2011 Thanksgiving Dinner with USDA Potato Board
We’re just taters about ‘em! Potatoes are probably the only vegetables that children will eat without resistance, just take them to McDonald’s. Although it’s 80% water and only 20% solid, there’s enough sugar in every potato that can change its taste and smell. Just be careful in putting them in the fridge; the longer a potato is in cold storage, the shorter its shelf life because the cold causes the sugar to decrease thus changing the taste of potato.
At the recently held Thanksgiving Dinner by the United States Dept of Agriculture Potato Board at the Restaurant 9501 (Restaurant 9501, 14th Floor, ELJ Center Cor. Mo. Ignacia & Sct. Albano Avenue, Quezon City, Telephone nos. 415-2272 loc. 2331), I was completely bowled over with Chef Myrna Seguismundo’s brilliant version of the traditional American stuffed turkey. I never liked turkey until I tried this one. Chef Myrna is indeed a Godsend to the Philippine dining public. She introduced my palate to the turkey that I would have normally frowned upon.
Everything in this dinner had potatoes in them, but they didn’t serve us French Fries. It was a grand potato dinner from starters to desserts.
The image you see above is not made of potatoes. It’s Adobo Pate. An innovative creation by Chef Myrna. I loved this with the potato bread. After this, came the soup.
This is Truffled Mashed Potatoes with Porcini Mushroon Froth. First sip and I saw fireworks. I love the taste of truffles with anything savory. I love the way it was served and how warm it stayed in my cup. Yung sa katabi ko hindi nya maubos, parang gusto kong hingiin, di ko lang sya kilala, hehehe.
Wasting no time to get to the heart of the matter is the Roast US Tom Turkey with bread and nut stuffing, minted orange-cranberry relish, creamed spinach, candied crinkle-cut potatoes all generously poured with Giblet Gravy. Un-be-lieve-able.
The turkey meat was so soft and tasty it tasted like dark chicken meat! It was juicy and so tender. If all turkey meat were THIS good, I’d start eating turkey everyday. Incidentally, turkey has been known to be healthy with more protein and lesser fat than chicken.
For dessert, they served poached pears and grapes on top mashed potato crepes and Vodka Sabayon. To hell with my diabetes, I devoured this one like my blood sugar was better than fine.
I don’t know if they serve this regularly at Restaurant 9501, I think this is a special menu for the USDA Potato Board Thanksgiving Dinner. I hope they invite me again next year. What potato wonders await me then!
i like potatoes kaya lang mahal. if they used sweet potatoes instead of ordinary spuds, do you think it will taste the same?
Hi Arpee, I love the Truffled Mashed Potatoes with Porcini Mushroon Froth! I was at the event as well, sayang hindi kita nakita. Anyway, amazing the culinary possibilities of potatoes pala no?
@yedy Yes i do remember seeing your name in the list when i got there. too bad nga hindi tayo nagkita. i was late for the initial program, but i was just in time for the turkey, which i made sure I personally complimented Chef Myrna.