note: i wrote this before 11/5 as you can probably tell by the positive tone.
During college, I spent one of my Thanksgivings at my roommate’s sister’s boyfriend’s aunt and uncle’s house. Being missionary kids our families lived overseas so there weren’t a lot of options. I have no memory of the food or any real festivities at this auspicious occasion and I definitely didn’t cook anything.1 My only memory is the Hitchcock movie marathon that played all day ending with the iconic final scene in Psycho.
Recently my Thanksgivings have been spent with my in-laws where I commandeer all the cooking except for the main proteins. I ask every year if this is ok and they haven’t declined yet.2 I relish this task because the kitchen is large and in the middle of all the action so I can participate but also not participate in all the goings on. There’s also two! dishwashers and two! ovens plus a big outdoor grill for the turkey so that cooking time never needs to factor into my planning. My mother-in-law stocks the kitchen with every appliance, utensil, serving dish and tool one could ever imagine needing3 so its truly a dream to cook in. I do much of the menial prep like chopping, washing, blending and dessert baking the day or two before so it hasn’t ever felt overwhelming on Thanksgiving Day. Most of the dishes are meant to be eaten at room temperature so I’m not stressed about balancing timing. I’m pretty proud of these meals! And ready to get lost in my book by the end of the night!
Here is last year’s menu if you’re interested:
MORNING
butternut squash quiche with browned butter and crispy sage
This recipe is from Violet Bakery and to make it simple for myself I use a pre-made pie shell and roast the squash and garlic the night before. So, when I wake up I just throw it quickly together and as it cooks the aroma permeates the house inviting everyone into holiday mode.
pancetta and cheddar quiche
APPETIZERS
cheese and charcuterie plate
I lay out a whole bunch of the under $5 odds and end cheeses from Whole Foods along with some charcuterie, cornichons, chips, crackers, spreads and fruit so people can continually snack throughout the afternoon and stop asking me when dinner is ready.
MAIN MEAL
this took the place of southport grocery’s red potato mash which i’ve done almost every other year. not sure which we’ll go with this year… maybe both?
delicata squash with dukkah, dried cherries and parsley
from ruffage
grilled cauliflower with charred lemon herb sauce
simple salad with shaved parmesan and pancetta croutons
green beans with ginger and garlic
turmeric roasted carrots with seeds and labne
see below
smoked turkey
DESSERT
chai spiced apple crisp
pumpkin olive oil cake
from snacking cakes
burnt basque cheesecake and with choice of fruit or chocolate fudge topping
DRINKS
campari/aperol/amaro spritz
see below
wine
terms of endearment
my husband’s signature cocktail that has whiskey, honey syrup, angostura bitters and is garnished with a lemon peel
end with a shot of underberg as a digestif
Today’s books focus on the periphery of the holiday meal: drinks, sides and dessert. These are the most exciting elements of the meal to me and the ones I’ve put myself in charge of. I’ll have a couple of bites of turkey sure, but my plate tends to overflow with sides. These books aren’t strictly thanksgiving/christmas/holiday focused, rather they’re the ones I’ve refer to for inspiration and hype building for meals that are just a bit more boosted than everyday dishes. Remember! You can usually find cookbooks at your local library.
Wash your hands, don your apron and clear the counter as you get inspired by one of these.
SPRITZ by Talia Baiocchi and Leslie Pariseau
Spritz highlights sparkling, low alcohol drinks that are ideal for the holidays because they are delicious, pretty, safe for sipping while you cook and helpful for preventing raucous relatives from ruining the roast.4 I always make sure I’m drinking something flavorful while doing my holiday cooking and, while a glass of wine feels elegant to sip, it doesn’t pair well with knife skills or recipe following. All wits are needed until dinner is served! In addition to being very simple and fast to assemble5, these beverages have the added bonus of being an aperitif: a drink to aid digestion, to “open a meal” so pretty helpful when food consumption is the main event. The spirit itself is usually bitter, herbaceous, even sharp but mellows nicely when combined with ice, something sweetly sparkling and an orange wedge garnish. Personally, I’m a big fan of bitter flavors6. Campari is my favorite but I’ll sip almost any amaro, aperitivo, digestif. 7 The bitter the better I always say. This adorable, pocket sized book would make a great gift, so double win. 8
The book includes short lessons of the history, etymology, culture and tradition of the main ingredients9 as well as the cocktail itself along with a few notable bars should you find yourself in Italy some summer’s day. The authors went on a ‘spritz trail’ research trip10 and recount how various Italian cities spend their ‘aperitivo hours’ and the different region’s specialty concoctions. The bulk of the book is setting up your bar, an overview of the more popular bitter liqueurs and then the drink recipes11 which are divided into Classic, Modern and Cousins. The final section is The Aperitivo Table with recipes for snacks and small bites that may not physically transport you to a Venetian piazza but may do so mentally, emotionally and palate-ally.12
SOME RECIPES of note
negroni sbagliato
tarocco spritz
blood orange
spritzz
safe passage
americano
bitter intentions
tramezzini
hand cut potato chips
crostini with various toppings
What we aim to offer you… is a glimpse of the spritz’s past and present, in Italy and in the American craft cocktail bar. We also hope to translate how the spritz became so much more than a recipe and a marketing campaign, but part of a ritual and a means to understand an entire country’s philosophy on socializing - the ‘spritz life’ if you will.
DINING IN by Alison Roman
Probably like many of you, I’ve been a fan of Alison Roman’s recipes for ages. They are consistently approachable, riff-able, flavorful and often include an element of ‘zing’, a pop of something impressive yet comforting which is why they often go viral. This is her first cookbook but now she’s got a newsletter, a podcast, a youtube show, more books and even a boutique grocery store that looks as enchanting as The Shop Around the Corner.
This book is divided into: Pantry, Condiments, Vegetables, Knife and Fork salads, Savory Breakfasts, Grains and Things, Fish, Meat and Sweets. Creative but not complicated, these are solid recipes that elevate a meal a few levels, but don’t feel overly fancy or unattainable. I’ve cooked many of the below recipes for holidays and regular old dinners and they always impress, whether its a table full of people or just myself.
SOME RECIPES of note
roasted sweet potatoes with hot honey browned butter
caramelized winter squash with toasted coconut gremolata
cumin roasted cauliflower and dates with tahini and pine nuts
turmeric roasted carrots with seeds and labne
grilled corn salad with fresh cheese and corn nuts
spring peas with anchovy13, lemon and all the radishes
fennel and grapefruit salad with honey and mint
olive oil fried lentils with cherry tomatoes and a chili fried egg
roasted tomato and anchovy bucatini
slow salmon with citrus and herb salad
anchovy-butter chicken with chicken fat croutons
chocolate tahini tart with crunchy salt14
brown butter buttermilk cake
To buy a book and cook from it is an extremely personal experience. It’s really quite intimate, and I want you to know that we (this book and I) don’t take this responsibility lightly… I promise that if you read this book, you will learn at least one thing that will make you a better and more independent cook for the rest of your life. Table for one? Yes, please. Weekend dinner party? You got this. There is no occasion too big or too small to decide that tonight, you are dining in.
SISTER PIE by Lisa Ludwinksi
This is written by Lisa Ludwinski, the owner of the Detroit based bakery Sister Pie which specializes in baked goods and community. It has been on my list to visit since she did an event at Book Larder when it published in 201915 so last winter I organized my East Coast road trip around a visit.16 Driving from Chicago to Pittsburgh to visit my own sister for her birthday, I stocked up on a cranberry crumble pie and assorted cookies for her and her family and added a savory hand pie for me for the road. This cookbook has incredibly delicious recipes, lovely rustic photography, a terrifically personal story and insights about running a small business in Detroit.
I had never considered opening a business until I considered opening one in Detroit. Every moment spent in this city surrounds me with kind, resilient people who collectively care for the greater good of our home.
Beginning with the bakery’s origin story17, the mission and culture18 of the shop along with a ‘primer’, the recipes are then divided into: The Dough, The Crust, Spring + Summer Pies, Fall + Winter pies, Anytime Pies, Hand Pies and Everything Else which includes Cookies etc, Breakfast and Sister Salads. Bursting with advice, tips, tricks and some very useful step by step photos, this book will ensure even the most timid baker feels equipped to jump into pie baking.
NOTE: I love this book, but I must be honest dear reader that I also yell at it every time I open it when I’m reminded that it DOES NOT INCLUDE WEIGHT MEASUREMENTS.19 I’d like to think if it was made now they would have been included, but we just have to make do with the nonsense that is cups instead of grams. Why, Lisa why?
SOME RECIPES of note
rhubarb rosemary streusel pie
sour cherry bourbon pie
brown butter plum crumble pie
apple sage gouda pie
cranberry crumble pie
salted maple pie
caramelized onion, delicata squash and sage hand pies
apple cheddar rye hand pies
salted rosemary shortbread
ginger rye shortbread
buckwheat chocolate chip cookies
peanut butter paprika cookies
cocoa spranola (sister pie granola)
blueberry cornmeal scones
lemon poppy buns
egg on top sweet potato and cheddar galettes
Why pie? Pie was the thing that could simultaneously showcase Michigan’s abundance of farms and local produce (Michigan is second only to California in agricultural diversity) and fulfill my burgeoning desire to foster family-style community in the workplace. Pie, by its nature inspires generosity - fundamentally, it’s meant to be shared.
Plus, its pie. Everyone loves pie.
What are your go-to books for holiday cookbooks or recipes? Care to share your own holiday menu?
Do you feel like cooking?
back then i was very anti-cooking as i wanted to avoid anything too traditionally domestic. #rebel
though maybe I scare them?
including a restaurant sized saran wrap box that I think is twenty years old… i can attest that the teeth are still sharp since it sliced my finger last year
say that three times fast
usually built right into the glass, minimal shaking and stirring involved
does this surprise anyone?
maybe its the italian in me.
if you’re invited to a holiday dinner, why not bring a copy of this and lovely bottle of bitter liqueur instead the usual boring bottle of trader joe’s wine?
infinitely adaptable to taste but the basics are: bitter liqueur, soda water, prosecco and/or soda water and garnish
what
inspired or borrowed from bars around the world
all words are made up don’t @ me
like alison, i too harbor a deep love for anchovies
this is actually the only one on this list i haven’t made, probably because i don’t have a specific tart pan. must remedy
oh wow, i totally forgot that i edited a book larder podcast episode for this event!
this is normal
don’t miss the dance-a-thon fundraiser story!
inspiring stuff here
a mortal sin in a baking book
I have made the chocolate tahini tart from Dining In and can attest that it’s delicious and totally worth purchasing a tart pan. My only complaint is that the crust is very crumbly so next time I might try fridge temp butter instead of melted.
Mouth drooling stuff here…..