Friday, October 21, 2011

Thanksgiving Sushi, beet cake, and 40 years of marriage!

My parents might've predicted that they'd be married 40 years (hopefully most newlyweds have this hope at first!), but they probably didn't predict they'd be at the cottage making sushi and eating beet cake for their 40th anniversary party. 

Instead of a traditional gift, my brother and I rigged them up with all the gear they'd need and taught them something they could use throughout life-- how to make delicious and nourishing sushi. We made sure they knew that t there's no limit to what you can put in sushi (even though it might prompt trained sushi chefs to weep), as our "Thanksgiving Roll" exemplified!

This is my plate: avocado and mashed sweet potato with sweet chili sauce, a Korean Gimbap roll (pickled radish/mu, kimchi, avocado), and the one most universally loved by all-- the Thanksgiving Roll (tofurkey-- they used real turkey, cranberry sauce, dressing, and I totally put some gravy on mine too)! An awesome way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers whilst getting some wonderful sea minerals!
I think Mom's getting a chopstick refresher lesson from my brother here. She caught on quickly.
My Dad, rockin' the chopsticks.
Aw, it's my wonderful family (including Brucifer) eating homemade sushi together! I'm taking the photo, though-- so please assume I look smashing!
I didn't want to use artificial food colouring in my icing, so I chose Swedish Berries. Then I realized there's artificial colouring(as well as natural) in the Swedish Berries (which are vegan!) Anyway, I think they look like l'il rubies here-- and it was my parents' Ruby Anniversary, so huzzah!
And here's the lovely couple, 40 years married. I forgot that my Dad was using the stained glass 40 he made for my grandparent's 40th the cake said 40 twice-- one for the first 40 and one for the next?

I went to the kitchen after the cake'd been de-panned and I saw that my brother had made some Beany von Doom-approved baked good grafitti. He later edited his own message to say "beef power" but I didn't glorify that with a photo!


That's right- a beet cake! I suppose it's not the first beet cake I've shown you here, but I still think the concept is amazing no matter how many times I make one. I made a cake version of the  Velvet Cupcakes from Jae Steele's Ripe From Around Here. The cake batter itself was a lovely fuschia colour, and the cake often ends up with a reddish tinge, but ever so slight. The cake was moist and delicious, just as a chocolate cake should be. It even prompted a story about my Dad taking chocolate cake in his lunchbag to school way back in the friggin' '50s (were they called the friggin' '50s?). 

His teacher called him to come to the front of the class. "Bobby, could you bring in a copy of your mother's chocolate cake recipe?" Panic subsided. Grammie earned the reputation of being a fantastic cook, having routinely fed dozens of her husband's woodsmen buddies at lunchtime each day). On top of that, her chocolate cake looked moist and delious. I'm honoured that a chocolate cake I made (one of dozens before it) prompted a story that reminded my dad of his mother's baking!

We had an awesome Thanksgiving weekend (two weeks ago now, geez!) and I hope that if nothing else my parents get some use of of the rice cooker and enjoy many more years of happiness and health living together!

Love, 

Your daughter and your other unconventional kid