Lunamania

I woke up yesterday quite upset that I was missing Yukari's thanksgiving feast and my people's in New York. As a devoted disciple of Yukari's school of cooking, I've had the privilege of occupying the Stool of Honor during the 2 day prep for the thanksgiving feast. Generally, my important duties include, pestering Yukari and Elaine with inane questions--what if you had to give up beef or pork? or pondering the relative macho factor of catherine zeta jones and angelina jolie. I also cheer on every stick of butter and dollop of cream! Every once in a while, I am actually useful. I was once assigned to grate ~10 lbs of cheese. It remains a highlight in my cooking endeavors.

So sad that this year I was afar, but I was blown away by my brother's first thanksgiving feast. Thanks to Magical Mirei's kitchen and home decorating skills, we had a lovely feast. Mirei roasted a perfect turkey and Tomi made the creamiest mashed potatos and a slammin' cranberry sauce. Stuffing, gravy, tasty little appetizers, cheesecake and get this...chirashi sushi. Nothing like some toro, salmon and kohada to celebrate this all American holiday.

The feast was also an opporunity to re-connect with some high school buddies. Our post-turkey digestion activity was to cheer on Kobayashi "the Coney Island hot dog eating champion" Takeru in the Glutton Bowl. It was the most wasteful, disgusting, pointless and American thing I've ever seen. Of course we watched it all. Rounds and rounds of enormous white dudes stuffing their faces with cow testicles, beef tongue and sushi. Kobayashi--all 130 lbs of him--strolls in and completely toasts the competion. 43 hot dogs in 12 minutes--second place was 11! He proceeds to the finals where he downs more than double the cow brains than his closest competitor. No one can touch Kobayashi "my eyebrows are so well groomed" Takeru. I think the brains finale was a way to put him out of competition via Mad Cow.
OK, I'm grossing myself out. If you want more details check out the official website of the International Federation of Competitive Eating.
I'm off to partake in some leftover parties!