thanksgiving hits and misses...

we always do one gluten free dessert, and this year i had a request for chocolate… found a recipe for a flourless chestnut chocolate souffle cake, but i didin’t have time to do a test run, so i just made it and held my breath. turned out great.

my electronic thermometer crapped out – told me the turkey was bordering on overdone – stupid bird was still bleeding.

Mom gets a new thermometer for Christmas! An early one at that - somewhere along the line I’ve become the meat roaster, regardless of where the celebration is being held…

My parents oven keep shutting off and restarting so the turkey took much longer than expected but it came out very moist. Maybe they have found a new way to cook turkey…LOL.

My gravy was too salty. I had a roux and stock all set at home, then the drippings got added in at my friend’s house without me tasting and it was super salty. Damn you, brined turkey. Lesson learned: underseason to start.

My friend upgraded her traditional shrimp cocktail ring. Instead of buying pre-made, she actually peeled, butterflied, and poached in flavored liquid 4 lbs of jumbo shrimp. What a difference!

My vinaigrette for the salad and my slow cooked green beans were ruined by a WAY too bitter olive oil that I hadn’t tasted first. Learned my lesson!

I made a butternut squash, brussel sprout and goat cheese galette that came out great. I was also really happy with my vegetarian gravy.

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The hostess’ turkey was delish, my paté a huge success (save for the kids, but duh), and the shaved fennel salad with blue cheese and pomegranates in walnut vinaigrette got snarfed up as well.

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No misses this year in the preparation but some omissions and some evasive dishes. No traditional stuffung was made but nobody seemed to notice (the family Italian recipe was on the table) and somehow neither braciole or meatballs made it to my plate or container of leftovers. No stringbeans either but there was still way too much food for 25 people.

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Would love to hear more about that brussel sprout and goat cheese galette, please? Recipe, please?

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Do you have a recipe for the salad?

After a bit of back and forth due to occasional over cooking our deep fried turkey (I roast a spatchcocked on in the a.m. just for sending home care packages) I won and husband was right, so had to nuke some inner breast meat, never ideal. Not rubber, but not as good as it could have been. The rest of great.

Biggest hits, I guess stuffing, since I made enough to nearly fill a large turkey roasting pan and only had about 2 cups left after dinner. It was really simple; I made it from Tuscan bread and a baguette I bought fresh, cubed and baked to stale, fresh herbs, butter with tons of sauteed onion, diced carrots and celery, a bit of rich stock. After that, the yukon gold and sweet potato gratin with four fresh herbs that smells so incredible, and tastes so good: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/scalloped-yukon-gold-and-sweet-potato-gratin-with-fresh-herbs-350455

Glazed sweet potato and granny apples always number 1 on the hit list.

I, too, oversalted the gravy I added reduced drippings to. The brined bird juices were not too salty, until I reduced them too much.

No one loves Emeril’s Cranberry, orange, jalapeno relish as much as I do, but they had two other cranberry condiments to choose from, including that canned crud that is neither berry nor sauce; just giving some people at the table what I know they love and averting my eyes. :smile:

I wish I’d taken a pic of the giant filled cannoli (about a foot long 6 inches around) on a platter surrounded by little cannoli shells for dipping or spooning to fill. It’s a POW on the dessert table.

Had a branch of the family not usually with us for decades and for once, the huge pile of green beans with bacon and shallots was about finished; almost 3 lbs worth!

I was so busy, I forgot to offer the Prosecco, put out grapes on my cheese and then turkey platters, but no one left hungry and every family left with all the leftovers they wanted.

I used to think 16 was our absolute limit, but 18 fit just fine, just added two tables to the end of the dining table right before eating, no cramming in. Second time I’ve eaten Tday dinner with my breasts in the kitchen and my ass in kitchen.

For those who are keeping count.

The red is so festive. Food looks delicious, all of it.

I used this recipe for the filling http://loveandcupcakesblog.com/2013/11/07/from-the-kitchen-butternut-squash-brussels-spouts-goat-cheese-galette/
And this for the pie crust http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/11/pie-crust-102-all-butter-really-flaky-pie-dough/

This is my first galette. Here’s a photo:

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GG - just posted it in the WFD thread.

Thank you, that looks wonderful! I am definitely going to try it!

“Biggest hits, I guess stuffing, since I made enough to nearly fill a large turkey roasting pan and only had about 2 cups left after dinner. It was really simple; I made it from Tuscan bread and a baguette I bought fresh, cubed and baked to stale, fresh herbs, butter with tons of sauteed onion, diced carrots and celery, a bit of rich stock.”

our stuffing was similar to yours (no carrots), and was a hit as well. i thought the 2 sticks of butter was excessive, so we were going to cut it down to 1, but there was about a 1/2 a stick left from something else, so we just added it. so flavorful that we had most of what was left for breakfast. next year, we’ll use the full 2 sticks, carlories be damned!

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I use pounds of butter each Thanksgiving. As for stuffing, “more butter is more better.”

Good decision making on your part. :slight_smile:

No misses this year - hooray!

On the menu:

  • Arugula & Radicchio Salad w/Shaved Butternut & Apples, Toasted Hazelnuts, & Buttermilk Dressing
  • Lemon-Herb Roasted Chicken with Quick Pan Gravy
  • Wild Mushroom Ragout
  • Spiced Cranberry Compote
  • Our Traditional Family Stuffing
  • Pomegranate Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
  • Gluten Free Apple Spice Cake with Cranberry Curd, Whipped Maple Buttercream, and Salted Pumpkin Caramel

All washed down with a fantastic bottle of Dom Perignon, which is the only thing on the table for which I can’t take credit.

Mom & Sis are tough critics, but they had seconds of everything, and Sis declared the cake her favorite dessert I’ve ever made. I’ll take it :smile:

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