Doing a Double Take

I've been watching a lot of Good Eats. Episodes are readily available and it gives me an opportunity to branch out from my typical vegetarian (what an unnamed roommate has implied as bland) cooking. After seeing A Bird In The Pan I thought to myself, "Making an entire chicken doesn't seem so hard." Turns out, it was and it wasn't.

Preparation: Have you touched a raw, whole chicken recently? Directly out of your fridge, it's wings and thighs feel like your grandmother's achy, arthritis-ridden limbs. I understand, it's a cadaver. It's a dead body. I know where meat comes from and I've tackled tripe, stuffing sausages into intestines, and I've watched a very intact cow's tongue cook up into tasty fajitas. It's just different when you have a fragile bird in your hands, and you're mutilating it with nothing but kitchen shears and your own hands. It just seems so animalistic. It was a bit of a trip.

Broiling: Easy, except for the temp issue. I don't own a piercing thermometer for meats. I don't cook meat often enough to feel justified in buying one. Yet, I have a enough of the Terry Weaver poke-and-scrutinize method left in me to feel uneasy. Is it done? This part looks sorta pink, but it's dark meat .. what does that mean? Et cetera.

Eating: It was great chicken. The herbed rub (I added a shit ton of parsley) packed a punch and it was certainly juicy, all that shit, but it just wasn't that appetizing. Too much meat, dude. I sadly burned the kale that was going to go in with the other veggies so I just thought the dish was overwhelmed with protein. A really awesome salad would have been a good starter with maybe some fresh fruit for dessert, but I didn't have that stuff on hand. I just need more greens!

The average American probably wouldn't have thought twice about the spread I laid out tonight, but I've gotten used to more subtle flavors and textures. I vastly preferred the awesome lentils on toast I made last week; the ginger-jalapeño flavored stew over rice from a few days ago. That's the sort of thing I want to munch on. Something easy (no meat means less prep time), something filling (beans, lentils, and grains are easier on my stomach, and stick around keeping me satisfied), and something guilt-free when it comes to health and efficiency.

I may not be done with meat, but I'm certainly realizing that I don't like that same sort of balance that my mom created with food. My mother is old-school. Julia Child and Good Housekeeping, those were major influences. I just don't find fancy chicken very flashy anymore! Meaty flavors have become a condiment to me rather than the main attraction. Well. Isn't that good?