jeudi 26 mars 2009

Say it isn't so

Tonight, we've been eating Moroccan.  I love Moroccan food.  Give me a lamb tagine and I'll pretty much do whatever you ask of me.

Anyway, you'll note that I'm only sharing evenings with the family so far - I've done a good job of not taking time off work for the Paris part of their trip.  Let's face it, there's only so many times a boy can go up the Eiffel Tower and pretend to be excited.

The menu at the Moroccan was a bit of a challenge for the ladies.  They were intrigued by the 'pigeon pastilla'. 

"I'm going to have that", said my normally-unadventurous-in-the-food-department Mother.

"But it's Pigeon", said I, the helpful son.

'They say that.  But it'll be chicken".

"It won't.  It'll be pigeon".

"I bet you 10 euros that it's chicken".  This was her way of closing the argument.

Lo and behold, said dish appears and it's very obviously not chicken.  It very obviously is pigeon.

"Well, I can't eat that," said Mother.  "It's pigeon."

"Durr," said I.

And so she left it.  Untouched.  Apart from the minor 'post mortem' that she'd performed on it to test the origin of the species.

The waiter wasn't impressed.  But he seemed to warm to my Mother as she started to show him, through the power of mime and birdsong impressions that she thought it'd be chicken and in fact it was pigeon.

As she sat there, cockadoodledoo-ing, pecking at imaginary grain on the table and coo-ing like a common or garden street pigeon, I once again questioned my birth certificate.

Surely we can't be related.

Surely this can't be my Mother.

Surely someone was supposed to have rescued me by now.

32 commentaires:

Anonyme a dit…

Don't look at me - I'm bloody well not coming to rescue you! Far too much comedy gold for me in your situation - the last few days posts have made me howl with laughter.

A Lewis a dit…

I beg to differ with you -- A boy can always get excited about going up the tower. Hehehe.

Anonyme a dit…

I told you, mistakes do happen!!!
Though, it has made for some awfully funny tales.

Louise a dit…

I have to agree whole-heartedly with the first two comments ahead of mine. As to your parentage, maybe you're adopted and they didn't tell you! But you probably look like your parents which is tricky. (In my case my parents used to not claim me--couldn't imagine how someone like me could come from them--in nice way, of course. But I looked too much like them.)

I'm thinking maybe franchise restaurants are in order now!

travelling, but not in love a dit…

12oti, I do appreciate that it's a fair distance, but you could show willing at least! And one (wo)man's comedy gold is another man's family hell....

Lewis, je agree.

Rob, please tell me that I'm adopted. Pleeeeeeease.

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Louise - funny you should say that. Two nights ago I dreamt that I caught a look at myself in a mirror and I looked identical to my father in his last days. I woke up screaming (well maybe not screaming, but shaken...).

Anonyme a dit…

hehe you should really write a sitcom about your family!

oh and dear Travelling, I think you recognise yourself far too much in her really :-) :-)

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Big C, any sitcom I write will feature a comedy Dutch Irishman....you should be afraid!

And are you saying that I'm likely to do chicken impressions à table? Hmm, you may have a point...

softinthehead a dit…

Would love to be a fly on the wall this week, but your blogs are a great second best LOL!!

Liz Hinds a dit…

I want to meet your mum!! I think we'd get on splendidly.

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Softy, i'm happy to be your second best!

Hi Liz, nice to see you here...she'd love to meet you too, she does like someone new who hasn't heard all the old stories before....but don't we all!

Anonyme a dit…

I almost wish I had been there to witness it, almost...

By the way, I have a lovely recipe for lamb tajine if you're interested.

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Marjolein, some things are best read about rather than experienced...last night's tagine was lamb with cinnamon, onions, almonds and pommes confites. It was divine...

Would love to see your recipe too...love Moroccan food...

Henry North London 2.0 a dit…

mmm melting lamb Yum,

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Henry, it was perfect.

The Explorer a dit…

I just like reading your blog...made me smile and enjoy the story...keep them coming (i knew you're doing it already)..so i will say don't stop doing it.

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Thanks explorer. Lovely to see you here again...

Daryl a dit…

Oh I am so in love with your mother, could you please send her here to me .. I am in need of mothering and she would be perfect ...and I promise to send her back .... I really truly - pinky swear - I laughed HARD outloud twice and totally chortled once .. I had no idea I could chortle or even what the flock it was .. ahhhh .. 'they say its pigeon' .... I love her.

travelling, but not in love a dit…

And D, she loves NYC. When we were shopping in Greenwich Village she said to me "a lot of the boys in these shops are very puffy. Surely they can't all be gay?"... erm, yes they can Mom....

aims a dit…

Oh honey! Apart from how funny your situation is my heart does ache for you.

I'd adopt you any time sweetie.

david mcmahon a dit…

Hope you washed the pigeon. chicken down with some good Australian wine!

david mcmahon a dit…

By the way - would you care to do a Sunday Roast interview? Just let me know .....

Marjolein a dit…

I think my recipe is quite similar to what you describe, but with pears and shallots.

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Aims, I'm seeing the humour in it, really...well, for the time being I am...

David, we washed it down aith an Algerian red, to be honest...and it was good! And sure, the sunday roast looks like fun!

Marjolein, there was a pear one on the menu too - looked very good...I was tempted....

Greg a dit…

No matter how hard we try (or wish, pray, cast spells, etc.), we can never, ever run from our genes. But it would have been fun to watch her miming pigeon antics....

The Hangar Queen a dit…

I suppose one of your readers could rescue you.

He/She would have to answer to the rest of us though.

Oh,and when you show me the Eiffel Tower you WILL be excited. That's an order. I'll know if you fake it.

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Greg, now casting spells I haven't tried...hmm

HQ, I'd never fake it for you dear. i'd be too scared, he he.

Anonyme a dit…

LOLOL ..............another good one
hey publish the Morccocan stuff
Love that food

Victor a dit…

The seed doesn't fall far from the tree.

Paul a dit…

I recently discovered your wonderful blog, and I love it, but I wanted to say that this was a particularly fabulous post.

And a Moroccan restaurant on rue Keller. Now, rue Keller, rue Keller? Why am I so familiar with that obscure little street? Oh yeah. I've spent many happy hours there. But never with my mom...

cb a dit…

It's like the plot of some 70's Disney movie-- only it's euro Disney with some sort of fucked up French ending that isn't happy and makes no sense.

Tony a dit…

I bet it was chicken .....