Sir Roger Moore has condemned it, and just recently, top French chef Albert Roux of Mayfair restaurant ‘La Gavroche’ expressed his disgust over it. Yes, I’m talking about the force-feeding of ducks and geese for their fatty livers – foie gras.
So, the clever people over at PETA US have a solution: Let top chefs vie to create the best faux foie gras in the world, with a chance to win a $10,000 prize!
In the international Fine Faux Foie Gras Challenge, the winner must produce an original, purely vegetarian faux foie gras comparable in taste and texture to the real glob of prized bird fat. First and second runners-up will each receive $1,000 worth of top-drawer kitchen equipment. The winning chef must also agree to offer the dish on a fine-dining menu and allow PETA US to distribute the recipe to chefs and media around the world.
PETA US’ VP Bruce Friedrich says, “The goal of our Fine Faux Foie Gras Challenge is to give fine diners a compassionate alternative to eating the diseased liver of a tormented bird. It’s a marvellous opportunity for a chef to create a culinary first that is delicious and that won’t ruffle any feathers.”
So, if you think you’ve got what it takes, click here for more information and the complete list of rules for the challenge, and get cooking!
Tags: ducks, faux foie gras, foie gras, geese
This is the astonishing moment when one devoted man decided to risk life and limb to save his animal companion, who had fallen through the ice on a lake after chasing a group of ducks. The mischievous little dog – named Jarvis – was lucky however, and survived the icy temperatures thanks to his brave guardian Marc Greenhalgh, who defied sub-zero temperatures and plunged into the icy water.
Despite being warned by the fire service not to take the leap, Marc stripped off and waded through the ice to reach his dog, who was clinging onto the edge of the ice sheet with his front paws to stay afloat. Awww… The man of the hour said, “I didn’t think twice about it. Jarvis was in trouble and he needed my help.”
PETA is sending Marc a ‘Hero to Animals’ award for his act of compassion. Please join me in giving him a virtual pat on the back!
Images credit: Julie Brown
Tags: companion animals, dogs, hero, reward
With her impressive filmography, incredible looks and compassion for animals, we were delighted when actress Patricia Arquette agreed to star in PETA’s new Animal Birth Control ad. I’ve been a fan of Patricia for many years, as she has starred in some of my favourite films – Little Nicky, True Romance and, being a film-geek, Lost Highway. Now, she’s making waves as psychic Allison Dubois in the hit drama Medium, coming back to our screens this Monday.
Well, here’s your chance to read an exclusive interview with Patricia, as she talks about the importance of spaying and neutering companion animals, and what she thinks of people who wear fur! Click the ad to enlarge, read more about the campaign and take action.
PETA US: The PETA US Animal Birth Control campaign was created to help put an end to the companion animal overpopulation crisis through spaying and neutering, and encouraging the adoption of animals from animal shelters, rather than purchasing them from breeders or pet shops. Why is this campaign important to you?
Patricia: One of my best friends is a woman named Whitney Smith, and she works with the REVA Foundation. … She’s constantly rescuing animals … and she’s educated me about the horrors that animals in Los Angeles face. Half a million dogs and cats are put down in California every year – [one] every three seconds. … I had heard over the years people say, “I don’t want to spay them before they have a chance to have babies”. There are half a million animals in our own state who are killed every year just because people want to have that experience.
PETA US: What are some things people can do every day to make their animal companions’ lives happy ones?
Patricia: Play with them, kiss them, pet them, walk them. Take them out whenever they can. Let them have adventures. Smell the world.
PETA US: What other animal issues are close to your heart and why?
Patricia: I don’t like fur. … My mom had a [fur] jacket from the 50s …. But the concept of buying fur today doesn’t make any sense to me. I’ve seen people in fur coats, and in my wild mind, I’m hoping someone will throw red paint on them!
Tags: ABC, companion animals, Medium, Patricia Arquette
There are times that I’m proud of being British. Like when we win Gold medals in the Olympics, or when I remember that fur farms were thrown out of the country for being too cruel. However, there are also times when the only reaction I can muster up for our actions is: WTF?
Some genius has come up with a plan to save the squirrel population (of the red kind) by… killing and eating the squirrel population (of the grey kind). Anyone else sense a touch of irony here? Long have I listened to people chastise the grey squirrel – doomed forever to people’s black books for emigrating from America (yeah, totally their fault, those strong-swimming scamps) and “pushing out” our native red squirrel. The “Save our Squirrels” campaign is an interesting one. Take the presiding principle, for example: save one coloured squirrel by mass culling and eating the other coloured one. I don’t think I even need to go on into how utterly un-PC that could possibly be construed as.
My favourite quote from the New York Times article from which this story originates is in some advice to trigger-happy readers who fancy a bite, “You want to get rid of the head in any event, as squirrel brains have been linked to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human form of mad cow disease.” Yum – tempting stuff!
Image: So Good Blog / CC
Tags: culling, squirrel, vegetarian
We’re hearing from a number of concerned people that, in these freezing temperatures, mice and rats are packing their bags and moving in to keep warm and, well … survive. While we might moan and groan about frostbitten noses and -10°C readings on the thermometer, think how cold it must be for rodents! It is understandable however if you don’t wish to share your duvet with Mickey the mouse, or Reggie the rat, so if you have an unwelcome visitor this Winter, follow these tips for humane control:
• The most effective methods do not target the animals themselves, but rather whatever attracts them and allows them access to the premises: available food, warmth, holes in the wall, etc.
• It is usually possible to figure out where the animals are entering by carefully observing their behaviour (for example, do they always scatter to the same spot?) Holes larger than 1/4 inch in diameter may be patched by stuffing the holes with steel wool and then applying a foam sealant that will harden when dry.
• All seeds (grass and edible gardening supplies) and human and companion-animal food should be placed into tightly sealed metal containers. Rodents can and will chew through plastic given half the chance!
• Animals trapped inside a building should be humanely box-trapped and removed, checking the traps several times a day. Remember, we don’t want the mice and rats to die. Release trapped mice at least 100 feet from any structure, preferably in a nearby park or wooded area.
You can get humane traps all over the UK, but if you fancy doing a bit of DIY try this:
1. Place dry oatmeal or tortilla chips in a plastic 50-gallon drum for rats or a small, plastic wastepaper basket for mice.
2. Set the drum in an area frequented by rodents.
3. Lean a flat piece of wood against the rim of the drum, or construct a ladder of books or bricks that they must climb to get to the rim.
4. They will jump in for the food but will be unable to climb back up the slippery surface.
5. Once caught, they can be safely released outside, and the trap can be reset.
6. Check the trap as often as possible!
Image: BBC News / CC
Tags: humane control, mie, rats
If you often forget things, you may be unlucky enough to incur the wrath of the ol’ “you’ve got a memory like a fish” banter. But whereas once this may have been a bit of an insult, scientists are now arguing that the three second memory rule is a myth. In fact, fish may remember things for up to five months at a time! Blimey, I think actually I’m a bit jealous… The researchers found that fish, trained to respond to certain sounds, reacted to those same sounds months down the line. They were taught to associate sounds played through an underwater speaker with dinner time. From then on, every time they played it, the fish would return for food. Cheeky scamp!
So next time you see a fish, don’t think of Dory, the cute but ever-forgetful fish star of Finding Nemo, and most certainly do not think of him dead on your plate surrounded by chips and mushy peas. No, think of an intelligent, highly sensitive being that would remember his home, family and when it’s dinnertime, if only given the chance. Say no to fish fingers and yes to faux-scampi! Mmm…
Image: Wallpaperbase / CC
Tags: fish, Sea Kittens, vegetarian
It seems that nearly every day we are told that cherished health facts we have come to know and love are, in essence, a load of tosh. Yep, according to the experts, you don’t lose the most heat out of your head (ahh), eating close to bedtime doesn’t make you fat (phew) and sugar doesn’t make children hyper-active (I’m not willing to test that one out). So we put together our own Top 10 list of meat and dairy myths so you can easily sort fact from fiction.
1. Myth: We need to eat meat to get enough protein
Fact – Eating too much animal protein has been directly linked to the formation of kidney stones and has been associated with cancer of the colon and liver. By replacing animal protein with vegetable protein, you can improve your health while enjoying a wide variety of delicious foods.
2. Myth - Children need dairy products to grow up strong and healthy.
Fact – Contrary to a popular milky myth, studies strongly implicate dairy in causing, rather than preventing, osteoporosis, because its high protein content leeches calcium from the body. Fortified soya and rice milks however, provide calcium, vitamins, iron, zinc and protein, but contain no cholesterol.
3. Myth: Meat is needed for a healthy and balanced diet
Fact – Population studies show that meat-eaters have three times the obesity rate of vegetarians and nine times the obesity rate of vegans. Eek!
4. Myth: Milk is easily absorbed by the body
Fact – It is biologically normal – and usual in most human populations – for humans to be unable to digest lactose (the sugar in milk). Millions of people are lactose-intolerant, a condition that can bring on bloating, gas, cramps, vomiting, headaches, rashes and asthma. As early as 2 years of age, most people begin to produce less lactase, the enzyme that helps with the digestion of milk.
5. Myth: Men aren’t men if they don’t eat meat
Fact – High cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, prostate cancers or inflammations, and hormonal imbalances cause the vast majority of all cases of impotence. Medical science suggests that all of these conditions can be managed, or in some case even prevented, with a low-fat vegan diet.
6. Myth: Meat is good for the heart
Fact – Research has shown that vegetarians are 50 percent less likely to develop heart disease, and they have 40 percent of the cancer rate of meat-eaters.
7. Myth - Humans are natural carnivores
Fact – Ah this old chestnut. Carnivorous animals have claws, short digestive tracts, and long, curved fangs. Humans have flat, flexible nails, and our so-called “canine” teeth are minuscule compared to those of carnivores and even compared to vegetarian primates like gorillas and orang-utans.
8. Myth: Fish is a health food.
Fact - Fish flesh contains toxins from the water that fish live in, and those toxins get passed on to people who eat fish. Fish raised on farms are given antibiotics, which are also passed on to consumers. Even if you could be sure that the fish you eat were free of chemicals, the flesh of some sea animals, especially shrimps and scallops, contains even more cholesterol than beef!
9. Myth: Milk is ok to drink throughout your adult life
Fact – Besides humans (and domesticated animals who are fed by humans), no other species drinks milk beyond infancy or drinks the milk of another species. Cow’s milk is suited to the nutritional needs of calves, who – unlike human infants – have four stomachs.
10. Myth: Vegetarians can’t get Vitamin B12
Fact – Heath experts encourage everyone, not just vegetarians, to take a multivitamin or a B12 supplement (or eat B12 fortified foods like some breakfast cereals, soya milks, meat substitutes, and yeast extracts like Marmite) to ensure that they are getting adequate amounts. Vitamin B12 is made by bacteria, not animals or plants.
To go veggie, order yourself a free Vegetarian Starter Kit and say goodbye to impotence, toxic food and weak bones!
Image: Wordsellinc / CC
Tags: dairy, impotence, meat, vegan, vegetarian
Rick Arnold, the awesome photographer who shot Dutch tattoo legend Henk Schiffmacher’s ‘Ink, not Mink’ ad for PETA Netherlands, has set his students a very interesting assignment indeed. Each student has to come up with an imaginative and inspiring image for a PETA NL anti-fur poster, to draw attention to the suffering endured by animals killed for their fur. Wow!
The students, from the prestigious Dutch Willem de Kooning Academy, worked incredibly hard on their projects and came up with a fantastic array of designs. But now Rick and the students would like us lot to pick a winner! The choices have been whittled down to five, and we want you to leave a comment by Wednesday 14 January with your favourite.
Number 1 contains nudity and is a little too saucy to just have up on the page. So, if you’re aged 18 or older, please click here to see Giovanni Martins image. If not, please come back when you hit 18. Ta.
2. Ahmet Steltman
3. Sarah Kartono
4. Annelot de Regt
5. Joram de Bruyne
Tags: fur, Henk Schiffmacher, Rick Arnold
It’s January, so we’re all being bombarded from every direction with hundreds of detox diet plans and ‘miraculous’ products to get you ‘in shape for 2009′. Expect patches, pills, scrubs and creams, all claiming to rid you of excess fat and water from one too many Christmas puddings and mulled wines. But today, scientists are warning that many of these are just a fad and that detox claims are “meaningless”. They also point people in the direction of fresh fruit and veg, and plenty of sleep, to ‘detox’ the natural way. And we couldn’t agree more. A vegan diet stuffed with Mother Nature’s finest is the best way to get your body back in tip top condition, so I did a bit of digging around and came up with these yummy and cruelty-free ideas for a detox-alicious January:
• Meat can leave you feeling sluggish, as it takes much longer for the body to digest it. Opt for a veggie burger or tofu steak instead and get the bounce back in your step.
• Lemon has great detoxifying properties, so every morning have a warm glass of water with a slice of lemon squeezed in.
• It’s cold out right now, so no-one can blame you for not wanting salads. But why not try a warm salad like this Warm and Wild Mushroom Salad or Ginger-Chilli Tofu with Asian Salad.
• If you’ve come down with the dreaded cold or flu virus, you might want to ditch the dairy. Milk products have been linked to a higher rate of mucus build-up, so if you want to dump the snotty tissues any time soon, it may help to switch that milky latte for a soya version.
• For brunch, instead of reaching for a chocolate bar, slice up some grapefruit, kiwi, pineapple and mango and let the fruity goodness work their magic. Want to add a bit of naughtiness? Pour some dairy-free single cream over the top.
Tags: detox, recipe, vegan, vegetarian
I have just two words to say to Karl Lagerfeld’s defence of using fur:
Fashion Dinosaur.
Yep, the prehistoric fashion designer, who has never shied from using the skins of murdered animals in his ‘designs’, has gone down the same road as shamed Nigella Lawson by using the ridiculous “they’d kill us if they could” argument. I very nearly spat my cereal all over my laptop on reading his recent claims that animals should be killed “nicely” if possible, and “I can hardly eat meat because it has to look like something what it was not when it was alive.” Is this guy serious?
Despite Lagerfeld’s pitiful ’starving hunters’ defence, the vast majority of fur these days comes not from hunters as he suggests, but from Chinese fur farms, where no law protects the millions of animals who suffer there. Lagerfeld’s childish refusal to acknowledge the needless suffering behind every piece of fur and listen to public opinion, means that he is being overtaken in the style stakes by an increasing number of designers who believe that cruelty has no place in fashion.
Get with the times, Lagerfeld.
Image: SouthAfricanStreetStyle / CC
Tags: China, fashion, fur, Karl Lagerfeld
