It was just Larry and I for Thanksgiving this year. It’s nice to have a crowd of people to feed, but I kind of enjoyed the relaxed pace of cooking. I didn’t need to be done at any particular time, and I didn’t have to stress about things like forgetting to make the spinach (whoops!).
I modified the turkey this year, and tried a dry brine – basically just like the Zuni Roast Chicken. I wasn’t especially impressed. Once again, brined turkey takes the prize. Next year I’m back to a traditional brine.
I used a different brand of cider this year, and bleh! It was too sweet. I didn’t like the color, either – it turned my pan juices a bit grey. I actually had to resort to Kitchen Bouquet to fix the color. The horror! Larry thought it turned out okay, though.
My rolls didn’t rise fast enough, so they weren’t done in time for dinner. I’m positive my yeast is the problem, since I had the same issue with my multigrain bread. And the kitchen was like a sauna, a perfect environment for rising.
I don’t like pumpkin pie, and I’ve never successfully made a good one. I decided to lean on Fine Cooking once again, because it’s hard to go wrong with their recipes. I love this crust recipe. It’s the same one I use for my apple pie. It’s easy to work with, delicious, and flaky. I had some problems with shrinkage when I blind baked the crust, but not too bad. The leaves browned more than I wanted, even with foil protecting them during the final baking. Larry gave the pie a thumbs-up.

• Butter-Rubbed, Cider-Glazed Roast Turkey (Fine Cooking #53, November 2002, p. 46)
• Poultry Dressing (Sheri’s Recipe Box)
• Puree of Yukon Gold Potatoes & Celery Root
• Herbed Dinner Rolls (Fine Cooking #61, Holiday Baking 2004, p. 72)
• Pumpkin Pie with a Leafy Rim (Fine Cooking #54, Winter 2003 Holiday Baking Issue, p. 42)

Wine: Gamba 2003 Moratta Vineyard Zinfandel. Oh, my. This is drinking really nice. It tastes a bit like a late harvest Zin, and it’s not hot at all, even with 16.5 percent alcohol. We have four more bottles.