I got excited when I got to the grocery today knowing there'd be one there waiting for me. It's been two weeks since I've had one and honestly, I can't tell you why it's been so long since I've enjoyed my favorite food. Probably because I’m at the point that I consciously cook other proteins just because I like chicken so much that I don’t ever want to get sick of it.
I think back to the first time I had a real craving for it. I was in graduate school in River Falls working on my teaching degree and was headed to the U.P. to meet my mom and Ambos for a yoga retreat to celebrate my birthday weekend and I was hung the fuck over. Like had puked up red wine (gross!) and I am so not a puker. I was green leaving my friend's house that morning and my boyfriend at the time knew something was up when he heard me dry heaving over the toilet once I got home. Yup, it was bad, but I couldn't miss the weekend with my girls. I muscled through the four hour drive and by the time I rolled into Ironwood the only thing I could think of was stopping at the store to pick up a chicken. I pulled up to the cabin, greeted my boos and dove in on that chicken. Hangover cure. I don’t think they even knew what was happening at first. Hangover details explained it all. We didn't make it to the first night of the yoga workshop opting for chicken, wine, and dinner. But that's where it began. One day, early in Josh and I's relationship he came home with a rotisserie chicken and the first thing out of my mouth was, "do you know I LOVE rotisserie chicken?" It was one of the numerous seemingly miniscule big deals that sealed the relationship. These days if I manage to walk past the chickens without throwing one in the cart, it doesn’t go without a surprised look of acknowledgement and small nod or comment that I just walked past my kryptonite. Wanna get romantic? Start with a chicken... Mention rotisserie chicken and I guarantee I’ll launch into my love of it. Close friends are familiar with the schpeal: “You can make soup….” I feel like it’s a fundamental kitchen staple and my secret weapon when cooking. I always get complements when one of the base ingredients is rotisserie chicken. Not long after the yoga workshop my mom was doing some research on rotisserie chicken, as happens in my family when new obsessions develop. And because it tastes so damn good, we needed to find out just how bad or good this new obsession was. Turns out rotisserie chicken is health food. YESSSS, insert fist pump (If you take the skin off). Game on. It makes the BEST, and I’m talking next level soup. Eat that damn thing right off the carcass. Take it to the beach, bring it home when you are fried after a long day, picnic that shit. Take it off the carcass, pull it apart, and save it in tupperware to eat all week. Throw it on salads. Making Mexican food? Add chicken. Pizza? Yes. You can even pick all the meat off the carcass, eat it up in all the good ways, and then throw the carcass, an onion, some carrots, celery and herbs in the crockpot and make stock. All chicken parts are usable, except the bones. Our go-to rotisserie chicken recipe though is “The Dip” We love Mexican. We’s the snacky people. And Josh moonlights as my sous chef (my favorite part ;) 1-2 cans of beans (white, pinto or black) 1/3-1/2 cup of sour cream 1 1/2 -2 cups of cheese 2 cups of rotisserie chicken 1/2 cup salsa verde 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp -ish of chili powder 1/2 lime juiced 1/2 red pepper pickled jalapenos sliced cherry tomatoes black olives Olive oil to grease cast iron skillet Chips or veggies for vessel Preheat oven to 400 Mix sour cream, 2/3 can of beans or 1 whole can of beans (save other can if using two cans), lime juice, cumin, chili powder in a blender. In a large bowl mix the blender concoction, diced chicken, 1 cup cheese, left over beans. Pour into greased skillet. Top with sliced cherry tomatoes, salsa verde, jalapenos, olives, you could also sneak in extra veggies like spinach. Finish with remaining cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes till bubbly and brown. This can be made as a white chicken chili dip (use white beans, red pepper, tomato) or as deconstructed nachos (pinto beans, jalapenos, black beans). At this point, I've become a connoisseur. Not just any rotisserie chicken will do. Washburn IGA is where it's at. Roasted fresh twice daily, amish-raised, tended and saved only till their prime. Can we talk about how it’s only $8.00, or $9.00? It doesn’t even really matter. It’s a deal, and even if it weren’t, l’d still be buying that shit. They're ready for pick up daily between 11:30-1 and 4:00-5:30 (if they last that long). You can even reserve a bird by calling 373-5566, extension 1.
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AuthorsMagdalen Dale and Kaite Sweval grew up a layer apart, overlapping and paralleling. Belonging to the shores of Lake Superior and yet not quite belonging. Laughing and dreaming on the bench outside the ferry booth as Mag passed the time and Kaite chose her time. Left to explore as soon as they could. And then as adults returned home, perhaps to their surprise. But glad to have each other... ‘cause we know there is strength in the differences between us and comfort where we overlap. Archives
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