The Fayetteville Holiday Meal Delivery Service

Like most couples, Ryan and I try to split our holidays – if we spend Thanksgiving with his people, we then spend Christmas with my people. But this year things were a little bit different. We had spent much of the fall on our grand European adventure, and Thanksgiving had been spent with other homeless American Opera singers who understood the crucial need for mass quantities of turkey the fourth Thursday of November. When we came back to NYC in early December it seemed a bit impractical to turn around and travel again for Christmas. So the result is, we had not seen Ryan's parents for quite a while. Over the winter we tried to plan a trip upstate, but, as usual, my chaotic work schedule prohibited it. However, Ryan's parents are intrepid travelers, so they decided that if we couldn't come to them, they would come to us; plans were made for an overnight visit on President's Day weekend.

Cue Andi's culinary delusions of grandeur: of course I would make a spectacular dinner on Saturday, filled with food that is both wholesome and just adventurous enough. Sunday would feature freshly made biscuits and assorted breakfast meats. Perhaps homemade jam and a decorative fruit tray? I was in complete denial of the fact that with my extreme work schedule (which included a full day of teaching on Saturday) all of this cooking would have to take place from 3pm to 4pm Wednesday afternoon in between jobs. So I was slightly relieved when Ryan told me that his parents were planning to bring food to us – namely a roast turkey with all the trimmings.

At first I was also confused- why would they bring a roast turkey on a 5 hour drive? Did they think our apartment was an episode of Man vs. Wild, and that they would have to forage for food and shelter for 48 hours? True, we use toilet paper as tissues and rarely have non-alcoholic beverages beyond water and milk, but hey – we could be a lot worse. But as the plan continued to take shape I realized their true intention - they wanted to have a holiday meal with us. And if President's Day was to be our holiday, then so be it. They wanted to spoil us – and Ryan and I were ready to be spoiled.

The discussion of dinner must begin with the Fayetteville turkey. It is beyond good. They wrap the bird in butter-coated tin foil at the start of the day, and then hours later this yields up incredibly tender, juicy, flavorful meat. And the skin! Oh the skin. Decadent. Perfectly crisp. The Fayetteville turkey was accompanied by homemade, toothsome bread stuffing, roasted carrots, and green beans. Ryan made his signature sinful mashed potatoes (secret ingredient? Crack). Cranberry sauce was in effect. And, of course, gravy.

A note on gravy - I fear making it. As a child, my family's holiday meals never included gravy because no one felt confident enough to attempt it. There was a conviction in the household that good gravy was a result of careful alchemy – and we had not been made privy to this ancient knowledge. I worry that I inherited this genetic predisposition for inadequate gravy-making. I am in awe of anyone who has mastered the skill. Ryan's mother makes an amazingly velvety, perfect gravy. Of course, the succulent turkey easily stands on its own. But that gravy – it just takes the whole meal to a new dimension.

The gorging commenced. Perhaps my fourth serving was a bit excessive, but, after all, President's Day only comes around once a year. And there is a magic to the holiday meal. So much heart and spirit is put into the preparation, its as if you can taste the love expressed with each bite. The meal was rounded out with two types of homemade cookies (including my favorite, chocolate chip walnut). And that wasn't the end – there were two loaves of freshly made banana bread for the next morning. This may just be my new favorite holiday tradition.