Thanksgiving Recipes

Does anyone out there read “Bon Appetit” magazine? It’s one of my favorites! It has articles on setting-up the perfect kitchen, new gadgets, grilling techniques, and, of course, recipes. When I got my November issue, I was not surprised to see a turkey on the front cover. Naturally, in this season of giving thanks, this premier food magazine has to investigate the greatest food celebration of the year: the Thanksgiving Dinner. I couldn’t be more delighted!

I should mention that, over the years that I’ve been getting this magazine, I rarely try the recipes. Generally, recipes for things like Cumin-Scented Quinoa and Black Rice stray a bit too far from my mid-western food sensibilities. I like imagining the people who do cook these recipes, though, and I think they must be very cosmopolitan, probably in high-rise condos with grand views of the city, beautiful, Jenn-Air equipped kitchens with chefs knives, and pots of every size at their fingertips. I can just see them stopping at little Asian markets and Italian delis on their way home from their very exciting jobs, to get the ingredients for these “Bon Appetit” concoctions. And I’m a little enamored by the idea.

This month, I knew I'd flip through the pages of my magazine and find new, improved ways to twist my old favorites, though I probably wouldn't try any of them. Tandori-Spiced Roast Turkey, Crawfish Gravy, and Wild Rice, Fruit and Pecan Stuffing were just some of the recipes featured near the back of the magazine. What surprised me, though, was the first half of the issue, which is always where the “how-to’s” and best kitchen advice are shared. This month, they addressed how to make the perfect mashed potatoes and gravy.

When I started reading, I have to admit that I was thinking, “Ok. Good! How can I improve my methods and make this year’s mashed potatoes the fluffiest and creamiest, ever?” Cut peeled potatoes into 2” pieces. Cover in cold water. Gently simmer. Mash. Add cream. Add salt. (Tyme, basil and rosemary: optional). Add butter. As for the gravy? Start with a rue of butter and flour. Add stock.

What?! My mother’s time-honored traditions, what I think of as “plain-old cooking,” in print? In a fancy, fussy, food magazine, and accompanied by some of the most delectable photos of all time! It made me smile. And I was proud to know that I had been taught the best possible way to make mashed potatoes and gravy, at least according to the very picky editors of “Bon Appetite.” I wondered if there would be people in the city, in their high rise condos, reading these recipes and imagining me, this time… cooking in my none-too-well-decorated kitchen, on my electric stove, with my one wooden spoon and my two worn and dulled paring knives, after having stopped at the Kroger for my sack of potatoes. And I imagined they would be just a little enamored of my simple traditions and plain-old, home-style cooking.

I guess it’s just one more lesson in being grateful for what I have. So, this Thanksgiving, I’m going to make a point to look for all of those things I think are so simple, or so mundane that I take them for granted. And when I find them, I’m going to say a special prayer of thanks, because my life would not be the same, and I would not be the same, if they hadn’t become part of my “plain-old life.” And then I’m going to add Candied Mandarin Oranges with Cranberries to my Thanksgiving menu, just for good measure. J