Offal Good

Opinions

Since I started this site a year ago I have received a whole slew of responses. Both negative and positive, as I appreciate all comments if you have something to say have enough sand to sign your name to it don’t be anonymous its cowardly and unprofessional. So in all fairness i have decided to share your opinions with the world whether you like it or not.

Here are the ones that affected me the most and I wanted to share them:

This is anonymous comment from June 7th that is very disturbing, I even notified the FBI about this one.
THIS PICTURE IS FUCKING MORTALIZING!! WHAT THE FUUUUUUCK!!! (I WOULDNT UNDERLINE AND BOLD PRINT “FUCK” IF I COULD) IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE! I AM GOING TO HUNT YOU PIECE OF SHIT ASS PUSSY FACE DOWN AND RAPE THE GOD DAMNED LIVING SHIT OUT OF YOU!!! I WILL TAKE EVER GOD DAMNED DEAD PIGS BODY AND MAKE YOU EAT THEIR DICKS OFF!!!!IM GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU BEFORE I DIE!!! BEFORE I FUCKING I DIE I WILL KILL YOU! YOU SICK BASTARDS!!!!!

This is an odd one from October 18th, a bit hard for me to accommodate:

Do you have any substitute recipes for those of us who are vegeterian/kosher? Some of these dished look wonderful, but I can’t partake in the offal.

Mike

This was sent on October 29th possible the nicest response I have gotten here, check out Chad’s website at http://chadzilla.typepad.com.

After watching you make it to the last 3 on NIC, I want to say
congratulations. You commented to Ruhlman that half of the country now
thinks you’re an asshole, but who gives a shit. The cause you support and
the devotion you have to the use of whole animals in cuisine will fuel
revolution. There are many chefs who are listening to you. Your
discussion with Fergerson and Bourdain at the 1st year Star Chefs ICC was a
defining moment for me. I was born in South Louisiana (yeah, Besh
territory) and I grew up seeing whole pigs slaughtered and shaved and
broken down. My grandpa had cast iron vats on wood fires going to cook
down the head to make head cheese (scraping all of the good stuff out from
the skull’s gums periodically into the pot). We butchered and skinned all
manner of mammal and bird and fish and turtle. My grandpa would take
everything from snapping turtles except for the shell and the eggs (these,
he ‘planted’ in the ground under a marker and helped to dig the baby
turtles out later and set them back into the bayou). The more I think
about it all, the more I remember. I have, however like the rest of
America, forgotten all of this for quite some time. I had forgotten about
the other parts of the animal. Not until around 1995 or a little later,
did I even begin to eat these parts again… this time in Vietnamese pho
which would not be complete without the yummy morsels of tripe and tendon
(or gan to the Vietnamese) floating in the oxtail broth. My wife (now
married for 3.5 years) is from Taiwan, and she has pushed me to try things
like pig blood cake, duck feet salad, and other things that frighteningly
do not translate into English (maybe that’s a good thing). Anyway, my
point is that there is more to offal than sweetbreads and liver. You are a
leader in this movement. Thank you for your website, the videos, and the
blog. Thank you for risking reputation by going on FN and pushing the
issue. Thank you for reminding me about the parts that get thrown away and
for calling out the USDA. After reading the slaughter issues from
sustainable farmed animals and how it was ‘illegal’ for these farmers to
butcher and sell these animals themselves in ‘The Omnivore’s Dilemna’ by
Pollan, my eyes were opened. Something has to be done about battery caged
chickens and the pork and beef industries. A lot has changed since ‘The
Jungle’ made the president throw his breakfast sausage across the White
House dining room, and if we all scream loud enough, maybe a change will
take place. Thank you for being one of the louder voices.