Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is about the feast and the time-honored traditions and recipes that somehow relate back to the early pilgrims. This is our interpretation of Thanksgiving dinner. We had a special dinner for two with all the trimmings! I remember many wonderful Thanksgiving dinners over the years. When I was a child, my mother used a set of antique depression glass dishes. These dishes were only used for special occasions. We associated the dishes, certain serving pieces and even table cloths with Thanksgiving. It is a pleasure to put a feast together and I enjoyed setting the table and coming up with the recipes.

Our Thanksgiving feast for two was served in the living room. We had a roaring fire in the fireplace to add ambiance. The placemats are layered, antique lace and contemporary green tailored placemats. The antique lace placemats were purchased at an estate sale, hosted by my dear friend Kathleen. They were part of the Bonfils-Stanton estate – an influential and wealthy family from Denver, who rose to fame with the founding of the newspaper, The Denver Post. The silver flatware is antique, Madame Royale by Durgin. These pieces were designed and likely made in 1897. I have a large set with many added pieces. The core pieces of the set are engraved with a beautiful three letter monogram. The centerpiece consists of pumpkins and squashes from the defunct Eigen Arts pottery, accented with branches clipped from a yew bush outside the kitchen window and leaves collected from the yard – a few of the millions I have been raking over the past few weeks.

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We started with appetizers served in our newest serving piece, a wonderful tray by Beatriz Ball. This was a gift from my delightful friend Amy. She has incredible style and is always thoughtful about every aspect of life. We made homemade crackers – siracha, rosemary, basil and red pepper – that we served with dried mango slices and almonds – siracha and smoked flavors.

After catching up on the Great British Baking Show – the Patisserie Week episode, we tucked into our idea of a feast. Andrew does not like turkey and I am a vegetarian, the Pilgrims and Native Americans would have been disappointed. The idea of a turkey took center stage in our feast. Cauliflower is often served in restaurants as a meat substitute. Stuffing or dressing (yes, there is a difference – stuffing being placed inside the bird and dressing being prepared outside of the bird) is one of my favorite Thanksgiving foods. A cauliflower and dressing turkey was our main course. This was accompanied by parmesan mashed potatoes, floating on a bed of mushroom gravy, and orange and purple sweet potatoes with pecans, and cranberries with dark cherries.

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Dessert is always a treat and we finished our meal with a delicious pumpkin cheesecake topped by caramel sauce, pecans and whipped cream. This was the first time I have made a cheesecake that the top did not crack. I wrapped the pan with a water-soaked collar (Andrew bought these after seeing a reference on the internet) and I patiently waited for the cheesecake to gradually cool in the oven.

It was indeed a feast!

Thanksgiving is a special time. I have much for which to be thankful. While I give thanks for my home, my health, and other basic aspects of life, it is the people around me for which I am most grateful. I am fortunate to know so many lovely people around the world. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving too!