Paul and I traveled to Italy last October to experience the rich culinary traditions of the country. When in the Piedmont region, I bought several cookbooks in Alba — all but one of them written in Italian. Since returning from the trip, I reviewed many of the recipes using Google Translator on my phone. Over the long Labor Day weekend, I stumbled across a dish which translates as Pistachio Rabbit Bites from Ricette in Famiglia: Oltre 150 idee, dalla colazione allo spuntino di mezzanotte (Family Recipes: Over 150 ideas, from breakfast to midnight snack) by Benedetta Parodi.

Rabbit rarely appears on restaurant menus in Memphis. I cannot remember exactly, but I believe I dined on rabbit for the first time about 12 years ago at Bayona during a visit to New Orleans. I enjoy its mild flavor and its compatibility with rich flavors and sauces. I challenged myself last weekend to cook rabbit for the first time but had no idea where to buy rabbit. I issued a call for help to my Facebook friends who suggested several places in Memphis: Adams Fresh Market, Charlie’s Meat Market on Summer, World Market on Winchester at Kirby,  the Farmer’s Market on Germantown Road at Winchester, SuperLo, and the Viet Ho Market on Cleveland. I confirmed that Adams Fresh Market on Getwell Road sells frozen whole rabbit. After the meat thawed, I made a video of my experience preparing and cooking the rabbit. The result proved a tasty success. Many thanks to Paul for his assistance in preparing and filming this dinner.

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