The Thanksgiving Table: Recipes and Ideas to Create Your Own Holiday Tradition - Softcover

Diane Morgan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0811855422 ISBN 13: 9780811855426

Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2006

Synopsis

For novices, orchestrating The Feast is no easy task. And even for old pros it's a bit of a challenge. Enter The Thanksgiving Table offering you everything you need from foolproof cooking secrets and techniques and classic and innovative recipes, to menu suggestions and simple, elegant table settings.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

This primer on Thanksgiving cooking and traditions brims with fresh ideas for both food preparation and table decoration. Morgan (Cooking for the Week) is the anti-Martha Stewart none of these recipes is fussy for the sake of fussiness. They are instead guides to creating updated classics such as Gratin of Fennel and Tomato, and Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice, Cranberries, Walnuts and Hickory-Baked Tofu. In deference to the holiday, instructions for advance preparations and shortcuts are provided: for Lasagna with Sugar Pumpkin, Ricotta, and Fried Sage Leaves, for example, Morgan explains how to substitute fresh pasta or no-boil lasagna noodles. A chapter on turkey provides instructions for buying and handling the bird, as well as recipes for Barbecued Turkey and a simple Roast Turkey Breast for a Small Gathering. There are even a few vegetarian entr‚es, including Spaghetti Squash with Zucchini, Garlic, and Tomato Sauce. The dishes here are new, but never so adventurous that they would be inappropriate for a traditional holiday celebration. Stuffing ideas include Italian Sausage, Mushroom and Sage Stuffing, and Chestnut, Leek, and Fresh Herb Bread Pudding. Desserts play on classic Thanksgiving flavors: Chocolate Gingerbread with Sugar-Glazed Apples, and Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Gingersnap Crumb Crust. A chapter on using leftover turkey offers Turkey Potpie with a Biscuit Crust, and Turkey Enchiladas. Menus for variously sized parties and clever ideas like miniature pumpkins cut to encase votive candles round out this spot-on effort. (Nov.)Forecast: This is an incredibly useful little book. At this modest price, it should sell briskly and prove a solid seasonal backlist item as well.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

Cookbooks dedicated to the Thanksgiving meal would fit in the top drawer of a nightstand. Inspiring ones, well, no space required.
Portlander Diane Morgan's "The Thanksgiving Table" fills the void, and does it nicely with its friendly narration and lovingly realistic food photos by fellow Portlander John Rizzo.
Done in quiet autumn tones, "Table" is both mother's shoulder in the kitchen for beginner cooks and oft-needed inspiration for tired VTCs (Veteran Thanksgiving Cooks).
Along with traditional recipes (sausage stuffing), updated classics (Sauteed Green beans with Shallot Crisps) and new twists (Double-Crusted Cranberry-Blueberry Pie), Morgan includes easy instructions for brining, the new classic method for roasting a bird.
Preparation timetables, tips on cooking ahead and ideas on homey table decorations are given their due, as is everybody's favorite subject--stuffing.
You'll be tempted by Italian Sausage, Mushroom and Sage Stuffing, Cheddar and Jalapeno Corn Bread Stuffing, and Bread Stuffing with Apples, Bacon and Caramelized Onions. But be prepared: She gives instructions only for baking them in a pan; you're on your own to figure out what size bird the amounts accommodate.
That aside, "The Thanksgiving Table" is a pleasure to read, easy to use and just the company a cook needs on one of America's favorite holidays. -The Oregonian

About this edition

• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0811855422
• ISBN 13: 9780811855426
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192