Meet the pig.  Helluva way to start a blog...and if you were the pig, it REALLY was one helluva way to start the New Year. You see, on Saturday, December 29, 2012, the pig was living his piggie life on terra firma.  On Sunday, December 30, 2012, he had been processed and awaiting pickup, resting in a cooler a few scant yards away from where he lived his piggie life.  By Monday evening, he had been marinated, roasted, and ultimately, consumed (have faith, the piggie roast will be the subject of a future post).

The pig did not die in vain.  He was good.

Really good.

But why start with such a grim post?  Because, although we all enjoy food, we often don't contemplate where it comes from, the process(es) required for preparation, and the wonderful options we have living in this specific time and place in history.  Although my future "piggie roast" post will only cover the cooking of the pig, I will tell you that I witnessed how a piggie is processed.  It is merciless, primal, and gory.  I have cleaned and gutted small game and fish myself, an integral part of hunting and fishing, but I was taken aback by the expediency of the processors and their ability to do this task over and over, day after day.  I also noticed that at the piggie processing shop, I was the only "Gringo," surrounded by fellow customers that were entirely at ease, chatting and laughing, oblivious to the carnage occurring a few feet away.  These were people that understood where their food came from, and they were comfortable with the "circle of life," acknowledging that the sacrifice of the piggie's life  provided nourishment for them and their progeny, as it had for previous untold generations.

Okay..... maybe I am romanticizing the whole process, and that at that precise moment I was actually surrounded by two dozen maladjusted, bloodthirsty people that coincidentally were all hardened by life to the butchery they were witnessing, wanting only to render the piggie into a yet another snack.  Either way, I certainly gained respect that day, both for the piggies and the processors.  It is in this spirit that this blog will be written, with respect to the food and those involved in its making.

PS:  For those who want a dose of ordinary, here was dinner on January 1, 2013:  Turkey Pot Pie with Biscuit Crust.

Took leftover turkey and root vegetables (leeks, onions, garlic cloves, red potatoes, yams), put in casserole and covered with condensed cream of mushroom soup thinned with white wine.  Heated for 15 minutes in 400 degree oven until bubbly, and covered with biscuit dough (you can use bisquick or pop n' fresh if you lack the will to make biscuits from scratch).  Return to oven for an additional 15 minutes until browned.  Let rest for a few minutes, and enjoy!