The First Thanksgiving in the New House

Check out my bird!

It was an intimate gathering, just two other people.  The menu consisted of a selection of cheeses, crisp flat bread, medjool dates, and charcuterie to snack on before dinner.  Then we had a radicchio, endive and frisee salad with sweet slices of red pear, candied walnuts, shavings of parmesan and a maple balsamic vinaigrette (a Tyler Florence recipe).  The center piece of the meal was a herb roasted organic, free-range fresh turkey (a Barefoot Contessa recipe using an Alton Brown trussing method that I had to watch on YouTube several times to get down just right).  To go with it I served Grainy Mustard Mashed Potatoes (another Tyler Florence), Creamed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon (a disappointing recipe from the Two Dudes, One Pan cookbook), and Sausage, Fennel and Apple stuffing (a combination of a Barefoot Contessa recipe and one I found in the Gourmet Cookbook).  

Of course you have to have cranberry sauce.  Mine was a sweet and tart Cranberry Chutney made from stewing fresh cranberries in red wine along with sugar, orange zest, a cinnamon stick and a couple grindings of black pepper (a combination of two Tyler Florence recipes).  It's a shame I forgot to serve it with dinner.  It's also a shame that I sort of burnt the stuffing.  I was keeping it warm in the oven, which was off.  I then realized that it might be nice to serve the dinner rolls warm, so I turned the oven back on, forgetting the stuffing was still inside.  Tens of minutes later I remembered, but not before the top had gone from beautiful and golden to a harsh dark brown verging on black.  Despite my well-planned minute-by-minute schedule, mini tragedies happen.  Curses.

Fortunately I redeemed myself with dessert, a pumpkin cheesecake topped with softly whipped cream and a warm, toasted pecan praline sauce.

The recipe will be posted shortly.  Happy belated Thanksgiving.

Comments

[Mona]

looks delicious!

[Tamara]

Happy belated Thanksgiving and Birthday, Grant!