This reply is a bit dated, Zubill. 03/18/2018 You are exactly right on your speculation regarding the origin of the name, My paternal grandfather hunted Carrier pigeons (The last two died in the St Louis Zoo in 1908 ,I believe) when he was a boy and would regale us with tales of how easy it was to harvest them and the various ways to prepare them . The holiday treat was tourtiere. The recipe was very close to this one. There is also one which uses a base of dried apples and wild cranberries with maple syrup as a sweetener (same spices)along with the meat or poultry. I prefer to use the individual spices . It allows you to tailor the savors and flavors

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