Thanksgiving 2010

For the first time in several years we celebrated Thanksgiving at home:

a gathering with the Kwongs

and Elle, of course, who handled the appetizers and napkin origami:

The turkey was brined for 36 hours this time - So Cal cooperated with cool temps - and I tried the upside-down roasting technique. I bought an organic bird which came in a box, the way my mother's used to from Meiji's Market in Gardena. The fresh bird actually yielded little fat, so my newly purchased fat separator remains untested; the pricey digital instant-read thermometer was a bust, though fun to use. I went with my gut and the bird was fine.

Michael loves stuffing the bird. Carolyn was underwhelmed with Cooking Illustrated's laborious recipe. CI is the Consumer Reports of all things gastronomic. You can learn a lot, but their recipes are typically fastidious and I sometimes rebel.

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American observance lacking an object to thanks these days, morphing into a celebration of country and gratitude (rightly) for sacrifices made by military service. I actually married into the country, so to speak, as Carolyn descends from George and Martha Soule, original Mayflower voyagers.

Susan's apple pies were a big hit - Jack ate his in record time with gusto. He has more trouble finishing his plate, so he seems to make up for it with desserts, proudly announcing his completion! The veges - Robert's sprouts and Carolyn's squash - were perfect.

While Thanksgiving also marks the beginning of Madison Avenue's commercial holiday season, it more importantly precedes the first Sunday of Advent and the launching of the Christian New Year.

Menu
Cheese Ball & Prosciutto-wrapped Melon
Roast Turkey & Foccacia/Hazelnut Stuffing
Mashed Yukon Potatoes
Brussel Sprouts w/ Bacon
Maple Ginger Acorn Squash
Fresh Cranberry & Orange Relish
Apple and Pumpkin Pie with fresh Whipped Cream

Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!