“What do you think about Thanksgiving?” my mom asked me the other day.
What do I think about it? I love Thanksgiving. It’s absolutely my favorite holiday: fall, food, family, friends, and football. Everything is wrapped up into one tidy package for our enjoyment and amusement.
“The reason is that Angie [my aunt] has decided that she’s not going to have Thanksgiving at her place this year, ” she continued.
“Well then, ” I said, “we can have it here, can’t we?”
Of course we can. And since I am continuing to slowly but surely return to health, how about a menu devised and prepared by yours truly with an assist from my sous chefs here? And how about making just about everything from scratch and telling people to bring no food, only ice and whatever they might want to drink beyond the normal things we generally have?
A fine idea.
So, for those of you joining us for Thanksgiving this year, here is your menu. If you have any special requests or dietary restrictions that aren’t covered (the latter is unlikely, looking over things), let us know so we can make arrangements for those needs.
Appetizers:
Mushroom turnovers
Four cheese phyllo puffs
Shrimp cocktail, traditional
Onion confit and brie crostini
Roasted butternut squash dip
Miscellaneous chips and dip
Cheese plate
Roasted vegetable dip
Pita triangles
Soups:
Roasted red pepper and sweet potato soup
Mains:
Roasted turkey, traditional
Apple-oak smoked turkey breasts
Glazed ham, traditional
Crabcakes (with 2-3 aiolis)
Shrimp, three ways (traditional cocktail, tequila-lime, asian saute)
Sides:
Roasted garlic and buttermilk mashed potatoes
Apricot-glazed carrots
Stuffing, traditional, two ways (with and without pork)
Creamy baked corn
Sweet potato casserole
Green peas with pearl onions
Broccoli gratin
Brussels sprouts
Chestnut-fig stuffing
Brown sugar glazed sweet potato wedges
Cranberry-apple compote
Gravy
Breads:
Whole grain dinner rolls
Garlic-herb focaccia
Fresh Italian bread
Cinnamon (and cinnamon-raisin) loaves
Desserts:
Carrot cake
Banana pudding
Pies: cherry, apple, pecan, pumpkin
Fresh, homemade whipped cream
Homemade ice creams (vanilla, praline, chocolate)
Cranberry-chocolate chip biscotti
We’ll be letting people know what time to appear with their appetites.
well hot dang – how many people are you expecting?
Oh, I’ve no idea, really. I can think of 25 just off the top of my head without straining the braincase too much. I figure doubling that will be a safe starting place. The largest gathering we ever had at a Thanksgiving topped out at 73 one year. That was not one I made all the food for, but our family did almost all of the prep and hosted it at my Mom’s house.
You’re welcome to join us, if you happen to be in the north Florida area around that time. We’ll have people from all over down here, sacked out around the house. You’d have to deal with the nuttiness that is the fam – think of it as the price of admission.
oh i wish – i’d love that… but unfortunately it’s not to be (well not this year anyway – you never know!). i hope you have a good one – you deserve it. just don’t wear yourself out with all the work… the cook deserves to have fun too. 😉
Mushroom Turnovers! CRABCAKES!!!! Chestnut-fig Stuffing!!!!! OH MY!!!!!!!
What day is this? How many days til T-Day? Oh I can’t wait! Homemade Naner Puddin! SMOKED Turkey Bird! Ya’ll can be sure this will be one time that I will be there EARLY! Oh Baby Girl–Start Cookin!!!!!!Love You, Aunt Susi