Hello after a few days of merriment here at Munch Monster headquarters. Most of you were too busy enjoying your Thanksgiving meal, and then figuring out how to best utilize the leftovers the last few days to notice I’ve been gone. Where to? Glad you asked. After making some fantastic roasted butternut squash puree and roast turkey breast while at work on Thursday I spent Friday at work and then celebrating with family. The occasion was my annual day of birth.
Technically my birthday was Saturday, but being on the schedule for an 11 hour shift made festivities slightly difficult that evening. There wasn’t much food to speak of Friday night, but that’s OK because all of the gifts were food related. The evening was spent annoying our neighbors with loud renditions of songs in Rock Band. A game that is enjoyable at any time, but especially so when your brother-in-law totes along the fixins for gin and tonics. So Jay provided the drink, I provided the cheer, and the rest of the band provided the merriment.
It’s funny that for years I’ve wanted and asked for food related items, only to find that in general people don’t want to get the “obvious” gift. Not unlike my wife and I deciding to avoid Giants related paraphernalia for my sister’s boyfriend. But here’s the secret, and I believe me joining the professional culinary field has helped to clear up, I ask for cooking stuff because I like it. With that in mind I received my birthday presents quite happily.
Number one is a City Guide from my brother and sister with coupons to different restaurants in and around Syracuse. It looks like I now have the impetus needed to get rolling on local restaurant reviews. Next was a board game from my other brother and sister in law. I’ve yet to try it out, but it’s a party trivia style game. How hard could it be? For the grand finale my wife handed me my present at midnight.
A previous Christmas found me unwrapping a Global chef’s knife, and since then I’ve bemoaned the fact I have no sharpener. Sure, I have a cheap honing steel. But I’m not convinced it’s doing more good than harm. So there it was, finally, a knife sharpener. And even better than the whetstone I’d been asking for. It’s one of those handheld ceramic sharpeners that were designed with Global knives in mind. Walking into the kitchen Kelly suggested I give it a try on my knife. So I turned to the magnetic strip on the wall to find my knife had shrunk. No, wait! A brand new Global paring knife had magically appeared. The only two knives I require are a chef’s knife and a paring knife, and now that set is complete.
All in all it’s been a good few days and now if you’ll excuse me I have to go polish off the leftovers for dinner tonight.
