Chickens-
It's almost here! My favorite holiday of the year, and rest assured, I am prepping and shopping and planning as we speak. And one of the things I am thankful for is that just in time for the holiday festive spirit, my publisher is doing a special promotion for Big Delicious Life!
For anyone new, this is my digital cookbook, over 150 of my best recipes, including dozens that are perfect for holiday entertaining! Thru 11/22 it is just $.99. And since it is digital, all you need to gift it to someone is their email address. So think on this...the cost of a holiday card PLUS the cost of postage is MORE than sending someone your festive greetings with a whole cookbook! The simple, easy to use digital format means that it is the perfect thing to have on your phone or tablet when you head to the grocery store and are facing down yet another packet of weeknight chicken. Heading out of town to stay with friends or family or to a vacation rental? This puts a serious cooking resource right in your back pocket, saving you from only making sandwiches and reservations. CLICK HERE to get your copy, or to send to the cooks in your life.
Now for the serious stuff...
(I
have posted this piece, adjusted slightly year by year, since 2009. The essentials don’t change much. The sentiment changes not at all.)
As
a passionate home cook, Thanksgiving is my grail, my marathon, my Everest. The ability to pull it off well is a source
of pride, and no moments of my year are as purely pleasurable as the brief silence around the table when everyone tucks into their plates,
followed by gradual exclamations of rapturous delight. And while there is always something a little
bit new or different every year, the basics stay the same, and I’ve gotten a
lot of it down to a science.
But
science doesn’t mean clenched perfectionism.
With
all due respect to Martha, you don’t need twenty-four matching turkey shaped
bowls for the soup to taste good, you don’t have to grow your own cranberries,
or even make your own pie crust (or pie for that matter) for this day to be
wonderful. Good food, prepared with love
(or purchased with love), and served with a smile is all anyone needs for the
holiday to be sublime…to each at the level of their own ability.
For
those of you who are thinking of tackling the big day, I’ve got some tips to
help you out. The most important thing
about Thanksgiving is right there in the name, be thankful. If you burn the turkey, make PB&J and
laugh it off. And if at all possible,
set yourself up for success with some simple advice and simpler recipes.
Whether
you are having a huge event with five generations, a gathering of your best
pals who aren’t able to be with their own families, or just a small dinner with
you and your sweetie, there are ways to make this day less stressful, and more
joyous.
Firstly,
know thyself. Do you regularly make your
own puff pastry, serve towering flaming Baked Alaskas, and finish your sauces
with homemade demi-glace? Then find any
challenging menu that inspires you and have at it. But if you burn the toast four days out of
ten, this isn’t the time to try anything complicated. Keep things simple, and don’t be afraid to
get help with the hard stuff or fiddly bits.
People love to participate, so let guests bring something to take some
of the pressure off you. If you’ve never
made piecrust, buy a good quality frozen crust.
Look at local prepared foods sections of grocery stores and see who is
offering side dishes and do a tasting the week before. If Whole Foods is making a killer stuffing,
there’s no shame in serving it. Does
gravy make you nervous? Add five or six
whole peeled shallots to the roasting pan along with your bird, and simply
blend them into the de-fatted pan juices to thicken it easily without all that
tricky flour business.
Secondly,
know thy audience. You might be a major
foodie, but is Aunt Marge? No point in
fussing over individual pumpkin soufflés cooked in hollowed out roasted quinces unless
the rest of your guests will think it as cool as you do, and not wonder dejectedly where
the Entenmann’s Pumpkin Pie with Cool Whip is this year. You can take the essentials and just make
them with the best ingredients you can get, and know that you have improved,
even if you haven’t monumentally altered.
Or think of it as a retro meal, all the rage these days, and revel in
the kitschy quality of making the recipes the old way.
Thanksgiving
is also a great time to connect with your family members who cook…call Mom or Uncle Al and ask
for advice and recipes, they’ll be flattered and you’ll be amazed how many
great tips they can give you.
So,
if you’re getting ready for the big day, here are Stacey’s Thanksgiving
Commandments:
1. Thou shalt buy a fresh turkey from a butcher,
and dry brine before roasting.
I know Butterball seems like a good
idea, and awfully convenient, but they are so filled with preservatives and water and other unnatural
stuff, they don’t really taste like turkey.
Call your local butcher and order a fresh turkey for pick up the Monday before Thanksgiving. The bonus will be that you won't have to thaw it! Take it home and dry brine for two days,
essentially giving it a good salting and slapping it in a large Ziploc bag to
hang out. I recommend the Food52 recipe
for this. Then cook as you usually do. You’ll be delighted with the moist, well-seasoned results.
2. Thou shalt discover how easy it is to make awesome
cranberry sauce.
Cranberry sauce is not just the
easiest part of the meal; it can be made up to a week in advance. It’s the perfect thing for even a reluctant
cook to offer to bring to someone else’s meal, or an easy addition to your
own. (and yes, I know some of you love
that shimmering jiggling tube with all the ridges, and if you must, have some
on hand…but do at least TRY homemade…you can always serve both)
3. Thou shalt not be ashamed to make the green
bean casserole with the Campbell’s Condensed Soup.
Sure, I’m a foodie-slash-crazy-person, so I make my cream of mushroom soup from scratch before assembling the
ubiquitous casserole…but honestly, it’s a tradition for a reason, the original
recipe is pretty comforting and delicious in its own way, and easy to make, so
even if you consider yourself a major gourmet, pull out the processed food
version and serve with a smile. Ditto
sweet potatoes with marshmallows.
4. Thou shalt not overdo the appetizers.
And by overdo, I mean serving any if
you can help it. You’re going to spend at
least two days cooking for this meal.
Let your guests be hungry when they get to the table. Keep your pre-dinner nibbles to small bowls
of nuts or olives or pretzels or the like, think basic bar snacks…you just want
your guests to have something to nosh on with their pre-dinner drinks, but if
they fill up on hors d’oeuvres you’ll all be sad when you get to the table and
can’t manage seconds. (this is good
advice for any dinner party…either plan heavy hors d’ouevres and a light
supper, or vice versa)
5. Thou shalt not bother with salad.
I know it always seems like such a
good idea to make a fresh green salad.
But frankly, it takes up valuable space on a plate that should be
devoted to fourteen different starches, and you’re just going to throw most of it
away, since it will be all wilty and depressed by the time you go to put the
leftovers away. No one will miss it. Seriously.
Stop even thinking about it.
6. Thou shalt not count calories, skimp on
ingredients, or whine and pout about how bad the food is for you.
We are all very sensitive to healthy
eating these days, and more than a few of us are dealing with the need to lose
a couple of pounds. Or a couple of
dozen. THIS IS NOT THE DAY TO DO
IT. Thanksgiving is, at its very core, a
celebration of food and the memories that food invokes and the new memories created
at the table. You do yourself, your host,
and the day a disservice if you think of it as anything else, or deprive
yourself of the sheer joy of this meal. If
you’re the cook, don’t alter recipes with low fat/low salt/low taste versions
of things unless you have a guest with medically prescribed dietary
restrictions. Don’t skip meals before,
so that you aren’t blindly starving by the time you get to the buffet, and if
you’re really concerned, fill your plate anyway you like, but either don’t go
back for seconds, or on your second round, stick to the less gloopy veggies and turkey and the cranberry sauce.
Any nutritionist worth their salt will tell you that one meal cannot
derail your overall progress, especially if you get back to your program the
next day and maybe add a workout that week.
And any counselor will tell you that the surest way to be cranky is to
deprive yourself while all around you are celebrating. Give yourself a break…you’ll be amazed that
if you give yourself permission to have everything you want, how easy it is not
to overdo it.
7. Thou shalt not stuff your bird.
I can hear you crying about it
now….you are used to the bird packed with stuffing, you dream about the really crispy
good part in the front over the neck, why can’t we stuff our turkeys? Here’s why….one, a stuffed bird is the best possible
way to get food borne illness on the agenda.
If the stuffing doesn’t get up to at least 180 degrees internally, it
can breed bacteria, not fun for anyone’s tummy.
Two, in order to get the stuffing to 180, you are going to overcook the crap
out of the turkey itself, especially the breast meat. Three, all that moistness you love in the
in-the-bird stuffing? That is all the
juices from the meat that are getting sucked out by the huge stuffing sponge,
and you not only dry out your bird, you have many fewer juices with which to
make gravy. Make your stuffing and bake
in a separate dish, and if you really miss that dense moistness, buy a couple
of extra turkey wings and lay them on top of the casserole as it bakes, and/or melt
a stick of butter in a cup of chicken stock and pour it over the stuffing ten
minutes before taking it out of the oven.
And get over it. Stuffing that
wasn’t actually stuffed is always going to be better than food poisoning.
8. Thou shalt not test more than one new recipe
for this meal.
Thanksgiving is a wonderful meal to
add to, but don’t do everything at once.
I know that the cooking mags have all sorts of new-fangled versions of
things, but they have to reinvent the holiday menu every year. Experimentation is good, but if you change
the whole thing up at once, people are going to miss their old standby
favorites. Pick one dish that you think
is ready for a revamp, and throw in that curveball. If you love it, add it to
the repertoire. But don’t do the
chipotle rubbed turkey, sweet potato tofu bake, barley stuffing, green beans
with fresh ricotta, and sherried fig cranberry coulis all in one meal. Someone will weep openly, and everyone will
have to run out the next day and make a few traditional items to get them
through to next year.
9. Thou shalt not be a Thanksgiving Dictator or That Annoying Guest.
If people want to help in the
kitchen, let them. And don’t criticize
the quality of their small dice, or the way they wash the pots. Ditto assigning specific foods to guests who
want to bring something…if someone offers to bring a dish, ask them what they
love to make or what they crave most about Thanksgiving and let them bring
that. Who cares if you have two kinds of
sweet potatoes, or both cornbread and regular stuffing? On Thanksgiving, more is more, and abundance rules. Besides, you have a three-day weekend that needs quality leftovers. If you are the guest, offering to bring something, be clear about what you are capable of, make sure to ask how many people you are expected to serve, and DO NOT BRING ANYTHING THAT NEEDS ASSEMBLY OR COOKING ONSITE! Do you have any idea how supremely annoying it is for someone to arrive with a grocery bag full of ingredients to begin making their dish while you are doing a kitchen dance that is just shy of the opening ceremonies for the Olympics? Or with their frozen or chilled item that they they need to wedge into the one oven? If your dish is to be served warm, bring it warm in an insulated container, or in your slow cooker so that you can plug it in somewhere unobtrusive till it is time to serve. Speaking of serving, my best trick for holidays and dinner parties alike is to bring my offering on a serving platter that doubles as my hostess gift. Target, Home Goods, etc. all sell very inexpensive serveware, and it is a very big relief to your hosts for you to hand off your contribution, already on or in its final destination, and say "The platter/bowl/basket is our gift to thank you for your hospitality." Nothing is more annoying during dishwashing than making sure everyone's serveware gets cleaned so they can take it back home. Ditto Tupperware. I'm just saying.
10. Thou shalt be THANKFUL.
We are all very blessed in our own
ways. Even if you are going through a
rough time, there are those who have it rougher. The times in which we live are a little bit scary and sad, and we all deserve a day to focus on the good. Take a few moments to think about all of the
gifts you have in your life, the family and friends who surround you, all of
the wonderful things you may take for granted in the hustle and bustle of your
day to day. Close your eyes, be joyful,
and in all sincerity and humbleness thank the universe for your life.
I am deeply thankful for each and every one of you for reading, supporting me and my work, and being kind and gentle ears in the world for my words. So know that next Thursday, you'll all be in my heart.
Yours
in Good Taste,
The
Polymath
Here
are some of my go-to turkey day recipes.
Follow to the letter or use as a springboard for your own touches… All recipes are designed to accommodate 12-14
people with leftovers. And if you have recipes of your own to share, be sure to leave them in the comments section!
Cranberry sauce
2
bags cranberries
1 ½ c port
1 c sugar
1 t salt
5 T orange juice
1 ½ t cornstarch
1 t ground mustard
1 t lemon juice
Zest
of 1 orange
Pinch
ground clove
Pinch
fresh ginger
Zest
of 1 lemon
½
c dried cherries-rehydrate in ¼ c port
Cook
cranberries and port in a saucepan over med-high heat 10 minutes, until
cranberries burst. Add sugar and
salt. Whisk OJ, cornstarch, mustard,
lemon juice in a bowl and add to berries.
Stir to combine. Add rest of
ingredients, cook 5-6 minutes more, cool.
Mashed potatoes
10
lb. Yukon Gold potatoes (peeled, cubed)
2
sticks butter, cubed
1
pt. whole milk, warmed (or half and half or cream, depending on how rich you
like it)
1
pt. sour cream
1
tub whipped cream cheese with chives (or plain) at room temp
1
bunch chives, chopped fine
S&P
to taste
Boil
potatoes till soft. Drain completely.
Put potatoes through ricer, or just use hand mixer to mash. Add butter first, then cream cheese, and then
milk to just shy of your preferred texture.
Once the potatoes are almost there, add in the sour cream and chives and
season well. Hold in double boiler to
keep warm…this is the dish I make while the turkey is resting, best when fresh.
Stacey’s Green Bean
Casserole
3
lbs fresh green beans, trimmed, blanched 90 seconds in boiling water, dried
thoroughly (I often buy the microwave in bag pre-washed beans, and follow
cooking directions, setting time for the lowest time listed (4 min per bag),
then dry)
1
lb asst. sliced exotic mushrooms (I use 4 oz each oyster, crimini, chantrelle,
and either morels or shitake, but use any combination of mushrooms that are
available and you love)
2
shallots minced (or one small onion minced fine)
4
T butter
8
T flour
2
c chicken stock (homemade if possible)
2
c heavy cream
16
oz mascarpone cheese, room temp (can
substitute cream cheese or soft goat cheese)
½
cup buttered breadcrumbs (1/2 c breadcrumbs sautéed in 2 T butter)-optional
1
large can French’s fried onions
In
a large wide saucepan with high sides, sauté shallots and mushrooms in butter
until moisture is released and evaporates completely. Sprinkle flour over mixture, stir in, and
cook 1 minute. Add stock and simmer 2
minutes. Add cream and simmer about
15-18 minutes until very thickened and reduced.
Take off heat and stir in mascarpone, taste for seasoning, add salt and
pepper. Mix beans with sauce and pour
into buttered pan 9x13.
Mix
buttered breadcrumbs and fried onions in bowl and set aside.
If
serving right away: Cook 425 degrees 15
minutes, top with onion breadcrumb mixture, cook 10-15 minutes till top is lightly
browned and crispy.
Can
be made up to two days in advance…take out of fridge to come to room temp 90
minutes before cooking. Put in 350
degree oven for 30-40 minutes until bubbling around the edges. Top with onion mixture and cook additional 15
minutes.
Basic Stuffing
1
XL loaf country bread or French bread cubed and toasted till totally dry (2 lbs.) (or 2 lbs of the plain crouton cubes
from the store)
1
pkg soft egg rolls or hot dog buns torn coarsely
2
½ sticks butter
1
½ c finely chopped onion
1
½ c finely chopped celery
Celery
leaves from 2 heads, chopped
¼
c chopped flat leaf parsley
Dried
sage, thyme, marjoram (1 T each)
S/P
to taste
4
lg eggs, beaten
1
32 oz box chicken stock…add as necessary to moisten
½
c toasted bread crumbs
Saute
veggies and herbs in 1 ½ sticks butter.
Toss with bread. Add stock slowly
till moist but not overly soggy. Taste
for seasoning. Stir in eggs and mix
well. Put in deep foil pan. Drizzle with melted stick of butter and
sprinkle of breadcrumbs.
400
degrees for 25 minutes covered, then 20 uncovered. If you want extra turkey flavor, lay the
pieces of 2-3 turkey wings on top of the casserole for all but the last 10
minutes, and for extra moistness, melt another 4-8 T butter in 1 c chicken or
turkey stock and pour over top when you uncover the stuffing, then continue
cooking.
Can
be made up to two days in advance, and reheated in a 350 degree oven for 30
minutes before serving.
Sweet Potato Casserole
8 large sweet potatoes
1 stick butter
½ c brown sugar
Cinnamon, nutmeg, s/p
3 eggs
1 bag mini marshmallows
Roast potatoes till soft. Mash
with butter, sugar, and cinnamon, s/p, nutmeg.
Mix in eggs.
Bake 350 for 25 minutes, add marshmallows to top in one layer, put
back in oven for 10-15 more minutes until the marshmallows are golden brown.
Pumpkin/Butternut
Squash Soup
If you want this soup all pumpkin, replace the butternut squash with
fresh or frozen cubed pumpkin. If you
want it all squash, eliminate the canned pumpkin and add another 2 lbs of cubed
squash.
4 small or 2 large butternut squash (or equivalent in fresh cubed or
frozen…about 2.5-3 lbs after peeling, de-seeding and cubing)
2 large cans pumpkin (29.5 oz organic…not pumpkin pie filling!)
3 quarts chicken stock (or veggie stock if you have vegetarians
coming)
1 pt. heavy cream
2 med. (or one large) yellow onions
1 stick butter
Fresh ground nutmeg
s/p
Prep squash if necessary by peeling, de-seeding and cubing in large
chunks. Sauté onions in butter till soft
but not browned, add squash and pumpkin.
Pour in enough chicken stock to cover the vegetables by about 1 ½ - 2
inches. Cook over medium heat till very
soft, about 35-45 minutes. Blend with immersion blender or in batches in
regular blender till very smooth, for extra velvety soup strain thru Chinois or
fine mesh strainer. Add cream and season
to taste with salt and pepper and fresh nutmeg.
Freezes beautifully pre-cream, I often make a double batch and freeze
half without the cream in it. Is also
delish without the cream if you want to be healthier J
Toppings:
½ c heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
8-10 amaretti cookies, crumbled but not powdered
Blend together right before serving and garnish each bowl or cup with
a generous spoon.
Have also topped with:
Crushed gingersnaps and mini marshmallows
Crème fraiche mixed with crystallized ginger
Candied orange zest and toasted pine nuts
Toasted gingerbread croutons
Caramel corn
Whipped cream blended with cranberry sauce
Crouton with melted asiago cheese
Fried sage leaves
Curried nuts (pumpkin seeds, pecans, walnuts)
Balsamic Cipollini
Onions
2 lbs cipollini onions, peeled
(blanch in boiling water one minute, shock in ice water, skins should
slip right off)
6 T balsamic vinegar
Preheat oven to 500°F.
Place onions in medium bowl; toss with oil. Arrange onions on baking
sheet or in roasting pan. Sprinkle with
salt and pepper. Roast until onions are
brown and tender, rotating pan in oven and turn onions once, about 35 minutes
(they will caramelize and be quite dark in parts but, if you have coated them
well with olive oil, will not have a 'burnt' taste). Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy small
saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sugar and stir until sugar dissolves.
Remove from heat. Add vinegar. Return to
heat. Simmer until mixture thickens
slightly, about 2 minutes. Pour over onions and continue to cook in oven 10
more minutes. Sprinkle
with parsley before serving.
Pickled carrots
(great
pre-dinner nibble! A bowl of these and a
bowl of nuts are all you need.)
1
large bag baby carrots (2 1bs)
1
bottle apple cider vinegar
1
large jar honey
4
T mustard seed
1
bunch dill
Combine
vinegar, honey and mustard seed in saucepan.
Add carrots and cook over med-high heat till carrots are cooked but
still crisp, 5-8 minutes. Store in
pickling liquid in fridge. Before
serving, drain liquid, add chopped fresh dill.
