Thanksgiving 2010

Man, that was some turkey coma! When I was a kid in Hong Kong, we didn't celebrate Thanksgiving; it wasn't a popular occasion back then. But now, having been in Canada for over 20 years, I can't imagine Thanksgiving without turkey, potatoes, a hearty soup, and reflection on the things I have.

I won't bore you with my reflections and epiphanies, but I am so excited to be sharing my humble menu. I made:

Roasted turkey (duh!)
Sweet potato soup
Mash potatoes with onions and pancetta
Maple cornbread with jalapeno
Maple glazed carrots

Like I said, it is a humble menu -- no stuffing, or pie (as I've baked one every year for the past 10 years, and my family isn't big on sweets).

The roasted turkey was simple -- brined, and roasted with onions, garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary, and lemon zest.

The sweet potato soup had rave reviews. I sweated onions and leeks together in a little butter until they were soft. Then, I added chicken stock and sweet potatoes, and simmered for about 20 - 30 mins, until the sweet potatoes were soft. I added a little bit of grated nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves (pretty much pumpkin pie spices), then went processor-happy. I used the hand processor, but a blender would give you a smoother texture, faster.

The mashed potatoes were simple: potatoes, cream, a little chicken stock, onions, and crispy pancetta.

For the cornbread, I added a chopped jalapeno for some zip, and some maple syrup and extract for an autumn flavour. 

Finally, the 5-min-carrots -- baby carrots steamed and glazed with grated ginger and maple syrup.

A few glasses of red and a small sipping of Port after dinner put me in a coma!

Hope that everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving, and has even more to be thankful for next year!