INTRODUCTION

Red meats are wonderful! The mouth feel, flavors of caramelized meat proteins and the overall satisfaction make it one of the most liked of all foods. Beef, lamb, game meats, and even ostrich meat are red meats we will use. Veal is one we eliminate, as we prefer naturally raised animals. That said, not all of the meats listed here are raised naturally or with sustainable methods.

So we shop for the producers of the sustainable meats. And another principle that is important to us is that beef, for example, pound for pound, has a large environmental (energy) impact and higher cost to bring it to market than other forms of say, plant proteins.

In other words, for us it is important to spend our food dollars in proportion to a food’s environmental impact as well as its nutritional impact. Thus, we always hold out for naturally raised meats and buy them only occasionally, usually for special celebrations. We do use them in our dinner shows more frequently than that since our goal is to educate and help raise awareness for those who may not have tried these products.

We think that Slow Food International has the best approach to agriculture, food production and gastronomy, because it is based on three interconnect principles: GOOD fresh and flavorsome seasonal food that satisfies the senses and is part of our local culture; CLEAN food production and consumption that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health; and, FAIR accessible prices for consumers and fair conditions and pay for small-scale producers.