Thanksgiving - Success

Obviously, live updates of Thanksgiving didn't happen. There were too many things to do to post while cooking, and playing games with the family took priority over writing the blog (sorry!). Overall, Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. It was nice to host and to visit with my wife's family. (I did miss my family of course. I can’t wait to see you all in 3 weeks or so.) It was also good to spend some time giving thanks to God for all He has given us. I hope to continue that through the Christmas season.

As for the food, the menu was very successful. Here are some of the highlights:

I thought the turkey was great. I stuffed it with some aromatics (apple, orange, onion, rosemary, sage, and a cinnamon stick) and rubbed it with some homemade sage, apple, and truffle butter. Overall, the 14 pound turkey was moist and perfectly done in about 2 hours, and cooking it at 500 degrees for the first 30 minutes gave it a great color on the skin. To make sure I didn't overcook it, I bought a thermometer probe, recommended by Alton Brown, that allows you to read the temperature with the oven closed. It worked pretty well, though I think I should have put it in after I dropped the oven temperature to 350, because at first it seemed to be giving a falsely high reading.





The potatoes were pretty good, but they needed some more truffle oil to really get the full effect of the french fries I had at Rouge. I was scared of overdoing it, since we ate truffle pizza the night before at Stella Pizzeria in Philly (more on that later). They also needed a bit more salt since I made so many potatoes. I need to make them again to get the dish right. (I also made up a quick sage and rosemary gravy, which was a really good pairing for the potatoes.)

The deconstructed green bean bundles (green beans, bacon, brown sugar, and garlic powder) were excellent, and much easier than green bean bundles. I could create this version on any weekday night. The apple pie, as usual, was awesome, because I copied my mom's version (which is undoubtedly the best I've ever had).



But, for me, the highlight was the cranberry sauce. It was sweet and tangy, with a good hint of the bourbon flavor. And, most importantly, it worked great for leftover turkey sandwiches (bread, turkey, stuffing, and cranberries). I basically doubled this Bobby Flay recipe and added some Grand Marnier for a little orange flavor. I've made homemade cranberry sauce before, but this is the best I've ever had.

So, I would call Thanksgiving an overwhelming success, considering all the food, the family, and the fun. The calorie count, of course, was not good, especially since I’ve been eating leftovers all weekend (no one needs to eat mashed potatoes every day for lunch). The football game on Saturday did not burn off enough calories (though I sure am sore). So, I guess I need to hit the gym several times this week.

I hope all the readers of Philly Foodie had an excellent Thanksgiving. I look forward to sharing my Christmas season with you. To good food . . .