With turkey day only a few days away the stores are quickly becoming filled with disgruntled home cooks looking to make the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. The shelves are packed with processed and prepackaged stuffings, breads, sauces, gravies and turkey recipes. And the Christmas items are already out and being purchased.
In my few trips to the grocery store I have seen more than one person floundering about with stacks of papers, recipe cards and pictures trying to match up the cards with the foods provided on the shelves. I am here to say- make up your own recipes. Everything does not have to match the recipes! What makes the food good is how you make it. Add your own twist to this year's Turkey Day-try deep fryin' your turkey or how about a cranberry and cornbread stuff instead of the stuff out of the box (though it is actually quite delicious). Also, don't forget to thaw your bird out!
Also, please note: We are culinary students, when you see us please remember we are people, not a walking cookbook subject to your abuse about how you don't like that or wouldn't serve that to company. If you're going to harass us about our ideas, don't ask at all. You seem like a grown-up, you be creative. Tip for the Day: Everyone gets a little testy during the holidays, do not take it out on innocent bystanders. That's why you get the family together and you can be testy at each other :) Family is important during the holidays. They ground you and remind you about home if you're out and about. So make time for the ones that will listen to you when you get uptight during the holidays because they put up with a lot of your crap. And though family is important, make time for you because the holidays can be stressful. :)
As much complaining as I am doing, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. Surrounded by family, good food, booze and football, who could ask for anything better? This Thanksgiving, though away from most of my family, will prove to be no different. For the past few years, I have bounced back and forth between my Grandma's house in Wyoming and home in California thus being able to experience everything from turkey to pheasant, classic mashed taters to the ever so delicious butterballs. One day, I hope to have the patience to host my own Thanksgiving dinner with my own family with a little bit of everything that I've eaten over the past years. This year, I will be spending the holiday, enjoying a day off from the M and seeing some familiar faces from home and meeting new ones from Portland. And all of the above will be included.
So, here's to you and yours for this holiday!
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