As I emerge from the Thanksgiving food coma…I reflect on the meals I have been invited to partake away from the friendly confines of home. The vast majority have been excellent. However, there have been some fails.
I am reminded of the line from Prince’s “Raspberry Beret:”:
“They say the first time ain’t the greatest….but if I had to do it all again..”
When you decide you are going to prepare the Turkey Day meal, there are some staples (we who hail from the South are accustomed to) that maybe you shouldn’t try for the first time.
Macaroni and Cheese: As my wife Karen always says, “Not all Mac-and-cheese are created equal”. Some aren’t cheesy enough. Some aren’t YELLOW enough (Pro tip: adding some yellow mustard can help with the color and the ‘zing’. It doesn’t have to be cooked until the cheese is crunchy…but it must hold together. Otherwise…it’s just Kraft ‘Easy Mac’.
Collard Greens: Just because they’re wilted does NOT mean they’re ready. Collards can take at the very, very, very least 90 minutes to cook. I’m told adding some meat (turkey wings, etc.) may extend that a bit. Oh…and make sure they are clean before you cook them. Gritty greens are not appetizing.
Sweet Potato Pie: Cooking sweet potatoes is hard enough to gage let alone making a pie out of it…from scratch. I’m told baking them first before making the pie filling concentrates the sweetness. Skip that step…skip the pie. By the way, if you decide to go the easy route and buy the pie…READ THE BOX. There’s not much more embarrassing than someone taking a bite and saying, “Wow, this tastes a lot like PUMPKIN pie.”
Bread Pudding: This takes skill (so I’m told). There is the possibility the dish can collapse. There is also the chance that if the egg mixture is whipped too much, it can taste more “eggy” than sweet. This is actually something I want to try…and I want to do it in the slow cooker. Wish me luck.
I should say that not every first-timer gets it wrong. It is, however, more than likely they’ve done their homework…or have a grandma near a phone they can call.
I hope your food coma was as satisfying as mine.
WELCOME TO MY WORLD!! 