Hi folks!
Thought I’d share my TG menu with you with links to most of the recipes, just in case you don’t already have your own plans well in hand. My mother-in-law and I usually work together on the menu, but she is having cataract surgery on Monday and will be under weight-carrying and activity restrictions. So I’m doing the whole thing. Here’s what the plan is:
My usual classic stuffing: “World’s Greatest Thanksgiving Stuffing”
Classic mashed potatoes, with lots of butter and cream. I’m not doing that make-ahead version with cream cheese and sour cream. It’s not all that fluffy.
Roasted acorn squash with chili-lime vinaigrette from the great, great Smitten Kitchen cooking blog–note that this post is 15 years old, back when Deb Perelman’s photography skills were not what they are now. The recipe itself, though, looks great.
Green beans with shallots, mushrooms and (my addition) bacon, from Bon Appetit
Classic cranberry-orange relish, made from the recipe on the back of the bag but also available here. Note that you really shouldn’t just throw the whole orange in the mix but should take the time to peel off the outer skin, the zest, and then remove and discard the bitter white pith. It’s only that outer skin that has the flavor. Then you can proceed as directed, throwing the outer skin, all the orange flesh, and the cranberries into your food processor. I’d start with an even lower amount of sugar–maybe 1/2 to 2/3 cup, then taste.
Two pies, one Melissa Clark’s brandied butternut squash pie and one made with apples and almond paste, always a winning combination in my book.
I’m not bothering with rolls. We have enough bread in the stuffing.
And what about the turkey and gravy, you ask? Well, I’m planning to use the method below from the great Adam Ragusea for boning out a turkey and thus being able to roast the white and the dark meat separately, while making the turkey broth ahead of time from the bones. I’m not, not, NOT going to do his sauce, though. I’m going to make conventional gravy, and I am going to use those wonderful drippings in the roasting pans that he seems to be ignoring. But I’m very excited about getting an evenly-cooked, easily-sliced turkey. We’ll see! Take a look and see what you think:
Just a thought. As I sit here late Tuesday afternoon my mother-in-law and I have done some menu simplification. We’ve ended up having only 11 people (and we’re happy to see all of them, of course), and so in the end Jan was the voice of reason and said, no, we didn’t really need a turkey plus a turkey breast, plus three kinds of gravy, plus two kinds of stuffing. We have one vegan guest and I want to have items she can eat, so that’s a nice challenge. Here’s what we’re having, with links to recipes that are linkable:
There’s been a friendly rivalry of sorts going on at our church between another woman and myself over who gets to do what food events. Neither one of us is actually running a business per se, but we both enjoy(?) putting on big meals. I had done our church Christmas party dinner (60-75 people) for about three years, then I said it was just too much. So my friendly rival (henceforth designated FR) took it over and did a spectacular job. I stayed out of the fray except for making desserts and my famous pink eggnog for several years, but then I sort of missed it. Last year I asked the woman in charge if I could do it. “Oh, I’m so sorry, but FR already asked if she could do it again this year, and I said yes.” So I stuck with my usual role. FR had also done the food for our annual women’s retreat for a couple of years, with the 2018 one being especially good. She made her grandmother’s green chile (chili? I can never remember when to use which spelling), and it was awesome. Plus she made this cold strawberry soup for dessert. Man! Plus, she made some little chocolate tarts that were . . . vegan. And in spite of that drawback they were honestly one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth. So rich!
These aren’t sugar-free, to be clear. Not at all. But they pack a flavor punch, thus making a little go a long way.