Turkey Day Cometh. The time is nigh.

Hi Gastronauts, I know I’ve been a bit slack about posts as of late. I’ve been really focused on my business, which has sapped my creativity in other areas. For sure, there have been meals here and there, mostly reprisals of old favorites, fresh pastas, roasted chickens etc…

However, Thanks Giving is rapidly approaching. It’s my absolute favorite holiday.  A culmination of everything the Gastronaut stands for: Being grateful and reflecting on all of the amazing opportunities and successes I’ve had in my life, celebrating with the people that mean the most to me, and of course lots of delicious food.

Im feeling slightly unprepared for some reason, even though I have a fairly good plan and had a very solid dry run with last years meal. Prehaps its the arrival of both sets of our parents to join us for the day, or maybe the unique mixture of that crowd with some of our close friends. With four short days to go I have to really get moving.

Here’s the plan so far:

• 15 lb fresh (never frozen) heritage turkey, to be roasted with some light pecan smoke in the Big Green Egg.
• Fresh baked Brioche rolls
• home made stuffing (will probably not go sourdough this year)
• mad max’s amazing turkey gravy
• brussels sprouts with pancetta and chestnuts
• haricot vert with slivered almonds.
• Cranberry sauce, both fresh and the weird jelly in the can kind.jhiouy
• Party Potatoes (to be provided by Mrs. Gastronaut)
• Paradise pumpkin pie (to be provided by one yy my favorite cooks, the lovely and original Gastronaut, my mother in law.)
• Fresh seasonal salad, provided by the lovely Jaqui, our friend and fitness and health inspiration.

I’m also considering fresh canneloni pasta with home made riccotta, as my mother (not mother in law) isn’t much of a meat eater, especially turkey. (Though, I plan to try and change her opinion with the incredibly moist version that I did last year. I guess I better get to the grocery store(s). The list so far: