An Unconventional Thanksgiving Feast - 2023
My (long) love letter to an unconventional Thanksgiving… Having been, for the most part, on my own in Los Angeles for a decade now, I have had a complicated relationship with Thanksgiving. For a solo diner, Thanksgiving is an overwhelming amount of work (it’s an overwhelming amount of work for a whole table of loved ones as well), additionally, the whole colonization and pillaging element is a bit of a sordid origin tale for a celebration and quite frankly, I don’t love turkey. But I love sitting down to a mini feast, reflecting on things to be thankful for and basking in the glow of a candlelit meal filled with love and rich nourishment. So over the years, I have been able to slowly and intentionally, create my own little traditions, allowing me to honor and celebrate the holiday for myself, making it feel special and most importantly, oh-so-moi.
For those that don’t know me personally, I would like to share that for the past five or so years, I have been focusing a lot on the indulgent joy of ‘dating myself’. Creating special moments to savor and finding little ways to honor me and where I am in life. Looking back, I feel so grateful to have made the effort to collect these moments for myself, especially when it comes to holidays and building the little traditions that I have always held so close to my heart. Thanksgiving has been a bit of a challenging aspect within my holiday celebrating though, as the traditional meal is meant to feed a small village. So, for the past several years, I have been deconstructing the highlights of the holiday and building dish-by-dish, a petite feast perfect for one.
While navigating solo Thanksgivings, the most difficult element to tackle and solve has been the main turkey dish. As I mentioned, I don’t really like turkey and to be honest, I have a bit of a tiny irrational fear about roasting a whole bird. So, following some trial and error for the meat course, I eventually settled on duck confit as the pièce de résistance. It was the perfect solution, as it is inherently a single serving portion, and funnily enough, in my research of what would have actually been served at the First Thanksgiving in 1621, duck is in fact, far more traditional than the turkey dinner of today. So not only do I love it, but it adds a historically flare. And now, settled into my little Thanksgiving tradition, I cannot imagine wandering away from my duck confit. It is simply too delicious, nearly effortless and is innately fancy.
With the meat course dilemma solved, my focus turned to the unsung hero of Thanksgiving, the side dishes. I believe that these are undeniably the foundation to the holiday’s traditions and nostalgia. Everyone has their ‘Thanksgiving isn’t Thanksgiving without it’ dish. And with so many takes and variations on the same dish, recipes seem to cement themselves into family history becoming just as valuable as priceless heirlooms. Pulling from my own memories and the famous family recipes of Thanksgiving sides growing up, I have kept some dishes just as I remember them, while others have been met by a little bougie update - classic dishes with a mix of elevations and reimagining has allowed for a feast rooted in sentimentality and satisfaction but with space for my own traditions to emerge. So to honor the memory of Thanksgiving’s past, I have been making a small version of ma mere’s sour cherry cornbread stuffing for almost a decade now, along with haricot verts and some version of a creamy, buttery potato dish. Three petite sides and a personal platter of duck confit has become utter perfection for me. A tiny feast for one allotting me a sense of holiday feasting and giving me a bit of leftovers to enjoy over the next day or two.
This year however, things are looking a little different. Gone are the plans of a solo dinner, as I knew I was finally going to attempt to host a Thanksgiving feast with a small, curated guest list. Having a basic menu already rooted in my own mini traditions, I simply needed to expand and add another side dish or two to make it all feel extra luxurious and indulgent. For the menu, I eventually, I landed on my favorite pot pie, a creamy, flakey delight of mushrooms and goat cheese and added a dish of honey roasted carrots for a pop of seasonal color. The only thing missing was gravy, and my heart was a little sad about that, because how do you make a knockoff gravy that tastes just as good as the gravy my dad made every year without the turkey drippings? Knowing that my Thanksgiving soirée would not be complete without a solid sauce, I set out to concoct a rival to the revered Thanksgiving gravy. And after some sauce sleuthing, I dreamed up a savory red wine cherry Bordelaise, and wow. Just wow. Savory and rich, a little sweet and oh-so-delectable. Everything had come together perfectly in my mind. I had compiled a thoughtful menu worthy of an unconventional Thanksgiving dinner party, each element prepared and ready to be executed with care the hours leading up to my soirée.
The night of my unconventional feast was just as I had hoped. A delectable, perfectly messy, nourishing dream. After indulging in a little breakfast nook cocktail hour of oysters (a tribute to the seafood that would have been present at the first Thanksgiving), laughter and champagne (a period of time that perfectly allowed me to socialize, sip champagne and slurp oysters while I reheated the side dishes and seared the duck confit in my little kitchen space), we transferred all of the warmed platters and serving dishes to the makeshift dining table setup in my living room (always making my ‘boîte a bijou’, work for my dinner party dreams). Just before sitting down, after a few minutes of frantic snapshots and hoping I captured it all, I found myself taking a quiet moment to step back and savor the evening, admiring the candlelit table laden with my labor of love and surrounded by beautiful friends, I could not help but feel utterly proud of my hard work and so warmed by the little world that I have diligently built for myself. After a toast and a few words of thankful reflection, we passed dishes from person to person, the table falling silent as we tucked in. For the first little while, the only sounds were the background music, the ‘clink’ of silverware navigating the plates and between bites, a few little murmurs of ‘mmmmm’, ‘oh my god’ and ‘can you please pass the sauce’. Moments such as these bring me such joy and a sense of complete satisfaction. The three days of preparation and the hours of cooking and washing dishes suddenly all felt worth it. I finally hosted my first wildly successful, unconventional Thanksgiving feast. And I could not be more thrilled with the outcome.
Dessert. I didn’t even get to the element of dessert in the love letter above. So this is the tale of dessert… This year I decided to forgo the traditional pie, and instead, I set my heart on something a little less predictable. For an unconventional Thanksgiving dessert, I turned to one of my all time favorites, a whipped cream filled tutu pavlova crowned by a display of beautifully prepared seasonal fruit.
I make a pavlova for my birthday every year and could not imagine surpassing that creation, however, this pavlova blew my expectations away. The spiced wine poached pears were the perfect accompaniment to the airy, sweet pavlova and the slightly savory crème fraîche whipped cream. All finished off with a generous drizzle of red wine caramel sauce made from the leftover poaching liquid. And oh my, I could not have imagined a better finale to a decadent evening than with friends enjoying conversation over a cloud-like dessert, perfectly balanced with hints of savory mixed into the sweet. This entire feast was an absolute dream and I feel so fortunate to have shared it all with with some of the most beautiful women in my life. What a bright light this was in the midst of the longer, darker nights of hibernation and holiday season. Xx
To start
Champagne and oysters
Main course
Duck confit served with a savory red wine cherry sauce
Ma Mere’s corn bread and sour cherry stuffing
Goat cheese and mushroom pot-pie
Garlic mashed potatoes
Haricot verts and cashews in a honey butter sauce
Honey roasted heirloom carrots served atop a honey labneh
*dinner served with a light red wine*
Spiced red wine poached pear pavlova with créme fraîche whipped cream, served with a red wine caramel sauce
*I always use Zoe Bakes’ pavlova recipe*
Wine and Cherry Bordelaise
10 oz frozen cherries
1 cup dry red wine (traditionally from the Bordeaux region)
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon duck fat (can substitute bacon fat or butter)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon Odella Bakes gluten free all purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
2 tsp Fresh thyme leaves
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
In a suce pan, heat duck fat. Add minced garlic and shallot and cook on medium low until golden brown. Add cherries and wine, turn heat up to medium and allows to reduce to half, about 8 mins. While reducing, melt butter and whisk in flour until a smooth paste is formed. Once sauce is reduced, add the flour and butter and mix well. Allow to simmer for a few minutes until sauce thickens slightly (with the men more as it cools). Remove from heat and add fresh thyme*. If too thick, add a bit more chicken stock. Serve with duck confit or dish of your choice.
*if making ahead, do not add thyme until after you reheat the sauce for serving. Also, next time I would double this so I had some for leftovers!
Wild Mushroom & Goat Cheese Pot Pie
1 lb of mixed mushrooms - cleaned stemmed and roughly chopped (I use a mix of crimini, shiitake and oyster)
2 medium sized shallots, finely diced
5 garlic cloves, I prefer roasted garlic (I tend to always have some in my fridge) but you can mince garlic if you prefer
1/4 cup olive oil
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 curdy white wine
1/3 cup Odella Bakes gluten free all purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
6 oz soft goat cheese
Gluten free pie crust (below)
1 egg lightly beaten
Flakey sea salt
Thyme sprigs for garnish
In a large cast iron pot (I use my dutch oven) sauté mushrooms on medium heat with olive oil until they begin to brown (about 15 minutes)
While mushrooms are cooking, placed chopped shallots in a sauté pan with 1 Tablespoon of butter and cook on medium heat until just slightly caramelized. Mix in roasted garlic paste and cook for an additional minute or two. Add to mushroom mix, Pour in wine and let simmer on low until nearly all is evaporated. Turn off heat.
In the sautee pan used for the shallots and garlic, melt remaining 6 tablespoons of butter over medium low heat and add flour. Whisk until well combined and silky. Once fully combined, add to the mushrooms and mix well. Add milk, broth, goat cheese, salt, pepper and herbs. Over medium heat, mix until thoroughly combined and goat cheese has fully incorporated.
Let rest in pot to cool (ideally to room temp).
Preheat oven to 400°f
Once filling has mostly cooled, roll out half of the pastry dough to 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to well greased pie dish or baking dish and gently manipulate so that it is fully resting on the bottom and no air remains between dish and pastry crust. (Make sure you have enough dough for about 1-2 inches to extend from baking vessel) *If making mini pies divide dough into 8 equal portions and roll out 8 rounds (4 bottoms and 4 tops).
Fill pie dish with filling so that it is to the brim but not over flowing.
Roll out the second half of the dough for the top of the pie and place the dough round over filling. Seal edges together and trim the excess leaving about 1 inch of dough to be folded under itself and crimp decoratively as desired.
Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sea salt and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate and bake for another 20-30 minutes until bubbly inside and the crust is a rich golden brown. Remove and let cool slightly before serving.
Gluten Free Pie Dough (savory)
400g Odella Bakes gluten free all purpose flour (I always use grams for baking, but if you don’t have a scale, approx 1 3/4 cups)
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) cold butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon
In a medium large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add cold butter in 1/2 inch cubes and toss in flour to coat. Using a party cutter, work the butter into the flour mixture until butter is cut down to pea sized portions and flour is course with buttery fragments. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, vinegar and dijon until frothy. Pour into flour/butter mixture and work together with the pastry cutter until nearly combined. Using your hands, quickly work in any remaining dry crumbly bits and form into a rough disk. Cover with wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. *Very important to keep ingredients and dough as cold as possible throughout this process, so working quickly is key. **Can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a couple of days. Make sure to wrap tightly.
Before rolling out, lightly flour surface and let rest at room temp for about 10 minutes. The dough you’re not working with should be kept cold.
Cornbread - via Martha Stewart
1 1/2 c. yellow cornmeal (GF)
1 c. Odella Bakes gluten free all purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
12 T. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled - salted or unsalted
2 eggs slightly beaten
Preheat the ove to 400 degrees. Butter a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan or muffin tins.
Combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Mix the milk, butter, and eggs in a medium size bowl. Stir the milk mixture into the cornmeal mixture just until moistened.
Pour batter into the prepared pan or muffin tins. Bake until golden, 35-40 minutes for a loaf, approx. 20-25 minutes for muffins. Cool on a wire rack or paper towel 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.
Ma Mere’s Sour Cherry Cornbread Stuffing
Exact email recipe from mom...
*You can make the stuffing the day before and put in a baking dish covered and refrigerate. Try to allow it to come to room temp. before putting it in the oven to bake.
*Make the cornbread 2 days in advance so it will dry out a little bit.
Cube the cornbread and place in a large mixing bowl or soup pot
Ingredients you will need: (measurements are all variable)
For a small batch:
Chicken stock 1-2 cans or 1-2 boxes
2- eggs - whisked together
Dried cherries - 1 cup - I half or quarter these if they are large
Granny Smith apples - 2 - cut into smallish chunks
Celery - 2 stalks - chopped into smallish pieces
A few pinches of the following seasonings:
Sage
Thyme
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
Prep all of your ingredients. Add to cubed cornbread; cherries, apples, celery, seasonings. Mix together loosely. Add whisked eggs. Add chicken stock, no more than 1 cup at a time mixing after each addition of stock. You want the stuffing to be moist enough to hold together but not gooey.
Butter a casserole dish on bottom and sides. Cover and refrigerate or place in oven on approximately 350-400 degrees until warmed through, depending on size this can take 40-60 minutes. Cover loosely with foil so the top doesn't burn.
Happy Turkey Day!
xoxo mom
Spiced Wine Poached Pears with Red Wine Caramel Sauce
5 pears, pealed
3 sticks of cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla paste
3 cloves
8 cardamom pods
3 star anise
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 bottles of dry red wine (I use Cabernet Savignon)
Remove pears and place three in a bowl, pour in poaching liquid until the pears are just covered (do not toss reminding liquid), this will add as much flavor as possible and keep the pears nice and juicy. Cover and refrigerate. With the remaining two pears, cut and core, dice into small pieces and strain in a side to get rid of liquid and refrigerate until you assemble.
Take 2 cups of poaching liquid and reduce to 1/2 cup. This will take about 15 minutes (remove spices beforehand)
2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cream
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup wine reduction from the poaching liquid
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Boil sugar and water in a three quart sauce pan until a nice golden/amber/honey color (minimal to no stirring through this process. You can swirl the pan a few time if need to distribute heat evenly)
Once golden, remove from heat immediately and carefully add the butter and whisk until melted. It will bubble up and steam quite a bit. Whisk until smooth. Once smooth, add cream and wine reduction and mix again. Pour into a glass jar. Once cooled, cover and store in the fridge.
Pavlova with Crème Fraîche Whipped Cream
I always use Zoe Bakes’ pavlova recipe. It is seriously the best and I would never be able to create a better recipe!
For whipped cream, I add 1/3 cup crème fraîche to 1 1/2 heavy whipping cream and one tablespoon honey and whip together until soft peaks form.
Carefully fill the interior of the pavlova with half of the whipped cream. Add a a few scoops of the diced pears to the center of the cream layer (try to keep away from the pavlova crust as too much liquid will cause the pavlova to break). Top with more cream and arrange the three pears as you like. I assemble this shortly before guest arrival, the closer to serving, the better. At the table, drizzle with with the caramel sauce and carefully slice like you would a cake. Enjoy! Xx
