Ritualistic Suicide Post-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Dinner

In 1970 Yukio Mishima committed seppuku. The comrade who was supposed to behead him screwed up a couple of times before passing the sword off to someone more competent. Check out Mishima's only film over at UbuWeb. (Have I already linked to this?) Based on an excellent short story of the same name. About ritualistic suicide.

Which has nothing to do with tonight's meal! Prepared and cooked for four hours, had a lovely time with relatives.

MENU:

Isa's Seitan Roast Stuffed with Shiitakes and Leeks

Mashed Potatoes

Baked Acorn Squash, Turnips, Granny Smith Apple, Brussels Sprouts, and Cranberries with Fresh Thyme, Olive Oil, Maple Syrup, and Lemon Juice

Isa's Savory Mushroom Gravy

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Pie (Crust and Filling)

Chocolate Chip Cookies Stuffed with Oreos

Peanut Butter Squares

Grandma requested the cookies and made the squares. That woman has a sweet tooth like hell on wheels and it ain't once in a blue moon, etc.

80-ton Sperm Wale vs. the Essex Orzo

On November 20, 1820, a sperm whale attacked and sunk a Nantucket whaling ship in the Pacific way the hell away from the coast of South America. Whales are intelligent. They know that boats are responsible for the cries of their pod members, for their blood in the water. Whales are also huge, and if they want to break up some wooden planks they'll do it without much trouble. If ever there was poetic justice in the human war against nonhuman animals, it could be located in the vicinity of the sentence "The whale crushed the bow like an eggshell." Righteous. After the Essex sank, the crew refused their captain's advice to sail west based on the fear that the islands might be inhabited by cannibals. Seven of the crew were eventually cannibalized by their desperate mates. The word "irony" almost doesn't do the story justice.

Last night I made an orzo dish and A. put together a tomato and cucumber salad with black pepper and red wine vinegar.

serves: 2-3

prep. time: approx. 20 min.

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. orzo

4 oz. tempeh, cubed

6 oz. white mushrooms, chopped

8 oz. baby spinach

1/4 in. segment of ginger, diced

curly parsley

Bragg's liquid aminos

juice of 1/2 lemon

lemon rind shavings

cayenne

garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring 3 c. water to a boil. Add the orzo and boil, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until done. (Took me longer than the package said it would.)

2. In a pan, saute the tempeh, mushrooms, ginger, and spinach (in that order) with oil over medium heat. Add the other stuff a few minutes before the main ingredients are cooked through.

3. Combine.