Dukakis is an award-winning short documentary with a hopeful recipe for the future of democracy.
Coming to GBH’s Local Lens this fall!
The award winning short documentary Dukakis: Recipe for Democracy catches up with Massachusetts’ longest-serving governor three decades after he ran for the presidency. Still an entrenched public servant at age 85, Michael Dukakis mentors budding leaders as a college professor. He also chairs a commission to connect Boston’s North and South rail stations – a project he has backed since the 1970s. Meanwhile, a crop of new public servants, including another son of immigrants, Juan Gallego, carries Dukakis’ legacy forward.
Watch the trailer.
Dukakis Family Turkey Soup Recipe.
Dukakis says he uses his mother’s recipe for turkey soup, a hit with his whole family, especially his grandchildren.
When word spread about his desire to not let a carcass go to waste in 2015, dozens arrived on his doorstep. While he stands firm in making the most of each bird, he now says that instead of giving him carcasses, everyone should make — and share — their own batch.
The following directions come from an interview in his home on Dec. 17, 2019.
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“Usually I freeze a turkey carcass. And I often have more than one. Occasionally I get three or four and I go next door to my neighbor who has a big freezer. If he’s willing to take it. [Until I need it.]”
Dukakis takes a carcass from his freezer, puts it in a soup pot, covers it with water, then brings it to a boil.
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He quarters a couple of onions and adds to the pot, along with a shake of salt and pepper.
“Cover for at least three hours. The longer the better.”
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“Pull out the carcass. Clean off the meat. Put the meat back in. Throw out the carcass. Throw out the bones.”
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“Then I start putting in some stuff. Nothing fancy. Some kind of a starch. Could be pasta, could be orzo, could be rice. And then whatever you’ve got in the refrigerator that’s left over. Or, I buy frozen vegetables so I’ll toss in a handful of frozen vegetables.”
He adds a mixture of frozen veggies to the pot.
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“Cook it for another half an hour. You’re in business.”
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Share with family, friends, and neighbors. Or follow his lead and deliver a batch to a nearby soup kitchen.
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