|
Jennifer's Daily Meditation: Family Dinner Dilemmas |
Thanksgiving is a bittersweet holiday for me. Yes, it's time to gather round the table with The Family and cook wonderful dishes, but therein lies the problem: As I've lamented before, The Family does not appreciate deviations from the tried and true Thanksgiving menu, so it is up to me to ingeniously sneak in a new dish here and there while maintaining an air of blithe innocence.
I must be frank: I'm not a huge fan of Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey rarely gets my taste buds going, and mashed potatoes bore me to death. OK, I am a freak for the crispy brown skin, which typically leaves the bird looking quite naked before service, but I would much rather partake of a nice garlic-stuffed roast beef, thinly sliced with a delicious brown gravy and roasted root vegetables. Alas, such food fantasies are not to be had on T-Day, and I am compelled to follow the script and play nice.
I'm relying on our test kitchen team to inspire me this month, and thankfully they are coming through (as always) with some interesting ways to liven up the menu. Tomorrow we'll see some turkey preparations from Chef Mark that are delicious without being overly complicated, and later this week we'll have a southwestern-themed turkey menu in case your Family *does* allow such twists. If so, may I please come to your house for dinner? Really, I don't take up a lot of room, and I can even sit at the Kids Table if need be.
For those who do lurve the turkey, we have created a special Thanksgiving Tips section right on the table of contents, and our Test Kitchen Notes for this month are chock full o'recipe ideas for soups, sides, breads, etc. See, so despite my own dismay at the thought of the turkey menu, it's still there for those of you who are passionate for that special Thursday dinner.
Cook well, fellow epicures (and aspiring ones), and may your kitchen be filled with the comforting smells of tryptophan as we celebrate our hard work for the year.
gilded fork, food, food writing, Thanksgiving
Read more at: . |
