Happy Thanksgiving 2014!

Thanksgiving weekend is coming to a close and the supply of leftovers is starting to run low. At this time, I wanted to take a moment to share my Thanksgiving menu.

This year, my Roast Turkey is inspired by a cooking class at De Gustibus with the Scotto Family. They made their turkey by using an herb butter mixture and rubbing it between the skin and the meat. In addition to making great tasting turkey, the left over butter is absolutely delicious on a toasted piece of bread. 

 Every year, I struggle to find a delicious gravy. This year I made a Bacon-Shallot Gravy from Food & Wine November 2014. It was very good, but not the best. I think next year, I will try another recipe in pursuit of the perfect gravy. 

Yet another must-have dish is Tyler Florence's Roasted Sweet Potatoes w/ Chorizo. The hardy potatoes and the smokey chorizo is an undeniably sensational combination. 

The Green Salad w/ Basil Green Goddess Dressing is also something I have never made before. This dressing from Ina Garten is excellent, but I must confess I am partial to anything with anchovy paste. 

The Sour Cream Corn Bread is another recipe from Ina Garten. Not only is it amazing on its own, but is great the morning after, totally smothered with jelly. 

Everybody has cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving, so why not mix it up? This Roasted Cranberry Sauce w/ Herbed Candied Pepitas is a unique interpretation of this holiday classic. The pepitas (pumpkin seeds) provides an awesome sweet crunch to the tart dish.

No matter how much turkey you eat, there is always room for dessert. And of course what is Thanksgiving without pumpkins? Martha Stewart's Pumpkin Bread is a delicious way to end a meal.

Apple Pie is always a classic, but this year it was time for a little change. The Cranberry and Apple Cake was excellent. My only complaint was that there were too many cranberries and not enough apples. Next time, I would add more apples to counteract the tartness.

If you would like any of these recipes, leave a comment or email me at foodiefinders@ldsllc.com. I hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving! 

-Michael Crawbuck