Well, if that photo is any indication, I’ve entered full-on planning mode. Thanksgiving is a mere 14 days away. Eek! We’re celebrating the holiday with Jared’s folks, and though his mom does most of the Thanksgiving-ing, I’ve been searching for new recipes so I can contribute some foodie goodness, too. And that, my friends, means it’s time for me to make a list.
I love lists like some people love chocolate. When I’m stressed to the max or having a bad day, they lighten the load and make me feel better. Seriously, I crave them. Whether I’m happy, sad, bored or stressed, some of my biggest life moments have been marked by list-making. I suppose that means I’m a bit nutty. Ho hum.
But enough about my listy obsession. ’Tis the season for holiday planning, and I’m determined to find three (yes, three!) new recipes to dazzle the fam over the break. Some might be for the actual Turkey Day; others might be better kept as befores and afters. I’m still very much in the thinking-about-it stage, but here’s where I am right now (in list format, no less):
1. The turkey: Perhaps it’s a sign that we’ve finally reached adulthood, but last year Jared’s parents let us tackle the turkey business. We had grandiose dreams of pulling a perfectly brined and roasted bird out of the oven on Thanksgiving Day. Instead, it looked like this:
Hmm… A gallant effort, no doubt (notice the freshly sliced oranges and sprigs of rosemary?) But not exactly what we were hoping for. Here’s where I think we went wrong:
• We didn’t brine it overnight. This is mainly because we didn’t volunteer to do the turkey until the day before and didn’t think about how to prepare it until Wednesday night around 11. So the overnight brining most recipes recommended was out of the question by the time we got our ducks (er, turkey) in a row. But this year, we’re thinking ahead! That turkey will be brined to perfection for a full 12 – 18 hours.
• We didn’t use the oven. Now hold on a minute; don’t freak out. Contrary to its raw-ish appearance and our novice turkey-making skills, we are not salmonella-seeking crazies. Yes, our turkey was cooked, but oven traffic was pretty heavy that day, so we cooked it in a turkey roaster contraption in one of those plastic roasting bags that’s supposed to speed things up. Unfortunately, it never reached golden-brown loveliness, so we’ve agreed to go old-school for round 2 (if the oven can spare the space).
So now the trick is finding a recipe that we love. Last year’s attempt was a Tyler Florence recipe from FoodNetwork.com (please don’t let our turkey’s outside appearance deter you from trying the recipe; it tasted pretty great on the inside — you know, where it counts). Because I’m a Real Simple fiend, we’re thinking of going with a recipe from this year’s November issue dubbed “the only turkey recipe you’ll ever need.” Quite a promise, right? The magazine has yet to let me down, so it sounds like a pretty safe bet. But I’m definitely open to suggestions (the Real Simple recipe doesn’t call for brining, which Jared is pretty set on doing, so that might be the deal-breaker).
2. The sides: A recent article on NYTimes.com featured a stuffing recipe from Marilyn Monroe, written in Monroe’s own handwriting on an old piece of paper (you can see it here). The ’50s starlet must have been handy in the kitchen because this recipe sounds pretty complicated (liver-hearted giblets?!? Eek!). The giblets and eggs make this a no-go for me, but maybe some of you are a bit more adventurous and would like to give it a try.
In the meantime, I’m continuing the search for something new to jazz up that turkey we’re thinking about. Maybe a homemade cranberry sauce? I’m a canned sauce fan to the max, but it might be fun to try the real thing (as long as the canned kind is on the table, too, of couse). I’m also thinking about stuffing in muffin tins. Have you ever tried that? Iron Chef Michael Symon made them on Regis and Kelly last week, and they were pretty cute little guys. Making them in the muffin tins makes the stuffing deliciously crispy (which is always the best part of the stuffing, in my opinion), and individual servings are super simple to dish up. Here’s the recipe he used. Then again, these look pretty great, too. We shall see.
3. The dessert: When it comes to Thanksgiving desserts, I’m a pretty traditional gal. Pie, pie and more pie. But with pumpkin and apple as yearly musts, it’s hard finding time (a.k.a. oven space) to experiment. I’ve been wanting to try the New York Times Original Plum Torte recipe for a while now, so perhaps it will make its debut as a pre-Thanksgiving treat (I would say post-Thanksgiving treat, but let’s face it; we’ll be too full to move). You can find the recipe here. Sounds yummy, doesn’t it? I love plums but haven’t done much cooking with them, so this is sure to be exciting business. And if anyone misbehaves, we can send them to the corner with the plum torte, Little Jack Horner-style. Yep, this dessert sounds like a winner on multiple fronts.
So there you have it: my pre-list list still in the making. The beauty of a pre-list list is that it isn’t set in stone, so I’d love to hear your comments or recipe suggestions. Are you planning for the holiday already, too? What are you making this year? What are you not making (come on, we all have recipe disasters!). Can’t wait to hear about it!
XO,
Katrina
Deby says
***Cheater tip for pretty presentation***
If you are like me and NEED that TV pretty golden turkey, pick up a little bottle of Country Bouquet! It has no flavor and only turns gravy (and cooked turkey) that perfect color. Just put a little in a small bowl and brush it on the turkey with a pastry brush when it comes out of the oven….. I know it’s only appearance, but when the turkey already tastes wonderful, sometimes that’s what you need!
Katrina Tauchen says
I’m sooo with you on that. Presentation is way important — hence the disappointment with last year’s turkey! I’ve never heard of Country Bouquet, but it sounds like nifty stuff. I’ll have to look into it!
Cassie says
Sounds great! I am making puppy chow and the famous homemade rolls for Thanksgiving.
We are going to Iowa for Thanksgiving and everyone is bringing a Thanksgiving dish. We will see how these homemade rolls turn out.
Had a home run with homemade apple pie and chocolate chip cookies. How hard can rolls be right?!
Katrina Tauchen says
Ooo! I’ve never done homemade rolls, but they sound delicious! And puppy chow is always a win. Glad to hear the pie and cookies turned out well. You’re on a roll with this cooking thing! 🙂
Samantha says
Hint on getting a gorgeous turkey in the oven: begin with a large piece of foil. Form it to the shape of the turkey prior to putting it in the oven. Brush vegetable oil with your hands all over the bird. Look up the technique from Alton brown about how to tie the legs and wings together so they stay pretty while cooking. Cook the turkey at a higher temperature for the first 45-60 minutes of cook time (my recipe calls for 500 degrees then down to 375 for remainder of time) after that fist initial time turn the oven down and put foil over turkey. Cook remaining time.
I love making noodles from scratch. Big pile of flour, eggs, salt and pepper, milk, and a bit of hands on makes great noodles. Boil them in chicken stock. Let me know if you want more details. It’s delish!
I have also made the cranberry sauce from scratch. It goes great with French twist bread.
I make it all from scratch for thanksgiving. I love cooking!
Samantha says
Oh! Don’t forget to have a roasting pan that gets the turkey up out of ts own juices, otherwise you get a funny skin on the bottom of the bird. Use the trusty baster for the juice over the turkey!
Katrina Tauchen says
Wowie kazowie! Sounds like you’re the girl to talk to for Thanksgiving recipes! Thanks for the great advice on the turkey. Alton Brown does some great stuff, so we’ll definitely have to check out his turkey-making 411. I’ve been doing some more reading, and it sounds like foil and oil (I must be sleepy because that rhyming is cracking me up) are the way to go.
I’m so impressed that you do everything from scratch! The noodles sound especially good. We never did noodles for Thanksgiving, but my mother-in-law does noodles over mashed potatoes, and it’s quickly become one of my favorites. I’m not into gravy at all, so having the noodles and broth is great. Maybe it’s a Midwestern thing? I’m not sure, but it’s delicious.
I’m starting to think the two of us need to get together for a cooking party. We can cook, cook, cook; eat, eat eat; and then run, run, run. Woo hoo! 🙂