OMG a Recipe: Holiday Eats and Treats on the Move!

I admit, I'm remiss on the holiday hoopla on the blog this year, not that we haven't decorated the house or put up a tree -- the house is festooned with festive-ness! I just haven't had a chance to take proper photos and post accordingly, but feel free to peek at our holiday shenanigans on my Instagram feed. I will share some of the resources for my holiday eats -- this year has been busy with making treats that can be mailed, and pre-made items easy to bring to others' houses, so that's why I call this Holiday Eats and Treats on the Move!

Homemade chips n' dips - an easy make-ahead/portable party snack - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Mixed Plate: Happy Thanksgiving - It's Totally Fine if You Just Order a Pizza

Everyone's posting all these lovely Thanksgiving-themed posts of glorious feasts, side dishes and pumpkin pies made from magical heritage pumpkin unicorns. Not me. I'm living in-the-now, feverishly prepping for Actual Thanksgiving, no pre-Thanksgiving post set to go live like other more prepared bloggers. I keep it real, yo. Which is to say, I ain't got time for that noise -- oh hey, is the kitchen on fire...? So here, enjoy some fine autumnal squash:

Drink enough wine and the script seems to say: Whore Fall - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Oh yes, and don't forget -- it's not Christmas yet, so keep rocking the decorative gourds (and squash). Happy Thanksgiving, y'alls -- GET STUFFED.

Mixed Plate: Thankful for Meatballs, for Hope, and Our Indy

(Also published on Honest Cooking, for my column, Sense Memory) I’ve seen friends doing daily postings on social media, listing things they are grateful for during the month of November. And why shouldn’t they? It is, after all, the traditional American holiday to give thanks. Our month of thanks started a little earlier, in the waning days of October, when I learned to be very thankful for, of all things, meatballs. 

Happy Meatballsgiving, all ten pounds of it!  - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Mixed Plate: You Can Be My Wingman on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is all about remembrance, family -- tradition. Which is exactly why we take this time honored holiday and take it completely off the rails with four gallons of peanut oil, thirty pounds of chicken wings, a whole ham, a turducken, multiple side dishes, and even a forgotten pumpkin cheesecake. The holiday of our Pilgrim forefathers may have come and gone, but leftover hot wings remains a constant.

Who needs a turkey when you've got a small child's weight in chicken wings? - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Refugee Thanksgiving is all about being nontraditional, since it's populated with all the people who Just Said No to facing family dysfunction and chaos, at least for a few more weeks until Christmas comes along. This was also an opportunity to carry out one of my hair-brained ideas, which was to have a Thanksgiving dinner of mostly chicken wings. Why? Because this is America, dammit, and we're all about enthusiasm and poorly conceived notions. Why thirty-freaking pounds of chicken wings? Because we were looking at a guest list of possibly a dozen, and I didn't realize good folks would bring a whole ham and turducken, along with the promised side dishes, and we basically wound up with an F-ton of food. Not that it's such a terrible thing, as Thanksgiving is a holiday that's all about food excess and chugging the Pepto after that third slice of pie.

It started out with traditional intentions... - Photos by Wasabi Prime

When hosting any big holiday meal, it's like disaster preparedness for the Zombie Apocalypse. Assume something will go wrong, so be prepared. For as much night-before Thanksgiving prepping people fret over, I say... the hell with all that. I made orange-cranberry sauce, pumpkin cheesecake, a sweet potato gratin and a cornbread stuffing days before Zero Dark Thirty Turkeyday. The goal should be to cook as little as possible the day-of, since you assume your oven will be occupied with a large bird, but in our case, our oven cooked some dishes earlier in the day and then became a big food warmer for all the batches of wings and side dishes waiting to be served. I knew the frying of many pounds of chicken wings would be an epic time consumer, as the Mister can fully attest to, as he was Frymaster Flash in the backyard with all the other dudes until the sun went down. And I was stuck in the kitchen draining the 10 freezer bags full of buttermilk-soaked chicken wings, then tossing them around in a paper bag full of seasoned flour in small batches. My arms got a chicken wing workout that day/evening, to be sure. I can see why people fry a single turkey for Thanksgiving because it's one large beast in a boiling pot of oil, not dozens of small batches of smaller bird parts. I won't say "never again" to a chicken wing feast, just not thirty pounds' worth.

There is no Dana, only Zuul. And Chicken Wings. - Photos by Wasabi Prime

It's a day meant for appreciation and I was thankful for a lot of things. I was thankful for friends who brought tasty side dishes, as well as alternative main courses, since the wings were coming out in small batches. And I was definitely thankful for Brock, as he was out there like a boss, frying up chicken parts until he could fry no more. It basically became Dudes In the Backyard and Girls in the Kitchen, which I think most parties wind up this way. Fellas with beer, circling a fire, or in this case, a vat of bubbling peanut oil; ladies in the kitchen, drinking wine and gossiping. All was right with the world.

Frymaster Flash, Mister Brock - Photos by Wasabi Prime

The chicken wings were properly dressed, as any holiday bird should be. There were plain wings, with the basic salt and pepper from the seasoned flour, and there were also buffalo wings and a sweet-chili Asian glaze. Buffalo wings are easy enough -- the handy dandy giant bottle of Frank's Hot Sauce simmered low with melted butter makes for an easy wing-saucing. The Asian chili glaze was a couple of cups of the sweet chili sauce you use on eggrolls, usually at the Asian grocery store in the Thai section of sauces. That, plus extra honey and melted butter equaled sweet-chili Asian chicken wings. Easy-peasy. And you don't need pounds of chicken to enjoy it.

Keep Calm and Have a Ham - Photo by Wasabi Prime

I think there should be a mandate, regardless of what you're making for a big holiday meal where it's buffet style and people may be coming and going at different times: Have a Ham. Thank heavens friends brought the divine swine. It's a meat that's as good warm as it is room temperature. No little bones to pick through and easy to slice. And it just tastes like the holidays. We only sawed through maybe a quarter of it, but it made for happy leftovers. And yes, you heard right, there was a turducken. Other friends generously brought this mystical chimera meat loaf of a duck, stuffed in a chicken, stuffed in a turkey. Typically it's one of those catalog order specialty items, and a lot of places express mail it pre-cooked for obvious health concerns. But Whole Foods was selling this beast-feast fresh and we had this whole pot of peanut oil saying, "Turducken, you complete me." The layers of meat are delicious together, that's without question. But frying a turducken proved tricky. It's like an event horizon made of meat. So dense, so compounded by the laws of science and duck fat, the outside gets crispety-crunchety, but the inside is like a tender core of r-a-w. Because food poisoning was not on the menu that night, we had to finish the turducken in the oven, wrapped in foil. Not a failed food experiment by any means, appetites were appeased and no one went to the hospital. Thanksgiving Win!

Thanksgiving is all about eating and NOT STOPPING. - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Sides, glorious sides. I think that's what I love best about Thanksgiving. We had a friend's famous stuffing made with wonderful Grand Central bread. Brussels sprouts were a champ, as we had two combinations with bacon, giving this once-despised vegetable more delicious street cred. Various snacks, cured meats and pickles were scattered around the tables, for those moments where you insist you can't have another bite... but maybe just one olive... and another slice of prosciutto...

Making the holidays merry with booze and inappropriate movies - Photos by Wasabi Prime

To make sure we didn't get too stuck on tradition, people gathered around the 21st Century fireplace, aka the television, and Brock put on a double feature of the holiday classics: Team America and Supertroopers. Because we are classy lads and lasses. Disturbing live-action raunchy puppets and the best cop farce since Police Academy -- this is how we roll. Although to be honest, I was hanging out in the kitchen getting my drank on with one of the many bottles of wine we had, and finally having a plate of food. I tend to eat last, because I can't bring myself to take a bite of anything until all the guests have been served and stuffed stupid with food. It's the only thing Martha Stewart would have approved of from this bacchanalian tradition abomination. It was too big of a gathering to all sit at the table, and I tend to prefer casual/lazy parties where people can sit where they like and there's multiple huddles of conversation all over the house.

No Dessert Left Behind (forgotten momentarily, perhaps) - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Another unheeded tradition was completely unintentional -- I didn't bring out the pumpkin cheesecake. Fail! Not that there wasn't dessert, as friends brought a wonderful eggnog bundt cake, which was the best way to have eggnog, like, ever. I'm not a big eggnog drinker, it's overwhelming, but flavoring a cake is brilliant. Eggnog is already a couple of cups' worth of flour away from being cake batter, so why not? Despite roasting pumpkins, making a gingersnap crust and blending the filling with a mixture of cream cheese and chevre, I don't think the meal suffered from one less landmass of calories, and the group was more of a meat-protein type of crowd. Not to say the cheesecake went to waste. There's something to be said for having such a lovely dessert as part of the Leftover Brigade.

Another Thanksgiving bites the dust... now, onwards and upwards, Christmas and New Years! - Photos by Wasabi Prime

We're still letting the dust settle from this Thanksgiving. While the poundage of chicken parts seem ridiculous, you'd be surprised how much a group can consume, plus plenty of leftovers to be taken home by guests. By this weekend, our own lion's share of leftovers will likely be gone, and I'll be back to cooking less epic meals. The light from the inside of our fridge will no longer be blotted out with food, things will return to normal and I'm sure I'll come up with another ridiculous idea for the next celebratory meal, because that's what the holidays are for.

Mixed Plate: Viva La Thanksgiving

And here we are yet again... another Thanksgiving ready to unfurl its tryptophan wings and cast us into a turkey-stuffing-pie food coma vortex. And for those readying to battle the Black Friday shopping crowds, I salute you with a less than enthusiastic wave of a half-eaten turkey leg. Instead of showing a typical Thanksgiving pastoral, I opted to share photos from a recent trip to The Ninth Island (aka, Las Vegas), when my family and I gathered for my cousin Deven's birthday. It wasn't Thanksgiving and there wasn't a roasted turkey to be seen, but it got me thinking about what makes any holiday worthwhile. It's the time we set aside to spend with family, the rare moments everyone's in the same place at the same time, and the chance to sit back and gaze at the family gene pool party. Dive in, y'all, it's the holidays.

See, Las Vegas isn't all seedy hookers and pimps - they keep the nice stuff under glass - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Does our family always get together like this for a birthday? No. But when someone says they want their birthday in Vegas, it's as if God spoke and the whole family jumps on a plane to heed this Almighty call. My cousin Deven turned 42, which is a significant year in Japanese culture -- yakudoshi, like a rite of passage, or a year of chaos, depending on what Google tells you -- so it all basically translates to: let's have a big-ass party. I think that's what every culture is based on, be it feast or famine, we relish the opportunity to celebrate something. It's a good thing, as Saint Martha would say. And that's kind of what Thanksgiving is like, because we're not really celebrating the fact that the Pilgrims came from afar to bring a persecuted religion and smallpox to a trustworthy, indigenous people, we just want an excuse to go on a carb-binge with the cornbread stuffing, eat three pieces of pumpkin pie (with whipped cream), and pass out on the couch by three in the afternoon. Ahh... tradition.

As luck would have it (har-har), my Wasabi Family Vegas Extravaganza took place over Halloween week, so that explains the spooktacular past-due holiday photos. Unlike typical family jaunts to Las Vegas, we made sure to plan some quality family time, like seeing a show and then a nice family dinner on Deven's birthday. There was also a trip to the Hoover Dam, but I missed that, as I was already en route back to rainy Washington, but from what I heard, Hoover Dam was dam good. I will say this -- when you live in the Pacific Northwest and it's already in the middle of nonstop rain and zero-dark-thirty by four in the afternoon, taking a short trip to the sunnier skies of Nevada is like a shot of adrenaline. The temperature is no longer three times the surface of the sun, it remained in the pleasant upper seventies to low eighties, and there was barely a cloud in the sky. My lackluster Vitamin D levels jump at the thought of it.

From rain to shine - a vacation from the rain-soaked Pacific Northwest - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Halloween week in Las Vegas is about what you'd guess -- people dressed in costume, running around Downtown and The Strip, with you playing that mental game in your head: Halloween costume or actual stripper/pimp? October is also the pesky month where a lot of performers go on vacation and the shows take breaks, since it's typically a low-season time, but my cousin found a show he wanted to see -- Criss Angel's Believe at the Luxor -- and seeing a rock n' roll illusion show was actually pretty fitting for Halloween night. I'm always amazed at Las Vegas performers with regular shows, many doing two performances a night, weekdays through weekends. Most people's offices are a little cubicle, but a performer's office is a stage full of pyrotechnics, scary-looking props and a live crowd, which I think can be the scariest thing of all. Regardless of what performer you see in Las Vegas, you can never deny them the art of showmanship and the ability to keep a crowd's attention, which I think is magic all its own.

Vegas Halloween, and the cage where the gambling cheats go - Photos by Wasabi Prime

I was simply told, "Bring a wig," from my other cousin and aunt helping to plan this Halloween Night outing. As good a suggestion as any, really. So a few of us wigged-out, wore funny glasses and we spent a night on The Strip, catching a magic show and seeing all sorts of crazy stuff in and out of the casinos on All Hallow's Eve. I'd have brought my cat's ears headband, but Indy was still using it.

Just like any other night in Las Vegas - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Despite all the family time, I did steal away for a few hours to wander the Strip one afternoon. I mostly wanted to visit the Bellagio and see their seasonal garden display. I'm not a gambler, so seeing pretty garden stuff is my granny-old lady highlight. As always, they aim to impress and the gorgeous autumn harvest-themed display in the atrium area is a must-see, whether you're planning on gambling your kid's college fund away or not.

Talking trees, giant pumpkins and oh yes... WINE! - Photos by Wasabi Prime

I managed to snap a few photos of the delightful pastries in one of the Bellagio's specialty bakeries, Jean Phillipe. This bakery is hard to miss -- it's in the retail area and you'll be drawn to the ceiling-high fountain of melted chocolate cascading down a sculpture of blown glass. You're amazed, then you kind of shake your head, thinking: only in Las Vegas. I had to take a moment and admire the beautiful Halloween themed desserts. I know we're not thinking of ghosts and goblins anymore, but you can't help but adore these sweets. I couldn't bear to eat something so cute, so I picked up some buttery, flaky croissant -- chocolate and almond -- and some of their pretty chocolate-dipped biscotti. Maybe not as precious as a pastry ghost, but just as delicious.

Spooky sweets at Jean Phillipe Bakery in the Bellagio - Photos by Wasabi Prime

The Bellagio is pretty close to Caesar's Palace, so I ran in there just to visit their Vosges Chocolate boutique. Their chocolates are exquisite, as is their packaging. Purple boxes and ribbons -- Prince would feel very at-home. I can usually find their bacon-chocolate bar at Whole Foods, but their real gems are of course their truffles, which you either have to order by mail or visit one of their shops. A stupid amount of money later, I had a shopping bag full of holiday gifts, more sweets for my cousin's birthday celebration, and even something sweet to bring home to the Mister. It felt like a total Vegas Moment, shopping for luxury chocolates, surrounded by fake Greek statues and wondering just how the hell they built that spiraling escalator in The Forum Shops.

Hail Caesar and your bitchin' shopping mall - Photos by Wasabi Prime

As a travel note -- if you find yourself buying stuff and wondering if everything will fit into your suitcase, there is a UPS Store right in the Flamingo Hotel, which is right across from Caesar's Palace. Why more hotels don't have UPS Stores is beyond me, but I'm glad for that convenience. It might be an expensive way to get things home, but the way airlines charge for bags, you're spending over twenty five bucks either way, so may as well not have to carry it yourself.

Family dinner time, Election Day-style! - Photos by Wasabi Prime

On the night of my cousin Deven's birthday, his sister Dawn and my Aunt Sharon made sure everyone was decked out in election-themed gear they made ahead of time. Buttons, pamphlets, the whole deal. Not that my cousin is running for office, but at the time, election felt like a fitting theme, plus I have an uncle who's a state senator and his own campaign brochures made for good inspiration material. The whole family gathered at the Second Street Grill in the Fremont Hotel -- because Downtown Vegas is how Hawaii folks roll -- and we wore our fake-candidate buttons proudly for Deven's birthday dinner. Like some crazy Hunger Games thing, we made a "tribute" to Deven and his love of chocolate, piling gifts of sweets from all over the world on the center of the table. I know it wasn't Thanksgiving, but it felt like a long-overdue holiday gathering made even more special since people had to travel a ways to meet up. My cousin Dawn wins the Mileage Award, having traveled all the way from Sweden to attend her brother's birthday. All this and us cousins didn't have to sit at the kiddie table -- who says Vegas isn't a town for winners?

Food, family and funny photos while on The Ninth Island - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Much like Thanksgiving itself, the trip was full of big meals, but it was less about the food and more about the time it gave us to spend together. It was a reminder that no matter what the occasion, however funky the location, time with family is a rare gift. Costume wigs optional. I don't live close to my family, the closest immediate relative is a state away and my parents are nearly an ocean away, so this trip was like Thanksgiving and Christmas, all rolled up into one. I honestly can't think of the last time so many of us got together like this and I can't think of when we'll be able to do this again. So as you gather to feast upon the turkey, raise your head from your plate for a moment to see who's sitting with you. Be thankful for the occasion that brings you and your crazy clan of family members together for a night. Viva La Thanksgiving, y'all.

Mixed Plate: Being Thankful (for Shameless Self-Promotion)

Tis the season... for another moment of Shameless Wasabi Prime Self Promotion! Because, really, that's what the holidays are all about, right? Actually, it's more like The Holidays Make Me Feel So Freakin' Thankful for Everything in this Wacky Life, mainly the opportunity to be able to do the work I enjoy doing, have it pay the bills, and have kind folks like you take a minute out of your hectic day to take a peek. It means a lot to me, and don't think I don't appreciate it as we near Thanksgiving!

My biggest announcement that's worth getting put up on the refrigerator door is having a photo I shot of the roasted tomato flatbread at Black Bottle Postern getting the OMG-I-Can't-Believe-It Cover spot on the latest issue of 425 Magazine. I contribute regularly to their Flavor column, but getting the cover was such an honor and thrill. To wander in a grocery store or past a newsstand and see a photo you shot on a magazine cover is unbelievable. It's weird and awesome, all at the same time! I love having the regular column, as it has me exploring different dishes every month, revisiting old favorites and discovering new places -- it's like Food Exercise, it makes you step outside of your comfort zone and try new restaurants. It sounds simple enough, but you realize how so few people make it a point to try different eating places; we are creatures of habit, rarely wandering outside our comfort zones. I have to say, having it be part of your job makes the exploration a priority I wish more people would consider.

I remain continually thankful for being able to explore with my appetite, and for that, I'm appreciative for 425 Magazine, for giving me the regular kick in the behind to get out there and satisfy a hunger for discovery. If you happen to see the issue on the newsstands, pick up a copy -- there's great pieces about local restaurants as well as soundbites of favorite bites from local food folks. You'll see a familiar face or two, I guarantee it!

Another big item on my Thankful List is being able to integrate my graphic design/illustration work with the food and beverage industry. For the most part, a lot of my design work tends to stay within the realm of small business/tech -- a lot of work you'll never see, as it was never intended for the masses. But every now and then, I get a really fun project, one that lets me get my Creative Boogie on. I was very fortunate to be able to design the event logo and illustrations for the upcoming Saint Nick's Winter in Woodinville event coming up on November 30th through December 2nd. This was a really fantastic project -- fun wine-themed logos and illustrations, working with an enthusiastic team, and the joy of being able to show Mom and Dad: look, your daughter's making artsy booze! They love this stuff.

If you're in the area and able to attend, St. Nick's is a weekend-long wine-themed holiday celebration with tons of local wineries participating in tastings and open-house events. It will kick off with a tree lighting event Friday night on the 30th at Chateau Ste. Michelle, and then a big evening wine tasting at the Chateau -- I'm looking forward to attending that one, so I hope to see you crazy kids there! Head to the event page for ticket information -- some things might be sold out, but the weekend-long open house at the wineries looks like a fun way to kick off December. It's getting to be that time of year for parties and dinners, and bringing a bottle of wine is always a perfect and easy host gift.

And cheers yet again to Drink Me Magazine, for letting me create boozy-themed recipes for their magazine. I just saw the latest South of the Border issue come out, and I'm craving a tequila cocktail this very second! Loved developing the latest recipe, a mole sauce using a smoky Scotch ale, which is tasty stuff for the chilly days ahead. Head over to their website, as they keep a digital copy of the magazine for those who don't live in the Bay Area, where the magazine is distributed.

Cheers to being thankful for gainful employment! - Photos by Wasabi Prime

And so the Thankful Train continues along its way, my honest-to-blog appreciation for being able to do creative projects and consider it another day at the office. It's rare to be able to do this, I realize this more than anyone else. I've done my hard-time in Maximum Security Corporate America, locked in the Cell Block D of cubicle-land, bouncing a rubber ball against the walls of my brainpan, a la Steve McQueen in The Great Escape, imagining a cinematic escape involving a motorcycle jump over several other vehicles. It's not all easy-going and magical fun food days, it's still a long, hard road of doing a lot of other work to be able to afford the time to do the fun projects. But I wouldn't change any of it, and all those people doing the same thing as me are nodding their heads in agreement, I'm sure of it. I'm incredibly lucky to be able to do any and all of this, and a lot of the thanks go out to all of you who are reading this right now. Writing a food blog is a healthy regiment to keep inspiration and all things edible fresh in my mindgrape, and the encouragement to keep going comes from readers, folks on Twitter and all the wonderful people I've met along the way. So I send a hearty Wasabi Thanks to everyone out there -- none of this would be possible without you and your kind words of encouragement. Thank You.

Mixed Plate: Thanksgiving Eats, Sugary Sweets and Poultry Fight Club

My family was never one for big Thanksgiving celebrations, due to the fact our family wasn't particularly large (just me and my parents), and we lived far from aunts, uncles, cousins and the like. But for my childhood years in California, my parents had a lot of friends in the Los Angeles area who were in a similar situation as they were -- transplants from Hawaii, too far to go over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house for the holidays -- so everyone would gather at a friend's house, and it would be these great big potluck dinners of thirty people or more, grazing all day. It was a non-traditional mashup of Thanksgiving and Hawaii food favorites, and it was heavenly. When we moved from California to Arizona, we were further isolated, and Thanksgiving just became a nice long weekend with turkey being optional as my dad isn't a fan of the other-other white meat, and frankly, the holiday started to feel like just another day. It wasn't until moving to Washington where Thanksgiving started to mean something again. Proably because I don't travel to see family, and the need to be close to friends and loved ones, the holiday feels more pronounced. The Refugee Thanksgivings began, with us doing a couple of Turkeyday hostings for those unable to battle the holiday travel zoo, or we'd be nomads ourselves, wandering to different households who so graciously invited us to their tables to feast, which is one of the best ways to rediscover the best of what Thanksgiving is.

Turkey, before the carnage - Photo by Wasabi Prime

A checkered holiday past only made this latest Thanksgiving all the more  memorable, as it kicked up the Turkeyday celebration up a few notches. We not only celebrated across the whole holiday weekend, we started a whole week before. Some friends suggested a dinner at The Herbfarm, a well-known restaurant in Woodinville that's quite an eating experience, as most of their dinners are composed of 8 to 9 different courses, all paired with wines, and the dinners tend to go late into the evening, finishing up around 11 or midnight. It's not an everyday dinner, to be sure. Mr. Wasabi and I have gone a couple of times before -- once for a birthday and the second time for friends who had just gotten married.  And it's also nice when a group of friends who are usually accustomed to hosting a big  Thanksgiving meal, decide they don't want to fuss with a feast, but want to enjoy the holiday itself being relaxed and lazy, so fourteen of us gathered at The Herbfarm a week before Thanksgiving to have a celebratory pre-func meal. It was memorable to say the least, the courses are always exquisitely prepared, there's more wine than you can shake a stick at, and I thank the Turkeyday Gods that we were in the private room, as we are a colorful bunch. Traditionally, we all try to list the things we are thankful for, a nice way to celebrate the season. My "What I'm Thankful for" is that we were able to have a fantastic meal, have a wonderful time, and super-bonus -- we didn't get kicked out for being total berzerkers.

Herbfarm Thanksgiving Pre-Func dinner - Photos by Wasabi Prime

The week of Thanksgiving is typically like some movie montage, where it's akin to Rocky Balboa running up steps, punching sides of beef, all to the heroic underscore of a fist-pumping theme song. People are wrestling giant birds, rolling pie crusts, perusing recipe websites to the point where they crash -- America gets down with its bad self, rolls up its sleeves and enters the kitchen like a gladiator ready to do battle with a row of centurions, primed for victory. Except for me. Quite frankly, I didn't do all that much. I barely took out The Big Grownup Camera -- most of these photos, minus some prep items were all shot using the ol' iPhone. It's called a vacation. I like to take them sometimes. 

Hotpot Thanksgiving, and oh turkey, we hardly knew ye - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Because of the big whammy of The Herbfarm, it took the pressure off Thanksgiving Day-proper. So we threw tradtion to the wind, gathered at a friend's house for pizza, chili and snacks, but also one special dish -- a friend had been craving ginger duck hotpot, from when she used to live in Taiwan. It's a common comfort dish, but oddly hard to find (if anyone has a recommendation for a place in or around Seattle that makes this, please let me know). So our friend scoured the internet, tracked down a few recipes, and put together a delightfully rich meal experience that ensured that we would, indeed have a bird for Thanksgiving, but way better than turkey. I'm sorry, turkey, but duck wins out because it's so freaking delicious. It was also the centerpiece for what will be known as one of the more memorable Thanksgiving celebrations. And not without its own unique brand of entertainment, as hotpot instructions are delightfully written in Engrish. The day was devoted to watching all three Lord of the Rings movies (yes, director's cut), back to back -- twelve hours, if you're thinking of doing this. There was a lot of beer. There was a lot of wine. Our livers were put to the test starting from noon.There was also an inflatable turkey lawn decoration that met an untimely fate. Turkey MMA? Poultry Fight Club? Call it whatever you want, but to put it simply: Thanksgiving Day was Awesomesauce.

Lots of desserts, drinking, and more pie - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Not to say I did absolutely nothing, lounging around like Jabba the Hutt, enslaved Muppets at my beck and call. Which isn't such a bad idea -- next Thanksgiving, perhaps. I made pie(s). I made fudge. I even made a post-Thanksgiving full meal, turkey with all the trimmings. I think I need to be on medication, I cannot stay still for the life of me. I made a brown butter pear tart, which was just a way to whittle down our copious amounts of pears. I wanted to try something new with the typical pumpkin pie, so I made a blend of pumpkin and sweet potato, which I have to say gives the texture a slightly lighter, but grainier mouth feel. Not bad, just different. One small roasted sugar pumpkin to one peeled and boiled sweet potato was my ratio, and then I used this recipe on Epicurious for Caramel Pumpkin Pie. I have to say, adding a caramel sauce to the pumpkin mixture is, as Charlie Sheen would say: Winning. It's sweet, but a dark, rich sweetness that sets it apart from the typical pumpkin pie. I did cheat on the whipped cream, getting the canned stuff, because the dessert needed to travel. I didn't want to make the whipped cream and have it deflate by dinnertime and I don't have one of those fancy whipped cream chargers. And let's face it, after lots of beer and/or wine, whip-hits and dispensing whipped cream directly into a drunken maw is pretty fantastic.

Thanksgiving at Wasabi's house, with an extra side of gluttony - Photos by Wasabi Prime

We still had turkey, it was just the day after, because I am a compulsive crazyperson and can't stay out of the kitchen. I brined and seasoned a 14-pound bird, did my typical dismembering of parts, as it's just easier for serving and I keep the carcass for soup later, and made sides based on whatever the CSA box had delivered. I made a sweet potato and roasted squash mash, potatoes with green beans in a mustard dressing, and shredded Brussels sprouts and caramelized onions cooked with bacon. And plenty of gravy and cranberry sauce. The main thing is always the cranberry sauce and turkey, as that is Mr. Wasabi's favorite thing in the known universe. It was a total UnRecipe Thanksgiving, as there was no measuring or recipe-following. The meal literally just happened. Short of the pie, which needed internet inspiration, everything else was made by the power of winging-it and cooking with what we had. Which I suppose is appropriate, as the Pilgrims didn't have Martha Stewart or the internet back in the old school Plymouth Rock days. And if they did, it would be a miracle of Divine Providence that they ever got that meal off the ground, because damn, there are a lot of choices over what to make for this hearty meal of thanks -- no wonder people feel overwhelmed.

Oh  Fudge - Photos by Wasabi Prime

And yes, I made fudge. Because that's so Thanksgiving, right? My mother can be credited with the drilled-in idea that you don't show up anywhere empty-handed. It's the Asian Way, along with being good at math and playing the flute, piano, and/or violin. Since I stink at math and am not musical, I play my one and only cooking card. We had a couple of Thanksgiving invites, and feeling bad we had to decline on one dinner, I wanted to make sure we showed our appreciation for the invitation, so nothing says "thanks for thinking of us," like a few sugary lead-like bricks of peanut butter and chocolate fudge delivered early. The second half of the batch went to the dinner we attended. Because nothing says "thanks for letting us wreck your house like a bunch of drunken hooligans," like fudge. Well, at least it was nicely-wrapped.

Pomegranates to the rescue (of my gut) - Photos by Wasabi Prime

All this food, all this debauchery. And what's left to do but try and cleanse one's sytem from all the earthly delights. I seeded a couple of small pomegranates, thinking I'd reserve the arils for salad or as a garnish, but instead it's been a great detox snack and topping for yogurt. We're awash in leftovers, but I'm definitely hovering around simpler fare to pace myself for the holiday food season that's now in full gear. Hope everyone else had as much fun over the long weekend and are just as excited for the rest of the holidays!

UnRecipe: Puttin' on the Ritz With Franken-Leftovers

What a kooky post title, right? But I just didn't know how else to describe these bizarro creations composed of bits of leftovers from different meals. I really did feel like Gene Wilder's Dr. Franken-SCHTEEN, piecing together Peter Boyle for an off-the-cuff performance of Puttin' on the Ritz. (if you didn't get all those Young Frankenstein references, shame on you!)

Thai Fried Rice anyone? I literally made it up on the spot - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Have you ever heard of Pad Thai Fried Rice? Me neither. And it should probably just be Thai Fried Rice, as I think "pad" means rice noodle, and there was no noodly appendages to be found in this dish. As this is my typical UnRecipe post, where I maddeningly leave no exact measurements to be found, this funky dinner basically came out of me having just enough leftover Pad Thai sauce to make a big wok-ful of the stuff, and a mish-mash of ingredients that excluded the main component, which is to say rice noodles, so I had to sub them out with brown rice. I had a container of extra-firm tofu, one red bell pepper, unsalted peanuts and fresh pineapple. Behold, the randomness of my refrigerator and pantry. I always have eggs and fresh garlic around, which was also added to the dish. I made this the way you'd make any fried rice -- chop up everything small, toss it about with oil in a hot wok, pour in the sauce and mix until combined before mixing in the cooked rice. Because I had fresh pineapple, I threw that in last, as I didn't want it to cook down into mush and it added a nice acidic bite to the dish. Crunchy, spicy, sweet, savory and sour -- all the flavor of Pad Thai, but in a pineapple fried rice setting. Weirdly delicious.

What a fridge/pantry raid yielded - Photos by Wasabi Prime

An older Franken-leftover I made back around the holidays was sort of like a Thanksgiving Pizza. It was neither Thanksgiving, nor was it all that pizza-like, but it's the best way to describe it. We had many servings of our New Year's Eve Thanksgiving-themed dinner lingering in the fridge for the month of January and I still had some unusual holiday ingredients that needed to be repurposed, namely a sheet of puff pastry dough. I had bought a package for a holiday dish and you always wind up with the spare puff pastry sheet, as these buttery bro's come in two. I cut up the sheet into little Pop Tart-sized pieces and would bake them off individually, topped with some of the Thanksgiving leftovers. This also included a few slices of Brie. Why? Because I had it. Open-faced Thanksgiving sandwich? Thanksgiving tart? I have no idea how you'd want to spin a fancier name for this, but it was tasty enough to make me happy for several lunches. I enjoyed the savory, rich topping sitting on a buttery, flaky crust -- who wouldn't? I discovered our pantry had some yams that were starting to go bad, so I lopped off the soft parts (yes, Mom, it's fine to do that), sliced them super-narrow and oil/salt/peppered them up and made baked fries to go along as a side dish.

High-falutin' dining this ain't, not that I ever claimed it was. I just think it's kind of interesting to see what can get thrown together when little to no organized meal planning is involved and ingredients are starting to go past their prime. No leftovers left behind!

The holiday meal that came, went and sort of came back again - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Mixed Plate: Lord of the Ringing in 2011

Last year we spent New Year's Eve at a friends' house with Joel and the 'Bots of Mystery Science Theater 3000, before turning on the TV to watch the fireworks at the Space Needle, hoping for embarassing technical difficulties and getting amused by drunkards in the background. This year, we set the Nerd Bar even higher by doing a Lord of the Rings marathon and feasting upon a Thanksgiving-style dinner. Why? Because the Precious told us so...

One meal to rule them all into the new year -- Photo by Wasabi Prime

No funny hats, noisemakers or sparkly dresses. Just a very small gathering, as in Mr. Wasabi, myself and our friend Ms Shutterbug staying cozy and warm as twenty-ten became twenty-eleventy. A cold blast of a winter storm dumped a few inches of snow and resulted in much road ice in the days leading up to the Eve, so much thanks to Shutterbug for making the trek out to our house.

We started the film fest in the afternoon, watching The Fellowship of the Ring, moved on to The Two Towers around dinnertime, and had dessert and cocktails through The Return of the King. No, we didn't time it just right to where Aragorn gets crowned king and regales us all with an oddly-placed Elvish song. When midnight hit, we raised our glasses amid much battlecries and carnage during the battle for Gondor, and thanks to director Peter Jackson's love of multiple endings, it was well past 1am before "The End" finally showed up on screen. Maybe it's just as well he didn't include the destruction of the Shire, as not only would that have been a serious mellow-harsh, we'd have still been watching until sunrise.

To paraphrase a line from Fellowship, during the part, Concerning Hobbits, Bilbo Baggins comments that it is not a bad thing to pursue a simple life. And so we did, but with hobbit appetite, as they are a hairy-footed folk who only think of food and drink. Sounds dandy to me -- put me on the next train to Hobbiton. I had a frozen turkey leftover from Thanksgiving. Call me a food hoarder if you want, but when stuff is cheap, I get all Gollum and start hissing, "I wants it! Gives us the precious -- and don't forget my five cent credit for bringing my own bag." What flavor is lost in mass farming methods for poultry, I try to infuse back in through brining. I broke down the bird into its parts and let it soak in a basic brine two days before cooking it up. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- it's worth the effort and the taking up of space in the fridge, as it will absorb flavor and the meat stays tender.

The power of the One Ring compels you to get freaky and EAT - Photos by Wasabi Prime

To go alongside the bird, multiple side dishes were made, including cranberry sauce, green beans and mushrooms tossed with pesto and crisps of bacon, a sweet potato gratin, and much like Aragorn in Return of the King, cauliflower puree returned to the dining table to regain its rightful place as a side dish, since it already showed up previously for Christmas. Plus enough gravy to fill up a huge Pyrex measuring cup. It's a lot of food, I know. But a lot of these dishes were made a few days in advance and just needed to finish off in the oven. And a great Middle Earth huzzah for not having to cook for a few days and just enjoy a wide array of mix and match leftovers. Thanksgiving food is one of Mr. Wasabi's favorite, so he's pleased as punch we have a fridge full of cranberry sauce and turkey.

So that we're given proper nerd credit, we went LOTR: Full Metal Jacket -- extended cuts, no theatrical releases. I'm sure if we went with the shorter versions, we could have timed everything just right for a happy new year toast during the final coronation, but if you're going to go totally geek, it's go big or go home. Personally, Two Towers extended cut is far superior to the theatrical version; as Ferris Bueller would say, "It's so choice." The movies watched all together are seamless and you don't feel like you're going too crazy, although all the longing stares between Sam and Frodo get to be a little much -- just kiss already, fellas. Ain't no shame! I can't wait until all the Harry Potter movies are out on DVD so that we can have a nonstop movie marathon until we're driven into a full psychological meltdown. You hearing me, 2012? I've got your number!

Overall, our night of movies, Thanksgiving sequel dinner and a swapout of cocktails for champagne made for a fun, if not gut-busting night. We faced the new year with full bellies and a feeling that you make your own merriment and good times, so bring on 2011!

Indy is looking ahead in the new year -- just kidding, it's a squirrel - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Mixed Plate: Flipping the Bird at Tradition and Frozen Turkeyday Travails

Do you still have Thanksgiving leftovers? We're still picking at the last scraps of November's festive edible sendoff as we enter the December holiday binge. Where's the Shake-Weight when you need it? Or better yet, just say the hell with it and get some drawstring pants. It's so hard not to enjoy every last morsel, especially after looking through the Thanksgiving That Was...

Turkey in the key of Mediterranean - Photo by Wasabi Prime

We extended our Turkeyday festivities across a couple of nights. A bird was cooked in Kitchen Stadium Wasabi, but the deed was done on Saturday night. I had it in my head to make a fragrantly-spiced bird, so I used an ample sprinkling of My Spice Sage's pumpkin pie spice to give the turkey a rich flavor and a nice bit of color. I was also basting the turkey in a glaze of reduced pomegranate juice and molasses, just to nudge along the caramelizing of the skin. What helped give the meat itself a nice flavor and tenderness was brining the bird in a long, several-day soak of salt, sugar, bay leaves, peppercorns and citrus rinds. It's worth the extra step, as it will guarantee meaty moistness (giggle) and infuse the turkey with a flavor beyond its surface seasoning. I like to break the turkey down into its delicious parts, versus cooking it all at once, mostly because I have no vessel large enough to brine a whole bird and in general, I just prefer the faster cook time once it's dismembered like a Dexter victim. Despite the missed Norman Rockwell photo opportunity, slicing a just-cooked bird and burning fingers ain't fun. Less fussing, more eating. I further tossed aside tradition by making a citrus and garlic-flavored couscous mixed with the vegetables roasted in the turkey's bastings, mixed with dried fruit, nuts and chickpeas. Even the cranberry sauce got a reboot, with a healthy dose of fresh pomegranate. Tradition be damned.

Own the Bird, especially at breakfast - Photos by Wasabi Prime

On Thanksgiving Day proper, we went to an epic meal cooked up by Mr. Wasabi's friends from the Crossfit Eastside Gym. Don't worry, we didn't eat in a gym, dinner was served at the lovely home of K and M, who were kind enough to invite us over, along with several others. There were two turkeys -- one smoked and covered with a blanket of woven bacon, and the second bird was deep fried and glazed in a spicy hellbroth of Buffalo Wing sauce, making it a Buffalo-Turkey. Bet Darwin never saw that one coming. You'd think it was crazy, but it was brilliantly delicious. Everything at this huge dinner was fantastic and all I have to show for it is the next-day turkey breakfast hash made with the leftovers they sent everyone off with. I know, I should have brought the camera, as this was a true feast, but I figure I'd give this meal its own holiday break from the nonstop clicking of a digital shutter. Tradition be double-damned.

There will be pie, little gifts and a snowy-faced dog - Photos by Wasabi Prime

The turkeyday festivities were also marked by the first snow of the year. Or more like, the first Seattle-gets-shut-down-by-weather of the year. Maybe it's the Thanksgiving Gods reminding us to be really flippin' thankful, but I know Mr. Wasabi was happy to be home after his five-plus hour commute home from downtown Seattle in frozen road conditions when the snow and ice first hit at the beginning of the week. We were fortunate not to lose power, even in the wilds of Duvall where we live, and the snow days gave extra prep time for making the pumpkin pies I said I'd bring for Thanksgiving dinner. The last of my fall holiday decor suffered the fate of becoming pumpkin pie filling, landing squarely into Wasabi Mom's vinegar shortcrust recipe, which is a never-fail favorite that always yields crispy, flaky crust. Topped with cardamom-infused whipped cream and I had unhealthy breakfast options for days.

Walkin' in a Winter Blunderland - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Despite the poop-tacular weather, I have to say when snow falls in Duvall, it's a pleasant winter wonderland, as long as you don't have to be anywhere. If you do, then it's a frozen hell on earth trying to get in and out of the city. The snow lasted long enough to pose for some countrytime photos before melting enough to make the roads passable for Turkeyday. Despite the very early chill and some slick road conditions, this Thanksgiving had to be one of my favorites in that I felt like I was able to enjoy a little bit of everything I love to do over the extended holiday weekend, even if it was as simple as eating, sleeping in, and reading books.

Dateline, Duvall - Old Man Winter goes berzerker - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Mixed Plate: Whoopie for Being Thankful

Here's this sugar coma-inducing photo tantalizing you with the hopes of a recipe, and yet... that's not what this post is about. (Sorry -- but I promise if you stay tuned, more details about this Spice Cake Whoopie Pie will be revealed in coming weeks!) Instead, it's the week of Thanksgiving and I wanted to take a  moment to count my Wasabi Blessings on the eve of this holiday full of tasty flightless birds.

If you're thankful, say: WHOOPIEEEE!!!! - Photo by Wasabi Prime

I was a flightless bird myself, almost a year ago to the date. Working in the corporate world as an art director, but in furlough, anticipating the next boring corporate ship I'd have to jump upon. Able to enjoy a nice paycheck, but unable to look my creative self in the eye and say, "You've been meandering around the planet for how long and this is all you have to show for yourself? For a Wasabi, you're awfully bland." Ouch. Sad, but true.You make personal sacrifices because it makes sense to do the sensible thing, but after a while you're slow to realize how much of that cubicled existence drives you into a fugue state. You forget that really crucial question, which is, "Where did your happy place go?" I had no lofty dreams behind Wasabi Prime beyond creating a space to put creative efforts in that weren't dictated by work peers or inane meetings about "can we just make the logo bigger?" And the blog manifested into the little lighthouse (blue canary included) to guide through a fog of uncertainty. I was lucky to have precious friends, family and yes, YOU, THE READERS, SUPPORTERS, RANDOM SPAMBOTS who have made a connection and give me inspiration and the reminder that happiness can be as simple as being able to just putter along doing the things that bring us joy.

And so a year later, I've made a go of it, freelancing as a graphic designer, illustrator, food writer and photographer. It isn't easy. I'm full of doubt and concern every month, hoping I hit my goal of just being able to pay the bills. There's been lifestyle changes, to be sure -- insert joke about revoked Fur Coat/Yacht of the Month Club membership here. And yet each penny is worth its ounce of worry, because you become so much more appreciative for every little thing. I realize the greatest luxury is time. I take note of the change of seasons. I walk the dog. I have a more flexible schedule to see family. These are my thankful things, the quiet moments after so many years of noise. While I don't know what the future holds, I am thankful for the ability to find some peace in the present, even if it's as simple as making giant spice cake whoopie pies filled with a ridiculous amount of butter cream filling.

The Zen of Baking. And Butter. - Photos by Wasabi Prime

UnRecipe: The Lord of the Leftovers - Thanksgiving Trilogy

Humorist Calvin Trillin had this to say about leftovers: The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found. While I can say with certainty the origin of our triple-header leftover saga was the gut-busting feast of Thanksgiving, it's not an unknown occurrence in the Wasabi household to have leftovers stretched to near-infinite meals. For better or worse, my parents never liked to throw out food, and that mentality of "waste not" was forever drilled into my Wasabi brain. Our current surplus of ham, turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce led to this Episode I, II and III of meals: Thanksgiving Skillet Hash, Thanks-for-Giving Savory Bread Pudding, and a Truly Leftover Turkey Ramen.

Seattle Skillet Sensation Club - chances are, you've been a member since college. - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Skillet hash is probably one of the most leftover-friendly meals to make. It's UnRecipe to the tenth power, as no measuring or ingredient-fretting is needed. Depending on how many hungry people are needing to be fed, you just take a bit of protein like a handful of finely chopped ham and turkey, add something starchy, which in our case was the leftover roasted sweet potatoes, and throw it all in a heated skillet. The fat from the ham and the turkey skin melts down a bit in the pan, creating a nice sizzle for the sweet potatoes. I also scattered a bit of cranberry sauce over the hash to give it a little tartness. Once everything is fully incorporated and heated through, make a shallow little well in the hash and crack an egg right in. Depending on how many people it's being made for, one egg per person will do. Turn the heat down to medium and cover the top of the skillet with a bit of tin foil to trap the heat and cook the top of the egg to whatever doneness you prefer. I like the consistency of a poached egg, so I let the top of the egg get a bit opaque but the yolk is still liquid inside. Depending on how large a skillet and how many eggs are being used, this final step should only take a few minutes.

Everything was already well-seasoned from their past life as a dinner, so no salt or pepper required. I do like Tabasco with my eggs, so I added a splash or two right before the omming and nomming. The Thanksgiving Skillet Hash was made across several breakfasts, and more than a couple of times, I made this for a party of one because we have a couple of small pans. Yes, I did eat it right out of the skillet, furthering solidifying my membership with the Seattle Skillet Sensation Club, a secret society of plateless skillet-eaters created by foodie blogger and future chef, Eric Rivera. As Rachel of Laptops and Stovetops fame noted, if eating out of a skillet is wrong, I don't want to be right. Amen to that.

Savory bread pudding -- just throw everything in and bake it! - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Thanksgiving Leftovers, the Sequel turned into a savory bread pudding. We wound up with a refugee band of dinner rolls and despite our tendency to leave out breads and pastas in our meals, the voice of my parents' Waste Not wisdom was in back of my mind like Obi-Wan. Or perhaps it was Lord Vader of the Carbohydrate Dark Side. Either way, I wanted to use up as much of the Thanksgiving leftovers as possible. Cubing the rolls and letting them toast in the oven to dry out, I took all the rest of the ham and turkey and chopped it into bite-sized pieces. There wasn't really any measuring involved in this UnRecipe because it was one of those "stone soup" meals that just uses everything available. Savory bread puddings, much like a skillet hash, have that lovely flexibility when it comes to ingredients. If they paired well as a meal of main courses and sides, there's no reason they can't be mashed together as a leftover delight.

I used the remaining half-and-half from the coffee and dessert portion of Thanksgiving to make a loose custard for the oven-dried cubed rolls. It was maybe a half a cup's worth. Mixed with a couple of eggs, the creamy, viscous liquid soaked into the now-crispy breadcubes. I probably could have skipped the oven-drying of the bread, but I like taking all the moisture out of bread first, so that it soaks up whatever new liquid and flavor that's being reintroduced to it. The ham, turkey, stuffing, and remainder of the cranberry sauce was already cooked, so once the bread was fully soaked with the custard, the savory bits were tossed with the bread, and a few slices of remaining cheese from the appetizer course of Thanksgiving was laid over the top to create a melty topping in the oven. Again, because everything had been pre-seasoned, I added maybe a few cracks of pepper and that's it. The oven set up the pudding, leaving the bottom part creamy and fused together, while the top crisped in the dry heat. Sliced into wedges, this made for easy lunches for the week.

Thanksgiving dinner -- good to the last drop. Photo by Wasabi Prime

The final meal that furthered Thanksgiving leftovers into the realm of, "Holy Hell, aren't you sick of this yet??" used the most basic, but flavorful part -- the turkey broth. I still had several cups' worth of a concentrated turkey stock made from the whole bird. Some of it was originally used for gravy, but the rest was reserved knowing it could be used for a number of things. I had seen a number of soups and stew recipes flying around on blogs and Tweets, but at this point, I had been sick with a cold and a craving for ramen won out in the end. Feeling too sick to hit the store and the fact that most of the Thanksgiving remnants were spoken for, it became a resourceful ramen that came together with pantry items and basic ingredients.

When the sniffles hit, some people crave chicken soup or grilled cheese sandwiches -- mine is either miso soup or ramen. More to the point, I crave a Hawaii-style saimin, which uses a thinner shoyu broth and yes, Spam is involved. Be it ever so humble, there's nothing that eases my sickly aches and pains like a savory, salty broth with chewy noodles, shredded fried egg, and slices of fried Spam on top. The ramen dashi came together with all the remaining turkey stock, water to thin it out, a splash of vinegar, several splashes of soy sauce, and a stalk of lemongrass (I keep them in the freezer; you'll be thankful if you do the same). The resulting flavor was a salty, sour broth that isn't necessarily traditional, it was just what my flu-riddled palate needed. I had the fortune of finding a few packets of fresh noodles stashed in the freezer. They weren't the firm, wrinkly Hilo-style saimin noodles I love best, but given my state of health, I wasn't about to complain.

Maybe waving the banner of Team Leftovers makes the Prime seem extra provincial, but I don't think it's too shabby a thing to think fast in the kitchen and cook by the seat of one's pantry. Given my newly-minted status as a Lady of Leisure, I anticipate many more at-home meals of UnRecipe inspiration.