Last year we had Christmas at the end of January. With the door closed, you would never know the difference.

AAKleeman: way to go!

Red Wine: A mulled spice wine made from a Swedish recipe and served warmed, excellent for the holidays and winter.” http://www.boydenvalley.com/redwines.html

For those who would turn up their noses at a spiced wine — this is not your typical mulled wine in a pot w/ lemon and cloves floating in it. It’s a real red, but the spices are going to cooperate with all the heavy food and get you to the pumpkin pie without any bumps. Boyden also makes a good cranberry wine. (Yeah, it’s a plug but I’m a fan, not a shill.)

I’ve a friend who writes about wine, who (for a long time) had a theory that it’s impossible to find a wine match for turkey. This year he’s softened his position, and makes some reccomendatioins in his column, “In Vino Veritas” http://www.invinoveritas.com/ftp/column/111105-turkey/111105-turkey.txt

Christopher Lydon kindly mentions us in his Thanksgiving 2.0 show on Open Source. Thanks–much obliged. I have subscribe to the show–which I didn’t know was a podcast. My bad. Unfortunately iTunes hasn’t caught todays show yet–so I will hear it tom…

This is a traditional pudding (in the bread sense), and the key is how the cranberry and molasses flavor is offset by the sweet buttery cream sauce.

Pudding:

2 cups raw cranberries

1-1/2 cups flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

1/2 cup unsulphured molasses (is there any other kind)

1/3 cup boiling water

You need a sifter for the dry ingredients. Mix everything together and spread into a bundt pan. Steam in a large covered pot for one hour.

Sauce:

1 cup sugar

1 cup cream (not milk)

1/3 – 1/2 cup butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter and stir in ingredients on stovetop for 15 to 20 minutes over low heat.

Serve slices of warm pudding with generous portions of sauce.

Dare not to have seconds.

Thanks for the tip. Sorry we couldn’t get it on the air.

1. When invited to a friend’s house, be grateful but regretful, and say you’re going to your family’s.

2. When invited to the family gathering, be grateful but regretful, and say you’re going to a friend’s.

3. Stay home.

Now you’re ready to cook what you really want for your feast. I like turkey thighs, so I buy these, roast them with a Nantucket Rub of herbs and spices. I make dear old Pepperidge Farm stuffing in a separate small cassarole. I freeze old turkey bones, knawed, along with leftover veggie parings. These I’ve already cooked in a crockpot overnight, strained and chilled so I can lift off the fat in one chunk. Gravy is shitake mushrooms, sauteed in butter, and mixed with this reduced stock. Oh, yes, don’t forget the “round kind” cranberry sauce.

This is course 1, eaten when ready.

After eating the turkey, you can start on the yam. Cut a yam in wedges, turn over in olive oil, and cook in a very hot oven until crispy and caramelized.

This is course 2, eaten when ready.

By now it’s about 4-ish. Time for a walk on the beach. Be sure to put a scarf over your face so no one will recognize you and blow your cover.

Brussels sprouts are next. Forget those stupid little X’s in the stem. Cut ‘em in half. Steam for about 20 minutes, then mash with butter and lots of coarse salt.

Course #3.

You can go on like this more or less indefinitely.

The next day, call around to your friends. You’ll no doubt find someone who hates dark meat and who has a slab of yummy pie just waiting for you. Invite yourself over.

That’s the best way to do Thanksgiving.

Also: did you know that the president traditionally spares one lucky turkey in a holiday presidential pardon? There’s a political cartoon with Scooter Libby dressed as a turkey begging to be drawn here.