Do You Need a Thanksgiving Menu Planner?

More than many other holidays, Thanksgiving tends to be a holiday steeped in tradition.  If you don’t have your aunt’s stuffing and your cousin’s pumpkin pie, then you might as well skip the whole thing.  But sometimes change can be good. Here is our approach to Thanksgiving – some of which never changes, and other menu items that change from year to year – depending on my mood – and my produce selection.  

Thanksgiving Menu Planner: What Doesn’t Change

A few items are always on our menu.  If I changed these, the family would have a fit – plus they are generally straight-forward to make and get on the table.  That’s a bonus on a day when kitchen and oven space are at a premium.  

• The Dip: Depending on how many people I’m hosting, I usually put out cheese and crackers, crudites and one or more dips.  Though I make both my artichoke and the roasted onion versions frequently, there is just something about this artichoke dip that fits the late fall, midday munching that happens on Thanksgiving.  I make it ahead of time and broil in my toaster oven just before serving.
• A Quick Turkey: If you like to cook, or have ever hosted Thanksgiving, you have likely engaged in a conversation about cooking turkeys.  During the holiday season there seem to be endless debates about nearly every aspect of the process – from purchase to carving.  I’ve tried nearly everything – fresh and frozen, brined and rubbed, low-and-slow and, finally, this (relatively) quick version, that ended the years of turkey experiments.  Now I just make this recipe. No more researching, no more discussion. I stay out of it. And the only time it was less than perfect was when a (nosy) family member urged me to put the bird in the oven hours before was necessary.  That year we had a perfectly cooked, yet nearly cold, turkey, as it had “rested” for almost three hours before we at
• White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes: You are probably learning that I am a fan of make-ahead meals.  So a make-ahead option on the busiest cooking day of the year? Yes, please – I’m in.  I started making this recipe because it was a make-ahead option for mashed potatoes – usually a must-do at the last minute.  By baking this sage-filled, cheesy concoction, you can mash ahead of time and save yourself some of the last-minute crazy. 
• Sweet Potatoes with Homemade Marshmallows: As a kid, this was by far my favorite dish, though my grandmother tended to channel her 1950s homemaker and use canned yams and store-bought marshmallows.  The only nod to our northern California bounty was the layer of dried apricots, sometimes even ones she had hand-dried on giant screens in the backyard. I have updated – and simplified – this dish, while keeping the essence the same. 

Thanksgiving Menu Planner: What Does Change

• The Bread: This year, it will be be Tartine bread.  I spent the summer figuring out how to make this work for me – and I’m getting the hang of it.  Plus, despite the intimidating sound of baking your own sourdough bread from scratch, the recipe has relatively little hands-on time.  
• The Salad: I love shaved cabbage/kale/broccoli with pumpkin seeds, cranberries and poppy seed dressing.  But I have also done spinach, arugula and numerous other versions, often with this Champagne Vinaigrette.
• The Vegetables: Whatever is in my produce box that week gets roasted, braised, or sautéed and served, usually with some Omnivore Salt.
• The Stuffing: I know this is a big deal for some people, but it’s not really my jam. I do make a version of it each year, though, including a Hawaiian version one time. Mostly, though, I just make something like this, and throw in whatever sort of sausage and/or vegetable seems appealing at the time.
• The Dessert: Yes, there is always something pumpkin, but there is also always something chocolate.  And, what, exactly, that is changed from year to year. Pumpkin has been in flan, creme brulee, and the ubiquitous pie.  Chocolate has been in mousse, in pie, and in cake. As long I as I have one of each on the table, I’ll pretty much make everyone happy! 

What is your Thanksgiving must-have? What new addition are you looking to add to the table? Are you going to try something from this Thanksgiving menu planner? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

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What are the Best Bread-Making Tools?

As an educator, I often have a summer project. This summer, it was homemade, sourdough bread. I learned a lot – particularly about the best bread making tools that make the process faster, easier and more enjoyable. As an #autismmom, I’ve spent a lot of time removing processed foods from our home, as well as many dairy-based items, especially for Mr. Diggy. This bread is a long, slow process, but in the end, there is only a small portion that is hands-on. It actually works well for our generally home-bound lifestyle.

Many others have written detailed posts about the making of Tartine’s Country Bread Recipe.  If you are looking for a tutorial, video or otherwise, this is not the place. I am a relative newbie to making this recipe (though I have had a decent amount of experience with other yeasted doughs over the year, like this great pizza dough).  What I’ve learned, however, that despite the bare bones of the ingredients – flour, water, and salt – the recipe is exponentially easier to execute with the use of a few key tools.  

The Baskets

What I tried before:  Though I had been gifted one basket before I started, the recipe makes two loaves.  I used my one basket for one loaf, and a well-floured towel in a bowl for the other.  After the 3-4 hour resting time (or up to 12 hours in the refrigerator), the one in the basket came out.  The one in the bowl landed in the (searing hot) pan with the entire top “crust” still attached to the towel.  

Why this is better:  The dough still needed a little nudge, but it came out with comparatively little effort.  I now have one round and one oblong basket, which leads me to the next two items.  

Combo cooker

What I tried before:  I have made other bread recipes in my Dutch oven and had difficulty “aiming” the dough into the hot, high-sided pot.  So I attempted to make my own combo cooker using my existing cast iron skillet as the base and the bottom of my Dutch oven as the top of the cooker.  Unfortunately, because the two were not a matched set, they didn’t seal well and thus the bread did not steam correctly.

Why this is better:  The combo cooker means you are aiming the dough into about 2 inches of searing hot metal, rather than 5 or 6 inches – a much-preferred experience.  And the lid seals snugly, allowing for the bread to steam in the initial baking.  

Covered baker

What I tried before:  After failing with the homemade combo cooker, I cooked the second loaf in the Dutch oven, carefully flopping the dough into the higher-sided vessel.  By this time, the dough had rested beyond the ideal 3-4 hours, so it was a bit over-proofed. Yet I couldn’t fit two Dutch ovens into my wall oven at the same time.  

Why this is better:  The oblong covered baker fits in the oven at the same time as the combo cooker, meaning the two loaves can be cooked simultaneously.  This means no over-proofing, and also means your total baking time is cut in half.  

Bread Lame

What I tried before:  I initially attempted to slit through the dough with my smallest – and I thought sharpest – kitchen knife.  That paring knife, however, was no match for the dough and barely make a mark. So I basically ended up stabbing the surface of the bread to make air holes (of course I only needed to slit one loaf, as the other one had plenty of, um, ventilation, due to the upper layer being affixed to the towel in the bowl).  

Why this is better:  The lame made clean, easy slits that allowed for ventilation.  A small tool that makes a big difference.  

Oven gloves

What I tried before:  I have these Orka oven gloves, which work well for almost everything – and have a bonus of being both waterproof and washable.  But being mitts and not gloves, I lacked the dexterity to navigate the loaf into the pan cleanly. I could also (mildly) feel the heat of the cast iron through them after a few seconds.  

Why this is better:  The articulated fingers on the oven gloves help a lot, as does the higher heat threshold.  Much easier manipulation of the super-hot pots.  

A Scale

The other must-have tool is a kitchen scale. You will get more accurate results and you should prevent yourself from ending up with an overly heavy, dense dough. (I actually didn’t even consider making this recipe without the scale, so I can’t tell you exactly what would happen without it!)

Bonus Item: Parchment Paper

So this isn’t really a tool, per se, but it does make it SO much easier to transfer the bread from the basket to the searing hot pans. After the dough has rested in the baskets, remove the towel and place a sheet of parchment paper over what will be the bottom of each loaf. Using a pizza peel or cookie sheet, carefully flip the dough and the parchment paper over so the crust side is up, and gently remove the basket. Use the lame to vent the bread. Remove the cover from the combo cooker or covered baker and slide the entire piece of parchment paper AND dough into the cooking vessel and then place the lid on top.

Have you tried making Tartine’s country bread recipe? Do you agree that these are the best bread-making tools? Comment below with your results!

For more recipe ideas, follow me on Pinterest.