Thanksgiving 2015: The Preparation

Melissa is a bit obsessive about food. (Let's be real, it's a bit more than a bit.) For example: she carries with her a small, green notebook to record ideas of names and ingredients for the infamous #TBPPizzaSpecial. Recently, while visions of cranberry sauce and the perfect turkey danced in her head; her mind landed excitedly upon the idea of a "Thanksgiving Series" of pizza specials at The Burlington Place. Not your typical "throw-the-leftovers-on-the-crust" concept, but...well, see if you can follow: This year, the Thanksgiving special is the Muchas Gracias - a pizza built on top of a cranberry salsa for sauce, dollops of cream cheese, fresh red onion, fresh jalapeno and ground turkey. Future pizzas will be built using Arigoto, Danke, and Merci as their nominative inspiration. Fun, right?

And whilst dreaming up the next five years worth of Thanksgiving Series Pizza Specials, Melissa was planning her own, booze-driven Thanksgiving meal. Having mastered both a Rumchata Cheesecake and Cabernet Blueberry-Cranberry sauce for last years "No-Parents, No-Rules" holiday extravaganza, the rest of the traditional dishes needed to undergo a boozing factor for Abode 212's first ever Thanksgiving meal (to be shared with Katie, Tom, [maybe Patty], Harland and Brenda).

Having only limited opportunities to run to town for groceries, planning had to begin just over a month in advance. Food magazines from the previous three Novembers littered the living room floor, Pintrest was at the ready and consideration for food traditions loved and loathed was at the forefront of the decisions to be made. This meant, that Melissa took into consideration facts like her folks are non-sweet potato eaters, and Mike will always pass on the green bean casserole and traditional pumpkin pie, so why work hard to incorporate those as main dishes? To be expected of a girl who prepared her first, full-on turkey dinner her senior year of high school (for the pure joy and experience of it all), Melissa felt no intimidation at seeking out new dishes, new methods of preparing a turkey and new ways to incorporate all the classics (sweet potatoes will find their way into the hummus this year, served on the relish tray as opposed to alongside the stuffing and a mushroom barley salad will fill the gap for the green bean casserole).

The menu began to take shape with boozy concepts taking a firm hold on most menu items- Melissa was struck by recipes for a bourbon brined turkey and a hard cider brined turkey (therefore, it should be no surprise she combined both concepts and had a hard-cider-bourbon-brined turkey to serve). As the turkey brine began to take shape in mental format, cooking the bird became the next matter of interest. Having a small kitchen and one small oven and NOT wanting to run down to The Burlington Place to take care of various parts of the meal, Melissa began her research on using an electric roaster oven to prepare a turkey (conveniently, an electric roaster came with the purchase of The Burlington Place, so Melissa owns one by association). Many bloggers and roaster experts had high praises to sing of their turkey's prepared in an electric roaster, claiming it was quicker, resulted in a juicier turkey and most importantly freed up oven space, Melissa was convinced and brought home the roaster to be cleaned and used on the big day.

While, some parts of the meal had been decided a year in advance: the Cabernet Blueberry-Cranberry sauce and Rumchata Cheesecake; the rest had to be decided upon in time for the bi-weekly grocery run. As such, from the piles of magazines a Mushroom Barley Salad (courtesy of Food & Wine), Lemon-Rosemary Rolls (courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens), and a Salted Pecan-Bourbon Pumpkin Pie (also courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens) made it onto this years menu. Additionally, a sweet-potato hummus and roasted chickpea appetizer (each courtesy of Pinterest) made it onto the snack cart. Brenda and Katie rounded out the holiday meal with twice-baked potatoes and lemon-butter green beans respectively.

Other, aesthetic details that came together in the preparation stage of planning the meal included the purchase of white linen napkins complete with paper-leaf napkin rings (an homage to Mike's grandma Carolynn who believed in the power and purpose of a well-set dinner table, no matter the occassion). Melissa also purchased a sturdy, folding bar cart to use as the brunch and snack station to be located in the living room so guests could easily snack without getting congested in the small kitchen of Abode 212. (Brilliant!) Melissa also repurposed her old, OLD, dorm fridge for a convenient, dining room drink station, another trick to avoid the congestion of the kitchen. Additionally, Mike conquered the building of shelves in one guest room so that boxes of beer (just a small collection that the Harrington's have been building for a few years now) could be better organized and less obtrusive in the small room. Mike also added small hooks to the back of both guest rooms for robes and towels (now that guests have the opportunity to soak in a hot tub).

In the life of Melissa Harrington, preparing for guests and big meals is just one of lifes great joys, the actual hosting obviously trumps the whole process, but the immensity of joy to be experienced in the whole of the event is truly life-giving. The small details, the big details, the menu plan, the cleaning tasks - all played into the execution of a most enjoyable, incredibly delicious Thanksgiving holiday.

 

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Fine Dining in Daejeon: Tips for the Meatless

While Korean food meets a deep satisfying need for many expats who find themselves in South Korea, there is a dependence on meats and fish sauces and broths in Korean cooking that can create a challenging situation for expats who would like to experience Korea and their lives in general, with the absence of meat.

Earlier this year, the Harrington's informed their reader's about one popular Daejeon Alternative, Machera Well-Being Vegetarian Buffet at the end of the subway line at Banseok. However, it's quite possible local or visiting vegetarians are a bit tired of the selection and location of this option and are yearning for a bit more variety.

Fortunately, the Harrington's are decently connected and have had the pleasure of meeting a long-time vegan in Daejeon who graciously shared his knowledge and experience of eating out in Daejeon. The following are locations and dishes and tips from this friend regarding meatless eating in Daejeon. Details are given to the extent THT can provide. THT hasn't sat down at all of these eateries and cannot attest to location or deliciousness. However, readers who are meatless and adventurous should enjoy the challenge of hunting down these alternatives to home-cooking and Machera Buffet.

Airport Shuttle from Incheon to Daejeon and Back Again

With vacation season in full swing in South Korea a number of expats and other travelling bodies find themselves in need of transportation to Incheon International Airport. Fortunately, public transportation is rarely an issue in South Korea so getting to the airport is of little difficulty.

If you are beginning in Daejeon you have essentially two options: 1) Train (slow ~10,000 W/2 hours or KTX ~20,000 W/1 hour) to Seoul station followed by the Airport express (~4,000 W/45 minutes) to Incheon International airport or 2) Direct bus from Daejeon Dunsan (maybe aka Dong-bu) Bus Terminal (22,000 W/2.5-3hours). Either option lands you right at the front door of the airport for vacation adventures to begin!

And upon returning to Incheon one can easily back track option 1 looking for the Airport express line to Seoul station before returning to Daejeon or by looking for the following counter which is just outside of baggage claim and can hook the traveler up with a ticket to just about anywhere on the peninsula.

Doctor, Doctor! Oracle Skin Care: Daejeon Dermatologist

Being an expatriate you find yourself and others like you asking a lot of the same questions: Where to find the best hamburgers, Mexican food, cheese and of course English speaking medical assistance. A few months back Mrs. Harrington found herself asking such a question: Where can an expat receive some dermatological care in this city with an English speaking doctor? Fortunately, in the 5th largest city of the land of Kimchi, it's not too tall of an order.

Top 5: Expat Kitchen Appliances

Recently over dinner, Melissa was asked how she cooks in Korea. Thinking further on this, Melissa has opted to share with readers her top 5 investments for an expat kitchen for those with a little gourmet chef coursing through their veins.

5. Rice Cooker - Although rice is not entirely difficult to make on the stove top, having a rice cooker is phenomenal! This appliance however is more phenomenal if you can purchase one when another expat is returning home, that way you receive ultimate savings on a not-too-essential appliance (unless of course you eat rice daily). The Harrington's nabbed their rice cooker for a measly 5,000 won and have enjoyed meals such as curry and stir-fry with much greater ease. (pictured top right)


4. Electric Food Processor/Immersion Blender/Whisk - Blender's and food processors are most definitely available at E-Mart, Homeplus etc. For the Harrington Chef however, the multi-attachment food processor, immersion blender and whisk which come with plastic measuring container, are well worth the 35,000 won necessary to purchase this contraption new. Melissa picked hers up at Home Plus. (pictured center)


3. Electric Tea Kettle - Again, as rice is doable on stove top, an electric kettle is by no means an absolute must. However, as a tea drinker Melissa has not gone one day in the 13 months she's lived in Korea without boiling a pot of water. Useful not only for drinks but for cleaning baked on grime, beer bottles, etc. boiling water is often a requirement. The Harrington's purchased a Philips brand kettle per advice of their dear friends and have been ever pleased with the 40,000 won investment from Hi-Mart ever since. (not pictured)


2. Oven - Some may be surprised to see the oven at number two, even Melissa is not entirely convinced this is the appropriate placement of the beloved little beast, however, for now, number two is an oven. If you ever want to enjoy banana bread, fresh hot cookies, lasagna, etc you ought to buckle down and purchase an oven. The task is made much more enjoyable and affordable when done via GMarket. The Harrington's have been happily using their oven to bake for the happy, approximate value of 55,000 won...you can check out their model here. (pictured bottom left).


1. Slow-cooker - By far, the most versatile and useful appliance in the Harrington Kitchen is none-other than a slow cooker picked up for 40,000 (possibly 50,000) at Costco. The slow-cooker makes so many cooking feats possible: large soups for crowds, spiced cider for a crowd, mashed potatoes for holiday meals, whole chickens and pork loins, dry beans and even sweet dishes like Apple Crisp and Banana Bread if you're daring can be pulled off in a slow-cooker. If you happen to live near a Beautiful Store (there are many), they occasionally carry old models, that appear to have never been used, for a sweet price of 15,000. (pictured top left)


Additionally, she recommends going all out and getting the glass measuring cups, especially if you envision measuring hot liquids...ever. But, they are far from necessary.
If you love cooking yet feel intimidated by your tiny Korean kitchen, consider one, two or five of the above appliances and you'll be cooking in no time!