Thanksgiving Part Duex, Eh?

 

Where is the Laughing Matriarch these days? California? Washington? Canada?

Even she (I) is confused. Why am I talking/writing in third person?

OK, xanax has been taken and wine poured. Breathe.

HERE WE GO!

The one thing I am sure of- to borrow Oprah's silly expression - (because seriously, she's probably sure of  about $2.7 billion things) is that it's my favorite time of year to cook --- yay Thanksgiving! Oh, and Christmas! And my birthday!

But I will chill. Let's get through Thanksgiving first. Which I already did last week! HA! 15 people at the house. Best turkey ever, football, laughter, leftovers, blah, blah, blah.

But I am doing it again. On Friday, Nov. 29th in Canada. With my son and some of his friends.

Ahhh, youth.

So until tonight I thought I was cooking/warming stuff up in my hotel room for the three of us. But silly me did not check Facebook. It's 12 guests! YAY!!

Luckily I started cooking items like cornbread and wheat bread for the stuffing. Cookies. Ginger pecans.

And cranberry sauce. Yummy, sweet and tart cranberry sauce.

Last week I phoned the cranberry sauce in. Who cares, with all the cheese plates and dips and chips and gravy right?

But I do love turkey sandwich leftovers created with Best Foods and cranberry sauce. To...die...for.

So finally I will cut to the damn chase:

I grabbed the usual suspects from the freezer/cupboard and store:

 That is NOT  a martini. It was the closest glass I had to pour in the maple syrup. Truth!

I tossed the ingrediants..except for that chocolate bar- what, am I some kind of hoser?- into a pan and boiled it all up into a frothy, yummy mess.

OK...that photo is not frothing....I think I was distracted when it did the bubble dance.

So then I added some damn oranges that cost me more than I could have sold the whole orange tree I have in California.

And THEN...bippity boppity boo...I made cranberry sauce.

Pecan/ pumpkin pie (all in one pie!) to be made tomorrow... because why make two pies when you can also eat cake?

" Most turkeys taste better the day after; my mother's tasted better the day before." Rita Rudner

I Miss California...

..weather. Let me clarify that; I miss the California weather in winter. 

Well, for a couple months anyway. Other than that, I'm good. OK, and Mexican food. San Diego Mexican food such as Roberto's and Old Town cafes and Eden Gardens. I miss those. But that's IT! (I miss my Family/Friends- this goes without saying.)

So Saturday night I was getting a little frustrated with the Facebook postings about the perfect weather and The Husband was watching the golf tournament at Torrey Pines and the sunshine was blinding me and I was craving something...Californian, as only a native can do.

And then I thought about all the tri-tips we used to BBQ at our home in San Diego and I got a little verklempt. (A G.D.Vegan is now living in my ex-house. The horror!)

 My stomach began to growl and I  sucked it up and got to work creating a tri-tip almost as good as the best-tri-tip-I-ever-ate-in-San-Louis-Obispo-Oh-God-Julie-remember-how-good-that-was!

I marinated and chopped and bundled up and went out into the 20-something degree evening and this is what I created. So California- I'm good now. Ignore the crying phone calls.

California is a nice place to live - if you happen to be an Orange. (Dec 1945, American Magazine)   

Ingredients for California Tr-Tip

• 2 to 2 1/2 lb beef tri-tip roast
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 4 cloves crushed garlic

Preparation:

Combine the black pepper, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, and cayenne in a small bowl. Rub on to all surfaces of the tri-tip. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours. Remove and let sit out for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Add the Dijon, vinegar, vegetable oil, and crushed garlic to a jar with a lid and shake vigorously until emulsified.

Prepare your charcoal or gas barbecue grill. Place the tri-tip on the grill and brush with the oil and vinegar mixture. Cocktail in hand, turn every 3-4 minutes, basting generously each time. Grill for 25-30 minutes for medium-rare (internal temp of 135 degrees F.). The outside of the roast will get very dark and develop a charred crust, this is desired and one of the signature characteristics of this barbecue recipe.

Remove the tri-tip from the grill to a large platter. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing in 1/4" thick pieces across the grain. Serve leftovers the next morning with two friend eggs and sourdough bread. And a Bloody Mary.

I Do Not Own A Christmas Sweater...

And I don't want one. Just wanted to clear that up. But I will take an apron. (Tracy made this one for me.)

 Anyway, this year we are traveling to California for the Christmas celebration. I am looking forward to stashing the parka and putting on a slutty red top- so much more festive. Last year the immediate family came here- and I cooked just a little. Check out the photos.

(I made Mexican food for Christmas Eve- like we always do...because..it seems like The Three Wise Men might have driven through Alberto's coming into Jerusalem that late at night. It could happen! For Christmas Day- my favorite Pagan Holiday- I made Pork Shoulder with Guinness, Dried Cherries and Sweet Potato, and it was Good! So I am passing on the recipe..my gift to you!)

But back to the craziness. 

Tomorrow I am having a friend or two over..or more might show up, because I think I invited everyone at the Safeway yesterday, so who knows?

So I am in the kitchen rocking out to whatever Pandora Radio thinks I should hear, and putting a small dinner party together. Here's what I am making: My Sacre Blue Mac and Cheese. I am covering a pork roast with sugar cookie dough and making pork-cranberry sliders, a fantastic shrimp and scallop soup and a yummy red velvet cake. I'm making a few other things, but I can't think what they are. I have them written down somewhere on a list...or maybe I mailed it out in someones Christmas card. Damn! (The Husband has accused me of being hysterical during the holidays. I have told him the lake is very deep...)

Anyway figure out which recipe you want and I'll post it in the morning. Or Sunday- depends on how much eggnog I drink.

Buffet; A French word that means "get up and get it yourself.

Daniel Boulud's Pork Shoulder with Guinness, Dried Cherries and Sweet Potatoes

5 cups Guinness stout
1 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable or extra-virgin olive oil
1 (5 1/2-pound) pork shoulder roast
Coarse sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large red onions, peeled and sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
5 whole allspice, crushed
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup molasses
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 pounds sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and roughly chopped

Serves 6-8

Pork shoulder is a classic for braising. The meat turns nearly spoonable but still slices nicely, and leftovers are great for sandwiches. In this recipe I've combined the pork with dried cherries and sweet potatoes, balancing their sweetness with the slightly bitter taste of Guinness stout and molasses.

1. Bring the stout, cherries, and vinegar to a simmer in a saucepan. Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let sit for at least 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight.
2. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F.
3. Warm the oil in a large cast-iron pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Season the pork shoulder with salt and ground black pepper and sear on all sides until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the pork shoulder to a platter. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pot.
4. Add the onion and the crushed black pepper to the pot and sauté for 7 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add the pork shoulder, the marinated cherries and liquid, allspice, bay leaves, molasses, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 cups water. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
5. Cover the pot, transfer it to the oven, and braise for 1 hour, turning the pork once during cooking. Add the sweet potatoes and continue to braise for 2 more hours, turning two more times. If the sauce is too thin or is not flavored intensely enough, ladle most of it off into another pot and simmer it until it thickens and intensifies. Then add it back to the first pot.
6. Slice the pork and serve with the sauce on top.