Succulent turkey and runny cheese

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It's that time of the year again, and some of us gathered at the Dyson residence for another feast.  Grandma Dyson had recently returned from a prolonged absence, and we were all happy to see her once again take charge of the kitchen.

Of course I didn't put in any effort in the preparation and cooking... although I suppose I could have shown up earlier to help prep the salads or something.  Next time...  I showed up a little bit before the turkey was brought out, just in time for Dyson 1000 to start clamoring for the big bird as she got hungry.  She waited by the table, arm stretched with a spoon in hand, wondering when she was gonna get her turkey...

Finally Grandma Dyson came to carve the turkey, displaying her expert knife skills.  This was a pretty big bird, which had been immersed in salt water to prep, then injected with collagen by Dr. Elf.  The result?  An amazing turkey.  I only had a couple of slices of the breast, and that had to be the most succulent turkey breast ever.  The gravy was heavenly, as was the onion confit made from more than a dozen onions.  The sweet potatoes, both red and purple, were also lovely.

There was also plenty of kalbi, cooked in a new contraption freshly imported from Korea which apparently announces when things are not being done correctly...  

I was pretty disciplined and didn't eat too much of the savory bits.  I was saving stomach space for what was to come later.  I also went back to my "detox" program and didn't drink any wine...

When it was time for dessert, I took small slices of the pumpkin pie as well as the pecan pie.  The color of the pumpkin pie was dark and brown from the molasses.  Very yummy. The pecan pie had barely enough filling to "glue" all the pieces of pecan together.  The pecans were well-roasted, and I could taste the Scotch that was used.  Of course, the best thing about these pies was the crust... unbelievably yummy.  The number that was quoted as the butter content percentage was staggering...

Much later on in the evening, when most guests have already departed, I broke out the bag that I had carried back from Paris.  Tonight was always going to be the night we indulge in the cheese from Andruoet.  

Cabri Ariégois - this was always going to be the one I looked forward to the most, and I think Froggie felt the same way.  It was so ripe that the top caved in, and it was a lot more runny than what we were used to having at Caprice.  Absolutely awesome.  Nothing better than raw milk goat cheese.

Vacherin-Mont d'Or - this was also lovely... viscous, runny and creamy.  I think everyone really enjoyed it.  I know I loved licking it off my fingers...

Next came the 30-month Comté.  This had warmed up a little over the last few hours and began to "sweat".  But still pretty nice... Salt crystals have formed but there was still some sweetness here.

Finally we get to the Epoisses from Gaugry.  It was definitely ripe enough, and was already pretty elastic and stretchy.  Flavors were really strong here, and there was no escape from that ammonia.

This was a good way to conclude our annual feast.  Now what am I going to do with all that leftover cheese?