Cool hat right?I don't know what happened. I went a year and a half at the CIA fabricating all sorts of meats, poultry and seafood without flinching and not until now am I growing a weak stomach. I actually had to push away the peanut M&M's I was snacking on when I started this post. (probably a good thing)
It all started back in Brest when I had to clean an entire case of crabs. I remember them climbing onto my cutting board almost catching my hand as they were snatched up to be tossed into the boiling water. Then cleaning them I was mortified dealing with their eyes and all the hair (yes, hair) and the goop. You'd think I had never seen a crab before in my life.
I thought it would be a phase but since then it hasn't been much easier. Apparently it's that time of year when the crustaceans of the sea are pregnant so most of the lobsters and langostines we're receiving are full of eggs like the lobster pictured here. Even after the arms were cut off its tail was convulsing with all the eggs falling off in chunks. Eww.
It goes beyond crabs and lobsters. I'm cutting off dozens of duck heads and feet and gutting them too. The other day Gina and I were doing it together and she asked if I had felt that "tube thing with the ripples." "You mean it's throat?" I asked. "Ya, you know that's the quacker right?" All I could do was laugh...and then got grossed out.
Pigeons are another favorite at the restaurant and they're what I'm fabricating in this awful picture. Who knew pigeons bled that much? The first time I did this I forgot gloves and the whole time kept picturing myself in a horror film. Then, that night as I went to sleep, I contemplated becoming a vegetarian.
I'm hoping I get over this since it's just no good. There's no reason for my behavior. It's not even that I feel sorry for the creatures, it's just the living and then dying that I have to deal with and all the blood and mess. I want to be like Julia Child and embrace every aspect of it...am I just dreaming? Is it a gene that I lack? I suppose time will tell...
It all started back in Brest when I had to clean an entire case of crabs. I remember them climbing onto my cutting board almost catching my hand as they were snatched up to be tossed into the boiling water. Then cleaning them I was mortified dealing with their eyes and all the hair (yes, hair) and the goop. You'd think I had never seen a crab before in my life.
I thought it would be a phase but since then it hasn't been much easier. Apparently it's that time of year when the crustaceans of the sea are pregnant so most of the lobsters and langostines we're receiving are full of eggs like the lobster pictured here. Even after the arms were cut off its tail was convulsing with all the eggs falling off in chunks. Eww.
It goes beyond crabs and lobsters. I'm cutting off dozens of duck heads and feet and gutting them too. The other day Gina and I were doing it together and she asked if I had felt that "tube thing with the ripples." "You mean it's throat?" I asked. "Ya, you know that's the quacker right?" All I could do was laugh...and then got grossed out.
Pigeons are another favorite at the restaurant and they're what I'm fabricating in this awful picture. Who knew pigeons bled that much? The first time I did this I forgot gloves and the whole time kept picturing myself in a horror film. Then, that night as I went to sleep, I contemplated becoming a vegetarian.
I'm hoping I get over this since it's just no good. There's no reason for my behavior. It's not even that I feel sorry for the creatures, it's just the living and then dying that I have to deal with and all the blood and mess. I want to be like Julia Child and embrace every aspect of it...am I just dreaming? Is it a gene that I lack? I suppose time will tell...
Pigeons
Is this an inappropriate picture?
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