HOLIDAY COOKING ROUND-UP

Every year Thanksgiving week surprises me. How does the calendar hit September and then it’s Thanksgiving the very next day? Despite the fact that I am never prepared, it is perhaps my favorite holiday because I love holiday cooking.

Below is a selection of my turkey day fan favorites, some from me and some well-vetted from elsewhere. I hope one or two of them ends up on your holiday table!

Appetizers

Turkey

  • Favorites from elsewhere
    • Rosemary, Lemon and Sage OR Orange and Smoked Paprika Dry-Brined Turkey 
      • This is my annual go-to-never-disappoints turkey prep method
    • If you don’t feel like making a whole turkey, you could sign up for the recording of last year’s Thanksgiving inspired cooking class to get my recipe for Thanksgiving Meatballs with Sage and Warm Spices and
      Roasted Winter Squash with Burrata and Mint. All cooking class recordings are just $20. Email me if you’d like this one.
  • Holiday cooking tips: Figure 1lb turkey per person. I spatchcock (aka butterfly) my turkey for even, faster cooking. Have your butcher do this for you if you can, otherwise watch this Alton Brown video for method and suggested cooking. His idea for roasting your turkey directly on an oven grate sounds interesting but I usually roast my bird atop some halved lemons, onions and garlic bulbs. Easier clean-up:)

Gravy & Cranberry Sauce

Stuffing/casseroles

  • Favorites from my archive
    • Mushroom Strata with Gruyere and Thyme
  • Favorites from elsewhere
  • Holiday cooking tips: Make stuffings and casseroles up to two days in advance. For stuffings, use good quality bread and rip it up a day or two ahead of making stuffing so that it gets crunchy; that way, it’s a sponge for the flavorful stock and other aromatics.

Potatoes

Orange vegetables

Green vegetables

Holiday cooking

Salad (in addition to the salads mentioned above)

Holiday cooking

Dessert

  • Unless you love to bake, feel free to outsource pie. I do this annually because my local option, Four and Twenty Blackbirds actually does it better than I could. Worth every penny.
  • If you’re not a pie person, try my Easiest Apple Crisp 
  • If I was tasked with dessert this year and was allowed to make something other than pie, I’d be making David Lebovitz’s Warm Sticky Toffee Pudding

HAPPIEST HOLIDAYS!