Here in LA, the weather has dipped to a chilly 60 degrees, and we all know what that means: it’s almost Thanksgiving. (And that we have to start ordering hot coffees instead of iced.) With all that 2020 has wrought, I hope we all get what we need from Thanksgiving and the holiday season ahead. If that’s comfort, I hope it’s there in the form of mashed potatoes or stuffing or hugs from your “pod”. If that’s joy and light, I hope it’s there in absolutely nailing the turkey, perfecting the pumpkin pie, or setting a beautiful table.
If that’s a stiff drink, well, I hope you’ve been practicing your home bartending.
But… speaking of perfecting that pumpkin pie, let’s dive right in with my all-time favorite recipe.
Ingredients
1 pie shell, store bought or homemade
4 large eggs
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Whipped cream for serving, optional
Steps
In a medium bowl, beat eggs together. Add remaining filling ingredients and whisk until well combined. If you choose to strain your filling (for a smoother texture), place a strainer over a clean, large bowl. Pour about 1/3 of the filling into the strainer and use a silicone spatula to press it through. It’s dense, so it will need the help. Before pouring the next 1/3 of the filling, lift the strainer off the bowl and scrape filling from the bottom into the bowl. Repeat until all of the filling has passed through the strainer.
Pour the filling (whether you strained it or left simply blended) into your blind-baked and cooled crust. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the center is nearly set. Allow to cool about 20-30 minutes before removing from pan or slicing.
Some light housekeeping—
First and foremost, a new playlist for Thanksgiving cooking… Golden oldies and bouncy remixes, just hit play and let it ride while you cook. Plus, Thanksgiving isn’t over until Mariah’s “All I Want for Christmas” plays, so I’ve capped the playlist with it.
Still need to pre-order your turkey? Check out Porter Road: pasture-raised, free-to-roam, antibiotic and hormone-free, game-changer turkeys raised at Jolly Barnyard that’ll ship the week before Thanksgiving. They serve up to 12.
As for the rest of the stuff? Food52 did an incredibly helpful list of things you can get at Costco for Thanksgiving, like deals on heavy whipping cream, Brussels sprouts, and bulk-buy potatoes.
And now… the recipes you’ve been waiting for.
GREENS
One question I got was for some greens to serve that aren’t salad. My top picks:
Brussels sprouts with Fresno chili. And I prefer roasting them at 425F for 20-25 minutes, as the oven seems to produce more of those caramelized bits.
Shredded Brussels sprouts with nuts. Gorgeous and incredibly simple side dish.
Roasted broccolini with lemon and garlic. A classic hit of crunchy greens for any big meal, including this one.
Cauliflower with brown butter and parsley. This…needs no explanation, right?
Honorary mention: golden beet and pomegranate salad, a bright and delicious side dish for those who aren’t salad-averse.
Honorary mention, number two: curried roasted carrots. They’re not green, they’re not classic, but they are delicious.
STUFFING
For a Thanksgiving mainstay, stuffing has many many variations. Here are my favorites:
I use this recipe for my leek and kale stuffing, caramelizing leeks instead of onions and otherwise keeping the rest as-written. Made this last year, making it again this year.
Shiitake mushroom and sage stuffing. Earthy, warming mushrooms and buttery, herby sage mixed with really good bread? Yeah, yes.
Sausage and apple stuffing. Ina’s salty, sweet stuffing with tons of fall flavors.
SNACK
Always the biggest conundrum, in my book. We don’t want anyone filling up on snacks and we don’t want anyone getting too drunk before we even sit down. Some ideas:
Broiled persimmon with prosciutto. It’s the autumnal version of summery prosciutto with cantaloupe and I’m all in for this.
Union Square Cafe spiced nuts. They’re a classic at NYC’s iconic Union Square Cafe for a reason and, what’s more, they’re dead-easy to make. You’ll scoff at plain salted nuts after you try these.
The crostini I’ll be making are from Elizabeth Minchilli’s book, The Italian Table, but here’s another (close) version. Add a pinch of cinnamon and some freshly grated Parmesan to that recipe and you’ll be quite close to Minchilli’s.
A butternut squash soup is a starter, not a snack. But worth mentioning because it’s a lovely way to open the meal and this recipe is excellent.
COCKTAILS
Negroni sbagliato. A Negroni, but with sparkling wine instead of gin. Otherwise known as easing into Thanksgiving.
Manhattan. The opposite of easing into Thanksgiving, but a perfect cocktail nonetheless.
Champagne cocktail. Celebratory drink to set the tone for the rest of the meal.
THE CLASSICS
Pick from Ina Garten’s perfect roast turkey or Bon Appetit’s glazed and spiced turkey. I made the Bon Appetit recipe last year to rave reviews, if I do say so myself.
Gordon Ramsay’s mashed potatoes. Because the man knows what he’s talking about (and if you need more evidence of that, please check his TikTok).
Green beans gremolata. They seem to appear on the table whether or not anyone’s made them. So… may as well.
Cranberry sauce. Make it yourself, don’t buy it. I beg of you.
My favorite pumpkin pie, recipe above, which you’ll serve with vanilla whipped cream. (Or switch it up with this delicata squash upside down cake, which is absolutely delicious.)
Signing off until next week (when I come at you with gift guide pt 1).
xoxo,