Thanksgiving--The Party

Getting the food to the table

It was perhaps the most bizarre meal I have ever served.  Guests arrived in sort of a stream, so there was no real "time" for dinner.  We ended up with 11 adults and two children; not enough crab soup for everyone; three "shifts" of serving; plenty of food, laughter and bi-lingual-at times-conversation.  We were 2 Irish, 4 French, 2 Brits, and 5 Americans.  

mix'n match

main table

pretty centerpiece

My rhythm was off because of the different arrival times.  Finally it seemed that I was the only person having an issue with it, so I stopped obsessing that everyone was having enough to eat and drink.  Veronica was the most superb field marshal and kept the service straight in the dining room while I was in the kitchen cooking the last minute items, like the cream of crab soup. I could never have pulled this dinner off without her and Georges, who was in charge of opening the wine.  Believe me, he was kept mighty busy.

pies done--apple, mince, pumpkin

cranberry-mincemeat relish cooking 

sapicy pecans--not burned

We had spiced pecans, crudites, olives, charcuterie, pate and garlic cream for our aperos, with bottles of bubbles.  Jean Pascal's kids had Coke.  It was interesting that nobody touched the celery--the French do not eat stalk celery; but use it and the leaves as flavorings in soup.  I think they've missed out on one of the greatest culinary experiences of a lifetime in foregoing peanut butter celery....bu tthat's just me.  

turkey is resting before the oven

Then I brought in the soup--an old Baltimore institution, The Harbor House Restaurant's recipe.  I got it out of the Baltimore Sun many, many years ago.  The clipping has grown not just yellow, but brown with age.  It's such a treat and everyone, even the kids cleaned their bowls. And we broke out the white wine, which had been chilling on the windowsill overnight and the sunflower bread.   At this point, the doorbell rang and Jean-Pascal's children departed.  I think he realized that this was going to be an adult party.  Once the wine was opened things really took off.

Mike carving the bird

food is getting placed

I then brought in the turkey for Mike to carve.  We had all the side dishes: stuffing; mashed potatoes; sweet potato casserole (but no Jet-Puffed marshmallow topping--I had to draw the line somewhere); Waldorf salad; deviled eggs; cranberry relish; bread and butter; green beans with toasted almonds and blue cheese.  I was able to press my antique hotel service porcelain into service--I love those covered dishes.  They keep food hot. The serving pieces got lost in the shuffle and we pressed the old blistered polka dot spoons into service and the carving set I bought had a very dull knife, Mike later informed me.  Drat!  Had I known that I could have taken it to my guy for a good sharpening.  We cracked open the red for the turkey and never looked back.  I managed to barely get down a plate of food that was about a half helping of everything and I drank a small glass of white and a small glass of red.  

almost ready to eat

typical plate

makeshift wine chiller

At this point Martin and his friend Donhall who'd just arrived from Dublin arrived.  Sadly there was no soup for them, but we managed to get them plates full of the main meal and I went out to the kitchen to stretch the gravy, which had gotten a little thick by now.  I have to say that was the best gravy I have ever made in my whole life....and I come from a family where gravy was important.  I never eat it now, except at Thanksgiving.  

David and Feorges

explaining piue birds to Georges

The turkey was amazing.  When I went to the poulterer to pick it up on Saturday morning, they had to take it out of the bag and show it around to all the customers in the store; it was that much of an oddity.  Then the young man who'd been handling the transaction turned to me and asked, "Do you want me to cut the head off for you?"  You don't hear THAT when you buy a Butterball!  I had to complete the cleaning of the bird--there were still feathers around its butt and ankles (Do birds have ankles?) and I needed the tweezers to get at some of the pinfeathers.  Fortunately, the knowledge I gained from all those chickens I helped to pluck and clean as a child wasn't far below the surface of my brain, and I knew exactly how to deal with it.  I set off the smoke alarm while I was cooking the bird--I have never had a turkey produce so much grease.  But I have never had a turkey on which the breast meat was not just moist, but actually juicy!  It was a hit!

First course wine

dessert course

About an hour and a half later, Jason arrived bringing my |American friends Kate and M|arshall.  So we had to catch them up---full plates of food, and more hot gravy.  That gray was like the loaves and fishes--it just kept stretching and stretching but never seemed to get thin and watery.  I am not complaining.  

counterclockwise--Jean Pascal, Mike, David, Georges

Now that everyone was present and fed, I could relax.  At several points, the conversation grew not just lively, but loud!  Veronica noted that that's men for you! We passed around the cheese board--this is a Franco-American meal now.  Blue, Comtal, and Brie....almost all gone.

We cut the pies, opened more wine, I made coffee for just Georges and myself.  When I brought in the coffee, I also brought in the bottle--brand new and unopened--of Armagnac.  I took the turkey carcass back to its chair in the kitchen, and cleared the table of empty food dishes.  We re-arranged the "annex" table a couple of times, bringing the people who were sitting there closer to the conversation of the main table.

More guests arrived--Martin, Donhal, Kate, Marshall, HJason

The first guests arrived around 1 in the afternoon.  The last guests left around 10 at night.  It was not a perfect party, but it was a successful dinner.  The food was good, the wine flowed and I never heard even a little lull in the conversation.  There were a few too many people--8 would be optimal.  Martin and Donhall offered to take the wine bottles to the glass recycling bin--and I counted 9 wine bottles.  I found three more the next morning.  There was not enough meat left on the turkey to even make a sandwich.  I could not have cooked a much bigger turkey--it would not have fit in my small oven. The brand new bottle of Armagnac--nearly empty!  Yes, it was a successful party.

Kate is taking th ephoto

I caught a cold and it took three days to get all the dishes done. And that was just fine.  I had Martin help me move the kitchen table back to its normal place before he and Donhall left for the evening, so I had some work space and a place to put all the dirty dishes.  I have lost a teaspoon...how does THAT happen?  Now I know why my old friend Joan always said to count the silver after a dinner party.  It's not that you suspect anyone of theft; it's that things get lost.

There was no football.  No Macy's parade.  There was cheese.  There was wine.  There was Armagnac.  There was so much noisy laughter.  There were two languages.  My heart overflowed.  I am so lucky to be here; to live here, to know these people and count them as friends.  So, yes, in that sense if was a completely traditional Thanksgiving.

The aftermath in the kitchen sink