Thursday, March 16, 2006

The Lake of Chicken Juice


Mom kindly sent me a Foodsaver that I received this past weekend. The intent is that I will make healthy meals all at once and then be able to just pull one out of the freezer at will, for a quick, wholesome meal. The following account is my experience with such bulk cooking, thus far.

This evening I came home from work and opened the refrigerator door to find a literal lake of chicken juice. The chicken that I was thawing had leaked through it's plastic bag and wasted formerly wonderful things like: Orange Juice - ruined because it was in a paper carton and the bottom seams of the carton looked suspiciously soaked, and Carrots, intended for my Irish Friday dinner - now swimming in a veritable salmonella pool. Thank God Mom sent me with Lysol.

There are few foods, in fact, at this moment, I can think of no food, that is more disgusting than raw chicken. It is slimy. It is at times gelatinous, and it is always germ-ridden. I can deal with the fat, and after grimacing, I can deal with the blood vessels. It's the tendons that do me in. I know that I don't want to eat these rubber bands of gristle, so I'm required to wrestle with the silvery white fibrous tissue that knows its rightful place is not in my garbage.

The idea of chicken now makes me gag and I don't know how I'll even eat what is now seasoned, cooked and frozen in my freezer. What flavors? Ginger Sesame, Italian Parmesan, and Lemon-Herb.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, I can totally agree with you about raw chicken being one of the most disgusting foods. I had to cook some for my infamous chicken casserole, and I was grimacing the entire time I had to use my bare hands to cut up the meat. Gross.

Anonymous said...

Have you ever thought about becoming a vegetarian?? I have always been a big lover of chicken, but after reading your blog I'm having second thoughts about the "slimy" bird. By the way what's next on the menu??

Anonymous said...

jackie, if you saw the tofurkey that my dear husband made 8 pounds of for thanksgiving, you would be scare-cured back into an appreciation for the genuine bird. think of wrinkly expired skin grafts inexpertly toothpicked around a beige, spongy, "edible" nerf football. all delicately oven-singed and served with cat puke. oh--um, i guess that was the "gravy."

Melissa said...

So I just need to comment on the fact that the last two posts had the best images and that I laughed hysterically about your bean episode.

Anonymous said...

Um, maybe it is a sign. The Great American Meatout is this Monday (and guess who's bringing veggie snacks from Marie Catrib's to work?).

Jackie Parker said...

Yes, Sarah and I have now both thought about become pseudo veggies. Meat is just so difficult. I have however been inspired by my Foodsaver and have cooked up quite the storm. Meatloaf and Corned Beef are the most recent conquests. Both performed without hitch, thank you very much. Which is why there won't be a post about them. ;)

Anonymous said...

It is much easier and no sliminess when you cut chicken (or any meat) still partially frozen. Experiment to see how frozen it can be. Just don't cut yourself.