Post Turkey Day Reflections 2009

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I hope all of your tummy’s have recovered by now and you’re getting ready for a turkey cranberry cream cheese sandwich from all your leftovers, I know I am. I thought I’d share some highlights from our dinner yesterday.

This gorgeous appetizer came from my daughter via Whole Foods. What a way to start the party!

I decided to try and brine our turkey this year, dry brining appealed to me. I saw Martha do it on her show. 2/3 cup of kosher salt with a few crumbled bay leaves. Rub your turkey down from top to bottom and inside, place in an airtight bag 2 days prior to cooking. Rinse well before cooking.

The result was a super moist tender turkey, we all loved it. Dry brining is my new favorite thing!!

Outside we grilled an additional bone in turkey breast that was rubbed all over with a paste of olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs. Great for that sandwich I’m about to make!

Ooops, I forgot my cranberries and rolls for the photo! I also made stuffing balls with different ingredient variations, great way to serve stuffing, nice portions, and they get crispy all over.

Giada’s lemon ricotta cookies.

This was brought over by a good friend of the family, a homemade Derby Pie, I woke up thinking about how good this pie tasted. Premium chocolate laced in a carmel pecan filling.

Truely decadent, and worth every bite!

In the midst of such a terrible recession with many people falling on hard times, it’s the simple things we’re all thankful for, family, friends, our health, and of course…. food!
Buon Appetito!

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Comments

  1. hope you had a great Thanksgiving Marie… looks like you did. I miss it already!

  2. Looks like you had such a lovely Thanksgiving!!! I am glad to see that you approve Giada’s lemon ricotta cookies because they have been on my ‘to make’ list for a long time – must get on it!

  3. It looks like you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Marie!

    I used Emril Lagasse’s apple cider & spice brine recipe, and I was thrilled with the results. Out turkey was very moist and had just a hint of apple and spices…almost as if it it had been smoked over apple wood. I will definitely try it again next year.

  4. Oh! Nice pictures…they are all very tempting 🙂 Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving!

  5. That antipasto looked so good.

    I’ve never seen a dry brine before. You’re a trendsetter!

    I LOVE derby pie. It’s my husband’s favorite too. I don’t make it much anymore because I have developed mild nut allergies, but sometimes I can’t resist a piece when it’s offered me. A little tingle on the tongue is worth the chocolate!

  6. I love the idea of dry brining. Haven’t tried it, but I must. Everything looks delicious. Glad you enjoyed your Thanksgiving feast.

  7. Looks like you had a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by good food, familly and friends. I am still intrigued by the stuffing balls.

  8. It looks so beautiful and autumn-harvest-grand. Love the table top. I also dry-brned (having had my et brine leak all over my fridge one year!). And always remember to be thankful – that I can do this.

  9. What a spread! I love the idea of dry brining. Those lemon ricotta cookies look marvelous. I’m craving that nutty, carmely Derby Pie right now for breakfast. Thanks for sharing!

  10. Sounds like you had a wonderful holiday. Your food looks awesome. We are fortunate, aren’t we?
    LL

  11. Isn’t it amazing that, after turkey and all the trimmings, we have room for dessert? Leftovers are so delicious. I even had a sliver of pie for breakfast. And some stuffing. Oh dear…

  12. Great pictures and all the food looks great. Save me a couple of those ricotta cookies please!

  13. I’ve dry brined chickens before and love this technique. Everything looked sooo good. I love this idea of cooking an extra turkey breast on the grill. I’m going to steal that idea! Hope it wasn’t too cold in Chicago for whoever manned the grill. I’ve never heard of Derby Pie before, will have to look for a recipe. It looks so tasty, I’m willing to forget recent pie failures and give it another go.

  14. What a spread? I saw a few people brining their birds and am sure to try it with my chickens……we do not cook a lot of turkey around here!!!

  15. I am swooning over that grilled turkey breast. How I wish I had some of that. Fabulous– everything looks so wonderful. Thanks for letting me peek into your party.

  16. I am thankful for so many things this year.
    Your feast is beautiful, and that pie is to die for!
    I will post my pics tomorrow….I forgot to take pictures of my herb turkey breast!!!!!
    Happy happy. xxoo

  17. That is quite a feast. The platter of cheeses and nibbles looks really tasty. Awesome job!

  18. Perfect description for a time less than perfect yet somehow necessary. The tough times have surely brought thankfulness and sharing to the forefront of many lives. I have never tried to brine a turkey. The dry brine looks really interesting. I’d be more inclined to try that method on a first attempt. Thanks for sharing your Thanksgiving celebration!

  19. I have heard so much about brining this year. That Derby Pie looks fantastic!

  20. Everything looks delicious! Happy Thanksgiving!

  21. I dry brined too, and its so much better and easier to do.I hear I missed your Birthday? I hope you and your family have a happy Thanksgiving.

  22. Looks like you had a fantastic meal!

  23. Looks like a great and plentiful meal. I like the dry brining idea. I’m about to indulge in turkey leftovers right now too.

  24. Everything looks delicious. Been meaning to try Giada’s lemon ricotta cookies.

  25. Yum sums up this post perfectly! Everything looks incredible and oh so delicious!

    Glad you and your family had a terrific turkey day.

  26. It looks like it was a beautiful feast! I was so glad to get your take on dry brining – I think I’m going to try it next year.

  27. Looks like a wonderful meal. Everything looks delicious especially that Derby pie. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

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