Thanksgiving Aftermath, part 1

Happy après-Thanksgiving, everyone! Are you still feeling the food coma? I am…mostly because I can’t stop eating leftovers and am already plowing through holiday eggnog. December: 1, Meg’s willpower: 0. (Somewhat troubling in that it isn't actually December yet.) But since my Thanksgiving cooking efforts were so successful, I’m calling the whole thing a win anyway. 

I actually had two Thanksgivings, one which I did not contribute to and one which I cooked about 60% of, plus an out-of-order leftover experience.  The first Thanksgiving was at my cousins’ home, and my cousin’s mother-in-law was responsible for some seriously delicious butternut squash. I’ll figure out that one and share it here soon, hopefully…

Then came Friday, when EPB and I realized a little too late that doing our Thanksgiving on Saturday meant that we had to improvise the traditional Friday meal of leftover sandwiches.  So, with canned cranberry and StoveTop to the rescue (plus leftover turkey from an office lunch earlier in the week, we created our masterpieces. EPB may win for most interesting – his went as follows: layer of white bread (the more basic the better, and – in his case – untoasted), turkey, cranberry, layer of white bread that had been dredged in leftover gravy, layer of stuffing, remaining slice of white bread. Mine was toasted and lacking the middle slice – I added some mayonnaise and used my gravy dip-style. Overall, quite delicious.

But Saturday…oh Saturday. As mentioned previously, we had procured a turkey – free-range, organic, heritage breed (Spanish Black, if you’re wondering) – not quite the fanciest turkey out there but pretty darn close.  Feather bits plucked, Friday it went into the brine. Saturday, it hit the brand-new smoker. And it was GOOD. So good, we may have converted our guests to this turkey and process for next year! 

The majority of the sides were my project, and while not everything was a success I am fairly sure I have found the world’s best stuffing.  Things that were marginally successful: Lemony Green Beans (sort of tasty but too lemony, and possibly also over-steamed - not worth detailing here), and mashed sweet potatoes. These mashed sweet potatoes will be the death of me. They have been a staple in my family for years – my grandmother used to make them, and she taught my mother, who makes them for holidays now.  They are (allegedly) simple, and delicious. The trick is the addition of apple juice – you’re supposed to add gradually until it looks “thin” or you can smell it, then let it sit on keep warm and the potatoes will absorb the rest.  Three times now I have added slowly, and it has gone from not at all thin, to suddenly quite thin, and then – no matter what I try – it does not re-thicken. SO FRUSTRATING. This year, after a series of delicious baked sweet potato experiences, I apparently thought it would be a good idea to mess with a recipe I had never perfected in the first place by mashing fresh, instead of using canned (the recipe way).  Suffice to say: it didn’t work. Flavor: okay. Texture: thin and chunky at the same time. Distressing. 

But the stuffing…oh, my. The stuffing. Recipe and story coming up shortly...