Turkey Talk, Or Second Breakfast #5
Hello! This is Meghan McCarron, and you're reading my newsletter, Second Breakfast. You can find me on Instagram, too. If you no longer want to receive this newsletter, you can unsubscribe here.
I'm making two Thanksgiving turkeys this year. The first is already done and warming in the oven for a Thanksgiving potluck at daycare — I volunteered to do the turkey for 20 people and eight toddlers. We're also hosting a small family gathering, where I'll serve a turkey breast. This is probably too much food for both these groups, but I can't stop myself.
It's an unpopular opinion, but I love turkey at Thanksgiving, and I even like making it. I roast a lot of chickens, and the techniques are all the same. The past few years, I've made Samin's buttermilk-brined turkey, which is wonderful. But I'm not insane enough to attempt to roast a gigantic turkey the morning before daycare, so this year I went with Melissa Clark's make-ahead recipe. I'm still in suspense about whether my "made ahead" turkey will be warm enough by the time I need to carve it and whisk it into the car in, oh, an hour or so, but it's a huge relief to know the dang thing is cooked.
Last year, I wrote a brief defense of "bland" Thanksgiving. I wasn't totally satisfied with that framing then or now, but I do relish the opportunity to cook the same spread of dishes every year, tweaking small details but otherwise keeping it classic. My ideal Thanksgiving is a large project, yes, but not a perfectionistic, showy one. The goal at the end is a homey, old-fashioned meal.
And after all that work, the leftovers can float a whole weekend of sloth. Yes, you can make new things with the stuffing and turkey and mashed potatoes, but honestly, I eat the Thanksgiving meal at least twice over that long weekend, and consume it in sandwich form 1-2 more times beyond that. I might be lowballing those numbers so I sound more like a Sophisticated Food Person than I am.
Wishing you, dear reader, a weekend with the right mix of challenge and sloth. And sending strength if you, like me, always end up having to spatchcock that turkey when it's still half-frozen inside.
JOURNALISM CORNER
Back in October, I wrote about striking actors returning to restaurant jobs for the New York Times. The strike is now over, but many folks I spoke to said they expected to keep their gigs until the industry truly comes back to life. It was surprisingly rewarding to report on a subject that's such a Los Angeles cliche and dig into the reality behind it.
For the new-ish food section of the UK-based Something Curated, I interviewed and photographed Monica Lee of the much-missed restaurant Beverly Soon Tofu, which lives on in her new cookbook, Sohn-Mat. I loved speaking with her about her deep Koreatown knowledge, and getting to do some photography. More in this vein TK!
FICTION CORNER
A few years ago, I kept reading about the glories of Rollbahn notebooks, and broke down and bought an XL one with a silver cover. It seemed gigantic, and I never used it. Instead, I became devoted to a different size of Rollbahn for journaling. (I like these for reporting.)
In the aftermath of the past year, I've been trying to trick my brain into finding its way back down the creative paths I know are there, but at times feel blocked off, or shut. I busted out this silver notebook and started making a lists of images and plot moves and straight-up tropes I like to read in fiction, a technique I got from my friend and one-time teacher, Kelly Link. Then I started writing longhand. So far, it seems to pull different levers in my brain, ones that feel good.
READING CORNER
There are multiple indigenous LAs whose histories are layered into the fabric of the city: A series of story-maps worth visiting during this holiday
A beautiful comic about AI, creative despair, and the messy, visceral experience of raising a toddler, by my dear friend Angie Wang
PHOTO CORNER
I've been trying to take a photo a day that's interesting, as part of a class. It's been wonderful. Here are a few photos I like the most.
That is really, truly it for this one. Thank you so much for reading!
—Meghan