Dinner was a feast. Started out with Brazilian squash soup, then Russian salads (Galina's yummy beet salad, and Korean carrots and seaweed salad from the Russian store) while we waited for the stuffing and green bean casserole to heat up in the oven. Then finally, the main meal. The turkey was a gorgeous mahogany color, and tasted fine, though I miss the Aaron Rubashkin kosher turkey (went with the next best turkey recommended by CI - a frozen Butterball!). The sides were also delicious: sausage and fennel stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce with ginger and pear, mashed potatoes, turkey giblet gravy. Everything was delicious, but I think the homemade crescent rolls were really spectacular. I was disappointed that the Farnum Hill Cider I bought didn't complement the meal (too dry), but luckily Liz brought a lovely German Riesling (2003 Dr. Fischer Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Auslese; the Gewurztraminer tasted too much like licorice). For dessert, we had pie made out of Northern Spy apples (the best!), pecan pie, baklava, and honey cookies. The last two were brought by Liz and her mom (from a local Greek bakery). I was STUFFED.
As usual, for everything that I made, I have to thank Cook's Illustrated. But here are a few things to keep in mind for next year:
- Make only half (e.g., 6 cups) of stuffing, even though it was the best recipe so far (CI 2009).
- Used yet another new recipe for the turkey (CI 2009), which actually had the timing correct - which meant that the turkey was out of the oven by 3 pm! So, I can definitely put it in later. Or actually try for Thanksgiving lunch next year. Maybe also next year, I'll finally get my act together and buy a heritage turkey.
- Get the stuffing and green bean casserole in the oven while people are still milling around, not when we sit down for soup.
- Brisket is a good thing to make the weekend before Thanksgiving!
