Thanksgiving
began when my daughter arrived home on Monday. And my parents arrived Tuesday
for their third Thanksgiving since the kids were six. And then my son arrived
on Wednesday. Everything was beginning to feel good, exhaustingly good. Though
all was still crazy in my heart for my family in Israel at least I had my family
here to give thanks. And give thanks we did. Surrounded by family and friends,
we were thankful for Mr. Turkey
and President Abraham Lincoln who created this holiday. We gave thanks for
getting to know our wonderful family in South Africa and we gave thanks for
our health and our dogs. We gave thanks for being together and for being
surrounded by such bounty. And we even shed a few tears throughout our “what we
are thankful for” around the table memories.
busy weekend and ended all too soon. Enjoy it with me if you will.
It began with someone who may have stayed out to late. |
And someone wishful laying in front of the refrigerator. |
And then we began to get to work. |
The coals were started. |
The house was ready. |
The table was set. |
More people smiled.
Dessert was served.
Good wine was drunk.
And Freddie got her turkey.
The Hot
Brown is basically an open face roast turkey sandwich with a lot of Mornay
cheese sauce spooned over and then broiled. It is then topped off with a couple
of slices of crisp bacon and a slice of tomato. Since I had many leftovers to
use I decided to create my version of the ultimate hot brown sandwich. My
husband said it was the best lunch he ever had. There aren’t many things he is
right about but this just may be it.
of bread I decided to make stuffing patties. I chopped my stuffing up finely
and since our family likes stuffing on the crispy side I added a bit more broth
and heavy cream. What can I say except it was leftover, too. I then added a few
tablespoons of flour to bind the patties. Then I coated them in parmesan cheese.
I then fried them in maple pepper butter that was leftover from the sweet potatoes.
Ummmm. I might just make these next year and forget the stuffing. They turned
out crispy and chewy and looked like panfried burgers.
cheese sauce. I started with the traditional butter and flour and then I added
milk and pumpkin beer. Since I still had some gravy I stirred that in too. I
also stirred in a bit of adobo sauce from the chipotle peppers I always have in
my fridge to give it a good smoky taste and a little kick. And last but not a
least a cup of sharp cheddar and 1/3 cup of freshly grated parmesan. Our turkey
was smoked so I thought a smoky cheese sauce would do the trick. I was not wrong.
there it was a matter of taking the stuffing patty and topping it with turkey. I
then spooned on the cheese sauce and garnished this creation with a touch of
cranberry sauce (forget the tomato) and a few slices of crisp bacon. Yes, this
was a good lunch. Yes, this was another memory maker. Yes, I’ll share it with
everyone, if you all say you’ll come again.
4)
stuffing patties
turkey leftovers or use good thick deli slices
Sauce
of crisply cooked bacon
cranberry sauce or fresh sliced tomatoes
leftover stuffing
broth or as needed (You can even use some heavy cream)
stuffing finely. Add broth if needed to dampen stuffing. Add 2T of flour to
bind or more if needed. Shape into 4 patties and roll in freshly grated
parmesan cheese. Fry in butter or oil. Let them get good and crispy. They will
look like a hamburger patty. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
Cheddar Cheese
Parmesan cheese
gravy if you have it
adobo sauce if you prefer
butter. Whisk in flour. It will get all lumpy. Cook for about a minute to take
away the floury taste. Now gradually stir in the beer and let it cook for a
minute. Add the rest of the milk whisking as you go. Do not let it get to
thick. Stir in your cheese whisking as you go to make it smooth and creamy. If
it is to thick add more liquid and now is the time to stir in your leftover
gravy if you have it. You can also add the chipotle sauce if you like it. Keep
warm.
are ready to assemble. Take your warm stuffing patties and top with warmed
1/4 lb of turkey. Add lots of cheese sauce. Garnish with cranberry sauce and
bacon.
Our Menu:
Crudites with Onion dip
Bacon Caramel Corn
Artichoke Dip
Roasted Salted Nuts
Smoked Turkey
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes with Maple Pepper Butter
Cranberries with Orange and Chipotle
Frozen Cranberries
Roasted Brussell Sprout Salad with Pomegranate Seeds and Pecans
Corn Bread Wild Mushroom Stuffing
Maple Pecan Pie
Apple Pie
Pumpkin Butterscotch Pie
More Thanksgiving Recipes:
Maple Glazed Walnut Scones
Pumpkin Chipotle Soup
Truffle Scalloped Potatoes
Fresh Cranberry and Apple Salad
Frozen Cranberry Salad
Tamale Stuffing
Magic Pumpkin Butter Bars
Pecan Shortbread Nut Bars
Abbe
November 30, 2012 at 7:12 pmYou are nicer than me!
Abbe
November 30, 2012 at 4:49 amVery hard! Maybe you could come one year!Hope you are doing well. I'm really upset about your dad. Crazy people everywhere!
meirav
November 30, 2012 at 5:56 pmMaybe one day we will come…
Don't be upset, it's the voters' will, and we respect that.
Xoxo
meirav
November 30, 2012 at 3:46 amOh, I love thanksgiving! You worked very hard, right? The pictures are beautiful. Love to you all
Abbe
November 30, 2012 at 12:59 amThank you so much. Coming from someone who's photography is out of this world I will take this as a compliment. I am working on composition but I wish I had some light. Any recommendations? Hope you had a good thanksgiving too especially under the circumstances. Don't know you, but feel I do and was thinking about you the last few weeks.
Kitchen Riffs
December 2, 2012 at 4:04 amAbbe, that's so kind of you! And the feeling is returned. It's weird, isn't it, how blogging can create virtual friendships? Regarding light, it depends how heavy duty you want to get. I bought some pretty decent studio flash and a whole bunch of equipment – but this cost $$$ and takes time to learn. I like photography, so it's a hobby for me. But I'll bet these kind of lights aren' what you're looking for. At the other end, a lot of food bloggers seem to like the Lowel Ego Lights. This are constant light sources so you can see what the light is doing (unlike flash), and aren't too expensive. LED lights are also becoming popular and are worth looking at. These are also constant light sources. You need to learn more technique with these, but you'll get more flexibility.
Kitchen Riffs
November 30, 2012 at 12:31 amGood photo of the hot brown. I like the little bit of gradient you have in the grey background, and the plate (and background) nicely frames the sandwich. Simple, effective composition. And the cranberry adds nice color. And the recipe? Looks like a winner to me! Good ingredients. And thanks for sharing your Thanksgiving pictures! I'm a sucker for many happy, smiling faces.