Thanksgiving is upon us, and I've spent the last week or so poring over cookbooks and Gourmet, taking polls of the family, and skulking about my local grocery stores in preparation for the big meal.
We're having quite a lot of extended family over, which should be fun, and since I have these pesky cooking aspirations, I volunteered to spearhead the planning and preparation of our first Stateside-as-a-family (less my younger sis, whose Scots university doesn't give Tryptophan-and-Football Day off, oddly enough) Thanksgiving feast.
While I certainly don't mind the planning or the cooking, finding some of the ingredients and equipment has been challenging. A 10-inch deep-dish fluted quiche pan for the pumpkin pie? Not going to happen. I have to accept that and take the ceramic pie weights and steel pastry scraper I found today as sufficient consolation. Furthermore, I'm dealing with the lack of one-stop shopping. Our mildly-fancy grocery store does not carry brussels sprouts or shallots. Or more than one variety of wild mushroom. I'm just going to have to move on with my life, suck it up, and drive all over hill and dale in search of these things. Nevermind my pointless quest for cooked, peeled, and jarred chestnuts. I'm going to roast and shell those suckers myself... perhaps imparting an interesting smoky flavor to the stuffing? Or maybe the shells will cause my fingers to bleed... either way, it'll be nearly impossible to keep from eating them instead of reserving them.
The matter of the turkey is fully in hand, however. The bird arrives from Vermont tomorrow, will be collected Wednesday, and subsequently submerged in a honey salt brine. I can hardly wait to unleash our convection oven goodness on it.
You may wonder what the photo has to do with anything, aside from showcasing my kitchen-nerdiness.
Well, as promised, I test-drove the much-ballyhooed Bittman bread recipe, with quite delicious results (if I may say so myself). I am therefore quite pleased that I have 25 pounds of flour to work with over the next few weeks as I slow-ferment some carby goodness as frequently as possible. I have to say, I was frightened by the thread on Kitchen, but I never should have doubted The Great Minimalist. As we speak, I'm fermentin' up a wheatier version of the original recipe to bring to a potluck tomorrow. We'll see if I got the proportions right, gluten-wise... it'd be bad form to show up at a dinner gathering with a hockey puck masquerading as bread.
Oh, the other element of the picture is my super cool squeeze-handle flour sifter. My Gram gave it to me, as the squeezing motion is bad for her arthritis, and I'm in love. We've had the same crank-operated one for ages (an heirloom on my mother's side), and there's a hole in the screen, rendering it pretty well useless. This new one has me sifting flour even if the recipe suggests it as optional.
So, what's everone else up to for the holiday? Planning to eat anything exciting? Be sure to stop on by the farm for some leftovers. Between the turkey and the roast beef, we're going to have a full fridge for ages. Joshua, I'm looking at you. You know how I feel about leftovers. Don't let me down.
2 comments:
Don't worry, Thanksgiving is my all-time favorite holiday. I could eat turkey and stuffing every day. I'd drink gravy if the government would let me.
In conclusion: I will see you soon.
It is my all-time favorite holiday too. I am too sorry that I will be unable to celebrate along with the rest of the democratic country. I hope you all enjoy your holiday.
Also, Josh, congrats to you and your Eagles crushing my poncey, gelatinous, potpourri-sniffing 'Skins. Don't know if it was this week or last week, or the week before. I just know it happened.
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