a taste that can't be pigeonholed

what a ridiculously busy month i have just had - dissertation, deadlines, colossal exam, birthday parties, christmas parties, gigs and a disappointing front on the beastfeaster. i really thought by now i would be well into the thirties and i also had something special planned but that has unfortunately fallen through. on the idea of eating one beast a week i should now be on thirty seven, eep! i will hopefully revitalise the quest by getting halfway through (twenty six) before this year is out - i do have some 'easy' hits just aching to be counted. so do not fret my food faithfuls, my patrons of provisions, it is just a matter of time - on with the show!

i have been hanging around that france country again and have returned today with news of eatings! this time i was in surgerés, near la rochelle. i journeyed southwards with my parents and lois and we were going to warm up the house my folks have in the area. and it did need warming as it was so bloody cold. stupidly cold. luckily i had my trusty mittens and my new reindeer-based cardigan at the ready! yes, i am a hero of couture as well as cutlery.

whilst in town i took it upon myself to find at the very least one more strike. in fact, i thought it would be a rather easy affair but i was wrong. at every turn there were cakes, cakes, bread, cakes and paté but nothing unusual was to be found. however i did know of a good restaurant so we settled to go there and eat something rather tasty instead - le vieux puits.this lovely little restaurant is tucked away in the beautiful streets of surgerés. as i approached the menu i wondered if perhaps they might have something a bit different and was pleased to be greeted with the word pigeon, which is french for... pigeon. it was part of a menu that also involved foie gras. rather unethical but i decided that i would take it on the chin for a chance to eat some lovely pigeon. the menu actually consisted of five courses (this is why the beastfeaster must get himself a new gym membership. the quest has not only expanded my edible horizons but has also expanded my stomach) with crab as a pre-starter.
the crab was shredded and mixed with another fish, possibly salmon and then arrived on a tiny plate in the guise of a slug wearing urban camouflage cavorting with two leaves of spinach. i applied it liberally to some nearby baguette and scoffed the lot. it tasted good and smooth and was devoured pretty sharpish. unfortunately i have already counted my freshwater crustacean and therefore cannot count it as a strike! cursed by my own rules. it is also questionable whether there was actually two mouthfuls of crab present, so never mind.

the next foodstuff to come was the duck foie gras. this came with some really crispy and tasty toasted bread and five leaves of spinach. i never knew spinach was so versatile as a disguise kit - this time the chef plumped for the charade of a lovely little tortoise. i have to say the foie gras was absolutely delicious, fairly sweet and fruity with a superb texture that melted in the mouth. it was complimented perfectly with the bottle of house red i was making light work of.

not long after putting the last morsel into my mouth did the pigeon arrive. it was listed on the menu as being served with cepés, which i hoped was not a type of mushroom. i dislike mushrooms greatly, so in typical fashion that is exactly what they turned out to be. i did not let this perturb me and was pleased that it also came served with a wonderful smokey bacon-type salad and a potato/cream magical combination. the pigeon was served as three wings and two breasts, the latter being the easiest to get at. pigeon goes alongside frog's legs in the fact that they are almost too annoying to eat, breasts being the exception and were a delight to retrieve meat from. the dish was set in a lovely dark sauce, definitely containing a touch of wine and set the taste off well. diving into the meat i found it to be fairly dark and non-chewy. it tasted rather like a big animal such as a cow or lamb, it certainly was no disappointment. i figured i would give the mushrooms a go, now wonderfully tipsy on the wine, and was pleasantly surprised (as it seems i always am when it comes to beast feasting). they were cooked seemingly just right and they went with the pigeon claw in hyphae.all in all a great meal, rounded off with loads (and i mean loads) of cheese - brie, some other brie and my favourite, rochefort - following by some weird truffle-esque goos and walnut souffle thing. a mouth adventure for certain. that was about it for france this year, i had hoped to find some donkey but the search continues.. incidentally if anyone knows of where i could get some i would love to know!