Thanksgiving 2012

Happy Thanksgiving! Unlike what the prominent American culture dictates, I always dreaded the giant turkey, the unforgiving cranberry sauce, and the overly thick or runny gravy. Even if it was all perfect and I got the dark meat instead of my 20+ older family members that gather each year, five bites in and I would get tired of the flat taste of a traditional Thanksgiving meal. This year, most of my family is in Vietnam, so I did not drive my mom down to have a large feast. Instead, this Thanksgiving became a culinary adventure that suited my taste a lot more.

For lunch, I made battered lobster fried with garlic and green onions, enjoyed with fried rice and a simple mustard greens broth. We shared a glass of red wine I bought when I visited Chateaunauf du Pape in the Provence region of France.

Then, not more than an hour after we finished, I began slow cooking the ragu alla bolognese. It eventually slow cooked for 4 hours. I decided to make it with the spaghetti with truffles. I wanted something with a bit more depth tonight and am saving the tagliatelle for tomorrow when my boyfriend visits. At the same time, I also used the rest of my red wine in making sangria (the wine was a bit drier than what I usually enjoy - more sauvignon taste profile and less merlot taste profile). The sangria turned out amazing; my mom didn't realize how much alcohol content is in sangria, so she got quite tipsy. Oops.

Last destination in Europe (super late): Paris

I found an amazing restaurant in Paris - one that I could go to everyday to eat, if I had the money. It is called Resto d'en Face (more info here: http://restodenface.fr/). The owner and chef is a lady who goes daily to the local markets, find the freshest ingredients, and then decide her daily menu, so each day is different and just as fresh as the next. Thank you so much for the gastronomic pleasure! Below are the pictures from that restaurant, where I had the pleasure of going to twice.

  

foie gras with mango and mint - amazing flavor pairing!