Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  There is nothing to do but eat, and relax, and spend a few moments reflecting on all the good things we have in our short time on this planet, hopefully with loved ones and friends surrounding us... and every food item on the dining table has the distinct smell and taste of butter... which very well could shorten our already short existence. 

Why do these turkeys have no legs?  Read further down.

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving a couple of times before the special day, and once more after, and a number of days at the sandwich shop as well.  Three Thanksgiving parties totalling 405 guests and a bunch of special turkey sandwiches later we were tired of giving thanks and smelling like butter. 

This sandwich is the King of Thanksgiving Leftovers.  It has mayo, turkey, stuffing (our stuffing is the bomb), gravy (ditto for gravy), and cranberry on the side.  It is toasted, and tastes like the entire thanksgiving meal in every bite.  It is ridiculous.  This sandwich with a small cup of the mashed potato and corn chowder will satisfy every carbohydrate dream and craving you have ever had.


EDITORS NOTE:
Dear Americans and Food Magazine Cover Photographers,


Stop cooking your turkeys as one big bird.  Yes they are pretty for the magazine covers, and it looks great on the table, but please... cut the thing up already.  It fits better in your oven and its easier to tell when its done, those legs need longer to cook than those breasts, that's why we cut off the legs and take out the backbone, come on now... who eats the backbone?  Which means we get to make a nice roasted turkey stock while the rest of you whole bird cookers (suckers) use canned chicken broth.  And stop this brining business already.  Brining is messy, and a pain in the butt, really now, who has food grade five gallon buckets handy with fridge space galore?  And stop this basting business.  There is no reason to baste the bird every hour, it is pointless.


Here is how you cook a Thanksgiving turkey fellow Americans.  Follow these simple six steps and you will have happier Thanksgivings forevermore... and a much more satifying life.
1.  Cut out the back bone.  Cut off the legs.
2.  Make an herb paste with fresh rosemary, thyme, sage, and canola oil in a food processor.
3.  Using Morton's Kosher Salt (dear morton's we love your salt, we will be happy to be sponsored for all of our dedication and hard work spreading your good name) rub some salt under the breast skin and under the skin of the legs, really get in there, then sprinkle with pepper, then rub your herb paste under the skin.  Then sprinkle the outside with salt, pepper, and rub more herbs.
(how much salt?  Well for chicken we use 3/4 teaspoon per pound of chicken, but if you do that much salt for a turkey it will burn the flesh of the turkey, so about 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt per pound)
4.  Put the turkey in your fridge for 48 hours. 
5.  Cook it, we like 300 with a convection fan.  Pull the breast from the oven when the it registers 158 degrees.  Let it rest.  Let the legs keep cooking.  They are nearly impossible to overcook.  Pull them five minutes before you want to eat.
6.  Celebrate your success by mailing $100 to 213 South 9th Ave, Walla Walla WA 99362


Cheers

Graze Catering Five Year Anniversary Party

We held a five year anniversary party a couple of months ago.  It was a lot of fun.  Friends, farmers, suppliers, clients, neighbors, and employees all came and enjoyed.

Ali Walker, photographer, who is great and does many of the same weddings we do came as a guest.  And she took these photos.  They really capture the ethic of the party... which shouldn't be much of a surprise, she captures the feel of every wedding she shoots so perfectly.

http://aliwalker.com/blog/2011/11/graze-catering-party/

Cheers! Ali!  Thanks so much.

Sunday Mornings

Normal people go to breakfast Sunday Morning. 
Normal people sleep in Sunday Morning. 
Normal people go to church Sunday Morning. 
Normal people go for runs Sunday Morning.
Normal people love Sunday Morning.

Sunday Morning we ate leftovers from our Mexican inspired wedding buffet, in between washing dishes and preparing for 250 more guests... green chicken mole, whole pinto beans, and mexican rice, and Carmen's 'out of this world mindblowing' red salsa. (and we served carnitas, and posole, and homemade tortillas, oh it was yummy)

We love Sunday Morning too.