Suzi's Blog
Thanksgiving Ideas 2011
“How long have you had these symptoms?” the doctor asked me.
“A week or two,” I answered.
“About a month at this level. Decades at a reduced level.” Suzen was contributing to my diagnosis. I did not appreciate the “decades” bit.
“So,” the doctor continued, “your issue is confusion.”
“Yes,” I said.
“YES,” Suzen said. I really must remember not to bring her next time.
“Who is the President of the United States?” the doctor asked me.
“You don’t want to get into politics with Brian,” Suzen remarked quickly. You know, she does serve a purpose.
“What month is it?” the doctor continued.
“November,” I said. “But it seems endless to me. I just received more emails saying our blog has not put up any Thanksgiving recipes.”
“And?” the doctor asked.
“Well, I figured Thanksgiving had to be over already.”
“Why?” the doctor probed.
“Because Christmas decorations and store displays have been up for six weeks now. We have to be way past Thanksgiving,” I argued.
“Thanksgiving is next week, Brian,” the doctor corrected me.
“Yes, Brian.” Suzen concurred.
“Oh, dear,” I slumped back. “What can I do?”
“Well, I think you need to publish some Thanksgiving recipes on your blog,” the doctor began. “And then you might consider moving to a society that is less commercially oriented. I hear Iceland is a very mellow place.”
“Oh, great,” Suzen was staggered. “Can’t you just give him a prescription?”
So, we are six days from Thanksgiving 2011 and you may be wondering what to do. In the coming week I will, of course, supply you with some new holiday ideas. Fortunately, this blog is already flush with great menu ideas, from appetizers thru dessert. Here’s a table showing the blog titles for several wonderful recipes. And, I’ve included the word to search on, using the blog’s search feature, so you can easily isolate the recipe.
I’ll say that the Arrows Roast Turkey recipe is now our standard. We’ve done it for five or six years running and it has become a tradition. Nick’s Cranberry Sauce defines Thanksgiving for Suzen. Dorie Greenspan broadened everyone’s food horizons last year with Around My French Table. The stuffed pumpkin is directly from the book and Suzen created a stuffing recipe, sans pumpkin, as an alternative.
Here you go. I’ll be blogging more after my next doctor’s appointment. I’ve never been to Iceland.
| Blog Title
|
Search Word |
| Arrows Roast Turkey | Arrows |
| Nick’s Cranberry Sauce | Nick’s |
| Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good by Dorie Greenspan | Pumpkin |
| Thanksgiving Stuffing 2010 with Thanks to Dorie Greenspan | Stuffing |
| Pumpkin Chiffon Cake for Thanksgiving | Pumpkin |
| Apple and Jalapeno Tailgate Pie | Tailgate |
Nick’s Cranberry Sauce
I was looking over the recipes I’ve blogged this week for Thanksgiving: turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, beverages, a pumpkin cake …
Oh, dear. Once again I have forgotten the cranberry sauce. Before Suzen yells at me, because she loves cranberry sauce the way I love those potatoes with gravy, let me pass along her favorite sauce recipe.
Our friend Nick Malgieri is a famed as a baker, teacher, and ultimate cookbook author. Perhaps it’s his sweet tooth, but long ago we got this recipe from him and simply fell in love with it. We have it every Thanksgiving and Christmas, whether we are cooking at home or on the road. Nick’s Cranberry Sauce is essential for our holiday spirit.
Even if you aren’t fond of cranberries, you just may succumb to the complex spiciness of this recipe. It calls for bitter orange marmalade. Go high end here. Really high end. You want a British or French jar with a serious price tag, for you’ll want that authentic orange tartness here.
I’m not by nature a cranberry fan. But this sauce on a forkful of turkey is a holiday wonder.
Nick’s Cranberry Sauce
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
- 3 bags cranberries
- 3” piece of ginger, grated or crystallized ginger finely chopped
- 1 ¼ cup of light brown sugar
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 12 ounce jar of bitter orange marmalade
- 3 oranges quartered and seeded
- 2 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces of currents
Preparation:
Add all ingredients to a medium size pot, except currents. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
Add currents. Bring mixture back to a boil, then remove from heat. Press oranges quarters, then remove. Cool and store.
Source:
Nick Malgieri
