Thanksgiving This Year
Thanksgiving is a big deal for me. Aside from the being thankful stuff, it is one of the four times a year when I can eat a big meal which features most of my favorite foods without repercussion or chagrin. I also like that I get to break up my favorite proteins into fall, winter and spring, i.e. roasts of turkey, beef and lamb which makes looking forward to family holidays with more than just beneficence.
But I digress. The reason Thanksgiving has taken on a bigger meaning lately is that Elisabeth is aware of the significance that her maternal grandfather can trace their family roots all the back to Elder William Brewster (of the Mayflower). What’s more, Michelle’s family goes back to the original settlers of Hartford, CT who migrated from the port at Suffolk, England with a brief stop in Massachusetts. Those Mayflower folks and the subsequent New England settlers were all aware of one another and most assuredly gave thanks for each other’s presence in a new and untamed world.
However, our meal this year is breaking with tradition by trying new twists. We could never do a historical meal. This would mean I would have to shoot a wild turkey (and I don’t even own a wheel lock musket) then find a way to roast it without benefit of an oven or even a stone hearth. It’s hard to cook a turkey over an open fire. With a wild turkey you have to stick with the breasts, there is almost no leg meat on a wild turkey so no drum sticks. Therefore the climactic dinner presentation of a whole roasted bird is ruined. You would need to braise the breasts or dice them up into a stir fry-like meal and that doesn’t sit well with the necessary iconic image. A duck would be easier but you’d need a few to feed the extended family and again it doesn’t make as awesome a presentation. I could spit roast entire venison but the authorities might stop by. To further complicate my traditional 1621 dreams, no one wants to eat shellfish, like those abundant oysters, mussels, clams and lobster or even the indomitable cod fish of yore on Thanksgiving Day. Forget about eel –even I won’t go that far.
I’m all set and happy enough cooking my modern, farm-raised turkey in my modern oven so that it comes out perfect. There are hundreds of ways to prepare turkey all of which are easy to look up on the internet. Michelle’s mother brines the bird the day before the cooking day. I’ll oven roast it for the appropriate length of time. Michelle will make more pies that we can possible eat, including her fabulous apple pie (Featured in our new cookbook on sale now, [shameless holiday gift idea plug]).
The side dishes are the issue. How do you keep them tasty and not over bearing or boring? Dull frozen nibblets and a sweet potato casserole (please no marshmallows)? Sure I want mashed potatoes because it’s traditional and what else do you use to soak up the gravy? And we will have Michelle’s mother secret recipe for stuffing. I’ll get it from her someday and sell it ruthlessly. We were looking to do some things differently and didn’t have time for weeks of experimentation to get things right.
Thankfully, the November 2011 issue of Bon Appétit gave us good ideas to bolster our meals in their feature titled “Side Show.” We won’t need to make the green bean casserole featured in every newspaper’s Thanksgiving Lifestyle section since 1973. Here is what Michelle and her mom decided upon. Spice Glazed Carrots (the spice and glaze comes from orange juice, sweet vermouth and crushed black peppercorns). Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad, a nutritional powerhouse and not heavy on the stomach illuminated by a bright mustard Dijon dressing. Roasted Squash with Mint and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds (just to change things up a bit with such a mainstay as squash which was most certainly on the 1621 table). Cauliflower Roasted with Capers, Raisins and Breadcrumbs (I’m on the fence about including the golden raisins, but Michelle says it will be great.) The magazine says this last one has Sicilian originations which will be a pleasant nod to the maternal side of Michelle’s family. All these sides are easy to make, stand out by themselves and do not have to relinquished to just once a year. Check out the magazine for the recipes.
Please look over the recipe archive section of our website too –for ideas about your holiday meal. We have many ways to prepare root vegetables and what to do with the left-over turkey. Most of all: bring your kids into the meal and make it party –that’s how you carry on your own traditions and memories. And get them to help. Home-made hand turkey placemats anyone?
Turkey Cooking Tip: Make sure the skin is dry before cooking. You can smear on some butter too. It helps ensure a crispy skin.
