after dinner sneeze

t says:  So, after last year’s expertly-orchestrated Thanksgiving cook-a-thon, g and I were ready to dominate T-day again this year … until it turned out that we weren’t going to be able to spend the holiday with our families.  On one hand, it stunk that we weren’t going to see our parents on Thanksgiving (but we’ll see them soon thereafter).  On the other, it presented another challenge: what would we do if we were cooking on our own?  Apparently, it looks like this:

T-day dinner at home … g & t style … with mood lighting …

So, I need to set the record straight and say that I had absolutely nothing to do with any of the dinner preparations.  g was all over the table-setting, the cooking, the plating, everything (I guess she figured it’d be too easy if both of us worked on it?).  All I did was decant some wine and provide some entertainment while she chopped, sauteed, roasted, etc.  Normally, I don’t like being sidelined, but g was on a mission, so who am I to object to an effort-free meal?  Plus – I had to focus my thoughts on the wine: a 2008 Ayoub pinot noir from Oregon, which was perhaps the most elegant OR pinot I’ve ever had.  I sent a a tasting note to be tweeted, but I am confident that he won’t be able to squeeze the entirety of it in one tweet, so here it is:

2008 Ayoub Pinot Noir (Oregon).  Nose of anise and black cherry pie (and later a bit of cocoa).  On the palate, simple up front with red fruit and a bit of characteristic OR earth, followed by a very lengthy 60+ second finish of evolving red fruits (strawberry to raspberry to cherry), hints of cedar, and an undertone of loam.  Smooth as silk and containing impressive elegance and restraint/balance – it’s a fairly lightweight pinot that just keeps going and going, drawing you in with each passing second.  It’s most like ‘the girl next door’: dressed in pajamas and lacking make-up, she is not astoundingly pretty up front, but then as you get to know her, you find out that she is a professional violinist, is writing a novel, loves doing the moonwalk, and can often be found in her kitchen baking pies while effortlessly mumbling answers to Jeopardy clues on the television in the background.  The longer she’s around, the more your discover, and the more you’re hooked – it’s seduction in a very complex-brainy-dorky sort of way.”

So yes, g and I enjoyed the pinot.  We also had a great French sauvignon blanc, but its description didn’t warrant such a verbose tasting note, so I’ll skip it.  As for the food … well, g went all-out:

Centerpiece: Turkey (duh!); New-for-our-T-day: Sweet-potato-and-chorizo hash, craisin-sausage stuffing, summery succotash; Nostalgia:  Cream-of-celery gravy, Brown-n-serve rolls, and ‘Can’-berry sauce

mixed berry pie and ice cream … both bought (i.e. not homemade), but so delicious we didn’t care … (and check out the design on the silverware!)

All I can say is that every bit of food turned out wonderfully; g has proven that she can single-handedly conquer Thanksgiving.  The only drawback is that now we have approximately 10 meals worth of leftovers (the smallest turkey our grocer had was 14 lbs), so it’s going to be a long haul … fortunately, it was so good that I can’t wait to be hungry again!