Back in the day — before my mood-stabilizer gave an unpleasent aftertaste to alcohol — I used to think long and hard about what wines to pair with Thanksgiving Dinner.

I’m not a big fan of pinot noir — love the stuff but most of it (my opinion) sucks.  I was ruined by an incredible bottle of burgundy that accompanied one of the most incredible meals of my life.  Okay… I’ll digress..

There used to be a restaurant here in LA (just as LA was starting to become a Food Mecca) called La Toque.  It was owned by a guy named Ken Frank.  Every February, La Toque would do a prix fixe 7-course Truffle Meal.  Back in the early 90’s this cost $75 a person, I think…

And it was 7 courses of stunning brilliance.  A shirred egg redolent of truffles… a single scallop that merged the scallop’s tangy brininess with the truffle’s warm earthiness.  Lamb chops perfectly cooked (I eat far far, far less meat nowadays but — memories, ya know?) whose meatiness intertwined with the truffles in a way I can still taste.  Ice cream with truffles, cheese with truffles…

And the bottle of burgundy that went with it — I can’t even remember the name.  But it was perfection.  And after struggling for years thereafter to find a burgundy or a pinot noir even remotely in its zip code — I gave up on pinot noir…

Anyway — I don’t drink any of it more.  Could but can’t.  Just don’t want to actually.  And I do not miss it one bit.  That still shocks me to say it — because I loved red wine… perfectly made, ice-cold martinis… good Calvados… Highland single malts (go easy on the peat, lads!)  But all that’s in my past.

Which brings me to my new obsession:  WHAT CANNABIS STRAINS GO BEST WITH TURKEY?

My two cents worth:  I’m going the ‘blisser’ route — something that gives ya a big head high but relaxes ya to a place where no one can say anything THAT offensive — even over Thanksgiving dinner…

I’m thinking Bruce Banner, Fruit Punch and (well, it would be desert, wouldn’t it?) Gelato…