eG Foodblog: slkinsey's Thanksgiving Week Diary

[slkinsey]

So, the next thing to do is figure out a (non-wine) ingredient list, because different things need to be purchased at different times:

Marinated Crudités

Cranberry Bellini

• ewindels is handling the crudités
  
• 1 bag cranberrys (Fairway)
  
• sugar cubes (home)
  
• orange bitters (home)
  

Raw Kumamoto Oyster With Cucumber Granita

• 1 dozen Kumamoto oysters (Citarella)
  
• 4 English cucumbers (Fairway)
  
• chives for garnish (greenmarket)
  

Cauliflower Soup With Curry Oil

• 2 large heads cauliflower (greenmarket)
  
• cream (greenmarket)
  
• oilive oil (Fairway)
  
• curry powder (home or Fairway)
  
• chervil for garnish (greenmarket or Fairway)
  
• chicken stock (home)
  
• spinach (greenmarket or Fairway)
  
• nutmeg (home)
  
• shallot (greenmarket)
  

Tuna Carpaccio With Mixed Herb Salad

• sushi-quality tuna -- around 2 ounces/person (Citarella)
  
• olive oil (Fairway)
  
• Sicilian salt-cured capers (home)
  
• Maldon sea salt (home)
  
• bunches of tarragon, parsley, basil, cilantro, etc. (greenmarket)
  

Brussels Sprouts Four Ways

• Lots of Brussels sprouts (greenmarket)
  
• cream for crème brûlée (greenmarket)
  
• eggs for crème brûlée (greenmarket)
  
• superfine sugar for crème brûlée (Fairway)
  
• gruyere for gratin (Fairway)
  
• bread crumbs for gratin (Fairway)
  
• Parmigiano-Reggiano for gratin (Fairway)
  
• guanciale for sauté (Salumeria Biellese)
  
• olive oil for shredded salad (Fairway)
  
• white wine vinegar for shredded salad (Fairway)
  
• herbs for garnish (greenmarket)
  

Lemon-Thyme Sorbet

• 2 containers Fairway lemon sorbet (Fairway)
  
• 1 bunch thyme or lemon thyme (greenmarket)
  
• Farigoule thyme liqueur (home)
  

Turkey Two Ways With Cornbread Dressing, Foie Gras And Black Truffle Carpaccio

• 14 pound turkey (Citarella)
  
• 1 bottle port (home)
  
• 1 bottle dry red wine (somewhere cheap)
  
• 2 large carrots (greenmarket)
  
• 5 ribs celery (greenmarket)
  
• 2 medium yellow onions (greenmarket)
  
• 1 bouquet garni (greenmarket)
  
• 1 jar "Black Truffle Carpaccio" (Citarella or Fairway)
  
• 1 block foie gras (Fairway or Citarella)
  
• 1 lb Butter (Fairway)
  
• 1 large head cabbage (greenmarket)
  
• 1 container cornmeal for the dressing (Fairway)
  
• 1 sack flour for the dressing (Fairway)
  
• 1 loaf sturdy white bread for the dressing (Fairway)
  
• milk for the dressing (Fairway)
  
• parsley, sage, thyme for the dressing (greenmarket)
  
• crimini mushrooms for the dressing (greenmarket)
  
• onion for the dressing
  
• celery for the dressing
  
• dried porcini mushrooms for the dressing (Fairway or Citarella)
  

Bourbon Bread Pudding

• 1 large brioche (Zabar's)
  
• milk (greenmarket)
  
• eggs (greenmarket)
  
• sugar (Fairway)
  
• bourbon (home)
  

Pecan Tart

• flour for crust (Fairway)
  
• butter for crust (Fairway)
  
• lard for crust (home)
  
• sour cream for crust (Fairway)
  
• Steen's cane syrup for filling (home)
  
• brown sugar for filling (Fairway)
  
• pecans for filling (Fairway)
  
• arrowroot for filling (home)
  
• eggs for filling (greenmarket)
  
• vanilla for filling (home)
  
• bourbon for filling (home)
  

Cranberry Cheesecake (?)

• ewindels
  

Sugarless Apple Pie (?)

• bergerka
  

Palmiers and Chocolate Truffles

• ewindels
  

[slkinsey]

So, the next thing to do is organize a shopping list by location:

Citarella

• 14 pound turkey (turkey two ways)
  
• 1 block foie gras (turkey two ways)
  
• dark muscovado sugar for filling (pecan tart)
  

Citarella or fish place in Chelsea Markets (to avoid crowds on Wednesday)

• 1 dozen Kumamoto oysters (oyster course)
  
• sushi-quality tuna -- around 2 ounces/person (tuna carpaccio)
  

I really need to get t6he oysters as late in the game as possible. I'm hoping that the lines at Chelsea Market’s fish place won't be as bad as at Citarella on Wednesday, since a lot of people will be picking up Turkeys at Citarella on Wednesday.

Fairway

• 5 ribs celery (turkey two ways) (no celery at greenmarket)
  
• celery for the dressing (turkey two ways) (no celery at greenmarket)
  
• 4 English cucumbers (cucumber granita)
  
• chervil for garnish (cauliflower soup)
  
• portobello mushrooms for the dressing (turkey two ways)
  
• curry powder (cauliflower soup)
  
• milk to make cornbread for the dressing (turkey two ways)
  
• sour cream for crust (pecan tart)
  
• butter:
  1 lb Butter (turkey two ways)
  butter (bourbon bread pudding)
  butter for crust (pecan tart)
  
• 1 loaf sturdy white bread for the dressing (turkey two ways)
  
• bread crumbs for gratin, or bread to make bread crumbs (brussels sprouts four ways)
  
• gruyere for gratin (brussels sprouts four ways)
  
• Parmigiano-Reggiano for gratin (brussels sprouts four ways)
  
• 1 jar "Black Truffle Carpaccio" (turkey two ways)
  
• dried porcini mushrooms for the dressing (turkey two ways)
  
• pecans for filling (pecan tart)
  
• olive oil:
  olive oil (cauliflower soup)
  olive oil (mixed herb salad)
  olive oil for shredded salad (brussels sprouts four ways)
  
• white wine vinegar for shredded salad (brussels sprouts four ways)
  
• 2 containers Fairway lemon sorbet (lemon-thyme sorbet)
  
• 1 bag cranberrys (cranberry bellini)
  
• 1 container cornmeal for the dressing (turkey two ways)
  
• flour:
  flour for the dressing (turkey two ways)
  flour for crust (pecan tart)
  
• sugar (bourbon bread pudding)
  
• superfine sugar for crème brûlée (brussels sprouts four ways)
  

Fairway is a great market, but almost always a chaotic, overcrowded madhouse -- especially near the holidays. A plan of attack is absolutely necessary. I have ordered the items on this list according to the layout of Fairway. Produce aisle first, spices on the trip up to the to the dairy section, then right up to bread section, then across to the cheese area, pick up the porcini and truffles on the way down to the pecans and then over to the olive oil and vinegar section. This leads directly to a bottleneck and then to the next room where I can go all the way over to the frozen section for the cranberrys and sorbet, then down a narrow aisle for the sugar, flour and cornmeal. The aisle leads directly to the line for the cash register.

Greenmarket

• 2 large heads cauliflower (cauliflower soup)
  
• spinach or fennel (cauliflower soup)
  
• 1 large head cabbage (turkey two ways)
  
• 2 large carrots (turkey two ways)
  
• 2 medium yellow onions (turkey two ways)
  
• onion for the dressing (turkey two ways)
  
• shallots (cauliflower soup)
  
• crimini mushrooms for the dressing (turkey two ways)
  
• herbs:
  chives for garnish (oyster course)
  bunches of tarragon, parsley, basil, cilantro, etc. (mixed herb salad)
  herbs for garnish (brussels sprouts four ways)
  1 bunch thyme or lemon thyme (lemon-thyme sorbet)
  parsley, sage, thyme for the dressing (turkey two ways)
  1 bouquet garni (turkey two ways)
  
• lots of Brussels sprouts (brussels sprouts four ways)
  
• dairy:
  cream for crème brûlée (brussels sprouts four ways)
  cream (cauliflower soup)
  milk (bourbon bread pudding)
  
• eggs:
  eggs for crème brûlée (brussels sprouts four ways)
  eggs (bourbon bread pudding)
  eggs for filling (pecan tart)
  

I’ll get everything but the herbs on Saturday; herbs on Wednesday.

Salumeria Biellese

• guanciale for sauté (brussels sprouts four ways)
  

Zabar's

• 1 large brioche (bourbon bread pudding)
  

Somewhere cheap

• 1 bottle dry red wine (turkey two ways)
  

[NulloModo]

Wow, I am blown away by how well organized this all seems to be. Thanksgiving (really, any holiday, or actually, any occasion at all) just wouldn't be the same around my family without tons of last minute panicks, misplans, and an air of general confusion ;).

Still, sounds like you are setting up for quite a spectacular evening.

[lovebenton0]

I love your shopping plan, slkinsey! I can't do it any other way myself than to take the path of most convenience and least resistance through the store. My list is already made in order.

Thanks so much for sharing this venture with all of us, we definitely want those pics this year!

And I am curious . . . Do you take the time to sit and eat during courses at all? As marie-louise asked?

How do you portion the turkey? White? Dark? Attempt to serve approx equal portions of each to diners?

[slkinsey]

And I am curious . . .  Do you take the time to sit and eat during courses at all? As marie-louise asked?

How do you portion the turkey? White? Dark? Attempt to serve approx equal portions of each to diners?

←

Absolutely, I take the time to eat. A big part of my logistical planning (which I will describe in detail later on) is to create situations in which things can be getting ready and I don't have to be in the kitchen watching over them. For example, since the caullflower soup will be made ahead of time, I can just have it sitting on a back burner of the stove on low heat coming up to temperature. Since I'll be heating it up in a heavy Le Creuset French oven, I don't need to be concerned that it will burn or anything like that. When the time comes for service, I only need to crank the heat for maybe a minute to get it to break a simmer and be ready to go into the bowls.

As for the white/dark meat portioning, this is described somewhat in my post of the recipe up here. Each plate gets a base of braised dark meat and a few pieces of white over that.

[slkinsey]

Here is a tentative timeline, to be updated as I figure out other things that need to be done:

Tuesday 11/16

Send knives to sharpener (Henry Westpfal)

Wednesday 11/17

Order turkey (Citarella)

Friday 11/19

Pick up knives (Peter Westpfal)

Saturday 11/20

Greenmarket trip for everything but herbs (reserve herbs from favorite herb guys)

Fairway trip for everything on the Fairway list, plus foie gras and muscovado sugar from Citarella

Buy wine (Nancy’s Wines)

Get haircut

Sunday 11/21

Make pie crusts

Make cornbread

Make cucumber granite

QA cucumber cups

Monday 11/22

Make pecan tart

Buy brioche at Zabar’s

Buy additional cutters and ring molds at Zabar's

Pick up additional glassware from ewindels

Make cranberry puree for bellini

Give ferrets bath

Tuesday 11/23

Pick up Turkey (Citarella)

Debone turkey, marinade dark meat, brine white meat, start turkey stock (overnight)

Make lemon-thyme sorbet

Pick up additional silver items from ewindels

Buy candles

bergerka to Whole Foods in search of Ame (nonalcoholic wine-like beverage) and nonalcoholic beer

Wednesday 11/24

Greenmarket shopping trip for herbs and anything forgotten

Chelsea Market for oysters and tuna

Make cauliflower puree

Make curry oil

Pluck/wash herbs for salad

Assemble Brussels sprouts gratin

Make dressing

Take chairs/leaves of table/glassware out of storage

My parents and bergerka's parents arriving Wednesday evening -- schedule 30 minutes to freak out with stress since they have never met before, despite the fact that we have been living together for something like 8 years. Think up something at the last minute to entertain them. Plan on getting drunk to deal with nerves.

Thursday11/25 -- pre-dinner (in order of completion)

bergerka to supervise house preparedness/cleaning/arrangement details

Make/chill Brussels sprouts crème brûlée

Make soup underlayer puree, reserve at room temperature

Braise dark meat, reduce braising liquid, set aside both at room temperature

Freeze slates

Render guanciale and brown halved Brussels sprouts

Prepare cabbage/stuffing rolls

Shred, blanch and shock Brussels sprouts for Brussels Sprouts slaw. Make dressing for slaw

Make carpaccio, plate and place in refrigerator

Make custard and bourbon caramel for bread pudding, pre-assemble bread pudding

Remove breasts from brine to dry surface of meat

Take shower

Clean as I go! bergerka to supervise last minute cleaning of my mess and mop kitchen floor while I am in shower

Thursday 11/25 – dinnertime execution

I'll get to that next.

[Jake]

It looks fabulous, Sam. Great menu and organization.

So tell me, although you will have time to eat, do you typically eat much when you do a menu such as this? I always find that between prepping, tasting and checking by the time we sit down my pleasure is in watching others enjoy and I absentmindedly pick at the odd thing on my plate.

[slkinsey]

So tell me, although you will have time to eat, do you typically eat much when you do a menu such as this?  I always find that between prepping, tasting and checking by the time we sit down my pleasure is in watching others enjoy and I absentmindedly pick at the odd thing on my plate.

←

It's true that the appetite isn't as strong when you're doing the work on a dinner like this. This is, no doubt, how most cooks are able to keep from getting fat and how most bartenders are able to stay sober.

That said, since the portions are plated and not very big, I imagine I'll be eating around as much as everyone else.

[bleudauvergne]

And I am curious . . .  Do you take the time to sit and eat during courses at all? As marie-louise asked?

How do you portion the turkey? White? Dark? Attempt to serve approx equal portions of each to diners?

←

Absolutely, I take the time to eat. A big part of my logistical planning (which I will describe in detail later on) is to create situations in which things can be getting ready and I don't have to ...

←

I have found that a group of 10-12 is very liberating for me. They tend to themselves, have a great time, and that of course is the point of throwing the party. It's inevitable that if you're going to be serving quality food you are going to dissapear for a few minutes here and there. That's what friends and spouses are for. You co-ordinate. And also you invite enough people to dinner so that conversation continues even when you slip away. This was something I discovered long ago and always when I invite people to dinner, unless they are very special guests that we want to concentrate on specifically (and in that case things are planned accordingly), we normally invite enough to keep not only one, but two or three conversations going at a time. I think that Sam is going to be fine, considering the number of people he has at the table. The table will not fall silent and sad and everyone thinking to themselves, "Where's Sam?" They know where he is. And they'll be thankful for it.

[SobaAddict70]

I hope there will be lots of pix next week.

I like how the ferrets are getting a bath in addition to all the prep around them.

Soba

[bleudauvergne]

Wednesday 11/24

Greenmarket shopping trip for herbs and anything forgotten

Chelsea Market for...

It's a riot you are shopping for things forgotten the day before.

My forgotten things time is that morning and I send out the scout for those things. He's a very good finder.

[slkinsey]

The table will not fall silent and sad and everyone thinking to themselves, "Where's Sam?"  They know where he is.

←

I think I mentioned this before, but I also have the advantage of having a kitchen that is open to the dining room. So I can continue to communicate with everyone even while I am in the kitchen. That said, the table often does fall comparatively silent when I am away, but this is simply because I have a very loud voice. One of the hazards of being in the opera business. I remember doing some of the reading at a friend's Passover seder with his family, and as soon as I got done the first thing he said was, "um... he's an opera singer, so that's why his voice is like that."

Wednesday 11/24

Greenmarket shopping trip for herbs and anything forgotten

Chelsea Market for...

My forgotten things time is that morning and I send out the scout for those things. He's a very good finder.

←

Ah, if only Dave the Cook were going to be here. There is nothing more I would like to do than send Dave for some last-minute shopping at Fairway around, say, noon on Thanksgiving day. Fat Guy sent Dave to Fairway on an errand the afternoon of New Year's Eve last year, and when he got back several hours later he said something to the effect of, "was this some kind of New York City hazing ritual?" Believe me, the last place you want to be on Thanksgiving day (or eve, for that matter) is Fairway.

[ludja]

Do the ferrets get a special treat on T-day?

(I really loved the pix you shared with us on your blogs; never knew they were so cute).

This is just to 'share' since your menu is well set. But I have a 'traditional' Thanksgiving sorbet I've been making for a long time b/c we like it so much.

It's a red grapefruit sorbet (with honey, sugar, water); campari drizzled and pomegranates strewn over the top. It is a nice slightly bitter, refreshing break before the onslaught of pies and cakes...

I will try the lemon thyme combination sometime as well; sounds very good.

Happy shopping!

[docsconz]

I hope there will be lots of pix next week.  

I like how the ferrets are getting a bath in addition to all the prep around them.  

←

I also like the fact that Sam is getting a haircut and taking a shower.

[tanabutler]

Impressive, indeed.

Sam, have you considered having a Gruner Veltliner for one of your courses? Perhaps the cauliflower soup: GVs go great with spicy food.

I, too, am looking forward to photos.

[bergerka]

I have found that a group of 10-12 is very liberating for me.  They tend to themselves, have a great time, and that of course is the point of throwing the party.  It's inevitable that if you're going to be serving quality food you are going to dissapear for a few minutes here and there.  That's what friends and spouses are for.  You co-ordinate.  And also you invite enough people to dinner so that conversation continues even when you slip away.  This was something I discovered long ago and always when I invite people to dinner, unless they are very special guests that we want to concentrate on specifically (and in that case things are planned accordingly), we normally invite enough to keep not only one, but two or three conversations going at a time.  I think that Sam is going to be fine, considering the number of people he has at the table. The table will not fall silent and sad and everyone thinking to themselves, "Where's Sam?"  They know where he is.  And they'll be thankful for it.

one other thing that I don't know if Sam mentioned is this - we have an "open" kitchen right next to the dining room, which is right next to the living room. So in general, if Sam and/or helper are in the kitchen, they're still available for conversation and guests can get a peek at what, exactly he's doing in there that makes everything taste so good! It's also great for me between courses/after dinner, when I can just sneak into the kitchen and do a little preliminary cleaning without losing the thread of the conversation or absenting myself from the party.

We lucked into an apartment that is really ideal for entertaining in NYC.

We'll definitely have to figure out a special treat for the boyz...after all, they're thankful too! Although they're mostly thankful for the opportunity to chomp their mother on the toe, or the finger, or whatever else is closest, I think.

K

Edited to add that duh, yes, Sam did mention the open kitchen. Blame it on the cold meds I'm sucking down.

Edited November 19, 2004 by bergerka (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Can I request a photo of the ferrets having their treat (or toe, or whatever) as part of the photo essay I know will accompany this lavish meal? They're soooo cute!

[marie-louise]

I hope there will be lots of pix next week.  

I like how the ferrets are getting a bath in addition to all the prep around them.  

←

I also like the fact that Sam is getting a haircut and taking a shower.

←

I like

"My parents and bergerka's parents arriving Wednesday evening -- schedule 30 minutes to freak out with stress since they have never met before, despite the fact that we have been living together for something like 8 years. Think up something at the last minute to entertain them. Plan on getting drunk to deal with nerves."

God, it must have been more than 20 years ago our parents first met-the last one died in 1998-and I still remember the horror of it all like it was yesterday. Alcohol will help.

[slbunge]

Next:

4. Raw brussels sprouts shaved micro-fine on the mandoline and dressed with a light vinaigrette.  I'll have to QA this to make sure that raw brussels sprouts are palatable.  Otherwise, I'll blanch them for around 2 seconds to get out the raw taste and shock them in ice water.

←

It will be interesting to hear whether you prefer raw or blanched. I often shave brussels sprouts on a mandoline. I love them raw this way but I think the quickly blanched or sauteed versions have been more popular with guests.

Great diary. It is fun to read through how someone proceeds through the joy of planning and executing a dinner party.

[slkinsey]

Today I got my knives sharpened in preparation for the cooking to come. I went to Henry Westpfal.

Here are the finished knives. They are custom knives I had made for me, using Boye's cast dendritic steel. The knives are extremely hard, with a very aggressive and persistent edge. The handles are Brazilian ironwood.

Here is a closeup, which hopefully offers a look at the unique texture of cast dendritic steel:

[M. Lucia]

I was wondering if you could share a more detailed version of your cauliflower soup recipe. I love doing roasted cauliflower with curry powder, so this sounds like something up my alley. That is one amazing meal that is shaping up here.

[tanabutler]

Sam, I've never seen knives like that. As a calligrapher who has often been paid to make people's names look good, I am in awe of how gorgeous your name looks on that metal.

I'm very impressed.

[lovebenton0]

Here are the finished knives.  They are custom knives I had made for me, using Boye's cast dendritic steel.  The knives are extremely hard, with a very aggressive and persistent edge.  The handles are Brazilian ironwood.

←

The knives are works of art, Sam. I can almost feel the Ironwood and balance in my hands.

My parents and bergerka's parents arriving Wednesday evening -- schedule 30 minutes to freak out with stress since they have never met before, despite the fact that we have been living together for something like 8 years. Think up something at the last minute to entertain them. Plan on getting drunk to deal with nerves.

Take heart over relatives meeting -- it may not be the horror you envision. Not that I'm suggesting you should omit the getting drunk interlude.

Thanks for the pointer back to your turkey instructions -- had lost that in the thread. Next year, this year is already set.

[slkinsey]

I was wondering if you could share a more detailed version of your cauliflower soup recipe. I love doing roasted cauliflower with curry powder, so this sounds like something up my alley. That is one amazing meal that is shaping up here.

←

It's really very simple. Just chop up a couple of large heads of cauliflower and cook until just tender in the cooking medium of your choice. You could use water -- using milk leaves the cauliflower very white. Then take the cauliflower out and run it through a food mill using the finest disk. Return the puree to the pot and add liquid to make a very thick soup just thick enough to work in the blender. Again, this is a choice: you could use some of the cooking liquid, you could use a little stock, you could use some milk -- all depends on the effect you're going for. Stock, for example, will give the soup a deeper flavor, but it also means that it won't be quite as "cauliflower tasting." Anyway, once you have a thick soup-like consistency, heat it back to a bare simmer, add salt and white pepper to taste and then turn the heat off. Take small batches and run them through a blender until completely smooth. After blending, if you pass the soup through a fine sieve it will be even more smooth and silky. At this point, it's good to store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before service. It should be thicker than the soup you will eventually want (which is good, because it takes up less room in the refrigerator). A bit before service, reheat the soup to a bare simmer on the stove, add milk and/or cream to reach the consistency you like and correct the seasonings. The idea is that you want to cook the cauliflower the minimum amount required for it to soften to the point where it can be made in to a smooth puree. Overcooked cauliflower is yucky.

The curry oil is made by heating up a cup or two of good extra virgin olive oil to "not quite hot" in a saucepan with several tablespoons of good curry powder. Let the oil infuse for several hours and then filter through a coffee filter and reserve.

At service, soup goes into the bowl and then a drizzle of the curry oil goes on top. The soup should be thick enough to support the curry oil on the surface of the soup without having the oil bleed or run around.

[MobyP]

I may be way off base with this - but isn't there a Vong recipe using a caper raisin sauce on seared scallops on top of a cauliflower puree?

Raisins (marinated) would also go very well with the curry oil.

Just a thought.