It was my turn to choose a recipe for Noelle and I to try our hands at. And as it was hubby’s birthday I decided to push the boat out and choose a recipe that I hoped he would love as I know he enjoys pigeon very much, it just requires a bit more effort in sourcing the ingredients.

I found my pigeons online from Ox close fine foods and they did a lovely job of sending them with lots of ice packs so they arrived quite chilled.

After poaching the pigeons in the aromatics I removed the flesh, and roughly chopped along with the hazelnuts.

Then made the pie mixture and started to fill the pie.

One birthday present wrapped up ready for the oven.

And out it pops all golden and lovely.

And it slices very nicely.

But they say, the truth of the pudding is in the eating.

And this is where the recipe falls down. Firstly no seasoning is mentioned, So I seasoned lightly, I wished i’d added more salt and black pepper. But the biggest problem was the hazelnuts, I wish I’d roasted them before adding them. Every mouthful the flavour of raw hazelnuts took over. It was very disappointing with the effort that had gone into the pie. Nowhere in the recipe does it say they should be roasted and I think it is almost an unforgivable oversight to ruin such an expensive dish. Very disappointing. If you happen to like the flavour of raw hazelnuts, then maybe this dish is for you. Would I try this dish again? Yes, if I came upon a surplus of pigeons but there are other Pastilla recipes with a sweet egg formulation in the filling that call to me to try first. Maybe hubby’s next birthday!

Sometimes in life that is all you can do, wait, for a change to occur. Personally I find waiting to be almost therapeutic, which is why I have no problems in waiting in hides for the wonders of nature to appear before my very eyes.

I’ll not lie, that last lockdown, well, it bulldozed me. Mainly because I’d then been in almost continuous lockdown for over a year, as many of us have been due to concerns with ours or our partners health.

And then I found I was stuck, I couldn’t read, I couldn’t write, I didn’t knit, I haven’t sewn and at its worst, which was for many weeks hubby did the cooking. And to be perfectly honest I have no idea what I did. I know some days I was up for a maximum of a few hours, before returning to my den to hibernate once more.

At this point, I was thinking, do I need to go to the doctors? Do I need antidepressants? So I decided I’d wait.

And at one stage I seriously doubted that I was going to be able to click out of it without some sort of intervention.

But I tried to keep going. I joined a slimming club, and rejoined my swimming pool, but that didn’t work out as well as I’d hoped, they are closing and the hygiene is becoming extremely questionable and I’m no prude, I take the rough with the smooth, but when your skidding across the flour because its slimy, noooo. So I joined another swimming pool and that one is lovely and clean. Started a new dog walking regime and started cooking again.

And then it happened.

And I have no idea what happened, but last week, half way through the evening my brain cleared.

I didn’t think much of it, it wasn’t like a big bang or anything, just a change in perception. And I’ve had to think about when this happened to try and realise what if anything did happen.

The next morning, it remained.

I’ve been a bit startled. I’ve been waiting for it to close down again, but it remains.

It is early days, but I am hopeful, that change has occurred and will continue.

I’m going to toddle off to the allotment this weekend, and I’m so glad that hubby has kept it going for me.

And you know who you are, for those that contacted me in my quiet time,

thank you.