Conquering my Culinary Fears

What is going on with me? One day I make mashed potatoes for the first time in my life, and a few days later I am cutting up a whole chicken. Like taking meat off bones. Did I roast it myself? God, no! Why would I when it comes already cooked for $4.99? Although maybe one day I’ll do that, too. For now I am content to have conquered Culinary Fear Inadequacy #2.

I did okay, although I’m not sure I could have served it up on a platter with roasted vegetables for dinner. Actually, I am absolutely sure I could not have served it for dinner; I won't even post the picture of the little piles of separated meat. I probably should have watched a how-to video on-line first, but I wasn't after presentation as much as I was after a shortcut for cooking this week, and--frankly--to conquer the beast. Before I could even begin to consider applying for Next Food Network Star I definitely need to take apart a bird, cooked and--ew--raw. (And, Amy, you need to conquer mushrooms. And avocado.  STAT.) But I'm getting way ahead of myself. Back to the already roasted bird.

I was able to get enough meat off the bones without hurling (or packing it up and bringing it to my mother's) to have chicken a hundred different ways this week. Well, four ways—plus I put some in the freezer for another time. The plan for the week is to make tortilla soup (which will be another culinary first, though not a milestone) for lunch and to share, to have chicken quesadillas for dinner one night, and to make curried chicken salad and tarragon chicken salad.

Maybe one of those will be pretty enough to photograph and post.