The Tao of Food

"Trees in winter lose their leaves.  Some trees may even fall during storms, but most stand patiently and bear their fortune."












The recipe called for a Cornish game hen, split apart by kitchen shears, seasoned, then laid down on a roasting pan to heat.  The game hens at the store were still rock solid frozen and would likely take upwards of 30 minutes to defrost in a sink of lukewarm water.  Even then, often the middle cavity of the small hens are still cold and crystallized and a chore to cut.  I seasoned six drumsticks and two split breasts instead, pan fried them to brown and sear the seasoning onto the skin (roasting does a wonderful job cooking interior meat slowly, but does not do the browning itself).  Over the top,

I laid down long slender slices of yams and cucumbers – cutting each of those the long way into eights or even skinnier depending on the size of the original vegetable.  The steam from the chicken batch rose up to steam the vegetables, which came out tender, colorful, and good for you.  Carly ate four drumsticks, Abby looked over the edge of the pan for more cucumbers.