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Recipe: crustless pumpkin pie

Manisha had asked what I do with leftover turkey. I personally prefer the leftover turkey to the centerpiece turkey. This afternoon I had a turkey reuben sandwich (it’s just a reuben with turkey instead of corned beef) and Jeremy had an open-face hot turkey sandwich bathed in gravy. I’m debating what to do with the carcass – green chile stew?

I’m glad I got all of the cooking out of the way because today I went to have my root canal finished up at the dentist’s and OMFG!!!!! It hurt like a beyotch. I’m talking about the worst pain I have experienced in my life (and I have a fairly high threshold for pain). I’ve had a root canal before and I didn’t feel a thing, but today… They warned that if it hurt during the root canal, I would experience a lot of pain afterward when the numbing wore off. But my tooth doesn’t hurt at all now. They suggested chewing on soft foods.

freshly ground spices and brown sugar

**Jump for more butter**

Recipe: dry-brined roast turkey with gravy

Before my parents left for Hawai’i, my mom called me up to find out if I would like her to ship me a Smithfield ham – the uber salty, delicious, country-style ham from my home state of Virginia. I said I’d love to have one and she made a note of it (her thing is to ship hams all over the country to friends and family). I asked if I could get one for Thanksgiving and she said, “No! They come out for Christmas and besides, everybody eats turkey for Thanksgiving.”

Well, not everybody. It’s been a while since we’ve had turkey for Thanksgiving. I always get waylaid when planning the Thanksgiving menu because other mains sound so much better. This year, I decided that no, we wouldn’t be having turkey for Thanksgiving, but yes, I would roast a turkey. Remember that organic bird I picked up at Whole Foods last week?

dry brining the bird

**Jump for more butter**

I finally sat down this morning to think about what we’re having on Thanksgiving Day.

I have no idea.

Ideally, there will be a lot of snow and we will spend the day skiing and be so wiped out that sushi will be the dinner of choice. Or any seafood for that matter – cooks fast and delish (in the case of sushi, doesn’t cook at all).

But so far it’s not looking so good for snow (shakes fist at La Niña), which gets me thinking about roasting a bird, a beast, or some such critter.

what to make?

We don’t mind traditional. We also love to buck tradition. Part of me likes the idea of cooking all day and part of me would rather backpack and nosh on turkey jerky and instant mashed potatoes in sub-freezing temperatures.

Decisions. Decisions.

What are you planning? (If family drama is one of the unintended dishes on your menu, I promise I won’t tell them).