Pbenjay's Blog

The day is rapidly slipping away and I’m not half done with what I need to make or prep.  We didn’t exactly get a late start this morning but we did have to go out and pick up yet a couple more things.  I would think with all of my OCD planning and list-making that I would have everything I need. 

So far the cranberry sauce has been made and the cornbread-mushroom-sausage stuffing has been baked.  In this house you have to make as much as you can in advance because my stove and oven are so small.  When I think of the buyers in New York who when they see any kitchen, the first thing they say is, “We’ll have to renovate the kitchen”.  Cracks me up every time!  You would think New Yorkers actually cooked in their apartments.  Yes they do somewhat but not enough to insist on a Wolf 4-6 burner stove or Miele dishwasher and a sub-zero refrigerator!!  JUST try to imagine what a 20″ inch stove looks like and how small the oven is and how close together the burners are to one another.  That’s MY stove and I’m cooking Thanksgiving dinner on it!

A Turkey Doesn’t Fit in the Oven

This was a mini-break while the stuffing was cooking and now I’m back to work.  Where is my helper? Oh he had to go back to ShopRite because this morning when we bought Half & Half and a disposable roasting pan, somehow we picked up a bag that was left behind by the lady in front of me.  What do I have? Turkey legs, turkey cutlets and turkey thighs.  I really didn’t have an ethical dilemma about what to do, I just didn’t want to go all the way back to the store right now.  So I called the store and they asked me what did I have because some lady had been in saying she didn’t get her items.  I had them! I said we would return the stuff but later.  Peter brought the food back and while he was there, so it shouldn’t be a total waste of time, I called him and asked him to buy more butter – the list never ends….

Back to typing, it’s been a couple of hours since I typed the above.  I just had to sit down.  I made the chocolate ricotta mousse and oy what a mess!  There were chocolate splashes everywhere;  on the microwave, on the counter, on the cord of the food processor and on me.  But that’s done  and in the refrigerator, chilling.  Speaking of the refrigerator, it’s not exactly large either.  I had Peter peel the potatoes and put them in cold water;  They’re now in a covered pot sitting on the table outside!  Cold weather affording extra refrigerator space is one of the pluses of a winter holiday.  Of course it is raining on and off  but I think the pot will be secure.  There was no space for the cornbread sausage stuffing either so it’s out there too but in a casserole that isn’t airtight so there’s inverted plastic bowl over it.  I love improvisation.

The green beans have been cooked and refrigerated, the onions have been caramelized and the tarragon snipped and stored in a plastic bag.  As soon as I rest just a bit more and type away, I’m going to inject that pricey bird breast with Emeril’s very own recipe for a brine.  I’m going have to put the garlic heads in the oven to roast, so I can then make the garlic-herb paste à la Emeril and Martha and have it ready for spreading under the skin tomorrow.