Fresh Tart

Thanksgiving kicked off when my dad pulled up to the house last Tuesday afternoon, fresh from a quail hunt in Tennessee. My stepmom Susanna flew in a few hours later from Sheridan, Wyoming, their now home.

My house and kitchen were immediately improved. Dad sharpened my knives and starting halving and marinating quail in buttermilk and hot sauce. Susanna started washing dishes, straightening the house, and running loads of laundry. I felt a huge weight lift from my over-scheduled shoulders that can only come from guests who don't ask what needs to be done, but just find things and jump in. Usually those guests are family members, but not always.

Whoever the hell they are, they are always welcome in my home.

Sasha came by for dinner Wednesday night, just home from her freshman year at Wellesley. It was so good to see her! While we all chatted, Dad fried the quail: After their buttermilk soak, he dredged them in flour (gluten-free AP for me, which worked like a charm), let them rest on a rack for 15 minutes or so, then fried them in a couple of inches of hot oil.

My god. Tender-crispy-sublime. We devoured them.

Later that night David, Etta, and my cousin Craig arrived in various shifts from NYC and DC. I had big plans to stay awake to feed them late dinners. I even went for an almost-midnight walk, giddy in the balmy air, but upon return...I totally fell asleep.

Which was probably for the best, given my early-Thursday-morning playdate with butter and herbs and the big ol' turkey that I had brined overnight Tuesday, then let dry out in the fridge overnight Wednesday. That one-two punch always yields ridiculously crispy skin, lightly salty, perfectly buttery. I hit it pretty hard while Dad carved the bird.

In fact, if I could eat just crispy turkey skin and a pile of stuffing and call it Thanksgiving dinner I'd be so happy.

Which is why I am in fact I am happy, because that's exactly what I did.

OK, I - as well as my uncles Bruce and Jim, aunts Mary and Marge, cousin Craig, brother David, sisters Stacey and Etta, John, Mom, Dad, and Susanna - also inhaled these amazing Melissa Clark sour cream mashed potatoes, prepared by Stacey & Susanna. They have earned a do-ahead spot on my Thanksgiving table, for sure. The chives are a particularly lovely addition, as is Parmesan cheese on top. We skipped the called-for breadcrumbs and didn't miss them.

My aunt Mary brought green beans - no, not those green beans. Her version was fresh and simple - fresh beans tossed in an anchovy vinaigrette. Delicious.

I was thrilled with the way the (gluten-free) cornbread stuffing turned out. I added both spicy and sweet sausage, mushrooms, plenty of fresh sage, and Parmesan cheese. We've been frying the leftovers for the last few days, to top with poached eggs... Goodness do that.

My stepmom Susanna was the first to bring this gorgeous wild rice salad to the Thanksgiving table, sometime in the mid-90s, and one of us makes it every year, this year my aunt Mary. The citrus dressing is a welcome sweet-tangy palate cleanser in the midst of lots of buttery sausagey richness.

My mom made a cranberry-orange sauce and The Curry Diva herself, lovely Heather Jansz, gifted me a jar of her precious chutney. Both were stunning with the turkey, at the dinner table and on many sandwiches afterward.

I got too busy eating, talking, and drinking wine to snap a pic of my aunt Marge's perfect pumpkin chiffon and pecan pies! No! Needless to say, they were attacked as usual. Gone baby gone. She is a master.

I made this Michael Ruhlman oven stock from the carcass. It's the best stock I've made and so easy! With the stock, turkey, and leftover mashed potatoes I made a shepherd's pie, which we dug into last night. And turkey wild rice soup and latkes, which we ate Saturday night. And I'll be making this Mark Bittman turkey & spinach coconut curry for tomorrow. (I'm taking a break from turkey today...I need a little breathing space. Uff.)

Mom's cranberry sauce has appeared in three batches of muffins, one of which I brought with me to AM950 on Saturday morning, when I was on the Fresh & Local Show with Mike Madison of Unknown Prophets. We talked leftovers for an hour with host Susan Berkson and barely scratched the surface! The whole conversatoin left me starving so I came home and made myself a big batch of turkey nachos. I do so love turkey with chiles.

What fun have you been having with leftovers? I hope you all had a terrific holiday!

The Thanksgiving countdown is offically on!  I was the first customer at Whole Foods this morning, literally waiting for the doors to open, what a dork.  Luckily, it's pretty hard to stand out as a nerd at Whole Foods, so I whipped out my list, pushed up my glasses, shoved my frizzy hair back, and hit the aisles.  I picked up flowers, and steaks for tomorrow night (my in-laws Dot & John arrive tomorrow and we're having dinner here at the hacienda), and various and sundry items I forgot on Friday's big shop as well as a few, er, extras.  Like a couple of jars of vacuum-packed chestnuts, which actually weren't completely unplanned for - I had tried and failed to find them last week. So...score!  That's what I love about the simple savory stuffing recipe I follow - you can keep it really basic, or you can toss in all sorts of lovelies depending upon the tolerance of the crowd you're feeding (and what you can put your hands on).  Neither John nor the kids really eat stuffing, but the rest of my family and John's parents are foodies, so I feel comfortable innovating freely.  This year it's chestnuts, baby, as well as a bit of Italian sausage, a few leeks, and shitake mushrooms, in addition to the button mushrooms, garlic, onion, and Parmesan cheese that usually go in. In past years I've added proscuitto and toasted pine nuts.  My dream is to add freshly shaved truffles...mmm... It will never come true (cost is beyond prohibitive), but it's nice to imagine.

Anyhow, back here on Earth, I arranged the flowers, thought through the table setting (I have a special place in my heart - and on my table - for asymmetrical Haviland Limoges china patterns), and drained the pickled vegetables (they definitely need their olive oil/salt finish - I'm finding them overly vinegary as is; also, I don't like the way the green beans turned out - too tough - but the red peppers, carrots, and fennel are delicious).  Soon I'll be peeling potatoes, getting ready for tomorrow's big mashed potatoes-stuffing-gravy push.  The turkey goes into its brine tomorrow as well.  Somewhere in there I'm getting my nails done, going to a pilates class, and taking Nathan for a haircut appointment.  And as I mentioned above, Dot & John arrive, and I'm making us all dinner.  So it will be a busy day.

Wednesday the turkey comes out of the brine for a rinse and to dry (uncovered) overnight in the fridge.  I'll also set the table (we're eating out Wednesday night) and lay my serving-ware on the sideboard.  Before we head out for dinner, Rudy Maxa and Ana Scofield are stopping by for a holiday cocktail and to meet John's parents.

And then it'll be Thursday, the big day, just like that.  My aunts Marge & Mary, uncles Jim & Bruce, and cousins Kim & Craig are all coming, as well as my mom, Cooper & Bowen, and our friend Harry Cunliffe.  Weather looks promising - I hope to pull off a pre-meal walk around the 'hood! - so I'm anticipating a lovely day.  Stay tuned...

In case you're wondering, I am thinking about Thanksgiving and in fact started cooking today! I'm thankfully (ha) not hosting - my sister Stacey is - but we're making the meal together, for 12 people, so there's plenty to do. I'm following the turkey, stuffing, and gravy recipes I posted last year, as well as making a big batch of Deluxe Do-Ahead Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, my aunt Mary's recipe for The Best mashed potatoes in the world. And, as the name would suggest, they're do-ahead, a big bonus on the big day, since draining and mashing huge pots of hot, steaming potatoes is bad for your fabulous holiday hair-do, not to mention your favorite silk blouse. Shiver!

So, the turkey is a'brining and the gravy stock is a'simmering...it's starting to smell a lot like Thanksgiving! The turkey will actually roast at Stacey's - I'm making her a fair trade tomorrow, my nephew Cooper for a brined turkey, ha (we're overdue for a dose of Cooper-Cuteness around here, so he's coming for a visit tomorrow morning). She'll actually roast the turkey at her house on Thursday, after it's air-dried in her fridge overnight Wednesday. She and Mom are making Cranberry Relish, Candied Yams (the classic), and one of my favorite dishes, my stepmom Susanna's Spinach Casserole. Full of artichoke hearts and mushrooms, and topped with sliced tomatoes and buttery bread crumbs, it's that winning combination of beautiful and delicious. And it's easy, and do-ahead, therefore a perfect addition to Thanksgiving dinner. (Recipes posted in comments, below.)

My aunt Marge is baking her amazing pies, my aunt Mary is bringing bread and wine, my cousin Kim is bringing an appetizer, and we're going to be very good to go. I. Can't. Wait! If I don't have a chance to check in before the big day, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.