It is unusual to see a blackbird at a bird feeder. Blackbirds prefer a diet of worms dug up in the ground or snails that they bash relentlessly to loosen up before extracting the dazed molluscs from their shells. I have observed a blackbird come to sleep every day in this buddleia outside my kitchen window. I also receive a visit from a blackbird- impossible to know if it is the same one- who stands and looks at me as if to say, “excuse me but the bird feeding arrangements are somewhat unsatisfactory. You see, I hate perching on that damn thing you call a bird feeder.” The blackbird has a thick beak that is not best suited to extracting the suet balls from a feeder clearly designed for smaller birds.
I have eaten many blackbirds during happy years spent in France where my best friend, Madame Bué, would frequently stuff them with sultanas, drizzle with cognac and roast in the the oven. I was a bad guest mostly and would arrive late for lunch every Sunday when the blackbirds had waited a bit too long in the oven and were, ahem, let us say, singed. I was told off frequently for my tardiness. It is customary to eat the bones and all in one sitting. For the faint-hearted, I offer no apologies. Food is not entertainment but rather sustenance.
The deadly poisonous yew berry hypnotises, mesmerises with its lip-red beauty, calling us in like a siren. The berry itself is sweet and succulent but the dark pip within is fatal to both man and beast. Animals and birds covet the juicy fruit and delicately remove the harmless red flesh from the dark, toxic pip.
Red is a colour that is loved and hated in equal measure. The colour of passion, red blood pumps through a body arched with desire. Red conveys warmth and life but also warns of danger. When we are angry we are said to see red. When we are in love, we long for red roses.
1. My body is a temple: I do believe that in order to appreciate life and live it to the fullest, we need to take good care of our bodies. Good health is not about following fad diets but being sensible and taking responsibility. Mental health, as the ancients understood long before us, is connected to what we eat. I eat like a peasant- simple, unrefined, unprocessed food and where possible, seasonal produce. I walk a lot with my hound to keep the pounds off and eschew gyms. I dont want to be so lean that I freeze in the winter and frankly, life is too short to be obsessed about anything, including our weight.
2. Be able to tell a good joke: laughing is a precious remedy to banish the blues. I laugh a lot, mostly at myself. The day Im too miserable to tell or laugh at a joke is the day I know that something is seriously wrong. A sense of humour is a sign of well-being, plus its free.
3. Be a good person: religion is not terribly popular these days and I wont talk about my beliefs but surely, we can all aspire to be good, kind and empathetic towards each other? I got rid of the TV many years ago because a) the standard of programs was getting more and more inane and b) reality TV makes me cringe and kind of breaks my heart – it celebrates cruel behaviour and anyone who considers that entertainment is frankly, slightly deranged.
4. Value life: why hurt anyone or anything knowingly? I fish spiders out of the bath every morning and they willingly hitch a ride onto the saucer I lower towards them (theyve figured out the alternative). I used to throw them out into the garden until one day, a spider that had been left behind and was still in the bathroom literally pursued me angrily- you see, Id thrown out his mate.
5. Less is more: possessions, money, things, the latest fashion, trends, keeping up appearances, are all meaningless. Life is an illusion, I understood that when I saw my father laying in a coffin. Contentment, the biggest prize of all, is inside our heads.Advertisement
If youd like to share your top 5 things with readers, why not email me: samantha@primorelocations.com Please be sure to include your name, address and a daytime telephone number. Please do not send any attachments with your email.
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Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie
A blackbird at a bird feeder is not common. Blackbirds prefer to eat earthworms that they dig up or snails that they vigorously beat to release their shells and release the stunned mollusks inside. Every day, I watch a blackbird arrive at my kitchen window and settle into this buddleia to sleep. I also get a visit from a blackbird, though I’m not sure if it’s the same one. It stands and gives me an odd look like it’s trying to tell me to shut up about how inadequate the bird feeding arrangements are. As you can see, I detest perching on that dreadful object known as a bird feeder. The thick beak of the blackbird is ill-suited to removing the suet balls from a feeder that is obviously intended for smaller birds.
During my happy years spent in France, I ate a lot of blackbirds, which my best friend Madame Bué would often stuff with sultanas, drizzle with cognac, and roast in the oven. I was generally a bad guest, arriving late for lunch every Sunday when the blackbirds were, uh, singed from waiting a little too long in the oven. I was told off frequently for my tardiness. It is traditional to consume the bones in one sitting. For the faint-hearted, I offer no apologies. Food is not entertainment but rather sustenance.
Come closer
The lip-red beauty of the deadly poisonous yew berry mesmerizes and hypnotizes us, drawing us in like a siren. The berry itself is juicy and sweet, but both humans and animals can die from the dark pip inside. Animals and birds lust for the juicy fruit, carefully slicing the safe red flesh from the poisonous, dark pip.
The color red is equally adored and despised. Red blood, the color of passion, flows through a body that is arched over desire. Red conveys warmth and life but also warns of danger. When we are angry we are said to see red. When we are in love, we long for red roses.
And as with the yew berry, red also signifies death.
Attraction, passion, desire, love, anger, death. The end.
Photo copyright S. van Dalen.
Things that matter
What really matters in life? These are my top five:
1. My body is a temple: I firmly think that we must take good care of our bodies if we are to fully enjoy and cherish life. Healthy living is more about being responsible and sensible than it is about adhering to trendy diets. The ancients knew long before we did that diet has an impact on mental health. I eat simply, unrefined, unprocessed food, and seasonal produce whenever possible, just like a peasant. To avoid going to the gym, I walk a lot with my dog to help me lose weight. Life is too short to be preoccupied with anything, including our weight, and I don’t want to be so thin that I freeze in the winter.
2. Know how to tell a good joke: Laughing is a priceless way to chase the blues away. I laugh a lot, mostly at myself. The day I feel too depressed to joke around or laugh at myself is the day I know something is really wrong. Having a sense of humor is freeing and indicative of wellbeing.
3. Be a good person: I know that religion isn’t very popular these days, so I won’t discuss my beliefs, but I think we can all strive to be good, kind, and empathic toward one another. I gave up watching TV many years ago because, first, the shows were becoming more and more ridiculous, and second, reality TV makes me cringe and almost break down because it glorifies cruel behavior and makes anyone who thinks that entertainment is, well, slightly insane.
4. I fish spiders out of the bath every morning, and they happily climb aboard the saucer I lower towards them (they’ve figured out the alternative) because they value life and don’t want to intentionally harm anyone or anything. I used to dump them outside into the garden, but one day, one of the spiders that I had thrown out into the garden got left behind and was still in the bathroom. You see, I had thrown out his mate. It literally chased me.
5. Less is more: material belongings, cash, items, the newest styles, trends, and maintaining appearances are all pointless. When I witnessed my father lying in a coffin, I realized that life is an illusion. Contentment, the biggest prize of all, is inside our heads. Advertisement.
Photo copyright S. van Dalen. Oil on canvas painting, Two teeth only, copyright SvD.
Please send an email to samantha@primorelocations if you would like to share your top 5 items with readers. com Please make sure to include your name, address, and phone number during business hours. Please do not send any attachments with your email.
I made up my own recipe. I placed the blackbird liver, a clove of garlic, and a teaspoonful of foie gras fat inside a big sage leaf. I put the leaf inside the blackbird, covered it with two streaky bacon slices, and added some sea salt and cracked black pepper. Before eating, I let the blackbird rest for ten minutes after roasting it for fifteen minutes in a very hot oven.
I looked at Larousse Gastronomique for recipes it suggests cooking in the same manner as thrush and other songbirds, for which it has 13 recipes! There are some fictional examples of traditional songbird trapping in French films such as, Manon des Sources and La Gloire de Mon Père. Blackbird is often roasted in the oven, stuffed with juniper berries or truffles and in Italy its server with polenta. In The Wordsworth Guide to Edible Plants and Animals, it says that blackbirds are considered a delicacy and are members of the thrush family. It mentions that the Romans kept thrushes in cages and fattened them up on millet, figs and flour.
The blackbird had a delicate flavour, like partridge. Blackbird liver melts in the tongue and has a creamy texture. Although they make a great starter, I doubt I’ll be eating one again because they are protected and endangered. The bird itself was tiny; you’d need to eat about 20 as a main meal.
Should you be inclined to eat wild animals that have died accidentally, do make sure that they are fresh, that their feathers or fur look in good condition and that their eyes look bright. The liver will give you an indication of health it should look shiny and have no spots or blemishes (think of what liver looks like from the butcher). Use some common sense and ask an expert if you have any doubts. Dont hang game when the weather is hot and flies are about.
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