In Search of Caille

Something I learned quickly when buying quail, the term, "sans tete".  These pictures are from our  first quail dinner in Paris. I bought these beautiful birds, brought them home to find that they still had their heads attached.  As I prefer not to look my dinner in the eyes (guilt), I cut their heads off easily with a serrated bread knife. 


We will be having quail for Easter dinner this year.  We don't eat much red meat these days and quail is easy, nutritious, Spring-like. 

  Today, I started out early to do my grocery shopping and to find the perfect quail for tomorrow's meal.  I wanted to get finished with all my shopping before it got too crowded.  I went to Monoprix, where I've found nice quail before.  None at the butcher, none in the already packaged section. I finished my shopping, remembering that Picard, the frozen food heaven is right around the corner.  In I went and found quail stuffed with foie gras.  Not exactly what I had in mind, even though it sounds fabulous.  I finished my shopping, went home with the load from Monoprix, continued on to my local G20 for the basics. 

By this time, it's already 1:15 PM.  Monoprix is a good 20 minute walk each way and I spend a lot of time there, looking and enjoying the big store.  I still need quail.

My butcher is closed at noon time, I know for sure.  So, I do some other chores around the house and head out again at 2 PM to get the quail at the butcher.  The butcher is in the exact opposite direction of the other stores, and it is a 10 + minute walk.  I arrive and find a sign that says they re-open at 2:30.  The sign is a clock and I can't tell if it says 2:30 or 3:30, I hope it's 2:30.  So, I decide to walk around the lovely streets of this neighborhood.  Most of the stores are closed and I don't feel like sitting with a cup of coffee or tea, I'm still running the morning errands.  Window shopping, I spy a great pair of shoes at a reasonable price.  But, the sign on this shop says it doesn't re-open until 3.  I'm possessed!  I need quail and now I need/want the shoes. 

At 2:30, I go back to the butcher. All the shades are still drawn, the place is dark inside. I peer through a crack between the window and the shade, I can see the quail.  No one comes, the place stays dark and after about 10 minutes, I realize they won't open until 3:30. 

My aching legs walk back home and Terry and I go on yet another errand.  We successfully buy movie tickets and check out a new area of town.  Then back on the bus, stopping at the wine shop that doesn't have the champagne we want.  By this time (4 PM), the butcher is open.  We buy the quail, happily walk down the street.  I try on the shoes, they're great, they're mine.

The quail are waiting for tomorrow.  The shoes will have to wait until it stops raining, they're suede.