Thursday, November 28, 2002


what he really wanted to eat

usually for thanksgiving, mr. right's relatives all gather in philadelphia and we just amtrak down. however, this year it wasn't happening -- people were going all over the place. so we were faced with dinner at home. "no problem," i said. "i can cook a turkey." mr. right's face fell. "turkey. . .," he sighed as if it were a life sentence.

"how about, um, goose?" he remained downcast. "ok, what do you want? what do you really want?" mr. right, being a guy, 'fessed up right away: "porterhouse." his face brightened as he said the magic word. porterhouse. let's face it -- probably 90% of the guys in america would rather eat porterhouse than turkey. so give him the honesty prize.

ok. no problem. we can create the peter luger experience here at home and so, dear readers, can you. just close your eyes and drop $50 on the steak. then to cook it -- check out james beard's theory and practice of good cooking. james is perfect for this. i have an old and much-battered copy i lug around life mostly for old times sake, because nobody eats like that anymore. but today it saved my life. . .

for the sides -- the creamed spinach, the scalloped potatoes. . how to, how to? again, nobody really eats this diamond jim brady fare in real life, so i had to turn to another venerable antique, louis diat's 1946 french cooking for americans (la cuisine de la mere). good old louis. anything with the name "farmer's wife style" (fermiere) in the title is perfection. so naturally i made the farm wife style potatoes and spinach with cream. i took some not modern liberties -- adding a clove of garlic, several branches of fresh thyme, a pinch of cayenne. you know.

all good. thanks louis! for dessert -- with a retro menu like this, it had to be the chocolate banana cream pie. completely unfashionable menu. almost embarrassing. mr. right loved it, and on thanksgiving, that's all that counts, right?

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