You Should Be Cookin', Turkey!

Many foodie households began their preparations weeks ago. For me, serious work on Thanksgiving started yesterday, although the planning has taken weeks. So far, I’ve made homemade turkey broth for the gravy, cranberry sauce, and cookies for the kids. Today, I will salt the turkey, bake the sweet potatoes, make the desserts, prep some of the appetizers, and finish the last minute shopping (the oysters need to be fresh, you know!).

What’s the menu, you ask? Why, I’d be delighted to share . . .

For Starters:

Endive with Smoked Trout and Herbed Cream Cheese (Epicurious)

Roquefort Bleu Cheese with table water crackers

Smoked Salmon “Tartare” with lemon and olive oil chips (Epicurious)

Spiced Pecans (Saveur)

The Main Event:

Herb-Roasted Turkey with Shallot-Dijon Gravy (Bon Appetit)

Creamed Potatoes with Parsnips (Epicurious)

Green Beans with Pancetta

Oyster Stuffing (Saveur)

Sweet Potato Casserole (Saveur)

Cranberry Sauce with Dates and Orange (Gourmet)

Yeast Rolls

The Final Countdown:

Classic Pumpkin Pie (Eating Well)

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake with Caramel and Cream Cheese Frosting (Bon Appetit)

Since I’ve got to get cookin’, I don’t have time for bloggin’ . . .

But I am here to provide a special service. To fill a need you may not know you have. Let’s say you’ve been in the kitchen all day, intensely focused on baking, basting, and brining, and then it hits you . . . What will the folks eat tonight? Some of you have guests arriving, and they’re going to expect a meal. What do you feed people the day before Thanksgiving? Well, I've got an easy, fast, and light solution.

Fast Shrimp Gumbo

2 Cups of frozen okra

2 Cups of frozen corn

2 Cups of frozen lima beans

4 Cups of chicken broth

1 Can of diced tomatoes

1 onion diced

½ green pepper diced

3 tablespoons of olive oil

3 tablespoons of flour

12-16 oz. of fresh or frozen shrimp, cleaned and peeled

salt and pepper and Tabasco sauce to taste

Heat oil in a soup pot, and saute green pepper and onion until soft. Add flour and cook until you have peanut-butter colored roux. Add tomatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add vegetables and let simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Add shrimp and serve as soon as they turn pink. Season with plenty of salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce.

Happy Cooking!