A Traditional Thanksgiving at My Little House on the Mountain

          Years ago I built my little house on the mountainside. Life is simple here, by preference, but when my son called from Seattle to say he would be home for Thanksgiving, I thought, "This year I want to have Thanksgiving at my house." But could I have a traditional Thanksgiving in such a house?

          Traditionally, Thanksgiving means family. If my son is my family, he is equally my ex's family, and if my ex is married, his wife is family, too, so family for thanksgiving would be my son, Ela; his fiancée; his father, Dan; Dan's wife, Tracy; a family friend, Shel; and I.

          Traditionally, the family eats at a table, but with only a card table, would I have to limit Thanksgiving dinner to sweet potatoes, soup, and bread, buffet style? "Cook those pies!" Ela said. "Don't worry about a table," and he disappeared outside.

         Traditionally, those who cook, cook in a kitchen. Here, I sat on the built-in couch under the south windows rolling out pie dough on the trunk while my soon-to-be daughter-in-law, standing opposite me, prepared sweet potatoes at the sink. Wild rice bubbled on the stove under the bedroom loft, and when I took the Kahlua pecan pie from the oven to put in the pineapple-apricot-cranberry pie, buttery sweet steam lifted towards my bed.

Pineapple-apricot-cranberry pie

With the sweet potatoes waiting for oven space, someone else started on the green beans. I puréed pumpkin through the strainer my sister had sent me as part of her "Queens-in-art" gift for the cook without electricity, then set the pumpkin mousse, creamy smooth and harvest orange, outside the back door, where the cold autumn air served as a refrigerator.

          Traditionally, people sit in chairs at Thanksgiving dinner, so when Ela hauled in the table he had just made, with its old wooden-ladder legs, I looked around for chairs. My sit-on-your-knees desk chair was one, the ladder-back chair at my sewing machine another, and the bench from the front deck a third. We could use the milk can (my kindling bin) if we put a pillow on it, and Ela said he would sit in the little rocking chair, but we were still one short. "Don't worry. Keep cooking," Ela said.

         Traditional Thanksgiving foods began splashing the house with colors and smells: caesarean green bean salad sharp with sherry vinegar; Thanksgiving spice bread lively with fennel and ginger; deep yellow, sherried sweet potatoes; wild rice dotted with nuts and figs; the dark-as-velvet pecan pie and its brightly colored cousin with globes of apricots and stars of cranberries and pineapple pushing into the lattice fence holding them in their pastry pen. Ela came in with the sixth chair: a stool he had made from some curved iron pieces and a round of wood. We spread the table with my grandmother's white lace tablecloth and set it with amber glass plates; green napkins in deep pink, silk-rose napkin rings; and purple, blue, and red candles. We put extra candles and kerosene lamps around the house. Ela used my Swiss Army knife corkscrew to open the Merlot and let it breathe.

Thanksgiving dinner at my house. I am in front, right.

          Traditionally, there is a turkey. I'm vegetarian, but my guests were bringing a turkey stuffed with rosemary dressing, and when I opened the door to Tracy, Dan, and Shel, those luscious, warm smells rushed in with them. Finally, with the turkey and dressing reigning at the head of the table, salads, vegetables, breads, and relishes sashaying between the rows of plates, and the room sparkling with candlelight, the family squeezed around the table, smiled at each other, raised voices in thanks, and sat down to eat.

         Traditionally, at Thanksgiving dinner, we look at our family and the bounty spread on the table and feel abundantly thankful. This was, wholeheartedly, a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at my house.

Next week: "An Epicurean Rampage"

Recipes from this post
     Pumpkin mousse
     Pineapple-apricot-cranberry pie
     Kahlua pecan pie
     Caesared green bean salad
     Sherried sweet potatoes
     Thanksgiving spice bread
     Wild rice with figs and nuts

PUMPKIN MOUSSE

serves 4

Ingredients

3/4 cup pumpkin purée

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon plain yogurt 

     (nonfat, low-fat, or full fat, your choice)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cottage cheese 

     (low-fat is fine)

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

2 tablespoons crystallized ginger

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 egg white

Freshly grated nutmeg

To make

Purée the pumpkin, yogurt, and cottage cheese as best you can, either in a food processor (easily done) or in an applesaucer, which will produce a less smooth texture. If you use a food processor, however, don't overdo the puréeing. Put the gelatin in a small saucepan and let it soften in 1 cup cold water for about 1 minute. Heat the gelatin in the water over low heat to dissolve. Add the ginger and 1/3 cup sugar. Stir till the sugar is completely dissolved. Transfer the hot sugar-gelatin to a large bowl and whisk it till it is just warm. Working slowly, whisk the puréed pumpkin mixture into the gelatin. Refrigerate the mousse for 30 to 40 minutes to let it thicken, whisking it every so often to keep it smooth. Meanwhile, beat the egg white only until just stiff. Gently fold the egg white into the cold mousse and blend well. Transfer the mousse to a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 4 hours or keep in your coolest place for more than 4 hours. Sprinkle the mousse with nutmeg just before serving.

PINEAPPLE-APRICOT-CRANBERRY PIE

from a recipe in Bon Appétit

serves 8

Crust

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup frozen vegetable shortening

1 large egg

3 tablespoons (approximately) ice water

Preparation

Cut butter into 1-inch pieces and the shortening into large chunks.

To make

Cut the butter into the flour, sugar, and salt with a pastry cutter to the point of fine crumbs. Or blend these ingredients in a food processor for 10 minutes. Add the shortening and continue the process, using either method, until the mixture resembles very coarse meal. Beat the egg with 2 tablespoons ice water, and add the mixture to the flour and butter. Blend until the dough clumps, adding more water as necessary. Gather the dough into a ball. Divide the ball in half and flatten each half into a disk. Wrap the disks in plastic and chill at least 1 hour.

Filling

Ingredients

1 16-ounce can unpeeled apricot halves in heavy syrup

5 ounces dried apricots

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed

1 lemon, for juice

1 fresh pineapple

1/2 cup cranberries

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preparation

Drain the apricots well, reserving the syrup. Dice the dried apricots to yield 1 cup. Juice the lemon to yield a tablespoon of juice. Peel and core the pineapple. Cut out the "eyes"; then cut the pineapple into 1/2-inch pieces to make 4 cups.

To make

Put the dried apricot pieces into the reserved syrup from the canned apricots and bring them to a boil. Remove from the heat and let the apricots soften for about 10 minutes. Drain the apricots well and discard the syrup. Stir the sugar, cornstarch, pineapple juice, and lemon juice together in a medium saucepan until smooth. Add the pineapple, and let the mixture stand until juices form, about 15 minutes. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture boils and becomes very thick, about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cranberries, butter, and dried apricots.

The finish

Ingredients

Refrigerated dough for two crusts

Cranberry-pineapple-apricot filling

1 egg, slightly beaten

Preparation

Preheat the over to 400º. Roll out one dough disk to a 13-inch round. Put this dough in a 9-inch glass pie dish and fold under the overlapping dough. Roll out the second disk to a 13-inch round and cut it into 1/2-inch wide strips. 

To finish

Brush the inside and top edge of the dough in the pie dish with the egg glaze. Add drained canned apricots to the filling and spoon into the crust. Arrange 7 pastry strip across the top of the pie. Brush them with glaze and repeat with the other pastry strips, laying them in the opposite direction and tucking the ends under the crust at the edge, pressing to seal them. Crimp the edge of the pie dough and brush the lattice and the edge with glaze. Bake about 45 minutes at 400º. The lattice should be golden and the filing beginning to bubble. Cool completely on a rack.

KAHLUA PECAN PIE

seves 8-10

Crust

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup cold water (or more)

To make

Cut the butter into small chunks. Using a pastry mixer or two knives (or electrical gadgets for this sort of thing), cut the butter into the flour and salt until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add the water all at once, and mix till the dough clumps into a ball. Wrap this ball of dough with plastic wrap and chill well.

The pie

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

1/4 cup Kahlua or other coffee liqueur

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 cup pecans

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation

Chop the pecans, not too finely. Roll out the chilled dough to fit a 9-inch pan and place it in the pan. Flute and trim the edges. Preheat the oven to 375º.

To make

Beat the butter and the sugar in a medium bowl till smooth. Add the flour and beat again. Gradually beat in the corn syrup, followed by the Kahlua and the vanilla. Mix in the eggs, then the chopped pecans. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on the bottom of the crust. Pour the filling over the chocolate chips. Bake at 375º until the filling is puffed at the edges and just set in the center, about 45 minutes. If the exposed crust begins to brown too heavily, cover it with foil. When the pie is done, transfer it to a cooling rack and cool completely.

To finish
Ingredients

The cooled pie

2/3 cup chilled whipping cream

Pecan halves

The finish

Beat the cream until peaks form. Drop whipped cream in dollops around the edge of the pie. Place a pecan half in each dollop.

CAESARED GREEN BEAN SALAD

serves 6

Ingredients

1 cup diced Italian or French bread

1 pound fresh green beans

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (This is essential. Do not substitute a different             kind of vinegar.)

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 large egg yolk or 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black papper

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Dice the bread. Trim the green beans. Grate the cheese.

To make

Spread the bread pieces on a foil-lined broiling pan and toast them under the broiler a minute or so until they are lightly browned. Set aside. Steam the green beans for 3-4 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender. Rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process and dry them on paper towels or dish cloths. Arrange the beans in a pretty serving dish. Beat the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and egg yolk or mayonnaise together in a small bowl. Beat in the olive oil until the mixture is thick and creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve

Scatter the toast cubes over the beans. Pour the dressing evenly over the salad. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and serve at room temperature.

SHERRIED SWEET POTATOES

serves 6

Ingredients

3-4 sweet potatoes

4-5 oranges

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sherry (or more)

1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)

Preparation

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1/4-inch thick rounds. You should have 4 cups. Squeeze the oranges to yield 2 cups of juice. Split the vanilla bean. Lightly grease an 11x7-inch baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350º.

To make

Place the sweet potatoes in the baking dish in overlapping rows. In a medium saucepan over medium-

high heat, combine the orange juice, sugar, salt, sherry, and vanilla bean. Bring to a boil, stirring; then pour over the potatoes, burying the vanilla bean under the potatoes. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish and continue baking, basting frequently, about 20 minutes more or until the potatoes are tender. A really nice touch is to sprinkle the potatoes with 1/2 cup dried cranberries before taking the dish from the oven. Serve immediately.

THANKSGIVING SPICE BREAD

serves 10

Ingredients

1 cup sultanas

1/2 cup Grand Marnier or orange juice

3/4 cup honey

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup warm water

1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds

2 teaspoons ground ginger

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup rye flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

Preparation

Zest the orange peel. Combine the sultanas and the Grand Marnier or orange juice and set aside for 30 minutes. 

To make

Step 1

In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the honey, sugar, water, spices, zest, and salt. In another bowl combine the flours and baking powder. Sift these dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat well. Fold in the plump sultanas with their juices. Cover the mixing bowl with a tea towel and let the batter rest for 1 hour.

Preparation for Step 2

Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Line its bottom with parchment, and oil the paper. Preheat the over to 300º.

Step 2

Gently stir the batter. If it is too thick to fall from the spoon in a thick, silky ribbon, add a little water. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 300º for 1 1/2 hours or until done in the center. Cool the bread for 15 minutes on a rack before turning it out of the pan to cool completely.

WILD RICE WITH FIGS AND NUTS

serves 8

The rice

Ingredients

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup wild rice (about 6 ounces)

To make

Boil the water with the salt. Add rice. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Drain well. Cool.

The goodies
Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped dried Calmyrna figs (Do not substitute black mission figs. They don't taste as good        in this salad.)
1/3 cup chopped pecans (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1/3 cup chopped unsalted cashews (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped green onion tops
2 tablespoons chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
Preparation
Chop the figs. Toast and chop, separately, the pecans and cashews. Chop the green onion tops, celery, and red onion. Chopping everything finely makes the nicest salad.

The dressing
Ingredients
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons olive oil
Preparation
Squeeze the lemon for juice. Crush the garlic.
To make
Mix all ingredients except the oils in a bottle and shake vigorously (or blend in a blender). Add the oils and shake even more vigorously till well blended.

Assemblage
Ingredients
Rice
Salad goodies
Dressing
To assemble
Put rice in a large bowl and add the goodies. Mix well. Pour dressing over the rice salad(the salad might not take all the dressing), toss well, and season with salt and pepper.