Quick update from the Kriterion

Updating this blog was on a bit of a hiatus due to lack of internet at home (which I think is finally getting fixed, once and for all, this weekend). In the meantime, I've been keeping unbelievably busy with work, the IDFA, Dutch classes, Italian lessons, climbing, parties, planning trips, and so on.

I had a lovely day off from work on Thursday and spent a lot of time preparing for the Thanksgiving dinner I'm hosting tonight. I went over to a butcher at the Albert Cyup market who gave me my lovely 10-kilo turkey, a chicken, and 3 kilos of chicken livers. My goals for tonight's dinner, besides the turkey, are matzo ball soup and chopped liver (liver pâté). I have never made any of those things, but after spending most of my life watching my grandmother make the exact same foods every thanksgiving of my life, I figured that somewhere inside me this knowledge has become ingrained. So I strapped the turkey to the back of my bike, put the chicken and bag of livers in my backpack, and pedaled home.

I couldn't believe it when, last night around midnight, I tasted the chopped liver... and it was exactly the way it was supposed to be. Success! So when my roommate got home and asked me how my day was, I stood in the middle of my incredibly messy kitchen - borrowed appliances all around me - and all I could say was "it was really fun!" All I really want this Thanksgiving to be is a long, lingering night over tons of food that creates a huge mess. It should be too loud, very confusing, and everything should start late. That is all I need to remind me of the Thanksgivings I grew up with.

Ok, I'm giving myself about 30 minutes to learn everything I can online about how to cook a turkey and download all the podcasts I've been missing out on. Ready... go!