Culinary Limit

Today I reached my culinary limit. As we all know, I am making all the lunches now… Matthew brought home a fresh wild chicken. He said they didn’t have any of the prepared frozen kind, the kind that I am used to cooking (like what we get at the supermarket in the states). I thought, okay, no biggie, I’m sure I can make something delish with it. I took the bag and dropped it into the sink and didn’t think about it again until 11AM, when it came time to prepare it for cooking.

Out of the bag I pulled a chicken, yes the complete chicken with all the innards attached. Now, understand, I’ve never claimed to be one of those chefs that likes to hunt down the prey, skin and cook it. I’m more like the type to go to Whole Foods and buy it, cut and cleaned, removed from anything resembling a live entity with a soul. When I looked at the poor little beak, closed eyes, and dangling feet… a wave of guilt rushed over me, and then, a wave of disgust. I’m all about the Slow Food Movement, but this really putting a face on the food!

I gagged twice, as I shoved its head back into the bag, and stretched its neck across the middle divide of the sink. I grabbed the butcher knife with apprehension, and starting chopping down the neck. A horrible cracking sound rose up, and again I gagged. Man, this is for the birds (pun intended) isn’t there a KFC around?? (in fact there isn’t one fast food restaurant in Rio Branco, which is good, right?). Anyhow, I managed to not vomit while pulling out all the insides, there were things in there I couldn’t identify.

Its funny, but I started to feel better about eating it once I had it cut up into its “proper” portions. I guess I am an American, I like my foods uninhabited , defaced. There is no honor in that, I know. But, I have to say it like it is. So, I threw it all in to a pot, poured some homemade teriyaki sauce over it, added in cut up pineapple and green onions and viola, Teriyaki Chicken, delish! Yes, I am a chef after all!

Gracie & Matthew w/chicken