Last Thanksgiving and Christmas, quite frankly, blew, foodwise. Not otherwise, but…Thanksgiving was spent with my parents, sister, BIL and cousins (and Mr. Rilch, of course). My mom refused (strongly, in my sister’s case) any offers of help, or of hosting the event elsewhere, and after all that, served the bare bones of a meal. Christmas, at MIL’s house, was much the same: MIL wouldn’t let Mr. Rilch or I assist, other than monetarily, and it was another case of slim pickin’s.
Now, I’m not saying that either holiday was ruined, so please don’t Pit me. But we determined then to make these holidays extra-special. Mr. Rilch got November’s copy of Bon Appetit, and together, we worked out a menu. (We’ve got guests, so we’re not going to balloon up on this all by ourselves!)
Turkey
Italian sausage stuffing (BA recipe)
Scalloped potatoes (standard)
Mashed potatoes (standard)
Candied yams (Straight Dope recipe; thanks, whoever you were!)
Green bean casserole (standard)
Green beans, by themselves (standard)
Crescent rolls (standard)
Gravy (duh)
Cranberry-pineapple salsa (BA recipe)
Pumpkin cheesecake (BA recipe, already attempted, superb. Should go over better than pie, for which people are always too full)
After Eight mints (standard)
Now, the ingredients. I’ve left out stuff I already have, like brown sugar and vanilla:
Produce:
Potatoes (10 lbs.)
Chives
Parsley
Thyme
Sage
Rosemary
Celery
Green onion(s)
Onions, enough for 3 c. chopped
Yams
Green beans
Cranberries
Fresh lime juice
Dairy:
Unsalted butter (2 sticks)
3 pkgs. cream cheese
5 eggs
Romano cheese
Cream (1 pint reg., ½ pint heavy)
1 pint milk
Sharp cheddar cheese
Meat:
Turkey
1 lb. Italian sweet sausage
8 oz. chicken livers
Canned:
Mushroom soup
French fried onions
8 oz. crushed pineapple
Pickled jalapeno chiles
Other:
Gingersnaps
2 loaves crustless white bread
Cumin
Crescent rolls
After Eight mints
Sparkling grape juice
Hm. This is gonna cost us…