Thanksgiving 1998 at the Tull's

Guests:

Barbara, Bob, Calgary, Craig, Fran, Greg, Jessica, John, Laura, Linda, Phantom, Terry.

Pictures:

• The chef and his lovely wife.
• The famous roasted pepper soup.

Menu (hyperlinked to recipes):

• Chips w/ Guacamole & Salsa, Nuts, Crackers w/ Farmers' Cheese & Garlic Jack
• ROASTED YELLOW PEPPER SOUP
• Parmesan Yam Puff
• Pearl Onions Glazed with Mustard and Brown Sugar
• Louisiana Wild Pecan^® Rice with Red Grapes and Smokehouse Almonds
• Papa Dave's Oyster Casserole
• Mashed Potatoes
• French Cut Green Beans with Slivered Blanched Almonds
• Home baked Buttermilk bread
• ROAST TURKEY WITH STUFFING AND GRAVY
• Apple Cake & Pumpkin Cheesecake (Linda)
• Bear Ridge Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc & 1996 Mendoza Merlot

Craig's Post-Mortem:

• Chips w/ Guacamole & Salsa, Nuts, Crackers w/ Farmers' Cheese & Garlic Jack
• ROASTED YELLOW PEPPER SOUP
  Tasted excellent, looked great. As suggested, we did one recipe with yellow peppers and one with red peppers. With a little care each bowl was 1/2 red & 1/2 yellow split down the middle. Cool effect.
• Parmesan Yam Puff
  Pretty good & suprisingly light tasting. The idea of mixing nutmeg & garlic in a recipe seemed odd, but worked.
• Pearl Onions Glazed with Mustard and Brown Sugar
  Quite good. Again, a wierd seeming mixure of brown surgar and dijon mustard (Terry helped with the last stage of the recipe and was taken abit aback when I added the mustard on top of the brown surgar. She bravely ate some anyway.). I forgot the chopped parsley, but it was a success regardless.
• Louisiana Wild Pecan^® Rice with Red Grapes and Smokehouse Almonds
  John was not amused by having grapes in his rice. Terry wasn't willing to seperate the grapes from the rice for him, and he couldn't muster the energy to do it himself.
  I made a double recipe of the rice, it was only moderately popular (though I liked it myself), so we have plenty of leftovers to go with leftover turkey.
• Papa Dave's Oyster Casserole
  Normally this is the only thing I prepare for Turkey day. This year this is the only think I didn't prepare (Sort of a pleasing symetry there don't you think?). The store didn't have enough oysters, and by the time dinner came around I hadn't had time to get it made in addition to the other items. Oh well, perhaps I can use the oysters this weekend for my famous Oyster and Peanut Butter Soup.
• Mashed Potatoes
  Pathetic loser that I am, this is the one thing I couldn't possibly ruin and did. The potatoes boiled way too long, by the time I tried to drain them, the seven gigantic russet potatoes yielded 1 cup of mashed potatoes and three gallons of potato soup (lost down the drain).
• French Cut Green Beans with Slivered Blanched Almonds
  Ho-hum. They tasted just like French Cut Green Beans with Slivered Blanched Almonds.
• Home baked Buttermilk bread
  Excellent.
• ROAST TURKEY WITH STUFFING AND GRAVY
  The skin was a perfect mahogany and tasted great. By the time my (two) meat thermometers arrived, the breast meat was at 185º F instead of the recommended 170º F. The white meat could have been slightly more moist, but was quite tender and tasty.
  The stuffing in the bird worked out well. The gravy was really good as well (I embellished a little bit by running the gibblets etc. through the food processor.).
  Greg graciously carved the turkey with an electric hedge trimmer. He says he hates turkey and he proved it.
• Apple Cake & Pumpkin Cheesecake (Thanks Linda)
  Didn't have any... No suprise there, I've never been a desert person. But everyone else loved it.
• Bear Ridge Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc & 1996 Mendoza Merlot
  Relatively inexpensive wines, but actually fairly good.
• Chinaco Añejo Tequila
  Okay, this wasn't part of the original menu. But Greg and I endulged ourselves after hours. I think it met with his approval even though he is a Patron man himself.

Terry will probably rue this day as I introduced John to video games on our Sony Playstation (Sorry about that, Terry.). He got pretty good at Crash Bandicot (It took him a little while to get good at jumping those darn pits.) by the end of the night.

Recipes

(Mostly from The Food Network and Butterball Turkey Web Sites)

ROASTED YELLOW PEPPER SOUP (recipe courtesy of Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger) 5 to 6 yellow peppers, washed 2 tablespoons butter 2 medium yellow onions, chopped, about 2 cups 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon flour, preferably Wondra 1 cup chicken stock, vegetable stock or water 2 cups milk, warmed slightly Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place peppers on oiled cookie sheet and place in oven. Roast peppers, turning occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes, until the skins puffs up and is mostly blackened. Place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap to sweat. While peppers are roasting, melt butter over low heat and cook onion gently with salt, pepper, and cumin for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add garlic and cook until aroma is released. Sprinkle flour over and cook, stirring, another 5 minutes. Stir in stock or water and bring to the simmer. Turn off heat and set a food mill fitted with fine sieve over pot. Unwrap the bowl of peppers; they should be very soft. Pull out and discard cores. Place contents of bowl, juice and all, into food mill and pass peppers through. Remove mill from pot and clean out pepper skins and seeds by rotating blade backwards. Whisk contents of pot thoroughly and simmer 10 minutes for the flavors to come together. Whisk in milk, pass through food mill again into clean pot, heat gently and serve. Yield: 4 to 6 servings You could also make this soup with red peppers. Better yet, make both and serve a ladle of each in the same bowl. When you buy peppers for roasting, choose those with flat sides as the very curvy ones don=t roast evenly. Roasting over a flame results in roasted peppers with a firmer texture, perfect for salads etc. Oven roasting result in a softer pepper; using the food mill to puree eliminates the need to spend time peeling and seeding. To make this meal even faster, you can roast and puree the peppers a day or two before. Roasted pepper puree also freezes beautifully.

Parmesan Yam Puff Convenient and trendy garlic infused oil adds quick and delicious garlicky savor to this elegant, make-ahead Thanksgiving side dish. 3 pounds fresh yams or sweet potatoes 3 tablespoons garlic infused olive oil, divided 1/4 cup whole milk 2 large eggs 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1. Peel the yams and cut them into 2-inch pieces. Place in a large pot, cover with water and cook over medium-high heat until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, brush olive oil over the bottom and sides of a 1-1/2 to 2-quart shallow casserole dish. 3. Drain the yams thoroughly and place in a mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the milk, eggs and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Season with the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. (At this point the casserole can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.) 4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325° F or bake alongside turkey. Bake until light golden brown on top, about 55 to 60 minutes. Serve hot. Note: If side dish was made ahead of time and chilled, baking time will be approximately 10 to 15 minutes longer. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Per serving (based on 7 servings): 340 calories, 10 g protein, 12 g fat, 48 g carbohydrate, 297 mg sodium, 73 mg cholesterol.

Pearl Onions Glazed with Mustard and Brown Sugar Using frozen pre-peeled and pre-cooked pearl onions makes preparation of this favorite Thanksgiving vegetable easier. The onions are glazed rather than creamed to appeal to lighter contemporary tastes. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 package (16 ounces) frozen small whole onions, thawed 2-1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and gently stir in the mustard to make a smooth coating over the onions. Cook two minutes more. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot. Makes 6 small servings. Per serving: 85 calories, 1 g protein, 4g fat, 12 g carbohydrate, 71 mg sodium, 10 mg cholesterol.

Louisiana Wild Pecan® Rice with Red Grapes and Smokehouse Almonds Wild Pecan® Rice* is grown in the Acadian country of Louisiana and has a wonderful nutty flavor though it contains neither pecans nor wild rice. The rice comes packaged in a brown and yellow box and is widely available in supermarkets across the country. The unique flavor of the rice is further enhanced in this recipe with red grapes and purchased smokehouse almonds. 1 box (7 ounces) Wild Pecan® aromatic rice (3 cups cooked brown rice may be used as a substitute) 1 cup seedless red grapes halved 1/2 cup smokehouse almonds**, coarsely chopped Cook the rice according to the package directions. When the rice is tender, fold in the grapes and almonds. Cover the rice and let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 194 calories, 6 g protein, 6 g fat, 32 g carbohydrate, 73 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol. * Wild Pecan® Rice is a registered trademark of Conrad Rice Mill, Inc. (Konriko brand) ** Smokehouse almonds are made by Blue Diamond and are sold in the canned nut section of major supermarkets.

Papa Dave's Oyster Casserole I don't have the recipe typed up, but here's one that's close: NEW ORLEANS OYSTER DRESSING 3 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 1/2 cup chopped celery 2 tablespoons chopped garlic 3 cups cubed day-old bread 1 1/2 cups oysters with their liquor 1 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup chopped green onions 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce Salt and freshly-ground black pepper Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously oil a medium baking dish. In a large skillet heat oil until it begins to smoke. Add onion, green pepper and celery and saute, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Lower heat and fold in bread cubes, oysters and their liquor, and broth until moistened. Add green onions, parsley, Creole seasoning, and hot pepper sauce; season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour dressing into baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 20 minutes until golden. Yield: 4 servings

Mashed Potatoes Boil, mash, add milk & butter.

French Cut Green Beans with Slivered Blanched Almonds Open bag, nuke.

Home baked Buttermilk Bread Open bag, press button.

ROAST TURKEY WITH STUFFING AND GRAVY (recipe courtesy of Cathy Lowe) 1 small (8-10) pound turkey, thawed, rinsed and giblets removed 4 slices bacon 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup sliced celery 2 cups mushrooms 2 teaspoons celery seed Butter Salt and pepper 2 teaspoons ground sage 6 cups stale white bread, cubed, oven dried 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup water In a non-stick skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain. Allow bacon to cool and crumble. Add onions and celery to bacon fat and cook until tender. Stir in mushrooms and cook until golden. Stir in seasonings. Remove skillet from heat and let cool. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Soak 3 cups dried bread cubes in water. Squeeze out water from croutons so that they are moist but not soggy. In a large bowl, combine dry and moist croutons with onion mushroom mixture. Mix in eggs and moisten with water if necessary. Fill cavity of turkey with stuffing. Cover opening of cavity with foil. Tuck wings under turkey. Make a small slit in neck skin and tuck legs through slit to secure. Transfer leftover stuffing to a baking dish, cover with foil and bake alongside turkey. (This may need to be moistened.) Place stuffed turkey in roasting pan. Rub turkey with butter and season. Roast uncovered for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue roasting for approximately 3 hours or 15-20 minutes per pound. Baste the turkey with its drippings occasionally as it cooks. Turkey is done when pricked with a knife on the thigh the juices run clear. When turkey is done, transfer to a cutting board and cover with foil. Allow turkey to rest so that juices can be reabsorbed. Place roasting pan over medium high heat. Skim off excess fat with a spoon and reserve in a bowl. Add 3 cups hot chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up brown bits stuck to bottom of pan. In a small dish, combine into a paste 3 tbsp flour with 3 tbsp of reserved fat. Whisk flour mixture into simmering gravy. Season with salt and pepper. Yield: 6-8 servings