101 in 1001

Complete a Triathlon
Bike commute every day for 2 months
~~Complete a 125 mile bike ride~~
- Goal Completion Post
- Posts Related to Goal
Ski somewhere that is not new England and does not touch new England
Complete a 5.12 [inside]
Must take stairs for flights < 5 floors, when traversing a building on my own
Go to at least 6 Parkour jams

0 / 6 Jams Attended

Bungee jump
Learn how to do a WallFlip
Learn to ride a half pipe, bike or skate.
Drink only water for 3 months
Go to the gym 3 days a week for 3 months
Learn to lead climb
Play on an organized sports team

Creative Goals

Finish a play
Show my photography in a gallery
See a photo series to fruition, or at least to a highly developed place
Have a set design be used in a show
~~Get a photo pass to a concert~~
Learn how to screenprint
Write 25 Short Stories

0 / 25 short stories written

Pick and document a photojournalistic story.
Shoot a roll of film every week for a year.
Complete a NaNoWriMo
Learn how to make color film prints

Miscellaneous

Brew my own beer
Pose nude for a photographer
Host a BBQ
Make Breakfast in Bed
Get on Spike’s Hot dog wall [6 is fine]
raise $1000 for charity
Ride a motorcycle
Finish a New York Times Crossword Puzzle with no help
~~participate in a flash mob~~
Get Inked

Cinema/Literature/Theatre

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See every one of the movies on Lewis’ list of the 101 best foreign films

0 / 101 Movies Watched

See every Academy Award Winning Movie for best picture

0 / 81 Movies Watched

See all of the AFI’s greatest movie musicals

0 / 25 Movies Watched

See rocky horror picture at a theater, the tame, and the crazy viewing
Read all Pulitzer prize for fiction winners

0 / 56 Novels Read

Read all Pulitzer prize for drama winners

10 / 80 Scripts Read

Read all best plays tony awards winners

5 / 61 Scripts Read

Read all best drama desk best play winners

5 / 37 Scripts Read

Listen to all cast recordings for the tony winners and nominees of best musicals

37 / 220 Albums Listened to

Listen to all cast recordings for the tony winners and nominees of best score

25 / 176 Albums Listened to

Listen to all grammy winners for Best Musical Show Album

10 / 51 Albums Listened to

See 5 Broadway Shows

1 / 5 Shows Seen

See 5 off-broadway shows

0 / 5 Shows Seen

Music

Learn to play the drum set
Learn to play the banjo
Learn Aurally 4 T-bone solos.

0 / 4 solos learnt

Attempt stand-up at an open mic night
Take one dance class
Be in one show

Personal/Mental Improvement

Go to a religious practice or ceremony for 8 different religions/faiths

2 / 8 attended

Read the news section of a legit paper newspaper every day for 2 months.
Send a card/letter to both grandparents once every other month

0 / 64 notes sent

Complete 101 hours of community service

0 / 101 Hours Volunteered

Learn basic ASL
Learn basic Spanish or Japanese
Let 10 friends pick something I said I would never ever do, and do it. [within limitations]

0 / 10 tasks completed
- Brandon
- Jeff
- Mike
CPR/Law Enforcement/EMT/Fire fighting course
Listen to NPR on commute and 3hrs during the workday for 3 months
~~Attend a national protest~~

Goal Completion Post

Wake up at 6:30 AM every weekday for 3 weeks

NOMS!

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Eat French Toast in 20 states

2 / 20 French Toasts Eated

Eat Pizza in 20 states

3 / 20 Pizzas Eated

Don’t eat fast food for 3 months
Must order something I have not had from the menu of every restaurant I go to for 4 months

0 / 3 4-month sections completed

Cook a meal I have not made once a week every week I am in Arlington

12 / 143 Meals Cookeded

Posts Related to Goal

Try 10 cuisines I have never had

3 / 10 Cuisine’s nommed

Technology/Geekery

View all posts related to this category

Learn javascript
~~Learn PHP/some form of SQL~~
Build the NES-PC
Establish a concert/theatre photo blog, link to website
Make one project from each MAKE magazine that comes

0 / 8 MAKE Projects completed

Attend a defcon
finish website project with jeff
~~Learn how to, and install a Car Stereo~~
~~Learn to solder, and do a project that involves soldering a board~~

Practicality

Save $2,000
Pay off at least 1/2 of my car
Write a basic will
Make a budget and stick to it for 6 months

Filed under: Goal List, Progress

Original Cast Recordings Round 3

Cub — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:36:11 +0000

I have not posted about this in a while. I had been doing it by year, and already did a post for all the 2009 and 2008 nominees I listened to. I have listened to many since then, and I am going to do a brief version of many of them here. I have heard many more on the list, but not in order since beginning this project, and it only counts in that capacity. This list is mostly for me, but if you’re a huge theatre dork like me, you may have fun?

Please note: These are my opinions. I state them boldly because I feel them as such – please don’t take them personally. I’m not interested in arguing about musical quality- you are more than welcome to disagree and express it, I’m all about dialogue, but I’m not all about getting into a stupid fight about musicals.

2007:

Show: Spring Awakening

Links: Bitch of Living [VIDEO] – Tony Award Performance [VIDEO] – Touch Me [AUDIO]

Thoughts: This is one of my all time favorite musicals, without question. Somewhere in between stephen sater’s writing, and duncan sheik’s music, I am invigorated, alive, and released from some kind of bonds. This is the first musical I saw with the entire original broadway cast, and I went back twice. Those of you who watch the videos will recognize Lea Michelle and Jonathan Groff from Glee, where they play Rachel and Jesse, respectively. I know a lot of you find this show unimpressive, and that’s fine. But I find the music a refreshing note on broadway, and in my mind the first show to bring real grit and “rock” to the stage.

Show: Curtains

Links: Tony Award Performance [VIDEO]

Thoughts: This is the most meh I’ve felt about a cast recording in a long time. It wasn’t good by any stretch, it wasn’t really terrible, either. It just… exists. Don’t get me wrong. Kander & Ebb. They’re amazing people. Maybe if it had come out 30 years ago it would be amazing, but coming out now, nothing makes it stand out. This show’s music is: in a word, forgettable.

Show: Grey Gardens

Links: Tony Award Performance [VIDEO]

Thoughts: The music in this show is delicate and beautiful. It does a great job of pulling you in, and pulling you back to an older time. It’s really very intricate, I’m surprised the show got less notice. It’s not the kind I’d play for car sing-alongs, but it is well written, pretty, and a good listen. I will listen to it again.

Show: Legally Blonde

Links: Chip on my Shoulder [VIDEO] – So Much Better [VIDEO]

Thoughts: Okay. Hear me out. This is terrible. It’s a musical based on legally blonde. It’s stupid, and it’s based on a movie. It is everything I hate in the recent trend in musicals. That all out of the way, some of the songs are STUPID fun to listen to. It’s absurd. But there are just some songs that when you get over your “this show is so god awful terrible and tacky” you find stuck in your head days later. Like a tack. A sharp deadly tack. But once you give in to the pain, it feels mildly delicious. The composer honestly has talent. And I know that, because he wrote Bat Boy: The Musical! Which is brilliant. He shows the musical brilliance in the score for this show, it’s just wasted on a pink glossy subject. Some of it’s shit- but there are some definite gems.

2006:

Show: The Colour Purple

Links: Tony Award Performance [VIDEO]

Thoughts: There is nothing. Nothing. More wrong. Than a musical based on The Colour Purple. I’m sorry. No: I’m not. There is no way you can convey this sincere and powerful story correctly in a musical. I had a hard time putting that aside when listening to that. If you ignore the travesty, it is a swell bit of music. There are beautiful soaring melodies, and all the deep rich gospel sound you would expect. As a listening experience, bias aside, I must say I truly enjoyed it.

2005:

Show: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Links: Tony Award Performance [VIDEO] - I Speak Six Languages [VIDEO]

Thoughts: I confess, once upon a time, I hated William Finn. With good cause, he deliberately creates cacophony. But he also can make beautiful lines and songs. This musical is a great example of him writing beautiful, fun, listenable songs. The show is cute, touching, and playful. And the music is just in line with that. I love the music from this show, and could and will listen to it several times.

2004:

Show: Avenue Q

Links: Tony Award Performance [VIDEO] - Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist [VIDEO]

Thoughts: Who doesn’t love Avenue Q? It’s got fantastic music that I could sing for hours, and god knows it’s witty beyond all reason. Need I say more? This music rocks my socks. It’s got it all.

Show: Wicked

Links: Tony Award Performance [VIDEO] - For Good [VIDEO]

Thoughts: Soaring music. My friend pointed out that this show would be brilliant if it ended at the first act. This actually applies to the music very well. The music is at times soaring, at times fun, often wonder inciting, and at very rare times, tiring. But for the most part this is a show I could listen to over and over. [You can tell I mean it because I hate this show and how it butchered the book so horribly.]

2002:

Show: Urinetown

Links: Tony Award Performance [VIDEO] - Act One Finale [AUDIO]

Thoughts: This is another one of my all-time favorite musicals. It is hilarious and the score is nothing short of brilliant. The cast is amazing, and the lines are written so carefully that everything. EVERYTHING fits together seamlessly. Every chord, every note, it just works. The first time I listened to it, I liked it, but I knew I wasn’t recognizing it fully. A few more listens and I really began to grasp just how in-depth and sensational this music is. It’s clever and silly, but don’t let that distract you from how amazingly well done it is. One of the best composed musicals I’ve ever heard. Oh, and note that most songs are making fun of other musicals in the best way possible.

1997:

Show: Titanic

Links: Tony Award Performance [VIDEO]

Thoughts: If you like Nine, you’ll like the music from this. Same composer, same style: less female singers. I loath Nine with a fiery passion, but Titanic I only dislike strongly. That being said, I recognize that it is very beautiful, very well done music. It is simply beautiful, well done music I hope to never listen to again. Stunning composition work on boring, repetitive songs.

1996:

Show: RENT

Links: Tony Award Performance [VIDEO] - Another Day [VIDEO]

Thoughts: You guys are expecting something scathing, aren’t you? Probably. Guess what? I love RENT. RENT stands out to me in many ways. It’s a compelling story told simply through music, and the music is reasonably uncommon in style for broadway. It was a show that made a lot of differences for me, so I can’t remove that bias. I obsessed over the music from this show for a good year and a half of my life and I still love it now [though I think it closing was appropriate]. Tragic, passionate, overwhelming, powerful – the music carries it all. I’m not sure it will age well, but I hope it will.

1992:

Show: Falsettos

Links: Tony Award Performance [VIDEO] – Unlikely Lovers [VIDEO]

Thoughts: This is the show to which I referred above that made me think I disliked William Finn initially. The first time you listen to it it’s just insane dischord. And you think “I know why he’s doing this, but god. Why?” And then you listen to it another time. And you skirt over the dischord, and you note the tunes like Unlikely Lovers, and Father to Son, and you realize the full beauty in the show. Those moments alone, pure simple and Beautiful, make you see something special. And you open your mind a little more, and suddenly the show is beautiful. Even the dischord. Weird. But true. And then you start laughing at the little jokes, and soon enough it’s all stuck in my head. Did I even state an opinion? I mean. Basically. Now, I really like it. Alot. But it took me a long time.

1988:

Show: Into The Woods

Links: Tony Award Performance [VIDEO] – No One Is Alone [AUDIO]

Thoughts: I am a bad theatre person. By this I mean I do not worship at the feet of Stephen Sondheim. I think he has beautiful, intricate work, but he isn’t the fucking theatre Jesus. There. That felt good. Once upon a time, I hated this show. Because the music is often repetitive and redundant, and because there are seldom good performances. HOWEVER. Having relistened to this show this year, I am officially on it’s like side. I can now listen to selections from it at any time and not feel bothered. There are some truly, truly beautiful songs in it. And these songs are unbelievably wonderful. Yarp – so I like it alot now, mostly, sometimes. [Hehe. Who can tell me the two links between this and falsettos without using google?]

1985:

Show: Big River

Links: Worlds Apart [VIDEO] – Free At Last [VIDEO]

Thoughts: I Love Big River. It’s one of my favorite musicals. It’s so rarely mentioned by people. It makes me a little sad. The music is fun, and often really quite beautiful. It’s captivating, and mostly it’s just really well done. I Love this show. ‘Nuff said.

1977:

Show: Godspell

Links: All For The Best [AUDIO] – On The Willows [AUDIO]

Thoughts: There is no way to not have fun while listening to this cast recording. Mmkay? Solid music, well done. The only issue is the guy who sings all good gifts. Ugh. He’s terrible. Everything else is awesome. Love it.

1976:

Show: A Chorus Line

Links: Tony Award Performance [VIDEO] – The Music and the Mirror [AUDIO]

Thoughts: Sometimes there are shows I assume I will hate. This was one of them. It just seemed like it would be one of those cheezy annoying shows. You know what, for the most part, I am in love with this cast recording. It soars. It’s really catchy and wonderful. I could listen to it over and over. Beautiful music and a compelling story. The only flaw in this score is the song everyone seems to know. “One” is probably the most annoying song ever written. I understand it’s necessary for the story. But good lord, aren’t we all just a LITTLE exhausted of this tune? There are so many brilliant, beautiful songs in this show, it’s sad this song gets so much notice. So, long story short: I love this score. [except One] [sidenote: it's worth noting that the revival cast sings much better.]

1975:

Show: The Wiz

Links: Everybody Rejoice [AUDIO] – Home [AUDIO]

Thoughts: The Wiz. It’s like this gospelsplosion. It’s pretty damn awesome. There aren’t many songs I feel like skipping, and it’s really well performed. The music makes me really happy. I can re-listen to it with no issue what-soever!

Lord. That’s it for a while. That was exhausting.

Filed under: #61, #62, #63, Cinema/Literature/Theatre

#64: See 5 Broadway Shows

Cub — Thu, 06 May 2010 21:07:39 +0000

HAIR - Al Hirschfeld Theatre

Show: HAIR
Theatre: Al Hirscheld Theatre, 302 W. 45th St.
Date of Show: 12/16/09 – 2:00 PM
Book and Lyrics By: Gerome Ragni and James Rado
Music By: Galt MacDermott
NY Times Review Link: Click Here.

Thoughts:

This was without question one of the best theatre experiences of my life. The cast was astounding – the acting and singing was beyond amazing, and the way we as the audience were brought into the production was unforgettable. It felt like you were part of the tribe, and the interaction worked perfectly. It did not in any way get in the way of the emotional lows of the show – every piece came together fluidly. I was not a big fan of the original cast recording of HAIR, but I gave the revival recording a listen and fell in love. I recommend you open your mind to it, as well. It is populated with amazing talent. and skill. Going on stage at the end with the cast was something I was in no way expected, and it left me trembling for at least a half-hour after I left [in a good way]. I mean. I can’t oversell it. It was awesome. Yes.

Filed under: #64, Cinema/Literature/Theatre

#87: Cook a meal I have not made once a week – round 16

Cub — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:54:01 +0000

Asparagus Taquitos

Ingredients:

10 6″ corn tortillas
10 thin stalks asparagus, trimmed and cleaned
1 15oz can of black beans -Drained
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
3 scallions sliced
chili powder
salt
olive or vegetable oil

Directions:

Put the beans in a microwave until heated through – about 1 – 2 minutes depending on your microwave. When they’re warm, take them out, add salt and chili powder to taste, and mash them up with the bottom of your fork ’til you have a paste.
Warm the tortillas in the microwave for about 20 seconds so that they are pliable and won’t tear when you roll them up
Using the fork or a spatula, apply a thin layer of the bean paste to each tortilla. I applied a smooth steady amount to one half, and then a line down a middle to the other end so it would stay rolled using the paste
On top of the beans, add one of the stalks of asparagus, and a sprinkling of cheese and scallions, and then roll that bad boy up tightly, trying not to tear the tortilla.
Repeat until ingredients are used up.
Heat up about a 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan at medium-high heat. Cook the taquitos rotating them with tongs until all the sides are a lovely golden brown. I could do two at a time. When they are cooked, let them drain on paper towels.
Serve them with salsa, sour cream, a bit of chili powder and the left over scallions, if there are any. I also added some cheese, because I like anything that has more cheese, really.

Results: This is probably my favorite or second favorite recipe I’ve done so far. It is amazingly tasty. Like. I am in love with these little asparagus taquitos. I can’t wait to make them again. I highly recommend you give them a shot. The flavors work so well. Mm mmm good.

Recipe from: Broke-ass Gourmet

Filed under: #87, Noms!

#87: Cook a meal I have not made once a week – round 15

Cub — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:34:30 +0000

I’ve been remiss in my posting of these. I have been doing them for the most part of the time in between my last posting, but I haven’t been documenting, so I’m going to just start posting again, and do two a week a few times to reach the correct number, cool? cool.

Brown Sugar BBQ Chicken

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
1 10.75 oz Condensed Tomato Soup
3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried basil

Directions:

Place Chicken in slow cooker
Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, and mix it all up, then pour them over the chicken, making sure everything is covered up right nice.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours

Results: I love how easy this is. I mean. Does it get any simpler? No. It does not. It didn’t taste great, though. It wasn’t bad, just far too tangy.

Recipe from this little slow cooker circular I picked up at the book store.

Filed under: #87, Noms!

#16: Attend 35 Concerts : Part 4

Cub — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:00:56 +0000

State Radio

Band: State Radio
Venue: Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, Providence, RI
Date of Concert: 01/28/10
First Opener: American Fangs

I have to be honest, guys. A lot was going on this day, and I showed up late. I literally strolled in as SR was doing their first song.

Set List:

Gang of Thieves
Arsenic and Clover
Revolutionaries
Calling all Crows
Doctor Ron the Actor
Mr. Larkin
Bohemian Grove
Mansin Humanity
The Diner Song
Let it Go
Camilo
Rocket Reducer No. 62 (Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa) [MC5 Cover]
Knights of Bostonia

Encore:

Time Served [Dispatch Cover [front-man chad was one of the members of Dispatch]]
Held Up By The Wires
Man in the Hall

Second Encore:

Black Cab Motorcade
Olli Olli

Main Act Thoughts:

Wow. Am I glad I dragged my ass to Providence for this show. They did an amazing live set, and I was reminded about how much fun it is to see a show with people I like. We danced and sang, and rocked the fuck out from the back of the venue. Two encores was unbelievable, and it was made a bit more exciting by the fact that it was being recorded for a live album. They played a really good mixture of old and new songs, and the audience was great. I have yet to regret seeing a show by this band. I don’t really think I ever will.

Filed under: #16, Travel/Events

#87: Cook a meal I have not made once a week – round 14

Cub — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:01:06 +0000

Chicken Bacon Roulades

Ingredients:

4 shallots, thinly sliced
10 bacon slices (about 1/2 pound)
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
Lemon pepper seasoning to taste (or ground black pepper with a little lemon zest)
6 Tbsp grated Parmesan (about 1 ounce)
1 Tbps olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream [Now get She's So Heavy by the beatles stuck in your head.]

Directions:

Working in batches, cook the bacon over medium heat in an ovenproof skillet [if you're me, you can use the pan you have, and unscrew the meltable handle and put the parts that won't melt in the oven. Yup. I'm crazy], until lightly brown but still flexible (not crisp). Place the bacon on paper towels to drain.
Cook the shallots in the remaining bacon fat over low heat, stirring, until softened. Transfer the shallots to a bowl or something that lets the fat, oil, grease, etc stay in the pan. Preheat oven to 300°F.
Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. With smooth side of a meat pounder pound each breast to 1/8-inch thickness. [If like me, you do not have a meat pounder and the stores are all closed, a sherry bottle works surprisingly well.] Discard plastic from boned side of each breast. Sprinkle chicken with lemon pepper (or ground black pepper and a little lemon zest) and salt. Place 2 1/2 slices of bacon lengthwise (parallel with grain of flesh) along middle of each breast. Top with shallots and Parmesan. Using plastic wrap to help you, tightly roll up each breast lengthwise, tucking in the ends to enclose the filling. Secure seams with wooden toothpicks.
Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to reserved fat in skillet and heat over medium high heat. Brown roulades on all sides, about 5 minutes total.

Transfer the skillet to middle of oven and bake roulades until just cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. [You could totally put them in a different container if you're not insane enough to unscrew the handle and your pan isn't oven safe]

Transfer chicken to a plate with tongs and keep warm, covered with aluminum foil. Pour off fat from skillet. (The handle is hot. If you couldn’t figure this out, I can’t help you.) Add wine to the skillet and deglaze over medium high heat, scraping up brown bits. Boil wine until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Add garlic and butter. Cook mixture over medium low heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Add flour and cook roux, stirring, 1 minute. Add broth and cream and bring to a boil, whisking. Simmer the sauce, whisking, 2 minutes.
Pour through a fine mesh sieve into a small saucepan. Keep sauce warm. Remove the wooden toothpicks from roulades and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Spoon some sauce in center of each of 4 plates and arrange roulade slices decoratively on sauce.

Results: This is the best recipe I have made so far. It was so delicious my mouth smacked me. In it I learned I need to learn the best way to cut chicken, and also how to pound it without destroying it. But It turned out deliciously, both the night of making and lunch the next day. I highly recommend giving it a shot. So tasty. I am salivating at it’s memory.

Recipe from Simply Recipes

Posted in #87, Noms!

#87: Cook a meal I have not made once a week – round 13

Cub — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:41:36 +0000

Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp corn, grapeseed, or olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1/3 cup golden raisins (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow curry powder, or to taste
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)*
1 cup sour cream
Minced fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish

Directions:
[Direct from the chef's words]

Put the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add the onions (and optional raisins), sprinkle with some salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, sprinkle with half of the curry powder, and continue to cook a minute or two.

Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle it with the remaining curry powder. Move the onion to one side of the skillet and add the chicken in one layer. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate.

Add the sour cream and stir constantly over medium-low heat until the mixture is nice and thick. Return the chicken to the skillet and cook for a couple more minutes, or until cooked through, turning once.

Results:
Despite the image looking incredibly unattractive, it was a really tasty meal. Pretty easy to make, and wholly enjoyable. It tasted delicious as leftovers as well. Easy and tasty. Hard to argue with that, right?

Recipe from Simply Recipes

Posted in #87, Noms!

#88: Try 10 cuisines I have never had

Cub — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:32:02 +0000

Turkish Noms

Restaurant of Nomming: Pasha Turkish Cuisine
Location of Nomming: Arlington, MA
Menu description of Noms: Their online menu is down for the moment, so this will have to be filled in later.
Cost of Noms: ? See above.
Thoughts on Noms: This was not just my first turkish food, but my first time having lamb as well. All the food was quite tasty! I was nomming with my friend Dr. Ian, and he was familiar with the food and ordered us some appetizers and suggested the lamby dish I attempted. It was all rather tasty. Different flavors than I had had before, and than I had expected. Rather enjoyable – I’d gladly give it a second go, with a little more adventurosity. It’s a word now. The atmosphere of the restaurant was nice too. Rather enjoyable. Yes.

Posted in #88, Noms!

#87: Cook a meal I have not made once a week – round 12

Cub — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:40:26 +0000

Click to see full size!

Jeff and I hosted a thanksgiving potluck for a group of our friends the sunday before thanksgiving, and everyone made delicious delicious food. I made turkey with stuffing and tofurkey [we had 3 vegetarians], Jeff made nomalicious Mashed Potatoes and Corn Bread, Katie and Mike made mouthwatering Apple and Pumpkin Pie [from scratch!], Mike also brought some tasty cheese and crackers and home-made hummus, Lewis brought superb Maple-glazed carrots, Caramelized Brussel Sprouts [they were delicious, shut yo' face] and Corn Bread Stuffing, Becky made fingerlicking good rolls and broccoli casserole, J-Mack made wonderful squash with special things that I don’t remember the specifics of, Autumn made awesome sweet potatoes, and Brandon made a sweet chocolate chip banana-bread cake. It was a really wonderful day, all of the food was super delicious, and it was great fun to have everyone gathered together. What a great spirit and mood… I can’t wait to do it next year. I love you guys.

So, as for how I made my food.

Turkey
This was my first time ever making a turkey, so I decided to keep it really really simple. As it takes a long time to cook, I couldn’t really risk it going wrong, so I found a recipe that was really easy and down to earth, pretty standard. Next year I’ll try the one I wanted to try.

Ingredients:

1 (10 to 14-pound [ours was 13.44]) turkey, with giblets removed [or if you're me, you can think you've removed them, and have failed.]
1 quart chicken broth
2 ounces dried mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus extra for rubbing on turkey
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning turkey
3 cups Challah bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (from approximately 4 to 5 slices)
4 ounces unsweetened dried cherries, approximately 1 cup
2 ounces chopped pecans, approximately 1/2 cup
2 whole eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning chicken

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the turkey into a deep, high-sided bowl on its end with the stuffing end up. Set aside.
Heat the chicken broth in the microwave in a large microwave-proof container. Place mushrooms in a glass bowl and pour heated broth over them. Cover and allow to sit for 35 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl toss the onion, celery, and green pepper with the oil and salt. Place the vegetables on a sheet pan and roast for 35 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, spread the cubed bread over the vegetables, return to the oven, and continue cooking.
Drain mushrooms, reserving 1 cup of liquid. Chop the mushrooms and place in a large microwave-proof bowl with the vegetables and bread, reserved chicken stock, cherries, pecans, eggs, sage, parsley and black pepper. Stir well in order to break up pieces of bread. Use your hands to combine, if necessary. Heat the stuffing in a microwave on high power for 6 minutes.
While the stuffing is heating, rub the bird with a mixture of butter and rosemary. Lift up the skin and rub all up inside that bird, gettin’ it nice and covered. Working quickly, place the stuffing into the cavity of the turkey to avoid losing heat. Place the turkey into a roasting pan, on a rack, and season with salt and pepper. Place the roasting pan on the middle rack of the oven. Roast for 45 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and cook for another 60 to 75 minutes or until the bird reaches an internal temperature of 170-180 degrees F

Results: It was super tasty, although a little bit drier than I would have hoped. Next year no stuffing in the bird [sorry, kids] but instead aromatics. But I was really happy with how it turned out, especially given it was my first ever bird. Everyone seemed to enjoy it.

Recipe from The Food Network [Alton Brown]

Tofurkey
There were three vegetarians present, so I made a tofurkey. It surprised me, in a good way. I mostly followed the instructions on the box, but adjusted them a little:

Ingredients:

One Tofurkey
2 Potatoes
2 Carrots
1 Big-ass onion
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 or so tablespoons Orange Juice
1/2-3/4 teaspoon ground chopped sage aka however much you feel like]
3/4-1 teaspoon fresh rosemary [aka however much you feel like]

Directions:

Oven at 350 [this works well with the turkey above because by the time it's time to put the tofurkey in, the oven is at 350
Quarter the Carrots, Potatoes, and Onion
Put enough tin foil to wrap over everything inside of a dish.
Unwrap the tofurkey and put in the middle of the tin foil, surrounded by the vegetables
Mix up the olive oil, soy sauce, orange juice, sage, and rosemary in a dish
Pour the mixture over the tofurkey, and then wrap the tin foil tightly around the tofurkey and it's vegetable friends
Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes [if cooking at the same time as a turkey, just add a few minutes to this]
Open foil and cook for another 5 minutes or so.
Serve that bitch

Results: Guys, I have to be honest here. I thought it would be exactly as terrible as a carnivore would imagine a fake turkey to be. I was incredibly surprised. It tasted really delicious! Next year I may even have a whole piece. A few carnivores actually admitted to liking it better than turkey. Don’t knock the mock bird, I guess is the lesson.

Recipe from the box, with some help from me.

Posted in #87, Noms!