FREEDOM AT LAST

I love my friend Brandon. He's one of my best friends and we share a lot in common. However, there is one thing we don't share in common and that's politics. At least once a week we get into a discussion/debate about our views on America, and rarely are they the same. This week's debate came when I wished him a Happy Thanksgiving. This launched into your typical "america raped and pillaged the natives & made a race of people their slaves... I dont feel right celebrating this holiday" vs. "my family escaped religious persecution and went from having everything taken from them in Eygpt to having a properous life in America... and while the start of this country was less than ideal, the result has been good for many people."

My dad's cousin Enzo was telling us about going to school in Egypt. Each day at school one year consisted of the Nun/Teacher making her and 4 other girls stand in the front of class as the nun said to the other students "these girls killed Jesus." Eventually, Enzo told her mom about this and her mom informed her that it was the Romans. Enzo returned to school the next day, told the nun what her mom told her and if she disagreed she should phone her mother. The teacher no longer called the Jewish girls to the front of the class. Anyway, stories like this one are fairly common in my family and so I guess my feelings towards the holiday are a bit different than El Brando's.

Here is a WEE fraction of my family:


Here's some of the dinner spread... an Egyptian Thanksgiving. Check out the grape leaves, the turkey, the beets, beef stew, okra, pita, and turkey:


Anyway... I've been so inspired to cook lately, so the past two nights I've made dinner for Gurj.

Saturday night I made yellowfin tuna burger on a roll with pickled ginger and wasabi dressing, mashed potatos topped with teriyake sauce and a salad with balsamic vinigarette:


Tonight I made seared tuna steak over carmelized onion infused mashed potatos topped with string beans sauteed in butter. To go along with this dish, I made a wasabi sauce and drizzled the plate with teriyake sauce:

The tuna steak was a little well done... but that's how i like it.
I also made guacomole for Jordan and Feng-Feng. I'm too stuffed to even look at it, but it's great.

My next project is pumpkin ravioli in a butter sage sauce.