There was a time, a long, long time, that Carl Henry decided it next to impossible, a waste of his day and mine to even entertain the notion that I would excel as a student, at life in general or even at the Burger King on Farmington Avenue. I said nothing. I was undecided.
I imagined brains and boldness seeping into my skull the way rain soaks the earth. “One day, one day” I thought, “he is going to get a letter from somebody–not me–saying Faye Has Found a Job, and the whole thing was blurry and bright
and fantastic. The thing is, I had no idea how I was going to make the change from a mute poor tester to a Productive Part of Society because the truth was, I hung onto the idea that change was in the forecast like a lifeboat but I had no idea how to make it happen.
What I’ve learned since then:

shake it up.

Even if you can’t change the obvious to start–let’s say your address–or the main ingredient–let’s say chicken–you can get closer to what you need/want via changing as much as you can. Extended and regular sleepovers in a different city or a whole new set of spices from the spice rack.
This recipe is meant to be made with pigeon. So few people in the United States America could bring pigeon home and say “honey, this is what we’re having for dinner.” So chicken it is. Season the chicken inside and out with sea salt, bit of black pepper, coriander seed (crush first) and a few red pepper flakes. In a saute pan that can be shoved in the oven, drizzle in a good stream of olive oil and add a halved head of garlic cut side down. Cut a few handfuls of sweet cherry tomatoes in half and add to the pan. Shove the garlic and a few sprigs of thyme into the chicken. Roast the chicken at 425 degrees until done w/a stick of cinnamon and a cut shallot. Baste with dry red wine every 15 minutes; after you use about a cup, baste with the pan juices. If the chicken isn’t completely golden, turn the oven up to 450 for a few minutes. Remove when the blade of a small knife, driven into the thickest part between the thigh and leg is hot to the touch.