Essay
Let’s talk turkey
For many North Americans, the final few months of the year mean one thing and one thing only: turkey.
Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration.
There’s also autumn leaves, apple picking and holiday decorations.
But at least for me, that’s all secondary to the food, and nothing is more important for the success of a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner than the turkey.
It’s also not an easy dish to prepare.
Turkeys often weigh 10 kilograms or more and the meat will be too dry if it’s overcooked or inedible if it’s undercooked.
That’s a lot of pressure for the cook!
As a child, I remember how nervous the host would be in the moments before cutting into the turkey. One year, my mom’s bird was as pink as a flamingo. Twenty years later, the rest of the family still hasn’t let that go.
After moving to Japan, turkey was never an option as we didn’t have an oven. Longtime readers may recall that I fully embraced the local tradition of KFC at Christmas.
Last year, we finally bought an oven and I decided it was time to forget about KFC and have a proper Christmas in Japan.
We bought a tree, hung up some decorations and, most importantly, ordered a turkey. We invited the family over for turkey dinner about a week before Christmas — everyone was working on Christmas Day.
Now it was my turn to take on this high-pressure responsibility.
Unfortunately, as a child I was too occupied with presents to observe how my mom and aunt used to do it, so I had no idea where to start. Thankfully, YouTube and famed British chef Gordon Ramsay came to the rescue.
Not surprisingly for a Michelin-starred chef, Ramsay’s technique was pretty elaborate.
He recommended laying strips of bacon on top of the turkey to keep the skin nice and moist. Later the bacon would be used to make gravy. Brilliant.
He also recommended preparing a garlic butter mixture and tucking it under the turkey skin to keep the meat from drying out. Again, brilliant.
Finally, the most important thing was to let the turkey rest for hours after taking it out of the oven so all the juices stay in the meat when you carve it.
Thanks to Ramsay’s YouTube video and some help from my wife and sister-in-law, the turkey was a success. In fact, everyone said it was the best turkey they’d ever had.
Of course, it was also everyone’s first turkey, but I was happy to accept the compliments anyway.
I also realized that hosting a Christmas dinner is a lot of work.
When Christmas Day arrived we were too tired to prepare another special meal.
Instead, we ordered KFC. (Joel Tansey)
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Leviticus 022
Chapter 22
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Leviticus 022x.mp3 - Google ドライブ
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD.
3 Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.
4 What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;
5 Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath;
6 The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water.
7 And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food.
8 That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith; I am the LORD.
9 They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.
10 There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.
11 But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his meat.
12 If the priest's daughter also be married unto a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things.
13 But if the priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's meat: but there shall be no stranger eat thereof.
14 And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give it unto the priest with the holy thing.
15 And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD;
16 Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctify them.
***** Unacceptable Sacrifices *****
17 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
18 Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering;
19 Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats. (beef pl. beefs/beeves)
20 But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.
21 And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.
22 Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.
(wen 【病理】 (頭･首などにできる)皮脂嚢腫(のうしゅ) (sebaceous cyst), 腫瘍, できもの.)
23 Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
24 Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land.
25 Neither from a stranger's hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.
26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
27 When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
(dam = mother)
28 And whether it be cow, or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day.
29 And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.
30 On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD.
31 Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.
32 Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you,
33 That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.
