On Stewing Hens and Coq au Vin

A few months ago I was wandering the poultry aisle at my food coop looking at the bewildering number of options for a roasting chicken.  As the words free-range and humane--proclaimed on every package--began to lose their meaning, I came across a pile of frozen, gangly-looking birds with their long necks still intact.  The label, announcing this new product, read “Amish stewing hens.€..

"Mexican" Chicken Stew: Return of the Leftovers

"Just use whatever leftovers are in the fridge."

That little statement is repeated endlessly throughout the course of one day on the Food Network and I'm not sure who they are trying to fool.  It's as if those celebrity chefs aren't paid enough to send an assistant to the store to pick up some tomatoes--not that they need to.  Their fantastically clean fridges come stocked with leftover t...