Cooking Up A Utah Jazz Themed Thanksgiving

Nov 18, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz center

(0) reacts during the first half at against the Oklahoma City Thunder EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

If you clicked on this expecting me to make the obligatory Enes Kanter-Turkey joke, you won’t find it (here, at least. We already did that). What you will find is me cooking up a Utah Jazz themed Thanksgiving post, although I’m sure Enes will get a chuckle out of your creative responses to his challenge.

Let’s start in the kitchen

The kitchen is the Zions Bank Basketball Center, where the Jazz cook up all the dishes, hot or cold, that they’ll serve up to opponents. The Jazz’s practice facility has been open since 2003 and serves as the staging area frequented by Jazz media to convey inside information to fans.

The Cook 

With a new head chef the Jazz have been seasoning their young veterans, letting them simmer until the cream rises to the top. Quin Snyder is the new cook, charged with juggling all the ingredients at the same time as he directs his line of assistants to stir this and knead that.

The hope is that every dish is served warm and well prepared at the same time to the guests, a tough task. If you have too many leftovers then maybe the meal wasn’t prepared correctly and you get banished from the kitchen.

The Turkey 

The centerpiece of your preparations is the key ingredient to the whole event being successful. Gordon Hayward is that turkey with just the right balance of seasoning on the outside while still being tender and juicy, a balance of flavor that fulfills. This main man can carve up an NBA defense in a variety of ways.

The Gravy and Mashed Potatoes 

You gotta have that gravy, though, and Derrick Favors provides that complement to Hayward’s turkey. Mashing up the middle, that gravy begins spilling out further from it’s starting point, blending in seamlessly with the entire meal. When that gravy and turkey get together for a bite it’s bliss.

The Sweet Potato

Trey Burke adds that bit of flavor that’s traditional at times, yet unconventional and not to everyone’s liking at others. But when his stroke is on it sure is sweet, making the meal full. And Derrick Favors never passes up a chance to have a sweet potato passed his way. Just put a plate of sweet potatoes in front of him and he’ll gobble ’em up faster than you can say “I’m stuffed.”

Pass the candied yams, please.

The Cranberries

Usually on the perimeter of the plate, cranberries are a must have for any Thanksgiving meal. Joe Ingles and Alec Burks are that.

Ingles has become the primary inbounder for Snyder, while Burks usually starts on the outside and works his way in. And when he sneaks into the center with the rest of the main course it’s delicious indeed.

The Rolls

These are your role players. See what I did there? Okay, I’m so sorry. Please, continue reading.

Mandatory to the meal, you gotta have rolls, and there are a many varieties to choose from, each bringing their own flavor, purpose and complementary traits. And when a roll can carry a load for a bite it’s straight butter, baby.

The Table is Set

Let’s eat, Jazz fans. The food is ready to be served and all of you are invited to the EnergySolutions Arena table to partake.

Desert

This has to be cheesecake, right? I mean, a cheesecake is more pie than cake, amirite, Enes?

Yeah, you knew there had to be a joke for the big Turk in there somewhere.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at The J Notes! May your holiday season be bright with resplendent basketball.