THANKSGIVING PREP & HAPPY ANNY TO US!
We've got you covered from the bird and beyond!
Happy Thanksgiving & Happy Anniversary to W4D!!
It’s been 2 years since our premiere What’s 4 Dinner? newsletter. Hard to believe that what started out as a fun way to share our kitchen musings, has grown into a community of more than 10,000 subscribers! We can’t thank YOU, our readers, enough!
And, since it was exactly this time 2 years ago, the topic was Turkey! The nugget in that first newsletter was Anthony’s Turkey Timeline—scroll down to print a PDF of his classic Thanksgiving menu, complete with a schedule AND a grocery list!
Since that day, we have been celebrating all things food and drink, and produced a masterclass of turkey talk last year. You can read all about what causes turkey trauma, but have no angst, because we give you the answers in our Turkey 101 Guide.
Now that you’ve been schooled, you can have your pick of preparing your turkey one of three ways. Even if you’ve made turkey a thousand times, it’s always a good idea to refresh your memory, since most of us only roast/grill/smoke/fry a turkey once a year. (Fried turkey is the only way we haven’t done it—that’s an idea for next year!)
EK: If you are still looking for recipes and ideas, check out my full Thanksgiving menu and recipes on my website including my favorite homemade Cranberry Sauce with Port Wine, a simple Pear, Walnut and Stilton appetizer, Southern Sage Sausage Dressing, Cider-Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkin Pie with Bourbon Whipped Cream and much more…Scroll to the bottom to see the full menu.
EK: The last thing that I have to say about Thanksgiving is that—in my experience— everyone has an issue with the gravy. Even chefs and seasoned pros sweat the gravy! That’s why Anthony tackled gravy once and for all last year. Scroll down to get the 411 on making a gravy base in advance that you can doctor up with the drippings and some booze just before serving it!
TIP: Speaking of which, if you have a double-walled coffee pitcher that keeps your coffee warm for hours, clean it out and use that instead of a gravy boat and your gravy will stay HOT for hours. There is nothing worse than cold, congealed gravy! If you are in the market for one, I like this sleek glass-walled carafe that holds 20 ounces—perfect for gravy!
AU: And don’t forget the Pie Primer we wrote this summer! I promise you’ll never make another pie dough recipe again! It’s the perfect vehicle for all of your pumpkin, pecan, and apple pie dreams!
What else?
Since we have the meal covered, we are going to talk about breakfast and snacks, a.k.a. appetizers on Thanksgiving Day…
Because it is a holiday, lots of people think that they need to make a big breakfast/brunch spread, and if that is you, we have some tasty suggestions:
EK: My vote is for Anthony’s Quiche Lorraine. It is the quiche you have dreams about. The homemade crust takes it over the top, but if that stresses you out, make the quiche and buy the crust!
AU: It’s also a great make-ahead—get it done earlier in the week, refrigerate, and then gently reheat it in the oven or serve it at room temperature.
EK: You can also make that Southern favorite, the egg strata the night before and bake it on Thanksgiving morning. Fill it with your favorite mix-ins—sausage, cheese, mushroom, spinach, peppers, etc., or make Anthony’s Savory Breakfast Bake or my Sweet French Toast version like we do every Christmas.
AU: Both are good stick-to-your-ribs options that will keep your appetite at bay until the Thanksgiving pre-gaming begins!
EK: I also think this is a good time to buy some special treats from your favorite bakery, or online specialty market. It’s a great way to mark a special occasion and save effort for the cook of the house.
AU: That’s a great point, EAK. There’s nothing like having a little back pocket snacking cake or pastries to take the edge off a busy kitchen.
EK: I love an Italian Panettone any time of the year, and the Pumpkin and Dark Chocolate version from Olivieri 1882 is tender, just sweet enough and studded with real pumpkin and dark chocolate. You can set it out on a cutting board with a bread knife and let everyone help themselves. It’s so good you don’t need butter or jam, but feel free to serve it with those and let your friends and family choose whether to restrain themselves or not! If you have any leftover, it makes amazing French Toast.
AU: Y’all. This Panettone is UNREAL. I’ve also ordered panettones from cult classics with huge waiting lists, and this one is just as good (if not BETTER).
EK: And, it’s not just for breakfast. Think about wonderful snacks and appetizers that you can buy like top-notch smoked salmon, cheese, cheese straws and small cookies. I always buy Benne wafers to have on hand. They are sweet and savory sesame cookies—Benne is a West African name for sesame seed. My favorite Benne Wafers are from Byrd’s.
AU: I think a crudités platter is always a good addition to the pre-game spread. The key is you don’t want people filling up on the cheap stuff. You’ve spent days making the BIG MEAL, don’t overshoot on the snacks! My Green Goddess Dip would be a zesty/tangy counterpoint to all the rich Fall flavors… but you are just as good by picking up some pre-cut veggies and ready-made dips from TJ’s. Again, the idea is to take the pressure OFF the host.
Thanksgiving is about tradition, above all things. Because of that, tensions, turkey trauma, and opinions run high. We feel that the most important thing is to keep your tradition alive, so if your “Happy Thanksgiving” relies on an injected turkey or anything else that we might not prefer, you should keep doing what makes you and your family happy for the holidays! In the meantime, we’re here to field any cooking questions you may have—comment, or send us a chat through the Substack app! Happy cooking!!
xoA&E
Happy anniversary! It’s really incredible what you’ve done--and shared--in 2 years!