Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2007

turkey.jpgthanksgiving07.jpgHere are some snaps from Thanksgiving 2007.  I made stuffing (that was way too salty, but still scrumpscious with plenty of crumbled sausage in it), smashed potatoes, an untraditional turkey (just two gigantic pieces  of turkey bird) with bell peppers and olives, and apple crisp for dessert.

I attempted a festive harvest centerpiece with some mini pumpkins…okay so I put some mini pumpkins on the table and called it a harvest centerpiece.

Isn’t this tablecloth hot?  I love it.  It’s my favorite tablecloth at the moment.  I found it at the market–already made and the right size too–for only €7!  Score.

Turkey Day At Bouchon

This is what we’ll be serving tomorrow night:

First Course
Confit turkey wings, slow-cooked cranberries, fris�e salad

Second Course
Turkey leg “rillette” with currants, roasted yams and baby leeks

Main Course
Roasted turkey breast, chesnut and foie gras stuffing, brussels sprouts, caramelized apples and potato pur�e

Desserts
“Pecan Pie” with warm chocolate fondant, roasted pecan mousse and bourbon ice cream

Pumpkin pot de cr�me

Indian bread pudding with brioche, assorted dried fruit and vanilla bean ice cream

MMmmmmmmm!!!! Maybe turkey day away from home won’t be so bad afterall…

Poultry Review

brioche.jpg Here are some photos from Turkey Day 2K3. Featured in this first picture are some scrumpscious little brioches, which came out well considering we had to do some serious improvising (read: Rapid Rise yeast and muffin tins replaced the molds…).
The brioche served as a bit of an appetizer too, since they came out of the oven a few minutes before dinner. Lup lup!

Moving right along…
biscotti.jpg I thought some simple dipping cookies might be in order for a “light” after dinner treat, so Brenda and I whipped up some Pistachio Cranberry biscotti and another Chocolate Hazelnut rendition of the same Italian favorite. Everyone raved about the chocolate/anise combination, but I wasn’t a big fan.

Uncle G “kicked up” the mashed potatoes by adding a large quantity of one of his favorite cheeses from the Bleu family.
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And after two and a half days of prep, we sit down and devour the feast in less than fifteen minutes!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Vote for your favorite Turkey Day dish:
Cranberry Sauce
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing
Gravy
Turkey
Brussel sprouts
Sweet potatoes
Pumpkin pie
Leftovers
Other (please specify)

Happy Birthday!

Phoebe and John had their baby today!! Whooo!! Congratulations guys! It’s a girl, Sydney Anne, and I think she weighed just a little over 8 pounds! This is so exciting!! I can’t wait to go and visit them at Christmas! Mom, Dad and the boys are going to see them all over Thanksgiving break.
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Speaking of holidays, here’s a little snap of Phoebe and the fam last Thanksgiving. Gosh, looking at all of this food is making me soooo ready for T Day Dinner. Do you guys have any special Thanksgiving traditions? I’m always in charge of making the centerpiece/placecards–just about my favorite job ever!! A couple years ago I made a giant (we’re talking 10 feet tall) 3D stuffed paper turkey–complete with a rainbow of feathers and an oversized, bulbous gobbler. SO HOT. He’s still stashed away with our holiday decorations. I wonder how vegans and vegetarians feel about this American holiday (one of the few native traditions that is uniquely ours)? I’ll have to do a survey at school tomorrow and get back to you…

O is for Pumpkin

pie.jpgI have Thanksgiving Fever baaaad. During my excursion to the grocery this morning (no school — Thank you Colombus!), I discovered a fabulous new dairy product: Pumpkin Pie Flavored Yogurt! Can we say “YUMMERS”!! I did, several times, outloud! This spicy pie yogurt is sooo good that it inspired me to research pumpkin recipes, and I found several great ones to experiment with this week. (It also inspired me to buy a case of pumpkin-flavored yogurt, so if any of you want to try it, I’m your woman!)
I love all the colors and the festivity of harvest time, the way the cool air makes your cheeks rosy… The whole season just excites me to no end! And pumpkin carving–oooooooooooooohhh pumpkin carving, hollowing those beloved pumpkins! Hunks is coming to visit in a couple weeks and we’re planning an Autumnal Celebration! (Read: We’re going to eat all of the leftover pumpkin products from my experiments this week, carve carefully selected orange squashes… and sing Halloween songs! He doesn’t know about that last part yet…) I wonder if the leaves are going to change here in Norcal. They haven’t yet, and I’m becoming quite concerned. Will I survive in a climate that lacks the vibrant foliage transformation?! How will I live without that pleasant crunch of dry leaves beneath my sneaks?! If those of you living in places where the leaves still change could start sending me some of those rare specimens, maybe I can pretend that I’m not so far away from the beautiful East Coast. I’ll even send you a Autumnal-themed, pumpkin-flavored treat in return!