Thanksgiving 08

Apple and Spices Brined Turkey. Brined for 36 hours. Rubbed with herb butter. Apples, onions, fresh sage and fresh rosemary were placed in the cavity before baking.
Basted every 30 minutes.


Glazed ham rubbed with brown sugar, green beans with minced shallots and crimini mushrooms, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, mascarpone cheese mashed potatoes topped with carmelized leeks, roasted brussel sprouts with saute onions and apples in a balsamic dijion sauce, port glazed pearl onions, prosciutto di parma wrapped asparagus and apple-orange cranberry relish.


Mango puto, mini pumpkin cheese cake, whipped sweet potato topped with marshmallow and mini cornbread muffins with maple pecan spread and/or pumpkin butter.




Not pictured: Cranberry pecan stuffing, stuffing with herb de Provence, cornbread stuffing, turkey gravy, giblet gravy and a pumpkin spiced bundt cake.

We didn't make it to the east coast this year, so we decided to host Thanksgiving dinner at our place. I tried to make a anti JoeyS approach to the meal...meaning incorporating pork fat, butter and cream into as many dishes as possible.

All in all, I was happy how everything turned out. I was happy that everyone was happy...and eating. Thank you to all the friends and family for coming, it made all the hours in the kitchen worth it.

Note to self: Make more gravy next time.