I am feeling much like my mother and my mother and law must have felt when I announced the same in 1986--ELATED! In my usual fashion, I would prepare an over-the-top dinner which certainly contributed to the large amount of planning and execution time. Nevertheless, it was something that I wanted to do.
However (and importantly), I am serving as the culinary coach on this dinner. Last evening, I helped my daughter with preparing the brine for the turkey. I also gave explicit instructions on how to cook the turkey. If you are looking for a tried and true method that is a perfect combination of art and science, look no further than Alton Brown's Perfect turkey. It is available on the web, but I have the PDF for you HERE. My method is identical, and I found it in Bon Appetit far before Alton Brown was on the scene. Nevertheless, he provides the method here, and I promise you that there is no better method to cook a turkey. Basting really is not for the birds....trust me. This method browns the turkey on the outside and then provides for tender succulent meat on the inside. Never dry...rather it is fragrant and moist and will surpass your expectations in every way.
Each year, I would find one new recipe to try--sometimes a side dish, sometimes a dessert. Some were great successes, and others (like that dreadful brussels sprouts with pearl onions, chestnuts and garlic cream) were a bust! Undaunted by my busts, my culinary curiosity led to a 'stable' of dishes that perfectly complement each other and are a little different. I'm not sure why, but my DNA requires that I do things a little differently--and that predilection generally has served me well in both business and personal life.
As if the dinner were not enough to pull off, we also had EPA cleanup. I always worked many hours and with two children and a husband and animals, the house was always in need of tidying up! However, as we do things BIG around here...tidying up meant EPA cleanup. That description is one whisker shy of hyperbole. Accordingly, after cooking and cleaning, I was pooped--but everyone always looked forward to coming to dinner with gastronomically high expectations (that were generally fully met!).
I'm not completely off the hook, though. I am charged with bringing the turkey platter (check), making the cranberry sauce (ingredients on hand!) and making the Maple Pecan Chocolate Tart (CLICK for recipe) (ingredients on hand!) and the sausage dressing (we don't stuff) and the spicy cranberry sauce (CLICK for recipe). This picture anchoring the left hand corner of this post is my picture of that tart. Served slightly warmed with premium vanilla ice cream, it is pecan pie at a level of sophistication that will never leave you wanting for any other dessert. Yes, it really is that good.
I believe that the recipe originated from Bon Appetit, but I have long since lost the original, and Epicurious does not have this recipe anywhere. I've been subscribing to Bon Appetit for quite a long while. I recently tossed many back issues into the recycle bin. Before doing so, I found myself sitting down and rifling through back issues--at the very least to save the Thanksgiving issues. After 5 minutes of nostalgic flipping, I forced myself to get up and unceremoniously consign them to the recycling netherworld. As I write I have a pang of regret--but if it is not me to toss them, who else?
The spicy cranberry sauce recipe is similar to my Tart Cranberry Sauce--I've made my notations on the PDF, so that you can prepare it as you like. It looks quite beautiful in a crystal bowl. Making your own cranberry sauce is really easy, and there are so many ways that you can do it to give it your own flair. With all of my other experimentations, my cranberry sauce is a staple, and I don't experiment with it as everyone loves it is.
I believe that the recipe came out of Bon Appetit, but I have long since lost the original, and Epicurious does not have this recipe anywhere. I've been subscribing to Bon Appetit for quite a long while. I recently tossed many back issues into the recycle bin. Before doing so, I found myself sitting down and rifling through back issues--at the very least to save the Thanksgiving issues. After 5 minutes of nostalgic flipping, I forced myself to get up and unceremoniously consign them to the recycling netherworld. As I write I have a pang of regret--but if it is not me to toss them, who else?
With my daughter hosting, my favorite holiday is made all the more special--watching my daughter begin her own tradition. This is a holiday that asks nothing of us but to share the bounty of the table and our spirit.
For your convenience, here are the links to the recipes here:
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