Well, it doesn’t sound very tasty. But it’s all about the guests, not the food, right?
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You are right, I am doing it wrong. A venn diagram would be a better tool.
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Mmm, tasty intersections.
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I am a fairly strict vegetarian, more strict about it since I took the Buddhist precepts a couple years ago. I do know some Vietnamese places which will do a non-fish-sauce based dressing for the summer rolls and spring rolls, etc. However when it comes to the dried shrimp in Thai red curry powder, I usually tend to take the “La la la I can’t hear you” tack.
On a rice paper wrapper, perhaps? Drawn with a few swirls of plum sauce, some Sriracha, a vegetable puree - yes, that could work!
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My guest list this year is completely out of control. Somewhere between the original plan and now, the guest list has ballooned from the RatsClan and hangers-on (8 or 9 people) to 15 people!
I do the cooking here, and perhaps oddly, I’m completely comfortable with cooking for that many. I can cook for an army. But I had to run out last night and buy additional dishes, silverware, and chairs so the guests all have a place to sit and something to eat and drink from.
To make matters even more interesting, it looks like the weather here in SD may be unpleasant on Thursday. That’s going to be a challenge.
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That is what I need, a spreadsheet!
So far, I’m doing a turkey because by god I will have meat if I am in charge; vegan mashed potatoes, carrots in a brown-sugar-dill sauce, homemade ginger cranberry sauce, and gluten-free stuffing (both vegan and sausage-y). Someone’s bringing a green bean casserole, a sweet potato casserole, and possibly more potatoes and veggies.
… I’d better go finish my shopping.
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We provide blanket weights in all the guest rooms.
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Say hi to RatWoman from some random fanboy on the internet for me. You know she has a fan club, right? (a fan club of 1, but so what, she doesn’t need to know that detail.)
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Dutch ovens for everybody!
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Your message has been passed along, but I’m not sure what prompted it? Did she do something to build a fan club here? She is a prominent and popular mommy-blogger but as far as I know there’s no overlap between that and this, and she doesn’t frequent this place.
It was her comment about filling your dad’s pockets with firecrackers and my attempt to get her on here, because she has a singular wit. She’d be fun to converse with.
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Ah, the light dawns! That was RatGIRL. She’s eight. And yes, she does and she is. 
[Edit:] she is highly amused.
In an attempt to get back on topic (lol!) RatGirl will be helping with the appetizer/salad course on Thursday: seared shrimp and scallops, in a citrus salad made from fruits from our garden. Pictures to follow.
Haha. Joke’s on me. I totally thought that was RatWoman, silly me for not recognizing RatGirl! RatGirl has a bright future as a standup comedienne.
Back to T-giving preps!
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A the “suggestion” of Mike’s Chili Parlor where I finally got around to having lunch at today, why not chili for Thanksgiving?
And speaking as a carnivore I have had some very tasty veggie chili one of my favorites is actually a quinoa based veggie chili.
OKAY, CLIFF. We need your split pea soup recipe. Mine involves the femur of a large, ground-dwelling fecal swimmer, but you have professed your vegetarianism. So let’s have it. We need that damn recipe!!!
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And the stupendous pea soup recipe would be?
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There is no recipe. This is not the soup you are looking for. <Flails hands wildly while trying to look properly dignified>
I’ll have to figure out exactly how I make this and jot the measurements down as I go. The key points, off the top of my head are:
- It’s best if you can make it the night before and reheat it the next day to serve, or at least let it simmer for a good long while before you serve it.
- Make it with three kinds of peas - use equal parts green split peas, yellow split peas, and frozen green peas. added towards the end.
- Start by covering the split peas with plain water in a big pot, bring the split peas to a simmer, boil for about 5 minutes, then drain them. (This takes out some of the gassiness.)
- Put them back in the soup pot, then pour in roughly 50/50 vegetable stock and mushroom stock to cover them and then some; bring it back to a low simmer.
- Add diced russet potatoes (crucial for getting the right thickness), followed by adding diced carrots and optionally diced celery.
- After all the veggies are in, then simmer for at least an hour on low, stirring periodically and adding more water or stock if the level gets too low, so the bottom doesn’t burn.
- As it starts getting properly thick, start adding flavor - add shoyu (preferably tamari) so you get some flavor along with the salt; a couple good splashes of dry sherry; a couple dashes of allspice; a good amount of dill seed and dried dill weed; white or black pepper if you like. Taste it, adjust seasoning with more of the same or other herbs etc. as need be. Most of the added herbs should be almost subliminal, but the dill should stand out.
- Onions and a little garlic - saute in a separate pan and add in after it’s cooked for an hour or more.
- About a half hour before the end, add the frozen green peas and stir well, so they’re cooked and starting to get mushy but still have a distinct texture when it’s served.
- The final texture should be pretty thick - you want your soup spoon to stand up in it.
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Brilliant. I am IN.
“Make it with three kinds of peas - use equal parts green split peas, yellow split peas, and frozen green peas. added towards the end.”
I never even considered this. It’s a game-changer.
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Tamari. Tamari
#That is fucking brilliant
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Why the hell is it so hard to get knives sharpened.
I live in a major city (San Francisco) but most places that advertise knife-sharpening in my area actually seem to subcontract to some guy who comes by once every couple of weeks or so, meaning I’d have to surrender my most essential kitchen implements for days or weeks.
I eventually found a place that promises to have them sharpened by tomorrow but it got me to thinking—how can this be such a hard-to-find service? Doesn’t EVERYBODY who prepares food need their knives sharpened every so often? It’s as if I had to spend an afternoon tracking down an auto service station that didn’t need at least 72 hours to do an oil change.
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