Thanksgiving 2019 plans!

[mamselle]

Things came out well but the smoke detector kept going on over bare bits of nothing--a spilled bit of sugar on the electric stove coils, or the handle of the pan we were heating water for tea in getting too hot.

Fans in the window--and directed, once, at the smoke detector itself--finally righted the issue, but my ears are still ringing.

Turkey was also done earlier than expected, but I'd finished making most of the sides (my job; my friend does the bird, I do the sides) and just popped them back in the over for a short while to re-heat completely (they'd been on the back of the stove so were still fairly warm, anyway.)

I tried being inventive with the gruyere gougeres, which didn't work--but when we realized how hard making giblet gravy is without either flour OR cornstarch (we'd both forgot to supply any), the limp little things, strained with milk, served admirably as the basis of a roux.

The spinach with gorgonzola and bacon came out decently, as did the stuffing and the roasted root vegetables.

The potatoes (done in individual ramekins lined with torn, buttered layers of croissant to form a pastry shell) were fine after I added more sharp cheddar to them--note for the future, while trying to avoid using milk, not all non-dairy substitutes work equally well in cooking--the one I tried this time had just a touch of sweetness to it that messed with the flavor of the cheese....we now know one more thing that won't work....

The bananas with ice cream and brown sugar/cloves/cinnamon/nutmeg sauce came out well again. We watched an episode of "Sherlock Holmes" and I fell asleep for two hours afterwards...walked home after that.

Bed....clunk.....

M.

[sinenomine]

Let us know how the restaurant is! (And where...)

I'll miss you by a month, but am interested for later reference!

M.

Hamilton was excellent; I hadn't seen it before. I skipped the restaurant, but for those who asked, it's Al Fanar, in the arcade next to the Gloucester Road Tube station. Back to the library today....

[mamselle]

Be sure to get tea in the tea room.

A bit pricey, but I always enjoy taking a moment there, sipping tea and looking at the great ebony-and-gold shelved, glassed-in royal library in the center of the building....the architect was a genius for creating such a breathtaking thing.

Happy looking and finding!

M.