Chicken, Gallus gallus or G. domesticus, is a domestic fowl, probably the most common bird in the world. It is raised for meat, eggs, and by-products such as feathers; for sport; and as a hobby. Developed chiefly from the red jungle fowl (G. gallus) of southeast Asia, the chicken has been fully domesticated for at least 4,000 years. Chickens were kept for their eggs, and when the birds grew too old to lay, they were used for meat. The development of different breeds of chickens either for egg laying or for meat production, the transfer of farming operations indoors where the environment can be controlled, and the use of sophisticated mass production techniques led to the modernization of the commercial chicken industry. Most chickens range in weight from 3 to 4.5 kg (7 to 10 lb), with the larger breeds reaching about 6 kg (13 lb) and some bantams only 670 g (1.5 lb). The rooster has spurs, bony outgrowths of the legs that are used for fighting. In the sport of cockfighting, these spurs are usually cut down to a stub over which are placed steel gaffs, or heels. Hens start laying at 22 weeks of age. During the hen's most productive period, an egg may be laid about every other day for most of the year. Eggs hatch in 21 days. ACADEMIC AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA

Why Chicken? Well, we are all trying to eat better. They say we are what we eat! They also say we need to eat less red meat and more fowl. I am brain washed! I have looking for receipts that include chicken so I too can eat better. I have searched for receipts with different spices and ways to serve the bird. I found a wealth of receipts on PRODIGY. In no way do I take credit for creating these receipts but rather compiling these into my first effort - Chicken! cookbook. In the past few months I have been keenly aware of chicken pictures in the paper and magazines and chickens in cartoons. I have added these as a spice to this book. Someone once mentioned the reason why we do not eat more chicken compared to beef is because of a syndrome called chicken fatigue. We just get tired of eating fowl. I think this fatigue, if it really exists, has more to do with the limited ways we have prepared the hen rather than the poor cluck itself. This book may help with ideas for the preparation of the dish. As the 1992 election year drew to a close and the politicians had their say, we were reminded by Ross Perot of the importance of chickens in our countries economy. In Ross's speech on Monday November 2, 1992, the day before the national election, he pointed out Bill Clinton's major contribution to the job market in Arkansas was in chickens. Ross extrapolated this point to where a very large number of us throughout the nation will be working in the poultry industry in the future due to Mr. Clinton's job creating experience. I know at times I feel as if I work for a chicken %#@& organization, but Ross carried this point a little too far. I hope! I have tried many of these receipts. A couple of my favorites are Spicy Chicken with Celery , and Spinach Cannelloni . I look forward to trying Chicken with Sauerkraut, and Russian Chicken Pie. I hope you enjoy reading and using this book as much as I have enjoyed preparing it. Let me know which are your favorites.
Christopher Reed Atlanta, Georgia		December 1992 (edited and updated for Internet 2002, 2008)

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