CHICKEN
Chicken can be used in many ways, not only for meat eating but also for stocks, and it can be prepared in a lot of different ways. In addition it tastes nice and unaggressive, and it can be combined with a variety of flavors, including herbs, spices, wine, and other ingredients. Chicken is a somewhat healthier and cheaper alternative to red meat and it is available throughout the year.
Chicken was one of the first domesticated animals, and it stems from a more furious red-colored bird from northern parts of India. It is a popular food in many countries, especially China, USA, and Russia - that is, among the most populated areas of this planet. To USA, chickens were brought from Europe, but the mass production of chickens didn't really set until 1950's.
When purchasing a chicken look for the one with a fresh look, with a solid shape and round breast. It shouldn't smell "rotten" and the flesh should be fairly firm, not overly soft. Look at the expiry date and try to pick a chicken that is as fresh as possible. When bought, store the chicken at the bottom part of the refrigerator, where it is coldest, and consume it as soon as possible. Remember that chickens may carry salmonella or other unwanted microbes, so make sure that it doesn't contaminate other foods with its juices. Make sure that the package is tight. Especially the foods that are eaten raw shouldn't be placed near or beneath the chicken. You can also freeze the chicken if you wish, although its flavor and texture will deteriorate. If you buy frozen chicken, avoid the ones with lots of frozen liquid as this may indicate that they have been thawed and refrozen - they taste even worse then!
Some chickens are grown in cages and fed a bad cheap food. Others are allowed to go outdoors and eat natural food without any hormones. Naturally, the latter (organic) chickens taste much better, so if you can, buy organic chickens.
When cooking chicken make sure that it doesn't come in contact with other foods when it's still raw. Anything that has come in contact with it should be washed with soap and hot water. Try to prepare as much as possible in the package that the chicken was sold in, if possible. Watch out for the juices that drip out from the chicken, so they don't contaminate your refrigerator or other places in the kitchen. Besides that, just follow the recipe and make sure that the chicken is cooked throughout. The point is to make the cooked chicken retain its moisture but still to get every muscle fiber cooked so any potential microbes are destroyed.
Chicken is good with herbs, butter, olive oil, garlic, simple vegetables, mushrooms, lemon, and bacon - to give you a general idea of what you can do with it. Even some fruits have been used in restaurants together with chicken, although I am personally not a big fan of this combination. There are some fine Asian spices you can use also: Chinese five spice, or ginger, teriyaki, Szechwan pepper - just to name a few. It is indeed a very versatile ingredient to work with. Perhaps the best way to compose your dish is to look at what you have available in season right now. This should determine the outcome of the dish.
What about health benefits? Although not very many, chicken is a good source of protein if you want to substitute for red meat. They are also less fat, especially the chicken breast. If you want to reduce the fat amount, remove the skin before cooking. Besides protein, chicken also contains a variety of B vitamins that help our cells in metabolism of food.
One more point to state: chickens contain quite a lot of purines, which are not very good for people with gout or kidney problems. Purines are broken down to uric acid which is the compound that may cause or worsen gout and also trigger kidney stones. People with these problems should reduce their chicken intake.