The Thanksgiving Sonata

Fall is nearing the end - the days are shorter and the air crisp.  Shops have put up their Christmas lights and decorations (and play those dreadful Christmas music non stop at all hours).  We are still reasonably blessed by the weather god and have been enjoying the sunny, dry days without freezing our noses and ears off yet.  

I have managed to not jump on the wrong train/wrong direction for at least two weeks in a row now and know exactly how to get home by looking at which intersection I am standing at without having to rely on Google Map.  All in all I am really enjoying New York and myself.  Before we left Sydney I was predicting my first nervous breakdown (when it finally hits me that I am in the US of A) on Halloween, with the whacky costumes and pumpkins and all that.  Halloween came and went - and now I was about to embrace my first Thanksgiving Sonata.

Allegro - the Balloons

One of the biggest attraction in NYC at this time of the year is the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.  The joyful floats and music performances set families up for the big dinner ahead.  Giant balloons are the super stars of the parade and get the most attention.  If you are more a night owl than early bird like myself, the event not to be missed, is the Thanksgiving Balloon Inflation near the American Museum of Natural History, the day before Thanksgiving.

Nelson left work uncharacteristically early that evening and we set out to Upper West side to check out the balloons.  There was a massive crowd and the lines went in zig-zag manner between Central Park West and Columbus Ave.  Everyone was in high spirits though and we moved briskly towards the balloons.

I couldn't help but cracked up a bit when I saw the balloons though.  They were obviously all tied down low after the inflation so they wouldn't get blown away easily - however this means most of the balloon characters were either on their sides or on their tummies.  And with all of them side by side it looked like every balloon was drunk or passing out after a wild party.

Do I want fries with my beer?
Yes please.
*Burp*

Just let me have a quick snooze
before I get up and give
Charlie Brown a hard time.
*Belch*

Finn and Jake from Adventure Time
 managed to stay high after all the partying.
(mind you they have had plenty
of training of being high - if you have
watched the cartoon you would
know what I mean)

Even Power Ranger lost control
of his body and disgracefully
displayed his bottom for the whole world
to see.  Can you imagine the poor kids and
their traumatic memories from this night?

After our dose of Helium assisted Thanksgiving goodness Nelson and I went to Grace Street (West 32nd Street in Korea Town) and tried their famous 'shaved snow' - just to make sure we felt cold enough before walking home.

Milk flavored shaved snow with red bean
mini mochi and cooked taro.
Hardcore winter dessert indeed.

Andante - the Feast

We had every intention to go watch the actual parade.  However when I woke up in bed the parade was long finished.  (Dear Macy: would you consider having an afternoon parade next year - please?) This means I was to immerse myself in the Thanksgiving tradition of dedicating the whole day to cooking.  (And risking having nothing to eat after 5 hours of hard-slog)

First up was of course, the bird.  I had a bit of a shock when I went to the supermarket the day before to check out the turkey.  They were HUGE.   The biggest bird-related item I had ever cooked in an oven were some honey soy chicken thighs and I felt trying to 'do' a turkey would have been way too steep a curve for me.  (There was also the question: would a turkey fit into my tiny oven?!) Nevertheless, to have a finely cooked winged animal is a Thanksgiving requirement, so I ended up buying a HUGE chicken (please see below exhibit A).

Exhibit A

Moment of truth was when I had to pull out the poor chicken's guts with my bare hands.  Oh, the gagging sensation to voluntarily put my precious right hand into its bottom!!!  I closed my eyes and held my breath and forcibly grabbed something I could feel, tugged, and pulled!

The thing that came out, was actually a heat-sealed plastic pack with the gizzard and neck in it.  I almost cried some grateful tears!  Only if I knew I didn't have to de-gut the chicken I would have been able to sleep so much better the night before.

I made some quick stuffing with bread crumbs, herb, celery and onion and lovingly rubbed Big Bird with butter all over - now it looks like it is ready for some first class sun-baking!

In an emergency, assume the brace position
and prepare for crash landing.

Now with Big Bird firmly tucked inside the oven, it was time to sort out dessert.  Unlike my parents, who are both fantastic non-for-profit bakers, I have had a string of epic fails when it comes to baking.  I spent a long time searching all over the internet hoping to find a really easy and hard-to-screw up pie recipe, and found something called 'the Chef's Apple Pie'.  Seems fitting to have an apple pie for the first Thanksgiving in the Big Apple!

Making the syrup with brown sugar,
butter, and cinnamon.

I haven't had to peel an apple for so long!

Disaster stroked when I opened the Pie Dough packaging.  Now why didn't anyone tell me I had to thaw the pie crust beforehand?!  And that I had to thaw it in room temperature?!  Oh dear oh dear oh dear what do I do?  (Google says whatever I do - don't put it in the microwave)

I guess I will just wait - I have all day...
I hate you Organic Pie Dough.

By the time I finally had the pie ready to be baked (I really butchered the pie crust though) I had to cook it together with Big Bird and the potatoes - bunk bed style. I hoped for best that the pie wouldn't smell like chicken and the potatoes wouldn't smell like apples....

NYC apartment style roasting.
Everyone gets cooked on top of another.

Final result:  Everything was cooked - no half raw Big Bird and no one died of food poisoning.  

Chicken was surprisingly good.
Potatoes slightly burnt.
The pie looked like it was made by a 6 year old
but tasted okay!
(I was so creative I even made a pig to sit on
top of the pie with cashew nuts for eyes)

Rondo - the Shopping

The Thanksgiving experience would not be complete unless you have participated in the Black Friday/Cyber Monday craze.

Instead of going to the shop and end up street-fighting strangers over long johns or sneakers that are not even my size, I decided to fight my battles in front of the computer and smugly have companies tricking me into buying lots of things I didn't need (yes - the more you buy the more you save!).

After working hard at my desk/kitchen island for a day (only if I could do this for a living), I am now a proud owner of 3 x hedgehog Christmas Tree ornaments and two pairs of socks with English Bulldogs prints (can't survive winter without those I am sure), and a couple of t-shirts that I probably won't get to wear until May next year, provided that I will remember I have them.

I call this Thanksgiving Sonata a success!

Hedgehog friends - don't knock it till you try it!