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Usually I don’t tamper with Thanksgiving Day, simply because my family expects the same traditions--watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade while I bake the pies, followed by an afternoon of football and a family walk in the nearby park, returning to find the house filled with the wonderful aroma of turkey roasting in the oven. The house is dressed for fall with branches of brightly colored leaves, miniature pumpkins and gourds (some hollowed out and filled with votive candles), ears of Indian corn and ruby-colored popcorn, and everywhere, arrangements of spicy scented mums and chunky candles. The silver’s polished, the gold-rimmed platters, crystal, heirloom china, and topiaries are ready, the "good" linens back from the laundry, and I’ve made my annual grapevine wreath for the front door. All the accoutrements appropriate for Thanksgiving are ready. An arrangement of autumn fruits and nuts fill a beautiful antique bowl with small fruit plates and fruit knives nearby for before meal snacking. Maybe now’s it’s time to have some fun with the menu.
Over the years since my first out-of-college job as the home economist for the California Turkey Advisory Board, I have roasted more than a thousand turkeys--some stuffed, some not stuffed, using just about every roasting technique ever invented (and some we’re better off not mentioning). Roasting a perfect turkey is one of the easiest cooking tasks that I know, and in our November, 1997 "entertaining," we gave you a extraordinary recipe for Roasted Turkey with Natural Gravy that’s virtually fool-proof for even the novice who’s never cooked America’s favorite bird. If turkey is on your menu, you’ll find your recipe there -- for this year we’re going to explore some turkey alternatives that might change your family traditions for ever.
Since I live in Texas, I can get excellent fresh Bob White quail during the Holiday season. In other parts of the country and at non-holiday times, you’ll probably find these petite birds in the freezer section of most supermarkets. Since they run about 6 ounces each, quail is a perfect choice for the a Thanksgiving buffet. Here, we’re preparing the quail Southwestern-style with a delicious kumquat sauce that similar to the one served at the popular Ancho Chile Bar in Forth Worth. The chiles can be roasted and ground and the sauce made the day before. The quail can be roasted up to 1 hour before serving and kept warm, leaving the oven free for other Thanksgiving side-dishes, something you’ll likely appreciate if your modern kitchen only has one conventional oven and a microwave.
Another obvious alternative to turkey is Rock Cornish Game Hens. Since they usually weigh in at 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds (600 to 720 g), I ask my butcher to split the hens in half lengthwise, each half offering a cooked portion of 4 to 5 ounces (120 to 150 g) delicious eating. You can split the hens at home with a pair of good poultry shears, but since the meat market service is free, why bother? You could grill the hens and serve them with our Herb and Dried Fruit Stuffing alongside, but here, we’ve roasted the hens atop the stuffing for a pleasing buffet presentation. This same stuffing, by the way, is excellent with the quail or rabbit, our third suggestion for a turkey alternative. Be careful when you shop for the dried cherries or cranberries -- you want them with no sugar added. Our dietician friends at Joslin Diabetes Center assure us that the cranberries are now available, but then they live in ‘cranberry country.’ Be sure to read the label.
One doesn’t usually think of rabbit when preparing a meal revolved around poultry, but farm-raised rabbit tastes like chicken and is becoming increasingly popular here in the United States as more and more of us are looking for low-cholesterol sources of protein that will add a pleasing variety to our diet. Rabbit has long been a favorite in Europe and this is a particularly wonderful way to prepare it with in-season ruby-red pomegranate seeds replacing the customary cranberries.
Once you’ve decided on your main course (turkey, quail, game hen, or rabbit) with the Herb and Dried Fruit Stuffing, it’s time to concentrate on the rest meal. We’re suggesting that you start with a delicious creamy Squash and Apple Soup--a soup that even youngsters will like.
I like to offer a variety of vegetables on the Thanksgiving buffet so that everyone’s likes are taken into account and should someone come to the table wanting to only eat vegetarian, they won’t go away hungry. This year seems to be a bumper year for cauliflower so I’ll be roasting an over-sized whole head with some unusual, delicious embellishments. Like a snowy white bouquet, the cauliflower makes a dramatic presentation for the buffet table. Since I love beets and always have some roasted and waiting in my refrigerator, I will serve them pureed, seasoned with a some spice and balsamic vinegar, that lovely import from Modena, Italy, that should be a staple in every diabetic’s pantry. Now you see why we needed to have the oven free! If you think you must have a salad, toss some mesclum (it’s sold in bulk or in cello packages at most markets) and frisee with a light vinaigrette, maybe adding a few toasted pecans. Depending on the number of guests and how many children are in attendance, you might also wish to offer steamed fresh green beans sprinkled with some lightly toasted fresh bread crumbs -- rye or sour dough would be nice.
Since Thanksgiving calls for pumpkin, we’re ending our dinner with a fabulous baked pumpkin custard. If you’d rather have pie, there’s wonderful recipes for Pumpkin Pie and an Apple and Pear Pie in our November, 1997 "entertaining." For anyone wishing something lighter, we’ll also offer a Fall Fruit Compote, using the beautiful papayas and strawberries that are still readily available into the late winter months.
Remember that anyone with diabetes must be realistic about portions. There is a lot of food here; just a "taste" of everything from the buffet can add up quickly in terms of carbohydrates and diabetic exchanges. It’s best to consult your dietitian, diabetes educator, or physician beforehand to plan how to compensate before you indulge.
(for the recipes, click on The Recipes or click on the individual recipe above)
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