I was going to write an entry about how eating is becoming more and more abstract by the day and how we need to work on reconnecting with our food. I was going to tell a few anecdotes about the characters I see every Saturday at the farmers market and describe the way vendors sell and customers shop for food emanating a sense of purpose, integrity and passion. But I want to write a blog entry, not a book, so instead, I'm gonna show you how to prepare corazon de pollo yakitori (aka chicken heart kebabs).
YOU’LL NEED
A bbq/grill
Salt & pepper
Pre-soaked kebab sticks
Hearts of chicken
A strong resolve
Step 1: Buy the chicken hearts.
I try and buy from either a farmers market, a butcher or a store selling organic produce. Chicken hearts from a normal supermarket taste good too, but i noticed that they are not as plump and the colour tends to have less colour.
Connecting with our food is often a messy experience - especially if you eat meat. I found it very challenging to gut fish at a Billingsgate workshop i did many years ago and now, when i garden i wear gloves because worms scare me. Its not easy and for the most part, it doesn't match the romanticised version in my head, where people eat wholesome foods they grow themselves and understand all the ingredients on the labels of pre-packed items.
Step 2: Cleaning.
Thoroughly wash using cold water. Often there are some blood clots left in the valves. The thin film that covers the heart 'peels' away to the top. Cut this off as well as the valves. Keep the white bits on, this is the fat where the most flavour will come from. Here was a slight "eeewww" moment when I removed the blood clots but the mental engagement stopped me from feeling very squeamish. I never specifically thought of chickens, the farm or the farmers, instead, the act of preparing from scratch gave me a feeling of being part of an overall picture and a stronger general awareness of the food provenance. Being involved shifted me from being a passive viewer/witness/voyeur to an active collaborator / accomplice / participant.
Step 3: Skewering
Cut the heart lengthways. Push the skewer through the top and bottom of the half-heart, this will give maximum cooking coverage in the bbq. Rub olive oil then sprinkle salt, pepper and cumin on the skewers.
I am not in the camp of moral vegetarians who think that "you should be able to kill what you eat". As much as i wish food ethics were that simple, I don't believe thinking in a single dimension improves our relationship with food. Being connected to the food we eat is a matter of degrees and is one component of many.
Step 4: Cooking
Make sure the bbq is hot. Wait for one side to cook before turning. Try and give each skewer a bit of space so they cook via grill rather than steaming from being close together. Enjoy them while they're hot. Munch on their own or serve in a wrap
These are spaced a wee bit too close.
Served as a lettuce wrap with yoghurt and grilled veggies
I try and get to know my food: does it come from an animal, a tree, the ground or a lab?
I acknowledge : i try to be mindful about what i'm eating and why i'm eating. Am i hungry or just feel like crunching on something? am i trying to cheer myself up? is my craving for x a signal for something my body needs?
For example, I eat oreos and i have no idea what that stuff is. But i acknowledge that it is processed and engineered towards pleasing my tastebuds to keep them wanting more. During menstruation i crave a steak aka iron. This reframing really helps me disassociate judgement from food.
I look at food as part of a whole: The thing i'm eating, it's just a part of a bigger picture. Before my mouth, it was absorbing sunshine, someone had to pick it/drive it/pack it. After i eat it, my body will change in response to it.