Meal for friends

[bohemian]

One of the benefits of the holiday season is that it gives us opportunity for socialising with our brothers who often are working at awkward times.

One brother we were very close to before he left our congregation to serve a foreign-language congregation (Spanish) lives nearby, but works awkward shifts at the airport and with that and his congregation responsibilities (elder) we see little of him.

Another brother comes from the same place as him (in the Caribbean) so we try to invite them both at the same time.

They are both coming for dinner today, so we planned something special:

Petits pates de Pezenas with pickled vegetables

Rabbit stew and mashed potato

Raspberry pavlova

and a nice glass of chanpagne.

My wife is making the starter and dessert and I am making the main course.

Is anyone else planning anything foodwise?

[inge]

Talking about food, this is what we experienced on Saturday night:

Three young pioneer couples in our congregation did something absolutely beautiful and loving. They invited 15 old brothers and sisters from the congregation for dinner. Peter and I had an invitation for dinner at one of the couples’ house. We had no idea what was coming.

When we arrived we were greeted by our hostess Mallory, a young sister in our congregation. She took our coats and ushered us into the basement. We passed a table with a sign welcoming us to the “Le Basement Restaurant.” A long table was set for 15 people. Each plate setting that a menu printed on pretty paper.

The three brothers, all elders, kept us entertained while more guests arrived and the girls were busy upstairs in the kitchen. When it was time for dinner to be served, the three young elders turned into waiters with pen and paper taking every person’s order. It was delightful.

Dinner was served in style like in the finest 5 star restaurant. The only thing missing were the white gloves. The food, from the starters to the desserts, was absolutely delicious and was creatively served. The waiters stood behind us making sure that there was nothing missing. Mallory served the coffee and tea. It was simply superb and oh, so elegant.

After dinner we played some theocratic games and took pictures before we left for home.

I can’t believe they did this for the elderly brothers and sisters in the congregation. All six of them are pioneers. The brothers are elders, one is the service overseer, one conducts the TMS and the third one is our WT study conductor. They are more than busy and yet, they did something so beautiful for us. The girls must have been cooking and preparing this for days. I am totally touched and thank Jehovah for having such precious people in the congregation.

Christian love,

Inge

[Qapla]

Our eating style is a bit of the "fast-food" style at home since we all have overlapping or incompatible schedules. We often have "fend for yourself night" since we don't all get home at the same time.

Since we will all be home Tuesday, we are planning on smoking a whole pork leg from a pig we butchered about a month ago. We were given a 600 pound pig - that was too much free meat to turn down

We will put it on early in the morning and it will probably take 12 hours or so to cook.

[surfergirl]

Our eating style is a bit of the "fast-food" style at home since we all have overlapping or incompatible schedules. We often have "fend for yourself night" since we don't all get home at the same time.

Since we will all be home Tuesday, we are planning on smoking a whole pork leg from a pig we butchered about a month ago. We were given a 600 pound pig - that was too much free meat to turn down

We will put it on early in the morning and it will probably take 12 hours or so to cook.

That sounds incredible. A friend does something similar but makes prosuitto. & my uncle he is from Yugoslavia. He makes his own salamis & chippolatas & snags... i would love to learn that side of cooking. Yum.

[Qapla]

It's been on the smoker since about 7:30 Am our time. It is now almost 1 PM and it is looking really good. It is up to 115° (F) so far. Needs to get to 165° (F)

[Mrs. Musky]

Talking about food, this is what we experienced on Saturday night:

Three young pioneer couples in our congregation did something absolutely beautiful and loving. They invited 15 old brothers and sisters from the congregation for dinner. Peter and I had an invitation for dinner at one of the couples’ house. We had no idea what was coming.

When we arrived we were greeted by our hostess Mallory, a young sister in our congregation. She took our coats and ushered us into the basement. We passed a table with a sign welcoming us to the “Le Basement Restaurant.” A long table was set for 15 people. Each plate setting that a menu printed on pretty paper.

The three brothers, all elders, kept us entertained while more guests arrived and the girls were busy upstairs in the kitchen. When it was time for dinner to be served, the three young elders turned into waiters with pen and paper taking every person’s order. It was delightful.

Dinner was served in style like in the finest 5 star restaurant. The only thing missing were the white gloves. The food, from the starters to the desserts, was absolutely delicious and was creatively served. The waiters stood behind us making sure that there was nothing missing. Mallory served the coffee and tea. It was simply superb and oh, so elegant.

After dinner we played some theocratic games and took pictures before we left for home.

I can’t believe they did this for the elderly brothers and sisters in the congregation. All six of them are pioneers. The brothers are elders, one is the service overseer, one conducts the TMS and the third one is our WT study conductor. They are more than busy and yet, they did something so beautiful for us. The girls must have been cooking and preparing this for days. I am totally touched and thank Jehovah for having such precious people in the congregation.

Christian love,

Inge

Hi Inge,

What an absolutely lovely and kind and generous thing they did!! I can almost visualize it. I've never heard of a congregation going to quite that extent for the older ones. What a sweet and considerate thing to do, and something I'm sure you and the other ones invited will not soon forget!

Thanks for sharing this!

[LeslieDean]

Oh, Inge! How nice to have such a beautiful treat and now a wonderful memory. That inspires me to do something like that for some in our Hall. I use to make cookies or some baked item every Saturday then whoever the speaker was on Sunday got a little gift of apprection and a card. This only lasted about 6 months and I realized my level of dedication to baking was not quite there. Besides I quickly found out that many of them had diet restrictions so I told them just to share with family or friends. Then one time when I went to a new KH a started inviting 2 different families over each week in an effort to get to know everyone. That was alot of fun but too much. Now I try not to over commit and do things once a month. Post some pics for us if you can. Glad you were shown how much they appreciate you and your husband and the others. Sounds like a great time.

[Mamba]

My sister, this was sooo sweeet. Oh I just know you all had a wonderful time.>

[Mamba]

Goodness!! I haven't had Rabbit since I was a little girl at home.

[Qapla]

Back when I first graduated from High School I entered the pioneer service. I was able to keep that privilege for 5 years until I had to return to the publisher ranks due to extenuating circumstances. One experience I will always remember from those days.

The city I was in had recently formed a new congregation and we both met in the same Hall. The Circuit Overseer (we called the Circuit Servants in those days) came for his visit. He served my congregation the first week and the other one the second. Both congregations met at the Hall at the same time for the meetings for service. He conducted the meeting and then formed car groups for the congregation he was serving and let the other congregation make their arrangements.

Well, when Friday came the second week and I got to the Hall, it was only Him and me. He was staying in a travel trailer behind the Hall (they did that in those days) and his wife had not come in yet. We waited and waited and waited and no one else came. He asked me to wait while he talked to his wife. He then asked me to "go with him - in my car - so he could do something he rarely got to do. I agreed and we did HIS return visits from the week he served our congregation.

He also said that his wife was not going to join us because she was taking their car and going to the store. He explained that, even though the sisters are well meaning and loving, there are some personal things that his wife would like to shop for when she is by herself - and she does not get that chance very often.

When we came back to the Hall at lunchtime, not only had no one from the other congregation come for service, there had been no lunch arrangements for them. Before I could offer them lunch he surprised me ... this is the part of this experience that really touched me and I have held it dear ever since. He said that He and his Wife were taking ME to lunch. That they were going to get to do something they never get the chance to do - They were taking a pioneer to lunch! I was not to argue

We had a great time. I also had a better appreciation for the many things the traveling brothers give up in our behalf. We don't always think about "giving" as a privilege, but since that meal I have always viewed it as such.

[sis little]

Inge that was wonderful, that's a fine example of true brotherly and sisterly love.

I like that.

Sis Little

[clez]

I am very curious about the smoker that is something we usually don't do here in Australia is it a house or a box do you smoke a certain type of wood I have smoked fish but just in a wok smoking tea, rice, tiny bits of pine.

Did you buy the smoker or is it something you made yourself.

It sounds really yummy

It's been on the smoker since about 7:30 Am our time. It is now almost 1 PM and it is looking really good. It is up to 115° (F) so far. Needs to get to 165° (F)

[surfergirl]

Hi Clez about 2 weeks ago my hubby caught a Kingfish he was 10kgs & we shared it with some friends & they smoke portions :omg:it was out of this world he did it on a tiny Webber. Have you watched Masterchef or Better Homes they once smoked some chicken in a small webber its about knee hi. You get some coals or fire bricks get them really hot & in the mean time you get some foil. My friend bought the hickory wood shavings put it in the foil & put the fish on a rack sitting above the foil. Put a lid over the webber & it was about 1 hr. If you like smoked salmon

The Kingy was just as good..Do you Have an Aldi's in your area or a Camp shop I have seen them Smokers. To buy.

[Qapla]

I am very curious about the smoker ...

Basically' date=' it is this device

However, I have revised it a bit. It has a bowl that holds the charcoal used for smoking that is supposed to hang from some holders inside the bottom. Instead of doing it that way, I mounted the legs on the outside so the bowl can fit without the hanger. I then sit the bowl on an electric hot plate. I fill the bowl with charcoal and some wood chips, plug the hot plate in, place the smoker over that, load the meat to be smokes on the racks under the top cover, replace the cover and let it alone while it does it's thing. If you would like to know more about smoking and BBQ from the USA and other places Here is a link to a forum that deals only with BBQ (it is not a Witness site)

[april]

One of the sisters in our congregation is recovering from surgery, I went to their home today and cooked a big pot of Shrimp and Okra Gumbo, it turned out well, and another sister sent over a homemade lemon meringue pie.

[sis little]

Y r killing me I have been craving a good old gumbo with all the fixins, and I just know coming from N.O. it was awsome. Send me recipe.

My sisters would have it no other way, I really would like too visit the area and gettle too know my distant sisters. lol

sis little

[april]

Recipe for Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

Start with 1-large or 2 small yellow onions, chopped

1lb bag frozen okra

2-3 lbs of shrimp (depending on size)

2-cups shrimp stock

1-small can tomato sauce

4-cloves garlic chopped

( I peel my shrimp and throw the peelings in a pot with lemon onion, tony's,and two bay leaf boil and cook my own shrimp stock)

In a 3 or 5 quart cooking pot, pour in oil to cover the bottom, add onions and okra, cook about 30-40 minutes on low to med heat constantly stirring, (with lid on)

uncover add shrimp ( you can also add 1lb of sausage cut up in quarters), add tomato sauce shrimp stock and garlic, season with salt and pepper to taste and add tony's, cook approx. 1 hour. serve over rice, yummy

[bohemian]

Recipe for Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

Start with 1-large or 2 small yellow onions, chopped

1lb bag frozen okra

2-3 lbs of shrimp (depending on size)

2-cups shrimp stock

1-small can tomato sauce

4-cloves garlic chopped

( I peel my shrimp and throw the peelings in a pot with lemon onion, tony's,and two bay leaf boil and cook my own shrimp stock)

In a 3 or 5 quart cooking pot, pour in oil to cover the bottom, add onions and okra, cook about 30-40 minutes on low to med heat constantly stirring, (with lid on)

uncover add shrimp ( you can also add 1lb of sausage cut up in quarters), add tomato sauce shrimp stock and garlic, season with salt and pepper to taste and add tony's, cook approx. 1 hour. serve over rice, yummy

1) What is it of Tony's that you add?

2) Doesn't the lid get in the way of the stirring?

Sounds delicious. Expensive in the UK though (peeled brown shrimps are about £80 a kilo!).

[april]

Oh sorry, Tony's is creole seasoning, you can use other season in place of it, and you simmer the okra with the lid on, take lid off to stir ingredients, then put lid back on. Shrimp here around $2.50 to $3.50 per lb.

There are really hundreds of varieties of gumbo, the one I mentioned is only one of them, perhaps you can sub shrimp for another meat or less expensive seafood.

[bohemian]

Oh sorry, Tony's is creole seasoning, you can use other season in place of it, and you simmer the okra with the lid on, take lid off to stir ingredients, then put lid back on. Shrimp here around $2.50 to $3.50 per lb.

There are really hundreds of varieties of gumbo, the one I mentioned is only one of them, perhaps you can sub shrimp for another meat or less expensive seafood.

Ah, thanks. Never heard of "Tony's". I was being a little tongue-in-cheek about stirring with the lid on, though!

Gumbo Variations - one of my favourite tracks:

[Qapla]

Tony Zachary Seasonings and are sold in Grocery Stores, here in the US - Including WalMart.