A Conscious Feast by Nicole Aloni

Photo credit Oliver Ranch

Food enthusiasts—gourmands—used to be identifiable. Their rotund, satiated bellies (think James Beard) often preceded them into the palaces of dining they supported. These days, Andrew Zimmer aside, Foodies are often a svelter bunch. They pursue their passion by seeking out unique offerings that are more than just decadent and quality has definitely taken precedence over quantity. Moderation has become sexy; it’s not only more sustainable, it’s clearly the solution for good health in today’s Facebooking, Twittering, urban lives.

I’ve recently met someone who I think may be a pioneer in the arena of mindful gourmet products. Carrie Oliver, through her Artisan Beef Institute and Oliver Ranch Artisan Beef Tasting program (she sells blind tasting kits) is offering modern food enthusiasts a genuinely unique and possibly even elevating experience. Carrie is trying to bring the same level of appreciation and awareness to the complexities and distinctions between varieties of cattle, the way in which they’re raised, and the land in which they’re grown (terroir, if you will) as we’ve come to associate with wine or cheeses. www.oliverranch.com

Part of the way she is managing to provide these refined experiences is by seeking out boutique ranchers who are raising their cattle in a natural, mindful fashion from birth to slaughter and packaging. I’ve received my first (frozen) tasting kit and am dying to try it out on some of my food wise friends to see if we can discern the distinctions she suggests. We’re scheduled for June 14 with a selection of New York Strip steaks that my guests will sample blindly from the grill: Dry-Aged Charolais-Cross, Dry-Aged 100% Black Angus, Wet-Aged Holstein-Friesian, and Wet-Aged Wagyu-Angus Cross, Select Kobe Beef.

If this concept has merit, it would allow one to save their limited beef consumption (we all know it should be a special occasion treat) to environmentally and ethically sound animals with a flavor profile we would know we love. It’s pretty cool to think you could support sustainable, individual farmers in the pursuit of the life on the land that is their passion. And have a really superior steak when the occasion arose. I’ll keep you posted after our tasting. This idea seems like a good one to me on oh so many levels.