Our Thanksgiving Menu

After dithering this way and that, I've finally finished the menu for Thanksgiving and our Dead Poultry Society party.

Here it is - with links, where appropriate. Thanks go out tothe world of food bloggers and especially the community at Food52, where I found inspiration, laughs, support, and camaraderie for the last few days.


I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, filled with everything delicious.

Creamy Carrot Soup
Celeriac Remoulade
Chopped Liver
Gravlax, Dill Mustard, Brown Bread
Celery Stalks, Carrot Sticks, Watermelon Radish, Olives
Baguette Toasts
Sweet Pickle Chunks
Pickled Red Onion
Sauerkraut
Dry Brined, Roast Turkey
What We Call Stuffing - Vegetarian Challah, Mushroom, Onion, Celery
What We Call Dressing - Cornbread with Sage Sausage, Apple, Onion
Mushroom Gravy
Giblet Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Tofu Casserole
Butternut & Creamed Spinach Gratin
Green Beans & Almonds w/Frizzled Onion
Butter Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Roasted Pearl Onions with Bacon
Cranberry Sauce
Gingered Fig Cranberry Chutney
Tuscan Onion Confit
Herb & Cheddar Poppers
Challah
Multigrain Dinner Rolls
Sour Cherry Pie
Cardomom Scented Peach Crisp
Quince and Apple Pie
Spiced Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Pistachios
Bourbon Pecan Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

PS Added after the fact - here's a link to the photos from Thanksgiving.

A Wonderful Day

It's been a very exciting 24 hours. First, I looked outside yesterday and the camellias were in bloom. Imagine that. Perfect timing to make a showing in a holiday flower arrangement. That would have made it a very nice day.

But then, I checked the food52 site and realized my stuffing recipe had been selected as a finalist in this week's Best Thanksgiving Stuffing contest. This is the third time I've had a recipe selected, and let me tell you, every single time, I'm totally shocked.

And goofy proud. And exceptionally grateful.

But anyway.

The next bit of news - Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, founders of food52, would be cooking the stuffings on the Today Show. That just sent me over the top. I was crazy nervous, happy, thrilled.

Dennis wanted to tell everyone. He was especially delighted as he completely pushed me to enter the recipe. And of course, it's because of my wonderful husband this recipe was created in the first place.

My mother made a similar stuffing, although she used Pepperidge Farm stuffing croutons and crumbled Bob Evans breakfast sausage in hers. When I met Dennis, the vegetarian, I thought he deserved a stuffing all his own, and nudged the recipe a bit.

Truth be told, while Dennis called friends and family to tell them about the Today Show, I just wanted to tell my Mom. It's been five years since she died, and even longer since we had Thanksgiving together, and, today, more than ever, I really missed her. She would have been so pleased.


What We Call Stuffing
serves 12

1 large loaf of challah or brioche
2 c/500g celery, diced
2 c/500g onion, diced
2 c/500g cremini mushrooms, diced
8-10 sprigs thyme, chopped
3 sprigs rosemary, chopped
1/4 c/75g chopped flat leaf parsley
3 c/24oz vegetable stock, preferably homemade
3 oz unsalted butter
4 oz unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Cut the challah into 1" cubes. Leave the cubes out on a parchment lined sheet pan on the counter to get stale, at least overnight, and preferably, 2 days.

Melt 3 oz butter in a large heavy saute pan. Saute the onions until wilted, add the herbs, celery and mushrooms and cook until just slightly cooked through.

In a large bowl, combine bread cubes, vegetables, melted butter and vegetable stock, and salt and pepper. Test for seasoning and adjust.

Press stuffing in to a large buttered baking dish. Cover with buttered parchment and then foil. At this point, the stuffing can be held for several hours, but should be at room temperature before baking.

Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes, the last 10-15 minutes without the foil and parchment, to crisp the surface.

The day-after sandwich spread, as served at the 2008 Dead Poultry Society party.

List Making

I'm feeling the pressure of the holidays already. It's less than three weeks until Thanksgiving and I haven't started making my lists. I've got the menu pretty well figured out (considered an Ode to the last Gourmet magazine - cooking their entire Thanksgiving dinner, but can't give up my favorites.) Now, it's time to get organized.

There will be a list for grocery shopping, a list of serving dishes and utensils. Lists of table setting needs, flowers, vases. Lists outlining breakfast and dinner Tuesday and Wednesday, as we have houseguests. And a timeline of what must be done in the kitchen every day of that week.

Thanksgiving is relatively easy. Only seven at the table, all good friends and family.

Friday is a whole different animal. It's our annual party - The Dead Poultry Society. It's always a great get-together, with somewhere between 50 and 75 friends, friends' families, out of town guests, and, pretty much anyone who shows up at the door!

The DPS was begun years ago by my parents and their Berkshire-weekend-home neighbors, who would have Thanksgiving at their own homes, and then gather on Friday sharing leftovers .

We've expanded the idea. While we encourage attendees to bring any leftovers they want to add to the table, mostly they bring wine. And, I plan the cooking with both days, and all those people, in mind.

Frankly, I'm so exhausted by the time dinner is on the table Thursday, I can barely taste anything. I enjoy the food so much more on Friday. Certainly, there are foods that are prepared just for Friday's get-together. Most specifically - the SANDWICH BAR. Who doesn't love a Thanksgiving leftover sandwich? I bake breads and rolls, put out the pickles, sauerkraut and chutneys put up over the summer, and we all belly up.

There's one other reason to host the Dead Poultry Society. Eight desserts. I can never decide between cherry pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pecan pie, cranberry tart, lemon meringue pie, and heaven knows what else.

Today, we're attending a family wedding in Michigan. We'll head home tomorrow and I intend to start those lists on the plane. While I have already ordered two turkeys, I'll place orders with my favorite farmers for fruit, vegetables, fish, and dairy, butter and cheeses this week. Sadly, this will be the last time I see most of the farmers until next Spring.

I love this time of year. And I love Thanksgiving most. It's such a nice holiday - no religious significance, no gift-exchanging awkwardness, nothing but the celebration of food. My kind of day.