While looking around online today I saw the video of Governor Palin pardoning a turkey and then giving an interview right in front of the station where they slaughter the poor birds. (Don't watch it. Seriously, don't please). I hesitated before even posting anything about it. The bottom line is we need to treat animals better.
The only good thing was it made me sign The Humane Society's poultry petition that asks turkeys be rendered unconscious before they're killed.
Meanwhile in the interview Palin rambles on about how "It's pretty brutal" in politics. She goes into her list of sharing values after that.
Then the reporter asks: "Due to declining oil prices, are you concerned about any state programs being on the chopping block?"
Palin responds: "You know, thankfully we're in a good position still."
Palin ends the interview by saying:
"This was neat; I was happy to be able to participate in this. For one, you need a little bit of levity in this job. . . . good to participate in something that isn't so heavy-handed criticism, certainly people will probably invite criticism for even doing this too, but at least this was fun."
She said "fun" with a deep sense of satisfaction.
J.D. sweety, you might be eating Tofurkey this year. At the least, I will insist we buy a turkey that was humanely raised and killed.
7 comments:
My mother-in-law has been a vegetarian for a while now - she ALWAYS requests a tofurkey ... maybe it'd be fun to get one and tell no one but her and shock the family ... anyone ever had one? How are they?
Tofurkeys look like little basketballs, so unless you are in the tradition of preslicing your turkey, you won't be able to fool anyone. Actually, the first year I made one, my Mom got so mad she had a huge hissy fit and literally threw my sister and me out of the house....and she was serious. She still gets angry recalling our tofu-turkey. Sigh...it's a long story...she was still married to her 3rd husband....my mom is also a bit of a drama queen and a whacko. I mean, who takes it as a personal insult that you do not want to eat meat? I have long been on the family record as a veggie....my family loves to remind me that I hated meat as a kid (seriously, Polish deli meat/mystery sausage is scary stuff). As the lore goes, they would be cooking a roast, I would walk in and smell it, and promptly throw up all over the floor. So my lifelong aversion is no surprise.....to some, at least.
I love tofurkeys...we eat them every year. Although that one year Michael did smoke a turkey breast, right Tammy? And you guys cooked one the year I was writing up that Harriet Jacobs stuff. Ah Thanksgiving!
I also make vegetarian stuffing with Gimme Lean faux sausage rolls (they look just like Jimmy Dean, but that is honestly the only thing they are useful for) and stuffing mix, but Tammy's recipe is also vegetarian and quite yummy.
If your MIL hasn't had a tofurkey yet I am unofficially pronouncing her deprived and I highly recommend one. I also recommend basting (as you would with a regular turkey) with a teriyaki-based glaze, and adding the potatoes, carrots, and onions in the pan that they suggest on the package. Yummy!
Sorry, I am a tad of a veg-expert since my sisters and I have been vegetarian for 10+ years. I have even tried to go completely vegan and not have leather shoes....that's too darn hard. As my friend Melinda pointed out, the stuff they make the vegan shoes out of really pollutes the earth....you kind of have to pick your battles and choose your evils. I even know about egg replacer (note: do NOT try to make matzo balls with it; they turn out like glue!).
Seriously, Tammy, you know this, I am not about proselytizing. I just have, you know, veg-experience. I have veered between eating nothing animal based (not even honey or carmine dyes made from bugs) to eating the occasional shrimp/sushi/clam, and sometimes even, gasp! fish, (and a few bites of cheeseburger when I really really wanted it when I was pregnant and promptly threw up) and now, apparently back to more veggie-based foods. I just follow what my stomach and my brain tell me what to eat.
Cheers,
Catherine
PS--I hope I am not the Grinch who stole Thanksgiving for you!
I realize I never told you what a tofurkey actually tastes like....to me, turkey, but I can't remember what actual turkey tastes like.
Also, tofurkey USED to look like a little basketball. I forgot that they changed the recipe and now it looks like a little log. But it's still tasty!
If your grocery carries it, the brand does make sliced lunchmeat that does a nice job of approximating the taste/texture if you warm it up. Some might say a bit rubbery version of normal turkey, but I guess it depends upon how long you cook the thing. Basting often is essential...my sister and I like to get it to have a bit of a 'crackling' effect on the outside...kinda like turkey skin, I guess.
The gravy, though, is fantastic!
Are you making deviled eggs Tammy? And those yams that are actually much tastier than they looked?
I don't know about the yams yet. But I'm sure J.D. will be all giddy about deviled eggs. As you know, they're his FAVORITE. I don't really eat the yams, so we might not bother.
J.D.'s family had a lot more Thanksgiving traditions than mine. They had the yams with marshmallows, celery sticks with cheese, black olives, pistachio pudding with nuts, deviled eggs, stuffing, turkey, and pies.
We usually stuck to turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and pie.
(Cranberries for my mom). One Thanksgiving my Aunt Colleen put gizzards into the gravy.
Catherine, how do you make your yummy dressing?
I have a meat cooking aversion (rather like Baby Olivia's), but I still eat it because I have neither the time nor the energy necessary to dedicate to being a healthy vegetarian.
I think there's something to be said for free range turkey. They at least get it have a bit more of a life. But for more humanely done turkey, I would say check out places like food co-ops and Whole Foods, places where some of the customers may demand more humane options.
Slate talks turkey alternatives.
http://www.slate.com/id/2205361/
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