Page 4C
EAT, DRINK & EXPLORE
East Oregonian
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Getting up close with big cats in South Africa
“The relationships
I have with them
are purely to give
them a better quality
of life in a captive
situation. I will look
after them as long
as I can.”
By RENEE GRAHAM
Associated Press
DINOKENG
GAME
RESERVE, South Africa
— The male lion brushes
through the tall grass and
strides into a clearing in a
South African wildlife sanc-
tuary. A man beckons the big
cat with purring sounds. The
lion, Bayetsi, responds with
a gentle growl and caresses
Kevin Richardson, popularly
known as the “lion whis-
perer,” with its mane.
Richardson hopes his
hands-on stunts with lions
will highlight the plight of
the African predator, whose
numbers have dwindled.
It also thrusts him into a
sensitive debate about human
interaction with lions; some
conservationists say Richard-
son’s message is sound and
sincere, but note the limits
of what he can do to address
big-picture problems facing
the vulnerable species.
The number of lions in the
wild in Africa has dropped
by more than 40 percent to
about 20,000 in the past two
decades, according to some
estimates.
Made for viral viewing on
social media, the spectacle
of Richardson lounging
and cavorting with lions as
though they were house pets
might resemble a circus act
in the African bush. But he
uses the attention to condemn
the South African industry in
which customers kill captive-
bred lions in relatively
confined areas.
He and other critics
describe that practice as
“canned hunting” and also
condemn the tourist draw of
lion cub petting in special
enclosures, saying those same
— Kevin Richardson
AP Photo/Denis Farrell
In this photo taken March 15, Kevin Richardson, popularly known as the “lion whisperer” interacts with one of
his lions while out for a walk in the Dinokeng Game Reserve, near Pretoria, South Africa. Richardson seeks to
raise awareness about the plight of Africa’s lions, whose numbers in the wild have dwindled in past decades.
animals would not be able to
survive in the wild and often
get cycled into the “trophy”
industry to be shot for a price.
“Today’s
lion
cub
becomes tomorrow’s trophy
and the unsuspecting tourists
have blood on their hands,”
said Richardson, who once
worked at a tourist park that
offered lion cub-petting. The
tourists, he said, “have been
hoodwinked into believing
that their contribution of
funds is going into lion
conservation.”
One South African oper-
ation, the Lion and Safari
Park, said it stopped lion cub
petting but had to resume it
because of a “dramatic and
unexpected” drop in visitors
and tour operators who sought
out cub petting elsewhere.
It said it keeps its lions until
they die of natural causes or
donates them to “reputable”
zoos and parks, and does not
sell its lions to hunters.
Today, 42-year-old Rich-
ardson, who is married and
has two children, manages
a wildlife area with 31 lions
within the Dinokeng reserve
north of South Africa’s
capital, Pretoria. Many of the
lions, which were captive-
bred and cannot be released
into the wild, were rescued
from being transferred to
operations that would let
customers shoot them, he
said.
Richardson said he does
not breed lions and that those
on his 3,200-acre property
feed on donated carcasses of
cattle and antelope.
“I have been accepted as
part of the pride,” said Rich-
ardson, scratching the lion
Bayetsi’s chin. “But I have to
be very careful. They are large
animals and are very good at
telling you how they feel.”
The lions have scratched
and bitten Richardson over
the years, but perhaps more
hurtful to him has been the
criticism he has faced after
being filmed wrestling with
his lions or roaring with them.
Richardson’s
website,
which offers merchandise
including T-shirts, key chains
and calendars, says he seeks
to promote wildlife preser-
vation through “education,
awareness and funding.”
Luke Hunter, president
of Panthera, a conservation
group, commended Rich-
ardson for his passion and
“authentic” concern for lions,
saying: “His messaging, for
what he has and what he can
do, is good.”
But Hunter emphasized
the broader conservation
needs of the lion, including
efforts to protect habitats and
address poaching, in which
antelopes and other potential
prey for lions end up in the
bushmeat trade, and lions get
trapped in snares laid down
indiscriminately.
A relatively recent concern
is demand in some Asian
countries for lion bones used
in traditional medicine, and
the possibility that poachers
are increasingly targeting
lions to meet that demand.
Currently, South Africa
allows the legal, annual export
of bones from hundreds of
captive-bred lions to China
and Southeast Asia.
Richardson spoke of his
intimacy with the animals.
“The relationships I have
with them are purely to give
them a better quality of life in
a captive situation,” he said.
“I will look after them as long
as I can.”
AP Photo/Denis Farrell
AP Photo/Denis Farrell
AP Photo/Denis Farrell
In this photo taken March 15, Kevin Richardson, popu-
larly known as the “lion whisperer” interacts with one
of his lionesses in the Dinokeng Game Reserve, near
Pretoria, South Africa.
In this photo taken March 15, Kevin Richardson, pop-
ularly known as the “lion whisperer” ends a two-hour
walk with three of his lions in the Dinokeng Game Re-
serve, near Pretoria, South Africa.
In this photo taken March 15, Kevin Richardson, popu-
larly known as the “lion whisperer” interacts with one
of his lions while out for a walk in the Dinokeng Game
Reserve, near Pretoria, South Africa.
Wine, sake and orange juice Chicken salad served in a hot dog bun
makes a memorable cocktail
By SARA MOULTON
Associated Press
By THE CULINARY
INSTITUTE OF AMERICA
Associated Press
As any food lover knows,
our culinary creations have a
natural best friend, one that is so
ingrained in the food world that
the Culinary Institute of America
has entire programs dedicated to
its study — wine.
Food’s favorite companion
has been a part of our dining
tradition as far back as 4100
B.C., but despite its long, rich
history, it remains a mystery
to many of us. With seemingly
endless origins and varieties,
it can be daunting to choose
the right wine, and even avid
wine-drinkers may feel as though
they are simply guessing.
And while being a wine
expert is not essential to the
enjoyment of a glass of wine,
there is a satisfaction that comes
from knowing your way around
a wine list. Luckily, the CIA has
you covered.
The uku rouge is one of
our favorite cocktails. Named
for its red (rouge, in French)
and floating (uku, in Japanese)
elements, the cocktail is
best prepared with a bright,
Junmai-style sake and Cotes
du Rhone red wine, though any
medium-bodied red wine will
work. The cocktail is visually
beautiful, with deep red wine
literally floating on top of the
orange-hued blend of sake, sweet
vermouth and orange juice.
With its combination of
flavors and ingredients, the
uku rouge is a chameleon. It
is refreshing enough to enjoy
during a cocktail party on your
back patio, but also transitions
beautifully as an aperitif before a
summer dinner party. And with
three different types of wine, it
will give you the opportunity to
show off all of your new wine
trivia.
John Barkley/The Culinary Institute of America via AP
Uku rouge cocktail.
UKU ROUGE
Servings: 1
• 2 ounces Junmai-style sake
• 1 ounce sweet vermouth
• 1 ounce freshly squeezed
orange juice
• 1 ounce Cotes du Rhone, or
other medium-bodied red wine
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and
add the sake, vermouth, and orange
juice. Shake vigorously, then strain
into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
Holding a spoon cup-side-down
over the glass, slowly pour the
wine over the back of the spoon, so
that it falls gently into the glass and
floats above the other ingredients.
Nutrition information per
serving: 156 calories; 1 calories
from fat; 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0
g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 4
mg sodium; 10 g carbohydrate; 0 g
fiber; 2 g sugar; 1 g protein.
Chicken salad, that summertime
classic, often suffers from Chewy
Chicken Syndrome, a pitfall that
requires a tightrope walk to avoid.
You want to build the recipe
around white meat chicken
— the perfect foil for its mayon-
naise-based sauce — but you
don’t want to overcook it, an easy
thing to do given white meat’s
leanness. (And if you do happen
to overcook it, you might as well
kiss it goodbye. It’ll end up about
as tender as a pencil eraser.)
Accordingly, this recipe for
Deluxe BLT Chicken Salad
Sandwiches With Basil Dressing
mimics the cooking process called
sous vide to guarantee the chicken
turns out tender. Without going
into a lengthy explanation, let’s
just say the premise of sous vide is
to cook the item at a temperature
no higher than the one at which
you want it to end up. That way it
can never be overcooked. In this
case the outer limit for the internal
temperature is 165 degrees, the
heat at which you can be sure that
any bacteria have been killed.
Here the chicken is cooked in
chicken broth, which deepens the
flavor of both the chicken and the
broth. You’ll start by heating the
broth to 170 F, not 165 F, because
the temperature drops quickly
with all the chicken in there. Then
cover the pan and pull it off the
burner, allowing the chicken to
cook gently in the lingering heat
of the broth. (Cut into the thickest
part of the thickest chicken breast
and if you see any pink reheat the
chicken briefly.)
What puts this chicken salad
over the top? Salting the tomatoes
to remove excess water and make
them more tomato-y and pureeing
the basil leaves in a food processor
to make them more basil-y. Lastly,
we borrow one of the features that
makes a New England lobster
roll so magnificent — serving the
chicken salad in a buttered, toasted
hot dog bun.
Sara Moulton via AP
BLT CHICKEN SALAD
SANDWICHES
Start to finish: 1 hour 20
minutes (20 active)
Servings: 6
• 1 to 1 ¼ pounds boneless
skinless chicken breasts (not
thin sliced), about 3/4-inch
thick
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes,
halved or quartered if large
• Kosher salt
• 6 ounces bacon
• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• 1 ½ cups packed fresh
basil leaves
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
and 1 ½ tablespoons fresh
lemon juice
• 6 hot dog buns
• 2 tablespoons unsalted
butter, melted
• Baby romaine lettuce
leaves for garnish
In a medium saucepan
combine the chicken with the
broth and heat the pan over
medium heat until it registers
170 F. Remove the pan from
the heat, cover the pan and let
it stand 20 minutes. (Cut into
the thickest part of the thickest
chicken breast and if you see
any pink reheat the chicken
briefly.) Transfer the chicken
to a bowl and let it cool. When
cool, cut into ½-inch cubes.
Strain the broth, cover and
either chill or freeze it for
future use.
Meanwhile, sprinkle the
tomatoes lightly with salt and
let them stand for 15 minutes.
In a large skillet cook the
bacon over medium heat until
crisp, about 5 minutes and
transfer to paper towels to
drain. When cool, crumble.
In a food processor combine
the mayonnaise, basil, lemon
zest and juice and puree until
smooth. Add a little water if the
dressing is too thick to pour.
Using a serrated knife, slice
off and discard the side crusts
of the hot dog buns. Brush the
cut sides with the butter. In a
large nonstick skillet toast the
buttered sides of the hot dog
buns over medium heat until
they are golden brown.
Using paper towels gently
pat dry the tomatoes. In a large
bowl combine the chicken,
dressing, tomatoes and bacon;
stir gently just until combined.
To serve: Put a piece of
lettuce inside each toasted bun
and mound the chicken salad
on top.
Nutrition information per
serving: 599 calories; 370
calories from fat; 41 g fat (11
g saturated; 0 g trans fats);
111 mg cholesterol; 690 mg
sodium; 25 g carbohydrates; 2
g fiber; 4 g sugar; 31 g protein.