tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190698551624574472.post8540223433510818340..comments2024-03-06T15:41:15.077-08:00Comments on Trout Caviar: On WoodcockTrout Caviarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11236671377889601457noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190698551624574472.post-37213643086130177682011-12-10T06:13:46.506-08:002011-12-10T06:13:46.506-08:00cjh: You gave me a chuckle; it did indeed feel odd...cjh: You gave me a chuckle; it did indeed feel odd typing "leftover grouse"! I polished off my portion, no problem, Mary left some meat on hers, and there was no way it was going to waste--made for a very nice soup, indeed. <br /><br />I had some "birch beer" not long ago, but it was ersatz stuff, full of corn syrup, etc. Would love to taste the real stuff. <br /><br />Cheers~ BrettTrout Caviarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11236671377889601457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190698551624574472.post-18502656992467006842011-12-09T10:05:47.297-08:002011-12-09T10:05:47.297-08:00Another great post! "[L]eftover grouse,"...Another great post! "[L]eftover grouse," however, strikes me as a purely theoretical commodity.<br /><br />But your description of birch syrup -- particularly its menthol note -- reminded me of this, whcih we used to have out East:<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birch_beercjhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07404531596774575510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190698551624574472.post-14204063298831912832011-12-09T08:06:18.437-08:002011-12-09T08:06:18.437-08:00Hi Teresa: I did not pick up on that, though I wa...Hi Teresa: I did not pick up on that, though I was eavesdropping intently on you and Sam when I could! I'll certainly keep that in mind, though by the time our birches start to run, it has been warm enough that we don't have the stove going full time. It's something to try with the maple syrup, too.<br /><br />Hey, El: I'll bet you have woodcock coming through your region, though they may not breed there. As for the grouse, I know that southeastern Wisconsin doesn't have great grouse habitat, so perhaps the same is true of SW Michigan. Yes, woodcock are delicious, but not well appreciated here, it seems. In many parts of Europe they are the non plus ultra of game birds, and hence of gourmet fare generally.<br /><br />Anon., wow--that is a great story. I never considered that the 'doodles would be a little whacked out after that descent, but it makes sense. I just think the whole spectacle is one of the most amazing natural phenomena I've ever witnessed, and find it curious that it's not better known.<br /><br />I meant to note in the post that much of what I know about woodcock comes from a superb book by Guy de la Valdène, "Making Game: An Essay on Woodcock". It's part natural history, part poetic appreciation, part over-the-top picaresque of heedless gourmandise--the inimitable Jim Harrison plays a major role in the last. I pull it out every autumn when those chill winds start to course from the north, and we anticipate the annual passage of the woodcock.<br /><br />Cheers, all~ BrettTrout Caviarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11236671377889601457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190698551624574472.post-46204111434292847672011-12-09T07:28:57.329-08:002011-12-09T07:28:57.329-08:00I enjoyed your description of the woodcock mating ...I enjoyed your description of the woodcock mating behavior. I once volunteered on a bird banding project with the renown ruffed grouse expert, Gordon Gullion, and we actually sneaked up on the woodcock, taking advantage of the fact that the bird is momentarily slightly dazed after this rapid zoom to the ground from the extreme height, understandably ! ... and captured them by hand, and banded them at that point. Our sneaking was done while the bird was spiraling upward, knowing it would come down about where it took off from. Strangely, it was so exciting I thought I might faint! A lot of quietly running, ducking and covering... hoping you didn't happen to duck and cover into a patch of poison ivy. Thank you for your post. It brought a great memory to me!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190698551624574472.post-20680053561945343342011-12-08T17:44:21.498-08:002011-12-08T17:44:21.498-08:00Such odd little things. I agree though they are t...Such odd little things. I agree though they are tasty (my dad was a birder). I don't necessarily think they're to be found around here (grouse either come to think of it) but you did a great job eliding their true characters, plate-bound or otherwise. Love the birch syrup!elhttp://fastgrowtheweeds.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190698551624574472.post-89748018857353632022011-12-08T15:35:46.164-08:002011-12-08T15:35:46.164-08:00Hey Brett--
Good post. Did you overhear what Sam ...Hey Brett--<br /><br />Good post. Did you overhear what Sam was saying out at Bide-A-Wee, about a different method of making birch syrup? He puts a potful of sap on his woodstove and lets it evaporate, withOUT ever boiling. He claims it is far, far superior to the boiled product. Something to consider.<br /><br />Carry on!<br />TeresaTeresa Marronehttp://northerntrailspress.com/teresa_marrone.htmnoreply@blogger.com