Giving Thanks

The restaurant is closed tomorrow for Thanksgiving, and I give thanks for that.

I'll be getting together with a group of friends for a day of food and football (playing and watching), drinks and hi-jinks. The most exciting part of the whole day is the presence of an experienced deep-fryer of turkeys.

I've always loved the idea of deep-frying turkeys, having dreamed of deep-south adventures and strange culinary delights. I have likewise always feared the activity, having been privy to so many post-Thanksgiving news reports of terrible burns and destroyed houses.

And so, today I journeyed into the World Wide Web for a bit of a tutorial, considering it worthwhile to acquaint myself with the dangers and necessary proper procedures. Now, fully acquainted with the manner in which turkeys are fried, I'm truly scared.

There are so many things to watch out for when frying a turkey. If the oil is too hot, or if the turkey is wet or still somewhat frozen, or if the oil overflows at all, the whole damn thing can catch fire. I've seen videos of it happen, and it is quite crazy. From the top of the cooker flies a cloud of smoke and steam, quickly followed by flames spreading rapidly.

Dangerous stuff.

So I head into my Thanksgiving celebration both anxious and afraid, and hoping that this year's holiday is good enough to compete with last year's holiday (scroll down to read it).

May all have a great day. And be careful of any deep frying. Do it outside, and watch this video first.