God forbid someone change the mac and cheese recipe or
switch the broccoli casserole for squash, which is a pretty Thanksgivingy food.
Personally, I think it’s good to switch things up a bit, and let me tell you
NOBODY complained when I brined the turkey for three days and slow then roasted
it. They picked the bones clean.
I think it’s those yummy dishes that make us feel like a
kid again along with blood kin you love best, even if you can’t stand some of
them, that make Thanksgiving so very special. Over the years, my family has
hosted newbies to Charlotte, usually folks my husband worked with who didn’t
have anybody to share the holiday with. It’s interesting to watch them settle
in for the meal, a little uncomfortable at first, but by the time the tiramisu
is served, they are family too.
In my novel A PEACH OF A PAIR, Nettie Gilbert is two
months shy of graduating college when she receives a letter from her mother
back home in Alabama mandating she come home for her baby sister’s shotgun
wedding. The only problem is Nettie’s own fiancé is the groom. The last place
she wants to go is home to watch her fiancé marry her sister. But spoiler
alert, of course she must.
Nettie’s home is one of four that sits in the middle of
an orange grove in Satsuma, Alabama. There’s a massive outdoor dining table the
four farming families gather around most every day, weather permitting. As much
as Nettie’s house is her home, that table, the love they share around that
table is what really makes that place her home, and of course the fabulous
food.
So here’s my
secret recipe for the best turkey I’ve ever put in my mouth, just in case you
want to change things up a bit, along with good wishes from my home to yours
for a wonderful and fun Thanksgiving.
I do not like turkey, but I can’t keep my hands off of
this one. It’s that good.
* A turkey is always better when it has been brined. My
favorite turkey brine is The
Spice Hunter’s Turkey Brine with fruit, herbs, and savory
spices. There are lots of cool brines. Just follow the directions and DO use
one of those oversized Ziplock bags for your turkey.
1. Mix together 1/2 C sugar, 1/4 c. salt, 2 T. black
pepper (Preferably fresh ground),
2t. ground thyme.
2. Rub turkey with olive oil. It’s like suntan oil for
bird and will make it a beautiful
golden brown. You may use an herb or a butter flavored
oil if you like. Sprinkle the
topside of the turkey with the above mixture. For an
optional herby flavor, have
some extra fresh rosemary in your kitchen or yard? Cut
several branches, wad it up branches and all and put in the chest cavity.
3. (Optional) Bacon lovers, crisscross 4-6 slices of
bacon on top of the bird and cook
as directed. Tent with aluminum foil for about half of
the cooking time. Enjoy!
To learn more about Kim's book A Peach of a Pair isit book spotlight here.
Visit my review here.
a copy of this book was provided in exchange for my honest review by....
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