All right time to get cooking. Really cookin'. We always have hosted the family for Thanksgiving dinner and here we go again. Along with cleaning the house to a sparkle, today we have to start getting the food ready.
It is always an unusual mix of that ends up on the plate. In years past we have served up sushi grade tuna for the Japanese member, assorted veggie dishes for the 3 vegetarians, pizza for the kids, and fresh crab caught out in the ocean along with the turkey and ham.
Well I didn't go fishing this year, and I tried to get a wild turkey on a hunt Saturday but that didn't work out. Good thing I ordered one from the local butcher shop, Galvan's, in San Leandro. Man those guys are good. Joe runs a great place, special orders and all that plus his own special sausages and specials.
Our table always looks like a United Nations potluck. I love it! We have Indian food, mixed in with stuffing, and vegan dishes. Since we have 2 teenage girls coming over we add in something kids like to eat, 3 or 4 people come over early to cook, it is a busy kitchen that always smells great.
My job? I guess it is the turkey. We will pick it up today, brine it overnight, then cook it on the Big Green Egg. Not fried, not cooked in an oven. It really is an amazing cooker.
That's tomorrow. Today I'll cook some baby back ribs in the Big Green Egg. The will cook for about 4 hours after being rubbed down with Gates Sweet and Mild rub then sprayed with some apple juice while they smoke over oak and hickory chunks that will be soaked in red wine before I toss them on the fire. They will cook with no sauce, I just want dry bbq ribs.
They will taste great but I won't serve "ribs." I'll cut the meat off and chop it up a little and mix it in with 1/2 of the stuffing. The other 1/2 needs to be left vegan. I might sprinkle in some of the rub in that 1/2. It will be awesome. It will be hard not to "sample" the ribs before the stuffing is served.
If you want to try the bbq + stuffing thing just ask your local bbq joint for some ribs without sauce. We don't actually stuff the bird, we cook it in the oven.
Someone will hopefully make palak paneer we will have a vegan Celebration Loaf and a few other dishes. It's wild and crazy, and everybody gets a cultural favorite.
The best part isn't the food, it is just the bribe used to get everyone together. It is always such a blast to spend time together and this year one of the girls is in college so is is a little more special.
Take time to give yourself a few minutes to actually think about thanks-giving. Don't let the day fly by with football and over eating. Make a phone call to someone you know would love to spend even a few minutes with you. You never know when they won't be around anymore to answer the phone or come over to eat. Then you'd give anything to be able to call them and share a day of thanks giving.
Yea for Turkey (and more) Day!
No comments:
Post a Comment