And, then, there were two, the Colts and the Saints. With Indianapolis advancing to 7-0, come Monday night, the NFL world will watch the undefeated Saints host our arch-nemesis—those nasty, stinking pigeons from Atlanta’s way. If the Saints defeat them (can’t even write their name without getting sick to my stomach), then we will have the NFC lead by a good margin for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. While it may still be a bit too early to reserve tickets to Miami in February, we are entering the time of the season where each game becomes a bit more crucial regarding our designs for the postseason. Thus far, everything has fallen in place for the Saints this season and with the team’s play and determination, I don’t see that changing any time soon, much less Monday night.

Really, does any one player for the Falcons think he is going to get a victory this Monday…in our home? There is no way that they will EVER defeat the Saints in New Orleans on Never. Ever. Ever. Never. Ever. Ever. Matt Ryan has no clue of what he will be entering Monday night and we will be sure to pluck his passes a la Darren Sharper all night long.

For this week, I present to you a tasty little gumbo, made with only the finest pigeon meat…

Just remember, they are only rats with wings.

Falcon Gumbo

For the stock:
One turkey carcass (pigeon meat is kind of rancid, much like its team)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Paprika to taste

Place the carcass in a stock pot filled with water. Make sure the entire bird is covered. Add salt, pepper, and paprika and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add more salt, pepper, and paprika and reduce to a simmer. Cook covered for at least two hours, but the longer the better. Once it’s ready, take off the heat and remove all bones and skin. Strain and reserve 8 cups of broth.

For the gumbo:
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons bacon grease
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
2-3 bay leaves
½ teaspoon of thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
1 cup chopped sausage (green onion, smoked)
3 cups of turkey meat
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon gumbo filé
2 cups cooked rice

Brown flour and bacon grease into a dark brown roux. Add onions, pepper, celery, and parsley and sauté until translucent. Slowly add broth to the roux, stirring constantly. Add bay leaves, thyme, sausage, and turkey meat. Salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for another two hours. Add filé just before serving and make sure it doesn’t boil at this point. Remove bay leaves and serve over rice.