Take 2!

Well that was a disaster! I just posted all the pictures on Facebook, but I'll just add a little more detail about one dish: the brussels sprouts. Maybe Mom can comment on the brined turkey and turkey bag.

Well, we all love Brussels sprouts I think. However, they tend to have a somewhat stinky smell if you boil them. Recently, I've tried blanching them (boiling for just a few minutes), then roasting them in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper. This is good but still a little stinky. What I tried yesterday was just slicing them thinly (holding onto the stem and cutting little circular slices off starting at the top) and browning them on the stovetop in a combo of sausage fat and olive oil. A newspaper article suggested trying bacon fat or turkey fat. Then I added some Meyer lemon zest and crumbled, roasted chestnuts. It was good, I thought! I've also tried a similar recipe but with cream poured over the top and no lemon zest. I'm not sure if you could combine lemon zest and cream or if it would curdle.

I just realized this isn't the most relevant topic for you Lind since I don't remember ever seeing brussels sprouts in Fiji!