How I ended up volunteering for this gig is the lady who runs the place is Thai who is married to a Swede. She has traveled around the world, but had NO IDEA how to make a turkey. When she heard that I cook, she asked if by chance I knew how to make a turkey, I said yes. I have been told for years that I am a great cook, but it was always my friends, so you sort of take that with a grain of salt. I had a quiet confidence about my throw down abilities and they were about to be tested. Talk about stress, I had never cooked for people outside of my food circle, so I was terrified. I was relying heavily on my goodie package which would be here only God knows when! Turns out for the Swedish spread, the turkeys are AMERICAN TURKEYS!!!! Next dilemma: Asian kitchens don't usually have an oven.....but we just installed a new pizza oven a couple of weeks ago!!!!Whew
It feels weird sharing a kitchen with the women that cook for the restaurant. I show up my first day with my bottle of bleach (yes very Black, I know) they looked at me like I was nuts! I tried to explain, but....yeah!
The ladies of the kitchen were mesmerized by my the giant birds, and especially the older lady I call "Queen", as she is number one cook and the boss of the kitchen. She also made sure I had the sharpest knives and best utensils for my cooking. The Queen could not for the life of her figure out what I was going to do with these giant chickens. I would often catch her staring at my preparation as I washed and brined both birds overnight. The next day she watched my every step of the cooking process and when my masterpieces emerged, she came over for a sample. I can't believe how happy I was when she took a bite and then some more, turned to everyone in the kitchen and nodded with a very stern face, her approval. YES! my turkeys were a hit!!!!! I still have not gotten my package.
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