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eG Foodblog: Peter the eater - Nova Scotia Eats


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Checking in late while I lunch at my desk...

Where to start - how about my kitchen?

I don’t think I will bother with the traditional image of my fridge’s innards – it wouldn’t be very interesting anyways, mostly unlabelled containers and bags of whole milk (did I mention I have twins?) plus a dizzying array of condiments. It is also undersized and undercleaned; I think a new one is pretty high on our list of major appliance new purchases.  We have a chest freezer in the basement, also not very photogenic. Having just looked, I can say that it has inside several small whole chickens, a pork shoulder, bags of wild blueberries we picked last August, some raspberries from our garden, a whole salmon, and possibly some popsicles. And some of those blue cold packs in various sizes – the ones you take in your cooler when going on a picnic. I am sure there’s more stuff down there that needs to be chiseled away from the icy freezer walls. Sometimes there is venison from friends who hunt or mackerel when they are running in our bay (I’ll talk about that later).

Objection, Your Honor!

There is no such thing as an unphotogenic refrigerator. Like one's desk, it's a window to the soul. Your fridge -- and your desk -- can't be messier or more haphazardly arranged than my own, and there are photos of both in my first foodblog. It's your call, but I implore you to honor the tradition.

But while we're on the subject of soul, your kitchen has a lot of it, judging from the photos you did provide.

Here’s a context shot:

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[...]Here’s a closer shot of the pantry shelf contents:

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Moving right along:

That object hanging on the right side of the shelves is a giant iron ladle. It tends to collect car keys and loose change. I have a thing for over-sized kitchen equipment; it’s a borderline Claes Oldenburg fetish, really. He’s that Swedish (?) sculptor famous for crazy stuff like the 50 foot spoon and bus-sized jackknife. It is inherently amusing to me when a familiar object is absurdly large, I cannot explain it. Maybe that’s a whole new thread I should start, if someone hasn’t already!

I've filed this for the "Must Include in My Third Foodblog" file.

Philadelphia is home to two Oldenburg sculptures. One of them, directly across from Philadelphia City Hall, is the best-known outdoor meeting place in the city, "the Clothespin," which also marks the entrance to the central subway and regional rail stations. (I've been told that the name the sculptor gave this work is "The Kiss.")

The other one is a huge broken button in front of the main library at the University of Pennsylvania.

We have a good weekend market downtown; like many it has a nice “crunchy granola” vibe meaning lots of organics and ecologically sound food and art. It’s not as big as it could be but that has more to do with the venue than popularity I think. The vendors are set up inside an old brewery and spread throughout like rabbits in a warren. We don’t get there as much as we’d like, but I’m bloggin’ this week so look out! It should make for a few good images anyways. This part is for my newly discovered eG neighbor Shaya:

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I know that you are in Acadia, but I don't think I've seen a more British streetscape anywhere in North America. That market, small though it may be, looks absolutely charming.

Good local cheese made the old world way:

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So tell me a little about Dragon's Breath Blue. What's its taste? Raw milk, I assume?

Everything looks wonderful. You say in a later post that you are learning food photography; I'd say you have already mastered the fundamentals.

I noticed that the dulse was identified as a "Product of Atlantic Canada." I have heard that when the Quebecois repeatedly threatened to split Canada in two, there were people in the Atlantic provinces who thought that eastern Canada should either go it alone or join the United States. Was that sentiment at all widespread? Is it still alive, now that it looks like Quebec separatism is in retreat?

Hi Peter:

I'm loving your blog.  I'm originally from New Hampshire where poutine (french fry/gravy kind) is very popular.  I miss the Northeast!

Live Free or Die!

I think that New Hampshire has a larger concentration of French-Canadian descendants than any other US state (a fact that cost Edmund Muskie of next-door Maine dearly in 1968), so I'm not surprised to hear that poutine is popular there. I guess I didn't know where to look for it on my regular forays to Manchester in 1980.

Edited to add: Blog on, Peter; you're doing a fantastic job so far!

Edited by MarketStEl (log)

Sandy Smith, Exile on Oxford Circle, Philadelphia

"95% of success in life is showing up." --Woody Allen

My foodblogs: 1 | 2 | 3

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As promised here are some shots from Pete's Frootique. It's food retail at its best and a great place to poke around and plan menus. I picked up some goodies to prepare later this week. . .

fiddleheads (today down to $3.99/lb)

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more greens:

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nuts, dried stuff, etc.

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dried, smoked, cured meats:

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lots of European chesses, a couple are local:

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more cheese:

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frozen boar, emu, venison, duck, bison, etc:

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fresh sausage made on premises:

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rolled up stuff, haven't had, looks good:

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lots of fresh red meat:

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note the Nova Scotia jumbo squid:

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ribbit, ribbit:

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red snapper looks good:

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Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

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So tell me a little about Dragon's Breath Blue. What's its taste? Raw milk, I assume?

Gabrielle Bright, The Canadian Living Test Kitchen says it well:

Described as a little brother to Stilton, Roquefort and gorgonzola, this black wax-covered cheese develops mould around the sides (stirring it up and waiting a couple of days help activate it even more). We loved its creamy yet chalky texture and mild blue flavour, but it sure does stink (hence the name).

I noticed that the dulse was identified as a "Product of Atlantic Canada." I have heard that when the Quebecois repeatedly threatened to split Canada in two, there were people in the Atlantic provinces who thought that eastern Canada should either go it alone or join the United States. Was that sentiment at all widespread? Is it still alive, now that it looks like Quebec separatism is in retreat?

Politics, eh? No comment. I'll just say this:

Nova Scotia + New Brunswick + Prince Edward Island = The Maritimes

The Maritimes + Newfoundland = Atlantic Canada

Atlantic Canada + Quebec + The Rest = Canada

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

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Peter, I noticed that prices are given by the pound, not the kilogram(me) in the supermarket. Is that a regional thing? I seem to remember that in Quebec and points west, the metric system is used pretty much exclusively.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

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note the Nova Scotia jumbo squid:

gallery_28661_4647_49853.jpg

ribbit, ribbit:

gallery_28661_4647_29737.jpg

Good heavens. The prices on the shrimp and crawfish blew me away. I know the crawfish isn't local, but are there no local shrimp as well?

Around here, the crawfish, cooked, are $1.29-2.99 per lb and that size of cooked shrimp would run maybe $6-7 per lb.

At those prices, it is no wonder you went with the monkfish.

Preach not to others what they should eat, but eat as becomes you and be silent. Epicetus

Amanda Newton

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Peter, I noticed that prices are given by the pound, not the kilogram(me) in the supermarket. Is that a regional thing? I seem to remember that in Quebec and points west, the metric system is used pretty much exclusively.

It's not a regional thing, it's just a stupid thing - it drives me crazy! I often see stuff at both major grocery stores here priced by the pound but the scale nearby is metric. And vice versa, I would provide a picture but I have been forbidden to take photos. I can do the math, but we all have a breaking point.

I am proud that we live in a country with two official languages, but we are supposed to be metric. I like the Imperial system just as much, I just resent being offered a price in one and a scale in the other. If I wasn't so lazy I'd write a letter.

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

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Good heavens. The prices on the shrimp and crawfish blew me away. I know the crawfish isn't local, but are there no local shrimp as well?

Around here, the crawfish, cooked, are $1.29-2.99 per lb and that size of cooked shrimp would run maybe $6-7 per lb.

At those prices, it is no wonder you went with the monkfish.

I'm glad you saw that. I honestly don't know how the shrimp market works around here, but whenever I get the frozen bag it says:

cultivated cooked shrimp

product of: Thailand, Vietnam, China, India, Indonesia

By the way what's a crawfish?

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

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Peter, talk about feeding yourself and the kids during the day.  Breakfast, lunch and snacks.

Susan, that is a good question because at this stage every week seems to be different. I stopped worrying about individual meals and started asking "has it been a good food day or week?" My guys who are almost two years are total mimics, so if I sit down with them and make sounds of joy as I eat the oatmeal they will usually follow suit.

So we had some pasta and cheese together for lunch the other day:

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We also made some BBLT's - back bacon lettuce and tomato sandwiches.

Also known as CBLT's - Canadian bacon lettuce and tomato sandwiches -

either way worthy of a national title.

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Snacks are usually around 10:30 am and 3 pm. Any kind of fruit, juicy or dried, are very popular. We try to have real raisin toast with imaginary tea in the afternoon. My modus operandi is to offer good stuff to them, pretend to eat it with them, and when they don't, I do so undetected.

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

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Another kid fave is chicken strips.

This is thigh strips in egg and whole wheat flour:

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And they're just now liking local pickled herring and blue cheese:

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Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

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Pickled herring, right?

How'd it get the name "Solomon Gundy"?

Isn't that a Mother Goose rhyme? ("Solomon Gundy, born on a Monday...")

Sandy Smith, Exile on Oxford Circle, Philadelphia

"95% of success in life is showing up." --Woody Allen

My foodblogs: 1 | 2 | 3

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I am loving this blog. My gr-grandparents were from Halifax (my gr-grandfather was president of the college there) and we keep talking about going for a long weekend to visit some of the sights.

I'm curious about the cultural influences in your area. Is it mostly Scottish/English? I ask because it looks like my family migrated to NS from Scotland and England (the Brits via Boston -- um, some of my ancestors weren't very revolutionary) and I don't see many French names in the family tree.

Diana Burrell, freelance writer/author

The Renegade Writer's Query Letters That Rock (Marion Street Press, Nov. 2006)

DianaCooks.com

My eGullet blog

The Renegade Writer Blog

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I think the Acadian poutine is different.  I might have asked about it on eGullet before (maybe to Shaya?), but I can't remember.  My former co-worker said it was sort of like arancini, but made with mashed potatoes instead of rice, and steamed in cheesecloth.  I can't remember what usually went in the middle, though.

Does she have any good Scottish recipes you'd care to share during your blog?   :smile:

I was not aware there was a special Acadian poutine, but its such a "grassroots" food I shouldn't be surprised. The story I know is that poutine was invented somewhere near Montreal like 50 years ago. For me, classic poutine is, from the bottom of the bowl up:

1. rough cut french fries

2. fresh white cheddar cheese curds

3. thick chicken-based gravy

4. black pepper and ketchup

pretty decadent if you ask me!

Sorry to interrupt your blog.

Acadian poutine has nothing to do with the poutine from Quebec. It is generally made with a mixture of mashed potatoes and grated potatoes, often contain a piece of stewed meat. It is ball shaped, boiled and served with broth. Nothing like its Quebec fastfood cousin. You can find it on the Acadian coast of New-Brunswick but I don't think it is widely available elsewhere.

Ha! now we can get back to your blog! :biggrin:

The Acadian 'poutine' (meaning colloquially 'mess', or 'pudding (steamed)') is also known as 'rappie pie'. Again, sorry to interrupt... :smile:

"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the ocean."

--Isak Dinesen

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I'm curious about the cultural influences in your area. Is it mostly Scottish/English? I ask because it looks like my family migrated to NS from Scotland and England (the Brits via Boston -- um, some of my ancestors weren't very revolutionary) and I don't see many French names in the family tree.

(Sorry to butt in here, but years of junior high school history classes are aching to be put to use, finally!)

Nova Scotia is latin for New Scotland; owing to a number of Scottish settlers who began and continued to immigrate to various parts of Nova Scotia beginning in the 17th century, probably because they found they weather more temperate (ha ha, I kid, I kid). Fewer than 5% of the population in Nova Scotia is Francophone Acadian. We have our own tartan, and are the only province to have been created by a royal charter. (Take that, Ontario!) I'd say more people consider our background to be Scots/English than French.

Nova Scotia has mixed roots. Although there has been a lot of discussion about Acadia in this thread, in fact Halifax was a British garrison town, founded in 1749. It was founded to counterbalance the French fort at Louisburg, in Cape Breton (The large island in the eastern part of Nova Scotia). The Treaty of Utrecht ceded much of Nova Scotia and what is today New Brunswick (Acadia) to England in 1713. The French got to keep Prince Edward Island (Ile St-Jean) and Cape Breton (Ile Royale), where they built Louisburg in 1719.

The English asked the Acadians to swear allegiance in 1730, but later got nervous about the whole affair and shipped them off in the 1750s, most notably to Louisiana. Later, some of them came back, but were given the (relatively) crappier land along the Fundy Bay, the southern tip of Nova Scotia, and on the south and northern coasts of Cape Breton. They didn't get to go back to the middle bits, where all of the lovely arable lands lies, and where you can visit a statue of Evangeline, if you happen to find yourself in Wolfville for the Apple Blossom festival, or touring the local wineries there. Try the coffee at Just Us! Roasters down the road: it's really great.

Halifax has an English colonial history, and not a particularly notable place to taste poutine; Poutine is of course a Quebecois invention, and the Quebecois are culturally separate from the Acadians. I can't comment on Acadian poutine rapee, although I have gone on record about my feelings for rappie pie, a true Acadian dish.

How Acadian food evolved into Cajun food is another question entirely.

Now that I've thought about it a bit, I can't think of a particular dish strongly associated with Halifax. Donairs, perhaps?

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The Acadian 'poutine' (meaning colloquially 'mess', or 'pudding (steamed)') is also known as 'rappie pie'. Again, sorry to interrupt...  :smile:

Actually, the two seems related but they still differ slightly:

Poutine rapée (acadian poutine) is a different concoction... it is ball shapped and boiled or steamed. Rapie pie (rapure), although made in a similar way, is baked and is pie shaped. Rappie pie is mostly found in Nova Scotia while poutine rapée is mostly found around Moncton and toward the Acadian peninsule.

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Nova Scotia is latin for New Scotland; owing to a number of Scottish settlers who . . .

nakji, thanks for the historical synopsis. Halifax is a port city so there are lots of new Canadians, and its a college town so there are lots of international students.

I'd add that today the second most spoken language in Halifax is Arabic. There are thriving Lebanese and Greek communities here and its easy to find food associated with those cultures.

Now that I've thought about it a bit, I can't think of a particular dish strongly associated with Halifax. Donairs, perhaps?

I plan on getting a donair (aka gyro) for blog purposes but like poutine (aka disco fries) it helps to have the right conditions - after midnight, busy street scene, elevated blood alcohol, etc.

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

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Pickled herring, right?

How'd it get the name "Solomon Gundy"?

Isn't that a Mother Goose rhyme?  ("Solomon Gundy, born on a Monday...")

Yes it is pickled herring, with some onion and spices. The story I know is that the name comes from salamagundi which is an old English style of salad with all kinds of stuff in it, including fish.

Solomon-a-Gundy is mackerel and shad boiled together, from Jamaica.

Solomon Grundy with an r is a Victorian English nursery rhyme:

Solomon Grundy,

Born on a Monday,

Christened on Tuesday,

Married on Wednesday,

Took ill on Thursday,

Grew worse on Friday,

Died on Saturday,

Buried on Sunday.

That was the end of

Solomon Grundy.

Solomon Grundy is also a bad guy zombie in the comic books.

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

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That chunk of monkfish looked like part of a human anatomy model.  :blink:  The way you smoked is very intriguing though.

Yes, the monkfish looked like the aftermath of whatever-ectomy operation. Tastes great though, especially if all you see is a juicy medallion on your plate. The wood added a tiny bit of smokiness and colour, but nowhere near that of a hot or cold smoked fillet. Cleanup was real easy too!

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

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Lobsters!

For the few who don’t recognize this creature:

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It’s a young lobster (Homarus americanus) weighing in at 325 grams which is almost 12 ounces or ¾ pound. They are cold water crustaceans and extremely delicious. The rubber bands are on the claws to protect other lobsters in the tank and to a lesser extent me (I did see a bigger one snap a pencil in half once). The bigger claw is the crusher and the other is the pincher. Somebody near here once caught a 45-pounder which I believe is the word record.

I put him head first into an inch of boiling water for a quick kill then let him steam for 15-20 minutes. That’s it, pink and delicious! Some like them cold – an easy way to go when you’re cooking up a few dozen. Melted garlic butter is mandatory:

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This guy is missing 3 ½ of his walking legs (amazingly, they can regrow them):

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So you twist off the tail and snip up the centre of the underside, the tail meat should come out in one piece. Crack the claws and work the juicy white meat out. The green stuff (aka tomalley) is the liver equivalent and it is one of the best tasting parts, to me anyways. Like other creatures it also tends to be a place for toxins to accumulate so some skip it. I mix it with some of the garlic butter and smear it on a bun.

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In order to grow they must molt. Most adults replace their entire shell every few months depending on a number of factors. This guy was likely preparing to molt since the meat was tightly packed inside a very hard shell. If you are lucky you might get a female with tens of thousands of flavorful eggs. The males are generally bigger but I can’t tell gender without seeing the eggs inside. There is a way; some kind of tiny anatomical thingy that I can never find.

After processing, I got around 120 grams of edible flesh and 150 grams of shell, etc. That’s 325 – 120 – 150 = 55 grams still in the pot.

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So I put the shell bits back in and simmer the whole lot for lobster stock. That’s one of the reasons I don’t boil the lobster; way too much water to reduce into a flavorful broth. I’m going to add the stock to sautéed onions, then add frozen shrimp, sole and corn (celery, carrot, potato etc. to follow).

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Here’s lobster served with some sliced beef, bib lettuce, Vidalia onion, and a Chianti.

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And a big glass of the chowder.

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Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

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On Mother's Day weekend, most of the grocery store chains in this area, had the canners on special for 5.99 each. I so wanted to buy some, but I was working all weekend and after coming home from work( where I cook), cooking is the last thing I want to do.

Yours look delicious.

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Why is it called a canner?

Canners or "shack" lobsters are too small to be legally exported as live whole lobsters, so they wind up at the roadside shack for local consumption or they get canned. Apparently Canada exports 90% of the lobster catch.

Mid-range lobsters re sometimes called "chickens" and the bigger ones around 5 lbs are "jumbo". Most people like them between 1 and 2 lbs.

Rules are a bit different in the USA for max. and min. legal sizes but both countries go by carapace length - from eye socket to start of tail. A female with a 5" carapace would be considered a big egg-layer and therefore goes back into the ocean. Here I think the min. carapace is 63.5 mm (2.5 inches)

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

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