Traditional Thanksgiving with a Few Twists

The holidays have arrived and nothing kicks of the culinary side of the festivities like the tradition of the turkey feast. I debated whether a recap of recipes was timely, a few days post holiday. Then I decided, there will probably be a few more turkeys gracing the table at Christmastime, so why not whip up a post.  Even if that’s not your plan, these recipes are worth squirreling away for next year….

Our guest list morphed up until the night before Thanksgiving, when out-of-town family members cancelled due to unpredictable road conditions. No worries, safety first! Luckily, in the true tradition of group participation, we had all the bases covered by the local family members that were attending. The main event, Turkey with Port Wine Gravy, is a classic recipe with a few gourmet twists. To me, it’s all about the sauce (which personally I would eat on cardboard if absolutely necessary!)

The Artichoke, Sausage and Parmesan Cheese stuffing added an Italian twist to the meal and gave the taste buds a reason to sit up an take notice. I decided to use Pan de Campagne bread for this recipe, which came from a great local bakery/restaurant in my neighborhood called Turtle Bread.

 
Another twist was the Broccoli with Garlic Butter & Cashews which our daughter Stacey supplied. This side dish added a bit of Asian flair with its splash of soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic.

Of course no self respecting Thanksgiving is complete without a decadent dessert. Pumpkin Delight is the signature dish of our daughter Jessica, and it’s a perfect twist on the traditional pumpkin pie. Jesse’s other key contribution was mashed potatoes made with 3 sticks of butter and whipping cream. I dare not share that recipe, or I’m sure I’ll be shut down by the American Heart Association!  It was a wonderful Thanksgiving captured for years to come, through the reflections jotted by my guests in the Thank You journal , which I created at my recent Tea Party.