Day 102: T-day Post Mortem

Thanksgiving seems a world away by now but before it vanishes completely into the mists of memory let's review this year's hits and misses:

-- Green beans: Would I make it again, or WIMIA? YES, but it was such a non recipe it's almost like asking, Would I serve water at dinner again.
-- Roasted root vegetables with fennel spice: YES. All were good-to-excellent (carrots, red onions, fennel, purple cauliflower, parsnip), except for the zucchini which turned to mush. It's possible that I needed to roast the zucchini on the pan closer to the heat. As it was, the zucchini was in a pan on top of a rack with another pan and as a result steamed instead of browned.
-- Mashed potatoes with green onions, a.k.a. champ: NO. Somehow it was dry -- tasty, but dry. How can four pounds of mashed potatoes with a full cup of heavy cream and a whole stick of butter possibly be dry? Don't ask me because I won't be making this recipe again. Plus, I cut my finger on the mandoline, which I used to slice the green onions because our knives are so dull. Ouch!
-- Cranberry sauce with cherries: Everyone seemed to enjoy this sauce but I thought it was too tart and grainy. It may be true that all real cranberry sauces are grainy and I did use slightly less sugar than called for in the recipe; still, the answer is NO.
-- Italian bread stuffing with sausage, apple, and dried apricots: YES, but I may have cooked it poorly this time because it fell apart when you spooned it up. All the elements of this recipe come together harmoniously, flavor wise, and very prettily (if you try this one, use the full amount of minced parsley; it seems like an unholy amount -- 1/2 cup -- but it is exactly as much as you need). Thing is, I did not have a turkey to stuff and since the stuffing only baked in a pan I think I should have added a lot more stock to help it adhere and soften.

-- Brussel sprouts with crispy shallots and sauteed mushrooms: YES. The best side dish I made. This is a killer recipe and worth all the labor. The brussel sprouts, which are tossed in minced garlic and olive oil, become perfectly caramelized if you place them cut side down on the pan, since the oven is so hot (450 degrees). When you saute the mushrooms, do as Master Chiarello commands and do not move them after they first hit the pan until they have seared; otherwise they will give off too much liquid and turn soggy. Fry the shallots over medium-low heat so they don't burn, and try to cut them a uniform width and not paper thin. All will be well if you do these things.

-- Pumpkin cheesecake: YES. This is an easy crowd pleaser. Finn helped me decorate; you can see his paw print on the right side of the cheesecake. Not too sweet, spicy due to the gingersnap crust, full of fat, and dense but not dry. You could feed 50 people with one 9-inch cheesecake. My only question concerns the pressed-in cookie crust: how do you avoid that chubby build-up right where the side of the pan meets the bottom of the pan? Cheesecake experts, please report to the comments section.
-- Double-crust apple pie: NO. I used Rose Levy Beranbaum's recipe for "The Best All-American Apple Pie" and it wasn't -- or, more to the point, it wasn't worth the trouble. This recipe asks you to macerate the apples for up to 3 hours (after a toss in sugar and lemon), capturing the juices in a bowl under a strainer. Then, you boil down the juices and pour it over the apples before baking. I love that idea! But, in practice, it didn't seem to make a huge difference since the apples still sank down after baking, leaving a big air pocket under the top crust. I hate that air pocket! Moving on.

-- Bittersweet chocolate pecan pie. YES. First off, I'm happy to report that pecan pie is, in Paige's inimitable phraseology, stupid easy to make. You literally just crack a bunch of eggs into a pile of sugar and corn syrup and pour it into a crust, then bake. This recipe adds a layer of melted chocolate and the result is nothing short of a homemade candy bar. Fantastically delicious. This one is a keeper.

And, The Turkey -- looks pretty good, eh? Sidni, mother of The Husband, fretted that she left the bird in the oven too long and as a result dried out the breast meat. The dark meat was just fine and all I ever eat, so as far as this blog is concered it was YUMMY.