Top Chef Thanksgiving Edition, Live from Walk Circle.

So I wasn't kidding. I did make a Thanksgiving Dinner last night. With actual pans and pots and food including butter.

I was inspired by the weirdos my heroes on Top Chef who just start throwing stuff in a pan and end up with Pan Seared Scallops and a Kahlua Martini and Peanut Butter Slider and I don't even know what their assignment was. They just do it and then Padma and Bald Guy Tom Kolikkioliolio judge them harshly and etc. etc. and then just like Project Runway. Except there seems to be more drinking. And the set looks like a redecorated DMV with a fancy kitchen. And no sniggering Michael Kors and Nina Garcia in their fancy director chairs. Tim Gunn should probably move to Top Chef. It's a little more classy. And has the drinking.


They make a lot of amuse bouches, those Top Chefs. This means amuse the buds of your taste if they are very, very small. It is like a tiny appetizer, so small it is amusing, as in le joke. A bag of chips is a better appetizer as far as I'm concerned, but I shouldn't be concerned over such matters. I call this amuse bouche piece of crostini with green bean, cranberry friend and dollop of something white which could be either goat cheese or whipped cream.


Gary has never had an amuse bouche, nor does he watch Top Chef. I think he was watching a sporting event when presented with this treasure.


Luckily our party guests will eat anything. These party guests, actually highly trained agility dogs. For real. YES for real!


Our menu? Some cranberries, they are my friends. Yams. Salad. Wild rice. Green Beans ala Broccoli. A delicious pumpkin pie from the fancy bakery for desert. Beverages.


Gary did ask about the main course. Huh? I made like FIVE things here! In pots on the stove and chopped! Did I mention the butter? I know, traditional Thanksgiving dinners feature turkey or steak or pizza along with their side dishes. I can't really say I was busy out trying to find Gustavo's weave poles again, or at work. Didn't do either of those things yesterday. Had a nice long day using pens and stuff and trying to draw a good mouse and really could not deal with the reality of a big dead bird inside my oven. Tom and Padma, I suspect you would have been judging my dinner harshly, had you actually shown up.


Then it was after dinner and I was thinking here was where I could write about how grateful the dogs are and the teach us so much about being happy and humble and licking dead pelicans. And like that would sort of tie into how the Top Chefs are really all grateful to be on the show and have that experience and we are grateful to have things like dogs and cable and a store where had I REALLY wanted to I could have bought free range, cage free dead turkey bird that died coincidentally, from old age.

Because that's how Oprah would end her Thanksgiving wrap-up segment. And, praise be The Secret, we try to do what Oprah would do, just in case the Secret works. And the Sunset Magazine article writers, they all always tie up their endings all organized and segueway-ish and all.

But really I just wanted to go out and sit on the couch with the dogs and fall asleep from way too much pie and soothing Calexico on really, really loud.