The feast began with a variety of appetizers. There were, of course, pigs in blankets, some shrimp with cocktail sauce and even some delicious deviled eggs, but we have come to expect these items at the traditional JKRC holiday gathering. What really got this observer’s taste buds to stand up and take notice, however, were little concoctions of rolled ham stuffed with cream cheese and—gasp—cherries! It is no exaggeration to say that the JKRC students involved in creating the appetizer course for the Thanksgiving menu truly exceeded expectations. I freely admit to going home and closing my eyes and seeing those little pink ham concoctions dance before me in space as I drifted off to dreams of further feasting only days away.
Of course the main course for the Thanksgiving repast consisted in the traditional holiday fare: turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce. And it is a credit to Ben, Patrick and the kitchen staff that the meal in no way disappointed. This writer felt the tingle of recollection of past holidays after the first bite. And in some ways isn’t that what we expect most from a Thanksgiving meal—that warm upsurge of memories from the past, a fleeting glimpse of meals shared in the company of those we love, many of whom are no longer able to share in the Thanksgivings of the present? But enough of this sentiment! Let us return to the celebration at hand!
There was one significant surprise in the otherwise traditional main course of the meal, and it came right before the heaping plates of turkey were delivered to the watering mouths of the hungry JKRC denizens. And what was this bit of culinary wizardry you may ask. The answer is quite simple: turnips. “Turnips?” I can almost hear the reader exclaim with no insignificant measure of incredulity. Yes, turnips. But no ordinary turnips were these. These, my friends, were mashed turnips for the ages! Let me attempt to describe these turnips transformed from the most quotidian of garden vegetables into the very essence of delightful nourishment.
My only complaint about the turnips was that they were served in ordinary kitchen bowls. I have heard of understatement but this was ridiculous. These turnips should have been served in golden bowls after being ladled from diamond-and-ruby-encrusted tureens by servants who would not have been out of place serving the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Be that as it may, after a great deal of intrigue, I finally uncovered the secret of these august turnips in exchange for which I was made to swear an oath that I break now at the peril of my eternal soul. The turnips were mashed, mixed with butter, salt, pepper and a secret ingredient—nutmeg. And in this writer’s opinion, it was the inclusion of nutmeg that elevated these turnips to the level of genius!
But of course every JKRC shindig is about more than the food, and the Thanksgiving party proved no exception to this rule. After the dessert the partygoers were treated to a sing along led by none other than the hugely talented John Dehmer. John played favorites from the past and present including such classics as “Splish Splash,” “Sweet Caroline” and “Cecilia.” No request to Mr. Dehmer was ignored, although he was greatly assisted in the backing vocal and hand clap department by JKRC student Joan Sideris, whose enthusiasm for the music kept the party hopping. Another highlight was student Mary Beth Nugent’s minimalistic but highly evocative version of “Edelweiss.” It was not long before the music turned to Holiday classics, and at this point Doug Heine was roused from his after-turkey torpor to bang out some Christmas gems on the piano. This particular stage of the entertainment culminated in an emotionally charged version of the “The Twelve Days of Christmas” (yes some people know all of the days). This timeless tune was guided through its complex cadences and emotional underpinnings by the tirelessly enthusiastic Ms. Jessica Mauel. But the twelve days and all that true love could bring were not enough to keep the party going beyond this point, and the cafeteria full of revelers stumbled sleepily off to classes, but not without the collective experience of turnips, tunes and a JKRC memory.
