Gypsies don’t check baggage
Thanksgiving really began the Sunday before, when I insisted that my sister Katrina and her boyfriend Reid awaken at 5 so that we could drive back from Pittsburgh (where we drove on Saturday afternoon to see my youngest sister Kassandra perform the lead role in a new piece by Kiki Lucas of the Houston Metropolitan Ballet Company). We took two laps down 5th, doubling back to record these 4 turkeys strutting down the sidewalk. Kassandra tells me they regularly parade down the street in much the same way that the rooster walks around JPA here in Charlottesville.
Back in Katrina’s neighborhood in DC, Katrina and Reid struck a thoughtful pose, pondering why Katrina needed to skin Grover, Harry, and the Cookie Monster to make her morning jacket.
I spotted this fantastically apparelled woman in white, which Katrina would not let me photograph (a la The Sartorialist). Instead, Reid pretended to take pictures of us while she walked by.
You should have seen the hat from the front.
On Tuesday, I drove through heavy rain to Atlanta, and we spent Tuesday night and Wednesday making a series of grocery runs. Thursday morning the internet flaked, so I began with the recipes that I’ve memorized and soon, Katrina rose and made sense of the coffee machine directions.
Changing it up this year, we started with a new dessert, Food & Wine’s harvest mousse, which we made with pumpkin instead of butternut squash. (I was unimpressed by the final flavor, although 4 of the 6 tasters liked it and asked that it be made again. Texture was heavy for a mousse, not cloying, but otherwise unremarkable—why must pumpkin dessert always be disappointing?)
(You’ll notice throughout these images that Christmas comes early at my parents’s house; even the Christmas cacti respond.)
Our other companions in the kitchen were beta fish Susie and Benjamin. Don’t let the image fool you—Benjamin the fish is not phosphorescing—although that might benefit Susie, who we have decided is manic depressive.
Kassandra and her friend Matt were given the task of forming the truffles with the ganache that I had made earlier in the morning (we work backwards on T Day), while I mashed potatoes with Mom’s Pampered Chef masher of champions that I am quite fond of; I think Iron Chef or Top Chef should have a skill challenge with utensils-that-doubles-as-weapons. This masher coulda been a contender.
Katrina and Kassandra joined forces to scrape seeds from the squash into the pot to form a squash stock we strained for the butternut soup.
Kassandra then grated a mountain of cheddar for Orangette’s cheddar crisps, a new recipe I adore.
We took all 23 pounds of turkey out and Grampa initiated the Turkey Lift so I could make the gravy (I make a roux, stir in the juice and vermouth, and reduce until we’re ready to eat).
Katrina and Nana shared a potentially catastrophic moment as we realized the egg had not been stirred into the stuffing; turns out that stirring the egg in a few minutes late works fine and Katrina began on the cinnamon/sugar soup croutons, with Nana rolling up her sleeves.
Katrina took a break to juggle the shallots (gypsies can juggle, natch) and then Matt taught Grampa more about cell phone functionality.
Dad let the electric knife whir,
which is always a little distressing,
and Grampa demonstrated the correct pour for the Cristalino Brut Rose,
which Kassandra finsished while we pulled everything out of the three ovens and the warming drawer.
I couldn’t persuade Kassandra to take more of the orange-spiked cranberry sauce or the roasted brussel sprouts with shitakes and fried shallots (a new Gourmet recipe that we liked), and we proceeded into the dining room.
(Note the life-size nutcracker behind Katrina.)
Kassandra was happy with the butternut squash soup, which I had intended to replace with carrot soup as Katrina is now a vegan. Katrina was very gracious about all the food, and I have to say, her dreads have never looked lovelier.
After Matt took a family portait on the porch, we ate dessert; the truffles went over well, as did Mom’s chocolate pecan pie, and our traditional apple turnovers (I spoon dulce de leche on top).
That afternoon, Kassandra beat Matt at Monopoly,
and Katrina read by the fire with Toby,
before Kassandra’s friend Amber came over and we hatched the performance art video idea. Finishing the Cristalino, we raided the basement for costumes and convinced Katrina to direct.
Toby is used to this sort of family activity by now, although he wasn’t really down with my feathered headress. The Devil in a Silver Suit discussed possible scenes with Kassandra,
and Katrina took the camera.
The video includes a possessed baby, a speared turkey, and a surprise appearance by Mr. Potato Head. Until next year…
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Posted Wednesday, November 29th, 2006, 11:32 pm * Filed in Food, Travel. * . Follow responses through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
November 30th, 2006 at 12:29 am
I now know what was missing from my family’s Thanksgiving–besides good food and decent alcohol. Costumes! I’m going to Atlanta next year.
November 30th, 2006 at 9:34 am
WOW — what a fabulous Thanksgiving. And what a talented family you have. Congrats on all fronts.
December 3rd, 2006 at 8:05 pm
costumes..
is this considered shock & awww?
December 4th, 2006 at 12:29 am
yuummm. .the food looks amazing! Those apple turnovers are whats missing from my life!