jmcquown wrote:
> Sheldon wrote:
> > Mike Pearce wrote:
> >> Andy wrote:
> >>
> >>> I don't know about cheaper but making fresh pasta is DEFINITELY
> >>> more fun than boxed!!!
> >>>
> >>> Andy
> >>
> >> Making just about anything from scratch is more fun than buying it
> >> pre-made.
> >
> > That's not true... when was they last time you ate meat that you
> > gutted... I don't consider preparing a package of chicken quarters
> > from scratch... I don't see the fun in gutting a chicken and then an
> > hour
> > later eating same. A package of chicken parts is more like cooking in
> > kit form, same as paint by numbers. Today most all foods are
> > purchased nearly prepared... you must be very young. I'm willing to
> > bet most
> > folks reading rfc have never gutted a chicken, many have never cut one
> > up, or even touched one with bare hands.
>
> I've never plucked and gutted a chicken but my dad sure did, many times.
> It's no wonder people prefer packaged chicken - I let the butchers deal with
> their job, which is butchering.

I have assisted in the process with chickens, cattle, deer, ducks,
squirrels, and fish and frogs. I think that's everything:I don't think
I helped with the pig. I will take a good bucher shop or fishmonger's
anyday.
>
> I have most definitely cut up whole (purchased) chickens - it's much cheaper
> to buy a whole chicken than it is to pay for a package of chicken breasts.
> (The back, neck and wings go in the freezer for stock.) By the same token,
> it's cheaper to buy a package of bone-in skin-on chicken breasts and skin
> and bone them yourself than it is to buy the boneless ones. (Said bones
> also go in the freezer for stock.) Now if I could just figure out how to
> bone chicken thighs, which I prefer, neatly (a.k.a. not mangling them).

It is not easy but if you have a good boning knife and patience it can
be done. I'm up to about 75% non-mangled. I, too, prefer them.

> But by the same token, I've never had anyone
> serve up a spiral-sliced ham and pretend they did the spiral slicing
> themselves. In fact, it's usually announced - hey, we got a spiral-sliced
> ham!
>
Hi Jill,
What is a spiral-sliced ham? I don't think I've ever heard of one.