Tales from the Steppes

2003-11-18

10:20 p.m.
shark on a plate

There are sometimes when you wonder whether your offspring really have any of your genetic material in them, no matter what they look like. For example, when EM (elder mongol) said that she wants to be a cheerleader when she gets to junior highschool. Definitely not my child! I much prefer competing with men to cheering for them. I even more prefer beating them at their own games. Don't know where she gets it. But then again she comes up with ideas like dissecting a shark for her birthday party. I was ok with this, but her father pointed out that not all of her friends might enjoy this. Lately, she and MM (middle mongol) have been fixated on the whole dissecting a shark thing. They argue over who gets to keep which parts. MM wants to start a collection of eyeballs. So I have promised to get a shark and dissecting pan and the appropriate tools. Makes me think about those commercials advertising "Family Game Night." We will just do our own version "Carcass Night" or maybe "Cadaver Night." Maybe they are really my children after all.....

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So Thanksgiving is coming up soon. Normally I don't look forward to this, as I think it is kind of a loser of a holiday. Not in theory, but in practice. Being thankful is a great thing. Spending all day cooking, eating too much, and the too early start of the Christmas season are not my idea of a good time. I would like to be able to visit friends, but we can't go more than a few hours. The night before Thanksgiving marks the beginning of Nutcracker Madness in our house. That Wednesday evening is dress rehearsal, Friday is the start of the performances. Two on Friday through Sunday, then five more the next weekend. Needless to say, I get nothing done on those weekends. This year, EM is a mouse so even if people come to see her, they won't be able to tell which one she is except that she is the lead mouse. So no trips for us.

But this year I'm doing something different as far as the food is concerned. I was really dreading the extravaganza because I mean, turkey is ok, but I never find myself really jonesin' for turkey or any of the rest of it. So why am I cooking that food? Someone elses expectation? Not any more! This year, I am making _my_ favorite foods. And some of eveyone else's too. If my kids want chicken nuggets, why should I care? So I am making bstilla (a fabulous sweet and savoury pastry from Morroco, translates as "food of the gods") doner kabob (shaved lamb over pita with tomato sauce and yogurt sauce, from Turkey), kadu (pumpkin with a tomato meat sauce and yogurt sauce, from Afghanistan), Kashmiri biryani (from India) and a greek salad with plenty of olives and feta. Oh and chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, and mashed potatos. Because I'd go to jail if the mongols didn't eat. It'll be a rockin good time as long as nobody tries to play any Christmas music.