Thanksgiving 2009

Here is our Thanksgiving dinner in pictures. A and G, thanks for taking so many of the pictures. I really appreciate it!

I had a young person assemble this hors d'oeuvres, while I was doing other things. It was melba toast topped with fig jam, a dot of honey nut cream cheese and a small curl of prosciutto. Very nice mouthful.

A - I LOVE the platter. We also had a bean dip, crab dip and vegetables, I forgot the olives and my dream of making cheese straws never materialized.

First course - Spinach and lettuce salad with persimmons, spiced nuts and Parmesan slices dressed with a Caesar Salad Dressing.

Caesar Salad Dressing (For twenty)

I ALWAYS make a jar of this - halving the quantities - at the beginning of the week and keep it in the fridge.

3/4 cup the best extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup any olive oil

1 can of flat anchovy fillets, drained

6 tbls. fresh lemon juice

4 tbls. Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, center green stem removed

Place all ingredients in blender. Blend until completely smooth. Pour into jar and store in fridge.

Here's Tom and his stuffing:

He got stuffed and then the leftover stuffing went into a greased souffle dish to cook separately. (The stuffing in the turkey is ALWAYS better.)

Tom was roasted, while surrounded by lady apples for the last bit:

These are the mashed potatoes, which get beaten in the KitchenAid forever, while I do other things and then get transferred back to their huge pot to stay warm:

Bourbon Sweet Potatoes

The other things I served:

Roasted green beans; my favorite cranberries; and an old family tradition of my husband's family, which has gone unobserved for awhile, Noodle Kugel. I serve it with cherry pie filling on top, which is the one acceptable use for it. It's awesome. But next year, I'll make sure it's not photographed next to the cranberries. (I left out the apples and raisins in the recipe and just added the cherries before the last 20 minutes of cooking.)

From left - turkey, mashed potatoes, Bourbon sweet potatoes, stuffing, noodle kugel, cranberries and roasted green beans.

I also made a Silver Palate Sour Cream Apple Pie, as an homage to Sheila Lukins. But I realize now that we forgot to toast her. No problem...hold on a minute while I grab a little libation to properly acknowledge her...

(I WISH those lovely hands were mine.)

Picture one, the unbaked assembled pie with its nut streusel on top.

Picture two, the unbaked assembled pie with its lattice on top.

Pictures three and four, the baked completed pie:

Pecan Pies

The Pumpkin Chiffon Pie's crust:

The remnants of the Pumpkin Chiffon Pie:

What did I learn this Thanksgiving? 3 times my stuffing recipe (one recipe is enough for a 10 pound bird) was too much, but 2 would have been too little; you can never have enough champagne; Gravy Master is my friend (sorry, doubters) and there’s always room for pie.