This year, we’re trying some new things for Thanksgiving. In fact, I think almost everything is new. And pretty much everything is from a blog, with the recipes pinned on Pinterest (here’s my ever-growing food page). If I have time, I’ll post photos and details on the recipes (if not today, then this weekend).
The turkey
We’re smoking the turkey in our newly acquired Big Green Egg (a wedding gift from my in-laws!). After my father-in-law and Dave set it up, we smartly grilled a tri-tip on it, which allowed us to both get some practice in with adjusting the temp and also treat them to the first dinner on it.
In researching the various ways to smoke a turkey — to brine or not to brine, what kind of wood chips, merits of various rubs, etc. — I stumbled across this article from Esquire. Apple cider-bourbon brine? Yes. As Dave said, “This has all my favorite ingredients in it.” We pulled out the 5-gallon bucket that I had bought to make sauerkraut, which just barely fit the bird and the brine. (In fact, we’re flipping the bird over periodically to make sure it all gets reasonably brined.)
The sides
- Fennel and walnut cranberry sauce (Chow)
- Creamed spinach (Smitten Kitchen)
- Lemon-parmesan brussels sprouts (What’s Gaby Cooking)
- Scalloped potatoes (my sister-in-law)
- Clover-leaf buns (my mother-in-law)
- Stuffing (my mother-in-law)
Dessert
- Pear pie with maple and ginger (Turntable Kitchen)
- Cookies (my sister-in-law)
- Vanilla ice cream (the store)
Seamripper 