As most of you know, Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. There are no services to attend, you can wear jeans and the only obligations are eating and drinking. This is my kind of holiday!
This year my dad planned another ambitious and delicious menu:
First Course included a smoked salmon and caper deviled egg accompanied by a homemade gravlox on rye bread points.
Second Course was my Dad's often-requested pumpkin and black bean soup.
Third Course was a garden salad with raspberry vinaigrette and cracked pepper dressing.
Main Course consisted of:
Turkey (duh)
Sourdough, chestnut and apple stuffing
Lamb kabobs on a bed of orzo
Fried plantains
Crispy kale and cranberries
Cranberry compote with ginger and applejack
Glazed carrots
Roasted brussel sprouts
Herb and roasted garlic mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy
Sweet potato pie
Corn bread
Homemade bread & butter pickles as well as pickled quail eggs and pickled corn
(there was probably more on the table, apologies to dad if I left something out)
Desserts included blueberry pie (made from berries my dad and Leslie had picked this summer!) as well as brandied peaches, fruit, apple pie, chocolate cake and so much more!!
But before I get too far, I must to go back a few hours and post a picture of what I woke up to on Thursday morning. It's barely 7 AM and here is my dad already performing 'surgery' of one of the birds.
A short while later, David and Brian joined him in the kitchen. Here they are making stuffing. These guys peeled, chopped, sauteed, seared, sliced and diced for HOURS.
The cooks: Dad, David and Brian making stuffing.
You may be wondering... all these men in the kitchen, what did you do, Ali? Well, I watched the parade, set the table and took pictures. It's hard work but someone has to do it. True story.
So at around 3 PM, family and friends started to arrive.
Devaki, Neha and Mallika
Uncle Al and Virginia
Brian, G&G Felder, me, G&G Koles and David
With Dov, Fran and Patricia
Then it was dinner time!! I have no idea how he did it, but my dad managed to prepare all of this amazing food in two days and fit 19 people in his apartment!
Here is my dad carving up one of the birds. Seriously, the man could teach a Master Class on turkey carving. He's got mad skills.
Quick photo of the whole table before we started dinner
David and me excited to eat!
With Grandpa Don and Grandma Rona
David, Brian and me with G&G Felder
Grandma Ruth (sorta) Grandpa Paul, Brian, Mom and me
Patricia and Fran
Neha, Mallika, Devaki, Dad and Leslie
Dad and Brian
Fran, Ilan and Patricia
Devaki, Brian and Mallika
Attack of the killer turkey!!!!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!!
Dad and David enjoying a well-deserved scotch after a long day of cooking and entertaining around 11 PM.
