Bah, humturkey
Not all traditions are worth preserving - or revering. For example, I'm not a fan of the traditional Thanksgiving meal. The problems include the lack of flavor in commercial turkey (no matter what heroic efforts one makes to counteract that blandness, including brining), piling a lot of orange/brown food on one plate all at one time, and uninteresting or inappropriate wines.
So what did we do instead? No turkey - instead, guinea hens stuffed with chestnuts, pancetta, and dolcetto and draped in prosciutto. Not a particularly American preparation, perhaps, but it tasted great. We served the meal in courses and it lasted five hours. In between courses, several guests took the dogs for a walk. Now that's civilized. The same guests brought a wonderful mushroom gallette - seasonal and local.
Just for fun, and in the spirit of the holiday, we decided to drink all-American. My favorites: Elk Cove 2002 Pinot Noir 'Willamette Valley' and Chalone 1981 Pinot Noir. These wines demonstrated how new world producers who eschew the fetish for over-ripeness can make excellent wines that express their terroir - and in the case of the Chalone, wines that age well.
So what did we do instead? No turkey - instead, guinea hens stuffed with chestnuts, pancetta, and dolcetto and draped in prosciutto. Not a particularly American preparation, perhaps, but it tasted great. We served the meal in courses and it lasted five hours. In between courses, several guests took the dogs for a walk. Now that's civilized. The same guests brought a wonderful mushroom gallette - seasonal and local.
Just for fun, and in the spirit of the holiday, we decided to drink all-American. My favorites: Elk Cove 2002 Pinot Noir 'Willamette Valley' and Chalone 1981 Pinot Noir. These wines demonstrated how new world producers who eschew the fetish for over-ripeness can make excellent wines that express their terroir - and in the case of the Chalone, wines that age well.
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