It’s October. So, obviously we have already started our list of possible recipes for Thanksgiving. I have also started creating our mix CD for our New Year’s Dance Party, but that’s a different story.
My husband and I love to cook. Admittedly, I do almost all of the cooking at this point. He leaves earlier in the morning than I do and gets home later at night, so it just makes sense. But for many years we shared the cooking pretty evenly. And I have to admit that his creations were usually more creative than mine, both in ingredients and ‘process.’
He doesn’t really believe in doing anything the normal way. If you gave him a clove of garlic and a garlic press, he would use a pizza cutter to chop the garlic and then find a mesh laundry bag and squeeze the pieces of garlic through it.
The garlic press would remain untouched. No joke.
He is basically like Alton Brown, but with an additional 5-10 steps…and a much bigger mess.
Thankfully, his meals are always incredibly inspired and delicious, so I try to overlook his techniques. And the forever charred pans.
Even though the cooking falls to me throughout the year, Thanksgiving is our time to cook together again. I love a good classic Thanksgiving meal some years but usually we throw in at least a few creative new dishes to the mix.
When we spend Thanksgiving with his family we get to help out in the kitchen, but forget about trying to make a specific recipe. My mother-in-law has a hand in every dish that leaves her kitchen. When you aren’t looking, she will add ginger to your soup, apples to your couscous or at the very least, more salt to your fish. She is an amazing cook, so you can’t really complain, but it also means there isn’t much of a point to finding new recipes to try…since you will actually end up creating a version of that recipe.
Now, when we spend Thanksgiving with my family we can have a little more control and therefore create a game plan ahead of time. My mom is a great cook also, but her focus is typically more on the table setting, flower arrangements and playlist. We have an opportunity to sneak in some exciting new recipe we want to try.
This year is our year with my family, so we are looking high and low for some fun new recipes to try out. Recipes are apparently like relationships: the best ones come along when you aren’t looking for them.
I was looking at my favorite baking website in order to drool over her latest chocolate or scone (or both!) concoction and saw this. At first I thought it was a big steak…which would also be delicious, mind you. But a potato works even better as far as adding to a Thanksgiving meal is concerned. Plus, my mom makes the most bangin’ pesto EVER…so she can play a role, too.
I will check back in after Thanksgiving to let you know what method my husband figured out to perfectly slice the potato…and the garlic.
My money is on circle saw.
That Joy the Baker site is awesome and humbling at the same time. I thought I loved to bake, but realize that I just dabble. Even if you are not pecan pie Thanksgiving folks (say, if you are one of those pumpkin pie people), I would strongly recommend adding one into the rotation. I am still on the look out for the perfect pecan pie recipe, but try one every year.
Amy – Agreed! I LOVE that site!
I also agree about pecan pie. Pecans have become my favorite nut and I made my first pecan pie a couple of years ago. This year I think I want to try a chocolate pecan pie. If you have any killer recipes, please feel free to share!!
Check out http://www.thepioneerwoman.com everything she makes looks so hardy and delicious!
Jess – I know! She is on my Sites I Love list…love her site. I have met her in person, too and she is very sweet.
Hmmm…maybe I should choose a different recipe from five different food blogs for our Thanksgiving meal…..
I can’t wait to see what you concoct, too! Although, I understand it is more difficult with TWO babes. 🙂
O boy, I’ll have to use a non stick spray on everything in my kitchen before your arrival, but it will be worth it for the excitement factor here on Old Cape Cod!
Yum. Your mother
Shoot, mom. Now people know that ‘Julie’ is really YOU…which means one less random reader on here. 😉
And yes, grease EVERYTHING!! Or….just wait until we get there and I’m sure Xavi can take care of that for you. 😉
I think it’s awesome that you two work sowell in together in the kitchen! That is something Ithink me and my husband need to work on. Can’t wait to see what you guys end up making!
Erin – I didn’t mean to give the impression that we cook *well* together…just that we cook together. ha
Actually, we have fun together in the kitchen usually but the true magic happens when he and his mom cook together. It’s really cute. They are seamless!
Can’t wait to see your Thanksgiving post! Do you include Polish dishes?!?!
And yes, of course I will be posting our meal….way more info than anyone will possible want, I’m sure.
Fantastic recipe, i will consider it with my girl this evening. Hope i get it right! Cheers
Khalilah – It looks amazing, right? Please report back! I hope it is a success!
If you hubby hasn’t figured out how to slice the russet potato without going all the way thru, here are a couple of tips I do when making these accordian style potatoes. Grab two chop sticks and place lengthwise down either long side of the potato. Then using a French knife, cut down to the chopstick, which leaves about a quarter of an inch on the bottom of the potato uncut. At home I have two small matching plastic cutting boards, and put one on either side of the Idaho Russet Burbank (my potato of choice for baking) and cut till the knife hits the plastic board.
[…] when I explained my husband’s creative use of tools in the kitchen? Yeah, he finds a unique way to do just about anything food-related. However, spoiler alert: My […]