Thanksgiving ‘08

I was so happy to go to my brother Jim’s house in Methuen for Thanksgiving this year – not only because it was so great to see him and his wife Chris, but also because he’s an amazing, inventive cook. I knew right away it would be a special meal when soon after I arrived, he brought a bowl over to me and said, “Hey Sue, would you like some octopus?”  I have witnesses who will attest to the fact that I have been talking about wanting some octopus for about three weeks now – ever since  saw it being served all over the place on a food show about the Greek Isles. How did he know? And there it was, all marinating in a Greek Style mixture of fresh garlic, olive oil, oregano, onion and cucumber! My god, it was perfect……..

What a way to start what was a traditional New England Thanksgiving! Twists and turns abound in any family get together, and there was one in particular that Jim handled so impressively I’ll not soon forget it – due to food intolerances and dietary restrictions, he prepared the entire feast without cream, milk or butter. Kudos Jim – everything was delicious, and no one missed any of that  for a second!

Fragrant, tasty pearl onions were the epitome of a dish that’s even better without a heavy sauce.

Jim coined the term ‘lighter-than-air’ stuffing for his rendition of stuffing this year – and we all agreed that cooked out of the bird, with nothing greasy or heavy about it, was great. The gravy, which he thickened with brown rice flour was perfect on this.

I haven’t yet mentioned that Jim brined the turkey - I was sure to get his method from him because it was certainly the moistest AND best looking turkey I’ve had. I regret opting out of brining my bird last year, but sometimes you just don’t know until someone tells you how! I’m also a big fan of the ‘remove the breast and slice into meaningful pieces’ method of carving a turkey.

The other dishes that Jim prepared included: mashed potatoes, winter squash, roasted mixed vegetables with brussel sprouts, celery and other goodies, roasted fingerling potatoes and carrots, homemade cranberry sauce…..wow…thanks Jim!  And dessert? How about ths baklava that my brother Bill made?

Bill has managed to turn making baklava into an art form – it’s incredible how he can nail this to perfection every time!

  I don’t recall when I’ve laughed so hard, which may have been the best part of the meal -  no matter how delicious it was. There is nothing like family and friends gathered around the table to keep it all real. I have an amazing family, for which I am eternally grateful, and each addition to the family, like my sister-in-law Chris, makes everything in the world feel just a bit safer and a whole lot better.

Thank you Jim and Chris for an great Thanksgiving !