Come winter time in the Midwest, if you don't have a cold-frame or green house, your gardening for the year is about over for the season. I inventory my bottles of wild garlic vinegar, pickled beets, frozen Salsa Verde, and flavored spices to decide what I'll be cooking for friends this winter. The onset of winter also made for perfect butchering weather. After fattening animals all summer, farmers harvested their charges.

Preparing For A Feast

The age-old preservation processes of curing the prime cuts, brining and smoking hams, and making sausages have always been celebratory times in every culture. But what about the remaining parts of the animal? They're know as the offal- the organ meats, the parts that weren't meat or bone. Everything but the oink.

The Organ... A Delicacy?

For many folks, offal just sounds awful. But in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa, Australia and the Middle East, offal is not only accepted - it's prized. The Brits are in love with the stuff, too. They even serve their eggs with blood pudding for breakfast. Working in France and Belgium, I learned the tricks of the trade about offal. Working for Sir Terence Conran opened a window to a storm of new recipes, from steak and kidney pie to Scottish haggis.

The Holiday Offal

The holidays are a perfect time to serve offal in French preparations such as chicken, foie gras en torchon, game terrines, and other festive Euro-centric plates. If you are a bit intimidated, try making Hors d'oeuvres. These little bites of pre-dinner joy show bounty during the holidays without making them a true "course" that non-believers have to struggle through. Then, as you gather a congregation of devoted offal disciples, you can practice with more dedication during the holiday season.

Chicken Liver Crostinis with Rosemary and Garlic

A great "starter" offal snack to serve before dinner with cocktails, sherry or white wine.

This recipe uses the New Regime Spice Blend.