The weekend flew by in a flurry of activity. Friday night I checked out the Eat Real Festival in Oakland. Stefani brought her canned preserves for entry into the contest and to swap. While I enjoyed the entertainment and layout of the festival Friday, in the future they need more than beer and ice cream on opening day.

I missed Saturday’s events, for good reason though. I had much cooking to do for my sister’s birthday and I attended Novella’s chicken demonstration at her farm. Novella slaughtered and her Chef friend Samin, butchered. The butchering was of particular interest to me as on more than one occasion I had broken down my animals in a way that left them looking as Samin described “like a small dog had chewed them.” Samin had wonderful tips on preparations for poultry. A very useful tip for making a stock is to chop the carcass up and roast it. Chopping it up first will increase the surface area for caramelization.

I also learned a few great tips on duck. For example, I asked if there was a trick to plucking ducks. Both Novella and an attendee who raised ducks for years, said “no.” They are simply a pain in the ass to pluck. While this does not help me, it does comfort me to know my technique was not wrong. It is just that diffcult.

I also learned that Muscovy ducks are an excellent urban choice. They are both big and quiet. They do not quack. Silent animals are wonderful animals in the city.

As I left Novella’s Ghost Town Farm, her boyfriend Bill pointed out their future duck hutch. It is a retired BMW painted decoratively and with a “ducks only” sign. They are going to roll it into the lot and coop the ducks in there at night. The car reminded me of Salvador Dali’s Rainy Cadillac.

Saturday’s cooking fury (in 1000°F weather I might add) was for Amanda’s birthday. Poor thing she was so busy working her crazy pastry chef hours, she was unable to celebrate day of. However, in honor of her special day I picked blackberries (thanks Stefani!) and dispatched one of my ducks. Gruesome as it is, Amanda apparently liked the idea that a duck was sacrificed in her name. She said it made her feel “like a queen…or goddess…I like it.”  Queen Amanda loves blackberries. So, coached yet again by duck master Lauren, I made seared duck breasts with a savory blackberry sauce followed by blackberry pie. I may not be a master but I am a very good amateur.