Glamping over Thanksgiving

We just got back from a weekend in Vegas, which I will tell you about in a minute, but I'm already super excited about our next trip.  We've been invited to join a few close friends to go camping in Julian over Thanksgiving.  Have you ever heard of "glamping"?   I think that's what it's going to be like.  We're borrowing a canvas tent from James' family and our friends are setting up a camp kitchen (that's last year's set up in the lower middle photo above.)  It will probably be cold (it could even snow!) but with enough bourbon, wool blankets and firewood, we should be able to hang.   We'll take a few long hikes too - to warm up and work off all that food!

Everyone is being asked to contribute to the feast.  I'm thinking about making a pate or terrine from the Piret's cookbook (finally, a chance to use the Le Creuset terrine I found at an antique store a while ago!) and a few pies.  Not sure what kind yet.   Will also pack some s'mores and hot chocolate makings, the aforementioned bourbon, and a few apples for snacking.

So how is everyone else celebrating Thanksgiving this year?   Any "must have" dishes?  C'mon, spill it!  Good or bad, high or low - I know serious foodies who can't cope without Pillsbury crescent rolls, and my own mother makes her turkey gravy with cornstarch and yellow food coloring.  There's no room for shame in holiday traditions!  Or if your feast is impeccably gourmet, we want to hear about that too!

photos - top left, via Bliss,  top right, found here, bottom left, found here.  All others by last year's campers.

The First Thanksgiving

They say to always put your best foot forward, so I'm leading with this picture of the chocolate pecan pie I made the other day. I find it hard to juggle a camera and every dish/spatula/pot/pan in my kitchen at the same time, so I don't have very many good photos of the big feast. Ultimately, for my first time hosting, I think it all went off ok. (*whew!*)

There are a few things I might do differently next time, but I have NO regrets about frying two of our three turkeys (or cooking three turkeys, for that matter.) They came out fantastic - especially the Womach Ranch bird, above. The skin was crisp, the meat was moist, it was quick, you can easily do more than one - I think we have a new family tradition. (I did the other one in an electric roaster, and it came out great too.)

The rest of the meal was traditional as well. I made our family dressing with sage, buttermilk biscuits and cornbread, sweet potato casserole, brussel sprouts, cranberries and gravy. I made homemade dinner rolls, but the first batch of dough didn't rise, and the second didn't rise in time to be baked with the meal, so we had to run out to get some. Next time I'll make those earlier. I'll also start the gravy earlier, so it can develop more flavor, hash the brussel sprouts, so they'll cook faster, and make the sweet potatoes a little lighter and fluffier. I'd also like to try a different dressing recipe - maybe sourdough with oysters or sausage - something a little more savory.

I wouldn't change a thing though, about the last part of the meal. The pies. I made two this year, a chocolate pecan and a lemon meringue, and Connie made four - two pumpkin and two apple cranberry - one of each with walnuts & one without. (I guess there is one thing I'd change, I'd have her make them all with nuts!) There was also a spice cake - made by Eleanor and Elizabeth - which meant we had seven desserts for eleven guests. I ate all I could last night and more for breakfast this morning, with fresh whipped cream and coffee. I'm giving away most of the rest. That kind of goodness must be shared - both for my benefit and theirs!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and hope you enjoy a peaceful and bright long weekend!

Killer Granola

Are there any granola recipe contests going on out there? Because if so, I want to enter this one. To be fair though, I'd have to give most of the credit to Jeff Jackson at A.R. Valentien, since this is pretty heavily based on his recipe for "Jackson Granola" served at the Lodge at Torrey Pines (I hear they do a mean breakfast, and I wouldn't doubt it.) It's also similar to Alice Waters' Cafe Fanny granola in that it has the sesame seeds, which, as far as I can tell, are otherwise kind of an unusual ingredient in granola.

Chef Jackson's recipe is by weight, which is kind of fun because all you have to do is put a bowl on a scale and keep adding the ingredients, zeroing it out every time - but I always have a hard time measuring the olive oil and honey, since the scale can't keep up as it pours in. More than once I've had to add more dry ingredients to soak up the excess liquid - which isn't really a problem, just a little inconvenient. After a couple of experimental batches that were good but not quite perfect, I came up with this recipe with all of the ingredients measured by volume. I absolutely cannot stop eating the results, which must mean we have a winner. Here it's ready for the oven...

I don't believe in adding any cinnamon or other seasonings - it doesn't even have salt. It gets all the flavor it needs from the sesame seeds, nuts, coconut and honey. If you can't find unsweetened coconut, don't substitute the regular variety - it will be too sweet. I really like the Bob's Red Mill brand - it's wide and thin and bakes up nice and crisp.

This is a great "whole food" snack or breakfast - very nutritious and a great source of energy if you're planning on running a marathon, or say, if you're a growing teenager, but it's not diet food, that's for sure. I like to eat it for breakfast sprinkled over some Siggi's Passionfruit Pomegranate Skyr yogurt. Luckily, a little goes a long way!

Killer Granola
Inspired by Jeff Jackson's "Jackson Granola" for A.R. Valentien at the Torrey Pines Lodge

5 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 cup whole or slivered raw almonds
1 cup raw unsalted pepitas
1 cup flaked unsweetened coconut (such as Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup dried currants or raisins*

Set the oven to 225 degrees

Stir together the dry ingredients, up to the honey and olive oil. Pour the honey and olive oil over the mixture and combine with your hands (rub a little olive oil on them to prevent sticking) or a wooden spoon until the honey and olive oil are evenly distributed. (If you like a lot of clumps, add a little more honey and olive oil, proportionately.)

Spread evenly over two half sheet pans. Bake at 225 degrees for 90 minutes. Stir the mixture on the pans and sprinkle them evenly with currants/raisins. Bake for an additional 30 mins. (You don't want it to brown very much - if it looks like it's starting to, take it out.) Granola will crisp as it cools. Cool completely on the pans and store in an airtight container.

*You can also add the dried fruit after it's baked, and you can add other dried fruits like apricot, pineapple, etc. if you want - I just like the way the currants get a little chewy after baking.)