Say Yes to Gratitude (And Recipes)
My favorite Thanksgiving recipes, tips, and more
Thanksgiving is SEVEN DAYS away!!! ARE YOU READY!?? That’s okay, me neither. But you know what? It’s all fine. I’m sharing a seven-day countdown of tasks, errands, and recipes that will deliver you safely and joyously to the finish line.
It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with the holidays — all the shopping, traffic, mess, cost, family…I could go on, but please try to find the enjoyment in the season. Given everything that’s going on in the world, we are so very fortunate to be with loved ones and celebrate this year.
Thanksgiving, which some people call Gratitude Day, is my favorite holiday. Cooking for a large group of people? Yes, please. I always invite too many people, thankfully (insert that word on repeat), THANKFULLY my husband and kids tolerate my propensity of controlled chaos in entertaining. We generally have around 20 guests of all ages; this year our guests will range in age from two to 86! Yes, we have a children’s table and a very long adults’ table. Our Thanksgiving is never perfect, and that’s not the goal. We truly embrace the shared table, refection on everything we have to be grateful for, and more delicious food than might be reasonable.
So I say, embrace the communal vibes. My thought is that if people offer to help, say yes. Don’t try to control everything. Does one of your guests have a traditional dish that’s close to their heart? Let them bring it! After all, it’s about the group, right?
When your guests arrive let them help, a little bit…Maybe someone is put in charge of pouring drinks, and someone else is putting out little bowls of olives. Folks like to busy their hands and feel useful on major holidays.
And while we’re on the subject of gratitude, I have a boatload for all of you! I’m stunned and humbled by the positive response to this newsletter. Your sweet messages (and the growing subscription count) are keeping me on track with this project.
Wishing you all health, joy, and love around the table.
XO,
Valerie
ENTERTAINING TIMELINE
I notice the thing that stresses people out the most is the so-called “to-do list.” I do find that being organized a week out helps to relieve that anxiety. So here’s my general Thanksgiving prep blueprint — you can feel a sense of accomplishment every time you check something off the list!
7 Days Ahead:
Confirm guest list, because things change.
Purchase your turkey or ham.
Order desserts if you’re not making them from scratch.
Order or purchase cheeses, nuts, and any other snack bits you’re offering.
Order flowers.
Take inventory! Do you have everything on hand? I’m not just talking ingredients. Check your stemware, silverware, service pieces, and linens. OMG…chairs! Missing something? Well, good thing you didn’t wait until next Wednesday.
6 Days Ahead
Review tablescape looks. Mock it up or play with Canva.
Make your music list. So important. Get on Spotify and make the audio in advance.
Tackle any large cleaning projects or movement of major furniture in your home.
If you’re baking, make your pie dough (see below for recipe) and refrigerate.
Make cranberry sauce! Here’s my go-to recipe:
1 bag cranberries
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup orange juice
½ teaspoon salt
Stir together and cook in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently. When most of the cranberries have popped open, remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
5 Days Ahead
Pick up wines and cocktail stuff.
Write out your name cards for the table setting.
Serving a festive punch? Today’s a great day to batch that group beverage.
4 Days Ahead
Go shopping for all remaining ingredients. Shopping the day before Thanksgiving is a nightmare, so choose sanity and go early.
Grab some to-go boxes for your guests. Everyone wants leftovers on Friday, and they will be seriously grateful for a doggie bag.
3 Days Ahead
Start prepping!!! Get all those onions diced! Any hearty vegetables that require peeling and slicing?
Make the Savory Bread Pudding (see recipe below). Take the recipe up to the baking instruction. Wrap and refrigerate.
2 Days Ahead
Brine the turkey-see recipe! It’s so good!
Assess your list, how are you doing? Any carry-overs?
Thanksgiving Eve
Blanch your green beans and/or Brussels sprouts.
Bake your pies if you didn’t order from Valerie Confections. :)
Prep lettuces and chicories for the salad.
Chill white wines and sparkling wines.
Morning Of…
Take a look at those turkey instructions straightaway! That big bird is best cooked at room temperature.
3 Hours Out
Set the bar/beverage area.
Set the table.
Assemble your cheese, charcuterie, or tinned fish board (or all of the above).
2 Hours Out
Turn music on to get everyone in the mood.
Get in the shower, then dress yourself and your family. If you’re dressed and feel physically ready, your nerves will calm.
Any kids coming? Put out a couple old fashioned board games or an easy art project, anything to keep them off screens!
30 Minutes Out
Compose your salad.
5 Minutes Out!!!
Pour yourself a drink, catalog your fine efforts, and enjoy.
SETTING THE TABLE
Sure, my table is pretty charming…but I defer to the true experts for Tablescaping guidance! I look to folks like Martha and Elle Decor for inspiration. Whether you’re going for a traditional look or like something more modern or avant-garde, you’re sure to find ideas with the pros.
ARE YOU A GUEST? BRING A GIFT.
I’m a big proponent of host gifts. Keep in mind that your gift doesn’t necessarily have to add to the meal in some way, it’s just a show of appreciation for being hosted. In other words, go for something beautiful that they’ll enjoy after Thanksgiving (or any holiday) dinner is over.
Chocolate: A no-brainer. Bring them a classic assortment like our Baby Grand that they can enjoy with a snifter of their favorite nightcap after everyone’s left. Or, if you want to go big, give them our limited edition Valerie x Brightland gift set, which combines mini bottles of our favorite olive oils with olive oil-infused truffles.
A Cookbook: Everyone loves a cookbook. I tend to give a cookbook that has personal meaning to me, like the gorgeous River Cafe London or the classic Zuni Cafe Cookbook (more on Judy in a few). And for a general crowd-pleaser, you can’t go wrong with something from Goddess Ina, Queen Martha, or my new favorite Tamar Adler.
Lovely Linens: I like the idea of host gifts that are something they wouldn’t necessarily buy for themselves, but add a little luxury and joy to their tabletop or kitchen. Some ideas: printed fair-trade cloth napkins from Block Shop, these fun houndstooth cocktail napkins from Atelier Saucier, or a set of botanical tea towels.
This may be a controversial opinion, but I’m not an advocate of bringing flowers, especially not to a holiday dinner. The host generally has a look planned for the day, or has created or ordered a centerpiece of sorts, and they will then feel obligated to display your flowers. It becomes an awkward situation. So I say, don’t do it.
TURKEY HOW-TO’S
I have used a version of this recipe for the last couple of years, with a few adjustments. I replace the onions with large shallots and hang onto them for a quick appetizer. I also use all white wine in the bath instead of cider, because something that is sippable while you’re cooking is encouraged!
And my final tweak to the recipe: I brush very soft, salted butter all over the exterior of the turkey instead of melted butter or oil. Also, I make two turkeys every year! I love having the leftovers all weekend, and so does my family.
And some thoughts about buying the bird: When you’re cooking any big piece of meat, the quality of said meat matters. So go for a high-quality turkey like a Diestel Heritage Ranch bird, Elmwood Stock Farm heritage turkey, or a Willie Bird organic free-range turkey. Here in Los Angeles, butcher shops like Standing’s Butchery and McConnell’s usually have great birds.
And what about a ham, you ask? I’m on Team Ham, so I say, yes please. Here’s my go-to method for making one:
Spiral Ham Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
One 6-7 pound fully cooked spiral ham
½ cup melted butter
½ cup orange juice
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
¾ cup golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon ginger powder
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Combine all ingredients, excluding ham!
Place the ham on a heavy roasting pan, then slather it with the sauce.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove the aluminum foil, and increase the heat to 375 F.
Place the uncovered ham back in the oven for an additional 20 minutes.
Remove the ham from then oven. Let it rest for 20 minutes before serving.
SIDE RECIPES
SAVORY BREAD PUDDING
I have A LOT in common with Ina Garten, right?? For starters, we both serve savory bread pudding instead of stuffing on Thanksgiving. I know….it says a lot. Defining.
But truly, I have served savory bread pudding for a decade or two, and folks LOVE it. Among its many benefits is that you can make it ahead of time in it’s raw state and freeze it.
It’s also DELICIOUS for day after brunch with a fried egg on top.
Savory Bread Pudding
Yield: 10-12 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 pint heavy cream
1 pint milk
2 teaspoons chopped herbs (mixed rosemary and thyme)
6 eggs, whisked together
2 pounds bread, cut into 1½-inch cubes
5 ounces yellow onion, diced
3 ounces butter
2 pounds wild mushrooms
3 ounces butter
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 ounces chives, chopped
1 tablespoon minced herbs (mixed rosemary and thyme)
8 ounces grated Gruyere
2 ounces grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350F (low fan).
Combine the heavy cream, milk and 2 teaspoons herbs and bring to a boil. Slowly temper into the eggs, whisking constantly. Add the bread to the custard, stirring to coat. Allow the bread to sit in the custard and absorb it, stirring occasionally.
Combine the onion and butter in a pan and sauté until onions are softened. Set aside.
Combine 3 ounces butter, garlic, and wild mushrooms in a pan and sauté until mushrooms soften. Set aside.
Once the bread has absorbed the majority of the custard, add in the cooked onions and mushrooms, chives, minced herbs, cheeses, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Press into a large, buttered casserole dish.
Bake for approximately 25 minutes.
ALIGOT
Aligot is not mashed potatoes. It’s essentially fat with the essence of potato binder. And deeply decadent..
This recipe from the New York Times is a great base….but you can add some elements to personalize it, such as a teaspoon of dry Colman’s mustard for a bracing kick or minced herbs like thyme and rosemary to give it that Thanksgiving-y flavor.
ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
This is a “non recipe” recipe. Peel, deseed, and cube a butternut squash. Coat in a mixture of melted butter and olive oil. Season generously and roast at 350F until tender and lightly browned on the edges.
GREEN BEANS OR BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Trim and blanch (you can do this a day or two ahead). Then toss in butter, top with sliced toasted almonds, or those fun onion bits in the can.
SALAD
I need one. with a bit of acid, some bitter and a lot of virtuous goodness. I love one that is a riff on Samin Nosrat’s with radicchio exclusively, no frisee. And I omit the cheese and nuts because with all the glorious fatty foods on the table, it’s nice to have a crisp palate cleanser.
RONAN CARROTS
Okay, Gang. The next recipe is a serious piece. It speaks to how chefs truly talk recipes — not on fabulous shows. But in the space. One of my favorite restaurants forever is Ronan in Los Angeles. It caught my attention a few years ago, when co-owner Caitlin Cutler got all forms of ballsy about delivery app fees and all forms of nonsense that make running a restaurant unnecessarily hard.
So I started going to Ronan, and telling everyone I know to go to Ronan. And having every family celebration at Ronan, because it’s a super special place run by very exceptional people. As I was thinking about Thanksgiving, and this issue of Hi Gang, the idea of alternate side dishes was running through me mind. And then I thought about Ronan, and their excellent carrot starter, and how those carrots would make a magnificent side dish on Thanksgiving!!! And guess what?? They shared the recipe! This is so fun, and such a coup for Hi Gang…so please make them or visit Ronan in person and taste the version Daniel makes with the team. It’s really special, and speaks of Thanksgiving on every level.
Caitlin and Daniel, as you know, I have endless gratitude for you!
Ronan Carrots from Daniel Cutler
**Gang, you’ll need a scale for this one**
First and probably most important is the yogurt concoction.
Start by toasting spices, equal by weight: Coriander seed, fennel seed, black pepper. Let cool and blend into a powder.
Next, confit some garlic cloves. For about 500g of yogurt (a one-pint container of Fage Greek yogurt works well) confit 75g garlic cloves in 100g olive oil slow and steady. Let cool.
In vessel combine the zest and juice of 2 lemons, 8g salt, 15g blended spices, 75g garlic confit, and 100g garlic oil and blend with an immersion blender or food processor or mortar and pestle, whatever you got.
Next mix this into the 500g yogurt and bobs your uncle.
For the carrots we just pan roast oblique cut carrots, peeled or not (we don’t but if you like to be fancy, go right ahead) with high smoke point oil and finish with butter. Once tender we move to a paper towel lined bowl to drain any excess oil. Season with salt and pepper and chopped parsley.
When plating, make a well of spiced yogurt. Place carrots inside, garnish with a handful of cilantro and a scoop of honeycomb!
There it is, for some reason the most long-standing dish at the restaurant!
LET’S TALK DESSERT
It isn’t Thanksgiving without at least a couple of pies. So let’s get into it.
Buttery Pie Crust
Makes enough for one 9-inch double-crust pie, two 9-inch single-crust pies, or fifteen 4-inch hand pies
INGREDIENTS:
2½ cups (12.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2½ sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
¼ to ⅓ cup (2 to 2.5 ounces) cold water
To make the dough in a food processor: Put the flour, sugar, and salt in the processor bowl and pulse once or twice to combine. Drop the pieces of butter through the feed tube, continuing to pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly add 1/4 cup water as you continue pulsing a few more times, then add more water if necessary; stop when the dough just starts to come together.
To make the dough by hand: Put the flour, sugar, and salt into a medium bowl and mix together with a fork or small whisk. Cut the butter into the dough using a pastry cutter or a large fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 1/4 cup water directly over the dough, mixing with the pastry cutter or fork, then add more water if necessary, mixing until the dough just comes together.
Remove the dough from the processor or bowl and form into 2 equal disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days. The dough can be frozen for up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator.
Apple and Salted Caramel Pie
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds apples, quartered and cored
3 ounces golden brown sugar
1 ounce butter
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 ounces liquid caramel
Sprinkle fleur de sel
2 pre-rolled pie shells
Egg wash
Sugar, for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Combine the prepared apples, brown sugar, butter, and salt and bake until they yield slightly to a fork’s pressure, about 10 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
Combine the cooled apples with corn starch.
Fill the shell with pie filling making sure to arrange so there are a minimum of air pockets.
Pour caramel over the filling and sprinkle with fleur de sel.
Lay the second pie round on top of the filling and crimp.
Eggwash and sugar the entire surface of the crust. Chill to firm.
Bake for 30 minutes on a high fan setting, then lower the heat to 300 and bake for an additional 45 minutes. Serve at room temperature or warm.
Pear and Cranberry Crumble Pie
Using a 10-inch round of pie dough (top for double crust), press into a springform pan, allowing for an even wall around the perimeter. Chill for 5 minutes, then dock the dough with a fork.
5 pears pounds pear, cored and sliced
½ cup golden brown sugar
⅔ cups fresh cranberries, halved
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Preheat the oven to 325F.
Combine fresh pear, sugar, cranberries, melted butter and cornstarch in a medium bowl and fill the chilled crust. Distribute the filling so the fruit is tightly packed.
Oat Crumble:
2½ ounces AP Flour
2 ounces rolled oats (not quick cook)
1 ounce white sugar
1½ ounces golden brown sugar
2½ ounces salted butter, melted
Combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
Pour melted butter over the dry and combine thoroughly.
Evenly distribute the Oat Crumble across the top of the pie. (You can also make ahead and store, covered, in the refrigerator).
Bake for 1 hour.
Remove the outer ring of the pan while the pie is still warm to avoid sticking/breakage.
Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Crumble
CRUMBLE INGREDIENTS:
½ cup golden brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon Fleur De Sel
1¼ cups all-purpose Flour
½ cup 61% bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup melted butter
CAKE INGREDIENTS:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
5 ounces salted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
⅔ cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
1¼ cups pumpkin puree
To Make The Crumble:
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Stream in the melted butter and mix until combined. Cover and chill for up to one week.
To Make The Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350F
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Mix the eggs, and vanilla paste together in a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, alternately add the dry and wet ingredients to the creamed butter in batches, beating until the batter is smooth. Fold in the pumpkin puree.
Finishing Touches:
Pour the batter into a buttered 9” cake or pie pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Press chunks of the crumble into the batter and sprinkle over the top, ensuring some patches of batter are left bare. You might have a little extra crumble depending on your tastes.
Bake for 60-65 minutes or until the crumble is crackly and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Cool the cake completely on a cooling rack before serving.
WHAT TO DRINK WITH YOUR TURKEY
Planning to serve a big group? Opt for a magnum. My girl Duyen Ha (who’s pouring at our Holiday Open House in Glendale!) launched BONDLE with a selection of magnums here in LA a few years ago. Her red magnum is a juicy French-sourced Cab Franc that pairs beautifully with turkey; she also has Champagne and rosé if you’d rather go that route. All delicious.
For a crowd, a big, boozy punch is always a good idea. I like the idea of the rum-based Thanksgiving Punch, further flavored with cinnamon, honey, cranberry juice, and more. Of course, you may have some non-drinkers at the gathering, so I recommend exploring mocktails like this festive Cranberry Fizz with notes of rosemary.
Happy Holidays!!!! See you next month with a gift guide, recipes, and more to make your holiday season more joyful.