A Plan, a Man and Stuffing in a Pan

You'd think by now I would have this Thanksgiving thing down pat. Just serve the same thing every year and call it "tradition". But noooo, not me. And not you either. Because there are so many new things to try. I buy every November issue of food magazines that I don't already subscribe to. Every year there's a new way to cook a turkey that is absolutely the most delicious, juiciest, herb-iest, buttery-est, best ever. The past couple of years have been all about brining.  This year it's about salting. I guess it's like brining but without the liquid. I tried the brining method once. I had to submerge a 19 pound turkey in the saltwater solution that I mixed up in a big Playmate cooler. All day I worried about salmonella  poisoning. Was the turkey cold enough? Was it wet enough? Was it too wet? Was it too warm in the garage, where I kept the cooler?  It was way too much to think about. This year, I'm going to try the salt method from Bon Appetit. It's still more work than your average roast Butterball, but I'm up for the challenge. To hell with tradition.

Stuffing is a different story. My mother made it with Ritz crackers, which we all loved. My mother-in-law made it with bread cubes from a bag, which her kids loved. She also cooked it inside the turkey - something my family never did. (I think my mother was concerned about salmonella also). Several years ago, I tried a recipe that had all the right stuff (yes, that's a pun, sorry). Egg bread, wild mushrooms, leeks and hazelnuts. I make it in a baking dish. It's an awesome combination of flavors and textures, plus it makes everyone happy. If you want to try it, you'll find it here. Just don't cut off the bread crusts. They help make the top layer of your stuffing nice and crisp.

Growing up, we never had mashed potatoes. Plenty of baked potatoes, but no mashed. Bob, on the other hand, comes from a mashed potato family. Therefore, if he wants mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving, he has to make them. So he does. He also makes the pies all by himself, including the crust. What a guy. I'll cover this  story in another post soon.

Finally, I have one thing to say about vegetables  - more is better. I have been known to have 6 different kinds at the Thanksgiving table. Brussels sprouts of course (see my previous post). Squash. Peas with pearl onions. Green beans. Glazed  or creamed onions. Roasted root vegetables with maple syrup. I even tried a lovely green salad one year, with pears, dried cranberries and a maple vinaigrette. Go through the magazines. Find something that really appeals to you. A variation on an old favorite or something completely new. Really, it'll be ok. No one would dare be ungrateful on Thanksgiving.