Humble Cuisine

(image via Project Foodie)

‘ah,’ i hear you say, ‘but what about the turkey, the centerpiece of the thanksgiving meal?’

well… i’m still deciding about that. i know i’m going to make a small turkey, rather than just a turkey breast, because we both like white and dark meat.

i was thinking about doing a brine, but i don’t have a ton of fridge space, and a lot of these recipes recommend keeping your turkey cool while it soaks in the brine by leaving it in your patio or garage. if only i didn’t live in florida, where it is still in the 70’s during the day (mmmmmsalmonella…).

i’ve looked at a few sites regarding turkey cooking tips. they agree on a lot of stuff, and disagree on plenty of other stuff, as well. i guess you just learn a little bit more each year? i dunno.

so what am i going to do?

i think i’m going to initially rub the turkey with a head of garlic, some kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper, and then let it sit for a day in the fridge. the day of, i think i’m going to let it come to room temperature for a few hours, and then rub it over and under the skin with softened butter mixed with fresh herbs. i think i’m going to put some onion, garlic, and herbs in the center, as well.

as far as cooking goes, i think i’m going to stick with the serious eats tips: rest the turkey on the giblets instead of a rack, tie the legs together, cover the breast w/ foil, etc.  no basting - i want crispy skin.

then i’m going to let it sit for 20 min while i make some gravy. i’m thinking of buying a turkey leg or something and making some stock beforehand. i’ll deglaze the drippings w/ a little white wine, add some flour, mix in some stock, let it thicken, and then add some salt, white pepper, and sage.

all that’s left is setting up the table and carving the turkey (which should prove interesting…), and voila! my thanksgiving meal is complete!

(one hopes… we shall see!)

Serious Beer Pairings for Thanksgiving

Historical accuracy aside, beer works with Thanksgiving food. Malty beer resonates with the caramelized skin of a turkey and brings out the herbal flavors in stuffing. Beer’s carbonation and bitterness cleanses and refreshes the palate between bites.

But not just any beer will play nice with classic Thanksgiving dishes. Hoppy IPAs (and other beers on the bitter end of the scale) are out of sync with the sweet and earthy flavors of the Thanksgiving feast. But a wide variety of styles pair beautifully with turkey, stuffing, and even sweet potatoes. We tasted 20 bottles of beer (over the course of three nights) with many plates of Thanksgiving food and came up with these eight stellar pairings to be thankful for.

Recommended Thanksgiving Beers:

• • Bière de Garde (Southhampton Brewery)
  • French Style Country Ale (Two Brothers)
  • Ashland Amber (Caldera Brewing)
  • Singel Ale (Witkap Pater)
  • Kerberos Tripel (Flying Dog)
  • 2° Below (New Belgium)
  • Frambozen (New Belgium)
  • Levitation Ale (Stone Brewing)

(via Serious Eats)

i wouldn’t normally consider beer with my thanksgiving meal, but after reading this, i think we’ll have to give it a try!

Maple & Brown Sugar Cranberry Sauce Recipe

I found this recipe about 10 years ago in Bon Appétit Magazine and it quickly became a family favorite. Mixed with pure maple syrup (I beg of you, don’t use the fake stuff) and brown sugar, the cranberries cook down to a sweet and tangy jewel-toned sauce.

(via Cookin’ Canuck)

gotta have cranberry sauce. this sounds like an interesting take on it. i see a lot of recipes with orange zest and walnuts, but maple and brown sugar sound like they could be a really wonderful pairing with the turkey. still, i know from firsthand experience that you can make the most gourmet homemade cranberry sauce, and someone is still looking around for that dish with slices of the canned stuff, so i’ll probably have some of that on hand, too, for good measure.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Cranberries and Pecans

Brussels sprouts are one of my favorite winter green vegetables and they make for great side dishes. You can steam them, boil them, roast them or saute them. You can serve them whole, sliced or even shredded. You can add so many things to them to make them interesting and each time you can try something new. You really can’t go wrong with starting with some bacon as I have done here. One of the good things about adding bacon is that you can toss the sprouts in some of the bacon grease adding a ton more bacon flavour to the dish. I know, I know, green vegetable side dishes should be healthier. :) With the holidays still on my mind I finished this brussels sprouts dish off with some toasted pecans and some dried cranberries.

(via Closet Cooking)

^ mine, too. i figured that this table could use a little more green. plus, it gives me an excuse to sneak a little bacon into the meal.

Big Martha’s Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese | marthastewart.com

a block of cream cheese? check. a stick of butter? check. heavy cream? check.

these sound sobad, but oh, sogood…

How-To: Turn Pumpkins Into Candleholders | CasaSugar

our table setup already has a lot of fall colors in it, so i think i’m going to keep the decor simple. maybe two of these, and some other small, colorful gourds.

Spinach Gratin Recipe : Ina Garten : Food Network

as you can see, i’m mostly sticking to mild variations of the basics. i think if i was throwing a big thanksgiving for a ton of people, i would throw in some more experimental dishes. however, he wants to have some of the traditional thanksgiving dishes that he’s going to miss, and i’m happy to oblige.

also, this dish is totally going to have those fried onion things from a can on top. oh, yeah. i’ve made fancier versions of casseroles w/ homemade onion strings, and it just doesn’t do it for me the way those things do.

noraleah:

Jackie Kennedy preparing for a dinner party in the 1950s (via kennedys).

and this is how i will look right before dinner is served. (not.)