Archive: Thanksgiving
Leftover Pumpkin Gets a Breakfast-y Makeover
There was talk in Friday's blog space about what to do with leftover turkey and the more obvious Thanksgiving trimmings such as cranberries and stuffing. However, I overlooked the lonely container of pumpkin puree sitting in my fridge, one cup remaining from dessert and begging to be used. Pumpkin pancakes: A great way to use up leftover puree. (Kim O'Donnel) I immediately thought of the jug of Vermont maple syrup given to me by my visiting father-in-law, and wondered if there was a way to combine the two ingredients into some kind of wonderful breakfast over the long holiday weekend. Pancakes are among my favorite things to make for those rare lingering mornings (although recently, I made blue corn pancakes one Thursday pre-work morning for me and Mister MA, to which he declared, "Let's have pancakes every Thursday!"), and I kept thinking, if only I could come up with a...
By Kim ODonnel | November 26, 2007; 09:25 AM ET | Comments (13)
Morning-After Thanksgiving Eats
Good Thanksgiving morning-after to you. Are you staring aimlessly at your coffee like I am, going at a decidedly slower pace than usual? (I decided against getting up at four a.m. and joining the throngs of frenzied Black Friday shoppers at Target.) Once I'm out of my morning coma (all that cooking will knock the wind out of you), I'll take stock of the contents of the fridge, assessing the state of the leftovers. We were a small albeit merry group of three yesterday (including Father-in-Law Appetite), collaborating on a menu that included brined roast turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, curried mashed sweet potatoes and wilted tatsoi with a hot mustardy vinaigrette. For dessert, we got in the car with our upside down pumpkin-cranberry-pecan cake and joined forces with friends to sample six different sweet offerings. What a sugar high! There's been talk about making "dressing sandwiches", but I got...
By Kim ODonnel | November 23, 2007; 09:27 AM ET | Comments (10)
Thanksgiving Table for One
Whether we travel or stay at home, Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest of the year. For one meal, we scurry through airports, plow down interstates and push our way through supermarket aisles -- just to break bread (or a turkey wishbone) with loved ones. The anxiety is high, the lines are long and the Scotch suddenly is not strong enough. Take my friend B., a farmer in Virginia. After several intense weeks of turkey season, she is enormously relieved on Thanksgiving. Finally, she is left alone. The husband and kid will have left town to visit his family, and she's got the house, football and the TV tray all to herself. Instead of turkey, she will give thanks to beer, cheese and crackers. In her book, An Alphabet for Gourmets, the late M.F.K. Fisher wrote that "dining alone" has its place, however unpopular. "This misanthropic attitude is one...
By Kim ODonnel | November 21, 2007; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (12)
Entering the T-Zone
We are officially in the T-zone, down to the nitty gritty, the final 48 hours before sitting down to give thanks this Thursday. So... how are you holding up? I'm hoping that you've got the grocery shopping out of the way because by tonight, people are downright mean, pushing their carts into yours to make their way to the pile of sweet potatoes, swerving in the direction of the tower of cans of pumpkin puree and agonizing over the frozen bird in the cart, wondering if the darned thing will be thawed by Thursday. It can get ugly, like rush hour traffic, but without your favorite radio station. In the midst of the madness, remember to breathe! Jillian Pransky, one of my favorite yoga teachers, who's based in Hoboken, N.J., shared her thoughts on the importance of deep breathing in a recent holiday e-mail newsletter: When we are stressed, we...
By Kim ODonnel | November 20, 2007; 07:12 AM ET | Comments (12)
Thanksgiving Pudding: What's Your Pleasure?
My dear friend, Miz B., who moved to this country from her native Britain 14 years ago, refers to all desserts as "pudding." Although it took me a while to get used to her choice of nomenclature, I've come to prefer it over the word "sweets," which really, in my opinion, should be used only when referring to candy. But at the end of the meal, the choice of word is irrelevant (and it gets really confusing if you read the history books); what's important, particularly with regards to Thanksgiving, is that a sweet ending exists after all that hard labor plowing through stuffing, gravy and mashed tubers. Thanksgiving just isn't the same without dessert, I mean pudding. By the time the British colonists arrived in 1620, they were already eating "pye." To wit, a few lines from a poem by 17th century poet William King: Of all the delicates...
By Kim ODonnel | November 19, 2007; 09:43 AM ET | Comments (24)
A Hearty Helping of Thanksgiving Chat Leftovers
As promised in yesterday's What's Cooking Thanksgiving special, I'm serving up a little extra chat luv on the side, as there were just too many leftover questions in the queue begging for attention. And as always, weigh in with Thanksgiving tips and suggestions that have worked for you in the past. Have a delicious, mindful weekend -- and let's get busy! Iowa City, Iowa: I used to get this fantastic raw (I think) cranberry sauce/relish from a deli back in my hometown, but this year I'm not able to go back for Thanksgiving. I've been looking for months for a similar recipe online, but no success. The relish was all sweet -- besides cranberries, it had mandarin oranges, walnuts, maybe other berries. I would love to make something similar for my dinner on Thursday, but don't know where to start. Do you have a recipe or any guidelines to make...
By Kim ODonnel | November 16, 2007; 09:27 AM ET | Comments (8)
How Do You Do Your Turkey?
Type the words "Thanksgiving turkey recipes" into a Google search box and you'll get a return of 1.7 million possibilities. (Actually it's 1.73 million, my mistake.) The thought of wading through even a sliver of this recipe mountain is giving me a headache. Over the years, I've tried various methods and flavoring techniques to make that turkey crackle with zing at the table. I've poked 40 cloves under the skin and flambéed the roasted bird with cognac (fun and theatric but a bit dangerous if you've been drinking wine all afternoon); I've made compound butters with shallots and herbs, tucked under the skin and basted with its buttery juices (safe, traditional) and one year I think I even flipped the bird and roasted it breast-side down (not worth the trouble). Turkey, center stage. (PRNewsFoto) But six years ago, when I finally got hip to brining the bird, I stopped shopping...
By Kim ODonnel | November 15, 2007; 08:38 AM ET | Comments (20)
As the Bird Turns
Thanksgiving is all about the food -- or is it? We all know that the meal is the excuse for gathering around one table and breathing the same air for about four hours, whether or not we like each other. For some of us, this meal is an annual reunion of relatives, both estranged and strange, the one opportunity every year to stand witness to our DNA and to make small talk with people who may as well be strangers. With such a heavy premise, the food had better be good -- or what on earth will we talk about? Will we be able to endure the agony of sitting next to a cousin whose politics are radically different from our own? Will we able to keep the lecherous uncle at bay and and smile at his wife while he smiles at your chest? Will we be able to lie...
By Kim ODonnel | November 14, 2007; 08:26 AM ET | Comments (15)
10 Days, 10 Ways to Keep Thanksgiving Sane
Today is Nov. 12. Translation: Thanksgiving is a mere 10 days away. Please note that this announcement is for planning purposes, not for inducing panic attacks. Think of it as a friendly wakeup call rather than a fire alarm. But. But, she says, gently but firmly, procrastination must be stowed in the overhead compartment for this ten-day journey. It really is time to talk turkey. Below, I offer 10 ways to stay on top of your pre-planning hosting game, one for each day until the minute the guests start knocking on the door. There's always room for more tried-and-true tips, so please weigh in with your favorites in the comments area below. 1. Get the lay of your land: Take stock of the cabinets for tools, such as a roasting pan, instant-read thermometer and extra cutting board for carving. How are those potholders doing -- is it time for a...
By Kim ODonnel | November 12, 2007; 10:01 AM ET | Comments (6)
A Gluten-Free Thanksgiving
When I interviewed cookbook author Jules Shepard earlier this year for my Food section story on her gluten-free journey, I gained an appreciation for the constant dietary vigilance of someone living with celiac disease. Jules Shepard's apple pie with a gluten-free lattice crust. (Kevin Clark) Shepard, who refused to give up a life of enjoying baked goods, developed an all-purpose gluten-free flour mixture, a blend of five grains (plus xanthan gum as a binder) that makes carb-heavy faves such as pizza, cookies and scones not only possible but culinarily respectable. (I tested three recipes this summer using her flour mix and was duly impressed by the results.) I tried to imagine what life would be like without gluten -- as 1 in 100 Americans do -- but sure enough, as soon as the story was published, I moved on to the next topic on my to-do list. Flash forward three...
By Kim ODonnel | November 9, 2007; 09:05 AM ET | Comments (17)
Giving Thanks to No Dairy, Eggs or Meat
Whether you're hosting Thanksgiving this year or contributing to someone else's feast, chances are good that you'll be in mixed company -- you, a turkey drumstick-chomping omnivore, breaking (egg and dairy-free) bread with someone who gladly will pass on the bird and gravy. These days, homogenous dietary preferences are more the exception than the rule at dinner parties. In the five-plus years I've been hosting a monthly vegetarian chat, I have witnessed an evolution in the way people eat and think about food. I remember questions from meatless readers who were tired of feeling marginalized at family holiday gatherings, but in just five years, there's been a shift in attitude, with increased interest on how to integrate, diversify and collaborate at the table. "Veggie Gourmet" Mimi Clark. So, you, the diehard meat eater, may ask: How do I allow space for vegetarians and vegans at the holiday table? Having an...
By Kim ODonnel | November 8, 2007; 07:53 AM ET | Comments (20)
Chat Leftovers: Let the Thanksgiving Prep Jitters Begin
Based on the leftover questions from yesterday's What's Cooking, it's fair to say that the annual ritual of planning (and often fretting over) Thanksgiving dinner has begun. Feast day is just two weeks from tomorrow, so fire up those ovens, ladies and gents. It's time to start cooking! Today's batch of questions are turkey-centric; I promise a vegetarian equivalent in the coming days, and tomorrow, Thursday, Nov. 5 at 1 ET, I'm hosting my What's Cooking Vegetarian Thanksgiving Special. Tucson, Ariz.: I have a Thanksgiving juggling dilemma. I have a great simple recipe for roasted root veggies (cubed potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash etc. tossed with rosemary, thyme, olive oil, s&p) that I want to make for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, they need to roast in the oven for about an hour at a much higher temp than the turkey and it takes less than an hour to carve the bird after it...
By Kim ODonnel | November 7, 2007; 07:59 AM ET | Comments (30)
Thanksgiving Magazine Roundup
If you've waited in a supermarket checkout line lately, chances are you've caught up on the dedicated-to-Thanksgiving special issues from food magazines. I rounded up six of them during a recent checkout, and have since leafed through, scribbled notes and made an assessment: Not one stands above the rest or inspires me to take this year's Thanksgiving feast to a new level. Thank goodness for my back issues from years past, which seem to cover the basics and have more of an instructional focus. I know, it must be challenging for mag editors to come up with a new Thanksgiving theme year after year, but I gotta say, I'm left feeling un-wowed. Below, my notes; please weigh in and offer thoughts on additional magazines that have either helped or hindered this year's preparation. BON APPETIT Can you judge a magazine by its cover? Focus on the contents of the plate...
By Kim ODonnel | October 29, 2007; 11:32 AM ET | Comments (29)
Signs of Thanksgiving; Nap Time
Just a quick note to check in and to let you know that I've emerged from my cookbook-writing cave and have survived the ordeal. Mister MA stepped right up to the plate and kept this desk jockey well nourished and nurtured. He gets a gold star. This is all to say that I'm taking the day off from writing in this space in order to recharge and dish up something delicious in tomorrow's space. Even in seclusion, I noticed that the word "Thanksgiving" has begun to surface in the usual places. Local farms are now accepting orders for Thanksgiving turkeys. Yesterday, I noticed a sign-up sheet at the Smithfresh Meats stand at Columbia Pike farmers' market. Local apple cider is here too, a welcome addition to my fridge. Keep your eyes peeled for the much-anticipated arrival of pear cider, a nectar of the goddesses that is usually available for a...
By Kim ODonnel | October 8, 2007; 11:08 AM ET | Comments (3)
A Last-Minute Sweet Thought
Just when I thought I had my Thanskgiving dessert detail covered, with pies of both lard-laden and vegan varieties, I got swept away by an upside down cake. I couldn't resist. Upside-down pumpkin cake topped with cranberries and pecans. (Kim O'Donnel) Check out this beauty! I found her in pastry chef Emily Luchetti's "A Passion for Desserts." It's hard to find pumpkin-y desserts that are just a little bit different, which is why I got all fired up over Luchetti's recipe for a pumpkin upside down cake....
By Kim ODonnel | November 22, 2006; 09:44 AM ET | Comments (9)
Weird Things People Do on Thanksgiving
As a kid, I loved Thanksgiving. The experience was colorful, festive and I was allowed to drink Coca-Cola. For about eight years during the 1970s, the routine was exactly the same. We'd gather at Aunt Ginny and Uncle Clinton's house late in the afternoon and all the women would be bumping into one another in the kitchen. At that time in the history of the family, there were about 20 of us and we three O'Donnel kids, greatly outnumbered by adults, were spoiled by our many doting aunts and uncles. I remember the teal-colored double-level refrigerator (so '60s!) from which I'd gather ice cubes for glasses of Coke. I can still hear the fizz of the soda as it made contact with the ice in my glass, which felt glamorous and very grownup. Out of the matching oven would emerge the biggest turkey my eyes ever saw and it was...
By Kim ODonnel | November 22, 2006; 09:18 AM ET | Comments (12)
Stuffing vs. Mashed
Mashed potatoes are great, really. But if I have to choose between Thanksgiving sides, it's all about the stuffing. A mountain of mashed is undoubtedly comforting, particularly as it nuzzles up against the turkey and other veggies on the holiday plate, but it's ordinary, no sparks. Stuffing, on the other hand, screams Thanksgiving. Although nothing more than seasoned bread cubes that are reconstituted and baked, stuffing always feels festive. Perhaps it's the act of deconstructing a loaf of stale bread into puny dried cubes and transforming it into a baked bread salad, if you will, flavored according to mood and whimsy....
By Kim ODonnel | November 21, 2006; 10:42 AM ET | Comments (20)
Learning to Love Lard
Sunday was a big day. I pulled the wheeled cart out of the closet and hoofed it over to Columbia Pike farm market, where I'd pick up many of my Thanksgiving dinner items. In went the turkey, the greens, broccoli, onions, sausage, apples and a new addition, a tub of lard. Lard-crusted pecan and sweet potato pies. (Kim O'Donnel) For years, I've been a butter-crust gal, learning from the pages of pie dough maven Rose Levy Beranbaum. I had always been curious to try lard, but honestly, I was a bit squeamish. Those blocks sold in the supermarket looked less than appetizing, and I didn't know where else to source the stuff. It wasn't until cooking school in Italy that I began to learn the role of lardo in Italian cooking as well as its subtle, delicate, far-from-hammy flavor. The lard of a pig feasting on apples and nuts on...
By Kim ODonnel | November 20, 2006; 11:29 AM ET | Comments (29)
An Extra Thanksgiving Helping
So many questions, too little time. That's always the case when I host my annual Thanksgiving chat. Below is a handful of questions left in the queue, that cover the gamut of Thanskgiving preparation. Feel free to weigh in on any of the topics in the comments area below. Have a great weekend and remember to breathe! I am tasked with bringing an appetizer for a Thanksgiving potluck and I would like to use sweet potatoes as a main ingredient, since no one else is bringing a sweet potato dish for the main meal. What do you suggest? Oooh, I've got it! Last year at Christmas time, I experimented with a fun recipe for sweet potato dip, a puree of roasted sweet potatoes and onions that get a extra layer of richness with tahini paste. It's surprising and interesting and low cal to boot. I served it with pita chips...
By Kim ODonnel | November 17, 2006; 10:50 AM ET | Comments (21)
Giving Thanks to Tatsoi
My pal Ms. B. and her two kinder just stopped by for an early morning coffee and oatmeal cookie snack. In between feeding the baby and wrestling with Zoe, the little minx, over the magic markers, B. asked me what I had in mind for Thanksgiving. Tatsoi, a produce beauty queen and my muse for Thanksgiving. (Kim O'Donnel) Aside from my locally-raised turkey (due for pickup from Smith Meadows this Sunday at Columbia Pike Market) and a batch of apple sauce (or will it be cranberries?), I told her I was unsure about the rest of the feast. "I need to get inspired," I said. "Perhaps when I go to market this weekend." And then I remembered the stunning rosettes of tatsoi I bought yesterday at Clarendon farm market, from Sunnyside Farms, in Washington, Va....
By Kim ODonnel | November 16, 2006; 12:07 PM ET | Comments (5)
Turkey University
Wake up and smell the giblets! Thanksgiving is just eight days away! Today's Food section is a great place to get inspired and spring into action. It's bursting at the seams with 15 recipes, for starters. Thanksgiving feast, as featured in today's Food section. (Renee Comet/FTWP) First order of business is to make turkey arrangements, if a bird is part of your plans. The Washington area is stuffed with places to buy a locally raised turkey, a few of which were included in a blind turkey taste test, an eating adventure I was fortunate to be a part of. The local angle doesn't have to stop with the turkey, by the way. A long growing season and an ever-evolving community of places to shop for local food makes a 100-Mile Thanksgiving an accessible, easy affair to pull off....
By Kim ODonnel | November 15, 2006; 10:13 AM ET | Email a Comment
