CityMama™

Scenes from Thanksgiving weekend 2008

It was a weekend full of food and family and deep thinking. More on that later, but for now, this is how we passed the time. It was pretty great.

Homemade gravlax...

Lots of dill is the key for me.

48 hours later, slice thinly and serve with mustard sauce.

The alien cauliflower that became a delicious three cheese, prosciutto, and cauliflower casserole.

The cranberry-walnut-blue cheese tart that everyone was too full to eat so it's now in my freezer.

Bunny reads her Thanksgiving poem as uncle and cousin look on.

My little beauties. Aren't their outfits cute? ;-)

Our Thanksgiving Menu

I finalized my Thanksgiving shopping today. We've been through the farmer's market, the regular market, and I think it's safe to say that there is nothing left to buy at Costco, we cleaned it out. P.S. If you haven't bought your turkey yet, Costco has organic fresh turkeys for a little over $2.25/lb. That's practically the same price as those hormone- and antibiotic-laden Butterballs, so hie thee to your Costco for a better-for-you turkey.

Our menu is truly a collaborative effort as you will see. Our focus is mostly on seasonal, local foods, but a couple of side dishes were picked mainly because they just sounded so damn good. I'm cooking two turkey's this year because we got two smaller ones instead of one biggie, and I wanted to do one on the grill and one in the oven. So without further ado, I present, the Butler Family Thanksgiving 2008.

Appetizers (this is what we'll nosh on throughout the day while we watch the parade and football)

• Auntie Jill's (my sister's) Famous Clam Dip and Potato Chips
• Homemade gravlax (from local wild salmon) and mustard sauce
• Salumi (bresaola, fennel salami, prosciutto, Serrano ham)
• Assorted cheeses (P'tit Basque, Triple Cream Explorateur, Pt. Reyes Blue) w/ bread and crackers
• Crudités & olives
• Zia Gabriella's Salmon Mousse (made by my sister)

Then we will all go for a loooooooooong walk.

Thanksgiving Dinner (served at dinner time)

• Auntie Sheila's Mimosa Turkey done on the grill (basted with champagne, orange juice, and butter—will post recipe!)
• Traditional Turkey with Whiskey glaze
• Mashed Potatoes
• Twice-baked potatoes
• La Brea Bakery Stuffing
• Fresh Cranberry-Orange Sauce
• Gravy
• Green beans (still deciding on preparation)
• Walnut, Blue Cheese, and Cranberry Tart
• Southern Fairytale's Yellow Squash and Zucchini Casserole
• Spicy Hot Pepper (from Auntie Charlene's CSA) and Fresh Corn Pudding
• AMomTwoBoys' Three Cheese and Prosciutto Cauliflower Gratin
• Suebob's Chestnut, fennel, and shallot confit
• Butternut squash puree

Then maybe we'll take another looooooong walk before:

• Pumpkin Pie (baked by my hippie church's Senior High Youth Group)
• Auntie Jill's Apple Pie
• Sour Cherry Pie
• Coffee & Port

What are you cooking?

Walnut, Blue Cheese, and Cranberry Tart [NaBloPoMo Day 19]

As promised, here is a recipe for a savory tart that can be served as a first course along with a simple green salad or with your Thanksgiving meal. I first came across the recipe about 10 years ago in an ad for Diamond walnuts.  As is to be expected, it is heavy on the walnuts.  I like nuts, but I found the tart a little too walnuty for my taste. This time when I make it, I will decrease the amount of nuts.  I am also going to adapt it slightly this year and use caramelized onions instead of regular sauteed onions. I'm going to use 4-6 onions depending on the size and caramelize/reduce those down to one cup.

If you don't like cranberries you can substitute firm pears or figs.

Also, the quality of the tart depends on the kind of blue cheese you use.  My family (especially Bunny and Wallie) are blue cheese freaks so I am going to increase the amount of cheese by about 2 ounces.  One of my issues last time around was that it wasn't cheesy enough. For best results, I highly recommend you use one of the following of my favorite blue cheeses:

• Italian Gorgonzola
• Italian Gorgonzola Dolce which has a creamier, sweeter flavor
• Pt. Reyes blue cheese (eat local California!)
• Australian Roaring 40's (one of my all time faves)
• Irish Cashel blue cheese
• an artisinal blue cheese from Wisconsin like Hook's (eat local Mid-west!)
  

So without further ado, here is the recipe for the tart. Ground walnuts can be found in the baking aisle if you don't want to grind them yourself.

And if tarts aren't your thing, just try not to drool while looking at the photo and recipe of this Blue Cheese Cheesecake. I might have to make both!

Gearing up for Thanksgiving [NaBloPoMo Day 18]

Our Thanksgiving table last year, a hodge-podge of vintage pieces, Anthropologie linens, IKEA plates, and wedding china and crystal, both my mother's handed down to me, and my own.

I'm going to admit it right up front: I've been a NaBloPoMo failure.  It was definitely a lofty goal for me to try to post here every day, but unfortunately, I just can't do it, during November or any other month. My heart it is rebellious, and even though my intentions are good, I just can't post this often. (I'm trying!)  If you blog every day, my hat is off to you.

Having said that, however, I do want to talk about Thanksgiving since it is my favorite culinary holiday. It's the holiday that in the United States and in my house, always features the best of what fall has to offer: fresh poultry, grains, nuts, legumes, potatoes, berries, greens, fruity olive oils, and local wines. I so look forward to this Sunday's Farmer's Market trip. We've been avoiding the farmer's lately in the interest of saving a little money, but you couldn't pry me away from the farmer's market the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

I break my Thanksgiving into three parts: appetizers, main meal, dessert.  (This is last year's menu.) Because my family traditionally eats our Thanksgiving dinner late, at dinner time, the day is spent noshing on an assortment of lovely hors d'oeuvres accompanied by drinks as we take in the Thanksgiving Day Parade and also a parade of football games.  My sister and I cook and fiddle about in the kitchen, cousins play, my brother and J. spend the day on the couch (or making us martinis), my mom is in charge of hors do'oeuvres and making oyster bisque. Our list of Thanksgiving Day pre-dinner nosh doesn't change much and usually includes:

• assorted cheeses and salumi
• chicken liver-truffle paté with plenty of cracked pepper and accompaniments (French cornichons, onions)
• Wallie's favorite smoked salmon and accompaniments (capers, onions)
• clam dip and potato chips
• crudités
• beer/wine
• martinis and old fashioneds

Here are some of my thoughts about Thanksgiving last year in the hopes that it might inspire you to start thinking about your own meal. But we're far from done here. Let's keep talkin'.

Garlic Roasted Turkey Breast

The blackened bits sticking up are the tips of the garlic cloves.

A friend of the family packs her Thanksgiving turkey with pockets of minced garlic mixed with salt. When you eat it, it's like a flavor explosion in your mouth of salty-garlicky goodness. It's sharp, savory, and sweet all at once. It's just delicious.  I had a hankering for it this week, so I made my own, much less labor-intensive version. I used a 3-4 pound kosher turkey breast from Trader Joe's and it was moist and juicy all the way through.

In the San Francisco Bay Area you can also find (usually frozen) kosher turkey breast at Mollie Stone's and at Fulton Street (Albertson's) Market or any grocery store that caters to a kosher clientele.  If you can't find a kosher turkey breast, no worries, just dry-brine it for at least 12 hours or up to over night before cooking.

GARLIC ROASTED TURKEY BREAST

This would be perfect for Sunday dinner.

• 1 3-4 pound kosher turkey breast (with ribs attached)
• 12 cloves of garlic peeled and halved (24 halves total)
• sea salt
• fresh ground pepper
• a half palmful of dried oregano

Preheat oven to 325º. Starting with the rib side of the turkey, make 3-4 (1/4-in. deep) slits in the meaty part of the turkey and put a garlic half into each slit. Stuff the garlic as far down as you can so most of it is inserted into the turkey. Season that half with salt and pepper. Flip over.

Continue making slits all over the turkey breast and stuff the remaining garlic halves into those slits. My slits ended up being about an inch or two apart. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano.

Place in roasting pan and roast until a thermometer registers 180º. (Takes about an hour and a half.) I take the turkey out at 170º then cover it with foil and let it rest. The temperature will continue to rise another 10 degrees even though it's out of the oven. This helps to prevent an over-cooked, dried-out turkey.

Slice and serve. Serves 6-8. (We have tons left over. Which is a good thing.)

A side view of the sliced turkey with garlic.

Thanksgiving week culinary highlights

It goes without saying that Thanksgiving is all about great eats, and this one was no exception.  My mom, sister, and brother and his family came into town last week along with my mom's best friend and her husband. Their son and his family live close to San Francisco, so we had a big, extended family and friends Thanksgiving.

Crab Dinner

On Tuesday before Thanksgiving, we had dinner at Scoma's, a kitschy, touristy, wall-to-wall carpeted, "old San Francisco" kind of restaurant. My brother, who had never been there, was worried that it would be a tourist trap, which it is, but when it comes to fish and crab, I think Scoma's rivals any fancy restaurant.  The preparations were simple and unfettered, which is how I like my fish anyway. If you've never been, ask the waiter what the fresh fish of the day is and she or he will show you a list at least 10-12  items long.  We were there to celebrate the start of dungeness crab season and my mom picked the menu of garlic roasted crab, green salad, and martinis. Sixteen of us shared a private room where all the kids could get up and "stretch their legs." They all sat back down when it was time for the rich, chewy chocolate gelato (heavenly!).  It was the perfect way to kick off the week.

Chinese Banquet

On the Wednesday, my mom's friend invited us to a Chinese banquet at one of my favorite restaurants, Great Eastern. They are known for their impeccably fresh seafood.  Our eight course meal consisted of:

1. a cold platter of thinly sliced drunken beef, cold chicken, char siu (roast pork), fish cake, and jellyfish
2. taro soup (a rich, clear broth flavored with taro, carrots, and meat)
3. salt and pepper crab with chilis and green onions
4. sauteed water spinach
5. steamed chicken and black mushrooms with ginger
6. fried pork hash with hamni (salt fish)
7. chili beef
8. clams with sweet and sour Chinese pickles

It was BYOB so we had Prosecco and wine to go with. There was so much food leftover that my refrigerator was packed.

Thanksgiving Day

On Thanksgiving day, we started the morning at J.'s family's house where we had an early, homemade Thanksgiving meal. Then later, we all went out to dinner at the Fairmont Hotel which has become a recent tradition for my family since our Thanksgiving celebrations seem to be getting bigger and bigger. We all love it because we can stuff ourselves with caviar and blinis, oysters on the half shell, sashimi, foie gras, and fancy cheeses.  We always joke that they hate to see us coming because they lose money on us.  We had a lovely table next to the window overlooking the bay. We could see Alcatraz and both bridges and our dinner was timed with sunset so we got to enjoy that, too.

As far as buffets go, we all agreed that overall it was really good.  I didn't have turkey, but I did try the lamb which was cooked perfectly, and the Beef Wellington which was nice and pink on the inside. The gratin dauphinois consisted of thinly shaved potatoes and was light as a feather.  The cheeses were all local and included the likes of Humboldt Fog and Point Reyes blue, and the paté and salumi platter was divine.  Special touches included a Cobb salad station where a server tossed salads to order, a chocolate fondue fountain, and a kids' buffet table which was lower to the ground and included things like mini-burgers, baked chicken legs, Jello and Rice Krispy treats. (My kids eschewed that in favor of lamb and tortellini al pesto...but they did eat Jello.)

Post-Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner

I knew that at some point over the weekend of Thanksgiving I wanted to cook a turkey dinner because we'd all miss "traditional" Thanksgiving fare in a relaxed atmosphere. The week before, I went to Whole Foods with the intention of ordering my holiday turkey but I was sidelined by the folks taking orders for their holiday meals.  "All organic," they said. "We use real cream and butter," they said. I thought about whether I really wanted to spend an entire day cooking, an activity I normally love, and decided to order the complete dinner.

It was delivered on Wednesday before Thanksgiving and included a cooked Diestel turkey, maple-herb butter to glaze the turkey, green beans with shallots and fresh herbs, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, dressing, turkey gravy, whole cranberry-citrus sauce, 12 La Brea bakery rolls, and a whole pumpkin pie.  They even included a roasting pan, a large plastic bag with which to wrap up the turkey carcass, re-heating instructions, and a recipe for turkey noodle soup. We all agreed (and we are an extremely hard to please bunch) that it was excellent and tasted homemade. The turkey was moist and juicy from brining, the gravy was made with drippings, the dressing tasted like my own recipe (buttery and with loads of fresh herbs), the mashed potatoes were like silk.  My only complaint was that there were no yams. The dinner was so good that I've already written my letter to Whole Foods telling them how much we enjoyed it. Dinner was on the table within an hour and a half, and the rest of the day was spent with family. As it should be.

Turkey Tetrazzini from Saveur

I know what you are thinking: "Yuck."

I know, I know. I remember Turkey Tetrazzini from college cafeteria days, too. It was never a popular choice which is why I was surprised to see a recipe for it in the November 2006 issue of Saveur. The recipe description says straight up, "this isn't the Turkey Tetrazzini as you know it." In fact, it's almost nothing like the original recipe with the exception of the turkey and the noodles.

What intrigued me about this recipe was that it called for one cup of ketchup, an obvious bastardization of Escoffier's original recipe. And, I admit, I am a sucker for a good bastardization of a recipe, especially one that has been handed down through the generations like this one has. I'm also a sucker for a trashy, retro casserole. Ain't nothing fancy about a recipe that calls for one cup of ketchup.

But, what I liked most about this recipe was that it made the turkey into something completely different and un-turkey-like. There were no "Thanksgiving flavors" in this recipe, and after three days of eating turkey, that's a good thing.

This recipe would be great made with leftover turkey that has been frozen and defrosted, perhaps as a part of a casual family meal around the holidays. If you're sick of turkey, freeze three cups of it and make this casserole at a later date.

The recipe says it serves eight, but my family of four hearty eaters only made it through about 1/4 of a 9' x 12' pan. I think it can easily serve 10-12, especially if you serve other things alongside.  We had a green salad and leftover Thanksgiving green beans with this.

Try it.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised...if you keep your expectations low.

TURKEY TETRAZZINI

Notes: I omitted the bell pepper, canned mushrooms, and pimentos and it still was delicious.

2 tbsp. butter
7 cups chicken broth
1 green bell pepper
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper (I didn't add any additional salt as the broth, ketchup, and turkey were salty enough)
1 lb. dried spaghetti
1 lb. skinless, boneless roasted turkey, torn into large chunks (about 3 cups)
2 cups frozen peas, thawed (I added them frozen)
1 cup ketchup
1 7-oz. can mushrooms, drained
1/4 cup finely chopped drained pimentos
3 cups (about 1/2 pound) grated cheddar cheese (I used a mixture of grated mozzarella and grated sharp cheddar.)

Preheat oven to 350º.

Butter and 11" x 13" casserole dish with 1 tbsp. of the butter.

Combine broth, peppers, onions, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add spaghetti broken in pieces, reduce heat to medium, and boil gently, stirring often until spaghetti is al dente, about 12-14 minutes. (Or two minutes less than directions on box indicate.) Remove from heat, add remaining butter, turkey, peas, ketchup, mushrooms, pimentos, and salt and pepper to taste and fold together. Transfer spaghetti mixture to buttered dish and cover with grated cheese. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Set casserole aside to let cool slightly, then serve.

[Mosaic created with fd's flickr toys using Stefania Pomponi Butler's photos]

Turkey sandwich perfection

My idea of turkey sandwich perfection is as follows.

Lightly toast two pieces of whole grain bread then slather it with mayo. (I said, "Slather.") Grind pepper onto the mayo. Then, between the mayonnaise-y, peppery bread goes: sliced turkey, some green bell pepper rings (don't knock it 'til you try it), and crisp iceberg (it has to be iceberg) lettuce. Deeelicious.

The only other way to go for a turkey sandwich is to make it with with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and a little gravy to bind it. Smash down. Eat.

Things that should never be on a turkey sandwich according to me:

• Mustard (I love it, just not on turkey.)
• Cheese (I am just not ever a fan of cheese on a sandwich.* On plain bread, okay, with other stuff, no.)
• Alfalfa sprouts (They serve no purpose except to make otherwise good food taste like dirt.)

*Maybe it's the cheese + meat combo that I don't like, because I do enjoy a good grilled cheese and tomato (or tart apple), and a sharp cheddar/chutney tea sandwich.

[Photo of "the perfect turkey sandwich": Stefania Pomponi Butler]

Thanksgiving Memories: Setting the table

When I was a child, setting the table for Thanksgiving dinner was my job. I polished the silver, ironed the napkins, and washed and dried the crystal glasses. I was like a 10-year-old Martha Stewart, I was so meticulous.

With my mom's guidance, I would set the table the night before Thanksgiving so it was all done and looking beautifully inviting by the time our guests arrived. 

First I would Pledge the whole table until its lemony scent permeated the entire house. Then the big, white table cloth went on. It was made in Italy especially to accomodate the dimensions of our large, round table.

Then the plates would be laid out. Most often we used the Italian china that my mom received when she married my dad, the china that I use today. I love this china because it comes with pasta plates and several different antipasti dishes—pieces that are a normal part of an Italian china service, but are usually not included in fine china available in the States.  I'd use the plates as my guide to determine where the sterling silverware would go.

Folded napkins would go to the left of the plate and on top of that a shiny fork. To the right of the plate went a heavy silver knife and soup spoon. We always set our dessert fork and coffee spoon on the table above the plate, with forks pointing one way and spoons pointing the other.

Crystal wine and water glasses would go above the knife and spoon to the right of the plate. Then, all the serving dishes and utensils would go on top of the table waiting to be filled with deliciousness.

I loved sitting around that big round table as a child.  It was reserved for special occassions. Holidays meant that not only could we sit with adults, but we also got our own very tiny glasses of champagne.

I have vivid memories of setting holiday tables as a child.  If I close my eyes, I can almost see my little self arranging chairs just so and making sure forks were straight. I took so much pride in what I was doing because I was entrusted with such an important job.

I am thankful for a mother who taught me these things, even though most nights our dining table looks like a cafeteria food fight post-mortem. My eldest daughter is four-years-old and she's just now starting to want to set the table. I'm showing her where forks go, and where knives and, like our dining room table, the circle goes round.

[photo of my silver gravy boat: Stefania Pomponi Butler]

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Curry and Sage

This easy-to-make, spiced-but-not-spicy soup would be a tasty starter to a Thanksgiving dinner. Best of all you can make it ahead of time (2 days ahead) and refrigerate it. Just heat and serve.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND APPLE SOUP WITH CURRY AND SAGE

This is an ovo-lacto vegetarian recipe and could very easily be made vegan by substituting margarine or olive oil for the butter, and omitting the dairy.

Tip: The beans add silkiness and body to the soup without having to add cream.

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) of best-quality unsalted butter
• 3 16 oz. packages of raw, cut-up butternut squash (from Trader Joe's)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 apples (tart, sweet or a combo), peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1-2 sprigs of fresh sage (6-8 leaves)
• 2 tbsps. Madras curry powder
• 2 boxes (8 cups) Imagine "No Chicken" broth or regular chicken broth
• 1/2 can of cannelini (white) beans
• 1 cup of milk or half-and-half (optional, add if you want extra richness)
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium heat and add squash, onion, apple, sage, and curry powder.  Cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring often and being careful not to scorch the bottom. Remove all but one sage leaf. Add broth and beans and bring to a simmer.

Cover, lower heat, and simmer for 30-40 minutes stirring occassionally. Turn off heat and stick-blend (or process) until velvety smooth. Add milk or half-and-half if desired, stir and warm through. Check seasonings. Serve at once. Makes about a gallon of soup so freeze some!

[photo: Stefania Pomponi Butler]