Thanksgiving Dinner: Our Favorite Things!

Dawn dew on noses and too-crowded kitchens, 
Festive-themed aprons with heavy-weight stitchin's, 
Brined, stuffed, browned turkeys--tied up with strings… 
These are a few of our favorite things! 

When the table's set, when the crowd sits, when that big bird's carved… 
We simply wolf down all our favorite things… and then we don't feel so starved! 

Don't know what to cook for dinner tonight? Some of our Museum staff share their favorite holiday recipes below. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

payroll specialist cecilia mak's favorite | good eats roast turkey | from alton brown

GOOD EATS ROAST TURKEY
total time: 9 hours 45 minutes
yield: 10 to 12 servings
level: easy

• INGREDIENTS: 
• 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey 

   

  For the brine:

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 gallon vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
• 1 gallon heavily iced water
• For the aromatics:
• 1 red apple, sliced
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup water
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 6 leaves sage
• Canola oil
• DIRECTIONS: 
  2 to 3 days before roasting: 

   

  Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F. 

  Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate. 

  Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat: 

  Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining. 

  Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine. 

  Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels. 

  Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil. 

  Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

[Recipe courtesy Alton Brown]

 

visitor experience associate summer mccormick's favorite | loaded mashed potatoes | from paula deen

LOADED MASHED POTATOES
total time: 1 hour
yield: 8 servings
level: easy

INGREDIENTS:

 

• 2 heads garlic
• 6 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and quartered
• Salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 (12-ounce) carton sour cream
• 1 (8-ounce) block sharp white Cheddar, grated
• 1 1/2 pounds cooked bacon, julienned
• DIRECTIONS: 
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

   

  Cut tops off 2 garlic heads. Wrap in foil and roast for 30 minutes. When cool enough to handle remove the flesh from the garlic heads and set aside. 

  In a large stockpot, cook potatoes in enough salted water to cover for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. 

  Drain and return to stockpot. Beat with an electric mixer or by hand until smooth; adding salt, to taste, pepper, butter, garlic and sour cream. With a spatula stir in cheese and bacon. Add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve immediately.

[Recipe courtesy Paula Deen]

 

facilities coordinator alyson fried's favorite | butternut squash soup | from wolfgang puck

SAVORY SQUASH SOUP
total time: 3 hours
yield: 3 servings
level: intermediate

• INGREDIENTS: 
• 3 3/4 pounds pumpkin or butternut squash
• 1 acorn squash (about 1 3/4 pounds)
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 white onion (about 4 ounces), peeled, trimmed, and finely diced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• DIRECTIONS: 
  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

   

  Cut each squash in half and discard the seeds. Brush cut sides with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Arrange the squash cut side down on a rack placed in a baking tray and bake until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool, scoop out the insides of the squash, and puree the flesh in a food processor. Reserve. (You should have about 4 cups of pureed squash). 

  In a medium stockpot, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Over low heat, sweat the onion. Do not allow it to brown. Add the pureed squash and cook over very low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. Do not allow it to bubble up. Season with the salt, pepper, ginger, and cardamom. 

  Pour in the stock and bring to a boil, still over low heat, stirring often. Cook about 20 minutes. 

  In a small saucepan, heat the cream with the rosemary sprig. Remove the rosemary and pour the cream into the soup. Transfer to a blender or food processor and process, in batches, for 2 or 3 minutes. Adjust the seasoning, to taste. 

  To serve, ladle the soup into heated bowls. Place a tablespoon of cranberry relish in the center, top with a dollop of cardamom cream, then sprinkle with chopped pecans. Drizzle pumpkin seed oil over soup. 

  Note: If desired, bake small squash until tender, scoop out, and use as individual serving bowls.

  [Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck]

 

volunteer coordinator reed milne's favorite | magic brussel sprouts

MAGIC BRUSSEL SPROUTS
"yes, even kids will eat them!"
total time: 1 hour
yield: 8 servings
level: easy

• INGREDIENTS: 
• 1 onion (rough chop)
• 1 green Bell Pepper (rough chop)
• Brussel Sprouts (Sliced in Half)
• ½ cup Walnuts (chopped)
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic
• Red Pepper
• Paprika or oregano (depending on what you are serving them with)
• Gorgonzola Cheese

1. DIRECTIONS: 
2. Caramelize onions with peppers seasoning slightly with salt and pepper
3. Add a dash of olive oil and halved brussel sprouts sliced side down and “stir fry” until sliced side of sprouts begins to brown
4. Add salt and other spices to taste while cooking
5. Cover and continue to cook until sprouts are desired firmness (approximately 5 min.)
6. Uncover and crank the heat to get the open side nice and charred
7. Remove from heat and add walnuts letting the sprouts rest
8. Add crumbled gorgonzola cheese on the way to the table

 

registrar/curatorial assistant anel muller's favorite | cornbread pudding

CORNBREAD PUDDING
total time: 1 hour
yield: 10 to 12 servings
level: super easy

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-8oz sour cream
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 15oz can of creamed corn
• 1 15oz can of whole corn
• 1 box of Jiffy corn muffin mix
• DIRECTIONS: 
  Preheat oven to 350 

   

  Melt butter, drain whole corn. Mix all ingredients together. Place in oven safe dish and put in oven. Cook for 1 hour.

 

social media diva andi wang's favorite | ultimate pumpkin pie | from bon appétite

ULTIMATE PUMPKIN PIE
total time: 1.5 hours
yield: 8 servings
level: easy

 

INGREDIENTS: 
Crust

 

 

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled butter, cut into pieces
• 3 tablespoons whipping cream
• (or just buy pre-made pie crust like how lazy-Andi does) 

   

  Filling

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon packed golden brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt
• 1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 large eggs, beaten to blend
• 1/4 cup apricot preserves
• DIRECTIONS: 

   

  For crust: 
  Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend first 3 ingredients in processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cream and process until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball, flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill 15 minutes. 

  Roll out dough on floured surface to 14-inch round. Transfer dough to 9-inch glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1 inch. Fold overhang under. Make cut in crust edge at 1/2 inch intervals. Bend alternate edge pieces inward. Freeze 15 minutes. 

  Line crust with foil, pressing firmly. Bake until sides are set, about 10 minutes. Remove foil. Bake crust until pale brown, about 10 minutes more. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. 

  For filling: 
  Using whisk, mix first 6 ingredients in bowl until no lumps remain. Blend in pumpkin, whipping cream, sour cream and eggs. 

  Spread preserves over crust; pour in filling. Bake until filling puffs at edges and center is almost set, about 55 minutes. Cool on rack. Cover; chill until cold. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)

[Recipe courtesy Bon Appétit, November 1993]