This is the blog post that I have both been dreading and looking forward to writing ever since we had our own lovely thanksgiving this past thursday. Scott and I decided that we wanted our first thanksgiving as a married couple to be at our house. It was also our two month wedding anniversary, although neither Scott nor I realized that until today (and I only realized that because an e-mail told me so!). However, what better way can you celebrate your anniversary than hanging out with friends and family and cooking them lots of good food. I got lots of great compliments on my food and we all had a lot of fun. The great thing about hosting it at your house with friends is that you don't really have to worry about manners and all that good stuff. Not to say we were rude, but if the place was messy (which it was), and we didn't have everything perfectly laid out, who cares? It felt more like a casual dinner party with friends than a Thanksgiving. And that was perfectly lovely!! My Dad asked me at the end of the day if it was worth it; all this prep and cooking for maybe half an hour of eating. And I answered him "Totally. For me, I get pleasure in the preparing and cooking food. I love feeding people." It was a great day! So, why in the world would I be dreading writing this blog, you might fairly ask? Well, just like the prep that went into preparing the Thanksgiving feast, this blog is going to be monumental simply
because of the vast amount of foods that I prepped and served. Finding all those recipes and uploading all those pictures! But still, how can I not document such a great and wonderful day?
I started really prepping for it the day before Thanksgiving. Tuesday we did some shopping and decided on our menu. Wednesday I bought the food and chopped up/defrosted as much as I could. Thursday I woke up at 8 and basically cooked the whole day through. There was some breaks to hang out with friends, eat, go for a walk, but with dessert being served later in the day (including an unexpected apple pie that I whipped up on request), it ended up taking me about all day to help with the feast. Of course, I had many helpers (some volunteered and some recruited by me) to help me along the way.
The players? My wonderful Father, John Callahan, who came up on monday night and stayed with us until friday morning. My friends Sara, Cole and Andrew who came from Manteca and San Francisco, respectively. And, finally, my wonderful and amazing husband, Scott Gentile. I couldn't do it without you, babe!
The menu? Take a deep breath:
All natural brined turkey (bought from Trader Joes and prepared by Scott)
Gravy (homemade, "canned" mushroom and "canned" brown)
Cranberry sauce (homemade, canned)
Mashed potatoes
Roasted root vegetables
Brown sugar glazed butternut squash
Fake meat/cheese rolls (brought by Sara and Cole)
Dinner rolls
Stuffing
Cous cous (brought by Sara and Cole)
Pumpkin pie
Apple pie
Homemade whipped cream
Vanilla ice cream (store bought)
Everything was made from scratch except for the pie crusts (as I already happened to have pie crusts in my freezer [and asked Scott to buy some more just in case]), the bread in the stuffing (the stuffing itself was homemade), the chicken stock in the gravy (I had actually made some the previous day but ended up using all of it before I thought I might need it for Thanksgiving) and the canned and store-bought items mentioned above. Next year, I want
everything to be made from scratch. Now, on to everybody's favorite parts: the recipes (please note I can only talk about the things I made).
 |
| Homemade cranberry sauce |
Cranberry sauce
from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 cups cranberries (8 oz)
Procedure:
1) In a saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes.
2) Add cranberries. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or till skins pop, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
I wanted my cranberry sauce a little more thick, so I followed directions for molded cranberry sauce and cooked about 10 minutes instead. I was amazed at how easy and fun it was to make cranberry sauce. The skins really do pop; you see and hear them and then everything starts turning red and gel like. The sauce came out delicious and tasted just like the canned stuff (yes, yes, I know, it should taste better but I don't have anything else to compare it to). The only reason I even served cranberry sauce that was canned was because I didn't think I made enough to feed six people. However, considering that everyone took from my cranberry sauce and we still had some left over, I guess I was wrong. Next year, it is going to be homemade all the way. Oh, I should also mention I just bought a little container of it that was only 7.5 oz, but it all came out okay anyways.
 |
| Roasted root vegetables |
 |
Close up of roasted root vegetables. See the purple
potatoes and chiogga (aka candy cane) beets? |
Roasted root vegetables
from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything (and seen on my blog on 4/30/11)
Ingredients:
olive oil
1 1/2- 2 lbs mixed root vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, shallots (leave whole), and onions, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 to 2 in chunks (I used onions, white turnips, shallots, carrots, chiogga beets and purple potatoes)
1 head garlic, broken into cloves (no need to peel)
Italian seasoning
Procedure:
1) Preheat the oven to 425. Put the chopped up vegetables in a baking pan and coat them with olive oil and seasonings. Place the pan in the oven.
2) Cook for about an hour, shaking every 10 minutes or so. Raise the temperature up to 450 if they don't start to brown after 30 minutes.
This time around I didn't use any salt or pepper. My Dad is on a low sodium diet, so I was trying to restrict the salt I use (and I just plain forgot the pepper). However, all came out delicious. The chiogga beets retained their candy cane stripe pattern and the purple potatoes were just awesome! They were purple on the inside, too. I wonder if everyone would be grossed out if I made purple mashed potatoes from them next year?
 |
| Brown sugar glazed butternut squash |
 |
| Mmmm... deliciousness |
Brown glazed butternut squash
from Cook's Illustrated and my blog on 3/15/11
Notes:
A sweet glaze underlines the best qualities of roasted butternut squash, but only if the squash cooks evenly and the flavors are in balance. Here’s what we discovered:
•For the sweet element of the glaze, tasters preferred the complexity and depth of dark brown sugar to plain white sugar.
•Salt and pepper perked up the squash without overwhelming it, and a little melted butter added nutty richness and tied the glaze together.
•How the squash is cut affects how it caramelizes in the oven. We settled on 1-inch cubes, which had enough surface area to brown well yet were small enough to cook to full tenderness in a reasonable amount of time.
•A splash of cider vinegar after the squash came out of the oven countered the sweetness of the glaze and gave the dish some zing.
We like the deeper flavor of dark brown sugar in this recipe, but light brown sugar can be substituted.
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (see note)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Procedure:
1. PREPARE PAN Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat lightly with cooking spray.
2. ROAST Toss squash, sugar, butter, salt, and pepper in large bowl until well coated. Transfer squash to prepared baking sheet. Roast, stirring every 15 minutes, until squash is well browned and completely tender, about 45 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack, sprinkle squash with vinegar, and stir to coat. Serve.
Delicious. I prepped this squash the day before, only to find out after I cooked it that it didn't quite make enough for everyone. Fortunately, I had bought another squash and so threw that one in there. Mmmm... I really do love this recipe!
 |
| Dinner rolls cooling |
 |
| The dough for the dolls. This also shows off my new rolling pin! |
Dinner rolls
from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything
Ingredients:
3.5 cups AP flour, plus more as needed
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
3 tbsp cold butter, plus a little soft butter for greasing the bowl
1 egg, plus second egg for brushing on rolls if desired
1 cup milk, plus more as needed
Procedure:
1) Combine the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in the container of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process for 5 seconds. Add the cold butter and 1 egg and process for 10 seconds. With the machine running, pour (don't drizzle) the milk through the feed tube. Process about 30 seconds, then remove the cover. The dough should be in a well-defined, barely sticky, easy to handle ball. If it is too dry, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time and process for 5 or 10 seconds after each addition. If it it too wet, which is unlikely, add another tablespoon or two of flour and process briefly. Knead for 1 minute or so by hand. It should be smooth, silky, and very elastic, and not too stiff.
2) Grease a large bowl, shape the dough into a rough ball, place it in the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap or a damp paper towel. Let rise for 1 to 1.5 hours, until nearly doubled in bulk. Deflate the ball and shape i once again into a ball; let rest on a slightly floured surface for about 15 minutes, covered.
3) Roll the dough out until it is about 1/2 inch thick, using no more flour than necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or rolling pin. Use a 2 inch cookie cutter or other utensil to cut out circles.
4) Preheat the oven to 375 F. If you want the rolls to have a glossy top, brush them lightly with an egg beaten with a little milk. Bake about 20 minutes, or until the rolls are lightly browned and their bottoms sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a rack, or serve straight from the oven.
When I had these rolls straight out of the oven, I wanted to cheat on my husband for these rolls. They were that amazing. They tasted delicious and buttery. The flavor kept going on and on. I slashed them on the top and used a glass to cut them into circles. The flavor was still good when they cooled down, but not as orgasmically good. Isn't that always the way?
I tried using my dough hook on my kitchen aid stand mixer for the first time. This is a bit heretical to say; but I actually prefer using my food processor for mixing the dough. Now, mind you, this was my first time and the recipe is set up for the food processor, so I know I have to give the stand mixer another chance. However, it seemed to come together a lot easier in the processor. We'll just keep experimenting.
 |
| Mashed potatoes being kept warm in the slow cooker |
Mashed potatoes
from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything
Ingredients:
2 lbs baking potatoes, such as Idaho or Russet, cut into quarters
3 tbsp butter
3/4 cup milk, gently warmed
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (I skipped this step because of Dad's diet)
Procedure:
1) Boil the potatoes in a pot with salted water to cover, until soft; this will take about 30 minutes. Do not overcook or poke them too often to check doneness, or they will absorb too much water.
2) When the potatoes are done, drain them, then mash them well or put them through a food mill. Return them to the pot over very low heat and stir in the butter and-gradually- the milk, beating with a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy.
This was probably my recipe that came out the worst, although I didn't realize it until yesterday. I remember when i made mashed potatoes two years ago, that they were amazing. However, this time around, I didn't bother to mash them enough. There were whole chunks of potatoes left in the "mashed" potatoes. Oops! However, no one really commented. The original recipe also calls for your to peel the potatoes, but I hate peeling and the peels are healthy for you, so I left them in. I put the finished mashed potatoes in a slow cooker left on low to keep warm until it was time to serve them (works like a charm!).
 |
| Delicious stuffing |
"My Favorite Bread Stuffing"
from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything
Ingredients
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts
6 to 8 cups fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon or sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried crumbled tarragon or sage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped scallion
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Procedure:
Put the butter in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. When melted, add the onion and cook, stirring, until it softens, about 5 minutes. Add the nuts and cook, stirring almost constantly, until they begin to brown, about 3 minutes.
Add the breadcrumbs and the herb and toss to mix. Turn the heat down to low. Add the salt, pepper, and scallion. Toss again; taste and adjust the seasoning. Add the parsley and stir. Turn off the heat. (At this point, you may refrigerate the stuffing, well wrapped or in a covered container, for up to a day before proceeding.)
Pack into chicken or turkey if you like before roasting or just bake in an ovenproof glass or enameled baking dish for about 45 minutes at 350-400°F. (Or you can cook it up to 3 days in advance and just warm it up right before dinner.)
 |
| Homemade gravy... my first! |
Best way Gravy for Brined Turkey
adapted from Santa Cruz sentinel's 11/16/11 food and wine section
Ingredients:
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup AP flour
pan drippings to taste
4 cups low-salt canned chicken broth
Procedure:
1) Make the roux ahead of time. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the flour all at once, whisking until incorporated on medium heat. Cook on medium, whisking occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, until it begins to look grainy. Transfer to a bowl and set aside
2) When the turkey is done, pour the pan drippings into a bowl.
3) Put the roux in a skillet. Bring the broth to a simmer in a covered saucepan, then slowly add 3 cups of broth to the cold or room temperature roux, whisking constantly. Add the reserved drippings slowly, starting with a few tablespoons; taste, then whisk in more, a little at a time, until the gravy tastes right to you. Season with pepper and additional salt if needed (this stepped was skipped). To adjust the consistency, add more broth or simmer for a few minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.
I should also mention that we used this same article to figure out how to cook the brined bird that we bought. Scott took care of that, so I don't really know the process. However, I will tell you that the bird came out moist and delicious; even the white meat.
Gravy has been something that I have loved ever since I was a little girl. I have always wanted to make gravy, but somehow had the idea that it was hard or difficult. Looking at the recipes, I could never quite figure out what to do. However, I looked at this recipe and thought that I would try it. Even the original recipe is a bit confusing, they say you should have 4 cups of broth, but only use 3 cups. Then they do this whole thing about deglazing the pan with wine to get all the browned bits but never mention what in the world to do with all the deglazed bits. I just skipped that step, as we were using a cheap aluminum pan that wouldn't have lasted over a burner anyways. I bought "canned" gravy (it wasn't in a can) just in case my gravy would turn out horrible. However, I was really pleased and surprised at just how good my gravy did come out. It came out white, delicious, and tasting of gravy. Surprise surprise. It was super easy to make, too. Next year, no canned gravy for me! Homemade all the way, baby!
 |
| Apple pie. I added a bit too much cinnamon on the top. |
Apple pie
from my Aunt Helen's recipe. Also seen on my blog 10/30/10
Ingredients:
2 frozen pie crusts, thawed to room temperature
4-6 Pippin apples, peeled and cored
1/2 cup sugar
nutmeg to taste
cinnamon to taste
yogurt or milk
Procedure:
1) Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lay the pie crust on the bottom of a pyrex pie pan. Put the apples in an even layer on the bottom. I layered them twice. Cover with the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Lay the other crust on top of the pie and crimp the edges together. Cover the top with a little bit of yogurt or milk and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Cut a few slices on the top of the crust to let out the steam. Put it in the oven for 40-45 min. Remove when it appears brown on both the top and bottom. Remove, let cool, and enjoy!
This was a recipe that was literally decided on the day of thanksgiving. I was mentioning to people that I still had to make the pie (I was planning on making pumpkin pie) when Andrew asked if there would be apple pie. I said that I hadn't planned on making it, but asked if he would like some. Eventually, it was decided by the group that they would. Well, I had Scott go out and buy me some more pie crusts the other day and I knew I had apples left from the AEOE conference that I had gone to earlier this month. So, with Andrew's and Cole's help, we had apple pie. The apples may not have looked like much (they seemed like the home picked variety and were very spotty), but they sure came out delicious! Isn't it nice to be able to make a pie on a whim?
 |
| Scott holds my pumpkin pie |
 |
| Leftover pumpkin pie filling. Why not cook it? |
Pumpkin pie
Ingredients:
1 Flaky Pie crust
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
pinch ground cloves
pinch salt
2 cups canned or fresh pumpkin puree or cooked
2 cups half and half, light cream, or whole milk
Procedure:
1) Prebake the crust and start the filling while the crust is in the oven. To prebake the crust, preheat the oven to 425. tear off a piece of foil large enough to fit over the entire crust when folded in half; fold it. Smear butter on one side of the foil, then press it into the crust. weight the foil with a pile of dried beans or rice, pie weights, or a tight fitting skillet or saucepan; anything that will sit flat on the surface. Bake 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, reduce the heat to 350 F and carefully remove the weight and foil. Bake another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is a beautiful shade of brown. When the crust is done, turn the oven to 375 F.
2) Beat the eggs with the sugar, then add the spices and salt. Stir in the pumpkin puree and then the milk. While the crust is baking, warm this mixture in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is hot to the touch; do not boil.
3) Place the pie plate on a baking sheet. Pour this mixture into the still-hot crust and bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the mixture shakes like Jell-O but is still quite moist. Cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.
The pumpkin pie turned out quite good. It had been a while since I had made pie, so I forgot to prick the bottom of the crust with a fork (and they never tell you to in the recipe although I believe they do in the preface of dealing with crusts). The result of this being that the crust bubbled up once I removed the weight (I used rice). However, I still put the filling in there (mixed together with my hand mixer; love that thing!) and it came out fine. I had some leftover pumpkin mixture so I just baked it in a separate pan. Delish!
 |
| My beautiful mixer making whipped cream! |
Whipped cream
adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything and Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer instructions
note: Chill bowl, mixer and cream ahead of time.
Ingredients:
1 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp sugar
Procedure:
1) Put the whipping cream in a cold bowl. Whip using your mixer until it is about half way done. Add sugar. Whip until it holds stiff peaks. Be careful not to overwhip. Taste and enjoy!
I will admit it. This was just another excuse to use my new stand mixer. Finally, something that it could do that I actually understood! I hate mixing by hand and so was so looking forward to the day when I had some way to mix things electronically. Fortunately, I received both a hand mixer and a stand mixer as a wedding present (as mentioned previously). So easy! And fun!
All in all, it was a great Thanksgiving. I was truly blessed to be surrounded by so many people whom I can call my friends, who loved me, and who enjoyed my cooking. And, in the end, isn't that what the holiday is all about? Thanks giving and the chance to be with loved ones!
 |
| Our turkey. Delicious and moist, thanks to my husband! |
 |
| The delicious cous cous that Cole made for our Thanksgiving feast! |
 |
| Our Thanksgiving. From left to right: Scott, Andrew, Sara, Cole and my father. |
 |
| A nice picture of me and the candle. |
 |
| Our thanksgiving guests are back in the kitchen getting dessert! |
