BEWARE PIGEONS!

Anyone for pigeon pie?

My girlie love of pigeons and other flying litter flew out the window years ago when I was viciously shat upon by a flock of oncoming pigeons...


Scenario : 20 year old student walking up a romantic cobblestoned street in Lausanne. Flock of pigeons ahead, successful dive-bomb of unsuspecting antipodean tourist!


Revolting.


I used to love the electric repulse-pigeon cables at the Chamber of Commerce in Bordeaux.  There was no other daily highlight quite like watching an incoming "flying rat" attempt landing on the window ledge only to be propelled off via electric shock. Wonderful!


Gotta give the French some credit for this system for it has certainly got rid of thousands of inner-city pigeons here. A much quicker system than the anglo-saxon "humane" version of pigeon food injected with contraception.


If you think I am absolutely rotten, just remember that pigeons are not only dangerous to certain endangered wild birds and poultry but also carry really heinous diseases which effect humans. In particular - bacteria causing ornithosis, translated to lung tissue in humans, or the fungus Cryptococcus, which also inflicts deadly lung infections, meningitis and meningo - encephalitis in persons with suppressed immune systems, such as aids and other auto-immune disorders. 


Last week, cycling off to the last class of the year, I saw a huge flock of pigeons on the road in front of me, feeding. Thinking they would disperse, I continued. They chose to fly off at the very last second. All except one. One scraggy, worm-infested rodent decided to take me on. Ringing my bell, already late, I didn't have time to slow down. To my horror he didn't budge - SQUELCH!!


And I repeat, REVOLTING!!


Time for something sweet! Came across a fabulous, easy chocolate icecream recipe. Chef David Lebovitz calls it the " easiest ice cream recipe...ever!" The trick ingredient is the banana which gives a velveteen texture. 
Try it out, it really is very very easy.


Easiest Dreamiest Dark Chocolate Icecream

80 ml milk, whole or low-fat
80 ml Baileys liquor
1 medium-sized ripe banana cut into chunks
15 ml dark rum

55 g bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped 

Break up the chocolate and melt with the milk in a bain-marie. Blend the melted chocolate mixture with the rum and Baileys in a food processor until smooth.

Pour into a metal container and freeze for at least 4 hours.