From a friend down under...

"Ah the song birds of India. Grilled slowly over woodchips and served with a red wine sauce". A dinner at beggars that I will never forget. An old friend, Jim Harrison, and I accepted an invitation from Bob Adler to join him in a dinner to celebrate the fall.

We ate more than well and drank far too much of the great wines. Harrison was rather concerned when, to his dismay, the adjacent dinner guest, after regaling him with stories of India, proceeded to relate an account of his familiarity with the Song Birds of India. Jim thought he was in for a complete description of their plumage and song. A glaze had settled over Jim's eye when through his wine induced fog he was told of the succulent taste of these delicate morsels, the song Birds of India cooked as described above. Jim reeled from the chair ran for the bar and demanded a large VO.

Later that night while at the Adlers for after dinner drinks and more sustenance Jim broached the idea of testing the recipe on the Adlers' morning flock - Betty was so choked with indignation she was unable to answer him.

We didn't eat the songbirds.

Leslie Valmadre - memories from downunder.