#26 & #27. Cook Something I Killed; Eat a Dove Heart.

The final product. Pretty, huh?As I waited in the security line and Bill and HIllary Clinton National Airport, I wondered how the TSA might react to the Ziplock bag filled with frozen dove breasts (stuffed inside my boot, naturally). Luckily, I breezed right on through. For the last 6 weeks, I've been peering into my freezer, wondering how I'd eventually prepare the birds. It's a whole different feeling cooking something you killed yourself-- you know exactly how that bird ended up in your hands, then on the back of a truck, then on an airplane, then into your home freezer. You don't want to screw it up.After careful research, I decided dove nuggets were the way to go. I'd already tasted the recipe (it was delicious... thanks for posting it, Georgia!) and knew they were easy to make. Plus, we were having friends over, and nugz make for a shareable appetizer. Just a regular Becky Homecky!First, I peeled the breasts of the bone. I suppose you're supposed to do this with some sort of filet knife, but I just man handled them. GRRR. The recipe calls for marinating them over night, but I kinda sorta forgot to do that. Instead, I marinated them for at least 20 minutes. Next, dredge through the flour-bread crumb-spices mixture. Then, boom, into the hot oil (or OHL as they say in the south), and blah blah blah, you have dove nuggets. If you're looking for more info, go to GeorgiaPellegrini.com. She's the expert, I'm just some hack following most of the directions.Though next time I'd go for finer bread crumbs, these suckers turned out great! I can't even explain how amazing doves tastes: dark, dense and incredibly rich. I was psyched to share them with my new Beyonce (Josh) , and friends Margie and Keven. It's probably kind of creepy having someone intently watch you as you're eating, but I wanted to see their reaction. I poured my blood, sweat and (lots of) tears into this snack. Completely worth it.I did have one extra special bite: one of the breasts still had a heart attached. I may work for the Bizarre Foods guy, but I'm not quite as fearless. I closed my eyes and ate it whole. Best bite of the night, and I didn't have to share it with anyone. Behold: the dove heart.