Lion Burger Served For World Cup: Purveyor Has Done Time For Tiger & Leopard Meat

First Posted: 06-23-10 11:28 PM   |   Updated: 06-24-10 05:33 PM

The internet has been bubbling all day long on word of a restaurant in Mesa, Arizona serving a World Cup-inspired Lion Burger. The tale was first brought to use by the British tabloids, of all places (here are the Telegraph, the Sun, and the Daily Telegraph, which probably had the first "roar" pun of the day with "Lion burgers hit roar nerve").

The story is this:

During one of the restaurant's Wine-Pairing dinners, where they serve wine with other uncommon meats such as wild boar, customers heard about the availability of lion meat and seemed interested in trying it. [Owner Cameron] Selogie was inspired by the FIFA World Cup's location and decided to serve the meat to coincide with the games.

The restaurant advertised their decision through their e-mail newsletter club to keep the attention to a minimum, but one member and animal activist, Susan Cooper, spread the word. -- azcentral.com

Since then, Selogie has been bombarded by emails and phone calls, and even an alleged bomb threat, from animal rights activists and other upset citizens, to which Selogie has responded:

"In Africa they do eat lions, so I assume if it's OK for Africans to eat lions then it should be OK for us." Mr Selogie added: "We thought that since the World Cup was in Africa that the lion burger might be interesting for some of our more adventurous customers." The meat is from a lion that was raised at a free range farm in Illinois, which is regulated by the US Department of Agriculture.

USDA spokesman Jim Brownlee confirmed that while lion is served infrequently, "he knew of no prohibitions against it."

But CNNMoney.com dug into Selogie's Illinois-sourced lion meat, and stumbled on what they called, "the mysterious world of back-alley exotic meat purveyance." They write:

Selogie said he bought the meat through a Phoenix distributor, Gourmet Imports-Wild Game -- a one-man operation owned by Rick Worrilow. Selogie says he did his research, and was told that the meat came from a free-range farm in Illinois that is regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Meanwhile, Worrilow, who essentially serves as a middleman between farms, meat processors and restaurants, also said the meat came from a completely legal plant in Illinois. And even though he didn't know the name of that plant, Worrilow said he was confident that the meat was inspected by federal regulators.

So where's this supposed African lion farm in Illinois? Well, here's one clue: When the meat arrived at Il Vinaio on Tuesday evening, Selogie said it came in packaging with the name "Czimer's Game & Sea Foods." Czimer isn't a free-range farm. It's a butcher shop located just outside of Chicago in Homer Glen, Ill.

Czimer's proprietor, Richard Czimer, sells an array of wild game, like not-uncommon pheasants, quail, ducks, venison, buffalo, but also camel, llama, and yes, lion. And Czimer told CNNMoney.com that he gets that lion from another man, who he wouldn't name, who runs a "skinning operation":

"This man buys and sells animals for the skin, and when I need something and he has ability to get it, I will bargain for the meat. It's a byproduct," he said.

And where does that mystery man get the lions? "I wouldn't have any idea," said Czimer, who operates a small retail store in addition to his wholesale business. "He has his sources, and I do not infringe on his business, just as he does not infringe on mine." (emphasis added)

And just when you think it can't get any worse, it does:

Czimer's exotic-meat dealings have landed him in hot water before. Back in 2003, Chicago newspapers covered his conviction and six-month prison sentence for selling meat from federally protected tigers and leopards. Czimer admitted to purchasing the carcasses of 16 tigers, four lions, two mountain lions and one liger -- a tiger-lion hybrid -- which were skinned, butchered and sold as "lion meat," for a profit of more than $38,000. (emphasis added)

A liger!

Here's a brief ABC TV report on the lion burger, with Il Vinaio owner Cameron Selogie and footage of the restaurant and the packaged lion meat:

Get HuffPost Food On Twitter!Know something we don't? E-mail us at food@huffingtonpost.com 

Verizon Executive Calls CDMA iPhone Inevitable - Mobile and Wireless from eWeek

Verizon Executive Calls CDMA iPhone Inevitable - Mobile and Wireless from eWeek

News Analysis: Michael Maiorana, a Verizon Wireless regional president, tells eWEEK the introduction of a CDMA Apple iPhone for the Verizon network is a matter of when, not if. While Apple didn't announce a Verizon iPhone at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June as was widely predicted, rumors continue to circulate from a number of sources that such a mobile device is in the works. Other rumors say T-Mobile will soon make a deal with Apple to sell the iPhone in the United States.

Verizon Executive Calls CDMA iPhone Inevitable WASHINGTON—The introduction of a version of the Apple iPhone for the Verizon Wireless network is not only possible, it is "inevitable," according to a Verizon regional president. In an interview with eWEEK at the National Press Club on June 14, Michael Maiorana, Verizon president for the Washington-Baltimore-Virginia region, said it was a matter of when, not if, Apple would release a version of the iPhone for the Verizon network. However, Maiorana declined to predict when a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) version of the iPhone suitable for the Verizon network would be ready for the market, saying he didn't want such speculation to hurt Motorola Droid sales during the summer. Maiorana's comments come as rumors continue to arrive from sources far afield that the companies that manufacture the subassemblies for Apple iPhones are acquiring the chips and other support hardware required to create a CDMA version of the iPhone. Some of these rumors indicate that a CDMA iPhone will be ready for shipment in November. However, Maiorana declined to confirm or deny that November was a target release date. While most of these rumors are third- and fourth-hand, there are enough of them that they can't be ignored. If these stories are true, and if they mean what they seem to mean, Verizon Wireless could be getting its own version of the iPhone in a few months. Meanwhile, there are analysts, such as Shaw Wu from Kaufman Bros., who suggest that T-Mobile could bring the iPhone to market this year or in early 2011. It could easily be that both T-Mobile and Verizon will carry iPhones. In fact, T-Mobile could bring the iPhone to the United States in a matter of weeks, assuming that an agreement could be reached with Apple.  The reason T-Mobile could move so quickly is that the company already sells the iPhone, just not in the United States. You can buy a T-Mobile iPhone in Europe easily, and it'll work just fine in the United States. In fact, calls to T-Mobile tech support managers have confirmed that the company will happily provision your European iPhone for U.S. use, and include all of the various features and applications that you'd normally get from any other T-Mobile phone in service here. T-Mobile will also provision your AT&T iPhone to run on T-Mobile as well, but that's another story.  News Analysis: Michael Maiorana, a Verizon Wireless regional president, tells eWEEK the introduction of a CDMA Apple iPhone for the Verizon network is a matter of when, not if. While Apple didn't announce a Verizon iPhone at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June as was widely predicted, rumors continue to circulate from a number of sources that such a mobile device is in the works. Other rumors say T-Mobile will soon make a deal with Apple to sell the iPhone in the United States. With Verizon, the process is more complex. There currently are no CDMA versions of the iPhone, so there's some necessary engineering that's involved. There will need to be FCC filings, tests, leaks to the media. And there needs to be time to make sure that the Verizon network will support the iPhone's voracious appetite for bandwidth. Adding to the complexity is the relatively limited availability of CDMA networks worldwide. A Verizon iPhone might not be able to take advantage of the other existing CDMA networks out there, primarily in Iraq, South America and southern India. Furthermore, 3G coverage is also not a given in those areas.  So why would Apple consider expanding to other carriers after tenaciously maintaining an exclusive deal with AT&T? Mostly because Android phones are starting to eat up market share that Apple wants. The Android phones might not have exactly the same coolness factor that the iPhone has (although some people would say they're cooler), but there's no question that these devices offer capabilities that the iPhone simply can't deliver. Worse, they're selling by the gazillion. This must be driving Apple nuts.  Adding to the exclusivity problem is that AT&T doesn't have the best reputation as a carrier. Despite the AT&T commercials claiming more 3G coverage than Verizon, the fact is, Verizon still has a substantially larger 3G network. In addition, there's also a belief among some iPhone users that AT&T's service isn't up to par, and iPhone users have long been plagued by dropped calls and poor signal quality. While much of this may not be AT&T's fault, that doesn't matter to users.  Ultimately, bandwidth is what matters to iPhone buyers. Now that AT&T has imposed bandwidth limits on iPhone users with new accounts, there's a significant disincentive for would-be buyers. Why saddle yourself with an extra hundred bucks or so of broadband fees just to use the device in the manner in which it was intended? Neither Verizon, which has widespread, but not very fast, 3G nor T-Mobile, which has 3G that's as fast as or faster than Sprint's 4G, but which isn't as widespread, have usage limits. In addition, Verizon is well along with its LTE (Long Term Evolution) implementation, which could bring broadband speeds triple those of Sprint's network. But really, could it happen? Yes. And it could happen before the end of the year. This is especially true for T-Mobile, where all that's required is an agreement with Apple. T-Mobile, after all, is really just a trade name for Deutsche Telekom, the German carrier that's far larger than either AT&T or Verizon, has a global presence and already carries the iPhone. It would be very difficult for Apple to say no.  And Verizon has both the reach and the existing bandwidth in the United States to give the iPhone room to grow, something that AT&T really doesn't have now. In addition, both T-Mobile and Verizon are hotbeds of Android activity. Where better to put an iPhone?

My Little Rockstar.

Herbs and Spices — Tips for Vegan cooking

By Compassionate Cooks





Which Spices/Herbs to Use



How many of us have spice racks with jars of spices we bought years ago and never used – whose sole purpose is to collect the dust in your kitchen? ☺ Now is the time to dust them off (or replace them) and start adding flavor to your dishes-The correct spice or herb (whether it is fresh or dried) for any food is the one that tastes right for you-When you're at a loss about what to add to a dish, try something from the list below



WHICH SPICE GOES WITH WHAT FOOD?



Beans - cumin, cayenne, chili, oregano, parsley, pepper, sage, savory, thyme

Breads - anise, basil, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, lemon peel, orange peel, oregano, poppy seeds, rosemary, saffron, sage, thyme

Fruits - allspice, anise, cardamom, Chinese 5-spice, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, mint

Potatoes - basil, caraway, celery seed, chervil, chives, coriander, dill, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, poppy seed, rosemary, tarragon, thyme

Salads and Salad Dressings - basil, caraway, celery seed, chives, dill, fennel, garlic, horseradish, lemon peel, lovage, marjoram, mint, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sumac, tarragon, thyme

Soups - basil, bay, chervil, chili, chives, cumin, dill, fennel, garlic, marjoram, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, savory, star anise, thyme

Sweets - allspice, angelica, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, ginger, lemon peel, mace, nutmeg, mint, orange peel, rosemary, star anise

Tomatoes - basil, bay, celery seed, cinnamon, chili, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, savory, tarragon, thyme

Vegetables - chili, chives, curry, dill, marjoram, parsley, savory, thyme



WHICH SPICE/HERB GOES WITH WHAT FOOD?


Allspice: An ingredient in many baked goods as well as "Jerk" sauces

Anise Seed: Mild licorice flavor, used in cookies, or candies

Arrowroot Powder: Use as a thickener in puddings, pies, soups, sauces, and gravies

Basil: used in Italian and Mediterranean cooking, especially good with tomatoes

Bay Leaves: Perfect use in stews, sauces, soups, and marinades

Caraway Seeds: Great in baked goods and with fruits

Cardamom, ground: A wonderful addition to Indian dishes

Cardamom, whole: Dry roast the whole cardamom seeds for more flavor in your recipe

Cayenne Pepper: Wonderful heat for any Mexican dish

Chervil Leaf: Similar to parsley, a mild flavor for any meat, soup or vegetable dish

Cilantro: Used in Mexican cooking & salsas; may also be used in Indian dishes-

Cloves, ground: Popular in desserts, syrups, and sweet vegetable dishes-

Coriander seed, ground: Citrusy, sweet & tart flavor to be used at the end when cooking

Cream of Tartar: Adds consistency and stability to any cookie or cake-

Cumin Seed, ground: Wonderful with tomato dishes, chili, salsa & Indian dishes

Dill Weed: Great in dressings and sauces and on potatoes

Ginger, crystallized: Sliced ginger partially dried in a sugar syrup solution - For sweets

Ginger, ground: A sharp, aromatic spice is used in many sweet baked goods and curries

Lemongrass: A grass with citric oils, very popular in Thai cooking-

Marjoram: Like oregano & from the mint family, it has a sweeter and subtler taste

Nutmeg, ground: A sweet, nutty spice is used in custards, pastries, and vegetables

Oregano, Greek: A must for Italian cooking, Greek oregano has a mild, delicate flavor

Oregano, Mexican: Slightly stronger than Greek and less sweet, used in Spanish cooking

Paprika, hot: Mixed with cayenne, these red peppers make the Hungarians famous

Paprika, sweet: This sweet, milder Paprika will add radiant color to any dish

Parsley: This versatile herb can be used as a garnish or with anything other than sweets

Poppy Seeds: Used in baked goods, breads & to flavor noodles

Rosemary, ground: Use ground in sauces or stocks to avoid the "needle" look

Saffron, whole threads: Use for saffron rice and Indian dishes

Sage: Well known for use in stuffings

Salt, Kosher: Coarser than regular granulated, easier to control in cooking

Savory: Strong, peppery taste, good with veggies & stuffing

Sesame Seeds: Used mostly for baking breads & rolls, nice for stir-frys

Spearmint: A popular tea flavoring, used in sauces and veggie dishes

Tarragon: Aromatic herb used to flavor vinegar, dressings, breads- Great with potatoes!

Thyme, ground: Great for Greek & Italian cooking, use ground for sauces & soups

Thyme, whole leaf: Versatile in flavoring veggies, pizza, stews & herb blends

Turmeric: Used as a natural yellow coloring for soups, sauces, rice, curry, & tofu scramble


TIPS FOR USING SPICES/HERBS STORING


• Store spices in a cool, dark place- Humidity, light and heat will cause herbs and spices to lose their flavor more quickly- Although the most convenient place for your spice rack may be above your stove, moving your spices to a different location may keep them fresh longer

• As a general rule, herbs and ground spices will retain their best flavors for a year

Whole spices may last for 3 to 5 years-Proper storage should result in longer

freshness times

• Because the refrigerator is a rather humid environment, storing herbs and spices there is not recommended-To keep larger quantities of spices fresh, store them in the freezer in tightly sealed containers


USING


• For long-cooking dishes, add herbs and spices an hour or less before serving

Cooking spices for too long may result in overly strong flavors

• Use restraint! In general, ¼ teaspoon of spice is enough for 4 servings

• Do not use dried herbs in the same quantity as fresh- In most cases, use ¼ the amount in dried as is called for fresh-

• Seasoning food is an art, not a science-..................Experimenting with herbs and spices can be fun and educational, and while you may occasionally be eating a less than perfect dish, you may also end up creating that recipe that will become a classic in your household

"Well it's June 19th..." and You're Still a Libelous Stalking FREAK.

Dear Improper Adoptee,

You are a sick woman. Please, for the love of God, seek professional mental help. You're sickness is only progressing. Look how many years it has been that you've obsessed over me. It's not normal. No, Marilyn, it's not. 

You are indeed a pathological liar as well. I am truly sorry that you cannot accept the fact the the Orleans Police did visit your home and confront you. At first you denied everything, but once they presented you with the printouts of all the hateful blogs you posted, which included the hate crime — kikehole and "the Germans should've finished what they started — you broke down and cried, and you cried hysterically, if I'm not mistaken. You then admitted all the hateful, cruel online harassment and abuse to the two detectives, with the excuse of "she hurt my feelings." How pathetic. You told Police Officers that you stalked me, abused me and my family, my friends, etc., with disgusting bestiality blog entries, photos of my toddler with hideous comments and prose, hateful blog entries about my father and his fight with cancer... and you blamed it on "hurt feelings." But it gets better. You claim I stole my son from a stranger, and you even brought that up. You claimed I'm part of adoption of human, which is a lie. You were, in a nutshell, bonkers. When they left, they left you in puddles of tears and a nervous wreck. You were told that the next visit would not be as pleasant. Was it? Hmmm? 

Stop this madness of yours. Everyone knows I'm not cruel, I'm not a hacker and I'm not anyone who trolls, abuses anyone or anything or partakes in anything you ramble about. you are a deeply sick woman and I'm seriously tired of you and your crap.

You are, and this is a fact, insane.

Anyone can go to my blog and see the truth, McNutter. That's the problem with your sick and delusional blog entries. I'm an animal rights activist and a mother of a toddler. I'm a volunteer for animals. I'm a teacher to my son. I help arrange rescue of cats, sometimes dogs. Where does "hacking" fall into this? It doesn't. That was your paranoid delusional mind creating a worry, for you to focus on because you needed something more than just "hurt feelings." There's more to it. You were upset that you had no computer skills and I had used a computer since the late 80's. This worried you enough to go throw away money on bogus services. You use a PC; it's your fault it doesn't run smoothly now and then. You probably never optimize the drive, the files... and you probably never do basic maintenance. PC's aren't all the marketing world hypes them up to be, cupcake. They need a lot of care of they run like crap in no time. If you choose to blame that on me, you A) are nuts, and B) have my blessings. LOL

Keep calling the police. I've done nothing to you. You're a fruitcake. I've seen your posts on other forums, where you call yourself the "poor bastard." I found your post on a forum that wasn't even related to adoption, yet you went and posted about me, warning the world about my "hacking skills." Don't you think if all this delusion of your was fact, I'd not be sitting here laughing at you AND warning you to CEASE AND DESIST before I send all your blog entries, forum posts, trolling, etc. to BOSTON instead of your small town police department?

Get a life. You're getting old. Move on, you disturbingly psycho freak.

If anyone questions the validity of my side of this harassment, stalking and online libel case, please call:

Orleans Police Department

90 S. Orleans Road
Orleans, MA 02653

Phone: 508-255-0117

Officer Tebbetts or Officer Higgins

Refer to the case of the local woman who posts harassment and libel online, and had a New Yorker send files to them.

Below is the work of THE IMPROPER ADOPTEE.

Full Name and more available upon GOOGLE SEARCH.

She is an anti-Semitic hateful sociopathic, paranoid schizophrenic.

BTW, M. McCREEPY, I know you just logged on.

It's on my Tracker. You idiot.

STOP OBSESSING ABOUT ME! YOU ARE OBSESSED AND IT'S CALLED AGGRAVATED HARASSMENT. Keep it up and I am calling the State Police, filing a complaint, and sending them ALL the documentation going back years, to NOW.

Just reminder, creepy freak...

The Orleans, MA police need to pay her yet another visit, and warn her about her illegal activities. They will confiscate her computer, she'll cry, and she'll spend the night in a cell at the local jail for not obeying their direct orders and for not listening to their very specific and clear words to her the last two times they paid her a visit: STOP HARASSING ME and DO NOT EVER BOG OR WRITE ABOUT ME AGAIN, OR EXPECT TO BE ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH A CRIME.

http://abolishadoption.blogspot.com/

Yes indeed. What goes around, comes around, and it will for The Improper Adoptee. She is going to finally pay for her abuse, libel and stalking.

I'm calling the Oreans MA police about you AGAIN. (I know you're reading this, you creepy stalker; you obsessed lunatic) Expect a HOME VISIT within the next week. I am emailing Det. Travis Tebbetts your ENTIRE BLOG and SIDEBAR right now, and I just made it a PDF, so there will be no mistakes about your libel and harassment at all. You're insane, and you need help.  

I'm emailing the Orleans Police EVERYTHING, and then I'm calling to let them know that all the documents are emailed, and they can print them out and pay you a personal visit. YOU ARE GETTING ARRESTED FOR LIBEL AND HARASSMENT, and I'll come to MA to watch you go to court, cry, and be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This time, I want to see you pay for your abuse. Officer Tebbits and his co-workers will be seeing you soon. 
It's FEB. 28th, 2010. 
Why the hell are you starting up with me, harassing me, in 2010, you psychopath?

The following (starting with "The Pathological Liar's Psychotic Prose:") is taken from the blog of The Improper Adoptee. She had been told to never blog about me again, to not write about me online. She has updated her blog and written more about me — more libel and more abusive and disturbing crap — which proves she is obsessed with me and is stalking me. She has mentioned my MySpace account, my Flickr (pro photo account) and my listings in Blog Catalog. She's stalking me, lurking me, and her obsession with me is beyond anything that one could justify as "normal."

To those wondering why a woman would do this to me for so many years; she told the police that "I hurt her feelings." She believes that I made up a "story" about my friend Anne, who was adopted. I have no idea how this could hurt some woman in another state, but anything is possible when you are mentally unstable.

She would send me threats and crazy messages via MySpace, until other users and I finally had her removed completely.

That's normal? No.

Here, McAbnormal.

Try doing some GOOD for a change.

http://www.afa-online.org/

Pass out our Go Green, Go Vegan! flyer at environmental related events, Earth Day celebrations, "green" festivals, or to your environmentally minded friends and family. You can open and print your own flyers from this PDF version, or you can e-mail us with your full name and address, how many flyers you would like, and a detailed description of your distribution plans.

Stand Up to Factory Farms

Request a Free Vegan Starter Pack

Get a Starter Pack and share it your... uuuh... friends...if you have any. http://www.afa-online.org/starterpack.html

I'm volunteering for

ACTION FOR ANIMALS

on the

VANS WARPED TOUR,

 spreading veganism.

Why not do some good and look up some non-profits and volunteer your time, instead of harassing ME?

http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/