A Very Merry Thanksgiving for Two

Let me begin by apologizing to my fellow Cooking in the Hood members. Somehow the pictures from the inaugural cooking club have disappeared, somewhere between the camera and the computer. There's a good possibility Bacon Boy pulled them off the camera and promptly did nothing with them. So, my apologies for the lack of pictures (or entry, really) from our authentic Italian feast – it was so long ago at this point, I can't do the meal and the wine consumption the justice they deserve.

To make it up to you, may I present: A Thanksgiving for Two (or 10), as prepared by me and BB.

Our (Mostly) Vegetarian Menu:

Turkey (prepared completely by BB - previous work seen here)
Squash and Cheddar Bread Pudding, made with a Blue Hubbard squash, instead of butternut
Brussels Sprout Slaw with a Mustard Vinaigrette and Maple Glazed Pecans
Cranberry Mustard Relish
Corn Linda (a Thanksgiving must have in our house)
Mashed Potatoes
Homemade Rosemary Bread (BB's creation)

Apple Turnovers

This was our fourth Thanksgiving spent in DC together, and sadly, our third one spent without other guests. Don't get me wrong, I love cooking, and spending a very quiet weekend with BB, but there comes a point when you make too much food for two people, who are eating leftovers every day for a week. But it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without the overindulgence and gluttony, right?

Well, it's certainly not helped when a recipe you are following seems to quadruple as you prepare it, as was the case of the Squash and Cheddar Bread Pudding. This recipe came from the November issue of Bon Appetit, a trustworthy source. It even had an entire article devoted to this one particular recipe. I'm always looking for a new main dish for me, and this covered two requirements – a filling main dish and stuffing (or dressing, for you Midwesterners out there). It was added to the menu, without a thought.

It started at the Sexy Safeway, when we had to ask them to restock the kale, for the pound listed in the recipe. Of course, then the butternut squash they had were puny and soft. Crisis averted, I chose a fun, new squash from their pile of winter gourds. Then they were out of baguettes, so we opted for a loaf of French bread, to be mixed with a Quinoa Multigrain loaf. We've both lived in the city long enough, we know better than to expect any grocery store we go to actually have everything on our list, especially in our neighborhood, so we're both pretty adept at change.

The real issues came during the preparation. First, the lovely Blue Hubbard has some of the thickest flesh I've ever seen on a squash. The blister I got on my finger from peeling the thing can attest to that.

Then there wasn't nearly enough of the custard for the bread to soak. And did you know that washing, de-ribbing, and chopping a pound of kale reduces your already tight counter space to just about zero? Move on to the sautéing of the kale and shallots. This resulted in a few burned leaves (and most of the shallot), and the realization that following the recipe might not be the best idea anymore.

The final straw was in the building of the dish. The recipe clearly calls for two layers of everything. I'm not sure exactly what kind of magic casserole dish they were using in the Bon Appetit test kitchens, but mine was full at one layer and comical at two.

Forty-five minutes later, our meal came together beautifully. Is there a better feeling than pulling all your dishes out at the same time, everything hot and ready to eat? I say no. Everything was delicious, as usual, even the ever expanding Squash and Cheddar Bread Pudding. Of course, we ended up freezing half of it, and still had to throw some out. Moral of the story: don't always believe the serving size listed in a recipe. Maybe next year we'll have company and won't have to worry as much?

Don't worry, you're all invited.
- Lauren McK