Ekinacea-Take One Everyday

A typical gout party spread minus the meat.

We try to not to eat meat this summer. Just for the next couple of weeks. A growing desire to become a pescetarian as my digestive track seems to fail with age, that desire fades at the sight of grilled meat. Perhaps an overload of meat once a year would be enough. We had just the occasion for that- ever since 1998.

I do not know how it first started- maybe from a dinner conversation, or from an instance of over-eating. There the difference between a true food-lovers and an occasional indulger is evident. Those who love food still can dream of food even the thin line above the lips is wet from sweat not formed by heat but by food. The original group consisted of Tarik and Savas (the owners of now amazing Istanbul eating destinations Changa and Muzedechanga) and my parents. Someone may have dared someone about the amounts of meat they could consume. So came the idea of a yearly party in the summers in our garden- a gout party- it would be called where the participants would be served endless amounts of meat products. Not much else. Meat as much as you could eat- maybe until you formed a case of gout. The now so-famous Nusr-et was a grill master in two parties.

Early nibble goods for the gout party. The key is not to overate them. The pictures are from the 2009 Gout gathering. In the picture are: my aunt Unay, Tarik and Savas

The core group of Savas and Tarik never changed. There were new additions every year and new surprise delights. My mother would set a long table for 18-19 people. The key for a meat party is not to prepare too many side-dishes or appetizers. Any over-indulgence will result in the lessening of the capacity to consume as much meat as possible. The meats every year are chosen by my father and mother. They consult their butcher friend Cuneyt (now owner of butcher, meat-restaurant franchise)

Moment of chaos due to the rush that everyone has for their attempts of overeating.

 

One year we had pieces of steaks followed by wraps of kebabs. We estimated the meat to be approximately 2-3 pounds per person. If people can consume more, they are welcome to more meat. There is always desert but I have always been too high on the meat to remember what they were. There is also good conversation, momentarily about other aspects of life, the rest of the time about food. The value of a ritual such as this one is many. (1) is to reconnect with each other around the premise of good food (2) is to test our ability each year for meat consumption (3) to talk about food whilst eating food.

 There has been a break for the past couple years. We did not have the Gout party. The ritualistic eating becomes more difficult with changing schedules/destinations and lives. Thankfully gout party is happy history for many. A memory of meat to remember for me in its absence. A case for meat when health says otherwise.