Turkey on the fly

This is one of my absolute favorite photos. It was taken on a friend's iPhone late at night at one of the more raucous parties I hosted. You can tell from the state of the kitchen that things were definitely a little chaotic, but it was a blast.

And that bottle of Veuve? That was the 6th or 7th one I opened that night.

Earlier today I decided on a total whim that I was going to host a mock-Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday afternoon. I'd been meaning to write about some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes, but without photos, I didn't think the post would do them justice. So I decided to throw a little party! It won't be as wild as the one above, but it will give me a chance to make all the dishes I've been meaning to share... and to post my pre-Thanksgiving feast menu on here just in time for your last-minute real-Thanksgiving feast planning.

I ran the idea past Eugene who was completely horrified, albeit supportive, and then I sent out a quick e-mail invite to a few awesome friends in the area. We have a nice little group coming AND I already went out and got myself a turkey (plus another four bags filled with ingredients).

I haven't entirely finalized my menu--and I probably won't until I actually start cooking--but I've got a lot of good ideas.

This, as I'm sure you've already guessed, is the kind of cooking (and hosting!) I like to do; creative, spontaneous, and totally risky.

It's going to be fantastic!