It is 9AM when I enter the kitchen. I had cleaned the pots and pans from cooking ginger cranberries and Rugelach cookies last night. I am a “clean sink” cook, insisting that each item be cleaned and put away as soon as possible. Today’s schedule is on the counter and I note I am 15 minutes early. I take the 14 pound turkey out of the refrigerator, free it from the wrapping, wash and put it into the roasting pan to dry. Opening the oven I remove the 32 slices of white bread that have been getting stale for the past two days. I assemble pots and bowls and knives and get the box of band-aides from the bathroom. I will inevitably cut myself chopping onions, carrots, celery and garlic for the stuffing.
The secret to a good bread stuffing is finely chopped ingredients. I have a very sharp paring knife that I only use for this activity at Thanksgiving and at Christmas. Onions and carrots go into two sticks of melting salted butter first, followed by the celery and garlic. Adding basil, thyme and black pepper completes the base and the kitchen fills with the unique smell of Mom’s Stuffing. Four eggs get to room temperature while I carefully cut the bread five slices at a time into small cubes, another opportunity to cut myself. Bread, eggs and veggies come together and get hand mashed in the big pot. I remember the time I began this process with a band-aid and ended without a band-aid. A long arduous search had finally found the errant tape.
The turkey gets stuffed front and back and carefully sewn tight. Salt, pepper and a pound of center cut bacon placed over the exposed skin complete the package and it’s into the oven at 11:30. At 1:15 I put small whole onions into the pan, take the bacon off the skin and it drape over the onions. I add a head of garlic to roast for the mashed potatoes. I leave to pickup V at 1:30. By 2:00 I’m peeling potatoes. At 2:30 as my in-laws, R and A, arrive the garlic comes out and potatoes are salted, covered and cooking on the stove. Two cups of Half and Half and a stick of butter are coming to room temperature for the garlic mashed potatoes. At 3:00 the turkey is out resting and the bread is in the oven. Spinach is blanching, garlic is sautéing and my lovely wife is making gravy.
By 3:30 the table is set, the dishes are placed and our heads are bowed. “Thank you God”, I say quietly, “for this food, for this family and for these friends; and for those who are not with us today because they are with you, please give them a kiss and a big hug from all of us. Amen. Let’s eat.”
kongoboken 