Cooked chickens go fast on Craigslist

This is a heartwarming story about a lazy cook, a hungry neighbor and how the Internet brought the two together in lickety-split fashion one late pre-Passover night.

Not really being a cook, and I do mean really, I found myself fatigued after wrangling two chickens and some random vegetables into borrowed pots to make broth for a Seder a few nights ago. After a few hours of chopping, boiling, simmering and being skimmed (don't ask), the broth was done. Not one to waste food, I had planned to make chicken salad with the meat, again following my beloved Jewish stepfather's recipe. But I didn't have the energy for what needed to be done--de-boning and removing all the skin and fat from the steaming birds. I turned to my roommate and half-jokingly suggested that I put a posting on Craigslist to make the mess go away. We quickly crafted a listing for the "Free" section:

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"2 cooked chickens (Outer Richmond/downtown)

Reply to: your anonymous craigslist address will appear here Date: 2006-04-13, 11:08AM PDT

These two prime, 4.5 lb specimens were cooked in the preparation of Matzo ball soup for Passover Seder, and are now unneeded. I'm too tired to make chicken salad out of these puppies, but damn they smell good. Missing heads and feet.

They're in good shape. They are still hot (well, right now anyway). Someone needs to eat these and it isn't going to be me. Please take them so that I don't waste food."

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Within 15 minutes an e-mail popped into my inbox:

"It's been a while since I've had some home cooked food." It was from someone who lives a few blocks away and 10 minutes later he came to take the chickens away.

The next day there were a half dozen e-mails:

"This was very heartwarming to read," was the subject line of one. "I live in San Jose so you are way out of my way. But the fact that you offered these chickens is very sweet. If you don't have any takers I have a great 'Dead Chicken Enchiladeeda Casserole' recipe that is way too easy to make. GOD bless YOU!! Naughty Scotty"

Another read: "I'll take the chickens. Did you refridgerate them?"

My reply: "The chickens have flown the coop."