Thanksgiving With Foreigners: The Leftovers

You know who knows how to eat? I mean, really knows how to eat. Foreigners. Man, I spent Thanksgiving with a bunch of these guys this year, and it was a doozy. Not only are there the regular Thanksgiving staples, but there are tons of extras here and there. Like, you'll be surveying the table and your eyes will scan across the bowl of mashed potatoes, the giant pile of stuffing, and finally land on...biryani. Or then, you'll reach for a couple of helpings of turkey, but also pick up some bourek on your way. "What are all these things?!" you're probably exclaiming right now. "What are these strange words that I'm not used to? We're in America. I don't try new things! I'm boring and unadventurous! I wear the same sweatsuit every day. All I talk about is sports and Nickelback." Well. Look at you. Being a jerk, as usual. Man, sometimes you have to TRY. I know it's hard, but occasionally it's worth it! Just trust me. Try.

Anyhow, I digress in my lectures to you. One of the best parts about sharing Thanksgiving with foreigners is that they are damn pushy about eating. Oh, so you're on a diet? No problem - eat more. Had dinner already at your girlfriend's family's house? That's okay, here's Dinner Two. Already had 4 helpings, did you? Get ready for 5, 6, and 7. These foreigners are no nonsense. And! Check this out: they'll give you leftovers! I mean, not exactly "give;" more so "force upon you." They'll pack them up into old plastic yogurt containers and various sized ziploc bags and before you know it, you'll be driving back home with a trunk full of smells and bags and food for the next week.

Here's the bourek I was talking about. It's basically a pastry filled with meat and fried. These ones had chicken inside. They'll leave your hands greasy, so use plenty of napkins. Or, just say screw it and lay a giant towel across your lap. It'll come in handy later.

Potato chop. In a plastic bag, which is how it was handed to me. Potato chop is meat stuffed inside potatoes and, you guessed it, fried.
Here it is cut open.

Some kebabs neatly organized on top of a pile of rice. If you leave the meat on the rice for long enough, a bunch of meat flavor and juices soak into the rice and the rice is probably the most amazing tasting rice you'll ever have.

White beans. In red sauce. That's all I know about this one. This is the other thing about foreigners: sometimes you receive a tupperware full of a stew-like thing and you just have to eat it. Probably on top of rice.

This is the biryani! This one has rice, chicken, other meat, peas, hard boiled eggs, and delicious spices. The flavors of this - oh lord, the flavors!

Here's another lookie. Now that's a tall drink of...biryani. Hmm.

This is stuffed cabbage. Probably one of the more unappetizing looking dishes. However! It is also one of the best tasting! The meat inside is a combination of pork, beef, and something else, and there were little slices of ham laying on top of the cabbage to give it extra flavor. Ridiculous.

Sometimes foreigners like to turn leftover meat into gyros or shawerma the next day. Why leave meat as is? Why not challenge yourself and make meat into other meat that tastes even better? Thusly, homemade shawerma:

Here is my entire leftovers dinner from last night. Notice all the fried stuff? I was also provided with ample pita bread and baba ganoush to balance out the meal. And to make me more gassy. I mean, seriously, who can even go to work or have a social life after eating like this? Not me.
So, with that in mind, I'll be here in my apartment for the next 4 days, eating and not talking to anybody face-to-face. Because man, this food is doing a number on me. But really when you think about it, I guess this the only way to follow up Thanksgiving awesomely. More eating. More digestive issues. More everything.

Happy Thanksgiving, fools.

xoxo, Delicious Food