Lancaster, let's cook!

Photo generated by Gemini I’ll admit it: last Sunday’s dinner started with a grocery store compromise. I went in looking for a plain whole roasting chicken, but the display case was picked clean. All that was left were PERDUE® SHORTCUTS® Oven Ready Whole Seasoned Roasters . I picked one up, turned it over, and immediately winced at the ingredient label. Brine injection ? Topical seasoning blend? Phosphates, dextroses, and carrageenan ? As someone who prefers cooking from scratch, a laundry list of additives usually sends me running in the other direction. But with empty shelves staring back at me, I took it home anyway. And then came the instructions: Bake right in the bag! Absolutely not. I don’t care what manufacturer testing claims—I am not putting a plastic bag into a 350°F oven. Beyond safety concerns, it defies basic cooking physics: how is a bird supposed to develop crisp, golden skin if it’s trapped inside a steamy plastic bag? So, I ditch the bag completely. I placed t...