The Best Leftovers We've Ever Had

We'd like to thank everyone who came out Thanksgiving morning to spend time at our shop.  There were certainly more of you this year than ever before.  It was almost as busy as a Saturday morning!  And we appreciate your appreciative comments on our tradition of being open each Thanksgiving morning.  Melanie and I enjoy the opportunity to be your sanctuary for those few hours before turkey time.

After our four hours at the shop (and doing all those dishes), we went home to host our first "untraditional" Thanksgiving - an "untradition" that may well turn into a tradition.

Rather than a big sit down with family aound a huge turkey and the standard sides, we hosted some friends, each of whom brought over something they wanted to eat instead of the usual spread.

 Appetizers were two kinds of empanada (kielbasa & kraut, spinach & cheese), Ghanaian yam balls and some cheeses.

First course was a rich beef pho with all the trimmings.  Second course was manicotti, made not with prepared pasta shells but with crepes.  Best we've ever had.

We then put out the rest of the dishes as a buffet, including:

- Lamb and eggplant tagine
- Sweet potato puree with caramel and sage
- Masaladar sem (spiced green beans)
- Snow peas with crouton
- Mushrooms and garlic in madeira
- Spinach and broccoli pie
- Chilaquiles in salsa verde
- Yeast rolls
- Turkey drumsticks

Plus pumpkin and apple pies, Dogfish Head 90, wine, Ethiopia Mordecofe coffee and 40-year old brandy with egg nog.

And dogs. Aldo hosted Sadie and Henri, Frank and Belle's new puppy.

The fun part about the dinner was that nobody had to work all that hard to do a ton of cooking.  People brought foods they loved to cook and eat.  People who'd never shared a dinner table together did so.  Everyone was sated and all agreed it was a wonderful idea (credit to Frank for hatching it).

Everyone took home some leftovers of whatever dishes they liked most.  We have a bit of everything in our fridge.  And it's so much better having leftovers of things we enjoy than figuring out novel ways of using up leftovers of dried out turkey and turnips. 

It was a delightful evening and one we hope to do again next year with even more guests. 

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal and company with whom you enjoyed spending time.

Comments

[Sibyl]

My daughter and I stopped in on Thanksgiving morning after running the Pittsburgh Turkey Trot. I knew you were open and we were starving! (and in need of coffee) It was perfect. (and Rich asked my daughter about CA coffee - she was impressed.) Thank you.
Sibyl