Tuesday, November 23, 2010
T-Day: 2 Days to Trencherman's Feast
I've been very late on this year's Thanksgiving Day menu listing.
After 20 years of slaving over a hot antiquated stove, the Ever-Loving Wife and I decided to stimulate the economy this year and we upgraded from a barely-detect-the-flame stove to a heat spitting model. Gas, for sure, but a 5 burner special that should serve us well for a while. T-Day will be the Testo Supremo & we'll see if Consumer's Reports was accurate in their high judgement of the cooking instrument.
Milling around circling the table munching foods:
1) Pick salami (since Gavrilovic is not available)
2) Cheeses
3) Nuts & Berries & other bear-ameanable hand foods.
The start of the meal commences with a shot of Slivovica (n.b. NSFW!!), as it is necessary to clear one's throat and one's mind before setting forth on a solid meal of food, drink, and friends.
Roots, the vegetables not the Band and other introductory platings:
1) Ginger Carrot Soup
2) Lemony Brussels Sprout Slaw
3) Mushrooms Berkeley - the old Traditional
4) Mashed Russet and Golden potatoes made with goat's milk, sweet butter and crème fraiche because...well, it's time for deep sleep. A olive oil-garlic "sauce" is sprinkled on for those in need of sprinkling.
5) A mystery vegetable to be determined on the last pre-cooking shopping day. Color seems to be the chief desired quality, at this point.
De-Feathered Fare:
1) (You cut the Toikey without me) Turkey Breast, brined to within a feather of its ability to absorb flavor in a rosemary-garlic clove-peppercorn bath for a full 18 hours. The local favored purveyor of all things flightless has changed his supplier this year, so we will be rolling the dice on the Turkey this year.
2) Fried chicken a la Panko, cuz we want to eat Fried & Healthy (all served with a dollop of Self Delusion Sauce). And...some of us still enjoy the cluck more than the gobble.
Associates Vying for Munching Attention:
1) The Ever-Loving Wife's Homemade Bread, slices of which disappear off the table in ever-increasing temerarious style even before seats have been taken.
2) Cranberry sauce form scratch- The Ever-Loving Wife's secret recipe of which she is the sole living keeper thereof.
3) Wild Rice, Almond & Mushroom Stuffing/Pilaf (Your choice of ending words.....). This will simply be a side dish hopefully satisfying on its own merits and will not be stuffing since there's not a bird to stuff, simply the Turkey Breast...and stuffing seems false to me.
4)
Justified Desserts:
A slight twist here. In previous years, this pecan pie was the beginning course. It was always well-received and I may be tarred and feathered for going with
1) this version of the Pecan Pie this year. But....how can you resist the adjective "Deep" when placed in front of "Pie". I, unfortunately, could not. So, we shall see and we shall taste.
2) Pumpkin Pie or Apple Pie - The Ever-Loving Wife is keeping mum on which of these will be coming out of the oven.
3) Sorbets of the pallate-clearing sort.
4) Promised mystery desserts ferried in by dinner guests.... We will be checking papers.
In Vino give me that ol' Veritas:
With suggestions from the best wine store in the greater Philly-Wilmington area, IMHO, the following choices will be poured at various times.
1) Beaujolais-Villages Tracot Domaine Jean-Paul Dubost 2009
2) Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro Rive del Ciliegie Francesco Vezzelli 2008
3) Rheinhessen Beerenauslese Pius Weingut Keller 2009
Beer choices from Delaware's own will be in the ice bucket.
Finishing off will be assorted teas, nibbly chocolates, and Turkish coffee (or Americano).
I'm leaving all of the interesting conversation to the incredibly interesting guests that day. Doing the cooking makes it very easy for me to beg off on the opinionating and the story-telling. Which is good, because the cast of performers that day is quite impressive in experience, in age,& in wisdom. Plus, there are fine voices in the folks that will be sitting around the table so singing will be welcomed & encouraged.
...and on the stereo, set way down low, will be some Grant Green, Ella (in Hollywood), and Brad Mehldau.
Thanksgiving Day. Almost probably my favorite day of the year. I lift a stamful of Slivovica to you my gentle readers and wish you all of the best at whatever gathering you find yourself at on Thursday!!
Labels: Domestic Burdens, Food Issues, Holidays
Comments:
<< Home Verging on Pertinence Just some more disposable thoughts clogging up the hinterlands
Why not add mashed sweet potatoes to the starch offering? Or perhaps substitute them for the regular russets, since The Ever-Growing Son won't be partaking this year and lord knows we don't need more food on that Thanksgiving Day table.
I have no vegetable suggestions beyond broccoli, the old standby.
Also, are we having a costume or dress-up theme this year? Your picture makes me think we should go for it.
I have no vegetable suggestions beyond broccoli, the old standby.
Also, are we having a costume or dress-up theme this year? Your picture makes me think we should go for it.
# opined by 
: 3:54 PM, November 23, 2010
: 3:54 PM, November 23, 2010
Costumes? Hmmm... Well, actually, I will be having a costume of sorts, complete with a hat. Should we be notifying our guests that they could go wihtout the finery and, instead, go with the get-ups?
Re. the Russet Mashed...sorry, Honey, too popular to leave out, althouhg, if your E.L.M. is o.k. with it, I can do the sweet potato thing as well.
Re. the Russet Mashed...sorry, Honey, too popular to leave out, althouhg, if your E.L.M. is o.k. with it, I can do the sweet potato thing as well.
E.G.S.:
The humble abode is small enough without the costumes..unless all of the costumes will be those body socks that make everyone look like a condom..and I'm not using that word as a shortening of condiment.
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The humble abode is small enough without the costumes..unless all of the costumes will be those body socks that make everyone look like a condom..and I'm not using that word as a shortening of condiment.
<< Home Verging on Pertinence Just some more disposable thoughts clogging up the hinterlands
