Mark Steyn: This is your lunch (Profile: The turkey)

The Sunday Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | 12/21/03 | Mark Steyn

[Pokey78]

[knighthawk]

Ping

[mylife]

No other main course gets so traduced by the vernacular. "Beef" means physical strength, and "ham" means corny, and "chicken" means a fetching young gay male, but the moronicness of "turkey" seems to increase in proportion to the bird's seasonal ubiquitousness. What other dish sums up all the epic conflicts of the age?

As much as I sympathize with the plight of the Turkey, I may have to have a go at the Goose.

[VadeRetro]

Over-priced, over-cooked and over-here: even as they mock it, the British cannot escape its reach.

A play on the WWII-era "overpaid, oversexed, and over here." Steyn's musing are always worth the time.

[Billthedrill]

What other dish sums up all the epic conflicts of the age?

Well, if Old Europe is the topic I should think "Jumbo Shrimp" to be fairly descriptive...

[Little Bill]

Horrible tasting stuff from a bird that is dumb as Brian Dempsey, my State Rep. Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding that is the way to go.

[GladesGuru]

The wild turkey is widely considered one of the more difficult quarries for a hunter. Behavior of the wild turkey is in no way related to the behavior of the barnyard bird of today.

On the other hand, commercial turkey varieties now exceed 60 pounds, which makes for some large servings, and reduces processing costs, too.

Though I do wonder what size worker it takes to walk up to a 60# turkey and say "off with your head". I'll bet that is quite the argument.

[Servant of the 9]

the last acceptable meat

*sniff*

Dolphinburger?

So9

[Victoria Delsoul]

Before turkey took over, the British celebrated Christmas with goose or bustard, so 400 years ago The Independent's mocking headline for Bush's Thanksgiving Baghdad photo-op - "The Turkey Has Landed" - would have read "The Bustard Has Landed". The bird that supplanted the bustard was introduced to Europe early in the 16th century by one of Sebastian Cabot's men who brought it from the New World.

LOL, I have the feeling that The Independent wouldn't mind the use of this phrase if that was their choice.

[freedumb2003]

But in the British Christmas there is not much snow outside of Richard Curtis movies

I honestly didn;t know that. I thought England in the winter was like "A Christmas Carol" or "Oliver."

God, am I provincial.

Stein schools me again

[jocon307]

What is a Bustard? A bastard buzzerd? No, they can't be eating buzzerd, in England? Naw. What the heck is it?

For Christmas, have my mother-in-law's wonderful breakfast caserolle. If I had the recipe I'd post it. Nice breakfast, maybe cold cuts later. No cooking, no sit down dinner, just breakfast, presents, and beer.

Feel the love!

[Victoria Delsoul]

What is a Bustard? A bastard buzzerd? No, they can't be eating buzzerd, in England? Naw. What the heck is it?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

The wild gobbler has a lighter build, with a longer neck and a smaller head, and his flesh tastes a lot juicier, which is one reason why the turkey recipe in my local church's brand new fundraising cookbook begins: "First purchase hunting licence."

I didn't know that Mark Steyn attended my church...

[jocon307]

LOL, freepers, so quick to help! Thank you. Now, are they any good? Do they taste like chicken too?

I've never had goose, I hear they are hard to cook. I had duck twice, once awful, the other time good. I love chicken, and Turkey is fine. Do you think I'd like a roast bustard? It sounds like something out of Dr. Seuss.

[Brian Allen]

<< Dolphinburger? >>

Prefer platypus on me burgers, meself.

Got a good sense of tuna-fed dolphin about it but a kinda koala aftertaste that lingers on the palate gives it a better finish.

[Victoria Delsoul]

LOL, no I've never eaten bustard, but I like chicken and turkey. Yes, I had duck. I like Peking duck (Chinese food.)

[lainde]

Steyn ping~

[secret garden]

Thanks for the ping. Now if I could just get Adam Sandler out of my head, singing Turkey Lurkey...