Parties & Celebrations
A Modern Thanksgiving
Preparation and cooking don’t have to be overwhelming during the holidays. Unlike a Friday evening dinner party with basic first, second, and third courses, Thanksgiving calls for a banquet brimming with many offerings. How about opting for a simpler approach this year? Start with a light and tasty cauliflower soup followed by a buffet served in the kitchen.
Creating a Thanksgiving menu requires thought and planning, so rather than offer an endless array of accoutrements, pay special attention to the turkey and pair it with a selection of easy-to-prepare side dishes that everyone will enjoy. Encourage guests to help themselves to a few old-time favorites, including crispy potatoes, haricot verts with toasted almonds and roasted butternut. Tasty stuffing and delicious gravy are musts as well. And for dessert, try a wonderful warm apple tarte tatin smothered with vanilla ice cream.
The Thanksgiving dinner shown here was a wonderful celebration filled with fabulous food, copious amounts of laughter, and time well spent with friends and family who traveled great distances for the holiday. This time of year is all about togetherness and wonderful comfort foods. Try a menu of simple and tasty recipes that won't keep you chained to the stove day and night. Don't be a martyr and try to do it all yourself; cook what you feel comfortable preparing and buy the rest from your local grocer.
Shortly after the sun had set, guests arrived and were immediately greeted with a glass of chilled Bollinger Champagne. The gorgeous crystal glasses and silver ice bucket sat atop a sterling silver tray set on a side table close by, encouraging guests to help themselves. Red roses and votives accented the table for a little extra sophistication and sparkle.
Two tables for eight were put together to make one long table. We decided to incorporate red into the color scheme to liven up the traditional autumnal browns and golds. Black Magic red roses were placed on the coffee table alongside red votive candles to continue the vignette on the bar table. To complete the table we added a few lovely pieces of crystal, a gorgeous rock crystal votive candleholder, and a terrific bowl of silver almonds. Simple geometric white china was paired with tumblers and starched white linen napkins, and mini pumpkins were used for place card holders to direct guests to their seats. It has nothing to do with formality, but rather it's about balancing the energy at the table. (To create the place card holders, cut the stems of white baby pumpkins with a knife, and insert a place card printed from your computer.)
Instead of fresh flowers, white Manzanita branches were laid down the center of the table to create a lush landscape. White miniature pumpkins were hollowed out to make votive candle holders. To continue the natural feel, gourds were used as serving pieces for the cranberry sauce. The look was minimalist and still had the feeling of Thanksgiving. It was luxurious and elegant.
The turkey takes center stage on Thanksgiving—it's a holiday essential that everyone comes to expect. One foolproof, yet fabulous recipe, involves placing butter under the skin and cheesecloth on top of the turkey. The butter melts into the flesh and the cheesecloth seals in the juices of the turkey, helping to keep it magnificently moist. The bird also poaches in a broth of chicken stock and white wine. The cheesecloth also helps you regulate how often the turkey should be basted—as soon as it starts to get brown and dry out, it’s time to open the oven and baste again (about every 30 minutes).
When serving an extraordinary bottle of wine, always decant the wine rather than pour directly from the bottle to the glass. Decanting allows air to reach the wine and release the wine's tannins, letting it 'breathe' in order to release its fullest flavor. Make it easy by placing the decanter directly on the dining table for guests to fill their glasses as they wish. Aside from being functional, a beautiful decanter looks gorgeous when set on the table, and fine crystal always sparkles when bathed in candlelight.
A Thanksgiving buffet allows each guest to help themselves to what they like, skip what they don't favor, and go back for seconds and thirds should they wish. You can place serving platters in the warming drawer until ready to be used (if you don't have a warming drawer, set the oven to 200 F and place the platters inside for 5-10 minutes). After a leisurely dinner, clear the buffet and set it for desser — an apple tarte tatin, coffee, and cognac. And remember, the best part about Thanksgiving is enjoying the leftovers the following day!
Recipes
Apple Tart Tatin
Cauliflower Soup
Colin Cowie's Turkey
Colin's Stuffing
Crispy Roasted Potatoes with Garlic
Haricots Verts
Turkey Gravy
Tips
As always, there's more to come!
