Food
Out of context: Reply #1440
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Appetizers for Thanksgiving.
Seafood tower-ish type of spread without spending too much goulash is always a nice thought only because it's light and has nothing to do with the big flavors of the big meal. And although tasty, it's boring to make - pernod, lemon, whatever fish carcass you can get, or imagine some clam juice, season, boil the shellfish.
Pushing that aside, my first instinct was to pick up one-of-many dusty cookbooks - APPETITES - Anthony Bourdain. His Bagna Cauda sounds great. Poach garlic in cream, naturally emulsify anchoives in butter, combine at some point, reduce, obviously one or two other moves, but pretty simple, strong. He made it a point to impress the pomp and circumstance of fresh, manicured veggies. Which always covers up for his vulgarity, ha.
The other turkey-day-pass-around idea from Bourdain are... these nuts he couldn't get over - a recipe from a short-lived bar/restaurant, anyway - the only magic ingredient noticeable was the whipped egg whites, otherwise it was cinnamon, cayenne, brn sgr, wht sugar, salt, all mixed together and roasted until dry. So like I said, it must be the egg white that makes these special.
Outside of Bourdain's book, on my own tide, the fam was too busy to visit so I wanted to make up for missed time. There's 12 of us, so 24 slices of 2 smoked duck breast feels spot on for a 'carpaccio' like spread, with maybe a neutral salad in the middle and a reduction. A fruit reduction that steers clear from anything cranberry or "forest fruit".
Back to Bourdain, cheers guys