A Whirl in the City of Angels: Thanksgiving 2010

Every year, it's tradition for me to hop in the car or on a plane down to Los Angeles and spend Thanksgiving with one of my best childhood friends, who's currently working down south. This year's trip was a particular whirlwind, since (1) I was so busy in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving that I had zero time to even think about going away, and (2) I had to rush back immediately after Thanksgiving for another event (more on that later on in the week). So here's the chronicle of this year's Thanksgiving trip.

Driving south with fellow Stanford-ites.

The view over Pacheco Pass.

--Scenes from Los Angeles--

I got in late Tuesday night after a long drive down Highway 5.  On Wednesday morning, we hit up the wonderful Santa Monica Farmers' Market (was too busy shopping for food to take any photos) and then planned our Thanksgiving menu over delicious bowls of pho.

That's Jessi, whom I've known since fifth grade! ^

Then, I cooked Thanksgiving dinner in under five hours.  I'm quite proud of that fact, especially since I had no clue what I would make before going to the farmers' market that morning.  Granted, I had numerous helping hands, without which I could never have pulled this one off!  (We had Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday, since people usually have other plans on Thursday.)

--Scenes from the Thanksgiving kitchen--

Thanksgiving Menu 2010

Jerusalem artichoke citrus mint salad

Jalapeño cornbread with garlic chive goat cheese spread

Lemon rosemary pepper trout

Garlic and herb-ed chicken legs

Roasted crabapples wrapped in prosciutto and thyme

Haricot verts with fresh cranberries

Caramelized rainbow carrots

English peas with mint

Garlic mashed potatoes

Pomegranate-ginger cranberry sauce

Roasted delicata squash with sage, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil

Roasted figs with fresh ginger honey syrup and salted pistachios, over vanilla ice cream

Dark chocolate "thing" with pumpkin mascarpone cheese, vanilla whipped cream, and caramel

Suffice it to say that the food all went over terrifically, and we ended our night with delicious roasted ginger figs, chocolate pumpkin dessert, and hilarious moments of Apples to Apples.

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Thanksgiving morning = post food coma food coma

chili cheese homefries and whipped cream waffles

Thanksgiving day dinner: Doing the "Asian" Thanksgiving

kimchee, banchan, and rice in K-Town

Then, on a plane, homeward bound....

--Epilogue--

Just because I had a whirlwind of a Thanksgiving doesn't mean that I didn't have time to seriously reflect on what I'm truly thankful for this year: the incredible and unbelievable support that I receive from the wonderful people in my life.  If there's anything I've learned from this past year, it's how unspeakably lucky and fortunate I am to have the support, faith, and encouragement that I do, how I have people to fall back and rely on when things get particularly rough and life starts throwing massive amounts of s*** your way.  The amount of gratitude that I feel for these people who stand by me can hardly be properly or fully expressed in words, and I'm deathly afraid that I'm not really doing them any justice in this clunky "thank you" paragraph...!

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Anyways, I hope that you all had a great, relaxing, and yummy Thanksgiving!  Now, onto the holiday season!  Tinsel!  Christmas lights!  Hot chocolate!  --Here. I. Come.