That's right, hay is apparently not just for the horses anymore. A number of extremely talented chefs have begun cooking many of their dishes using hay. Apparently, the technique dates back several centuries and the french phrase “dans le foin” means cooked in hay (any french speakers want to correct me on that one?). Why the sudden renewal in popularity? New York Magazine suspects it has something to do with the idea of returning to nature and embracing the origins of food. Among the restaurants cited in this trend: La Fonda del Sol (spring lamb cooked over hay and served with hay-infused yogurt), Vandaag (several dishes including cured duck breast in a mixture of salt, sugar, and burnt-hay ash), Jean Georges (hay ice cream) and Manzo (hay-roasted veal chop). One NYC chef was quoted as saying, "Hay comes from where the chickens lay the eggs. To cook chicken in hay is a natural thing.” Photo by Maureen Lunn
