Not all kitchens are alike

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How many refrigerators do you have? I have one. I'd guess that's the case for most families. Sometimes you retire an old one to the garage, and then you have two, but you only really use one. Diana Charles has 2 refrigerators, and a freezer. This isn't because she's retired one or anything like that - this is by design. Tonight she sent me downstairs to "get the andouille and a bag of crawfish tails" in preparation for the breakfast casserole she'll be making for us tomorrow morning. I missed the andouille on my first attempt - it was hiding behind the tasso and the alligator meat. This is a glimpse into what it's like to enjoy thanksgiving in a Louisiana kitchen.

We're spending the long weekend with the Louisiana side of my family, which always makes for some fun times. Good food is as much as guaranteed. Here is the menu for the weekend:

Wednesday:

Dinner

Smoked Stuffed Beef Roast

Onion Roast Potatoes

Pea Pods & Carrots

Grilled Salad

Birthday Cake

THURSDAY

Breakfast

Crawfish-Andouille Casserole

Cowboy Cake

Pre-Bird Peckings

Pre-Bird Peckings:

Shrimp Mold

Fruits & Veggies

Cheese Plate

Cranberry Margaritos

Thanksgiving Dinner

Citrus-brined Smoked Turkey

Honey Baked Ham

MeeMaw's dressing

Pineapple Sweet Potato Boats

Green Bean Casserole

Grilled corn

Shrimp and Mirliton Casserole

Hot Rolls

Cranberry Relish

Turkey Gravy

Apple Pie

Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Pie

FRIDAY

Breakfast

Kentucky Hot Browns

Lunch/Dinner

Football Feast

Wings & Gator & Sausage

Stuffed Peppers & Shrooms

Grilled Jalapeno Shrimp

7-Layer Dip

Fruits & Veggies


SATURDAY

Breakfast

Breakfast Buffet at the

Grove Park Inn

National Ginger Bread Competition

Dinner

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Tossed Salad

Italian bread

Chianti


I can't make this stuff up. You've probably never had a Mirliton, and I guarantee you don't know how to pronounce it properly. They're serious about the gator sausage and wings for game day too. This is how the Charles family does Thanksgiving weekend, and I'm just happy to be part of it.

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