Tis the season again for wedded bliss, or at least "Wedding" bliss.  Sweet weather breeds nuptials like doggies breed puppies, and this past weekend we at Peeled Snacks had not 1 but TWO weddings to attend, and at which to "Represent".   The two events, though spectacularly dissimilar, what with their sonic and dance variations, definitely had two things common- Love, and FOOD.  I'll deal with one of the two.  Guess which.

Actually, it's kind of unfair to compare the two weddings, since one was a Pakistani/Indian fusion (complete w ith family dances, salwar kameezes, and henna), and the other an Intalian-American/Motor-City hybridization (complete with, well, tuxedos and booze).  The food at each event blew my mind- the South-Asian affair offering soul-southing spicing, and the Detroiticized event taking place in East Coast Organic-food Central, Woodstock,

Peeled Snacks found representation at each event (we do a LOT of weddings), though there too, same snack, different worlds: we were in the Goodie Bags of the Catskill Wedding, but our dried fruit actually made it into the CEREMONYof the Pakistani ceremony where dancing girls present gifts.  Our president festooned the bride with, I believe, Figsated.   Too bad the tradition doesn't include sharing the gifts with all of your rich cousins.

The meals filled my belly marvelously, but a fascinating discussion brewed around the Catskills buffet table when we learned that the Beef was "Organic".  Organic Beef has certainly been turning my head since speanding the Winter in California (where it would seem that the cows are treated so well that they actually slaughter themselves out of gratitude).  Shocked I was, yes SHOCKED, when a fellow attendee said, "No way man, I don't eat Organic Meat".  "Why not? I asked.....

...."Because it's INHUMANE"....

The arguement: USDA organic certification for beef demands that they be free of anti-biotics.  Anti-biotics are used to keep people (and animals healthy).  By changing their herds to certified organic, ranchers are denying their cattle proper health care.  It's like Organic has gone past "Health Food" into the realm of Christian Scientist Fundamentalism....

The belly of the argument proposed by this sensible post-hippie at the buffet table was that organic has gone too far, and that federal regulation has mired the movement in faulty science, as exemplified by not protecting cattle from disease for some rash ideology.  The counter argument is that antibiotics were over-used on cattle and showing up in meat and mill.  The counter-counter arguement is that anti-biotics were overused because of the abuse of Bovine Growth Hormones.... 

Fascinating.  This is certainly something to present to Nina Planck or Michael Pollan, but the takeaway is clear:  no more organic meat for me.  Just hormone free meat that's been grass-fed....

I think there are, like, 5 cows in the world that fit that description.  Sigh....