I tried for a while to be vegetarian, for health reasons as well as environmental reasons, but my body was built to eat meat. I feel better and have more energy when I have meat in my diet - unlike some people, who are the opposite. If you've ever read anything about the blood-type diets, you understand what I'm saying. So now I'm a full-time omnivore, and I love meat. Actually, I love food. So. Much. The way to my heart is definitely through my stomach. I'm an adventurous eater, and trying to teach myself to cook a little at a time. A couple of years ago I began planting herbs in the spring (I've already got my basil and cilantro in seed cups in anticipation for this spring) and over the last year have been considering adding hunting to my repertoire of food harvesting.
I come from long lines of hunters and harvesters on both sides of my family. My grandparents grow the bulk of their own vegetables themselves to this day. My uncle and cousins are avid deer and other critter hunters. My father and brother love fishing - and eating what they've caught. My uncle and aunt raise livestock, chickens, and butcher their meat themselves. No one in my family buys nuts - both my parents and my grandparents have pecan trees, and my grandparents grow peanuts as a cash crop.
Somehow, though I grew up exposed to this world, the skills I have taken away are limited. As a kid I showed more interest in crafting and reading than fishing, and my family never pushed it on me. But now, as I start to become an adult and read the food processing horror stories made popular over the last few years, I want to change that. I already have the respect for the process, now it's time to learn the skills.
Girl Hunter
Georgia Pellegrini
Right after deciding this, I was gifted this book by Terry. Thank god for best friends! I was so excited to start reading. Girl Hunter is a memoir of Pellegrini's transition from accomplished city chef to accomplished hunter/gatherer. She begins having never fired a gun, and her journey is a little bumpy, but soon enough she is looking her food in the face.
Pellegrini's writing is thoughtful and lush. Her imagery is what you would expect if a novelist, not a hunter/chef/financier. Her descriptions of preparing the carcass are sometimes graphic, but realistic. She does all the dirty work herself. She even talks about what happens when your shot is not a kill shot. As she puts is, "The worst moment in hunting is an imperfect shot. It is hard to prepare for the moment you are responsible for suffering. Rather, it is had to prepare for the moment you know you are responsible for suffering. It's all in the knowing." That is my fear of hunting - how will I handle the suffering. But, as we are all hopefully aware, the suffering of a wild animal hunted is no where near the suffering of domesticated livestock animals in feedlots or commercial chicken houses or slaughterhouses. I agree with Pellegrini when she writes that hunting, as gruesome and gory as it may be, is more humane and ethical.
I can't wait to pick up Pellegrini's first book, Food Heroes, next. And, she writes a blog(!!!) and I've already scoped out some awesome recipes. (Potted cheese? Yes please!) And as for hunting, I'm going to pick out my first shotgun in a couple of weeks! I'll keep you posted.
I had leftover tissue paper from last year and yarn from my Charlie Kelly Halloween costume, so I used those to dress up the package.
Tie your yarn ball carefully (and VERY tightly) to the top of the package. You want it tight, or else it will fall apart.
