Thanksgiving Thoughts

There’s really a great deal to be thankful for. Really. There is. But, I’m not the type to drape my words in honey comb, waxing sappily over how wonderful the world really is. Sometimes gratitude simply means seeing what’s really important and recognizing its importance. Sometimes I’m simply grateful for the fact that there’s little of material value that I truly need or even want. Sometimes what I’m most grateful for is that I have not had to be institutionalized this year...yet.

Let’s face it, the days are darker and colder (although not much; this is a warm November here) and one thing or another is bound to unduly stress us out. Whether we like it or not, by Thanksgiving the end of the year is barreling over the river, through the woods and up our own driveways, threatening to taunt us with what might have been. I hate that. So I kick it in the teeth!!

We need a break, a release, a chance to cut loose. A celebration, if you will. A big dinner, if you dare! We humans are resourceful, resilient, relentless. We will survive because we invented holidays! Since we also need food to survive, let’s have celebrations about having enough food and include lots of food! Sure, we’ll share it with everyone who shows up. We’re not greedy, we’re grateful!

And this year, I’m cooking! Here’s what I hope to get on the table…

Appetizers including Chex mix, raw vegetables and dip, crackers and cheese

Turkey
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Wild Rice Casserole (provided by my aunt)
Roasted Squash Puree seasoned with warm spices
Cranberry Sauce
Pumpkin Pie
 

…wish me luck.

And I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. Give thanks, yes. Be grateful, yes. But most of all celebrate and be HAPPY!

 

Some of the rest of my true thoughts on Thanksgiving are summed up in this post from a couple years ago, and I weigh in a little more on the holidays in general in this post.

Thanksgiving!

I’m all in favor of feasting. I think the best way to celebrate something, anything, is with a collaborative effort of creative culinary minds resulting in a groaning board that is quickly but gratefully dismantled by hearty eaters. My best and fondest memories are of such events, almost always with family, and occasionally with good friends. It usually seems like it’s all about the food, but cheerful chatter and lots of laughing are always a big part of the celebration, too. I’ve been fortunate that way.

I’ve never really hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for more than two people (including myself), but I contribute when I can (this year, again, I’m bringing the pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce), but I’d have to be an idiot to not recognize the effort that goes into choreographing such an event for a crowd. As difficult and perhaps stressful as that huge meal can be to put together, especially with the average Thanksgiving dinner expectations, it’s becoming just as difficult to keep genuine gratitude at the forefront of the celebration. If one were merely to watch television commercials to determine the gist of the American cultural scene of late autumn, one might think Thanksgiving is merely the kickoff of the Christmas shopping season with the Big Dinner as a carbo-load for Black Friday shopping. And this kickoff date seems in danger of creeping ever earlier (as soon as the Halloween candy and decorations are sold off at clearance prices, the Christmas stuff takes their place on the shelves). Will we soon be tricked into skipping Thanksgiving altogether because it’s not as marketable as other holidays?

I think we’re smarter than that. I think we need holidays and activity to help us through the dark and the cold and the snow of the approaching winter, but we know what they really mean at their core, and that doesn’t have to be the same thing for all of us. I think most of us know what we are fortunate to have and we are grateful for it, even if it is not the same kind of thing for which others are grateful. You don’t have to subscribe to a particular or any religion or feel that you owe someone to celebrate and give thanks.

So, I wish you a happy Thanksgiving, and hope you have a fabulous celebration. I also hope you can take some time between unfastening your tightening belt and the football game and the shopping spree to remember what is good in your life, especially the simple things. Laugh a little. Have some fun. Dig in to a good meal if possible. Offer a toast or two, or a prayer if that’s your preference. Actually say, “Thank you,” to the folks in your life who deserve it. And, for goodness sake, thank the person or persons who cooked your Thanksgiving dinner!

While it’s probably best if you already have your Thanksgiving meal planned by now, here are a few recipes from The Messy Apron archives that I think would go well on a Thanksgiving table.
Broccoli Stem and Kohlrabi Slaw
Cranberry Sauce (the can is out of the question!)
Crunchy Cabbage, Cauliflower and Apple Salad
Grandmama’s Pumpkin Pie
Red Cabbage Slaw with Apples and Cranberries
Roasted Vegetables
Spaghetti Squash Salad with Greek Flavors
Spinach Salad with Apples and Maple Walnut Vinaigrette
Sweet and Tart Broccoli Salad
Wheat Berry Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Maple Walnut Vinaigrette

And, if you’re serving people who prefer a vegetarian meal, you might consider main courses such these:
Quinoa Stuffed Squash
Winter Vegetable Galettes with Cheddar, Mustard and Caramelized Onions
Winter Squash and Leek Empanadas with Sage
Winter Squash and Onion Curry with Yogurt Sauce

Hurrah for the Pumpkin Pie!

I enjoy pumpkin pie enough to eat it just about all year, but somehow it doesn’t taste quite right until at least mid-October. Then, one can come up with an excuse to make it just about any week (although I don’t, because there are so many other recipes to try and only so many calories I can handle!) There’s the nice, traditional autumn dinner after Halloween, say, that’s begging for a traditional autumn dessert. There’s that week or two before Thanksgiving when you just can’t wait, or you want to try that new pumpkin pie recipe before serving it on the big day. Then, of course, there’s Thanksgiving itself, when pumpkin pie is mandatory. No questions. No excuses. Pumpkin pie.

For the last several years, I’ve been making my pies from one recipe. Sure, I’ve got a stack of others I’d like to try, lighter pies, fancier, spicier pies, pies with different crusts, toppings and mix-ins. When it gets down to it, though, I usually say, “Why try another pie?” This one is the one

This recipe was given to me my by mother in-law (hi, Sherry!) and was the much-loved recipe of her mother in-law. This is the pie that everyone wants in Harry’s family (especially Harry), and not just because it’s Grandmama’s pie. It also happens to be very, very good. It’s just a little richer, just a little creamier, just a little more old fashioned than other pies. The filling stands up for itself without slumping and weeping, with a consistency somewhere pleasantly between custard and cheesecake that is never grainy or watery.

I had to call my mother in-law last week, in an emerging panic because I had lost this recipe. Lucky for me, she had it readily available (one of the million or so things to be grateful for this Thanksgiving). We discussed the recipe at some length, and I decided to use some more detail in its directions, and I have provided those here. I also added some spices, but those are really a matter of taste anyway. As long as you have some cinnamon, you probably don’t need to stock up on spices that you don’t think you’ll ever use again (although the allspice is in the original recipe and a real asset to the team).

This recipe is for one pie, but is easily doubled (in case, like me, you have friends who request you make their serving a double…you know who you are). This isn’t difficult, but it can be a bit messy if you’re like me in the kitchen.

It really is worth it, however, and when you serve this pie on Thanksgiving (or Christmas or any other day you see fit) they’ll be saying “Hurrah!” for you and “Hurrah!” for Grandmama’s Pumpkin Pie! Happy Thanksgiving!

Grandmama’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe
It is likely that you will have more filling than you can easily fit into the pie shell. If so, pour the excess in a ramekin and bake it alongside the pie. It will take less time than the pie to fully bake.

You could use any single-crust pastry recipe you like, although I recommend a traditional, plain crust. Store-bought crusts are fine. Adjust the spices in the filling as you like them.

1 ½ cups milk (375 ml)
3 tablespoons (about 1 ½ ounces or 40 g) butter
3 eggs
¾ cup (about 5 ½ ounces or 155 g) sugar
1 (15 ounce or g) can pumpkin or 15 ounces (425g) smooth pumpkin or winter squash puree
¾ teaspoon (3ml) ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon (2 ml) ground allspice
¼ teaspoon (1 ml) ground ginger
¼ teaspoon (1 ml) ground cloves
¼ teaspoon (1 ml) freshly ground nutmeg
1 unbaked pie crust, arranged in a pie pan
whipped cream for serving

1. Preheat oven to 450 F (230 C). Heat milk in a medium size sauce pan over medium heat until it reaches 180 F (82 C). This is just before the milk boils. (Do not bring all the way to a boil.)

2. Remove the milk from the heat and add the butter. Stir to melt the butter and set aside to cool somewhat.

3. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and the sugar together in a large bowl until they are fluffy and pale. Add the pumpkin and the spices and whisk together. Slowly add the milk mixture and whisk until very well combined.

4. Place the crust in the pan on a large baking sheet. (This will make the pie much easier to maneuver.) Pour the filling into the prepared, unbaked pie crust. Reserve any filling that does not fit and bake it separately in a ramekin for a treat for the cook.

5. Cover the exposed edges of the pie crust with strips of aluminum foil. Carefully transfer the baking sheet with the pie into the 450 F (230 C) oven and bake for 20 minutes.

6. Reduce the oven heat to 350 F (180 C). Bake 15 minutes. Remove the foil from the crust. Bake an additional 15 to 25 minutes. The crust should be golden brown and the center of the pie should wobble just a little when the pie is very gently shaken. Remove from the oven and cool completely before slicing. Serve with whipped cream.

Makes 8 to 10 servings. Eat leftovers within a couple days. Recipe is easily doubled to make two pies.