker viscosity causes it to pour much slower, so if the cocktail is “free-poured”, and not measured, it will not be well balanced, due to not enough Campari. Also, it is traditionally spiced up with orange bitters (call me if you need a bottle) and a burnt orange peel garnish. This garnish is very important, as flaming the essential oils from the peel into the glass creates a thin “oil slick” on the top layer of the cocktail. This is just enough to lightly tap your palate with every sip. Vermouth is also significant. At the VTR, we use a very unique vermouth made by the Quady vineyards in California called “VYA”. It is magnificent, and I have it available retail if you like, both white and red versions. The information is on our menu. Vermouth needs to be stored CHILLED IN THE FRIDGE, and it’s shelf life, once opened, is about 10 days.

The third component, gin, should be assertive, but not overpowering. Plymouth, Bombay, Old Raj and Tanquerey work well. Hendricks (too delicate) or Rangpur (too limey) – not so much.

The VTR’s “Tango Negroni”, like the VTR Manhattan, is made with our own proprietary version of vermouth. By definition, vermouth is a fortified and spiced wine. We do make our own such wine, but it can’t legally be called “vermouth”, per se. As you know, we are purists when it comes to ingredients, and the international torchbearers of the classic cocktail. I consider the use of this to be legit, as it is still a “fortified wine” and not something else that would fundamentally change the cocktail, thus no longer it being a Negroni. A Negroni is not something to be trifled with by the dilettante barkeep. It is also not for everyone. It has a deep and full and complex flavor profile. It is a kinky assault to the palate.

And it should not be dumbed-down and made into a sugary sweet mutation. No! No! No! Say “no” to the Bologney Negroni!

So now, on this unseasonably warm early Wednesday morning, I’m so craving a Negroni! (When we all know that a Ramos Gin Fizz is the proper “morning cocktail”.) By the way, Campari mixes well with fresh squeezed orange juice, too. Campari and ginger or tonic in a big tall glass makes a sparkly and refreshing summer sipper, particularly when you squeeze in a large piece of lemon or two.

* The Americano is made with equal parts red vermouth and Campari, garnished with both lemon and orange twists.

Perhaps the only things Paulius failed to mention are: 01. “Free-pouring” can also result in too much Campari, the bitter flavor overpowering the drink. 02. You’ve got to specify whether you want your Negroni “up” or “on the rocks.” Too often, I order a Negroni and it comes on ice when I wanted it without. Regardless, I don’t know about you but I’m ready for a drink… and a trip to Cleveland.

LINKS:

The Velvet Tango Room (New Site)

VYA Vermouth

Campari

Paulius also sent me a link to a thread he started on eGullet you all might be interested in checking out:

New Formula Campari, nooooooooooo