The first week of November is here, and recent tradition dictates the preparation of a Thanksgiving menu. I’ve done this early planning for several years now, mainly because I enjoy leisurely browsing books, magazines, and recipes online while brainstorming for a special menu; also, I hate, hate, hate being rushed into a huge holiday meal without scheduling everything beforehand. (Here I bow to my OCD habits.) What’s there to schedule, you ask? Well if I need three kinds of stock, a scenario which is not at all far-fetched, I’m not going to prepare the stocks all at once or even in the same week. First, that’s kind of a big grocery expense stacked into an already big holiday order. Second, cooking should be spread out and executed without rushing. Obviously if you’re a sous chef in a restaurant, that doesn’t apply and clearly you’re asking for punishment and stress. But at home, cooking should be a process savored and time should allow for attention to detail.

Update 11/16/09: Here lies the finalized menu. Additional details will be resupplied as I post the write-ups of Thanksgiving. Notice, however, the progression of the appetizers. We begin with a warm, creamy soup, slightly sweetened due to the presence of the seafood. The next dish intensifies the sweet theme, but cuts the creaminess of the previous dish with peppery arugula, bitter frisee, and vinegar; it is cool, crisp, and refreshing. The crackers, fruit, and cheese, usually placed later in the meal, are moved here to smooth the transition to the next appetizer. The flavors are mild, but intriguing. Crackers cleanse the palate, while the cheese and fruit tone down the theme of sweetness. Sesame revives the element of savory. When we arrive at the oefs, the rich brown sauce (reminiscent of bourguignonne) complements but does not overwhelm the light delicacy of the eggs.

1. Lobster Bisque
2. Apple Arugula-Frisee Salad with Cider Vinaigrette
3. Crackers, Fruit, and Cheese. Whole wheat honey-glazed sesame crackers with St. Andre triple cream cheese and pears.
4. Oefs en Meurette
5. Whole Roast Turkey. Brined and roasted with seasonal aromatics. Served with pan gravy.
6. Cranberry Pomegranate Relish
7. Lamb Sausage Stuffing with Roasted Chestnuts, Figs, and Currants
8. Green Bean Casserole. Featuring homemade cream of mushroom soup from scratch and a hint of smoked ham.
9. Potato Rosemary Rolls
10. Dessert. Frozen pumpkin vanilla ice cream cake. Served with whipped cream and rustic graham crackers. Or a selection of peanut butter chocolate bark and dark chocolate bark with pistachios and candied orange zest.

Previous Commentary. I've removed these remarks from the menu and placed them here for review in future years.

Other items considered for appetizers:

• Seared scallops over butternut squash with a maple-cranberry reduction. Inspired by the pictures from Sandrine's Bistro.
• Poached fish served with a ginger-citrus or lemongrass beurre blanc.
• Tartlette with eggs, asparagus, and perhaps sundried tomato.

Comments on Turkey Preparation:
I’ve heard rave reviews about birds brined before roasting. Unfortunately, most arguments for brining start by stating that a plain roasted turkey is dry like sawdust. That’s a bald faced lie, frankly, unless you don’t know what you’re doing. However, this year I had the pleasure of steaming/boiling crab in an aromatic mixture. I loved the way the aromatics infused the crab meat with subtle flavors. I’m hoping the brining process will yield a similar outcome for the large bird, and the "science" seems to back up my hypothesis. I’m immensely curious to see whether or not the actual test will bear out the predicted results.

You may also notice the lack of a glaze. Personally, I think glazing is more aesthetic than tasty—unless you eat the skin, which neither Tyler or I do. So no glaze for us.

Other items considered for the dessert menu:

• Caramelized apples, raisins, vanilla bean ice cream and a butterscotch rum sauce. Perhaps topped with a crunchy oatmeal granola.
• Pumpkin mousse with homemade graham cracker wafers and whipped cream. Dusted with cinnamon.
• Pear-almond cream tart.
• Cranberry-nut chocolate bark. Adapted from KAF's recipe.

Original Post Date: November 4, 2009