Turkey Taco Recipe

I have never understood it when people complain about leftover turkey on Thanksgiving. With our size family, we never have enough for my taste anyway. And besides, turkey tastes great and we don't eat it the rest of the year.

My favorite leftover meal is turkey tacos. It is more than just substituting turkey for chicken or beef. How it is prepared is what make them good. This is my own recipe. If anyone else makes them like this, I have never eaten them.

First, you need a mixture of white and dark meat. Ordinarily I prefer white, but when you shred the turkey, it is a little less important. However a mixture gives you a little stronger flavor and helps use up the dark meat.

Shred the turkey in a food processor. You need enough to fill about 1/2 inch of a large frying pan. Heat some oil in the pan first. You need more than a mere coating to protect the pan, you want enough oil to cook the meat. Then add the turkey. Add as much onion (fresh or powder) and chili (crushed or powder) as those eating will like. Cook the turkey, stirring frequently, until it is thoroughly toasted.

Cooking the turkey like this will make it tasty, but dry it out. At this point add a cup or two of liquid. You can use turkey soup if you made some from the carcass. Otherwise make some chicken bullion. This will put the moisture back in the turkey while preserving the flavor of the frying. Turn down the heat and let the turkey absorb the liquid.

Put on tortillas with whatever else you like to put on tacos. I don't add a lot of extras so as to not overwhelm the wonderful flavor of the turkey. If you use cheese, let it be mild. If you properly seasoned and moistened the turkey, you won't need any taco sauce either.

Try it out. They are a big hit around our house and is a wonderful way to use those turkey leftovers.

The Sarah Palin Phenomenon

I am intrigued at the buzz surrounding Sarah Palin. A previously-unknown governor of a small state was elevated to VP candidate and suddenly she is the new darling of the right (especially the religious right). Why the attraction?

First, we cannot put aside the fact that she is pretty. I'm not being sexist here. Taller, more attractive men have always had some advantages in running for president. Though they will never admit it, people want to like what they see when they cast their vote. I can't help but believe that if Palin looked like, oh say, Rosie O'Donnell, her support might be a little less.

Second, she is simply well-known from her VP run. I believe that it would not take me long to round up two dozen Republicans who have more and better political experience and who support the same positions that she does. But they are only known locally and she has been in the national spotlight. This gives her a significant advantage.

Third, she is a conservative woman. When most of the women in politics range from center to the extreme left, this uniqueness attracts interest. I believe this was a major factor in John McCain's selection of her.

Fourth, she espouses all the "right" positions that energize conservatives. There is no ambiguity as to whether she is conservative enough.

Fifth, she belongs to the evangelical wing of Christianity. For those in the religious right, she is the proper kind of Christian. No more having to wonder if they should support Mitt Romney--a man with the "right" positions, but a Mormon.

Will this translate into the presidency or even the nomination for that office? I doubt it, which will be the focus of a later post. But she will not go away quietly and her supporters will have to be contended with.