Looking through some pictures from last year’s Thanksgiving, I am realizing that I’ve been making more or less the same things for the past few years. I want to try something different this year, but I still haven’t decided. I’ve just discovered this amazing feature from last year’s NYT called Well’s Vegetarian Thanksgiving. I know it’s an year late, so this entry is about flashbacks. Also I’m planning on giving a go at this- Pumpkin-Pecan Pie with Whiskey Butter Sauce.
Speaking of flashbacks, some pictures from last year!
For the main dish, I’ve been making a few variations of Gourmet’s Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie recipe for a few years. Last year’s was particularly celery root heavy, and I think it was preferred to the ones from previous years.
And some how, we ended up with 3 pies.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
As a Christmas Special entry, I present to you, Gourmet (Magazine)Thanksgiving Update!
Pre-requisite reading: here
Morning dough for the cranberry apple pie, dUn, and into the fridge. It’s been almost a month since this happened, so I can’t remember the details of what I did immediately after this. I most likely went back to sleep, or went to the grocery store to get last minute things. But I remember clearly the previous day, when I bought these colorful carrots at the farmer’s market at end-of-the-day price.
As attractive as they were, the flavor was akin to unspectacular potatoes. As long as they soak up the flavors from the other stuff, they were good enough for shepherd’s pie filling.
After a long morning of chopping and mixing, around midday is a good time to pop a bottle of wine. You can also pour some into whatever you’re making if appropriate.
So the parsnip is boiled and cooling and draining for the top of the shepherd’s pie, and I think some cauliflower and celery root also made it into the mix. Anyway, here is the result-
But this is hours later. After this is assembled, it sat for a long time before going into the oven, while all the other things are being made, like the cranberry apple pie.
And, after-
Next to the pie is the ginger pear cake that Amanda made, her first vegan cake ever. It was perfect. Matt made candied yams. It’s something southern.
It seems like I’ve been hanging around the kitchen all day, but I only made 3 things. Of course, everyone brought something delicious, so there was enough for everyone. I’m happy to have managed to make all the things I had planned to, and my dear friends showed up. Here’s the menu (from myself, only):
Veganified Gourmet Thanksgiving 2009
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie topped with Parsnip Purée
By the time we sat down, it was already dark.
My 1st plate.
By the end of the night, people started to show their true selves.
As many were, I was shocked and disappointed to hear the last month’s announcement of the demise of Gourmet Magazine. I am still baffled. The obvious production cost, and the consumer’s tendency to lean toward things that are more approachable and earthy in the financial decline are well understood. But the decision to drop Gourmet over so many others, I don’t completely comprehend. I just hope that the immensely talented people who made Gourmet such beautiful publication are being pulled left and right by others to continue the legacy (hopefully by Jon Stewart’s new magazine!).
I am holding on dearly to the few copies of Gourmet that I have left, 2 of which being the thanksgiving issue from last year, and this year: the final issue. So in honor of the deceased grandmother of a food mag, our Thanksgiving menu this year will be inspired by the Gourmet Thanksgiving Issues.
The image on top, one of my favorite page of Gourmet ever, is from last year’s issue. Just so you know, our Thanksgiving table will look absolutely nothing like that.
It’ll probably look more like last year’s dinner, which was pretty clumsily put together, but it makes me imagine cartoon heart bubbles coming out of my head when I see these pictures-
I asked all my friends to bring a dish to make things easier for myself. But finding a main Thanksgiving dish for a couple of vegans is always a predicament. Having decided a long ago that we’ve been in this game for too long for tofurkey, I have yet to create a main dish that I was truly satisfied with. So this year, I am sticking with something familiar.
Shepherd’s pie. On the left is poblano potato gratin from last year’s issue, and on the right, shepherd’s pie from this year. Last year I made mashed parsnips and celery roots in lieu of the traditional mashed potatoes. I’m thinking about incorporating that, making it a bit more gratin-like, into the shepherd’s pie formula.
Matt, being a Southerner, needs to have some kind of collard greens, and this crazy thing from last years issue looks pretty perfect, so we will try to mimic. And of course there will be dessert, which will look a lot less nice than the picture above. I’ll try, but don’t expect too much, okay?
Looking through some pictures from last year’s Thanksgiving, I am realizing that I’ve been making more or less the same things for the past few years. I want to try something different this year, but I still haven’t decided. I’ve just discovered this amazing feature from last year’s NYT called Well’s Vegetarian Thanksgiving. I know it’s an year late, so this entry is about flashbacks. Also I’m planning on giving a go at this- Pumpkin-Pecan Pie with Whiskey Butter Sauce.
Speaking of flashbacks, some pictures from last year!
For the main dish, I’ve been making a few variations of Gourmet’s Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie recipe for a few years. Last year’s was particularly celery root heavy, and I think it was preferred to the ones from previous years.
And some how, we ended up with 3 pies.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
As a Christmas Special entry, I present to you, Gourmet (Magazine)Thanksgiving Update!
Pre-requisite reading: here
Morning dough for the cranberry apple pie, dUn, and into the fridge. It’s been almost a month since this happened, so I can’t remember the details of what I did immediately after this. I most likely went back to sleep, or went to the grocery store to get last minute things. But I remember clearly the previous day, when I bought these colorful carrots at the farmer’s market at end-of-the-day price.
As attractive as they were, the flavor was akin to unspectacular potatoes. As long as they soak up the flavors from the other stuff, they were good enough for shepherd’s pie filling.
After a long morning of chopping and mixing, around midday is a good time to pop a bottle of wine. You can also pour some into whatever you’re making if appropriate.
So the parsnip is boiled and cooling and draining for the top of the shepherd’s pie, and I think some cauliflower and celery root also made it into the mix. Anyway, here is the result-
But this is hours later. After this is assembled, it sat for a long time before going into the oven, while all the other things are being made, like the cranberry apple pie.
And, after-
Next to the pie is the ginger pear cake that Amanda made, her first vegan cake ever. It was perfect. Matt made candied yams. It’s something southern.
It seems like I’ve been hanging around the kitchen all day, but I only made 3 things. Of course, everyone brought something delicious, so there was enough for everyone. I’m happy to have managed to make all the things I had planned to, and my dear friends showed up. Here’s the menu (from myself, only):
Veganified Gourmet Thanksgiving 2009
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie topped with Parsnip Purée
By the time we sat down, it was already dark.
My 1st plate.
By the end of the night, people started to show their true selves.
As many were, I was shocked and disappointed to hear the last month’s announcement of the demise of Gourmet Magazine. I am still baffled. The obvious production cost, and the consumer’s tendency to lean toward things that are more approachable and earthy in the financial decline are well understood. But the decision to drop Gourmet over so many others, I don’t completely comprehend. I just hope that the immensely talented people who made Gourmet such beautiful publication are being pulled left and right by others to continue the legacy (hopefully by Jon Stewart’s new magazine!).
I am holding on dearly to the few copies of Gourmet that I have left, 2 of which being the thanksgiving issue from last year, and this year: the final issue. So in honor of the deceased grandmother of a food mag, our Thanksgiving menu this year will be inspired by the Gourmet Thanksgiving Issues.
The image on top, one of my favorite page of Gourmet ever, is from last year’s issue. Just so you know, our Thanksgiving table will look absolutely nothing like that.
It’ll probably look more like last year’s dinner, which was pretty clumsily put together, but it makes me imagine cartoon heart bubbles coming out of my head when I see these pictures-
I asked all my friends to bring a dish to make things easier for myself. But finding a main Thanksgiving dish for a couple of vegans is always a predicament. Having decided a long ago that we’ve been in this game for too long for tofurkey, I have yet to create a main dish that I was truly satisfied with. So this year, I am sticking with something familiar.
Shepherd’s pie. On the left is poblano potato gratin from last year’s issue, and on the right, shepherd’s pie from this year. Last year I made mashed parsnips and celery roots in lieu of the traditional mashed potatoes. I’m thinking about incorporating that, making it a bit more gratin-like, into the shepherd’s pie formula.
Matt, being a Southerner, needs to have some kind of collard greens, and this crazy thing from last years issue looks pretty perfect, so we will try to mimic. And of course there will be dessert, which will look a lot less nice than the picture above. I’ll try, but don’t expect too much, okay?
