Thanksgiving (and Taking)
Last-minute recipes, tips for keeping calm and distractions
Hello and Happy Thanksgiving Eve.
(If you click the “like” heart below, I promise all your pie crusts will be tender and your mashed potatoes buttery! Yes, it’s true, the algorithm controls our lives.)
Maybe you just remembered you need to pick up a 5-pound bag of potatoes on the way home from work. (Get more butter. And another pint of vanilla ice cream.) Perhaps you’re one of those people where everything’s done, neatly stacked in the fridge, and, inspired by the Martha documentary, you’re now using your free time to carve home-grown gourds to resemble each member of your family. (Or making beautiful ice cubes for the morning mimosas like Her Most Amazing Joyce Vance.)
Maybe Thanksgiving isn’t your thing, and you’re enjoying “Franchise” on (HBO)Max, a very funny take on the movie industry c/o Armando Ianucci, the creator of “Veep.” Or “The Detroiters,” because you need some goofy, warm, slightly adolescent buddy comedy for distraction.
Perhaps like a lot of us, you’re just chugging along, and are concerned the pie crust will be soggy and the turkey dry and who the jerk is who will complain about that, and you’re pondering spatchcocking your turkey (do it) and, and….deep breaths. I offer you my yearly reminder, c/o of my wise and lovely mother: “It’s only dinner. Don’t worry.”
That said, a wee apology from me for not getting this Substack out to you sooner…I’ve been joyfully busy working on the photography for my cookbook with the amazing photographer, Amy Roth. Amy is a noted food photographer and most recently did the photos for Al Roker’s cookbook. The days have been long and require a lot of making and baking. And yes, we will be eating chocolate chip cookies for dessert this Thanksgiving.
And now:
Need some pepping up?
Watching this makes me giddy.
Need to make something last minute?
Make this Cranberry Nantucket Pie (which is really a spiced upside-down cake).
Make a Maple-Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake
Need to make pie crust but feeling nervous?
Mollie Katzen will make you feel better (and shows you how to make pie crust easy-peasy.
Need to feel seen?
Since we can’t all have dinner together, but Oh! wouldn’t that be amazing…What is your favorite Thanksgiving advice? What is your least favorite Thanksgiving advice? Share with us all, because we all sure could use it.
(And later, after dinner maybe, when we’re washing up, we can talk about how a Certain Someone had their federal cases dismissed and how that makes us feel. Or maybe we should just have another slice of pie and save that topic for a time when we don’t risk dropping Grandma’s heirloom china on the floor in anger.)
Hey! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! Thank you!
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Thank you! Hope the algorithm works on those potatoes.
My best advice comes from my beloved Mom. She was the queen of TG. And most other events as well.
Nothing went right. Her advice:
1. Do not tip orange juice pitcher into the floor register in kitchen.
2. On same topic, do not knock very full pitcher of egg nog into the open silverware drawer.
3. Yes, same day.
4. Defrosting turkey is a cinch. Water, add turkey. But you need the huge pot for the potatoes and the sink obviously won’t work while cooking (this is indeed TG day at this point) so clearly use bath tub, filled to brim with hot water.
5. Roll sleeves up first. Change clothes. Several times. Esp after the egg nog disaster.
6. Since turkey will float, you must need more water. Consider swimming pool. But too cold out there so back to tub. Just hold it down.
7. When you get bored, balance phone book on it. Duct tape as needed.
She had loads of great advice! We have photos!
Every event was basically minor chaos yet ultimately there was a delicious meal and lots of laughter. People adored her. That was her secret.
You just need laughter.
Happy TG to all.
Happy Thanksgiving Marissa! Here's how I deal with Thanksgiving...by making crab cakes, Cole slaw, cornbread, and pecan pie! No turkey here!