A Tour of my Thanksgiving Plate

We will now examine my Thanksgiving plate, consumed this past Thursday night not at home, but at a restaurant as is the custom with my family. I would have posted about it sooner but Michael (my brother) was sleeping in my room where the internet is, I was sleeping downstairs where the internet is not. I am now back in New York where the internet is. Let us explore:

IMG_1.JPG

We were at a Thanksgiving buffet so I had the opportunity to portion the contents of my Thanksgiving plate myself. In the northern center you will see slices of turkey and at 1 o’clock, a turkey leg with skin. Perhaps no pairing is greater than that of turkey with cranberry sauce (to be seen at 11 o’clock). This cranberry sauce wasn’t fantastic, but it got the job done. Speaking of fantastic cranberry sauces, on the plane back (I flew Song) I watched the Food Network and Emeril (who I normally despise) made what looked like the greatest cranberry sauce ever. (I just tried to find the recipe for you, but I couldn’t. What makes it special is he dices actual orange slices and throws them in, skin and all. Bam indeed!)

At 3 o’clock you will see some green vegetables which are necessary to appease your conscience which is worrying over the mashed molasses sweet potatoes at 6 o’clock and the cornbread/sausage dressing at 8 o’clock, both of which were the best parts of the entire meal. Have you noticed my weakness as an eater? I have a clawing sweet tooth that insists on being appeased at every turn. Maybe that’s why I love Thanksgiving so much—lots of sweetness on the plate. Cornbread dressing (or is it stuffing? Survey says?) was surely the highlight—sweet, crumbly, spicy, savory: it had a lot going on. If I had the time, I’d make a post-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving feast to explore some of my discoveries at Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe I’ll convert to Christianity and cook a Christmas dinner? Anyone want to send me a goose? But then I’d miss out on all the raw onions…

4 thoughts on “A Tour of my Thanksgiving Plate”

  1. That looks delicious Adam! Cranberries and oranges go together so well. Next time try Pomegranate in your cranberry. I came up with my very own concotion this year and it’s been a hit. Must make more later this week.

  2. Stuffing? Dressing? There IS a difference. According to “The Joy of Cooking” stuffing is cooked inside the bird, while dressing is not. What reference could be more authoritative than that?

  3. I had a wonderful cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving that sounds like it may be similar to the one you describe. I asked the cook for the recipe:

    one bag fresh cranberries

    one whole orange, w/ peel, cut into eighths

    sugar to taste (about 1/2 c.)

    Pulse the above in the Cuisinart until finely chopped and well blended. Multiply for large crowds. Let sit in fridge overnight.

  4. At my house we use red current jelly instead of cranberry. My mom makes jars and jars of the stuff every summer from the berries that grow in the back yard.

    Too bad I never eat it, b/c I don’t do turkey. Now, if Thanksgiving relied on a raw onion tradition, I’d be all over that. Red current jelly and raw onions doesn’t sound bad…

    And if you really want a reason to celebrate Turkey-Day more than once a year, observe the Canadian Thanksgiving in October, the American Thanksgiving in November, and be Christian-for-a-day in December (or find someone willing to share leftovers).

Comments are closed.

Scroll to Top