Thanksgiving 101: Celebrate America's Favorite Holiday with America's Thanksgiving Expert

204 Pages·2007·2.65 MB·English

by  Rick Rodgers

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Thanksgiving 101
Celebrate America’s Favorite Holiday with America’s Thanksgiving Expert
Rick Rodgers
Photographs by Ben Fink

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Contents
Acknowledgments v
Introduction
Talking Turkey
1
Getting It Together
3
Appetizers and Beverages
Just a Little Something to Keep the Edge Off . . .
11
Soups and Salads
Who’s on First?
24
iii
Turkey and Friends
The Main Event
41
Stuffings and Dressings
The Stuff That Dressings Are Made Of . . .
77
Side Dishes
And the Award for the Best Supporting Side Dish Goes to . . .
87
Photographic Insert
Yeast and Quick Breads
Rising to the Occasion
121
Desserts
How Many Ways Can You Say “Pumpkin”?
132
Leftovers
There’s Got to Be a Morning After . . .
162
Thanksgiving Menu Planner 170
Traditional Thanksgiving Feast 171
ASophisticatedThanksgivingDinner 173
AChileL over’sThanksgiving 175
Thanksgiving for a Crowd 177
Index 179
About the Author
Credits
Cover
Copyright
About the Publisher
iv Contents
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Acknowledgments
This book was born from my Thanksgiving recipes for my cooking classes, I have to work
cooking class, which I have taught from well ahead of my annual tour. I have prepared
Washington to Florida every autumn for over many a Thanksgiving meal in July—often in
fifteen years. When the book was fi rst other people’s kitchens. Harriet Bell tops this
published, new methods of roasting turkeys, list of people who have happily lent me their
such as brining, high-temperature roasting, and kitchens and taste buds. She was the editor of
deep- frying, w ere being introduced. A lot can many of my books, and she’s been a great
change in ten years, both in the public’s taste friend over many years, too. And we shared the
and the way that an author might approach a fun of d eep- frying a turkey together—a
recipe. Organic turkeys were not commonly bonding experience if ever there was one.
available, and heritage turkeys were hardly sold Steven and Cynthia Stahl and Ron Dier were
at all. This new edition reflects these changes, always generous with their kitchens,
and the reader will find some tweaks, friendships, and dishwashing talents during the
adjustments, and new approaches along the many years of wonderful Thanksgivings we’ve
way, all developed from continued testing, shared. And, of course, my parents, Dick and
tasting, and observation. You’ll also see some Eleanor Rodgers, who produce a fl awless
recipes that have become new favorites. On Thanksgiving year after year, and showed me
the other hand, other w ell-established how fun and easy it can be.
Thanksgiving recipes and traditions have been Many cooking schools throughout the
left alone, and I hope that they serve to bring country allowed me to hone my Thanksgiving
back happy memories of great holiday meals. dinner-making skills. Thanks to Adventures in
In order to keep up with creating new Cooking (Wayne, New Jersey, with a special
v
hug to owner Arlene Ward and my long- For researching assistance and permission to
standing assistants, Maria and Paul Lee), The use their companies’ products and recipes, I am
Silo (New Milford, Connecticut, and “The grateful to: Linda Compton (Ocean Spray
Rickettes,” Barbara, Caryl, Cynthia, Lauren, and Cranberries), Ann Marie Murray (Campbell
Ann), Draegers’ Markets (San Mateo and Menlo Soup Company), Roz O ’Hearn (Nestlé USA/
Park, California), Let’s Get Cookin’ (Westlake Libby’s Pumpkin), and Cynthia Giorgio
Village, California, with extra appreciation to (General Foods/ Jell-O and Kraft Philadelphia
own er Phyllis Vacarelli and my sous-chef there, cream cheese). Thanks to Valerie Tully of the
JoAnn Hecht), Sur La Table (many locations National Turkey Federation for the turkey
nationwide), Dierberg’s School of Cooking industry statistics and information. For the
(St. Louis, Missouri), Kroger’s Markets (various history of American food companies and eating
locations in Georgia and Florida), Cook ’n Tell habits, two books proved invaluable: James
(Colt’s Neck, New Jersey), Classic Recipes Trager’s The Food Chronology (Henry Holt, 1995)
(Westfield, New Jersey), King’s Markets (Short and Jean Anderson’s The American Century
Hills, New Jersey), A Southern Season (Chapel Cookbook (Clarkson Potter, 1997).
Hill, North Carolina), Cook’s of Crocus Hill Thanks to Sonia Greenbaum, copy editor,
(Edina, Minneapolis), In Good Taste (Portland, and Ann Cahn, production editor. At
Oregon, owned by the ever-l oyal Barb Dawson), HarperCollins, my longtime publishing home,
Ramekins (Sonoma, California, with an extra thanks for the continued support of Michael
helping of thanks to Bob Nemerovski and Lisa Morrison, David Sweeney, Gail Winston, and
Lavagetto, and Central Market (various Sarah Whitman-Salkin.
locations in Texas). And while I certainly can’t In my life, very little would get done if it
list all of my students by name, there are weren’t for Diane Kniss. Her helpfulness and
special ones who always show up, year after diligence are combined with a sense of humor
year, to taste and collect the current recipes, that makes her the kind of co-worker that
and I am especially thankful for their loyalty makes you want to get to work so you can
and appetite. try to top yesterday’s laughs. As you know,
Susan Wyler, cookbook editor and friend, Thanksgiving makes for a lot of dishwashing,
encouraged my affection for turkey and stuffi ng but Diane never complains. Thanks, as always,
by providing projects on those subjects that to my agent and dear friend of many years,
helped establish me as the expert on Things Susan Ginsburg, and her lovely and diligent
Thanksgiving. The first edition of this book was assistant, Emily Scardino. Finally, Thanksgiving
vastly improved by the input of my friend and dinner is never better than when I share the
colleague Judith Sutton. table with my partner, Patrick Fisher, who has
eaten almost as many turkeys as I have.
vi Acknowledgments
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Introduction
Talking Turkey
O
ver the last fifteen years, I have to represent their turkey products, they came to
prepared scores of Thanksgiving me. I learned everything there was to know
dinners for thousands of people. about turkey, spending lots of time on turkey
Turkey addict? Pumpkin pie groupie? A victim farms and in the kitchen, and wrote my fi rst
of gravy obsession syndrome? Yes, but there is a cookbook on the subject.
better reason. I travel all over the country Since then, I have traveled all over the
teaching a cooking class called Thanksgiving country teaching Thanksgiving cooking classes
101. Now everything I teach in my classes is in and making television and radio appearances
this book, with my favorite recipes, Make ahead on how to have the perfect Thanksgiving meal.
tips, anecdotes, organization secrets, and Everyone, from friends to television producers,
insights into what makes this holiday so now calls me “Mr. Thanksgiving” or “The
special. Turkey Meister.”
How did I become a Thanksgiving guru? In One of the best things about my work as a
1985, I created a catering company, Cuisine cooking teacher is that I get personal contact
Américaine, and specialized in cooking with our country’s home cooks—I am not a
regional American foods. And what is more restaurant chef who is out of touch with how
American than Thanksgiving dinner? My people actually cook. No matter where I go,
customers loved my holiday spreads. In 1990, from Seattle to Miami, I ask my students about
when one of the East Coast’s largest poultry their personal Thanksgiving dishes and
producers was looking for a media spokesperson customs. First, Thanksgiving 101 is a collection
1
of these favorite r ecipes—even if some of them hear all of you worried cooks going “Whew!
start with a can of soup or a box of J ell-O. Some Thank you!!”)
of Thanksgiving’s most cherished recipes are My students also tell me that these recipes
brand-name specific. I call these “Classic are too good to reserve for just one day of the
Recipes,” and they include some background on year, and I agree. Thanksgiving isn’t the only
how they rose to the top to become holiday time when turkey makes an appearance—it’s
icons. perfect for a Sunday supper, creating leftovers
We all know the generic recipes that form to use for other meals, and many families serve
the backbone of the quintessential the bird with fixings for Christmas and Easter,
Thanksgiving dinner. Mashed potatoes, gravy, too. You’ll savor many of the other dishes year-
piecrust, and stuffing all fit into this category. round also, especially the side dishes and
With practice, these dishes become simple, but desserts. For example, I rarely serve grilled pork
they can intimidate novices and elude practiced chops without a cranberry chutney (I keep a
cooks looking for the perfect version. These stash of frozen cranberries to use when they’re
recipes are labeled “101,” and if they seem long, out of season). Because most of my Thanksgiving
it’s because I have included extra details that first course soups and salads feature seasonal
even old hands can learn from. ingredients, I use them often during cool
Certain Thanksgiving foods have achieved months. No matter what the season, hardly a
almost religious significance, and must be party goes by without one of the appetizers
served at that meal on the fourth Thursday of from this book. And it certainly d oesn’t have to
every November. While researching recipes for be Thanksgiving to make apple pie!
my classes, I became fascinated with how these I have been gathering these recipes for this
particular foods became so important. These book for years, listening to countless American
are discussed in the sections titled, “It Isn’t home cooks tell me about the fun (and fear)
Thanksgiving Without . . .” You’ll fi nd they experience while getting the big meal on
information on classics like cranberries, the table. I promised them I would write a
pumpkin, gelatin salads, and, of course, turkey. practical guide on this beloved holiday. Many of
What I hear most from my students is that these recipes are downright simple, but that
they are desperate for help in organizing the doesn’t make them any less delicious.
meal. So, in addition to a host of tips, I’ve Thanksgiving 101 is a culinary insurance policy
provided suggestions for complete menus with to having the best Turkey Day ever.
preparation and cooking timetables. (I can just Happy Thanksgiving!
2 Thanksgiving 101