Day 317: Full-on Turkey Dinner

Turkey-Dinner-585x442

It’s after midnight again, and my computer crashed literally seconds before I hit “publish”, losing about half my post. So you’ll have to settle for a more Coles’ Notes version.

Dinner was particularly brilliant tonight. A full turkey dinner for around 500 in the Great Hall of the JPL; a gala event, so fancy clothes, many courses and a lounge singer with a live band. I’m not sure how many long and round tables were set tonight – 50? All lit my candlelight and decorated with holiday bling. I sat between Michael Smith and Karl Lohnes; also around the table were Anna and Michael Olsen, Jeremy Parsons, Chris Standring, Elizabeth Baird and Emily Richards – hard to come up with a better group of people to eat dinner with, I think.

AmuseBouche
Quebec Foie Gras and Pigs in a Blanket

Soup
Tri-Colour Potato Chowder
Yukon, Purple and Sweet Potato with Alberta Duck Confit 

Appetizer
The Festive Plate
Wild Boar Terrine and Caramelized Onion, Truffle Roasted Gambas,
Wild Salmon Tartar and Sesame Seeds

Warm Glühwein
Gingerbread Biscotti

Entrée
Free Range Turkey Carved to Your Liking
Garlic Roasted Mashed Potatoes, Market Vegetables
and Alberta Spring Whiskey Gravy

Dessert
Granny Smith Spiced Apple Crumble Pie
Vanilla-Cinnamon Ice Cream and Tarragon Anglaise

The brilliant part was masterminded by the food and beverage team at JPL; after our amuse-bouche, soup and appetizer, they asked everyone to look under their coffee cups for a sticker, which would identify one person per table as Turkey Carver. They then brought those (around 50) guests into the kitchen, set them up with aprons, chefs’ hats and platters of turkeys and paraded them back out into the dining room, where they served up their masterfully pre-carved turkeys at their respective tables. With all the trimmings, of course. And even with 500 for dinner, the turkey wasn’t dried out.

 

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10 comments on “Day 317: Full-on Turkey Dinner

  1. Buddiegirl
    November 13, 2008 at 12:26 am

    That menu is amazing. My mouth is watering just thinking about tasting everything.

    Sounds like you are having a great time and I am glad you can share it with us.

  2. Kathryn
    November 13, 2008 at 7:02 am

    So who carved your turkey?
    Sounds fabulous.
    Perfect dinner companions, for sure.

  3. Dana mccauley
    November 13, 2008 at 7:03 am

    I’m so jealous! I’m home in bed with a sinus infection and you are there having a great meal with a slew of my favourite people. Pass regards around and enjoy!

  4. Bonnie
    November 13, 2008 at 7:03 am

    The dinner sounds wonderful and what interesting table companions. Just reading the menu is making me hungry – at 10 am!

  5. Cheryl
    November 13, 2008 at 7:34 am

    Wow, that’s quite the group of dinner companions! You fit right in.

  6. robyn
    November 13, 2008 at 8:05 am

    My jealousy continues.

  7. Lisa
    November 13, 2008 at 4:22 pm

    My drool is green due to my envy. 😉

  8. Elaine
    November 13, 2008 at 4:24 pm

    This is actually pretty stellar–throughout the week, I’ve been able to read this blog whenever I get hungry. Living vicariously helps with the hunger pangs!

  9. A
    November 13, 2008 at 8:30 pm

    Where’s M&W during all this banquetzie. Pilates on Wed babe.

  10. Diana
    November 14, 2008 at 9:21 am

    I attended the Nov 7 -9 weekend package, loved it, and am now living it all over again through Julie. It is quite an event.

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