My recent research into chicken fatigue led me to James Beard's Fowl and Game Cookery. In 1944, chicken was in third place on American tables (well below beef and pork), and Beard lamented the fact that it largely appeared in two forms: fried (at roadside stands) and creamed (on toast, at banquets and formal gatherings). His book aimed to present a more varied palette of chicken possibilities, including "paelle -- a casserole in Spanish" and "a saute with a Chinese flavor."

Perhaps what is most striking about the book, however, is the company that chicken keeps. The chicken chapter is quickly followed by "turkey, "duck - tame and wild," "goose," "pheasant," and "quail."

The book ends with a brief but informative chapter on "Squirrel and others." Interested in skunk? Beard tells us,

Skunk, which I have never eaten, is said to be delicious. The hair should be singed off at once and the sac containing the unpleasant and famous defense liquid should be removed with a sharp knife or sharp scissors. The animal is then skinned and cleaned and hung for a few days. Roast as above.

Skunk: it tastes like chicken?

The James Beard Foundation has recently published a white paper, The State of American Cuisine, based on surveys and workshops held across America. The five most iconic American foods include ... fried chicken. Beard's work, it seems, was incomplete.