A Daily Discovery

This morning I am sitting here on the couch with my laptop and a nice hot cup of coffee wondering what I am going to write about this morning. As a rookie blogger still, yet to have the consistent writing rhythm down my mind keeps wondering off to the other activities I have planned for the day. For one, I need to go grocery shopping for this weekend; we are having friends for lunch on Sunday and planning my first official Fall themed meal.  When brainstorming ideas for this I was exploring my fridge, freezer and cupboards to see what I already had. In the back depths of my freezer I pulled out a clear plastic bag containing a butcher paper wrapped bundle. If I remember correctly this was offered to me by my mother-in-law a while back. She said it was like a chicken, so not thinking much of it, I stuck it in the freezer to make some chicken soup when it got cold. Although on the frosty label it said “Pintade.”  Not being sure what that was I quickly found the translation. In English it is known as a Guinea Fowl. What the heck it that?  Who has ever heard of that?  Has anyone ever ate that outside of France?  Well at least not me! No negative connotation applied, I promptly called my mother-in-law to question her about this guinea fowl she had given me. After a laugh she explained that I had already ate it, at her house of all places, which she has a reputation to make things and happen to forget to mention an ingredient. Usually it’s nothing bad, just there is some lamb mixed in with the beef sort of thing. The internet informed me that it is I who is ill-informed on the existence of this blue and grey feathered bird. So to sum it up, I have discovered the guinea fowl. Now let’s see if I am going to be successful at cooking it. The recipe I planning on is called “Pintade au Cidre” or Guinea Fowl cooked in Cider (and not the normal hot spiced or sometimes spiked cider, but the classic Breton version.)  This recipe requires me to flambé the guinea fowl with Calvados (cider fermented longer), a technique I have never undertook as the amateur chef I am. Besides the guinea fowl the rest of the meal will be of ingredients that are commonly known, except maybe the creamy squash soup which I am unable to find the correct translation for. Well I better be off to the grocery store. Will write of my culinary experiences on Monday!!!! Bon Weekend!

Photo by Scotch Macaskill via www.wild-facts.com