November is a bountiful month.  It is the month of my daughter’s birth, as well as that of my father, it is the month of elections and also the month that we give thanks for the things that have been bestowed upon us.  I love November.  In south Texas it starts to get cool and that is a real blessing. We have much to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving dinner is, by far, my favorite meal.  I can’t remember ever eating any dish prepared for Thanksgiving dinner that wasnt something delicious.  Those Pilgrims had their acts together and started some real traditions.  Thank you Pilgrims.  I can eat turkey and dressing any time of the year and love left over turkey sandwiches.  I like dressing patties sautéed in butter until they are brown on both sides.  They are as fattening as eating a bon-bon, but who cares.  I keep cranberry sauce in the cupboard all year and serve almost every time we have pork or turkey.  You can even use it to slather on a good biscuit if you get in a bind.

Yesterday we received the Thanksgiving issue of Williams-Sonoma catalog.  This is a cooks answer to the annual Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog.  W/S has some things in their catalog that people only dream about.  No one ever has enough kitchen space for all the things one wants from this catalog.  They have pots, pans, dinnerware, recipes, wine parings, they have it all, including food.  They have Maple Bourbon turkey glaze, butternut squash puree, they have pecan pie in a jar, and these are only a few of their offerings.  Last year my children bought me some of their frozen croissants and I can vouch that they are about as good as it gets.  Considered as living high on the hog.  Last night I looked at a  selection of prepared meats that they are offering and was totally in awe.  They looked professionally prepared and I’m sure they were.  However, a Crown roast pricing out at  a mere $ 37.50 per pound was a bit much.  You can rest assured that if you come to my house for Thanksgiving dinner and you see a W/S Snake River Farms Kurobuta Crown Roast sitting on the table you damned well better not take seconds.  Leftovers are going straight to the freezer to have for next year.  That little piece of meat will be sliced thinner than an Arbys roast beef sandwich.  You can fill up on garlic mashed potatoes.  My wife asked if I saw anything in the catalog that I might want for Christmas, I am hard to buy for, and I advised no.  That was somewhat of a little fib.  I saw a lot I would like to have but have no place to put them.  I am currently storing some of my cooking gadgets in the garage and in my camping storeroom.  I am afraid to ask for more toys.  I guess she could buy me some Shellfish Firmaggio in Scallop shells, they are only $ 19.00 apiece and look as if they could be gulped down like an oyster on the half-shell.  Lord, wonder who eats food like that?

I hope each of you have a great November.  I hope you buy your turkey early and thaw it properly.  I love going to the grocery store and watching people, some obviously from other countries, buying a frozen turkey on the eve of Thanksgiving.  I always wonder what those people actually eat the next day.

Gary