Today I'm hosting my SECOND ANNUAL THANKSGIVING DINNER IN SPAIN! It's going to be an international affair with 4 countries represented haha...the USA (obviously), Spain (also obvious), France (my friend Jenny who is a French auxiliar de conversación--same job as me but in French), and Holland (my roommate JuanFra's girlfriend was born in Holland but has lived in Spain her whole life...that counts right?).
This year I found a butcher shop to actually sell me a whole turkey! Welllll at least that's what was supposed to happen. On Tuesday, the butcher told me that I could come on Wednesday afternoon to pick up the turkey that he would have for me. However, yesterday at 6 when I went to pick it up, he informed me that instead of bringing him a small turkey as they usually do, they brought him a huge one...an 18-pounder. So, since he had estimated the day before that it would be about 4 kilos (about 9lbs), he had sold half of the big bird to another woman who had come by looking for turkey that morning. Sooo, I've got half a turkey. Last year I only had turkey breast and this year, half a turkey. Let's see if next year I'll be able to conquer a whole turkey, wherever I may be at that time.
I started preparations for the dinner last night and was up until 3am in hopes that today I won't be as rushed and I'll be able to dedicate more time to making sure the turkey comes out right. It's been soaking in a brine (a salt solution with a bunch of herbs) all night so it should come out really moist. I have already boiled and peeled a dozen eggs for deviled eggs, made the spinach-artichoke dip (only have to bake it), made 2 healthiER homemade pie crusts for the pumpkin pie and cinnamon apple crisp, made homemade creamed corn for the cornbread casserole since you can't buy canned creamed corn here, and started on the gravy by making stock with the turkey neck (that I personally had to cut off), the gizzards (I think I only used the heart and maybe the liver but it was hard to tell as I've never had to clean out or even seen the inside of a turkey before), and fresh chicken bones that my new friend, the butcher, gave me after I explained to him why on earth I needed a full turkey.
The remaining menu items include...
stuffing
bacon-wrapped, glazed green bean bunches
and possibly
either
mashed potatoes or corn on the cob
depending on how much time I have.
Also, my American friend Brenna is bringing homemade brownies! I have only permitted Americans to make/bring food for the purpose of making the event more authentic.
Should be quite the feast! I'm anxiously awaiting the end of this work day so I can get home and start cooking! I'll post more tomorrow on how it turns out.
Thanksgiving is a hard day to be away from home, family, friends, and America in general, but making a big meal and sharing the celebration with people here makes me feel a little more at home. While nothing can truly substitute for a good ol' American Thanksgiving celebration, I'm excited to share that I'll be home in EXACTLY 3 WEEKS! Until then, I miss y'all and...
HAPPY THANKSGIVING and HAPPY COOKING!
2 comments:
HAHAHAHA i LOVED this because the whole time i was thinking how in the world is she going to get a turkey to begin with. I should really stay in school. I bet Ms. P would be SO knowing you've navigated your little way to hungry bellies for thanksgiving! Very impressive. What did they think of our fine american dining?
They loved it! 1 week til I see you Cleeseworthhh :D
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