Poletta ala Mattone

KIRA COWAN — Vantis, Seattle

PREP TIME: 15 minutes | COOK TIME: 25-35 minutes | TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes

As a teenager, I was brought under the wing of my soon to be stepdad in the kitchen. “Hey, have you seen this?" Or, "let me show you,” that kind of thing. It was a great bonding experience for both of us and my curiosity took off. Flavors, cooking methods, timing, understanding what went together, meant a whole new world to me, and it helped in my transition with the “new,” and offered a language between us that was very special. This dish was a favorite. I come back to it time and again with a smile every time.

Butterfly the chicken and place in a large bowl, breast side up.

Zest the lemon, add the juice and the rest of the ingredients making sure the whole chicken is generously covered in all the “goodness”.

Marinate for about an hour or so.

Turn the BBQ to medium-high and place chicken breast side up with the cast iron skillet on top of the chicken, evening out the thickness of the meat, which will make it cook evenly.

Turn the meat after 7-9 minutes and place the skillet again on the chicken, cooking another 7-9 minutes. Continue doing this and check for doneness with thermometer in chicken breast. It should register 145° F.

Remove and let rest from grill, 10 minutes.

Cut and plate.

Serve with your favorite greens and a grain salad! 4-5 lb whole chicken, butterflied

Zest of one lemon

Juice of one lemon

¼ tsp (or more for spicier flavor), red pepper flakes

1 tsp each of thyme, rosemary

2 generous pinches of Kosher salt and coarse ground pepper (or to your liking)

3-4 tbsp olive oil

1 large cast iron skillet

While community and coming together with our Chosen Family are very important in the LGBTQ+ culture, there is no such thing as LGBTQ+ food. LGBTQ+ people hail from every country and every state, we represent every religion, race, and class, and we embrace the fullness of our community. The ingredients of acceptance, care, quality and diversity are probably the most common hallmarks of the dining experience, driven by history and social context. Think of late-night restaurants and clubs, the most colorful dinner parties where everyone is accepted, and the care shown for the sick during the AIDS crisis — attention to the quality of the experience is the driver. But that’s not to say there aren’t amazing LGBTQ+ chefs, because there are loads!

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Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip Tortellini Salad 121

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Food transcends all barriers. I’m so grateful to work in the food space because it allows me to enter into people’s lives — people who might protest against the LGBTQ community. ey say the way to the heart is through the stomach. Love is love. Food is love. – Hannah Hart