For the attempt at making the traditional Green Bean Casserole a little special and organic, we picked up some really nice mushrooms. And a few cremini too. I'd like to think my grandmother, an excellent cook would have considered this version "gourmet".
I haven't deep fried anything for a long time. I was dubious, but the process came out much like a delicate tempura. I used really small onions, for strong taste, some fresh organic canola oil (stands for "Canadian oil, low acid" and is related to the cabbage family) and I enjoyed frying these puppies very much.
Safety first. Yes, I did bring out the fire extinguinsher just in case.
Mushrooms and butter...how can you go wrong?
The dreaded Green Bean Casserole, finished.
Little Guido and Stagg. Notice how almost no one ate the corn. Yep, I was a goodsport and served corn...Stagg said we had to have corn. I also agreed to buy Pilsbury almost instant bisquits. I had no idea how to follow the directions on the package but Marty ran over and deciphered the procedure for me. Bisquits are one of the easiest things to make, but I was crunched for time as it was...and Stagg said everyone will love the Pilsbury. He was absolutely correct, they were very popular. Really...I had already put all the food on the table and forgot about the bisquits...Joe said we have everything except bisquits where I shouted...oh wait we do I forgot them in the fridge!
Yep, three pies and a ginormous bowl of organic whipping cream. Pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie and nut's about fudge pie.
Danny and Little Guido. Um, here is an article with Danny's clothes. And here is an interview with Danny.
Okay, a 25 pound turkey. took about 5 hours to cook. We hauled it home in a cart. It was way too huge but we love leftovers. I am not sure how we managed to keep lifting it in and out of the oven. We had to though because the first pan we used leaked wine and butter all over the floor of the oven...and I had to wash out the oven...while Stagg ran to the store and bought another pan.
Dishes in the sink. A low priority. In fact zero.
Stagg, Marty and Joe. Marty has several videos of interviews with some Chicago artists on his YouTube page.
Joe knits during dessert...cool socks!
I gots to post this pic, so as you all understand what part of the conversation is about...the phenomenon of American Girl Doll.
We have these pictures bside our dining room table. The pencil drawing is from a real life model on one of "life drawing" classes of Stagg's, 20 years ago, the models in front of tipi's are pics I love because a tipi is my dream home. The doll pic is an advert and a Native American version of the American Doll series. Stagg bought a doll and put Guadelupe, gang and tear drop tats on her and gave it to Marty and Little Guido, who live in Pilsen, the mostly hispanic neighbourhood were the controversial doll "escaped from". An American Girl doll named Marisol Luna has caused a bit of a flap because her back story has her yearning to escape a Chicago neighborhood she deems dangerous for the suburbs. Some children who actually live in that largely Mexican neighborhood, Pilsen, found Marisol's tale demeaning. A group from a Pilsen high school marched earlier this week in front of American Girl's North Side store to demand an apology from American Girl owner Mattel. They also want scholarships and money from the company. Mattel so far has said no dice, perhaps hardened to such protests by past complaints like those over Barbie's tiny waist and full bust, which some literalists said represented an unfair model of womanhood for little girls. A doll would seem to be the epitome of childhood innocence, a tool for fantasy. But the real world butts in everywhere, it seems. Marisol Luna, with the book telling her story, continues to sell for $84 on americangirl.com.From Ad Freak blog
13 comments:
Looks like you all had a wonderful dinner, looked super yummy!! Thanks for stopping by my blog, hope you enjoyed it.
Nice looking dinner!
When I was growing up here in Ontario, it seems to me that Canola, which is a rapeseed, was new to the market. Previously there was a lot of industrial rapeseed grown here. Canola is the market name of a strain of rapeseed that has an erucic acid content of 2% or less, while the industrial stuff is much higher in erucic acid. I think the rapeseed strain we call canola is basically less bitter and more palatable than the industrial stuff. All the rapeseeds appear a stunning bright yellow in the fields that is really beautiful.
The mushrooms are beautiful - we can't find any even close to the perfection those appear to be. The casserole looked really delicious. Glad you were surrounded by friends - you have pretty dishes. My granddaughter has several American Girl dolls - and Barbies - I've had mixed feelings. The AG dolls are beautifully made and do teach a bit of history - correct or not, I don't know - I guess just personal stories.
I'll go back and look at the videos after I make a cup of coffee.
Would like to see a picture of TAT doll.
Glad to know it went well. When I think of Green Bean Cassarole I think about the green beans, cream of mush soup, and these canned french fried onions that come in a can. Hard to explain. You more than would likely see them in a grocery store. I dont know if you just buy everything organic or not so I dont want to say regular grocery store. LOL...
Mocha Mom, we did have a fun dinner..and I'll always stop by your blog, cheers.
Mister Anchovy, yes, I love rapeseed growing and I love it that it's related to the cabbage family. It is one of the richest and healthiest oils with Omega 3...that is, right after flax seed oil! It's a plant that is very useful and nutritious so I dig it.
Gardenia, oh I love mushrooms, those are like little people. Danny said he thought they looked like sculpture. I am not against the American Girl dolls, I love dolls. I grew up playing with Barbie and believe she was a great role model...my god the girl had all kinds of careers and flew a plane! I was interested in the controversy surrounding a urban doll trying to move to the suburbs...and thought it was a very poor narrative to be teaching children. I think Mattel made a ridiculous choice in teaching that a neighbourhood was dangerous ethnically too. They failed environmentally and with prejudice...but it also gives parents those issues to discuss with their kids. I don't think w have a pic of the tatooed doll that Stagg painted. I've seen her though over at Little Guido's place and she is really cool looking.
Tweety, yes, I am aware of those convenient items for the Green Bean Casserole...I was kind of having fun with the idea of making a 70's canned food dish revamped and with fresh ingredients. Joe and Danny said they would have got the canned onions and I said well then I wouldn't have had so much fun blogging about this casserole...because it was a lot of fun trying to make it from scratch.
also...I found out...I like deep frying and the batter was surprisingly nice to eat and delicate! Next year...I think I will make the mushroom soup from scratch with heavy cream. The organic canned soup we picked up was really only "so-so".
Gardenia...I thought of something else about that doll...it was marketed as an ethnic doll and the girl telling the story wanted to move away from her "dangerous neighbourhood" and I was thinking...first...how many families can afford a 90 dollar doll!!!??? And it was weird to teach a child not to take pride in their neighbourhood. It would have been kind of cool if they had written the story about how the neighbourhood is actually the coolest area in chicago...it's THE place to live in my opinion it is so wonderful...and there are a lot fo families who take pride in their history and food and community...just something else that seemed riude about the Hispanic Pilsen area doll...
Wow, Candy, looks like a great time! Ours was ... fine. Nothing fancy. Although my mom's dessert plates were nice, they were nothing like yours. I want some!!!
Must be the storyteller sisterhood we've created, huh? That we both love those plates?
Susan Helene, you know what those plates are? They were bought by my boyfriend and are plastic Disney figureson them...isn't that funny? We hardly have any dishes so we used them to bea "matching" set...thanks!
Well, you've put us to shame... Granted, it was just Sue and I at Thanksgiving (Canadian Style) this year... so food wasn't a primary concern... and time alone was most welcome! ;)
Quite the event AND the undertaking you did!
Those mushrooms were beautiful!!! Mmmmm, I love me some 'shrooms :-) Love that your friend was knitting! Glad you all had a good time.
I guess it would have been a bit dangerous deep frying that 25 lb. bird. The dinner looks great, especially the huge bowl of whipped cream. (you notice I just bypassed the salads and veggies and focused on the whipped cream)
Yum! Everything looks delicious! Nuts about fudge pie? That sounds really decadent. I love the idea of making the green bean casserole with fresh ingredients. I've made it with fresh beans and mushrooms and a cream sauce instead of the mushroom soup before, but never gone to the extent of deep frying onions! Very cool.
By the way, you said you liked being tagged. Here you go: tag, you're it!
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