I’m Thankful That Meal Is Over
The first Thanksgiving I spent with my ex-wife’s family was both terrible and scary. I grew up in the restaurant business, so everyone in my family can cook, and I took that for granted. First, the turkey was not seasoned or marinated and full of box stuffing. They were taking it out of the oven when I mentioned that it was clearly not cooked yet.
It had only been in the oven for maybe three hours, the skin was still pale, and the temperature gauge was still down. I was told that those gauges never work, so there was no point in using that as a guide, and they did not own a meat thermometer for me to prove my point. They cut the first piece to reveal a soft pink core of raw turkey.
Instead of putting it back in the oven, or even cutting up strips to pan cook, they decided to microwave each portion. They did not offer to microwave the stuffing. I refused to have any, claiming I didn’t like stuffing. I had one small bite of turkey and made it disappear when no one was looking. The sides were ok for the most part, no seasoning or flair, but I filled up in it.
The rolls were cool and raw in the middle, so no rolls for me. Finally, it was time for dessert. They made pumpkin pie. Looking at it, I was already questioning the texture, but as I am a cook and not a baker, I figured I could just be over-critical from the dinner fiasco. I took my first bite and nearly spit it back out onto my plate.
The whipped cream was the only thing that saved me. I asked what recipe they used for the pie. Apparently, it was a silly question, as they just used a premade crust and added a can of pumpkin….no condensed milk, no sugar. Nothing but the canned pumpkin and the crust. Every year afterward we either hosted dinner for her parents, or we visited my family.