On the Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving, our power went out. I had 3 loaves of cornbread in the oven at the time, both the dishwasher and the washing machine running, and untold pounds of food for the next day in my fridge.
Thankfully, there was a turkey looking out for me somewhere, and the electricity was restored just a half hour later. It was 30 minutes of panic, as you might imagine, but smooth sailing from then on out. Even the cornbread turned out fine. Although we were missing some of our far-flung family members, this Thanksgiving turned out to be one of the most relaxing holiday afternoons and tastiest meals we’ve ever put together.
J. smoked this turkey for our 2009 holiday. It kept the oven clear, which makes the rest of the meal prep easy.
I’m counting down to Thanksgiving. Although we won’t be doing any cooking this week, I do need to order the turkey and lamb, so I wanted to get a head start on our whole menu. I’m pretty happy with it overall, though I did see a chef on “Chopped” make potatoes sauteed in duck fat and I can’t get that out of my mind. I’ll have to just file that idea away for another time.
Thanksgiving doesn’t seem complete without pecan pie, but I am forgoing it this year since we already have a ton of dessert — more than 15 people can eat. What’s on your holiday menu?
We had the second night of Rosh Hashana at our house this year, and it was very intimate with just 9 people — us, my parents, J.’s parents, and his grandma. I love these people very much, so although I look forward to the bustle of a full house on a holiday, having just our immediate family to celebrate with us was a different but equally wonderful to start a new year. I’ll get the bustle at Thanksgiving!
I sprained my ankle a couple of weeks ago, and although it has improved significantly it is still swollen and stiff, and hurts if I don’t remember to take it easy. I tried to plan our menu so I didn’t need to spend hours standing in the kitchen — it’s too painful. So the kreplach I’d wanted to make, based on a 1949 cookbook recipe that my grandma used, will have to wait for another time.
We didn’t start with any appetizers this year, which we normally serve in our living room as everyone gathers. It just seemed unnecessary with our small crew, so we sat down to the table right away. We served two main dishes: Honey Spiced Chicken (drumsticks and bone-in breasts) and Miso Salmon (J.’s recipe — marinated for a couple of days in a vacuumed-sealed bag and then grilled). Side dishes included Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Wild Rice with Wild Mushrooms, Maple & Bourbon Glazed Acorn Squash (based on ButterYum’s recipe), and a tomato & corn salad with a cilantro vinaigrette dressing. Apples and honey (with the honey served in a hollowed-out apple) and challah were on the table as well. For dessert, we had an apple pie baked by my Dad (always fantastic), fruit salad, and rugelach from Rockland Bakery.
The only miss food-wise was the acorn squash, which was just average. Roasted Brussels are always a hit with my family, and I’d made the wild rice for J. and I before so I knew it would be good. J.’s impromptu tomato & corn salad with cilantro dressing — we decided to make it that morning — was delicious and a fresh compliment to the otherwise very autumnal menu. We were joking with our family that this may have been the first time we didn’t serve any beef at a holiday meal. Since J. is so good at grilling and smoking, I try to tap his skill for everything from smoked brisket to burgers. But we stuck with grilled salmon (J. made it) and chicken, and they were both well-received. Actually, the salmon was devoured! I know J. will have requests for that dish again.
This was the most peaceful holiday I’ve ever hosted. At Thanksgiving, we need to save room on our dining room table to carve the turkey, so I don’t wind up being able to set the table until the last minute. For this Rosh Hashana, I had the table done early and even had time to think about a simple centerpiece of pomegranates and apples. It really put me in the holiday mood to have the table ready to go with a cloth J.’s mom made for me when we got engaged, and to enjoy the look of the completed table each time I walked through that room to the kitchen. I’m hoping to be able to recreate the calm and joy I felt in preparing for this Rosh Hashana for Thanksgiving as well.
We host our family for lots of holidays — Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Rosh Hashana, Thanksgiving, sometimes Hanukkah, and lots of birthdays — but we have never hosted a seder for Passover. As much as I enjoyed this holiday growing up, it is not one I’ve ever wanted to be responsible for as an adult with my own home. I am more than happy to cook and bring food to whatever family member is gracious enough to host, however!
I made my Apple & Almond Torte again this year, but I added the zest of one lemon to the batter, and doubled the amount of lemon juice the recipe called for. I found that my 16 oz. bag of ground almond flour was just a bit more than the 3+ cups needed, so I used the full pound. I also baked it for slightly longer, and I think all of those changes made it a more flavorful and structural sound cake.
I also made Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatoes, though I roasted mine in the initial cooking instead of boiling them. These are easy to make ahead, so they’d be good for any festive meal you have planned. Cook and smash the potatoes the night before; then drizzle with olive oil and salt and bake again 30 minutes before serving. Lots of compliments on this side dish.
Honey Spiced Chicken has become a go-to recipe for me. It’s easy, a little out of the ordinary, and easy to prepare. Since this chicken was being served along side another main dish, I chose to use chicken breasts cut into strips. I thought they’d be easy to serve for a large group, and the small size would let people get a taste of everything on the table.
With this seder done, I’m taking a break from cooking while the boys are on spring break from school. I’ll be back with a meal plan on Sunday, April 24.
I'm Dara, the Chick in the Kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two school-aged boys and husband. Feeding my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Read more about me and CITK, and keep in touch:
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Moroccan Chicken Tajine: I recently had a chicken tajine dish at Fig & Olive in Scarsdale, and wanted to recreate something similar at home. This is an Ina Garten recipe, and she never fails me.
I'm Dara, the Chick in the Kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two school-aged boys and husband. Feeding my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Read more 
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