THANKSGIVING DINNER - GETTING READY

It is 1 week and 4 days until Thanksgiving and I am surprisingly calm.  This maybe because it is my third year preparing the bird and hosting the holiday for my 10 member family.  My first Thanksgiving was anything but calm.  Mike likes to equate it to my stress level the day of my wedding.  Sadly, he is right.  What can I say, I strive for perfection.  I remember standing at the counter at Sur La Table picking out cloth napkins, asking the store clerk for her opinion.  I must have been there at least 45 minutes.   I wanted to find an inspiring napkin match for my great aunt's sage and pale blue china.  I was convinced that the rich pumpin/rust color napkins with pale yellow floral detail were a striking match next to the floral sage and pale blue plates.  The clerk was not convinced, but in hindsight I realize she just didn't care.  To this day, I am happy with my selection.  The point is, I cared about everything: the taste and look of the turkey, every side dish, the presentation of the appetiziers, the position of the wine bottles on the table, and for everyone to have a thoroughouly pleasing dining experience. 

This year is different.  Not just because I already have the napkins, but because I have already made dishes that I know come out great and this year is mostly about repeating what works.  I tend to keep inspired and on the edge by adding at least 1 or 2 new dishes.  Some of you have mentioned that this is your first year hosting the holiday.  Here I'll post some of the recipes I use, at the chance that they may be helpful.

THE TURKEY  
I brine my turkey in a bath of sea salt, apples, juniper berries, lemon peel, star anise, garlic, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, onion, and a bay leaf.  Wow that sounds impressive!!  The truth, I don't even know what a juniper berry looks like.  I use a jar of Williams-Sonoma Turkey Brine Apple Spice.  It is delicious! The directions are on the jar.  The brining process is basically placing a turkey (insides removed) into a 5 gallon bag or container with a brine solution (salts and spices + water or cider).  You cover and chill the turkey in the solution in the bag for 12-36 hours.  Just before cook time you remove the turkey from the brine solution, rinse it well and then cook as you desire.  I cook my turkey in a roasting pan with a tent of foil covering it.  COOK TIME: For a 15-17lb bird - 425 deg breast side down for 1 hour, then 325 deg breast side up for another 11/2-2 hrs until internal temp of breast meat is 160 deg and dark meat is 170-175 deg.

 MOIST APPLE CELERY STUFFING
Sliced and cubed white bread about 24 slices
2-4 Golden delicious apples cored and chopped
2 onions chopped
4-8 celery sticks and leaves
chopped sage
vegetable stock or apple cider 1 cup
 - Saute onions and celery in butter.  Place in a casserole dish and add chopped apples, bread, flavor with sage and pour stock or cider over ingredients.  Bake in 350 deg 11/2 hrs. 

MASHED SWEET POTATOES WITH GINGER AND BROWN SUGAR
1/2 stick of butter
2 TBLS heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
11/2 TBLS brown sugar
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
2-3 large sweet potatoes peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
- combine butter, cream, salt, sugar, ginger and sweet potatoes in a saucepan.  Cover and cook oer low heat tirring until potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork 35-45 min.  When done, mash into a cassarole dish, add pepper to taste.

PECAN, BEET AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD WITH SHERRY VINIGRETTE
Salad greens of your choice.  I like to mix some sweet with spicy greens such as a spring mix, watercress.
Pecans 1/2 cup chopped and toasted
Goat cheese crumbled
Beats roasted peeled and sliced/cut to desired size
Vinigrette: 4 TBLS sherry vinegar, 2 tsp honey, 11/2 tsp salt, pepper, 6 TBLS of EVOO
-To roast beets I wrap individually in foil and bake at 425 deg directily on the oven rack or in a shallow pan for about 45 min.  Time depends on size of beet. Assemble greens, toasted pecans, goat cheese, beats into a salad bowl and cover in dressing or serve dressing on the side.

So what's new on my table this year?  I am going to try a recipe for vanilla sugared cranberries and a brussel sprout shallot and brown butter side dish.  I have learned one way to decrease stress on the big day is to try any new recipes out first before serving them to others. 

WHAT ABOUT BAKING DESSERT?  Well, here is where it is just too easy to say no.  I live down the street from a 100 year old bakery called Landing Bakery.  I could spend lots of time and make lots of mess in the kitchen making pecan pie crust for a pumpkin torte, or I could just walk down to the bakery and save myself the trouble where I undoubtedly know that whatever I serve will be delicious.  Sure there is a reward in making a tasty delight yourself, but sometimes you just have to call it a day and let others do some of the work.  Guests are usually happy to help out and bring something like dessert.  I am learning to let them.