Not a Time to Experiment

Dearest Rachel –

The holiday season is upon us once again, honey, and as the sun takes that much more time off than it did when we were in Israel (where it’s so much more noticeable, since we can’t sightsee in the dark. Here at home, there’s still plenty to do when evening falls, and we have the means to get around and do it that we wouldn’t in a foreign country like that), we have to make the customary preparations for the upcoming festivities. This includes our share of the cooking, which is integral to tomorrow’s agenda, although it’s been suggested that I stick to the script this time around. For all that I like to get creative for Thanksgiving (because when else do I get the chance to make something like this? Too many recipes are specifically geared for large crowds, or at least a family-sized setting; nothing is made for just one or two people) I’ve been reminded that this isn’t the time for that.

Even my own traditional standards have been put on the shelf, probably for good. The folks that used to join us and enjoy the stuffed mushrooms we would put together (using breadcrumbs, butter, garlic paste, provolone cheese, and various herbs – there was never a specific set of proportions to it, so we never wrote a recipe down) have dwindled to the point where making it isn’t worthwhile anymore, and the dirty rice I did last year proved to be only a middling success. The wilder ideas that I’d gotten into my head this year, for reasons even I couldn’t begin to explain, like pear pie (which I’ve been told isn’t that far removed from traditional apple pie) or kumquat tarts (seriously, where did I come up with that?) I’ve already been warned aren’t going to get the kind of reception I might imagine, even if they, by some miracle, turn out to be every bit as good as advertised (which, given my skills, isn’t necessarily a bet that should be taken).

Daniel and I are the bachelors of the party and, when it comes to cooking, are treated accordingly when it comes to our contribution to the feast. Keep it simple, don’t go overboard, and everything will turn out fine. Who could screw up vegetable casserole? That’s not a rhetorical question leading to an hilarious answer, by the way; it’s a remarkably forgiving dish, allowing for enough variation (green beans or mixed veggies? How much cheese, and what kind, to add? For that matter, what sort of cream soup base should we use? Mushroom, celery, chicken or onion?) to keep me happy, or at least occupied. And as for the dinner rolls, well, since Daniel favors pretzel bread, I don’t even bother with trying to make it from scratch when it’s so readily available in stores these days.

It’s probably just as well, since we’re still dealing with the whole time-zone issue to a certain extent. Granted, that really shouldn’t have an effect on our overall productivity – on the contrary, the whole early-to-bed, early-to-rise ethos should result in us being that much more productive during daylight hours, not that it really has – but being out of sync with the world we’ve returned to continues to take some adapting to; it’s not the sort of environment for me to be doing culinary experiments in, even if I’d encountered something ‘over there’ that I wanted to try here at home – which, I should point out, I hadn’t, really, not this time around.

But I do feel like we’re slacking off a bit, and not doing much of ‘our part,’ even if it’s the one we’ve been assigned. I’m not sure why, other than the fact that we used to do so much more – or at least, it felt like so much more. At the moment, our contribution is barely more than just showing up and eating stuff; even at a restaurant, we take the trouble to pick up our part of the tab.

None of which is meant as a complaint; as I said, it’s nice to be able to take it easy like this, or at least it should be. It just leaves me wondering if there isn’t something else we could do, or if that would just throw an unexpected and unwanted wrench into the proceedings.

Speaking of throwing a wrench into things… I did think about how we used to have guests apart from our family, and asked about whether I should check with a few people as to their own plans for the holiday. It turns out that the family preparations are such that we might be able to manage an additional guest, but that it wouldn’t be preferable to make such inquiries, lest we suddenly wind up with Peppermint Patty, Marcie and Franklin at the table when we barely have enough extra bird for any one of them to show up. So that’s another experiment set aside.

Incidentally, it hadn’t crossed my mind until now, but it occurs to me that my search for ‘Megumi’ has an added wrinkle to it; she has to have the approval of my family. I never thought that would be a problem, as my folks seem to be rather unconditionally supportive of my search as it stands. Then again, it’s not as if I’ve brought anyone home for dinner to meet everybody and have them take her measure. Nor is it that I had someone in mind to join us for tomorrow’s festivities, but by simply asking the question, I’ve come to the understanding that not just anyone could pass muster over Thanksgiving dinner, and I’m going to leave it at that for now. So that’s one more experiment I need to set aside for future reference.

Anyway, I still need to get on with the shopping for the little I’ve been assigned to bring tomorrow, so I’m going to have to sign off for now. Keep an eye on us, honey, and wish us luck; we’re going to need it.