Well, the tradition continues insofar as this makes two years in a row Akemi and I have roasted up a turducken and made a piecaken to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving.
I ordered the turducken last week, electing to go with a different butcher and different franken-bird: turkey-chicken-duck but with bacon-wrapped sausage-stuffing. And, to hedge our bets, a side of regular bread-based stuffing as well.
On Friday, we got to work on the pie portion of our piecaken, baking up a Chuck Hughes version of the southern favorite –
Then, on Saturday, Akemi baked the pie inside a giant brownie cake.
I woke up at 5:45 a.m. this morning to start the turducken – four hours covered; one hour uncovered…
Cha-daaa! I was worried we might not have enough but, as usual, I was wrong. The 10 lb bird went a long way for eight. Our guests had seconds and thirds and even took home leftovers.
It was very good although I’d have to agree with Akemi that last year’s turducken was better.
Everyone liked the stuffing as well – although, like the turducken, I preferred last year’s version.
Served with cranberry sauce, Rob’s signature salad, Ivon’s signature brussel sprouts, gravy, and a little taste of the south –
These compliments of two (transplanted) southerners who happened to be in town –
Jeff and Barb came bearing desserts – a pumpkin pie and –
This awesome bourbon-laced pecan pie with paper shell pecans. Delicious!
They also came bearing gifts: a mug and apron for me, and this pug-themed book that had Akemi positively giddy with joy.
Joining the dessert line-up…
This year’s version of the piecaken was richer and denser (owing to the fact that we actually followed a recipe this year instead of winging it) and lacked the clear, paleontological-like layering (cake, pie shell, gooey substrate, pecans, shale, etc) of 2013’s piecaken. Still, damn tasty though.
A good time was had by all. Jeff and Barb’s Baltimore Ravens crushed the Bucs, while a last second interception return for a touchdown by the Cardinals D put my Snow Monkeys within striking distance of an unlikely win. All I need is for 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree to put up a perfectly average 9 points (a TD + 30 receiving yards should do it).
Aww, poor Lulu! What a tease. Looks like a great meal, although my stomach has been upset all day so I’m trying *not* to imagine how it tasted. 🙂
Hey, Jeff & Barb!! Great to see you guys! Happy Thanksgiving!
So Jeff and Barb, you figured out a way to get two Thanksgivings this year. Nice job! And everything looks delicious.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Hey gforce, Happy Thanksgiving to you too! As the old sayin’ goes, we’re more stuffed than Trigger!
And yep! @Sparrow_hawk; two Thanksgivings…now we just need to survive it! 😉
As always, Joe and Akemi were gracious and generous hosts. The Turducken was delicious and very flavorful, and while I couldn’t try the Piecaken (due to my chocolate allergy), Barb found it rich and delicious.
Now to recover in a food coma tonight and try to walk it off with some sightseeing tomorrow.
Happy Thanksgiving Joe, Akemi, Rob, Ivon, Jeff Barb, Jelly, Bubba, Lulu and anybody else there. 😀
Are you saying poor Lulu didn’t even get one bite of anything? What’s a dog gotta do? Happy Canadian Thanksgiving Joe and company. (Hope you got some good ideas JeffW.)
Wow, that is quite the meat festival in that turkey. That said, it all looks delicious! Except for boiled peanuts. Clearly, I am not southern.
Oops, and then I forgot the important part. Happy Thanksgiving, Joe!
I guess I was too far, too? *sits in the corner with Lulu and pouts* 🙁
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Happy Thanksgiving! I must ask the butcher at the farm shop over the road whether he can put together a turducken for me. He also sells pheasants during hunting season so maybe he could do a turduckpheasen? Or maybe it’ll be a turduckchickant?
I’m also liking the look of the piecaken! I wonder if I could make a cheesecake version . . . ?
Thank looks … darn filling, yum. I made yellow split pea-carrot soup with bacon last night. Not bad, but certainly no feast!
Wowizer!!! I’m so glad Jeff & Barb had a safe trip and apparently, a blast at your house! All the food looks fantastic too. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
Was Lulu successful on her food raid?
I don’t know about fantasy football but my son’s school (Mississippi State University) is rated #1 so far. My Sensei is a big Ole Miss fan and I can’t wait to rib him on his team being #2. It’s a good football year for Mississippi fans.
Thanks, JeffW! I didn’t really have a Thanksgiving dinner, but I did go on a cool hike near the Bay of Fundy and saw some great Fall foliage. It was such a beautiful day. It’s getting close to the end of that though, so the next stage is a kazillion months of naked trees and cold weather. I took some cool pictures this weekend of the foliage from around here – I should post them!
Some pics, as promised:
Here’s a couple from along a river that is not too far from my house. Took these yesterday:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/gforce2002/_DSC1232_zpse7916f02.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/gforce2002/_DSC1212_zps6f6a7bfc.jpg
Here’s a couple from Fundy National Park last weekend:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/gforce2002/_DSC1160copy_zpsa49ea56c.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/gforce2002/_DSC1196_zps1e3e0af6.jpg
I don’t remember posting these ones before – they’re two from my trip to Vancouver back in June.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/gforce2002/EnglishBayInukshuk_zpsb775f081.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/gforce2002/VancouverSkyline1_zps7e329b4d.jpg
(Maybe I did post those Vancouver ones already… I can’t remember!)
@gforce: Fantastic photos!!!
Lovely pics @gforce! Happy T-Day, Joe. I’ll be dining at Bouchon in Vegas for this year’s US celebration. Looking forward to it so much, and we’ll be cooking a second dinner on Friday so we have leftovers. 🙂
That Walking Dead Season 5 premiere was pretty dark, infact it was very dark. I thought it was a great episode, without spoiling you could see why Rick did what he did, it was kill or be killed.
Oh and speaking of Canada, I’m quite happy that TAR Season 3 will be back next Summer. Last season was really good and the France leg which had the teams visiting the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery which had the graves of Canadian soldiers lost during WW2 was really well done and respectful.
@gforce: gorgeous pictures!
Happy Thanksgiving! Looks like you had a blast. And @gforce–STUNNING pictures.
Lulu is going to surprise you one day and jump up there. I love her restraint.
Patrick was off from school today for Columbus Day which is marked now only by sales in stores. I was coming off a booked pet sitting weekend. I had to be at my first client’s house at 5:00 a.m. (which meant a 4:20 a.m. wakeup time) and on Friday night, I didn’t get home until 11:35 p.m. and asleep by 12:45 a.m., only to have to get up at 4:20 a.m. again and repeat. We also had my client’s dog Lucky here with us at the house. Today my one client cancelled her afternoon visit which was fine with me. I tore my right knee meniscus and had a ruptured cyst in my knee (the cyst not that big of an issue, but the fluid on my knee painful). After this weekend’s schedule, my knee was hurting and it was nice to just stay at the house (and get caught up on your blog!) I got my medical clearance for surgery on Friday, so now I have to wait for the orthopedist’s office to call me and get me on the schedule. There are only 2 weekends I have free for the rest of the year: Nov 7 and Dec 5. It will have to be done on one of those days so I have the weekend and that Monday to recover. I would prefer Nov 7 because there is this cool autism-friendly Broadway show coming to Houston on Dec 6 and we have tickets to go, but if worse came to worse, Jeff could take Patrick. I missed the last one (The Lion King) because of my high school reunion, so it would be really nice to attend and support the show so that the The Hobby Center would bring more of these in for our community.
Look at that face! Lulu is so cute, I hope she got a little turducken for the holiday.