See Us Eat: Thanksgiving Feast at Home

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Thanksgiving Feast at Home

We decided to forgo the family route this year and host Thanksgiving at our place for our friends. Preparations for the feast started earlier this week. Due to the fact that Giao doesn't eat turkey (if turkey tasted any good why would people only eat it once a year?), he cooked up a prime rib. Everything else was made from scratch by Alexis (unless otherwise indicated).

Hummus
Lots of lemon and garlic.

Caprese Salad served on Crostini (courtesy Kelly)

Spinich Artichoke Dip
This cheesy goodness was made with cream cheese, sour cream, spinach, artichoke hearts and peperoncini.

Turkey
The turkey was a perfect golden brown. And it was neither under nor over cooked. The method was as follows: brine for 4 hours, cook on 500 for 30 minutes, reduce heat to 350 , cover with oil soacked cheesecloth and cook until internal temperature of breast is 160.

Fresh Salsa (courtesy Nik)
Yum.

Sausage and Sourdough Stuffing
Fresh rosemary, sage, thyme and cilantro made all the difference in this stuffing. Also, sauteeing the celery, onions and bell peppers in the pork fat rendered from the sausage helped.

Sweet Potato Soup
This soup was incredibly creamy and not too sweet.

Brussel Sprouts Sauteed with Bacon
The bacon flavor turned the typical bitterness of the brussel sprouts on end.

Dinner Rolls
The recipe for these rolls was courtesy of Alexis' mom. They were devoured.

Mashed Potatoes
Lots of butter and cream.

Yams and Cippolini Onions Baked in Balsamic Vinegar.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce with Oranges and Fennel

Cheddar and Chive Scones

Prime Rib
Actually it's probably somewhere between select and choice. Either way it's a tasty looking $90, 5-week dry-aged piece of cow.

Giao marinated this prime rib in a paste of roasted garlic and horseradish. It was then baked in a 470 degree oven for 15 minutes to create a crust. Then the oven temp was reduced to 250 and it was cooked until the internal temperature reached 110. It was excellent.