I've always thought looked at Thnaksgiving as my favorite holiday, believe it or not...There's just something appropriate about pausing in the fall to think about (and give thanks) for all the accomplishments of the summer and year that has past. All the hockey lessons, walks in the woods, races won (and lost), dinners eaten, sails taken, potties trained, stories read, "why"s answered, drives hit into the woods (and into the fog, to land who knows where), and so on and so on. And then you add in some good food...what could be better? Well, at least the poor food starts out with such promise, and then oops...the bird is dry, the gravy is too salty and the lumps aren't gibbies, the veggies come from a box and the cranberry still has the shape (and taste) of the can it came in.
Why? What about getting together a bunch of people who can cook, and give them a palette (not palate or pallet...but those are welcome at the party too) composed of the "normal" fare, and see what happens.
Well, it happened very well. We had steak tips with jerk and zin marinate, we had cornbread dressing, we had homemade cranberry (I think), we had a fresh fennel salad, we had turkey leg confit, we had sweet potato pie, we had brie en croute, homemade spring rolls, a cheese plate, an oyster casserole, and Ming Tsai's Grilled Turkey Breast with 4-bean salad and fried rice, and a whole bunch of good (and interesting) wine. Wines I particularly liked were a 2002 d'Angerville Pommard (some felt it was too shrill, but I loved it); a 1994 Phelps "Insignia" - which was nice with dinner, but really fell apart the next day; a 2001 Saarstein Auction Auslese, of course a 2000 Allemand sans-soufre was yummy, and a 1989 cleanskin bottle of Foreau Vouvray Molleaux Reserve which was apparently bottled by Pmac without a front or back label, but didn't seem to suffer a bit. You know you are eating with a bunch of wine geeks when they know the wine from only the neck label that has only the vintage and a little artistic filigree. The Gaston Chiquet "Cuis" NV Brut and the 1996 Pierre Peters were good ways to start and the Joly wine (whatever it was) was delicious. And there was a 1994 Clos Ste Hune that didn't suck too much either. Good friends, good times, good food, good wine. Might be an annual tradition to help us all get through the "actual" festivities.
Geeze, this does start like mine!
Posted by: Joe Perry | December 07, 2007 at 07:40 PM