The Accidental Chicken Farmer

On Wednesday night, The Great Kate and I went to Cipollina to experience their Farm-to-Table dining. They do these every first Wednesday of the month and feature local Austin farmers who supply the restaurant with organic, local ingredients. The three course meal is $35 that can be accompanied by a wine pairing - $7 for white and $7.50 for red. We were dubious but still hopeful when we read the first item on the menu: Chicken Liver Mousse. I've tried foie gras once when I was in France and totally hated it, so I hoped that this chicken liver stuff wasn't going to be totally gross. Also, if you've done any research on how they treat ducks that are farmed for foie gras, it's positively disgusting - they cut off their beaks and feet and feed them so their liver will be huge. It's inhumane. Therefore, Kyle's morally opposed to it and I just simply won't touch it 'cos it tasted gross in the land that's famous for it.

We grabbed a cozy table in the corner and sipped our wine while anxiously awaiting the first course. The presentation was beautiful - a disc of mousse topped shredded greens with a basalmic vinagrette and garnished with two pieces of rosemary bread. As a bonus, the farmer came out and spoke with us about what from his farm we'd be eating. The mousse, in a word, was fantastic.

I suppose at this point you're thinking, "Wait a minute, isn't she a vegetarian?" I should explain that it's not that I don't like meat...anyone who's ever been around me when I'm in the vicinity of sausage pizza knows better. What concerns me is the practices that surround the industrialized meat industry that involves not only horrendous acts done to the food we eat but also the food that our food eats that is laden with hormones and antibiotics. In fact, when I stopped eating meat altogether at the beginning of this year, my cramps actually went away. I've always said that when I can trust the source of my meat, I will go back to eating it. However, I definitely will eat meat not as the centerpiece of my meals but in small quantities because my stomach just cannot take it.

The second course was absolutely to die for - we had pasta imported from Italy with local roasted chicken, sided with a fried poached egg and some more of the rosemary bread. The portion was just right, the chicken cooked perfectly, and the mystery of the poached egg...well, it was like eating an egg overeasy on your breakfast. Heavenly. The wine pairing (I had the red) also went beautifully with the meal. Topping everything off was the most exquisite creme brulee I have ever eaten. It was spiced with vanilla and cloves and I would have licked the bowl if we weren't in a classy joint. The atmosphere of Cipollina truly reminded me of real Italian bistros in a refreshing way.

After dinner, we spotted the farmer and went over to thank him for our meal. The Great Kate, being a journalist and all, asked how he got into farming chickens and it turns out that he and his wife were moving to Austin, and his brother in law was on a plane going to Austin and happened to chat up a guy who was selling 11 acres of a chicken farm in South Austin. He says that he came by it quite accidentally - he'd never touched a chicken in his life but now oversees every bit of the processing, from hatching to delivering them to local restaurants. I was pretty sure we were the first customers to ask him this question because his face lit up like a Christmas elf as he spoke of his 1500 chickens and how he's getting ready to buy lambs and pigs for the cooler months.

It was an awesome experience and if you're ever in Austin on the first Wednesday of the month, I recommend going to Cipollina and checking out the local fare. I also learned that there are many other restaurants in Austin that also serve locally grown/raised food, like Vespaio. It may be pricier, but think of the good things you're doing for your body.