Tassi Thanksgiving 2011 - MMMM! Maple

The pie and coffee has been served and the window is closing on Thanksgiving 2011.  So, I have decided to leave the politics alone , and chose to recap my day with a diary of events, in case anyone is interested in how the Southie Tassi's spent this wonderful holiday.

6:23 AM - I wake up to the sound of my dog Tillman whining because he wants his breakfast.

7:59 AM - Wife, kid and dog are loaded up into the family truckster, en route to the lovely suburb of Somerville for the Gobble Gobble Gobble 4 mile race.  I plan to preemptively burn 400 calories for the 4500 I plan on ingesting throughout the day.

8:24 AM - Arrive in Davis Square, load the kid in the stroller, and head off to starting line with wife and dog ready to spectate.



Pre -race pic with co-pilot

 8:48 AM - As I am trying to stay warm on a chilly morning waiting for the race to begin, I get a wonderful Thanksgiving day treat bu running into my friend, Laura Miyakawa.  After a quick chat, its almost race time.

9:00 AM - Race starts, and I start running pushing Gianna in her stroller, after a few seconds, I spot Rachel, Natalia and Kelly and decide that Gianna and I will try and run with them even though its a very crowded course.

9:11 AM - Rachel and I lose Natalia and Kelly, but continue to run together.  Gianna is still with us as well.

9:23 AM - Kelly finds us and passes us, pulls back momentarily to hear Rachel's news, then continues to cruise on ahead.

9:40 ish AM - I am finished the race along with Rach, Kelly, and Natalia, but now its time to all go our Separate Ways, to quote Journey, to celebrate this great day.



Tassi Family Post race, Tillman was uncooperative for the camera

11:23 AM - I am home, showered and ready to prepare a fantastic feast, or at least get everyone drunk enough so it seems like a fantastic feast.

11:24 AM - I crack my first beer of the day, a very tasty Mayflower IPA.  I felt it only appropriate to purchase beer for Thanksgiving called Mayflower, brewed in Plymouth, MA.  It just seemed to scream Thanksgiving to me.

11:32 AM - The texts start flying to many friends wishing them a Great Thanksgiving Day!

12:07 PM - Our good friends Steve, Melissa , and their dog Lucy arrive to spend the holiday with us.

1:05 AM - Appetizer cocktails are served: Cranberry - Whiskey Cooler.  This is a fantastic beverage made with cranberry juice, pomengranate juice, OJ and bourbon (what's better than bourbon?), garnished with a bit of fresh mint.

Its a tasty Thanksgiving Slushie!

1:06 PM - A quick check of the TV shows Green Bay going up on Detroit.  Finally an important game for the Lions on Thanksgiving, but will they show up and play?

1:45 PM - Salad course is served:  Spinach with Berries, Goat Cheese, and Maple Pecan Vinigiatte.

2:15 PM - Soup course is served: Roasted Acorn Squash Soup with Maple Creme Fraiche.  This was a very tasty soup, it had a bit of heat from some cayenne, but the sweetnes of the maple and the cool creme fraiche was a perfect balance.

2:38 PM - Peanut Oil is dumped into the fryer, and it is fired up.  With a slow heat, it should take about 45 minutes to an hour to get the oil heated to a nice 350 degrees.

2:56 PM - Pasta is dropped and Green Bay is running away with the game up 24-0.  What a letdown of a football game.

3:16 PM - Pasta is served: Campanelle with a Pork Ragu.  So this dish was a little break from the maple themed menu, but my pork ragu is the best in Southie.  Of course I am like the only dago in a community of Murphs, Sullys, and O'Everything.



Doesn't everyone serve a pasta course at Thanksgiving?

3:48 PM - Its Turkey Time, ready to drop the bird in the oil.

Three minutes per pound in the oil is all it takes for this to become a beautiful, juicy Thanksgiving table star!

4:04 PM - Potatoes and Stuffing into the oven, Onions and Apples beginning to carmelize.

4:47 PM - Bird is dome cookin, perfect 165 degrees.  Juices beginning to rest.

5:27 PM - Dinner is ready!!!!!

Roasted Sweet, Russet, and Red-Skinned Potatoes with Maple Herb Butter

Cranberry, Orange, Ginger Chutney

Green Beans with Shallots and Italian Sausage



Deep Fried Turkey with a Maple Bourbon Butter Injection.  MMMMMMM!
How about those Old Country Buffet sized slices, what the hell was I thinking?


6:21 PM - The worst part of Thanksgiving, clearing the table and cleaning up.  Where is the wife when she could be useful?  Just kidding!

6:47 PM - Dessert and coffee time.  In keeping with the maple theme, because apparently their is not enough maple syrup currently running through my veins: Pumpkin Ricotta Pie with Maple Whipped Cream, and Maple Custard, made my my lovely wife, Katie.  Oh yeah, there are also the 5-pack of cupcakes contributed by Steve and Melissa.  Originally it was six cupcakes, but I think Steve must have had the munchies last night.

I love cupcakes!!!!

7:30 PM - I am continuing to enjoy some coffee and Baileys while the High-School football highlights are about to come on.

8:22 PM - After a long day of drinking and eating,our wonderful guests decide its time to head home for the evening.

8:48 PM - Wife decides to go to bed

8:49 PM - Time to crack another beer (I forsee more than one being opened in the future), and enjoy the Niners-Ravens game.  So, that about tells you the story of the Tassi Thanksgivng 2011.  It was a great day with my family, friends, football, and of course, some wonderful food.  I am thankful to have great people to share my favorite holiday with, and many fantastic leftovers to keep us happy throughout the weekend.  And remember, only 114 days to go until the next best holiday - St. Patrick's Day!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow is my favorite holiday of the year, so I wanted to wish everyone a Great Thanksgiving!  I mean what is not to like about Thanksgiving?  Its a celebration of family, friends, food, and football.  It's fantastic.  I am taking a little break from some prep work, but here is my planned menu, which has a maple theme:

Cocktail

Cranberry Whiskey Slushy Cooler

Salad

Spinach, Spiced Pecans and Mixed Berries with Goat Cheese and Maple Vinaigrette

Soup

Roasted Squash Soup with Maple Creme Fraiche

Pasta

Campanelle with Pork Ragu

Entree

Deep Fried Turkey with Spicy Maple Bourbon Marinade

Challah Bread Dressing with Bacon and Pears

Roasted Mixed Potatoes with Maple Herb Butter

Cranberry-Orange Chutney

Caramelized Apples and Onion

Dessert

Pumpkin Ricotta Pie with Maple Whipped Cream

Maple Custard

Stay tuned tomorrow, as I am thinking of taking a page out of Bill Simmon's book, and having a running diary for Tassi Thanksgiving 2011.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Suffolk Law Professor Shame!

So I am curious about all the people I know that went to Suffolk Law School, and what you think of Professor Michael Avery?  Apparently the good Professor enjoys his freedom of speech, but has contempt for those courageous souls who provide us that very freedom.

As you may have already heard, last week a Suffolk Law Professor sent out an email to his colleagues asking for contributions to put care packages together for our troops.  Quite a positive act by this particular professor, and something that I fully support.  But not Professor Avery.  Oh no, apparently that Avery hates our troops so much, not only did he refuse to participate, he went on to say: 

"I think it is shameful that it is perceived as legitimate to solicit in an academic institution for support for men and women who have gone overseas to kill other human beings."

Really Mr.Avery?  We have many brave men and women overseas, sacrificing time with their family and friends, obeying orders from their superiors, so that you may sit in your plush office with communist values, and you think they are murderers?  The really interesting point is that those who are protecting our freedoms are doing it voluntarily.  That is right, the members of our military decided to sign up so that they could protect the country that they love.



The professor went on to respond:

"Since Sept. 11 we have had perhaps the largest flag in New England hanging in our atrium.  This is not a politically neutral act. Excessive patriotic zeal is a hallmark of national security states."

Once again, Really Mr. Avery.  So, a flag flying is not patriotic, but the hallmark of national security states?  So, are you coming the flag flying in the atrium of your building to Nazi Germany?  It sort of sounds that way to me.  But I would really love to hear your side of the story and your explanation.  But apparently we will never get to hear your explanation because you are high and mighty Professor Avery, and have denied all requests for interview or to appear on radio or TV.

So, I decided to look at Avery's Suffolk Profile , and I found something interesting.  During the height of the Vietnam conflict, was Mr. Avery supporting his country?  No, he was studying at the University of Moscow.  Yes, that is right, he was supporting communism when the US was against it.

More research showed that Avery is a big supporter of Cuba as well and has given speeches there as recent as 2005 on terrorist acts of the United States.

             

Things Professor Avery Hates 

Professor Avery's Love

                                   

So, my question for you Professor Avery is, If you hate the United States so much why do you chooses to stay?  No one is forcing you to live here.  I believer it is because you are the poster boy of hypocrisy.

And Mr. Avery, you don't need to stuff care packages for our troops, because I will, and many others will, who support our military.  Just because we are in a war that you do not agree with, its no reason to hate the men and women who are simply following orders.  Maybe you should simply thank them for protecting your right to have whack-job views.

Coach Paterno - You are a Disgrace!

A week ago if you mentioned Penn State to me the first thing that came to mind was football.  I would think of John Cappelletti and his stirring Heisman speech, or perhaps Linebacker U and the 1986 National championship win against the big bad Canes.  However, what do I think of now when I hear Penn State?  Disgust, Shame, and Anger.  I am angry that there appears to be cover-up and willfull ignorance of the actions of alleged child rapist and former Penn State Coach, Jerry Sandusky.  By now, many of you know that Sandusky, if allegations are true, has raped and molested at least 9 young victims, on the Penn State campus.

But you know what one of the worst things seem to be?  JoePa knew something was going on.  Coach Paterno is supposed to be a man of great integrity and honor, who shapes the lives of young men and shows them how to be winners on and off the football field.  However, in my mind, he is an accomplice to child rape.  He was too busy protecting the program and his friend, he forgot to protect the young boys on his campus.
  If you haven't read it yet, you can find the Sandusky grand jury report here. However, I must warn you that it is very graphic and disturbing.  Although the whole thing sickens me to the core, I am troubled by what Paterno knew in relation to Victim 2.  On March 1, 2002, a Penn State Graduate Assistant (now a Coach) Mike McQueary, found the monster Sandusky naked in the shower, sodomizing a young boy estimated to be about 10 years old.  Now instead of doing anything, pulling the predator off the innocent child, calling for help, alerting authorities, McQueary did nothing but run home to his daddy.  McQueary and his father reported the incident to Paterno.  Although it is not known to what detail was reported to him, Paterno stated to his AD (Tim Curley) that a Graduate Assistant had seen Sandusky in the showers fondling and doing something of a sexual nature to a young boy.  Paterno KNEW SOMETHING WRONG WAS GOING ON.  Later McQueary reported the sodomy to Athletic Director Curley, and VP of Finance and Business Gary Schultz, who have both since been relieved of their positions with the University.

So, Paterno may be old, but there is no way he did not know that disgusting criminal activities were taken place under his nose.  This was a major cover-up by the University in order to save face and protect the football program and Paterno's legacy.

So, now Joe must do the right thing - leave immediately and go live the rest of your short life with the decisions you made to willfully ignore the rape of boys by your friend in your locker room.

I think we all have the responsibility to protect children, our own or not, from sick, twisted, demented predators.  However, there were a few, at Penn State, who apparently do not feel the same way - their own agendas were apparently more important.