And of course, Turkey Day!!!
Showing posts with label Turkey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Turkey. Show all posts
Monday, November 22, 2010
Thanksgiving Vacation in the Bay Area
Just a teaser of what Peter and I have planned for the week!
And of course, Turkey Day!!!
And of course, Turkey Day!!!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Plans and Menu for Thanksgiving Dinner
This Thanksgiving will be the first I have spent without family. I will, however, be spending it with Peter who really has been a part of my life and my family since high school. So I am very looking forward to our first "Grown Up" Thanksgiving together. I'm not sure what the "Grown Up" implies at all, but it seems to be everyone's reaction to finding out that we are spending the weekend together and not with our respective families.
Aside from the above mentioned social commentary, I have planned out the menu completely. There will be WAY too much food for the two of us and we will probably be eating leftovers the entire weekend but I refuse to downsize the menu. Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, buttered corn and biscuits. Below I will post the links to each of the recipes we plan to cook in his absolutely tiny kitchen in Palo Alto (we're talking 3 sq ft of prep space, max as well as a stove that quite possibly dates back to the early '80s).
THE MENU
TURKEY: Taking a cue from the Barefoot Contessa herself, we will be making Ina's Herb-Roasted Turkey recipe. (Thank you Brenda and Paula for introducing me to such an amazing cook!)
GRAVY: The gravy will come from Mr. Tom Colicchio's kitchen, and is part of his Herb Butter Turkey Recipe. Honestly I will probably end up combining ingredients from Ina's and Tom's recipe for the turkey, but I did read the following important tip for gravy while searching the internet for recipes.
MASHED POTATOES: For the mashed potatoes, I'll be following my mother's amazing recipe, but adding ridiculous amounts of garlic and some scallions. Upon searching for something similar, I stumbled across Paula Deen's recipe. I may be one of the only people on this planet who cannot STAND Paula Deen, but the woman sure does know how to cook. As my mother frequently comments, "There are only so many Ya'lls a person can take!"
STUFFING: Let me make this clear, I do not eat stuffing. I do not eat dressing. I am going to attempt my own this year due to the fact that this is a staple of Thanksgiving, and something that nearly everyone else at the table enjoys. Basically I'm making this for Peter, I sure hope he appreciates it, but then again I'll probably end up tasking him with this one as I refuse to touch the giblets. We are technically making a dressing, as a stuffing is really only that if it cooks inside the bird. Pretty self explanatory. The recipe I will be following is from Simply Recipes and is entitled Mom's Turkey Stuffing Recipe . At this point in time I plan to change out the day old french bread with Brioche.
GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE: This recipe found me via the blog Tasteologie. The recipe, created by blogger and cook The Pioneer Woman, had me at hello. One look at the picture and ingredients and I was sold. I'll let you know how it turns out.
BRIE AND CHIVE BISCUITS: I think the name speaks for itself. Recipe here. It will be my first time making biscuits that weren't Pillsbury and straight from the tube, so wish me luck!
WARM APPLE BUTTERMILK CUSTARD PIE: Yes, I do realize that this is a bit non-traditional. I do not plan to make a Pumpkin Pie for dessert. I just came across this recipe and thought YUM. If it turns out well, I hope I'll be hearing requests for it for years to come. If it turns out poorly, I'm sure I'll hear about the fact that I should have stuck with tradition, from Peter, for years to come.
We'll be sure to document the final product and make commentary on our results!
Aside from the above mentioned social commentary, I have planned out the menu completely. There will be WAY too much food for the two of us and we will probably be eating leftovers the entire weekend but I refuse to downsize the menu. Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, buttered corn and biscuits. Below I will post the links to each of the recipes we plan to cook in his absolutely tiny kitchen in Palo Alto (we're talking 3 sq ft of prep space, max as well as a stove that quite possibly dates back to the early '80s).
THE MENU
TURKEY: Taking a cue from the Barefoot Contessa herself, we will be making Ina's Herb-Roasted Turkey recipe. (Thank you Brenda and Paula for introducing me to such an amazing cook!)
GRAVY: The gravy will come from Mr. Tom Colicchio's kitchen, and is part of his Herb Butter Turkey Recipe. Honestly I will probably end up combining ingredients from Ina's and Tom's recipe for the turkey, but I did read the following important tip for gravy while searching the internet for recipes.
Boost the flavor of the pan drippings by strewing thickly sliced carrots, onions, and celery in the pan beneath the raw bird, suggests Anderson. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and, while the turkey roasts, the vegetables will caramelize, lending a depth of flavor to the drippings. Strain and discard the vegetables, or puree them and stir them into the gravy for a thick, sweet sauce. Also, a splash of fortified alcohol―Madeira, sherry, port―will lend a mellow richness to your gravy.
MASHED POTATOES: For the mashed potatoes, I'll be following my mother's amazing recipe, but adding ridiculous amounts of garlic and some scallions. Upon searching for something similar, I stumbled across Paula Deen's recipe. I may be one of the only people on this planet who cannot STAND Paula Deen, but the woman sure does know how to cook. As my mother frequently comments, "There are only so many Ya'lls a person can take!"
STUFFING: Let me make this clear, I do not eat stuffing. I do not eat dressing. I am going to attempt my own this year due to the fact that this is a staple of Thanksgiving, and something that nearly everyone else at the table enjoys. Basically I'm making this for Peter, I sure hope he appreciates it, but then again I'll probably end up tasking him with this one as I refuse to touch the giblets. We are technically making a dressing, as a stuffing is really only that if it cooks inside the bird. Pretty self explanatory. The recipe I will be following is from Simply Recipes and is entitled Mom's Turkey Stuffing Recipe . At this point in time I plan to change out the day old french bread with Brioche.
GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE: This recipe found me via the blog Tasteologie. The recipe, created by blogger and cook The Pioneer Woman, had me at hello. One look at the picture and ingredients and I was sold. I'll let you know how it turns out.
BRIE AND CHIVE BISCUITS: I think the name speaks for itself. Recipe here. It will be my first time making biscuits that weren't Pillsbury and straight from the tube, so wish me luck!
WARM APPLE BUTTERMILK CUSTARD PIE: Yes, I do realize that this is a bit non-traditional. I do not plan to make a Pumpkin Pie for dessert. I just came across this recipe and thought YUM. If it turns out well, I hope I'll be hearing requests for it for years to come. If it turns out poorly, I'm sure I'll hear about the fact that I should have stuck with tradition, from Peter, for years to come.
We'll be sure to document the final product and make commentary on our results!
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