Dinner status updates

[toledobass]

Everything on schedule?  Any problems?


Everything here is going smoothly.  It's only the Mrs. and I so we've paired it down this year.  I didn;t really crave turkey and the Mrs is a vegetarian so not even doing a bird this year which makes things really easy.  I got a turkey keilbasa instead

Mac and cheese
Brussel sprouts
Cornbread dressing
artichokes (the mrs wanted these for some reason)
cranberry sauce

pumkin pie

I'm finishing up on some veg stock for the dressing.  Cranberry sauce is chilling.  Cornbread for the stuffing was made this morning.  Now just sipping on some beer and waiting a little while to start anything new.


Allan

[Sergeant Rock]

Everything on schedule?  Any problems?

I thought things were going smoothly until everything was on the table and Mrs. Rock had begun disassembling her turkey leg. She suddenly stopped carving and looked around the table: Where's the gravy? Damn! Totally forgot about it...and she has to have gravy. So it was back to the kitchen; the meal delayed ten minutes.

Mac and cheese

Can't get any more American than that   

Sarge

[toledobass]

Not bad Sarge.....

The mac and the dressing just went into the oven.

damn it smells awesome in here (opens another Stone IPA)

Allan

[mn dave]

Everything okay here, sir. Shouldn't be long now. Will report back later, after the bird has been consumed. 

[toledobass]

 

[toledobass]

 

[SonicMan46]

Well, we decided to do an overnight in Chapel Hill, NC (home of the U of NC & less than 90 mins drive from our house) - staying @ the Siena Hotel - nothing fancy, small w/ a European flavor - just finished their Thanksgiving dinner at the Il Palio restaurant in the hotel - we've eaten there many times previously but our first holiday experience.

The menu was prix fixe starting out w/ a small palate pleaser - scallop seasoned, broiled w/ a parsnip puree; shared some champagne (and I had a glass of Italian white wine w/ my main course).  Each course had multiple options (menu does not seem to be on the web, just a delight to salivate over!).

My next course was just a fresh mixed greens salad; Susan had a duck/feta cheese appetizer that looked delicious!

Followed by a pasta interlude - we both had the braised duck pappardelle w/ tart Cretan olives & rosemary - big broad pasta noodles wonderfully flavored - duck was tender (could have had this as a main course!).

My main dish was the lobster cacciucco - kind of a tomato based stew w/ clams & mussels; Susan decided on the traditional turkey offering which included breast/braised thigh w/ stuffing, sweet potato, and Swiss chard - she was quite pleased.

Shared two different desserts - superb! And, some great coffee! Delightful dinner - will likely do again, maybe next year! 

[Brünnhilde forever]

Only problem was with a new brand of olive oil, the Fleischküchle started to stick! Not too much of a problem because it left a lot of those brown crumbly things for the pan gravy to go on the mashed potatoes. Steamed brocoflower; tossed salad with lots of mushrooms, one tomato and bib lettuce, garlic flavoured olive oil and Hengstenberg vinegar dressing.

The wine is from my tasting collection, a 2003 Merlot from Bordeaux, very pleasant.

Fleischküchle in Swabian, Fleischpflanzerl in Austrian, Bullette in Prussia. Robert called it best Hamburgers he ever ate, his favourite Thanksgiving meal. 

[mn dave]

The dinner we weren't really into. The dessert, more so: chocolate chip, caramel brownies with whipped cream.

[SonicMan46]

..............
The wine is from my tasting collection, a 2003 Merlot from Bordeaux, very pleasant.......

Lis - love the amount of 'pour' that you provide for a glass of wine!     Dave

[Brünnhilde forever]

I am positive, Dear Dave, there is meaning in your last post to me, but I can't, for the life of me, figure out what you are saying. 

Have you by any chance forgotten that English is not my first language? 

[Novi]

I am positive, Dear Dave, there is meaning in your last post to me, but I can't, for the life of me, figure out what you are saying. 

Have you by any chance forgotten that English is not my first language? 

I think Dave is commending you for your wine-serving generosity .

[Herman]

the glass isn't half full.

[Brünnhilde forever]

I think I am beginning to get it, with the help of my friends here! 

Some explanation of different countries, different customs, is in order!

When I get red wine served in this country, USA, the waitperson schlepps a huge glassy container to my table with enough red wine in it to fill about a fourth of the glass. When order wine in Austria, I get one of those glasses - s. attached photo! - filled almost to the rim with red wine. Those are 'a Stamperl', with the mark 1/8l on the rim, indicating a legal measurement: One eights of a liter.

Ergo: When I have my glass of wine with dinner, I compromise and use a smaller version of the American bucket, and I do fill it almost to the rim, which, in the picture of my Thanksgiving meal, is just a tad less than 1/4 of a liter.

Are we together now? 

[Bulldog]

Instead of bothering with wine glasses, you could simply put some high-grade pot in your dessert - no mess and a much better experience.

[Brünnhilde forever]

  Tried it once, just one puff and damn near coughed my lungs out! Went back to wine! 

[SonicMan46]

I am positive, Dear Dave, there is meaning in your last post to me, but I can't, for the life of me, figure out what you are saying. 

Oh, my dear Lis, sorry for any confusion although an explanation has already been given, i.e. you 'pour' a generous glass of wine! 

In a restuarant, the 'pour' generally refers to the 'amount' of wine given when a glass is ordered - typically, between 4-6 oz. - I like a GENEROUS pour, i.e. 6 oz. (esp. at the charges per glass that these places want you to pay); so, just commenting that your 'pour' made me happy!    Dave