Just in time for Monday's Thanksgiving (or Columbus Day for those in the States), here's a recipe for yummy kid soup as a lovely side dish. It's quite simple really -- take a big-sized pot, fill with water or stock of some kind, carrots, onions, celery, leeks (or whatever else you have in the fridge), and one small to medium-sized kid. The younger the better, as its flesh will be more tender and tasty. Bring liquid to a boil, insert kid, and simmer for at least two hours to enhance flavour. Serves 4-6.
A couple of notes for those a bit squeamish. Just as when you toss live lobsters into hot water, the thrashing around is nothing more than a reflex response. Please do not anthropomorphize and ascribe pain, as these creatures can't process pain given their lack of a complex nervous system. And as observed hundreds of years ago by the father of modern philosophy René Descartes (1596-1650), without thought, reason, speech or soul, animals are little more than organic machines, thus we needn't worry about how they're treated unless it affects other humans.
If you're still concerned, keep in mind that it's just "one bad day", and as long as a kid had a happy enough life for its first 20 weeks or so, then your responsibility is absolved. Plus, in keeping with rising consumer demand, you can now acquire kids that have been raised humanely. That is, they've been given a little bit of sunshine (but not too much as paler flesh tastes better), a little bit of room to move around, and an artificial milk-based formula to fatten these tykes up in record time. Also, organic, antibiotic-free kids are now widely available as well.
And if you're still uneasy, use humane stunning methods to ease your conscience. Better yet, get someone else to do the work for you and obtain a kid de-haired and pre-chopped. Much easier, less messy, more convenient.
Oh, another tip. Make enough in one batch to have leftovers, because boy is this soup even more delicious the next day. So get cooking, and enjoy! ;)
