Thursday, November 24, 2005

Don't Die With The Music Still In You

It sounds like AOL is trying to make amends by promising to release upgrades, changes, etc., with announcements ahead of time. So no surprises. They still don't get it, do they?

Earth to AOL.  It's not the shock of suddenly having banners. It's the BANNERS.

Well, the feeding frenzy started early. Last night, Thanksgiving Eve, my bro made veal piccata [Ooops, PETA members avert your eyes], steamed artichokes with an anchovy, butter, olive oil and garlic sauce I have to look up because I can't spell it, a celery root and tomato concoction he created that was wonderful, rice with orzo, which I keep calling Ouzo, and haricots verts, the really skinny French green beans. 

It was a meal ten times removed from anything resembling Thanksgiving.  Except for the green beans. 

He decided to brine the turkey. So it's been sitting in a huge pot of salty water in the fridge overnight. I hear brined turkey tastes delicious. But it just sounds like it's going to make me retain water. Well, what's the point of being a woman if you can't be bloated from time to time.

Meanwhile, as I'm typing, he brought me a plate of "smelly French cheese."  About six cubes of the stuff. Very tasty. And, smelly.

He thinks the cheese is Contina. Is that really French, I ask? Probably not, he answers from the kitchen. But it's definitely stinky.

The dressing [stuffing, whatever] was made with fresh foccacia croutons, olive oil, Italian spices, garlic salt, carrot, celery, dried cranberry, chorizo, apple, chestnut puree, a little cognac, butter, sage, thyme, homemade chicken broth and probably some other stuff I forgot. 

He's already finished the fresh cranberry sauce with sliced apple for the pectin to thicken it and there's a smidge of cognac again. Earlier he cut up the white potatoes and of course we can't forget sweet potatoes, which will be "infused with vanilla bean and cream" -- haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!

We're also having braised brussels sprouts with olive oil, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, and jalpeno pepper, along with homemade creamed onions. We'll start with homemade oyster stew.

He will be making pumpkin ricotta pie for dessert, with pumpkins he baked himself. Puree one pumpkin and fold into the ricotta for filling.  The topping is pumpkin with marscapone cheese. The cheese is whipped with pumpkin syrup -- pumpkin boiled with sugar, and spices and folded in the marscapone -- then dolloped on top. Did I mention the candied pumpkin on the side?

He just showed me the basting butter for the turkey -- sage, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and a little pepper. The butter for the mashed potatoes has rosemary and garlic in it, which  will be strained to keep the rosemary thingys out of your teeth, not to mention the garlic.

Cooking is his hobby. He loves it. I love that he loves it. His wife and mother do too. All we have to do is set the table. 

The title of this entry was something I heard on PBS this morning as I was waking up. No doubt it resonated because today is a holiday to give thanks. 

I am thankful a friend of mine once said that she thought I was one of the few people she knew who would not die with the music still inside me. Today is a good day to remind me of how I used to live my life. Lately I've had to ignore the music I hear.

Maybe it's time to ride through the Wasatch mountains on the back of a Harley, listening only to the wind and the echoes of my mind.    

Happy Thanksgiving.

 

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mrs L in a second teenagehood. This should be good.

I wondered why there weren't any oysters in the stuffing, then realized they are in the soup. But of course.

After reading that menu, I must now go take a nap before I start talking in the third person.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

xoxo

Anonymous said...

Happy Thanksgiving to you Mrs L.  and may we share many more together....can I please borrow your Bro - I could do with one like him....Corned Beef and mashed potatoes is about all my 5 brothers can come up with, or a take-a-way..lol....Ally

Anonymous said...

Happy Thanksgiving
Oh ... and Bon Appetit
       *** Coy ***  



Anonymous said...

the galloping gourmet
the frugal gourmet
your own gourmet thanksgiving dinner
yay!

Anonymous said...

Happiest of Thanksgivings to you Mrs L.  I am in the middle of cooking and had to give my feet a break, before THEY break. I am thankful that I read your journal and you almost always make me chuckle. Also after reading this entry I made a very important discovery about myself. I've been "BRINED"........there is a brining bandit running around the country and he GOT me a few years ago.  You brother sounds like a jewel.   ANNE

Anonymous said...

Bloated and infused with salt brine and vanilla bean, who the hell has room inside for extra gifts? I say, let them out and take off the damn panty hose. Life is too short.

Is this the brother we love or hate? I forget, Sis. I'll keep the state warm for you. By the way, you're getting snow. Here, it was 67 yesterday.

Anonymous said...

Im STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARVING over here in Jock land !!!!!!!!!
Throw us some scraps Mrs L HEHE
X

Anonymous said...

Thanksgiving is like a Mazola-orgy for people who love to cook. So many condiments...so little thyme. Your brother will make someone a good wife someday.

Swirl the snifter a couple times for the rest of us, Mrs L.  Nobody will ever accuse you of stiffing the band.

Anonymous said...

happy thanksgiving mrs. l.

cheers to the music that you create daily -

Anonymous said...

turn the music up....
Marti

Anonymous said...

VEAL!!??!! How could you??? Those li'l calves are kept in tiny pens and force-fed like geese for fois gras, and...you're not buying this, are you. <Sigh> Pass the piccata sauce.

I had a girlfriend that I called "Contina"...or something like that.

Anonymous said...

Dear Mrs. L.  You hon ARE music.  If you die with anything unsung, it will be our loss, but don't bother yourself over that. I give what I have heard so far a 10, with a real danceable beat.

Ha!

BTW, if you are ever in North Western Ohio, stop by for a train ride.  Spring is best, with the wildflowers, they go very well with the sound of a diesel engine, train whistle and laughter.  Just a thought.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and

http://journals.aol.com/thisismary/ViewFromAFarmHouseWindow/entries/400

Whatdayathink?  

Maybe?

Anonymous said...

Mary's got a good idea.  Go read it.  Mrs. L

Anonymous said...

This entry brought to mind the terrible fate of Mario Lanza - apparently the famous singer ate himself to death (not himself literally you understand ...) Anyway, I know that you're made of sterner stuff so I'm presuming you survived - and if you did there's one question I'm sure we all want answering ...

What's your bloat level like?

Anonymous said...

Was the title from Dr. Dyer? Sounds like his "10 Secrets to Sucess & Inner Peace" although they may be playing his "Power of Intention" on PBS now. I'm a big fan of his & show my students his videos.

Anonymous said...

Ok, I may be full, as I mentioned but this entry just made me hungry all over again.  It sounds like your brother is my kind of guy....can we come up for next Thanksgiving?

Chris
http://journals.aol.com/swibirun/Inanethoughtsandinsaneramblings
http://inanethoughtsandinsaneramblings.blogspot.com/
http://www.bigoven.com/~swibirun