Hmmm, I may need to find a different main course for Thanksgiving

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It's that time of year

Although I announced in August (and again in September & October) that I would be making Thanksgiving Dinner, it was not until last week that we finally confirmed that yes, on Thursday we would be cooking. Here. I won't go into all the reasons why it went zipping around, but I finally started planning this week. It will not be large, my aunt & uncle, along with their 2 (adult) daughters will be joining HP, The Boy, The Girl & I.

I spent the beginning of the week pouring over this year's Thanksgiving issues of Bon Appétit & Food & Wine, searching for inspiration. I was also trying to channel some of my recent vacation, and find a little Italian flair where appropriate. What I came up with (with some help from HP) was a traditional menu, with a few small kicks.

Starter:
Pumpkin Soup with Chipotle Mousse (very loosely based on this recipe from Gourmet)

The Turkey:
I think our turkey is probably still alive at this point. I get my turkey from the guys I know at the farmer's market. While not certified organic, it is happy, healthy, hormone free, free to wander the farm, and from past experience the best turkey ever.
It will be salted instead of brined, then roasted walnut, bay, rosemary and garlic. The gravy will be flavored with wine & maybe caramelized onions.

The Potatoes:
Whipped, creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes. HP requested, "nothing fancy; a traditional, yummy, creamy gravy holder" maybe not as exciting as some of the choices I was thinking of, but hey, I can do basic. (although I may have sneak a little garlic in, or a hint of cheese...)

Sweet-Potato-Parmesan Gratin, no marshmallows for me. I want savory! This recipe came from the best ever Thanksgiving issue to beat all magazine issues ever. Bon Appétit November, 2001. Every year since it came out I have had something from that issue. Sometimes cooked by me, sometimes by someone else. It has never let me down & is more reliable than my stove!

The Veggies:
Grill Roasted Vegetables with Pine Nut Pesto. There will b a few substitutions, no one here is big on brussel sprouts so they are OUT and I'm considering throwing something else in to replace it. Maybe some spinach, wilted in the vegetables. We'll see! I love the fact that it uses the grill and dosen't take up oven space. Hopefully it will warm up a little that day. But not before, right now the grill is my back up refrigerator. (Yes everything is sealed up tight! With temperatures only reaching mid-thirties, it is the perfect place for the stock I've started stocking up on...)

Gigante Verde broccoli & cauliflower in cheese sauce

I'm skipping our traditional creamed pearl onions, in favor of this yummy sounding tart: Belgian Leek Tart with Aged Goat Cheese (Flamiche Aux Poireaux)


The Stuffing:
Sweet Stuffing a la HP

HP's sausage & stuff stuffing.

apparently, I am not qualified to make stuffing, but that's ok. I am pretty neutral on stuffing anyway.

The Cranberry:
Another favorite from my favorite Thanksgiving issue, Spiced Cranberry Sauce with Zinfandel it is easy & good & ALWAYS a winner. This is one of the few dishes that I'm not allowed to switch up from year to year.

So that is the dinner table! I think that I was relieved of dessert duties; between my Aunt Chirp & The Girl I think it is covered! Am I ready? Will I have everything done ahead of time so I can relax and enjoy my day? Sure, of course that's what I thought last year!

Tomorrow I do the first phase of shopping & make the soup (I roasted my pumpkin yesterday).

What's on YOUR table?

I have decided that last year's Sushi idea was the best new tradition ever. With days of cooking, a little rice & some raw fish sounds likd a nice departure!

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Random Venice

I am still working on sorting the pictures, but have been running around a lot since I got back & I spent some of my day off yesterday throwing pottery (after a too long hiatus. I have gifts to make!) I really have no excuse, my sister-in-law who has two small kids & a full time job put together a neat slide show, which inspired me to do the same. (of course, this is the same woman who ran up to the top of every mountain she could find & biked up above Florence; she has a lot of energy!) Unfortunately, while I am inspired, I haven't gotten organized. But I will, I promise. I have family coming for Thanksgiving & don't want to slog through the 750 pics on my computer. I haven't even looked at the ones my husband took.

I thought this was pretty random. There was apparently some sort of art/theatre school hazing our first day in Venice. We saw this young lady "perform" while being egged on by classmates.



We also saw a young man dressed as Botticelli's The Birth of Venus. (which we saw while at the Uffuzi in Florence) Unfortunately, he was walking the opposite direction on the other side of a canal & I didn't get a picture. Besides, his clam shell got in the way.

My next random photo is an advertisement that caught my eye. My feeling is that even the the ads look better in Venice. Granted it is an art show, but still I like the clean lines of it. I also liked the modern look contrasted against the aging building facade.

And finally, even the protests are more artistic. I don't know exactly what this means, but it roughly means they want to be rid of the big hand of public school, it is our time. I know there is something lost in the translation, but I loved the imagery.

So that is my Venice installment for now. I will have more when I do the slide show, but for the random photos, I'll be leaving town shortly! Thanks for traveling with me!

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Mashed, Smashed, Whipped or Beaten?

How do you 'ho?

Hey there, it's Mandy Lynn your friendly potato 'ho!
Well, due to random technological challenges, I do not have a picture of my taters. I don't know if that disqualifies me from the Ho Down, this month hosted over at Baking Delights so, even if I don't really enter (am I late, I don't know that either, I'm still getting reorganized) I thought I'd share my potatoes from Sunday's dinner. (Which also included Deviled Fried Chicken and spinach sauted in lightly caramelized shallots and a splash of red wine).

The potatoes were the Clean-Out-The-Fridge Smashed Potatoes & really, they rocked!
I roughly peeled (left some skin on) about 3 lbs of red potatoes then quartered & boiled until al dente. When draining, I leave just a little of the water in so I don't lose the tasty tater juices. I warmed up about a cup of dark chicken stock (left over from last week) with about 2-3 oz of goat cheese left in the cheese drawer and a tablespoon or 2 of butter. I dumped that in & smashed the taters with the old family potato masher*. Once everything was incorporated, I dusted with a little romano cheese and topped with an amazing bread-crumb mix left over from a pasta dish. (Yes, I should have posted it, maybe next time). So, for those of you who just want the topping, I'm going to guess on measurements:
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup breadcrumbs, also toasted (I think I used a little oil (very little))
1/2 cup quality pecorino/romano cheese.
when the nuts & breadcrumbs have cooled slightly, mix in the cheese.
This makes an amazing topping for mashed potatoes**! I popped the crusted taters under the broiler (on low) for a few minutes until everything was warm & toasty. Comfort food at its most comforting!

*I am generally not a "ricer" or a "whipper" and I think that the new lingo says smashed are chunkier than mashed & I like a little chunk.
**This topping would also be good on a baked fish or baked chicken breast or topping some vegetable or a random casserole.

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