Fridays are usually a night where we take the kids to pizza or grab burgers, but recently I have found going out to be inauthentic, not meaning like in a “procedure” kind of way but in “experience” sort of way. Most things that are promoted are based from revenue paid to advertisers of newspapers and those who are the most “well connected”. I’m so sick of what someone else’s (usually compensated) opinion of something is, that honestly I have given up on pursuing the “hot spots”. The service is usually ambivalent and lackluster, not kid friendly, and burnt out, how could you blame them when they are constantly being talked down to by yuppies and the ever self important “yelpers” giving reviews of a job they have never done, I know I did FOH for three years here. The food is usually measley with somewhat questionable origins, and rarely does it live up to the “hype”, many cooks and chefs are hideously undercompensated and morale can be low. Now there are always exceptions to the rule and I am always overjoyed when this is the case, but as our city grows beyond our current infrastructure a little piece of what made us unique dies. Corporate mentality takes over, prices hike, and the lines grow longer for food, more, and more mediocre. Folks gripe consistently about the “gentrifiers” and my feelings are mixed on that as me and my family could be mistaken for those ruining the culture here. So after telling Jarom to plan on a night out, I changed my mind and cooked the local, sustainably farmed chicken I had, I cooked it low and slow and it was crazy delicious! The kids loved it as well and they didn’t even ask why we stayed in, and my faith in the city restored (they haven’t ruined the grocery stores yet). Sometimes the best table in the city is your own and the best food is slow, simple, but unforgettable like this chicken. I hope that we can start valuing the job that food service is and take it as a serious profession, not something you do till you take your next backpacking trip, or while you are finishing college, a place where those truly passionate, talented, and artistic can make a living and have a decent quality of life, getting paid a living wage. From personal experience…the hours are long, physically painful, and rarely praised, the ultimate labor of love. The industry needs the respect it is due if we want excellence.
You will need:
1 whole chicken cut up or 4lbs chicken pieces I used a “grill pack” which had two split breasts, and three quarters.
3 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 T salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. each: smoked paprika, cracked black pepper, garlic powder, and lemon pepper seasoning (yes, the throwback 90’s favorite)
2 T fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 C. your favorite barbeque sauce
Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine olive oil, and seasonings. Place dried chicken in a roasting vessel, and rub each piece with seasoned oil. Cook 3 hours uncovered, remove from oven and baste with barbeque sauce. Serve. Let your audience be amazed at how tender and delicious this chicken is.
Eat, Drink, and be local! A unconventional food blog!