Whoooo......Thanks.....your the best.....I mean your pie!!

Thank you all for your suggestions and ideas - and for sharing stories about your own Thanksgiving gatherings. Waterguy, I'm sure your family will not feel like you don't care if you are busy with meal preparation and will certainly pitch in to help you. I know that Thanksgiving is the one holiday for me that is so bittersweet because the most amazing family memories are from that day....but so many people are no longer with us now. However, the traditions carry on and the memories are celebrated on this day like no other.

Sitter, I LOVE the idea about the pencil and writing down what they are thankful for. I have also seen the leaf placecard idea. I am doing something sort of similar - names on mini pumpkins at each place.

Coden and CruzBayB, nobody is allowed to bring anything 😉 My cousin is also hosting (her hubby is one of 9, so HIS family is HUGE and they come to her house) - and we were hysterically laughing today because she really doesn't care for her mom's mac-n-cheese and what do you think her mom insists on bringing - yep - the infamous mac 'n cheese. She told her mom "mom, ya know, I was really hoping you would bring your delicious rolls"...so her mom now insists on rolls AND mac 'n cheese.

Now, the interesting part of my meal will be having my two male cousins (brothers) who are feuding. One has recently sued the other one....over stupid stuff.

Stx, I cried laughing when I read about you flying with your own turkey.

thanks coden - I am definitely making this pecan pie on T-givng! wonder how many weight watcher points a piece of that is?!! who cares!

Hi Blu - I do our Thanksgiving every year and have been for awhile - wouldn't have it any other way. My routine has evolved as follows: Quick breads (pumpkin, cranberry, banana) are done the weekend prior, wrapped and refrigerated. I cook and process the fresh pumpkin (for pie) on Monday or Tuesday, store in airtight container and refrigerate. I bake the pies (apple and pumpkin at least) on Wednesday afternoon (sometimes into the night if I work that day or get a late start). I also cook up the giblets, and make the homemade cranberry relish sauce on Wed. Last thing Wed PM, I break up the stuffing bread and let it sit overnight in the warm oven. Thurs AM starts with stuffing prep (using cooked giblets), potato and squash peeling, and any other vegetable prep that can be done in advance. Turkey is stuffed and put in the oven (yep I still stuff it, but just before it goes in!). Once the bird is in, I have an ETA, so I can now pour myself a glass of wine while I clean up round #1 of the mess. After this I set the table (unless I have been able to delegate this task), and enjoy a bit of down time before veggies, etc. have to start cooking. It gets a bit crazy just before diner is served, but that's pretty much to be expected. Prep the coffee maker ahead of time, have another glass of wine, and enjoy! 🙂

Blu

Off topic is alright with me....

Sounds like you got some great food recommendations.

Besides the islands my other passion is wine. In fact I am giving a presentation on Friday. The topic is Wine for the Holidays.

If you finalize your menu or are looking for a wine candidates let me know. I can send you my presentation notes when I am finished (probably tomorrow) if you like.

I would just go a head and post them but it was too long

And of course FAR FAR off topic

See now...this is what we are talking about....HOW else would Blu know what kind of wine to serve for a very important day to her if great friends we meet in this forum like TomB has to only post on island topics!!!

This is why I'm here!!

Hey TomB.....what IS the best wine to serve with turkey???

Well hear is my two cents on wine & Thanksgiving:

The food is what it is all about – not the wine. Do not go out and buy some expensive bottle of wine to impress your relatives – a lot of them when it comes to wine are probably clueless anyway.

So with a classic American Turkey Dinner the ABC rule is in play – Anything But Cabernet/Chardonnay

Stay away from pre-dinner cocktails of sprits – they just blur the taste buds and lead to family arguments

As an Aperitif instead of cocktails, I recommend Lillet Blanc or Lillet Rouge – what the heck get them both! Visit the Lillet web page www.lillet.fr lots of good info. Lillet comes in at 17% alc, so it is a little stiffer than a glass of wine. If you must have cocktails shake up the guest and go with the original James Bond Martini 3 parts Gin, 1 part Vodka, 1 Part Lillet Blanc with a twist of lemon. Originally called a Vesper Martini, but Ian Fleming made it famous in his first book Casino Royale (wonder if the movie will call it out) Shaken not Stirred of Course. Lillet runs about $15 a bottle and unlike wine it should be served very will chilled. Couple hours on ice is a good thing.

Classic Turkey Dinner (Regular/Fried) with food everywhere I recommend a Chenin Blanc. Clean Fruit and acidity to compliment and balance the amount of salt usually found in a feast. By name I would recommend : 2005 Domaines le Peu de la Moriette Vouvray. $8.99 and when it comes to Chenin Blanc it is one of the best for the $s. Also 2005 was a stellar year in Vouvray. Works great with oyster dressing (I am from Virginia)

Classic Turkey Dinner (Regular/Smoked/Fried) with a Stuffed Rock Fish or Chilean Sea Bass I would turn to a Rose – Oh no a white zin! Nope I would venture to enchanted land of Provence. Recommendation: Commanderie de la Bargemone the younger the better 2004 or 2005. This blush wine is to die for. Once again great fruit and solid acidity – Also can work with wild game. Cost: $11.99

Classic Turkey Dinner (Regular/Smoked) with a red meat or wild game it would have to be Georges Viornery, Brouilly (Beaujolais) – Once again the younger the better. This is a red wine which has fruit everywhere and soft silkiness not normally found in Red. A Brouilly is on the high end of Beaujolais (Georges Vionery being my personal favorite) so expect around $16.99 a bottle. Serve this wine slightly chilled with a feast – 60 F and it would not hurt to open about 30 mins before the meal.

Dessert is when it gets real good. Classic Pumpkin Pie – go back to Lillet Blanc, but if you are going to make the Pecan Pie or anything Chocolate, or Crème Brule – Sonoma Valley Portworks makes a dessert port that is infused with essence of chocolate. The name is Deco and it comes in 500 ml bottle. The grapes come from California and Australia blended in Sonoma and the added chocolate…. Well what can I say – It is dessert! At $17.99 a bottle it is pure sex (can I use that word - islander?)

Of course this is my humble opinion when it comes to wine recommendations and pricing is base on east coast cost info. All of the wines should be easily found in your local wine shop - not grocery store. If not I am sure they can point you in the right direction.

For Thanksgiving: Keep it reasonably priced. Fruit and/or acidity is good a thing and remember the ABC rule. By the way I love both Cabernet and Chardonnay ,but every dog has his day and Thanksgiving is not theirs.

Gee Sitter - I bet you thought I was going to just call out a grape

The USVI and Wine – It don’t get much better than that…. Lol

I think my last line keeps in on topic for the forum

Wow, thanks for the great info, TomB!

TomB

Not familiar with any of the wines you suggested as most of mine come with re-sealable screw caps 🙂

Thanks for the information.

Some of these do to... The Lillet
well kinda - it comes with a cork re-sealable top
Screw Caps are not a bad thing
And it used to be a sign of jug wine - no more
I just paid over $25 for NZ white with a screw cap

there was nothing better than getting paralyzed on the beaches of Los Angeles after sucking on a jug of Red Mountain Vin Rose.

Ah, the good old days.

I just caught this thread and realized your absolutely right to start planning-Thanksgiving will be here before we all know it. Two hits at my table are corn pudding and turnip mashed potatoes. Oh another side dish that worked was gratin of butternut squash(got this one from epicurious food.com Jacques Pepin years ago). I'm now searching for my recipes. .. Also check out Cooks Illustrated Magazine(sold at Whole Foods) is a wonder to glimpse for ideas , I think they are on line now. I got a wonderful apple pie recipe that also worked well on my table. I hope I've helped ,Good luck to all of us cooking for Thanksgiving!

Thank you all for the suggestions! Everyone seems to be coming along with their plans. I have noticed that all of the Food and Entertaining shows have switched from Halloween themes to Thanksgiving. Yay! That means we're quickly approaching the Big Day.

My menu is just about done - slight alterations possible. We're doing a 12 course...but the main course is the fairly traditional Thanksgiving Feast.

TomB, soooo glad you mentioned your expertise in the area of wine. Sitter is right - THIS is important stuff!!

First - why ABC? in my book, ABC stands for ALWAYS buy Cab/Chard! LOL - those are my two favorites.

Funny you mentioned Lillet. I saw a Food Network snippet today where the host was making a Lillet cocktail to accompany his grilled lambchops. His cocktail was shaken in a martini shaker with ice - and something orange (i didn't pay close attention since I don't like fruity drinks too much). Prior to that, I had not heard of Lillet --- and now, here you are with it.

Are all of the wines you've mentioned on the sweeter side? If so, which of them is least sweet?

Thanks for the suggestion about the aperitif . Can an aperitif be anything BUT wine? Would you please elaborate on this a little more.....

I wonder what kind of Apertif LEX is serving. That might help me decide 😉 Is Lex reading this thread? Lex?

Of course, this post is just for our VI bound cooks, so they can entertain on the islands in style (sticking to the topic) 🙂

bluwater,

"why ABC? in my book, ABC stands for ALWAYS buy Cab/Chard! LOL - those are my two favorites."

Cab Sauv and Chardonnay are the king and queen of wine. Of course I would say Bordeaux and White Burgundy vice the popular CA name, but then you would think I was a wine snob….

As I tried to explain in my original post it gets down to taste and palate basics
Salt, Sugar, Acid, and Bitterness – Bitterness opens up the appetite – hence the Lillet recommendation. Lillet is not only made with grapes and orange sprits – it also has Kina (quinine) infused. Quinine = bitterness. In fact Aperitif comes for the Latin Word - Aperire , which means to open the Appetite
Lillet is a perfect match as a starter – Stronger in Alc – people smile – but don’t fall down - opens taste buds

As for Cabs & Chardonnay – Cab has a lot of Tannins – love it – but it competes with many foods to be the star. You just cooked your butt off and do you really want your guest to say the wine was great but the food was..???? Chardonnay, especially CA chard, coats your tongue. That effect has to do on how it is fermented. Do you want to coat your guest tongues – I think not. You want them to taste your turkey. Without looking at a spec sheet for a particular wine my guess that most Cabs and Chard have a higher residual sugar level than any of the dinner wines I recommended.

Americans and Brits are funny about sweet wines – we like DRY. So the French created Extra Dry Champagne. We buy it up and it is by far sweeter (higher in residual sugar) than Brut. We tend to associate sweet with white sugar and sweet is much more complicated than that.

You got time – go to a wine shop, talk to the owner and invest in a couple bottles and taste them. My guess is you will find the Rose the most dry, Brouilly the Fruitiest, and the Vouvray the one you choose.

No discussion on the chocolate port??? – It is not good Port, but it is sooooooo good.

Sorry if I rambled – it is late for an old man and I am sure there are a bunch of typos

So to keep it on topic – If you are in the USVI and order conch. What wine should I order????

Why Champagne of course!!!! Extra Dry! (aka Sweet) The bubbles take on the grit of conch and the sweetness brings the flavor of the shell fish full forward….

Oh I am such a wine snob… Sorry

TomB.

I wish I could do more, but most often I just "go with the flow" regarding wine. It seems to be a fairly difficult taste to acquire and perfect. I admit, my current pallet (sp?) doesn't distinguish the difference between cheap and "better" wine. So - I just drink Beer! How do you develop a more distinguished taste?

Have fun!

Thanksgiving is a time to be with family and friends so in my opinion you can dazzle them with fantastic food and all the rest but what people typically remember the most is the company in which the day was spent. I say don't stress out and just let it happen.

We have 40+ people at our home for Thanksgiving and it's one of the best days ever. We started planning last Sunday (every Sunday the siblings meet at the parents house for Sunday Manhattan's). Made a list of the adults who are going to be responsible for their "signature" dishes. The list will be checked again this weekend to make sure nobody was missed our somebody changed their mind. Then on Thanksgiving Day all 40+ people show up at our house (Dad brings the all ready chilled Manhattan's), the men retreat to watch football, the boys (my husband included) go outside and play football, the older women sit around the dining room talking about whatever and the other woman (myself and about 9 others) get into the kitchen and go at getting things ready and the rest of the people spend time hanging out with the newborns, chasing the toddlers and comparing parent stories.

By 2pm or so we are all seated together chowing down the most amazing dinner. No one person takes all the credit as it's a group effort, the conversation flows along with the assorted adult beverages. Coffee and pie served about 2 hours later, everyone reclaims their dish (be it empty or still w/ food) and goes home. Clean up is a breeze as throughout the day things are being washed and put away and as for leftovers it's kind of fun as you get your dish and trade w/ others and before you know it you are headed home with a leftover thanksgiving meal.

A great day is had by all and once again the family has had an amazing day of being together.

I should mention there is only ONE rule for Thanksgiving Day at our home and that is absolutely positively nobody is to discuss politics. If you want to discuss politics you have to put your coat, hat, gloves and scarf on and go outside where nobody else has to listen to it (nobody usually ends up outside as it's typically a cold winter day).

Whatever everyone chooses to do I hope you enjoy and have a wonderful Thanksgiving with you and yours.

Wow Blue,
You always make me laugh! Been along time since I have looked at the forum and this thread is all I have time for. Not sure when I will get to look again! Yes, I noticed the morning I came to get you that your Mom had a nice tray all made up pool side for hubby and herself- not sure what it all entailed, but looked as tho your mom took it seriously!
The first year here in the islands for the holidays was very depressing for me. No snow, no family, it simply was not HOME! Now, 23 yrs later, HOME it is and am planning thanksgiving for my small family, wishing my brothers and sisters and parents could come!
We put small Christmas trees in our villas for our guests every year. Most seem to like it, even had a Jewish family come and they didn't mind at all! I offered to take the tree out, but they wouldn't have it! One year we had some guests that had UN-plugged our satellite TV every night to plug in their Christmas lights they had hung at Stone Cottage. Was so funny cause we couldn't figure out why we had no TV every night! Discovered it after a couple of days and gave them an extension cord to use instead!!!!! 🙂
Blue, without a doubt, you will pull it off and you make me wish I could actually be a part of YOUR festivities! Just take a deep breath now and again and relax about it. You know that island "Don't worry be Happy" attitude! It works wonders!!!!!!!

Jill,

The dinner you describe is exactly how I remember our T-Day dinners growing up. Usually it was 25-30 family and friends - and always at Mom’s house. The food was always amazing and plentiful – the drinks flowed. I guess where our tradition differed was when the desserts and digestives (Cognac, Drambuie, and my personal favorite Green Chartreuse – kids got ½ glass when of high school age) were served - the discussions began!

Now to set the stage my father was a Marine and worked for one of three letter organizations. When he retired he became a elementary school principal. His best friend a Marine General, my cousin was member in the SDS during the 60s and active in Democratic Party, my brother-in-law much like my cousin and really sharp, my mother was chairman of the Republican party in our county and cast of others. And of course kids of all ages. The event was presided over by grandmother. The ultimate Virginia lady! She was sharp as a tack until her death at 101 and always sat at the head of the table. There was no subject off limits and the debates could get heated! My grandmother would bring them to end by declaring it was time to the dishes. The kids scurried to clean the table and rinse the dishes, the men headed off to watch the football games, and peace was restored. No one ever left the table mad, but always smarted than when they sat down. I know this is long, but I have to relate a quick story.

One year our neighbors joined us. A couple in their early 80s. The discussions began and the temperature rose. Our neighbor dropped the F bomb describing what he thought of my cousin’s views. The table went quiet – a rule had broken. Never language around Ladies and Children! My Grandmother at age 96 turned to the 80 something neighbor and told him he was excused from the table and she would appreciate if he left house immediately. He rose from the table telling his wife WE are going home. She smiled and said – I was not excused. He stomped out of the house only to return an hour later to apologize to all for his behavior.

You are right on the mark – the day is about family and friends. Each celebrate differently, but the memories are forever. My grandmother died several years ago. My father was diagnosed with Alzheimer at the age of 52 and died in 93, my sister and her husband are now divorced after 24 years of marriage. The neighbors are gone, my mother has moved to the city. Those that remain still gather, but it is not the same. I will always have fond memories of those chilly afternoons for there is no doubt I learned more in a couple hours at that table then I would ever learn in a formal education environment. Current Events, How to Debate, Logic, and most all manners under the watchful eye of my Grandmother.

Thanks for your stories Tom & Sherri! I really enjoyed them & all the stories on this thread!!

Ever see the commercials lately about why you need to take a vacation....well, that's why we planned ours week after Thanksgiving!!

how could anyone suggest that there be another place for OT's.

Nice stories you two. And Jill that is how it was at our house until we all got older, left the planet and moved all over. And yes, football is a big part of a man's Thanksgiving.

Tom, after the election of 2000 and the standoff which lasted through Thanksgiving, no politics was a rule. A cousin started after a few drinks, I dropped the F bomb and but was smart enough to make him the bad guy and am not invitied to his parties. No big deal, but he won't show up at the great Thanksgivings my sister puts together. His loss.