Practice Thanksgiving 2009
We actually don’t remember who started it. About a decade ago, a twenty-something friend of a friend of a friend was hosting Thanksgiving for her family. Not willing to submit her family to a potential culinary disaster, she did a full dress rehersal a few weeks before. With all this good food, she invited her friends over to eat it all, where they all learned a very important lesson: Thanksgiving is awesome. Doing it twice is twice as awesome. Practice Thanksgiving was born: it’s like Thanksgiving, but with your friends. Today, the San Francisco Practice Thanksgiving is a three-bird annual Big Deal. Last year we brought it to Chicago – big dinner, lots of family recipes, good people, some wine. You are kindly invited to join us again for PT 2009.
Co-hosts: Jonathan Eyler-Werve, Kate Eyler-Werve
This is, should you desire, a participatory event! Kindly RSVP by commenting on this page below, with submissions on what culinary masterpiece (or near miss) you would like to create. Low effort contributions like a jug o’ cider are also totally welcome! No remorseful self-flagellation by non-cooks required — just show up and eat.
We’ll edit a running list on this page so we don’t get 14 versions of mashed potatoes. Points will be awarded for degree of difficulty, Thanksgiving kitsch factor, and delightfulness. THERE WILL BE PRIZES. Make it work, people.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Cooking at noon, drinks at 2pm, dinner at 4pm.
4045 N Southport #1, Chicago
As yet unclaimed traditional favorites: Stuffing, cranberries, pie.
Head count: 14.
Apps:
Bacon-wrapped dates. — Kate
Pear & walnut bruschetta — Jennifer
Some fancy appetizer that is yet-to-be-determined — Nate and Sarah
Mains:
Turkey – Fancy heritage breed happy turkey, by Jonathan
Butternut squash soup with apple compote that could be a veggie main – Kathy & Martin
[ something Indian ]
Sides:
Wasabi-mashed Sweet Potatoes – Kate
Candied Sweet Potatoes – Drew and Mollie
Mushroom risotto – Nate and Sarah
Challah bread – Ariel
Green bean casserole — Jennifer
Jalapeno Firecraker corn bread – Shannon
Drinks:
A bit of wine and non-alcohol something. — Sundee
Dessert:
Something fabulous – Anne
Pumpkin pie with hand whipped cream and the zested ‘meg of real nutmeg. – Jonathan
Some kind of fabulous desert — Ariel
Martin and I will bring a butternut squash soup with apple compote that could be a veggie main.
Hooray soup!
I would like to attend but may be late (as returning from Milwaukee that day.) I think this means fry bread is out, as I’ll have to prepare in advance, but I will come up with some weird food you won’t want to eat at first until you try it. I promise. Details pending.
I’m experimenting with wasabi mashed sweet potatoes. Will they make the official dinner? We shall see…
I will be bringing some kind of fabulous dessert, I’ll help Jon with the turkey, and I’ll also do little challah knots. Just tell me ahead for how many people!
Sarah and I are going to bring mushroom risotto and some fancy appetizer that is yet-to-be-determined. We’re pumped!
I’ll make my pear & walnut bruschetta, but you’ll have to help me get the ingredients together on account the liquid components won’t fit within the TSA 3-oz. or less rules.
I don’t know how they feel about baguettes. Might be considered a martial art or self defense mechanism.
I’ll be coming directly from the airport (assuming my flight isn’t delayed) arriving at 3:30ish. I’ll bring a few bottles of wine and non-alcoholic drinks for all! (Next year, I’ll go all-out-gourmet to make up for my lame addition this year)!
Candied Sweet Potatoes featuring at least 3x the amount of called for brown sugar.
Can I make green bean casserole, too? I know it’s campy, but I love it.
I also use bacon.
Oh no! We won’t be in town- we’re heading to U of I to visit a friend and won’t be back till late Sunday evening. Have fun!
This sounds like so much fun. I will bring my famous Jalopeno Firecraker corn bread. YUM! don’t worry it’s not that hot.
Practice Thanksgiving – what an incredible idea! I really wish we could attend, but we aren’t available on Sunday. Darn! Just reading this menu is enough to make me salivate.
Kate,
I will bring one appetizer and one entree – both Indian but with a Spanish and American flavor..
Recipes:
1. Pumpkin Dip (5 min.)
- 1 3/4 C powdered sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 15 oz can pumpkin pie filling
- 1 T pumpkin pie spices
Mix all together with electric mixer until well-blended. Serve with ginger snaps and/or vanilla wafers. Makes a fair amount, so can easily be halved for smaller dinner/party.
2. Candied Sweet Potatoes (Prep = 25 min., Bake = 35 min.)
- 4 med sweet potatoes (or 2 – 18 oz cans sweet potatoes/yams, drained, if you’re lazy)
- 1/4 C packed brown sugar *** x4 = at least 1 C brown sugar, the more the better! ***
- 3 T butter/margarine
- marshmallows and/or nuts (type, whole/chopped up to you)
a) Peel fresh sweet potatoes, cut into 1.5 inch chunks. Cook, covered, in enough boiling water to completely cover chunks for 10-12 min., or until just tender. Drain. (Or cut up canned sweet potatoes lazy one!)
b) Transfer potatoes to a 2-quart baking dish. Add small chunks of butter/margarine and brown sugar evenly across potatoes. stir gently to combine (*Can be prepared up to this point, then cover and chill for up to 24 hr. to bake later)
c) Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 min. or until potatoes are glazed, stir gently twice during baking. Sprinkle with nuts and/or ‘mallows and then bake 5 minutes more.