Liberation From Chicken

Considering that I haven’t posted a blog entry in several months, the idea of liberating myself from chicken may seem facetious, as if I was imprisoned amongst hybrid farm fowl with no means of escape until now. Well, that would make for a more interesting story, but that’s not the case.

Pescetarianism:

For those who are aware of my dietary constraints, you know that I do not eat red meat, pork, or any other meats aside from poultry and seafood. But as of September 1^st, that has all changed. Sometime early in August, I made a vow to cease the consumption of all fowl, whether land or marine, for good. This means: no more scrumptious roast duck, though I am perfectly fine with the “mock duck” recipe that I’ve posted on here before, and no more chicken or turkey.

Officially, I can now “label” myself as a pescetarian. Simply defined, a pescetarian is a vegetarian who consumes seafood in addition to their diet of fruits and vegetables and other essential foods. For the last year, this has been my general diet.

I tried to only consume chicken in the event it was being offered to me. For instance, at a family gathering, or any other big function. Turkey was a staple for any given work week, as it was an easy source of nourishment in a sandwich. Even then, I found myself opting for veggie sandwiches, which were packed with a variety of items to keep me well fed on the job.

For me, my choice to not consume most meats is partly ethical, but also for health reasons. Granted, seafood can be just as unsafe as its land counterparts when it comes to contamination, alterations by man, and so on, but I do appreciate the leanness of it. When I consider why I gave up beef, I often think about how heavy it made me feel, and the same goes for chicken. Eating such things seldom left me feeling all that liberated.

Already, I have had deep thoughts about my lifestyle from here on out. This is a big step! There’s a reason why I chose to eliminate certain meat sources one at a time; I wanted to make sure it was the best decision for me. Some may ask, “If you truly care about animals, or even your health, why not just go completely veggie?”

My response to that would be, to each his own. I have met a few people who have explored vegetarianism for a short period of time, only to return to meat because it was tantamount to torture, or latent thoughts of the past would surface. I don’t want that to happen. I want this to be permanent.

My Last Hurrah:

To celebrate my “liberation,” last week I decided to indulge in the very thing I was escaping. A few months ago, I learned of a place in South Philadelphia called Federal Donuts*, which sells excellent doughnuts. . .and CHICKEN! I figured, if I was giving it up for good, why not taste what’s considered to be some of the best chicken in the city.

Coconut Curry

First off, Federal Donuts has some mean, exotic doughnuts, but that’s another blog entry. Their chicken was everything I heard about and more. The menu consists of six styles. I had the pleasure of tasting the following three: Za’atar, Buttermilk Ranch, and Coconut Curry. All of these were very well seasoned, crunchy on the outside, while being juicy inside, and sans the excessive oil. The za’atar and coconut curry are good if you’re a fan of spices like myself. The coconut curry is just as amazing as it sounds, while the buttermilk ranch is reminiscent of sour cream and onion chips. It was like a pleasant bon voyage party in my mouth. Chicken fanatics, this earned a thumbs up!

Buttermilk Ranch

One day, I would like to be a strict vegetarian, and who knows, perhaps vegan if I can discipline myself. That’s really the requirement, getting your mind to focus on something you want to obtain. I deal with this daily, trying to focus on not overeating or overindulging in sweets. It’s a challenge. But, I look forward to this new change and welcome the vast array of foods that will take the place of poultry.

Chick-Fil-A, I still love your cookies.

*Located at 1219 South 2nd Street Philadelphia, PA