Well, here it is almost Thanksgiving again. I have rutabagas in my refrigerator awaiting the axe. I love how the kitchen smells when the Thanksgiving dishes are cooked. It certainly proves how much memory is wrapped up in the aroma of the kitchen.
As usual we have so many “must have,” traditional dishes that we have to set up a separate table for food. We are trying a new technique on the bird this year, though. For the past few years we’ve been deconstructing the turkey and boning out and stuffing the thighs. Then we start the thighs ahead of the breast so that everything comes out perfectly cooked at the same time – so much work and so much mess!
So this year we have bought a kosher turkey which means we don’t have to brine it. Then we are going to butterfly it by taking out the backbone. Finally we are going to pack ice around the breasts for an hour before we roast it so that they will cook a little more slowly. Hopefully this will mean a shorter cooking time with everything getting done simultaneously. We’ll also put the stuffing under it so that it can soak some of the turkey goodness.
Jon and Ryan are making a green veg plus cranberry sauce and dessert. Sarah is making chipotle sweet potatoes a la Bobby Flay. We are in charge of turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, rutabagas and Death by Broccoli. No rolls this year! And maybe pie instead of Indian pudding. Gasp! what a break with tradition.
The first time John and I cooked Thanksgiving dinner, it was just the two of us. Now we are up to eight. Undoubtedly, though, it will take until Nathan and Sam are teenage boys not to have a ton of leftovers. It will be fun to have them at the table this year. Sam has begun feeding himself . Hmmm… maybe I do need rolls.