Thanksgiving

Scott, Joy, Brenda and Cathy all cooking

Turkey on the rotisserie

Joy adding a little love to the turkey

Almost Done!

Done!

Bea with Carrots and Salmon Tartar

Turkey on the Noodles

Bread Pudding from Cook's County

Sautéed Brussel Sprouts

Timmy on Grinder

Apple Pie

Pecan Pie

Thanksgiving means tradition. For us, we always make the same great turkey recipe. We made the same Renaissance Turkey that we cooked last year. It is wonderful and I believe will be an annual event for us. Cathy found a recipe in The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper for Christmas Capon (Cappone Natalizio). This recipe was for a spit roasted capon, we substituted a Heritage Turkey from McCall’s Meat and Fish. What made the dish so incredible was another recipe from the same cookbook for: Tagliatelle with Caramelized Oranges and Almonds, a Renaissance preparation of pasta that the sliced turkey was to be served over. This is a great recipe, totally different from what people expect (other than those that came to our house last year). You can find this recipe on our blog of: November 23, 2012.

When I ordered the Heritage Turkey from McCall’s I told Nate I wanted a big enough turkey to serve 10 and have leftovers. When I picked up the turkey the day before Thanksgiving he had reserved a 16-1/2 pound turkey. Cathy and I worried as we drove home that the turkey might be too big for the rotisserie. The motor might not be strong enough to rotate the giant bird. We thought of alternatives if the motor blew out. Roast the turkey on the grill, throw it in the oven, etc. The motor worked fine however and once again the turkey was perfect. This recipe when we tell people about it puzzles people. Turkey on Thanksgiving over Pasta? Huh? Turns out everyone loves it.

Before I put the turkey on the spit, I washed and cleaned the inside of the turkey. When I removed the turkey and started to carve it I discovered I had missed the gizzards that were in a plastic bag inside of the turkey cavity. Luckily for us the plastic didn't melt and damage was done. Cathy was laughing so hard she dropped the pan of turkey drippings on the floor which created a mess but was quickly cleaned up by Joy using newspaper and Joy Dishwasher soap. It made no difference and at the time amused us all.

This dinner was especially easy because everyone pitched in to assist. Brenda and Joy came down to stay with us and helped us make the two appetizers.

We served Carrot Puree With Caraway And Feta from Moro the Cookbook by Sam & Sam Clark. This is a favorite. You get the recipe from our blog of: Feb. 10, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe.

We also made Salmon Tartar from a salmon that Shumon had brought us from Alaska. We love Salmon Tartar as an appetizer and it is very easy to make (as long as you have good salmon!). You can get the recipe on our blog of: Jan 1, 2011. Click the date to get the recipe.

Bea brought two bottles of Amaroni Wine that went perfectly with the turkey. Michael also brought wine that we drank in a subsequent meal. Timmy provided two bottles of great champagne.

We made Shredded Brussel Sprouts this is a recipe that requires lots of dicing. I am glad we had the kitchen help! The recipe was from City Cuisine by Feniger Milliken. You can get the recipe on our blog of: Jan 1, 2011. Click the date to get the recipe.

We purchased Mushroom Bread Pudding, Salad and fabulous pies: Apple and Pecan from Cook’s County Restaurant, to complete the dinner. Every year we use Cook’s County to complete our Thanksgiving Dinner.

Everyone had a great time and the food was perfect. What more can you ask for. And Nate was right, the 16-1/2 turkey served 10 and we had leftovers for some turkey sandwiches and the making of turkey stock and soup.