Thanksgiving Part I

I've pretty much given up on an All-American Thanksgiving dinner with slow roasted turkey, ladles of grubby sides, and warm pumpkin pie. When mother called me a week before my trip home to Texas, she asked if I wanted to do an American or a Chinese Thanksgiving. It was a no brainer--home cooked, Mama Lin's Chinese, of course. My mom doesn't tread the unfamiliar waters of "Western" style cooking, but she's a natural at whipping up my tummy's favorite Chinese dishes. And as always, I took charge of the dessert. My dad's only job of the night was to taste test, and that's exactly what he did.

I love my mom's cooking because she's health conscious using only the best quality items and the leanest cuts of meat. I'm still not sure how she does it, but her fist-sized meatballs are greaseless yet are packed with flavor and super moist and tender. For the lucky ones in New York, I already claimed dibs on left-overs to bring to the city! You just might get a taste. It's like packing my mom to go, hehe.

Mama Lin's Thanksgiving Dinner
Chilled Pickled Vegetables
Dried Tofu Cold Noodles
Vietnamese Egg Rolls
Roasted Chinese BBQ Platter: Pork, Duck, Sausage
Soy Garlic Marinated Cuttlefish
Stewed Beef with Carrots
Ja Chiang Noodles
Lion Head Meatballs with Braised Napa Cabbage
Spare-rib Meatball Turnip Soup
Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Ice Cream
Polka Dot Riesling (2007)

Cold Platter.

Chinese BBQ Pork.

Simple sea scallops.



Vietnamese style egg rolls.

Mother's famous meatballs with Shiitake and Braised Napa Cabbage.



Slow-simmered beef and carrots.



One of my all-time favorite noodle dishes: ja chiang noodles.



Classic Chinese bone soup.



My plate!



I chose this bottle because of the packaging, not gonna lie, but it was crisp, sweet and delightful.



Totally not Chinese, but my Pumpkin Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding with Cinnamon Ice Cream and Hazelnut Chai Cream Bark.



Mama Lin's Thanksgiving Feast

Part II of the Thanksgiving blog with feature my pumpkin bread pudding recipe. Stay tuned and Happy Turkey Day!