So, other than feeling a little weighed down by last week's classwork, I've been working on this plan with Sam for a 20 person thanksgiving. But let me set this up for you -- ovens aren't common in Japan. And in our housing, two burner stoves are also the only thing we've got. So imagine the idea of trying to put together food for 20 people in a regular kitchen (not a small feat) and then cut your number of burners in half and take away your ability to keep things warm (or bake) in the oven.
That being said, Sam's idea was to basically figure out the menu instead of doing potluck (since those kinds of things always end up with people bringing chips from the combini down the street), and then do assignments of dishes to people who could do them. So one guy did all the sweet potatoes, one woman did all the potatoes, I did the stuffing (and the gravy), Sam did the meat (which also, not a turkey, but instead braised pork that was fantastic), and a pumpkin soup for starters AND mulled wine.
Mycah adding butter to something. There was a lot of butter put into this meal. Like I think 8 or 9 lbs of butter.
Max fighting with the potatoes! Best expression of the night! (he totally won, in case you were wondering)
Mike, who was the guy who didn't cook, but basically hung around and washed dishes and did things that needed to be done. And grinned the whole time, because he was doing it for Sam, and Sam was like a crazy hurricane on the day of.
Mariko, whose pictures hopefully will be better than mine, in all her adorableness, and Sam making an expression that he pretty much wore until all the food was done. That expression was "why isn't it done yet?"
Ai-Lin on the left is the one who offered her apartment up for this crazy business (which was so good - we all actually fit into one room!)
Ah, the typical Japanese photo of cuteness! That's Emma in the middle, who lives a train stop away from me, and the other girl whose name I can't remember but who shares a locker with me at school.
This is the literal bucket of mulled wine. And yes, we did drink the entire thing!
Vegitarian Stuffing! (I made this! it's apple, cranberry, walnut stuffing!)
These are the 'serving tubs' -- since none of our apartments have anything like serving dishes we got these. You see currently the slices of rosemary bread we made in our ricemakers there in the middle (that's right - ricemaker bread rocks!)
These are the serving 'tables' (with accompanying k-pop posters because that's how Ai-Lin rolls. We had two buckets of kabocha (pumkin) soup, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, carrots, braised pork, and for the vegitarians roasted stuffed peppers.
SO MANY CARROTS. we only ate like 1/4 of them. lol.
these are the cooks!! or at least, some of them! (and also, obviously, my fellow students from the school)
buckets of pumpkin soup. literally. (and also, if you look in the background, you can see our piles and piles of shoes which i find amusing)
finally, after hours and hours and hours, there was eating :D
Mike, the happiest man at the party, finally getting his reward for being that amused.
Chiemi, who is like one of my favorite people cuz she's ridiculously adorable
That's Fede in the middle there smouldering at the camera.
Actually Chiemi's photo, but it has me smiling in it! (and i think it's a great pic)
Dessert!! I can't believe we had room left, but we had coffee cake, apple rum cake, orange chocolate cake and pineapple-prune cake....all except for the pinapple one made in rice cookers!
Me and Fede :D
Me and Sam (who at that point was not only quite drunk, but also apparently can't keep his eyes open for pictures)
All in all totally worth the weeks of preparation, the all day shopping excursions, the having to drag heavy (good) smelling food onto the train in the rain, everything. :D
Now though? I'm totally pooped, and am basically going to be watching LOTR and doing nothing for the rest of the day. I hope y'all had good thanksgiving if you celebrate it! And if not, good weekends!
also posted to katekat on dreamwidth | you can reply here or there
That being said, Sam's idea was to basically figure out the menu instead of doing potluck (since those kinds of things always end up with people bringing chips from the combini down the street), and then do assignments of dishes to people who could do them. So one guy did all the sweet potatoes, one woman did all the potatoes, I did the stuffing (and the gravy), Sam did the meat (which also, not a turkey, but instead braised pork that was fantastic), and a pumpkin soup for starters AND mulled wine.
Mycah adding butter to something. There was a lot of butter put into this meal. Like I think 8 or 9 lbs of butter.
Max fighting with the potatoes! Best expression of the night! (he totally won, in case you were wondering)
Mike, who was the guy who didn't cook, but basically hung around and washed dishes and did things that needed to be done. And grinned the whole time, because he was doing it for Sam, and Sam was like a crazy hurricane on the day of.
Mariko, whose pictures hopefully will be better than mine, in all her adorableness, and Sam making an expression that he pretty much wore until all the food was done. That expression was "why isn't it done yet?"
Ai-Lin on the left is the one who offered her apartment up for this crazy business (which was so good - we all actually fit into one room!)
Ah, the typical Japanese photo of cuteness! That's Emma in the middle, who lives a train stop away from me, and the other girl whose name I can't remember but who shares a locker with me at school.
This is the literal bucket of mulled wine. And yes, we did drink the entire thing!
Vegitarian Stuffing! (I made this! it's apple, cranberry, walnut stuffing!)
These are the 'serving tubs' -- since none of our apartments have anything like serving dishes we got these. You see currently the slices of rosemary bread we made in our ricemakers there in the middle (that's right - ricemaker bread rocks!)
These are the serving 'tables' (with accompanying k-pop posters because that's how Ai-Lin rolls. We had two buckets of kabocha (pumkin) soup, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, carrots, braised pork, and for the vegitarians roasted stuffed peppers.
SO MANY CARROTS. we only ate like 1/4 of them. lol.
these are the cooks!! or at least, some of them! (and also, obviously, my fellow students from the school)
buckets of pumpkin soup. literally. (and also, if you look in the background, you can see our piles and piles of shoes which i find amusing)
finally, after hours and hours and hours, there was eating :D
Mike, the happiest man at the party, finally getting his reward for being that amused.
Chiemi, who is like one of my favorite people cuz she's ridiculously adorable
That's Fede in the middle there smouldering at the camera.
Actually Chiemi's photo, but it has me smiling in it! (and i think it's a great pic)
Dessert!! I can't believe we had room left, but we had coffee cake, apple rum cake, orange chocolate cake and pineapple-prune cake....all except for the pinapple one made in rice cookers!
Me and Fede :D
Me and Sam (who at that point was not only quite drunk, but also apparently can't keep his eyes open for pictures)
All in all totally worth the weeks of preparation, the all day shopping excursions, the having to drag heavy (good) smelling food onto the train in the rain, everything. :D
Now though? I'm totally pooped, and am basically going to be watching LOTR and doing nothing for the rest of the day. I hope y'all had good thanksgiving if you celebrate it! And if not, good weekends!
also posted to katekat on dreamwidth | you can reply here or there
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