Thanksgiving Culinary Tour # 1 Poultry
Holiday feasting is about to begin and Gourmandia would like to offer nontraditional ideas for you and your family, to make your holidays creative and interesting. If you are foregoing the traditional turkey this year you may want to try something gourmet.
Since Thanksgiving is really all about eating, you might consider preparing a few small appetizers and a salad to eat throughout the day, an entrée with vegetables, for mid-afternoon, and a dessert for 5pm with a cup of coffee or cappuccino, and perhaps a nice fruit and cheese tray with a glass of wine for the evening.
Each of the following courses is relatively easy to prepare and some of them can be made in advance.
If your family is like most, everyone eats or nibbles all day long on Thanksgiving. If your guests are planning on arriving early, it will be wise to have something to offer them before the big meal.
A nice holiday recipe that will put a little food in their stomachs that is not too heavy is Pumpkin Cappuccino with Cardamom. It is great served with warm bread and a great way to start your dining tour. This is healthy and will also be great for any vegetarians. This takes about 30 minutes to prepare, and except for the froth, can be made the evening before serving.
If you prefer, you can serve the Cepe mushroom and chestnut salad, flambé directly before the meal. However, this is so delicious that you should really serve it an hour or two prior to the big meal. If you have already sliced everything, the preparation time for this recipe is about 15 minutes, giving you time to cook other things and socialize. A robust, velvety Pomerol impeccably compliments this dish.
Allowing time between courses will highlight each dish and keep your guests occupied and anxiously awaiting the Blanc de volaille fermiere, puree de vieux garcon served with ravioli with cepe mushrooms. The blanc de volaille fermiere can be prepared in about one hour and is excellent with Cote de Provence rouge.
The Ravioli with Cepe Mushrooms is an excellent side dish that can be prepared while the chicken is baking. If you prefer you can make and serve this first, or after the blanc de volaille fermiere. The preparation time is about 35 minutes and this dish is excellent with
Beaune blanc or the full-bodied Alsace Tokay. If you serve this separately it will allow your guests to enjoy a variety of accompanying wines.
Two or three hours after the main course is a nice time for an espresso with dessert. No Thanksgiving will be complete without dessert. Most everyone serves the traditional pumpkin pie. But since you have started this tour with the pumpkin cappuccino, you might want to try something different like a Tarte Bagnarde. This wonderful apple tarte with a light almond flavor is excellent with Johannisberg St Martin 88 dessert wine.
Keep in mind that the majority of these recipes are designed to serve four (4) people, so plan accordingly. Be sure to set a beautiful table and try the Pliage classique napkin fold to add a beautiful finishing touch. With a little preplanning, purchasing, and preparation you can give your family and guests a delicious meal that will be remembered until next year. And you will be able to enjoy the day.
