THANKSGIVING AFTERMATH & ANOTHER GREAT HIBACHI GRILL RESTAURANT

Before I forget. . .Even though it is the day after Thanksgiving and we have been sufficiently filled, stuffed, engorged, sated, replenished, suffused and tryptophan-ed to a level that approaches the borders of gastronomical ecstacy, we'd like to let you know about another great restaurant we visited not too long ago. I have never been what you would call and ardent fan of Japanese cuisine. For me, sushi is another word for bait, which in turn is used to catch larger, more substantial fish which are subsequently cooked before ingesting. However, we often take the missionaries to the Ginza restaurant here, in Elizabethtown. We love that place, as we have attested in various postings in this blog. As a result, I have begun to eat a miniscule amount of such offerings as fresh-water eel (Unagi); crab and rice nigiri; squid with green onion tuna (Negi Maguro) and a dish called Sunset which is described on the menu as: crab, avocado, cucumber and cream cheese topped with smoked salmon with lemon slices. mmm mmmm. The name of the restaurant is 'Kansai Japanese Steakhouse' and it also serves great steaks and seafood if, "ya'll don't cotton to bait!". And they have a green wasabe that is fantastic. Lynne smells it and her eyes start to water and her nose runs. It is fiery and somewhat sweet with just a bit of ginger hint to it. So if you like spicy hot. . .go for it. As much as we have enjoyed the great food and experience of eating at the 'Ginza', I believe we will probably visit 'Kansai' more often in the future.

Ah, but I digress. Okay. Having dispensed with that, and in keeping with the season, let's move on to more traditional fare. We had a great Thanksgiving dinner yesterday and got to visit with family members and a few of the missionaries. We all met in Louisville at Mike and Amber's house where Mike had spared no effort in preparing a sumptuous feast that included - as indicated by the photos - turkey, dressing, garlic mashed potatoes, rolls, green bean casserole, pasta and cheese casserole, side dishes and a pumpkin cheesecake with pralines. Well done, Mike. Great food and even greater times with family. Uh. . . oh yeah . . . and football! We missed having more of you with us and the fact that we couldn't travel out West to be with family there. Lynne also struggled with the fact that this was basically her first Thanksgiving without Casey's (Iraq) presence. She has spoken to him in the past couple of days and hopefully will hear from him again this weekend.

Madi had a great time at her first Thanksgiving dinner and enjoyed immensely being passed from one family member to the next. She demonstrated her skill as a virtuoso and prodigy on the piano (see picture). Next stop, Carnegie Hall. She is of course, without question and without exception, very partial to her Grampa Hutch. A source of much consternation and chagrin to anyone else attempting to appease her after she's left my arms. Yeah, I know, I know. It's a curse. . .really it is. But what's a guy to do? Women and the Hutch touch.

By the way, don't be disturbd by the knife-wielding Fernando in the picture below. He's not really unbalanced. The only thing to fall victim to his antics was an already roasted and basted turkey carcass. The facts in evidence not-withstanding, Fernando insited on a thorough post-mortem dissection and examination of the deceased. A culinary examination, if you will under the direction of none other than Fernando himself. I think his intense work-schedule at the hospital has left him feeling a tad overwhelmed and 'juuusst a bit' out of synch with reality. This was evidenced when he kept referring to the turkey-wing he was eating as, "just another chicken hopped-up on steroids!". Fernando, Fernando. Gotta work off some of that stress, brother. Preferably without the carving knife.