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The beautiful fall leaves, El Escorial
(psst - stay tuned for next week's post!) |
Thanksgiving. It is one of those rare holidays I can vividly recount from my childhood and feel pure, unadulterated happiness. I remember the historically inaccurate renditions of the “First Thanksgiving” we would perform in school, with the black pilgrim hats and Native American Headdresses made from colorful craft paper. I can still feel the changing season in all of its glory, with flaming red and orange leaves falling from the sky as the brisk Wisconsin air wove its way through my jacket. I would starve amongst a chaos of stressed-out aunts and succulent smells until 3:00 when the feast finally commenced, and then gorge myself on sweet potato casserole and stuffing until my vision blurred. When I was old enough to be allowed a spot on the couch, I remember watching the Turkey Day Football game with my family, who never failed to present a cornucopia of emotions throughout the event. What I remember most of all was that it was a rare time in which my family, my friends, and my teachers were all happy, full of energy and life.
Having no cousins or siblings in my age group, Thanksgiving Day itself was not the most exciting time in the world for me. Until I became interested in actually watching football games, I would be bored out of my mind, kicking myself for failing to bring along a book. Despite my boredom, the day made my heart race - and it still does. I would be swept up in the happiness and joy that surrounded me everywhere I went, savoring every possible morsel of it. Maybe the giving spirit really is contagious; perhaps people are happy the year is coming to a close; maybe my teachers and friends simply anticipate the fast-approaching winter break. Whatever the cause, I will not argue. I love Thanksgiving, and so does everyone else it seems.
This year, I not only had to miss out on the chaos of a crowded kitchen full of family, friends, and amazing smells, but I also had to spend the day at work for 10 hours, bored out of my mind. But I refused to pass on a holiday that encompasses gorging yourself to your heart’s content on the best comfort foods America has to offer. And while I was not able to celebrate the day in its full glory, the distance and deprivation allowed me to reflect on an aspect of the day I have, in the past, neglected a little too much.
My family was never the kind to go around in a circle and discuss what we were thankful for. I think that is OK - always seemed a little staged to me to recite some generic elements of your life that you appreciate before you stuff your face, get drunk, and rush out to get a good place in line for Black Friday - thankfully also not part of my family’s tradition. However, I do think it is important to take time every day to count your blessings and remember what you have to be thankful for.
This may be obvious, but what I am most thankful for this year is my loving husband. I am truly blessed to have him in my life and so thankful he was able to come along on this journey with me. I cannot think of another person who would tolerate my intense personality and advantageous dreams, let alone embrace it and love it, as he does. He should anyways, because no one has ever pushed me to my limits - forced me to be the best version of myself - like he has. If he was not intimidating me with his natural intelligence, he was astounding me with his complicated, zen-like views on humanity and dignity. Not only is he an amazing husband, friend, confidant, and travel companion, but he was also my chef for the day! While I was at work for a painful ten hours, he was at home working hard for six hours - with help from sous-chef and hilarious landlord, Jesus - to make our Spanish Thanksgiving feast perfect.
I am also thankful for the fact that Jonny has one incredible family, both immediate and extended. I've known from the moment I met each one of them, that they were loving, good people, and that I would be blessed to someday refer to them as a part of my family. Eleven months ago, I received that honor when I married Jonny, but they have been my family for much longer. I have cherished every moment with them all.
But my blessings do not stop there. I am also thankful for my best friend, Chelsea. Chelsea has the biggest heart of anyone I know. She is selfless to the point of frustration - she gives so much to so many people without what seems like a sufficient enough reflection of what she might want herself in that moment. When I think about how kind and patient she is, I am embarrassed to think of times I have been selfish when I could have been more like her. She is not only selfless but also insanely intelligent - on the verge of completing her PhD! Try as I might to understand fully what she is studying, it is all over my head. While I can’t fully understand it, I know she is going to do some great things and have some amazing experiences in her future, if not because of the rigorous, hard work she champs daily, then for the bountiful Karma coming her way for being such a wonderful kind-hearted friend to everyone around her. I am honored and thankful to have her as a friend.
Speaking of friends, I have come to surround myself with some pretty amazing people. For a multitude of reasons, leaving home and coming to Spain was a difficult transition. I can honestly say that the outpouring of love and kind words of those I sought out, or who sought me out, helped more than anything else. Friendships that have faded through the passage of time and distance emerged renewed. I was amazed at how quickly I could go from feeling isolated and alone to surrounded by love and more friends than I knew I had. I refuse to list people here out of fear I may inadvertently forget someone. But you all know who you are, I hope, and I am so thankful to have you all in my life.
I am also thankful for my spunky grandma, Joan. No one embraced my adoption into the Meyer family quite as enthusiastically as she did. In her own, unique ways, she worked long and hard to make me feel like a genuine part of the Meyer clan, and to this day, she strives to maintain a consistent relationship with me. Her phone calls and letters are never merely to check in - she takes a legitimate interest in what I am doing, where I am going, and where I hope to be. She has not only embraced me, but she has also been incredibly accepting of Jonny and supporting of our relationship at times when others were not.
Finally, as always, I am thankful for the wonderful father I have. Sometimes I think he believes he is done raising me, that his sleepless nights and long lectures have come to an end and now I am a grown, self-sufficient, independent daughter who possesses all the knowledge and wisdom he has to offer. I’m not sure he is aware of the impact his words still have on me - they are more effective than Jonny’s could ever hope to be, and in the midst of his ramblings, he always knows just what to say to keep me going another day. From wanting to give up halfway through bar exam studying to wanting to quit a job I have been increasingly disappointed in, he is a constant, surprising motivator. And if he can’t put it into words, he always shows it through his actions - hard work, determination, and simply never giving up himself. This month, right after I left for Spain, he had a quadruple bypass. Surgery is something I have become accustomed to when it comes to my dad, though I still feel myself hyperventilating until I know he is safe and healing. This, however, was far from a routine procedure for him, and I was riddled with anxiety, so far away. I did not sleep, could not sleep, for three days straight, as my heart was exploding out of my chest throughout the ordeal. He came through wonderfully, however, and I am so relieved and thankful to continue having him in my life. I am also incredibly thankful he has overcome his bought of phobia regarding technology so that we don’t have to wait 8 months before talking!
Now onto the food! Planning a Thanksgiving feast outside of the United States is not the easiest endeavor. However, it is not impossible either. Our goal was to make: Roasted Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, Michele’s cheesy hashbrown casserole, green bean casserole, and of course, pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top. By the time we sat down to eat, we also incorporated Jonny’s signature roasted brussel sprouts. We invited our landlords join us, and they marveled at the quantity and variety of indulgences laid out before them. To my surprise, this year turned out to be one of the best feasts I have had, even if it had to run a little short. Here is a small peak at how we obtained the ingredients and cooked our feast.
To collect all of the necessary supplies, Jonny had to visit five different stores - Mercadona, SuperCOR, Sanchez Romero, Carrefour and Taste of America.
The Turkey: I had done some research prior to leaving the United States, because I would not settle for an animal other than turkey, and based off of the information I found, I would have been remiss to assume I could just go to any old grocery store a few days prior to Thanksgiving to find turkey. It was not going to be impossible, however, as the forums of previous expats suggested I could place an order with a butcher for a Turkey a couple of weeks in advance, and they would be happy to assist. That was originally our plan - until we went to a grocery store and found the perfect compromise. There, in the meat section were turkey legs and breasts. Jonny and I would be cooking for only four - ourselves and our hilarious landlords - and so we did not need a gigantic Butterball turkey to get through the meal. Had we procrastinated, the forums were not entirely accurate. When Jonny returned to the store this week, they had full Turkeys, but they were rather costly - approximately €50 for a medium-sized bird! We stuck with our original plan of Turkey Legs, and it turned out to be absolutely delicious, flavorful and juicy.
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| Our carved turkey leg and thigh |
To make our delicious Thanksgiving turkey, we needed:
- 1-2½lb Turkey Leg and Thigh
- 1 rib of celery
- 2 tbsp. butter (unsalted, softened)
- 1 tsp. thyme
- 1 tsp. rosemary
- 1 tsp. oregano
- ½ tbsp. salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
To start, Jonny mixed the butter with the salt, pepper and herbs, using a fork (creating a herb butter). From there, he rubbed the it over the outside of the skin and jammed the remaining butter under the skin. He then pressed a long filet knife down the length of the leg, creating a long pocket, and he stuffed this pocket with a rib of celery for added flavor and moisture. We did not have an actual roasting pan, so Jonny used extra celery ribs to prop the Turkey up on a baking sheet. Then, he added water to the baking sheet so the drippings would not burn, and he set this lovely concoction in the oven at max temperature (250℃/482℉) for 15 minutes. Finally, he lowered the temperature to 180℃/356℉ for one and a half hours, leaving it completely alone - no basting, no opening the oven, none of that silly nonsense (it dries out the turkey, you fools). Voila! our juicy turkey was all ready to go!
Stuffing: Because we were not using a whole turkey, we had to cook our stuffing a little differently. While Taste of America offered bags of stuffing mix, we opted to make our own - one because it was cheaper and two because we figured it would taste better! Unfortunately, not being able to “stuff” it in the turkey caused this side-kick to lose some of its flair, but Jonny made it work.
Our stuffing ingredients consisted of:
- ¼ of a long, fresh-baked loaf of Spanish bread (the French and Italians have nothing on Spain when it comes to bread!), cubed and left to sit until somewhat stale, approximately four hours.
- 2 ribs of celery, diced
- ½ onion, diced
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1 tsp. thyme
- 1 tsp. parsley
- 1 tsp. sage
- 2 tbsp. butter
Jonny baked the bread cubes in the oven by themselves at 200℃/392℉ for approximately 15 minutes, until golden brown. Meanwhile, he sautéed the diced onions and celery with butter over medium heat until the onions were golden brown - approximately 7 minutes. From there, he mixed everything together in a bowl, allowing the bread cubes to absorb the liquids. He poured it into a pie pan and baked it for 25 minutes at 200℃ or 392℉, allowing the mixture to set. Stuffing, check!
Sweet Potato Casserole: Our sweet potato casserole presented a bit of an obstacle for us, most likely because we procrastinated with some of the ingredients - marshmallows and pecans in particular. But again, Jonny refused to let us down. He found a decent alternative to marshmallows, and he discovered the pecans were right under his nose the entire time at Carrefour Express!
Aside from picking out a ¼ cup of the white “Chamallows” out of Haribo’s hybrid between flavored marshmallows and peeps, we used:
- 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, cubed
- 1 tbsp. vanilla sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp. + 1 tsp. honey
- ½ tsp. salt
- 3 + 1 tbsp. butter
- ¼ cup of milk
- 1 egg, whisked
- ¼ pecans, chopped
Jonny boiled the sweet potatoes until they were soft, drained them, and poured them into a bowl with the vanilla sugar, 1 ½ tbsp. honey, salt, 3 tbsp. butter, milk, and egg. This was all mashed together until soft and silky smooth and then transferred into a loaf pan. In a sauté pan over low heat, Jonny melted the remaining honey and butter and then added the pecans, cooking them for about 5 minutes. He spread the pecan mixture over half of the potato mixture, and covered the remaining half with Chamallows. The casserole was baked at 175℃/347℉ for 30 minutes. It was not quite the same without the liquefied brown sugar streaming through it or the browned bubbly marshmallows oozing with volcanic goodness, but it was delicious nonetheless.
Green Bean Casserole: this is my all-time favorite Thanksgiving dish, and it came out just how I like it - creamy, fresh, and oniony-tasting all at the same time! We used:
- 2 cups frozen green beans, thawed
- ½ onion julienned
- ½ cup oyster mushrooms
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp. thyme
- 1 tsp. parsley
- 1 tsp. oregano
- ½ cup fried onions for topping
Jonny heated the oil and butter together in a sauté pan over medium heat until the butter was melted. Then, he sautéed the onions and mushrooms together until the onions were golden brown. He poured in the cream and reduced the heat to medium-low for about 5 minutes to reduce. Then he stirred in the green beans cooked it for another 3 minutes. From there, he transferred it to a loaf pan (its all we had, OK!?), topped it with the fried onions, and baked it at 175℃/347 ℉ for approximately 25 minutes, until bubbly.
Cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie: Our saving grace for these signature Thanksgiving dishes was the Taste of America store in Madrid. The items there, including the ones we somewhat reluctantly bought, were very limited, random, and very expensive relative to what they would be in the U.S. This, of course made sense, and we were fully expecting it. However, nearly €4.00 for a can of cranberry sauce was still enough to make us reconsider how much we wanted it. But I decided, if we are going to do Thanksgiving right, we need pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce. So splurge we did! The pumpkin pie was made, and consequently turned out, as it always is. The cranberry sauce, however, was a creative rendition Jonny came up with and it was to die for.
To make a delicious, non-can-shaped-gelatinous-substance cranberry sauce (gross), we used:
can of whole berry cranberry sauce
- 2 tbsp. anise
- 1 tsp. orange zest
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1 medium-sized orange, juiced
This dish was simple - Jonny combined all of the ingredients in a saucepan and reduced until it reached the desired consistency. I highly recommend this- I was sad when it was all gone.
Sorry folks, I will not share the hashbrown casserole or brussel sprouts recipe with the world - these are closely held family secrets. You will just have to invite us over - or better yet, come visit! - to share in these delectable treats. That is all I have for now. I hope you all had an equally joyous “día de acción de gracias” and I will see you all next week!
I knew the ending was not a happy one for the bull who would likely die a swift death after a dance with decorated matador, but that was the extent of my preparation for the afternoon’s spectacle. Indeed, I was not prepared enough. To my dismay, the bullfight turned out to be what I can only describe as a thirty minute torture session in which the odds were heavily and unfairly stacked against the bull. Contrary to what I thought would be a couple minutes of taunting with a cape by one man followed by a swift beheading, the event instead involved a progression of multiple individuals and a variety of weapons. I do not remember the exact order of events, but I recall there were barbed flags expertly launched into the animal’s spine, men on horseback spearing the bull as he charged them, and a menagerie of men on foot who would dance with their capes until the bull came too close for comfort. Indeed, it must be a little terrifying and exhilarating for the bullfighter who is all too aware of the consequences of a misstep. One wrong move, and he would be gored in the thigh, dying almost instantly. But even then, the fight was not fair. The matador in such a precarious position would scurry away, hiding behind a wall as three other matadors came out to cause a distraction. With every stab, every charge, the crowd would cheer for the matador, the bull a mere instrument of their pleasure.
Recent history has seen not only the emergence of women challenging the gender implications of a bullfight through their new role as matadors themselves, but also a growing sentiment of individuals who feel it is time to move away from this barbaric spectacle. Indeed we once, not too long ago, believed it was fine to pit prisoners against each other in a similar setting in order to cheer as they fought to the death. That time has passed, and now for many, their feelings with regard to the bullfights is much the same. The growing disapproval for this archaic sport’s endurance through modern times continues to gain momentum and present long term effects. In 1991, the Canary Islands became the first Spanish region to ban bullfighting. Catalonia followed suit in 2012, becoming the first region on the Spanish mainland to ban the sport. The rest of the country holds fast to this cultural "art form," with the Spanish parliament bestowing upon the practice "cultural-heritage" status, making it difficult for bans to reach beyond Catalonia. However, the battle may be lost even without an instituted ban. Attendance has fallen dramatically in recent years. Many Spaniards frown on the use of public funds for bullfighting, and 75% of Spaniards have not attended a fight in the last five years.
Some are naturally opposed to the elimination of what has become an integral, stereotypical component of Spanish culture. Some believe the bull, raging with adrenaline, does not even feel pain throughout the ordeal. Moreover, some hold fast to the ideal that bullfighting is an important part of Spanish tradition and to eliminate it would call into question the civil rights of Spanish citizens. However, my biases already apparent in my writing, I find it hypocritical or at least a difficult argument to make when one can approve of torturous slaughter of animals on the one hand yet be vehemently opposed to zoos on the other. Indeed the majority of Spaniards I have encountered share in this duality of contradictory beliefs, and they do so passionately. Keep the thirty minute torture sessions, end zoological conservation efforts that put animals in “prisons.”
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