Thanksgiving, family style

Thanksgiving in my house is always a big event, although not big in the way that many are with countless family, friends, and pies. While we have shared Christmas and Easter with family, and now Rosh Hashanah with our new extended family, Thanksgiving has always been a holiday reserved for my mom, dad, sister and I. We probably cook as much food as a get-together for ten, but that’s part of the fun. We munch all day on some antipasto that my father prepares.

In past years my father has made turkey a number of different ways, and it has always been good. In recent Thanksgivings he has experimented with brining the turkey, a popular method as of late. It always produces a moist turkey (although be careful not to brine it for too long to avoid an over-salty piece of meat). This year, he simply roasted the turkey on a bed of vegetables and herbs. It was delicious!

Carving a turkey is always tricky business. This year I watched my father carefully. Start by removing the wings and legs. Then cut into the breast and slice off the breast meat. We barely ate half our turkey!

The final meal included turkey, mushroom gravy, green beans, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, salad, and biscuits.

The tower of leftovers!

For dessert we had two pies (my mother-in-law’s pecan pie and my pumpkin pie), and my mother-in-law’s famous pumpkin chocolate chip mini muffins. You can find the recipe for my pumpkin pie in the South Bronx Thanksgiving post, but the muffins will remain under wraps.