I woke up with a bad hangover and found myself in a hostel in Paris last weekend. Hours later, still nursing the hangover, I stopped for lunch in a restaurant and had some stew. It would have been fine, until I asked what was in it. Those b@$%@%ds cooked Bambi's friend Thumper! I was outraged. Maybe I overreacted, but I am now a wanted felon in France. I can't really go into details, but don't look for more French food in this column. I did, however, manage to pry the recipe from the chef's bloody hands as I left. You know, just so I had something for the column... Enjoy:

Clean, wash, and dry the rabbit. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven. Brown the rabbit in it. Sprinkle with the salt (optional), pepper, and flour, stirring until the flour browns. Add the broth and wine; bring to a boil, cover and cook over low heat 45 minutes to one hour or until tender. Watch Bambi whilst waiting.

While the rabbit is cooking, brown the bacon lightly in a skillet; pour off half the fat. Add the onions; saute until golden. Add the garlic and mushrooms; saute 3 minutes. Add this mixture to the rabbit; cook 15 minutes longer or until the rabbit is tender.

Note: If mixture seems dry, you can add a little more beef broth or wine to the mixture while it is cooking.