Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Dia de Los Pavos
Ahhh, Thanksgiving. I loved the Holiday as a kid because I would help make mashed potatoes. Then we would just show up at my Aunt's house and magically there would be all this delicious food!
Thanksgiving has always been at my aunt's house, for as long as I have been around anyway. This year they threw a whole new monkey wrench in. Our family's Farmington contingent has decided that this is the year they will host Thanksgiving. My Aunt is going up there. Grandma has vetoed that choice, and thus the rest of her progeny must follow suit, lest she be left alone. It's OK, we're kind of the black sheep of the family anyway.
What this means is that I get to be the queen of Thanksgiving! I have a million things to do this week before Dia de los Pavos strikes us. Having never cooked a Turkey before, I am getting a little guidance from a friend and fellow foodie. She suggested this recipe.
I will let you know how that one works out. I've got all the dishes planned out, and know who is bringing what. I still am a little hesitant, though.
I've cooked 6-course gourmet for more than 50 people before, so that is not my fear. My fear is that there will be disappointment when things are not exactly the same as years past. Maybe the stuffing is different. Maybe I forget some tradition that means little to me, but a great deal to others. Maybe others have a different vision than I do. Maybe the side dishes get a little bit too daring...Also I don't have a table.
Wait.
I don't have a damn table, and I am hosting Thanksgiving!
I have confidence in my engineering skills to devise a solution, and my artistic abilities to make it look good. But I think there will be heavy reliance on our coffee table and couches, or perhaps the kindness of other family members to bring some folding chairs and card tables. I should probably get on that problem sooner rather than later.
But as far as the other problems: I am starting to think it's high time I get bold, and leave my mark on Thanksgiving. I'm trying to envision what an ideal Thanksgiving would look like in MY house.
For starters, no more of this exclusivity BS. Thanksgiving is not "for family only." I'm sick of not being able to bring close friends that have nowhere to go. Being the black sheep of the family does have its drawbacks. My friends are not the type that make meaningless smalltalk very well. So they have not always been welcome in the past. They are welcome now, though. If I know you, and you need a place to eat, drink and be merry, then look no further. My Thanksgiving table will always be open and filled with love. Even if it's a coffee table. I'm running the show now, and that means I can invite whoever I want.
Next, I will not stick exclusively to American fare. I am going to bring the best food from all around the world to you. It will be delicious and beautiful. If I make sweet potatoes from Vietnam, and they happen to be naturally purple... you will just have to be adventurous. I promise it will taste better than the over-cooked and under-flavored ones we had to sit through before I made them. Just trust me. I am going to be more daring, though. Yes, we will hold on to our roots and traditions, but only the ones that we want to hang on to. The turkey isn't going anywhere, folks. Although, as my first my first ruling, I'm going to veto overcooked broccoli. Sorry. Deal with it. It doesn't matter if we have always had it; it's yucky and boring and ugly. This is not to say that we eliminate broccoli, no! Instead, we will use superior cooking techniques to bring out the good flavors in all our food. We will try new things as the situation warrants.
Then, I would make sure to work with my guests so that everyone has a good meal. Can't eat meat? I'll knock your socks off with some Spicy Mega-tofu. Everyone else can still have their turkey too, though. I will be accommodating of food needs and even preferences. You really want a dish that I hadn't planned? No worries! I will cook it unless you want to.
Finally, I will not have traditional decorations just because that is what you are supposed to do. I will decorate for thanksgiving in a way that makes me thankful. If I think you will enjoy origami at your place, then I am going to put origami at your place. Even if it's not strictly "American." It's awesome, and that's enough for me.
That's it. I'm commandeering our family's thanksgiving from now on. It's going to be amazing.
My rationale is rooted in good old UU values, too. Non-exclusivity and diversity. America is no longer just a bunch of colonists invading indigenous folks. We are the casserole of different cultures, with unique and distinct layers that must all be present in order to achieve a harmonious whole. We are not homogeneous like yogurt. Nor are we separate. If you want to celebrate Thanksgiving with American food, than you'd better get a pencil. You are going to have to write down all the different cultures and sub-cultures we will have to include if we are going to have a good celebration.
The Vietnamese sweet potatoes stay. The tamales stay. The tamarind chutney can come too.
You can rest assured though, I won't include the cannibalistic dishes. No baby parmigiana. Not this year, anyway.
May you all have a lovely Thanksgiving, amazing company and great food. Wherever you are!
Thanksgiving has always been at my aunt's house, for as long as I have been around anyway. This year they threw a whole new monkey wrench in. Our family's Farmington contingent has decided that this is the year they will host Thanksgiving. My Aunt is going up there. Grandma has vetoed that choice, and thus the rest of her progeny must follow suit, lest she be left alone. It's OK, we're kind of the black sheep of the family anyway.
What this means is that I get to be the queen of Thanksgiving! I have a million things to do this week before Dia de los Pavos strikes us. Having never cooked a Turkey before, I am getting a little guidance from a friend and fellow foodie. She suggested this recipe.
I will let you know how that one works out. I've got all the dishes planned out, and know who is bringing what. I still am a little hesitant, though.
I've cooked 6-course gourmet for more than 50 people before, so that is not my fear. My fear is that there will be disappointment when things are not exactly the same as years past. Maybe the stuffing is different. Maybe I forget some tradition that means little to me, but a great deal to others. Maybe others have a different vision than I do. Maybe the side dishes get a little bit too daring...Also I don't have a table.
Wait.
I don't have a damn table, and I am hosting Thanksgiving!
I have confidence in my engineering skills to devise a solution, and my artistic abilities to make it look good. But I think there will be heavy reliance on our coffee table and couches, or perhaps the kindness of other family members to bring some folding chairs and card tables. I should probably get on that problem sooner rather than later.
But as far as the other problems: I am starting to think it's high time I get bold, and leave my mark on Thanksgiving. I'm trying to envision what an ideal Thanksgiving would look like in MY house.
For starters, no more of this exclusivity BS. Thanksgiving is not "for family only." I'm sick of not being able to bring close friends that have nowhere to go. Being the black sheep of the family does have its drawbacks. My friends are not the type that make meaningless smalltalk very well. So they have not always been welcome in the past. They are welcome now, though. If I know you, and you need a place to eat, drink and be merry, then look no further. My Thanksgiving table will always be open and filled with love. Even if it's a coffee table. I'm running the show now, and that means I can invite whoever I want.
Next, I will not stick exclusively to American fare. I am going to bring the best food from all around the world to you. It will be delicious and beautiful. If I make sweet potatoes from Vietnam, and they happen to be naturally purple... you will just have to be adventurous. I promise it will taste better than the over-cooked and under-flavored ones we had to sit through before I made them. Just trust me. I am going to be more daring, though. Yes, we will hold on to our roots and traditions, but only the ones that we want to hang on to. The turkey isn't going anywhere, folks. Although, as my first my first ruling, I'm going to veto overcooked broccoli. Sorry. Deal with it. It doesn't matter if we have always had it; it's yucky and boring and ugly. This is not to say that we eliminate broccoli, no! Instead, we will use superior cooking techniques to bring out the good flavors in all our food. We will try new things as the situation warrants.
Then, I would make sure to work with my guests so that everyone has a good meal. Can't eat meat? I'll knock your socks off with some Spicy Mega-tofu. Everyone else can still have their turkey too, though. I will be accommodating of food needs and even preferences. You really want a dish that I hadn't planned? No worries! I will cook it unless you want to.
Finally, I will not have traditional decorations just because that is what you are supposed to do. I will decorate for thanksgiving in a way that makes me thankful. If I think you will enjoy origami at your place, then I am going to put origami at your place. Even if it's not strictly "American." It's awesome, and that's enough for me.
That's it. I'm commandeering our family's thanksgiving from now on. It's going to be amazing.
My rationale is rooted in good old UU values, too. Non-exclusivity and diversity. America is no longer just a bunch of colonists invading indigenous folks. We are the casserole of different cultures, with unique and distinct layers that must all be present in order to achieve a harmonious whole. We are not homogeneous like yogurt. Nor are we separate. If you want to celebrate Thanksgiving with American food, than you'd better get a pencil. You are going to have to write down all the different cultures and sub-cultures we will have to include if we are going to have a good celebration.
The Vietnamese sweet potatoes stay. The tamales stay. The tamarind chutney can come too.
You can rest assured though, I won't include the cannibalistic dishes. No baby parmigiana. Not this year, anyway.
May you all have a lovely Thanksgiving, amazing company and great food. Wherever you are!
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