The Best Things in Life are (Almost) Free

Like chicken and pigs' feet and intestines, turkey tails suffer from a "do-you-know-where-it's-been" taint that many people can't get over.

My fathers' family was poor, and his mother mastered the preparation of animal parts that the butcher would throw away.

She had a recipe for turkey tails that I've given up trying to replicate. Her marinade suffused the tails with a delicate salty-and-sour flavor that didn't overpower. Tails have a lot of fat, but she roasted them long enough for much of the fat to drain away. The skin was crispy, and the flesh was tender.

I've never seen turkey tails in California supermarkets, but at the Times market on King Street 20-lb. boxes were on sale for $47.99 ($2 off!). At today's inflated food prices, $2.50 per pound is like they're being given away.

Somebody must have a terrific recipe for turkey tails, and there's still hope in the world.