Thanksgiving

I've committed myself to cooking my first Thanksgiving Dinner, this year. One of the benefits of being married to an American. I've never cooked a turkey before and ,while the whole prospect of being responsible for such an important meal isn't horribly daunting, it IS a first and I'm quickly finding that there are a lot of American dishes, or American adaptations of dishes from other countries, which I know nothing about.

To wit, Steve and I had an interesting discussion today on the subject of 'Goulash', to find our concept of that particular dish is worlds apart. I grew up with Hungarian Goulash while he grew up with Hamburger Goulash. I asked him what he'd like for dinner and he said Goulash, so I was mentally preparing a paprika-based stew with chunks of beef and to be served with tagliatelle or some other egg noodle (which is what my mother always used instead of the traditional egg dough 'pinches'). I didn't realise until later, that Steve was concocting a vision of a dish based on ground beef into which macaroni is added and it all cooks up together. So, I'm going to try to whip up something similar to his version, tonight.

I realise that Thanksgiving Dinner is not too far distant from a Christmas Dinner - what with the turkey and veggies and cranberry sauce even - but there are some very key things that seem to make Thanksgiving Dinner just that, and not a fore-runner to Christmas Dinner.

Anuja is providing use of her oven (I don't have one) and the space to entertain family and friends. I've volunteered to do most, if not all, of the cooking so if anyone out there has something very typically eaten at an American Thanksgiving Dinner, please could you shout out. One thing though, I'd really rather NOT prepare any dish that incorporates marshmallows. Just saying!

Thanks everyone.

MIA

Oh dear, I have been ominously silent, haven't I? I've been missing, and definitely getting action.

Nothing to worry about, balancing work and my new role of full-time wife is just about taking up all my time. You'll all be glad to know I've taken working hours down to 12-13 a day now but the end result is a desk which looks like a bomb has hit it, and no way to find any time to get re-organised.

We're so enjoying the fact that we don't have to keep saying 'goodbye' at airports, and waking up to each other every morning. I'm not saying there haven't been a few 'moments' as we settle in with one another, but I believe we have what it takes to grow old together. Cuddling into that man as I fall asleep, will always be the most wonderful feeling in the world.

This evening, we're off to Macau - we cut our time away short as Linkin Park cancelled due to someone hurting his back, but Cirque

is on for tonight! So we'll be on the Cotai Jet

at 6pm and sitting in the theatre by 8pm. Then two nights at The Venetian

and some lovely spa treats booked for tomorrow. I doubt we'll even leave the resort as there's so much to see and do - and so many places to eat. I want to try Fogo Samba, a churrascaria (Brazilian barbecue steakhouse)

where you can feast on unlimited amounts of freshly barbecued meats brought to the table on skewers and carved right onto your plate. Did I mention that this is unlimited? Steve and I do love our meat!

Well, back to work, I have to sign off payroll before I leave in a few hours, or else noone will get paid on Friday. And that would make me VERY unpopular with everyone.

Happiness and the Har Gau

Happy is what I am, what we are. And everyone is remarking on how different I look since Steve arrived. I believe it's true, that my happiness bubbles up to the surface and reveals itself in my face. There's just no hiding pure joy.

We've been busy, soooooooooo busy. Getting out and about, visiting with friends, exploring old haunts and discovering some new ones. The week I took off was wonderful, just absolutely wonderful, and it was difficult going back to work. Luckily this week has been a short work-week (Wednesday was a holiday) and next week will be another short work-week with Tuesday off. We're just simply delighting in each other.

And now for the har gau. Classical steamed shrimp dumplings. My love's favourite dim sum dish and he can't get enough of these little parcels of goodness. In fact we're off for some more today at lunchtime with Anuja. I let him have his fill of har gaus while I consume entire platefuls of cuttlefish tentacles. For some strange reason, he's not tempted to partake of my favourite dish. I can't, for the life of me, understand why. Can you?