Thanksgiving

Greetings brethrin!

I have chosen to write about Thanksgiving as my December Days post despite the fact that it actually falls in November cause I'm a cheeky monkey and I think it's important to fly in the face of convention. Traditionally, as I'm sure you're all aware it is a time when people gather together in order to celebrate the harvest and give thanks for the preceeding year. I'd seen this in movies, read about it in books and heard about it from American friends but never once experienced it for myself...UNTIL NOW. Naturally enough, I got so caught up in the excitement of the day that I forgot to take any photos, save for one accidental one of the ceiling lights in the bar. (See photo below)
So let me paint a picture for you using my humble words in an attempt to recreate the day that was. All aboard the turkey train? Buckle up. Gobble gobble.
Twas the last Thursday of the month of November in The New World. Donning my glad rags and a mystery dessert (all shall be revealed in due course) I braved the cold air and made my way to my pal Holly's house where oozy cheese awaited my palate. Note: One must always incorporate cheese into one's daily routine. Duh. I wont bore you with all the details (how could cheese be boring?!) so let me tell you about one of the cheeses we had. It's called Harbison and it's from Jasper Hill Farm. He's a soft cow's milk cheese wrapped in spruce bark which imparts a sweet woodsy flavour. It is spoonable and rustic and bloody fantastic. After our fromage feast we then set out on our wayward journey through an unusually tranquil and hushed New York and reached our destination at ABC Beer Company which houses a long old oak table- a necessary piece of furniture for any mountainous meal. A turkey was cooked to perfection, the carbohydrate count was high, the desserts were plentiful and the merrimemt was flowing far and wide. Plates that were piled high with turkey, cornbread, stuffing, mac'n'cheese, brussel sprouts and cranberry sauce were soon cleared, replenished and cleared again leaving just enough room for the sweet stuff. It was a pot luck dinner so I decided to bake and bring a cheese cake to the table. And here is how it was done:

Passion fruit and Lavander Cheesecake.

Ingredients:

For the pastry:
225g plain flour
110g butter
80g caster sugar
1 egg

Filling:
450g cream cheese
150g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 eggs

Topping:4 sprigs of lavander (2 for decoration)
4 passion fruits.

Method:
Butter the sides and base of a spring form cake tin. Mmmm greasy. Sift the flour and sugar together. Cube the butter and mix it in to create a breadcrumb-like mix. Whisk the egg and vanilla essence together. Now combine these to make your dough. Pastry not money. Leave to rest in the fridge for an hour. While this is happening, paint your nails/put on a facemask/have a glass of wine- LET LOOSE, TREAT YOURSELF.
When adequately pampered, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).
Roll out the pastry and line the pastry tin. Blind bake it for 15 minutes. While baking the pastry make the filling.Basically just beat them all together. Pour over the pastry and then bake in the oven for 40 minutes. If unsure if it's ready shake the tin and the filling should only be slightly wobbly. Stick a knife in if still unsure. Go one step further and trust your instincts. If all else fails just risk it. Allow to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to loosen it and carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin. Put it on a pretty plate. Scoop out the passion fruit insides and cover the top. Sprinkle the lavander like the little fairy that you are.  Dust with icing sugar.

Alternative topping (because I like to incorporate meat into most things): Candied bacon and pecan-Fry the bacon and pecans in sugar until crispy. Allow to cool before putting on the top. This topping looks more autumnal and less pretty but its equally as  yummy.

Two things I learned about Thanksgiving:

It is like a warmup to Christmas day. In fact, minus a few small details like the tree and gifts and trip to church, it is exactly the same.

It is frowned upon to only have one helping. Two is a minimum. Three is encouraged.

A few things I'm thankful for:

Beginnings: I started a new job last January where I was given the opportunity to work with food and coffee everyday and where I was blessed to meet some of the most interesting characters I've ever set eyes on. Bonds were formed, friendships blossomed, and waistbands expanded.
Wanderings: the beautiful and exciting streets of Dublin, the cobbled, hillside streets of Lisbon, the magical paths of Porto, the bustling boroughs of London and the pretty parks and promenades of Paris I explored throughout the year.
Family and friends: OBVIOUSLY

Til next time, folks- enjoy these December Days. Make the most of what remains of 2014. Embrace it. But more importantly, embrace each other. Winky face.
Pip